Black Lion Royal Hotel Restaurant in Ceredigion

Went for a last dinner with family, and the food itself was wonderful. However, the whole experience was greatly disappointing when it came to the service itself. Ordered drinks and there was an incredibly long wait between that to get to order the food. After eating, a waitress came and took three of our five plates, but never came back for the other two, leaving them on the table. The table beside us were given 2 rounds of drinks, starters, mains and a dessert in the time we had one round of drinks and our meals. Would've ordered dessert, but didn't end up doing that as we felt quite forgotten

Excellent stop for evening meal in Lampeter.

Nice hotel in the middle of the town, plenty of parking at the back... Breakfast was limited but fine.

On holiday, popped in for some evening food and wasn’t disappointed! Service and food 100%! Will return while here on holiday

Food for a Sunday lunch was awful. For the money......very poor. Apparently Chef was off, not enjoyed at all. Will not be going again. Get your act together. Cold plates also, meal didn't stay warm.

Went in on sunday at 3pm and felt like the staff didnt want me there. I was told there is no food at this time and the staff were making fun of other customers - the swearing was also a suprise Positives the lemon cider was nice

I visited this restaurant last week and while the place initially looked very nice and inviting, my experience quickly went downhill. After sitting down, I found out that several dishes on the menu were unavailable. When I asked questions or pointed out mistakes on the menu, I was spoken to like an idiot, which was incredibly frustrating and disrespectful. To make matters worse, the manager couldn't handle honest criticism or feedback. Instead of addressing the issues professionally, she became aggressive and dismissive. It's a shame because the restaurant had a lot of potential, but the poor customer service completely ruined the experience. I won't be returning and can't recommend this place to others.

I would strongly recommend avoiding The Black Lion Royal hotel's restaurant and heading up to the near-by Chinese restaurant instead for much more enjoyable experience. I recently visited The Black Lion Royal Hotel's restaurant with a group of seven friends to celebrate a milestone 30th birthday. Our initial impression of the place was positive when we stopped by for a quick beverage a few days earlier, leading us to book a table for the celebration. Unfortunately, the actual experience fell short of our expectations. When we made the booking, we were asked to pre-order our food in advance. This was quite inconvenient as we were not familiar with the menu and unsure of everyone's preferences at the time – the first red flag. Eventually, we secured the booking without pre-ordering, hoping for a pleasant dining experience on the night. Upon arrival, we were dismayed to find that our desired meals were unavailable. The T-bone steak, the most expensive item on the menu, was not an option, which was quite disappointing. We then inquired about the mixed grill, which was advertised on a board, only to learn it was exclusively available on "steak night." When asked when that would be, the staff could not provide an answer. After much debate over what to order, one of our friends decided to leave because they couldn’t find anything appealing on the menu. Despite this, we continued with our evening and placed our orders. Surprisingly, the manager approached us and questioned why only seven meals were ordered when the booking was for eight. We explained the situation politely, to which the manager responded with a rather dismissive “what a shame” before walking away. In an attempt to improve our dining experience, one of our group members requested a different waiter as we felt uncomfortable. The manager then appeared and, instead of resolving our concern, told us to leave if we did not want to be served by that particular waiter. Left with no other choice, we decided to leave the restaurant. Fortunately, we found a nearby Chinese restaurant where we continued our celebration. The food was delightful, the staff were welcoming, and we had a fantastic time at a fraction of the cost. The Black Lion Royal Hotel’s restaurant, regrettably, did not meet our expectations, and the service we received was unaccommodating and unprofessional. I hope the management takes this feedback seriously and makes the necessary improvements to ensure a better experience for future patrons. - Piotr

To owners, I am writing to express my profound disappointment with the experience my party and I had at your restaurant on 11.06.24 We had high expectations for our meal, which was intended to celebrate my 30th birthday, but were met with a series of issues that left us extremely dissatisfied. Upon our arrival, we were informed that the most expensive dish on the menu was unavailable, despite it still being advertised on your boards. This was already a letdown, but we attempted to make the best of the situation by selecting another dish, only to be told it was also unavailable. The limited menu choices led one of our friends to decide to leave, reducing our party from eight to seven. At this point, we were confronted by the manager about why our reservation was for eight people but now only had seven. The manager's approach was not only unnecessary but also unprofessional. To our shock and dismay, the manager swore at us in front of a child who was part of our group. This behavior is utterly unacceptable and left us all feeling deeply uncomfortable. Seeking a resolution, I approached the bar staff and requested to be served by someone other than the manager, as I could not tolerate further verbal abuse, especially in front of my child. Unfortunately, this request seemed to fall on deaf ears. To add to the disappointment, the table we were seated at was sticky, which only further indicated a lack of attention to cleanliness and customer care. The overall experience was far from the standard we expected, and the level of customer service was abysmal. I am bringing these issues to your attention in the hope that you will take the necessary steps to address them and ensure that no other patrons have to endure such an unpleasant experience. Zuzanna

Not sure where to start Went in for food to be sat at a unclean and sticky table. Menu given had sauce all over After ordering I was informed the T bone is not available and the mix grill (in the picture) is for "steak night" but they wasn't sure when that is. One of the guests decided to leave as the menu wasn't to their liking. We then got asked why they left, when we politely said due to menu we was told "SHAME" When asking for a different waiter as that is not professional we were told "if you don't like our staff, Leave !" We left....

