Golden Lion in Hartlepool

Good quality food and drinks, prices are reasonable and the staff are friendly and efficient.

Nice food service was slow with a long wait but it was very busy. Waitress was lovley and friendly. Very noisy atmosphere..

Would definitely recommend the belly of pork cooked to perfection

Staff are very friendly and helpful

Good food good beer good service.

Attended a wedding here. Service was fantastic. Food was tasty and plentyful

Visit this place fairly regularly. Great food and service and a good atmosphere.

Absolutely best breakfast in Hartlepool. It was so good I wanna swear about it! Freshly cooked to order and let me swap out black pudding for an extra sausage! Love it and can't wait to come back when I'm back home at Christmas.

We came for Sunday lunch, quick service but the beef was very chewy it was unedible so we won’t be back. Prawn cocktail starter was average

Celebration event was very happy with it all 🙏🏻👍

Had an amazing meal very recently. Coley on a bed of muscles with new potatoes, peas and a mild curry sauce. Delicious

We ate here for Sunday Lunch. We enjoyed the beef and pork, but I don’t think it was topside. It was all nicely presented, but at £15 I wouldn’t say that there was a lot of beef. It was a nice Sunday lunch, but I don’t think we would rush back. Service was excellent.

I recently celebrated my 60th birthday here. We hired the downstairs area for a small get together and we had a lovely buffet prepared by very professional and helpful staff! Would definitely recommend this venue for a small gathering! Thanks Golden Lion

We are local to this pub and we come regularly, not been for a few months and we visited for a family occasion. Unfortunately I think it will be the last time, the 2 course menu used to represent value for money but no longer. Now almost £21 for the special, price must’ve literally doubled in a few years, better value elsewhere I’m afraid. Also the fish and chips which used to be excellent was very disappointing.

Was at a private party upstairs so can't comment about the downstairs bar not a bad pint but expensive £4,60

The menu is fairly typical pub food but it was well executed, tasty and in good portion sizes. Service was friendly and responsive.

Delicious food at a private function.

Went to the Sunday night quiz, well worth a visit , bit of free food put on as well

Only thing letting this place down is the ladies toilets.

Been a few times but food disappointing last visit

Great place for a reasonably priced meal with good service

OK let's start with curb appeal. The Golden Lion doesn't exactlydraw me in from its external looks as it appears (appears is the key here) drab, bland and in need of a spruce up. However this is where the negativity ends. Inside the layout is beautiful and inviting with a mix of soft seating and dining area. Dogs are welcome and the music today was mostly rock so two bonus marks there. I was expecting decent food having researched a little and looked at views and wow we were not disappointed. The potato skins were fabulous. Fir mains we both had beef in ciabatta and the beef was done to perfection, no fat, melt in the mouth and delicious. Chips were fabulous and unusually for me I loved the salad dressing! This is a bit of a hidden gem in Hartlepool in my opinion. Very reasonable prices and friendly staff with superb food. First time eating here today, but definitely won't be the last. We both loved it. Visited again (April 2024) for late lunch and the food was awesome and service excellent once again.

Decent pub. Good food and drinkable pints. Staff very friendly.

If i could of give 0 stars i would of! . Went in for breakfast £5.50 for a bacon sandwhich that was not cooked and full of fat on top of waiting over a hour for it to arrive sent back and got money back will not be coming here again!!!

Only went on for a drink, but they do a nice pint of Doom Bar. Good service too.

Unfortunately, I have to agree with the many other negative reviews. This place really is second rate, and I won't be going back. I was with a group for Sunday Lunch. My starter was fine, but it all went downhill after that. My wife's fish and chips was so poor that she actually complained to the waitress (unusual for my wife, who is normally very placid). The waitress made no comment in response, and nobody else came over to talk to my wife. The service was actually very poor, in many respects. There are a number of other good places to eat in Hartlepool, so there is no reason to suffer the poor experience offered up here.

Disappointed with my fish watery Tasteless mushy peas. Chips nice. Sticky toffee pudding ok Service poor After initial service had to ask for everything. Won't be going back.

The food was OK but would question value for money compared with others locally. Was very busy when we went in (12 noon) but realised majority were just the last in for morning coffee and cakes and not many having lunch ...prices proabably putting people off. Good food, nice staff and location....just expensive for what you get .

Went to a wake here last week. Lovely pub, pleasant staff and the buffet food was lovely. Will go back to try a meal another time 🙂

Extreemly slow service with quite a bolshy head waitress, does not appear to manage the staff efficiently. Food average. Pricey for what you get/service. Pub has gone down hill immensely in last few years. Decore tired, toilets musty with hole in celing. Best for a morning cuppa or evening pint. Not going back any time soon for food.

Got sat down ready to order food was given drinks but waited over 1/2hour to be asked what we would like to eat, Two other couples came in after us got drinks and ordered there food not happy at all with waiting staff WONT be going back shocking service.

