No lengthy explanations, rants or references to Horse and Hound. Simply put, this place needs to get it's act together. It is bestowed with a location and layout that would make most pubs green with envy, but if you bill yourself as a gastro pub and set prices accordingly then you need to get the basics right. One of these would be fish and chips, which my group all had. It looked great but tasted very poor; the London Pride batter wasn't cooked properly and the whole thing was only just above tepid.
Their local competition is 'The Old Ship' which seems to have been overrun by a band of pirates (the management) intent on stealing people's money for very little in exchange. The Black Lion should therefore be sinking that galleon and all aboard it's sorry vessel. Sadly, the Black Lion has opted for expensive mediocraty as a competitive stance.
The beer is also pricey reminding me of my father in law's response in such situations i.e. "at least Dick Turpin wore a mask when he robbed people".
Go to the Dove by Furnival Gardens - it's the real deal, not a paper tiger.