Lovely Italian food (pizza, garlic bread and linguine). Very quiet during the week. Tables comfortable and staff provided good service.

The service was lovely. Very accommodating. Lovely and warm. The food and wine was excellent. I would visit again.

Haven't stayed in the hotel itself. Food is amazing though, the beer is... Well it's beer. Customer service is great and staff are very friendly.

We called in for a light lunch in February. The welcome was warm - the service was excellent and the food was splendid. What more could we ask for?

Food is excellent!!! Girls enjoyed everything including Unicorn ice-creams...

Staff were fantastic, nothing was too much trouble.

Hemos comido aquí varias veces y no he tenido una mala comida todavía. Había algunos platos nuevos en el menú así como los antiguos favoritos. El ambiente era extremadamente amable y tuvimos otra noche fantástica. Nuestra familia venga aquí a menudo y están muy contentos con el servicio.

The steak tasted like liver and the same texture and the chicken wasnt cooked . We had to wait so long there was a bad smell in there i could have cooked it quicker myself

Basic looking homely pub with rooms above should you wish to stay.The staff were very welcoming and helpful.The food was mostly british basics but were cooked well.It could do with being abit more brighter.

Qué buena elección. Cálida y acogedora en un fin de semana muy frío. Personal excelente y muy servicial y amable. Habitaciones limpias y cómodas. Comida muy buena y verdadera cerveza genial. Por el precio es una joya. Ojalá los nuevos propietarios cada éxito. . . se lo merece. Gracias. Incluso encontramos letrina a aparcar nuestro moto!

worst excuse for a meal I ve ever witnessed nothing remotely fitted the description on the menu, I asked for my money back and left.

Si estás teniendo una hamburguesa y patatas fritas (como yo) no puedes equivocarte.Me dijeron que la nueva novia por error sobre el pub en un precioso pueblo galés que ella me encanta.La gente era agradable, pero era horrible, su pescado congelado pescado a veces va raro si cocinar mal y creo que esto es lo que pasó, super nefastos, también las patatas fritas eran patatas fritas cajún estándar y los otros lados no eran geniales.Aún así, si te apetece una hamburguesa y una pinta le bien aquí.

Stopped for lunch - I had faggots which were OK, nothing special, my husband had home cooked ham, which was tough and stringy in places. Service was definitely slow, and cabbage type smells coming from the kitchen did not enhance the atmosphere.

we have had a few lunch meals here before and they have been pretty good, a different story on the evening meal...most of our 3 plates of food were burnt and generally over cooked....chef you are rubbish !

Limited selection, pour you own tea and coffee, deep fried mushrooms in the full Welsh breakfast, scrambled eggs very good though!

We wanted a fairly simple meal and were served standard bar food but a decent selection with plenty of variety. The atmosphere was pleasant and there were comfy sofas to loaf on and a share a pudding. The staff were helpful and attentive.

The whole place needs a complete refurb, even a lick of paint wouldn't go amiss!! Dirty carpets, curtains & uncomfortable beds didn't go down well with us. First time staying there, will be the last, thankfully it was only for one night. Food average.

Family lunch for inlaws birthday. We hadn't been for ages so gave them the benefit of the doubt but wish we hadn't. Poor poor quality food. Baked potato was nuked and I could barely cut through the skin. Portion size was very small too on this meal.Fish and chips, served with TINNED GARDEN PEAS! Whaaatttt!! Absolutely disgusting. Chips ok, fish average.Took an age to arrive which was surprising given that we were the 1st or 2nd of 3 tables which ordered. Ours came after about 45 mins. I wish this pub would sort itself out. We have precious few pubs in Lampeter which open at lunch during the week and it would be nice if the Black Lion could produce something decent for once.

We were in here 7days ago and it was the worst family meal we have ever had. we had to wait over 40mins for dinner and the only thing that was hot out of a roast was new potatoes the chicken on my 8yr olds plate was black as it was burnt. Staff that were in were arrogant.Didn't know what they were suppose to do as alot of staff had phoned in sick or working else where. The landlord told us this.We will never walk back in there even if it is the last place on earth.

