Crown and Lion

A British pub in a hotel named after the ancient city of Byblos ... 16 Reviews

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It’s odd that a hotel named after the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos should be home to such a quintessentially British pub. True to its name, The Crown & Lion looks as though it has more in common with Bedfordshire in the UK than Byblos – a good thing providing you are a fan of: a) pub games (one pool table and two dart boards: check), b) tasty pub grub (ham, egg and chips: check), and c) sports (flatscreen TV at every turn: check). On top of this, The Crown & Lion has plenty of drinks and food promotions throughout the week (it’s rib night on Wednesday, hooray!), a Friday brunch (Dhs120 for five pints and a meal of your choosing), an affordable happy hour each evening (half-price drinks from 6pm to 9pm), and a quiz night. Considering that we’ll be skulking into the shadows come summer, we can’t think of many better places to escape the heat than here.

By TimeOut Dubai staff
Time Out Dubai, 16 May 2011

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Time Out reviews bars anonymously and pays for meals. Of course, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or independence of user reviews.

User reviews:

Posted by: Pj on 16 Feb ' 13 at 07:41

OverallDecorService

MusicAmbience

• Best for: Food served
• Would you go back to this bar/club? Yes

I’m a regular to this bar to watch the sport as there is lots of choice with each TV showing different games from the English Premier League.
As for the remarks from Ben 23rd April I take umbrage to the fact that he calls the people who visit this bar Messed up and trashy??? Who does this guy think he is? Some of the staff do look A little miserable but once you make the effort to chat most are friendly, maybe Ben you don’t possess the art of conversation? The staff here work 12 hour shifts 6 days a week so I guess it takes its toll after a while. The bar is indeed Smokey and maybe a couple of extractor fans being installed would do the trick. So overall I do think the large number of messed up people who keep going back time and time again can’t all be wrong.
So Ben you stick to Nelsons in the Rotana and do us all a favour :)

Posted by: T. broad on 27 Nov ' 12 at 12:10

OverallDecorService

MusicAmbience

• Best for: Food served
• Would you go back to this bar/club? No

Smokey and crowded with televiosions blasting a diifferent sport on each screen = one big noise.
Waitresses rarely smile. Food is great (typical british grub)
Bouncers are AWFUL!!!!! They stop a person from sitting with their legs crossed. When trying to resolve this... we were met with giggles and smirks from all them. Wont reccomend this place at all except if you fancy having your night ruined!

Posted by: Salem on 10 Oct ' 12 at 13:45

OverallDecorService

MusicAmbience

• Would you go back to this bar/club? No

Tired decor, smelly, smoky, photocopy menus and unfriendly staff Wont be going back there ever again

Posted by: mathilda on 06 Oct ' 11 at 12:15

OverallDecorService

MusicAmbience

• Best for: Food served
• Would you go back to this bar/club? Yes

The ambience was very nice fit for every british people and the band was lead to the rythm!....i think this is the coolest place to have but as i observed the russian waitress didnt have concern to help and train the newly trainee waitress especially filipina and didnt intend to ORIENT the new staff with the drinks and everything!..unfortunately the russians just help themselves fellow russian.......so bad how i have seen this i hope you will able to recognize these things a senior has an obligation to teach the newly staff,am i right?!.................

Posted by: Paul on 09 Jun ' 11 at 09:06

• Best for: Food served
• Would you go back to this bar/club? Yes

Good food and plenty of space but always noisy and smokey. Some of the staff don't appear very cheerful or as well trained on customer service as staff in other bars / restaurants.

Posted by: tommy on 25 May ' 11 at 11:33

OverallDecorService

MusicAmbience

• Best for: Live music
• Would you go back to this bar/club? Yes

Authentic british pub, pleased to see a new band - great female sax player, something different. Food is good and waitresses were pleasant. Is worth a visit

Posted by: steve on 25 May ' 11 at 11:23

OverallDecorService

MusicAmbience

• Best for: Live music
• Would you go back to this bar/club? Yes

nice food, big portions a little smokey but worth putting up with as the british band is well worth another look. Played a good range of classics. I'm sick of watching thumping karaoke bands who seem to be miming to tapes around Dubai. Definitely the best LIVE band I have seen this year.
Mike can you please suggest some better bands around the area as I love live music. Thanks Steve

Posted by: Mike on 24 May ' 11 at 11:45

OverallDecorService

MusicAmbience

• Would you go back to this bar/club? No

Too much SMOKE for my liking. Classic BRITISH pub. I have seen better live music at other places around town. Overall, it's worth a look, but don't expect to want to go back.

Posted by: Shadz on 03 Feb ' 11 at 17:49

I heard abt this place a lot, went there and kind of liked it. Ambiance is good service is nice but a little expensive on the drinks. All in all not a bad place to go.

Posted by: Sharad on 21 Nov ' 10 at 06:36

Maybe not everyone is quite contempt with the place .In my opinion the ambience is exactly what you need for taking a break from ure regular life .In other words it is a typical english pub with a pool table which is always full and u have to sometimes wait for hours man.... can be a little frustrating but its worth it.Agree that the band is too loud at times and only sticks to the same old songs by Shania Twain....cause this is one in particular i hear quite often " u dont impress me much"...., over all great place nice people...and great beer....

Posted by: Paul B on 04 Aug ' 10 at 05:58

This is a good English pub. The food is very good indeed and the staff and service is excellent. There is no glitz and glamour here though, it's and English boozer and isn't to some peoples liking.
But I have to say, they have an annoying band in there many a night. Too loud and poor quality. My friends and I avoid the place when the band are on.
Great pub though.

Posted by: Terry on 15 Jul ' 10 at 17:06

Kool bar...everything needed is there..love the food..good pool table more than enough screen friendly staff and managed and run very well, never an easy job either!!

Posted by: Paul on 27 Jun ' 10 at 10:21

First and foremost this bar caters for the football punter predominantly or any other telvised sport, and for that its probably as good as anywhere in Dubai.

If you fancy a game of pool or arrows then equally as good, although make sure you read the house rules before you play the table (cause of MANY an argument!!!!)

Food is 'pub grub', unashamedly so, but my word its good stuff.

I would agree with Ben though, the above points (i.e its a 'British' pub)do bring out a certain idiot element, so if you aren't used to it (and I'm from Wigan so I am!!!!!!) it can be a bit unnerving.

Worth a punt though.

Posted by: Big Simon on 10 Jun ' 10 at 07:32

Great bar with fantastic food and lots of sport. Not sure about the essex tartan uniforms though. The only problem is that they have a band on sometimes and you can't hear yourself think!
Recommended for most normal people except Ben it seems!!!

Posted by: Trevor on 06 Jun ' 10 at 06:06

I love this bar for the sports, live music (which can be a little loud sometimes) and great food. The fish and chips are banging.

Posted by: Ben on 23 Apr ' 10 at 23:35

Edited by TimeOutDubai.com

I have been to many bars in my time, in over six countries, but I have to say I have never seen a stranger crowd than the one I saw in this place. The bar is reasonably nice, with pool tables, live music, and an awesome and very friendly DJ. The messed up part is the crowd. It seems this place is frequented by messed up people. I don't mean drunks, just messed up, trashy incomprehensible jerks trying to cause trouble or attempting to get you to pick up their bills. It says a lot about a bar when the crowd at Rotana's Nelson's seems classy in comparison! In short, you don't need to go there; plenty of classier places in the area to get a drink or watch a game.