The Lion in Stoke-Newington is a quintessential local boozer; well-dressed people mix with locals, and open mic nights on a Wednesday and the Blow The Fuse jazz club are known to attract a crowd.
The atmosphere is chilled and unoffensive, the juke-box is OK, and there’s a smallish beer garden out back for you to take in the summer rays.
The manager will even let you eat take-away inside the pub, so it's win-win really.