Lunch here today 21st Oct. Fish and chips. Took half an hour to arrive. The batter was an inch think greasy and underdone. Fish underneath raw and mushy peas cold. Rates amongst the worse meal I've had in a very long time. Landlady very apologetic and reimbursed us, the chef was having an off day. The chef sadly needs to be shown the door.

The outside of the Black Lion says a lot about the state of this pub/hotel very dark, dingy & generally in need of some serious cheering up. We ordered food & waited for our meals, very inconsistent depending on who you're served by some charge up front & some don't plus some give you you're drinks up front & others bring them to you.We waited more than 45 minutes for our food to be cooked and brought out even though the pub had gotten a lot quieter to what it was. We were advised by another customer not to have the Sunday lunch & I saw another customer return his & have it changed for another with different meat accompaniment.When the food finally arrived the Gammon was ok but a bit chewy in places, the linguine was also found to be very bland & unpalatable, but the Welsh burger and ham and eggs was okay. My son enjoyed his pizza & my 3 year old liked the chicken strips in all I wouldn't rush to eat there again (if at all)The ladies toilets were okay but the toilet seat in mine was hanging off so kept sliding around which was awkward in itself. Definitely a place in need of tlc.

Had a family evening meal here. Average pub food, good portion sizes and cheap. Staff were very friendly and attentive.

Being a student at the nearby university, I occasionally have the time and money to go out for meals at the sparse number of restaurants the town offers. That being said, the BlackLion is not one I would recommend. The establishment seems to have gone through several managerial entities, and the same goes for its cooks, who seem to be rotated every so months. While my family, and I, as well as friends have had several delicious meals there, we have also had to endure some of the worst food I've ever eaten. I myself have had at least 2 meals I have had to send back due to uncooked meat in them (Burgers and chicken), and two of my friends have had serious food poisoning. The current cooks as of my last visit (06/16) seemed to continue the trend; they were pretty inexperienced and overwhelmed when it comes to anything over a burger and chips. The accommodation is decent. Some rooms are great, and provide comfort and suitable insulation, while others are drafty, incomplete, and borderline decrepit. When my mother was staying upstairs, when I asked which room she was staying in, the person on duty told me the room number without even asking me who I was or offering to phone ahead; a dangerous oversight in my opinion. All in all, if you have nowhere else to go, then the place is completely fine, just be prepared to give your food a poke to make sure it's not still alive.

Visited with Clwb Rotari Llanbedr Pont Steffan / Lampeter Rotary Club for our August meal and Business Meeting. We had ordered our meals in advance and I chose their classic crispy beer-battered cod and chips with garden peas and salad garnish. It was freshly prepared and a decent sized portion but the salad garnish was not up to the usual standard. It was just various lettuces and would have been more interesting and appetising if slices of such items as a tomato or cucumber had been included. However, it offered good value at £6.00 under their offer of two meals for £12.00. The service was very good so thank you all at the Black Lion for another evening at this popular restaurant.

Called in with my family for lunch. Pub needs updating as looks very tired. Lovely waitress took our order. Sweet potato chips were awful, fat not hot enough so they were soaked in and tasted of fat. Chicken dish was ok. Coleslaw was vile, way too much dressing and no crunch. All in all decidedly average

The meal was not up the hotels normal standard ..Roast Spuds and Parsnips hardly cooked ..We shall not be returning . it was our local when we visited the town ..We shall take out custom else where

Cela fait des années que je connais ce pub situé dans la rue principale de Lampeter : j'y apprécie l'ambiance du pub décontracté et familiale. On peut y boire de bonnes bières autour du bar. Il y a un billard sur l'arrière d'une des 2 salles. J'évite tous les plats panés mais j'ai particulièrement apprécié le poulet cajun, grillé et légèrement épicé. Une bonne adresse !

a group of us used the black lion for a works meal and the food was generally ok, not great not bad very middle of the road.

The inside is quite old worldly and offers a nice place to eat and drink. The price of wine is outrages considering it is in Lampeter However it is only one of two who serve it. The food is honest but a little pricey if you are on a budget. I recommend their Club sandwich for its content and price I can never finish one!! There is only two downfalls to this place. The open kitchen so people can see what they are cooking. It is full off microwaves and freezers so all you can hear is the ping of the microwave and a chef opening a freezer door. It does have a grill but if you are not ordering a steak then you will not witness a chef in action. The second thing is that the bar is round and largely understaffed so getting a drink or placing an order can be frustrating. The meals are good but pricey but overall a better place to eat if you want to be in a quite arena.

Visited with Clwb Rotary Llanbedr Pont Steffan / Lampeter Rotary Club for our April Business Meeting. To save time, we ordered our meals in advance and I was served with a large tasty fish in a thin crispy batter, mushy peas, chunky chips and a side salad. It was fresh and a good size portion - excellent value at £6.00 under their offer of two meals for £12.00. We all enjoyed our meals and the service was excellent. Thank you all at the Black Lion looking forward to my next visit!

I had the half roast chicken and my friend had the steak. Good food and quick service. Located on the High Street in Lampeter and parking at the rear of the hotel. A popular place with locals and visitors, but could do with a little renovation.

The staff were very friendly and polite, as usual. We eat lunch here quite a lot and the new Chef there is excellent and we had a really enjoyable meal. The 'Specials' were really good, so good, in fact, that we asked for the brie dish with the lovely compote to bring home!! Well done.

The plaxe is fairly old fashioned but having said that, the staff are very friendly and kind. The food is average, regular pub food. Price is good and the place looks tidy and clean.

We have eaten at the Black Lion on numerous occasions before our Rotary Club business meetings and the standard of the food has varied enormously, but last Monday ,11th January, we were all (7 of us) given an excellent meal which both looked and tasted very good- hot, succulent and well presented, despite several different meals being ordered. I ordered the same starter- Kiev prawns- as I have previously had, but this time was agreeably surprised by everything about them, not overcooked, hot, succulent, tasty, with a well presented side salad.on the basis of this meal I would happily recommend this pub

Visited with Clwb Rotary Llanbedr Pont Steffan / Lampeter Rotary Club for our January Business Meeting. We ordered our meals in advance and I was served a large succulent fish in a thin crispy batter, chunky chips, mushy peas and a side salad. It was freshly prepared, a good size portion and excellent value at £6.00 under their offer of two meals for £12.00. We all enjoyed our meals and the service was excellent. Thank you all at the Black Lion looking forward to our next visit!

Visited this pub to watch the football match, had a great time, staff / management was friendly good atmosphere, beer was reasonably priced, if I ever went into lampeter again this would be my first visit

choose another Hotel. even though none of the restaurants were any good in Lampeter. Menu was over priced and not value for money

Please be aware, if you order a sandwich from the bar, Chef will turn it into a meal. The sandwich is packed with whatever you order as your filling. A side salad, dressing, knife fork and napkin, and a generous portion of fries accompany your chosen sandwich on a 12" dinner plate. All that for the price of a sandwich, which is cheap to start with if you were just having the sandwich.

I chose the rib eye steak and it was well cooked but perhaps they should use heated plates as my steak was not that hot.

Took a while for bar staff to notice me (busy out back or somewhere); however he made up for it when he did by being very friendly and pleasant, and bringing my coffee and change to our table

There is a new menu which is great and the meal I had was the Leg of Lamb steak which was cooked to perfection. The new system of going to the bar to order is going well. The staff are always welcoming, friendly and professional. I would recommend the Black A+++++

Standard pub menu, we didn't need to book a table but it wasn't clear if it was table service or not so waited a while before ordering, but once we did there wasn't too much of a wait. Food unspectacular, but the nice atmosphere made up for it.

A well established historical hotel centrally located on the High Street, owned by Brains Brewery. It offers a selection of traditional dishes including pub style meals and a variety of beers and ales among other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. I often visit with Lampeter Rotary Club and our meals are freshly prepared, tasty with good sized portions depending on your choice of meal. Staff are friendly and offer a good service but sometimes there can be delays when the restaurant is really busy. To avoid delays, suggest you book a table in advance and also select your meal so it's prepared in time for your visit. The restaurant, lounge and bar areas offer comfortable and cosy surroundings but some extra TLC would update this hotel and increase it's popularity. It offers ample parking for residents and non-residents and it's location is convenient for the shops, services and attractions that Lampeter has to offer. They include a well stocked public library providing internet access, Amgueddfa Llanbed / Lampeter Museum offering interesting displays, The Welsh Quilt Centre and their fascinating exhibitions and of course the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, the oldest established university in Wales.

The service was good and friendly but you could tell the staff did not want to be there the food was poor and the chef had no idea what he was doing asked for my steak medium rare but it was nowhere near that my girlfriend had the chicken and it was dry and overcooked over all disappointment

great food good prices good portions lovely tasting the service time was acceptable we would recommend this place

Went here on Sat 19th. Ordered a burger with salad dressed in a bap. As I ate it I realised that the odd cold slimy taste was not salad dressing but raw burger. After complaining a burger was served after the rest of the party had eaten. This was so overcooked I could not cut it. The cost of dinner was taken off but nothing else offered. The next day I was v v unwell travelling back through mid Wales. No loos!!!!!! Ruined weekend away. I write a Ta review but then thought I could give the restaurant the opportunity to apologise and put things right. Rand. Spoke to waiter, explaining what had happened and asked for manager to ring. Not a peep. So ny review has gone it. This was a dreadful meal and it ruined a weekend away. Reviews of rooms show a level of dirt unacceptable in a Brains hotel. It is also not acceptable to serve raw burgers!

We were made to feel welcome by the New manager, who is really pleasant and helpful. The family as a whole thoroughly enjoyed our meal.The New manager is a breath of fresh air and has some great plans for the place. I do hope the negativity of some of the lunch guests on Sunday will not be taken to heart, I was frankly disgusted with their attitude and behaviour. My family regularly meet for lunch here and our experience has never been anything but good.The food was excellent Sunday lunch as you'd expect was really enjoyable and everything was freshly cooked. Service was also good. I look forward to our next visit in a few weeks when we will be staying at the hotel for a couple of nights. I would like to wish the new manager all the best and to thank him and his staff for everything.

We had a brilliant meal, it was hot, cooked well and really tasty. All the staff were excellent and catered to our every need. Our three children were all very impressed too. We cannot thank you enough for looking after us so well and we most certainly will be back.

If you want to have a nice meal with a good atmosphere then save yourself and avoid this place at all costs! We've eaten here countless times and the food and service had always been adequate. We decided to book a table for 5 for Sunday lunch, the first indicator that we weren't going to be in for a great experience was that we had to ring back again after making the initial booking because the person taking the booking didn't seem to be able to understand or speak very good English. When we arrived there were 2 tables of 4 already seated (hardly busy) the gentleman behind the bar didn't acknowledge us and kept us waiting a while to be seated. Once we were seated we were put at a table for 4, despite booking for 5 people and confirming our reservation upon arrival. The table we were sat at was dirty and despite being quiet, there were print outs on the table saying we had to self serve at the bar. The food arrived fairly quickly, and that's really the only positive from this experience. It all went down hill from there. We had 2 roast chicken Sunday dinners and 2 pork (one wisely opted for a burger) The roast dinners were horrible, my partner will eat literally anything you put under his nose but even he couldn't eat it. The meat was incredibly tough, the veg had died a death a long time ago and whatever the potatoes were cooked in had the most bizarre taste and could have bounced them round the room they were that rubbery. We approached the waitress and told her that we were really sorry but the food wasn't nice at all (the burger was fine!) Her attitude was SHOCKING! to say the least! Apparently lots of people had eaten the roast today (there wasn't a roast dinner in sight on the other 2 tables eating there) and her attitude was that because they hadn't complained about the food then there was nothing wrong with it! She took one meal away and asked if there was anything else we would like instead, no apology, just we were in the wrong. We decided we didn't want to order anything else, just the bill for the one meal eaten and the drinks we had, our plates we're still intact apart from a few bites. The waitress, Claire I believe her name was said that because we had eaten some of the food we would HAVE to pay for it! To which I pointed out, how would we know it tasted awful if we hadn't had tried any of it? She insisted that's the way it is and that the manager had tried the food and said it tasted lovely. Said 'Manager' then approached our table and said that the food was fine, he tasted it and it was lovely and other customers hadn't complained so the problem was us and not with their inedible food! He then proceeded to get into a full blown argument with us and started raising his voice repeating over and over again that no one else has said anything who had eaten there earlier in the day. He didn't seem to understand that just because someone else enjoyed their meal doesn't mean that our meal was identical to theirs! He finally said that he would allow us to pay for the one meal eaten and the drinks we had ordered, there was only the option to pay cash and they had kept one of our debit cards behind the till meaning we couldn't leave until we came to an agreement of what was to pay. Once paid and things calmed down, my partner approached the Manager and tried to defuse the situation but it ended up with the Manager repeating the same lines in extremely poor English of 'I've eaten the food on your plate, it was fine, other people have eaten it and they didn't say it was bad so there is nothing wrong with the food.'No apology, no nothing, we were in the wrong, as this conversation was going on the waitress Claire came over and stood next to the manager, laughing at my partner. I've never ever in my life witnessed such appalling behaviour from staff! Whoever hired these people need to seriously reevaluate their staffing choices! As we were walking out of the pub realising we were getting nowhere with these people, the delightful Claire shouted across the bar in the most disgusting sarcastic tone 'have a lovely day' We didn't manage to get the 'Managers' name unfortunately, but safe to say there will be a full complaint going to Brains, the owners of the Black Lion. I never write reviews on places, ever. But we were all so appalled with the way we were treated by the two members of staff there on 27/09/15 that I just had to get it out and hopefully save someone else the pain of having to go through the same as we went through! An otherwise good Sunday, ruined by two utterly incompetent and rude members of staff and awful inedible food!

We had a meal for 5 although it was busy our service was good, and the food was plentiful and also the breakfast we had the following morning At the evening meal we the service was reasonable although they had a number of new staff employed so you need to give a fair amount of time to get up too speed There were a number of teething problems on the other tables

For a Brains menu it was below the expected standard. Sausage and mash - Deep fried sausages were overcooked and the mashed potato was powdered peas were ok though ! My partner ordered poached eggs and fried arrived ! did not complain because it was obvious that the waitress who was 'just helping out ' displayed a didn't want to be here attitude.This is a pity because it could be a great litle place with atmosphere, with a bit more staff training !

Beautiful food and accommodated, a great variety to choose from and affordable. They accommodated our requests as our 4 year old was specific!

Great place for stopping off en- route around wales. nice and quiet and comfortable. Staff helpful as well. Lovely place to walk around and not far from the coast.

Visited on a monday night with my husband and children. The burgers were standard pub ones, my husband steak he liked though ordered medium to well done was still rather pink, my chilli was lovely. Reasonable priced for what you get....normal pub grub!

We enjoyed 2 nights here with great food, generous portions and variety for vegetarians (which was pleasing 😊) Better than your average local pub

We live locally and tend to go to the Black Lion as a last resort, but the last visit on a Monday when everywhere else was closed was the worst. The waiter had a take it or leave it attitude and when I ordered a steak medium rare he obviously only paid attention to the rare bit as when it came (after sitting on the pass for well over 5 minutes) it was practically raw as well as understandably cold. As for my husband's "special" steak pie it looked like dog meat under a puff pastry lid. The diner on the next table had the same dish and he complained and walked out in disgust! They had a ''visiting" manager from an excellent Brains restaurant in Aberdovey there that week and when we complained he was very apologetic and personally cooked two fresh steaks for us and gave me a complimentary red wine! The Black Lion would do well to listen to his advice, if that was the reason for his visit

The room was clean but a problem with the hot water/heater made the rooms almost unbearable. the food was good we ate there in the evening and breakfast next day

Recently stayed here and ate in the restaurant at night. Standard pub grub but a good selection and generous portion sizes. The whole rack of ribs were enormous! Service was good, as was the beer. I can see that this restaurant has had mixed reviews but we were all happy with our meals. The five star food hygiene rating is also another plus factor.

I found the black lion rather dirty, with staff who didn't care about anything as there attitude was they were getting paid whatever?

We stopped here for lunch and had a very good meal. We tried to stop again later in the week, but although the board outside said meals were served until 22.00 at 14.00 they were unable to feed us, very disappointing!

Quick birthday lunch for a friend popped in here to try. Lovely well cooked food friendly service and well priced.

I came for a meal with friends on the 28th April, having eaten at the Black Lion numerous times before. As any regulars will know, the management has changed recently and I cannot commend the new management enough for the change it has made to the restaurant. On this particular visit I had Crispy Chilli Battered Prawns, served with sweet chilli sauce, followed by a Rump Steak served with chips, grilled tomato, mushrooms and salad. My friends both had the coarse pork pate to start and one followed with a Rump Steak, the other with the house mixed grill, consisting of 8 oz rump steak, pork chop, pork sausage and gammon, served with two fried eggs, chips and mushrooms. The latter also ordered a side of onion rings as did I. As far as the mains go, none of us had any complaints. The steaks were cooked to our specifications and all of the food tasted excellent. They may have mastered my own preference for a rare steak, as it was just as I wanted it. However, the starters did leave a little to be desired. My prawns were lovely, but as all three of us noted, the salad could have done with some dressing. The main issue was the lack of the Rev. James ale chutney. This was part of the coarse pate dish which my friends ordered. Unbeknownst to us, the kitchen had already run out but when my friends chose this particular dish, they were not informed that there was no chutney left. Instead, when the pate arrived it was served with salsa. It was a busy night, and so I can understand problems with communication but I hope the chef will take more care to inform the waitstaff of any issues with lack of stock before they take orders. My friend told me that had he known there was no chutney he would not have ordered the dish. Despite this we enjoyed the rest of our meal. The location feels welcoming and lived in, and there is a friendly atmosphere while you dine. I will be going again.

Been here a couple of times for lunch with my other half and its been excellent both times. Service is lovely and fast amd the food is good. While not absolutely outstanding...for a nice simple lunch it works and its priced accordingly...will definitely be back to try more of the menu (also very accomodating for dietary requirements)

Staff are welcoming and helpful, food tastes home made and the facilities are clean. My wife and I usually stay at this hotel but on special occasions we stay at the Falcondale Hotel just up the road.

Have visited the Black Lion several times whilst visiting relatives. We have always had good meals which are reasonably priced. The staff have always been very pleasant. A good selection of menu items too.

Great food. Over the past few months have used many times for food. Every time has been excellent. The staff are always very courteous and attending. The cooking area is open to view. Everything that has been ordered has been excellent. So many great dishes and the two for £10 is great value. Though the main menu is competitively priced. Portions are always ample and cooked to order. Highly recommended.

-Carpets are dirty. -Showers are rubbish. -Windows don't open properly. -Bed is uncomfortable. -Chef is grumpy, he doesn't like it when you order after 7:30. -bad food service.

Mid week meeting about 6 of us staff very helpful as we had to run a meeting and try and get food fast service and friendly helpful staff even though it was a busy time of day Food was good as was the draft beer all in all worth a visit work or otherwise

liked everything great hotel food is very nice and great prices, staff very friendly all in all good hotel.

we visited this pub restaurant a few years ago and the chap running it then was great nothing was to much trouble so we thought it would be nice to return again however we were quite disappointed that it seems to have changed hands and standards have dropped no finesse on presentation of food scaled down portions while it was always pub grub it seems more suited now to students and alike staff though are helpful and polite enough

I went to a work leaving meal here for 17 people. The staff were so friendly and the food was great. We'd not pre-ordered and so were expecting a longer than usual wait but the staff coped extremely well with such a large order on the spot. Everyone's food came at the same time, it was tasty, hot and very nicely presented. Everyone said the food was lovely. We all had a great evening, and people who couldn't come for the meal were able to drop in just for a drink in the bar. It was also easy for everyone to pay separately, something which can be a problem with large parties.I would definitely recommend this restaurant, a friendly, relaxed place to eat with good food at reasonable prices.

visited here for the last night of our stay in wales and when we walked in they said they was full but the lady behind the bar said she would ask if they could fit 4 people in and within 5 mins we was told to take a seat and would get brought a menu. we was all eating within approx 45 mins which was very reasonable as it was getting late when we arrived. the food was enjoyed by all and the price was reasonable as well fo the meals they served

Had dinner here after avoiding for a year. Much better, great choice and value for money and much cleaner. Friendly service.

The food was typical of a chain two for £10 etc. I went on a Friday after the offer time. Food was as described. Staff were pleasant. Somewhere to eat but nothing special. Worth trying to get the offer meals.

We had dinner and breakfast here while staying in Lampeter. The dining area is a very traditional pub/restaurant set up with a central bar area. The evening we were here, there was a birthday party and several regular diners in, so a really full house.The service was good, friendly and attentive, even with the workload of the party. Well done to the staff.The food was good, and the portions generous. I had a fish burger with a difference, as it had cod and smoked haddock on a good quality bun. The chips were very good and the ice cream we had after was excellent.

Excellent sunday lunch. Well recommended. My wife was a chef before retiring & if she says its good then it is GOOD.

Lovely warm welcome and charming staff. But the food! It was overcooked and greasy. I know it was a Sunday evening but perhaps it would have been better if kitchen had been closed as I presume the kitchen was not being manned by resident chef.?

They have a Brains Menu. Some special offers. I ordered the jacket potato with pulled bbq pork. Very tasty, but the potato was on the small side. But can't complain. It was only £5.95. My wife had a beef burger. She also enjoyed.Friendly staff and quick service. The kitchen is open plan, so you can see the kitchen staff at work.Nice place on Lampeter High Street with parking at rear (entrance through the arch way).I would particularly like to complement them on having Welsh language songs on their playlist of background music. Da iawn a diolch yn fawr.

Very good value food, lots of special offer nights. Service was quick and friendly, definitely worth the stop off if you're passing through the area. The portions were hearty, and their cheese board was enough to feed a small army!

We have eaten here a few times and always found it good value and a pleasant experience. I have had to use a wheelchair for the last couple of months due to a broken leg and the complexities of going out for a meal in a wheelchair have not been easy! We have eaten in the Black Lion at lunchtime and evening and the staff have been so helpful. Food is good and good value, and it is easy to access for a wheelchair. Double doors, parking on street or in car park, slight slope to entrance at side, level floor to table, plenty of room for manouvre and small but adequate disabled toilet. Staff happy to help if needed.

There were 5 in our party on this visit ... two children and 3 adults. We were celebrating 14 years in this beautiful part of the country (we moved from London in 2000).We did not book a table this time (it was a Monday night); the restaurant was still comfortably busy, but we were welcomed and seated at a good table immediately. Our waitress was very kind, patient and helpful.We watched the lads in the kitchen preparing food from our (generous and comfortable ) table; they do work hard! We had a very mixed order ... but everything arrived together and was cooked as ordered. WELL DONE LADS!!We saw hotel visitors enjoying their evening meals as well .. everyone appeared satisfied.Our 10.5 year old daughter ordered an 8oz rump steak (rare) with 1/2 rack ribs + all the trimmings AND ATE IT ALL!! (she was very hungry). I had shank of lamb (hot and tasty, with fresh cooked carrots and broccoli). All meals were good ... and we went to to have afters (banana splits, ice-cream, rum baba [served with more finesse -thank-you, I DO LOVE IT] and sticky toffee pudding. We also had wine, 2 x Rev James + soft drinks. The bill was under £115; I call that excellent value.The Black Lion could still do with some refurbishment ... but Brains should be pleased that they manage so well.We will be back!

I arrived with my girlfriend and another couple for a spontaneous evening meal out. We are students and were taking advantage of the 20% off Tuesday Grill Night. We had drinks beforehand while we waited for a table to be set up. The setting is nice, in a homely sort of way; I visit the pub occasionally for a pint and so am familiar with the location. We ordered our food, I chose the smoked salmon fishcake followed by a rump steak cooked rare, while my girlfriend picked the vegetarian chilli. The service was dismal, owed exclusively to the lacklustre approach of a short-haired woman working front of house. The first problem occurred when my girlfriend's coke tasted off and another member of our group, with a history in the service industry, thought the post mix and gas needed changing. She informed this waitress, who was apparently already aware of this. In other words, as changing the coke may have been too much of a task for her, she sent it in the hope that my girlfriend would drink it without complaint. The second instance occurred when my girlfriend, having received her chilli without the side order of guacamole included with the dish, asked me to mention it. Upon doing so, the waitress stated that the 'guacamole comes separately' and would have arrived moments later. Had I not mentioned it I doubt the guacamole would ever have appeared. My fishcake was flavoursome and the relish served with it complemented it nicely. My steak, if a little overdone, was tasty as were the chips, peppercorn sauce, mushrooms and side salad. I would suggest that the management ought to better train their front of house as our evening was dampened not by the food but by the service.

We last visited the Black Lion Hotel in Lampeter on a Friday evening and it was good, but very quiet. This time we visited on a Saturday ... I booked a table to be sure we had the one we wanted, and that was just as well because when we arrived (early) all other tables were busy.The kitchen staff were under pressure, but coped very well with the busy evening service.Our party ordered mainly steaks; all mains arrived more or less together, and all steaks were cooked as requested ... with two rare and one well done that could have easily gone wrong, but it did not. We then ordered deserts as well ... rum baba on the menus was a pleasant surprise but could have been better with a little more finesse.Service was professional and efficient, from booking the table right to service of coffee. Beer was good (Rev James); house wine also good.The restaurant could still do with a face-lift but was still comfortable enough ... as all of the staff are doing a good job I would think Brains should consider a re-furb a worthwhile investment; it is over 10 years since the last one. Lampeter is a University town and has lots of visitors.This Hotel is a lovely character building in the middle of The town; we parked outside on the road, free ... but there is a car park behind the Hotel.Facilities in the restaurant are generous and clean, but they too look a little tired.This could be a gem in Lampeter with some polishing.

Seven of us had a meal on Friday night restraunt was busy. Waitresses were pleasant and friendly Food was good and the wine was flowing we had a token to get 30%off result good night thanks black lion lampeter

The food is lovely and staff very pleasant. My boyfriend and I have stayed here before and it was very pleasant. Would stay again and would certainly eat here again and again :)

had welsh burger chips coleslaw - perfect rump steak & chips - cooked perfectly the way asked for steak & Ale pie, chips & Veg - lovely Waitress service - excellent price - very reasonable 3rd visit - no complaints at all

This is a nice place. Huge plates of food but a limited menu. Ate here with friends and one of them was a veggie. The chef came out personally to ask them what they'd like. Nice place, value for money.

Dirty, run down, neglected pub which could have great potential but the owners, Brains Brewers, can't be bothered to get minimum standards. Nice staff but they can't do anything about peeling wallpaper, dirt and bad beds. They could do something about dirty bathrooms and undercooked food!

Have been here a few times, for two meals, one with friends which was very nice and the other a Christmas lunch with work which wasn't bad but over priced.The bar needs more comfy seating, the small tub chairs are a bit 'waiting room' ish, if there were more sofas it would be great.the garden is nice though although its a bit odd that if you order food outside you have to keep checking if its ready and fetch it yourself, an outside bar wouldn't go amiss along with outside table service.

We went here for something to eat on recommendation from our daughter after picking her up from Lampeter University, im glad she did, the food was lovely, i had a big gammon steak meal, perfect for desert it was rude not to have the Chocolate fudge cake and im glad i did, it was lovely. I would go again hopefully when we bring her back to Uni, worth every penny.