Absolutely beautiful Sunday lunch

We went for a late afternoon meal and were so disappointed. I used to go here a lot but haven’t been for a while and won’t be back in a hurry. When we arrived we waited at the ‘wait here to be seated sign’ and were told just to sit anywhere without a reserved sign on it so the sign isn’t needed. All of the tables were dirty and there was around 4-5 staff members behind the bar. There was a couple of tables in but it wasn’t busy. We weren’t informed of how to order so I went to the bar and was told it was table service. We had our order taken including drinks. Whilst still waiting for drinks another couple sat near us. Their order was taken, they received their drinks and their food whilst we were waiting for drinks. I asked a passing member of staff and the drinks finally came. We then waited another 30 minutes for our food. When it arrived it was Luke warm and the garlic bread side was like concrete. There was no acknowledgment of the fact there had obviously been a mistake, no apology, nothing! Nobody came to see if everything was ok. We went to the bar to pay and I asked if there had been a mistake with our order due to it taking so long compared to others around us. I was told by they staff member that she didn’t know as she hadn’t taken our order! Mistakes happen and I completely understand that but it was the lack of customer service that ruined the experience. The food was nice but not enough to make up for the lack of apology or even acknowledgement when a mistake is made. It’s a shame as it’s a nice pub

More like a dog kennels than a pub. Called into this establishment for few Sunday afternoon pints with my son. Couple of dogs in bar area, one dog also sitting on one of the comfy sofas. After 15mins, there was an accumulation of dogs - 8 in total, with constant barking & yapping - just like dogs kennels. Finished pints our & walked to next pub, wont be going back there. Their loss of my money.

I came here after work had a lovely Green tighe Currie and half pint Guiness shandy with a Latte coffee to finish.The Staff are very polite and friendly and price reasonable nice place so glad I popped in and I will definitely come back.

We had a lovely meal and there was a great choice. My 2 pints of Camerons Strongarm were lovely.

I've been wanting to go here for many years, but something always comes up when it is finally arranged. I finally went today - note to self, go spontaneously and it'll happen! - I'm so disappointed that I didn't go earlier and that I've been missing out for years! The staff were so lovely and friendly. My sister, baby niece and myself arrived at about 12:30pm to a very busy lunch service. The service was excellent, attentive and friendly, despite it being very busy. The food was absolutely beautiful and the portions were very fair. I had the pâté to start, which was lovely. My sister enjoyed her potato skins. We were both really impressed with the mains. My fish was massive, and the chips were beautiful, though it did nearly kill me to finish it all! My sister really enjoyed her calves liver, mash and peas. The coffees were really nice, the syrups are superior to what Starbucks and Costa use and actually taste like what they claim to be. The hazelnut and amaretto ones are lovely. My sister managed some Biscoff cheesecake, which she really enjoyed. I tried a tiny bit because I'm hooked on Biscoff, and it was lovely. It was a really nice dining experience, the food was exceptional and the service was fantastic. Will absolutely be back. Thank you :).

Lovely afternoon visit and waitress was really pleasant. Nice pint of Madri and only had a couple of portions of chips which were as gorgeous as usual.

A place we visit often for lunch. Very good menu at reasonable cost and table service for food and drink. Free parking. Wheelchair accessible. Recommended.

Ordered the chicken burger with my fella took about 40 mins to come and when it came it was stone cold and tasted like rubber, wouldn’t feed this to my dog, waste of money

Edited to say.... I hope our visit last night was a one off as it was terrible, the waitress was in a foul mood and practically threw the food at us, the chicken was overcooked and comedically rubbery, the chips looked good but they were hard and raw! A restaurant is only as good as the last meal so unfortunately it's slipped way down my list of places to eat now. This is our regular place where the food is consistently good and we can always get a table. The Sunday lunch is a lovely treat as is the full English breakfast. The staff are very hardworking and always seem busy but they still manage to smile and are more than happy to deal with any queries. My go to is the liver and mash potato, its really yummy and very filling. We are able to take our dog in and they welcome him with a bowl of water and a treat. Definitely worth a visit if you've never been before.

Great place for coffee or a meal. Food is always good, service is very good even at busy times and it's often busy giving a great atmosphere

Always enjoyed the food here and usually the reason we call in. Despite having good beers and bespoke furniture, the place is devoid of pub atmosphere and character due to it's layout. Makes a lovely place feel like a working mans club. Easily rectified by dividing the room with walls and glass partitions. This would reduce the noise when busy or a party group in. I know we are currently on the run up to Christmas and things are busy but we left after a drink when we had intended to dine last night. Couldn't hear ourselves speak. Poorly printed temporary menus stapled together understates the quality of the food. Good management is attention to detail. Just look at how the other chain owned pubs make the most of the space and their food doesn't compare with quality here.

Great meal and drinks with friends. Very large choice on the menu.

Excellent breakfast and service. Can not fault it.

OMG. How many attempts to get a bowl of soup that was hot! 4 attempts and was just edible. I have now located another pub in local area to give my custom too.

Budget pub, not exactly full of atmosphere but the foods always decent, the staff are always friendly (specially the duty manager) and it's reasonable.

Fantastic burger, nice pint of Guinness and dog friendly.

Pub really busy but food didn't take too long and was lovely. Reasonable prices. Staff pleasant.

Such a lovely atmosphere I had the family with me it was a great hit.

Staff were happy to allow a large dog (yes dog) to eat a meal of one of their plates that a customer had given them . I pointed this out to staff , they did not seem to be bothered and were happy for the customer and the dog to remain on the premises 🙈 who else will be eating of this plate I wonder. Extremely disappointing customer service

Fantastic choice and brilliant value for money got a two course meal 16.95.Brillant night out lovely staff

Interior a little bit gloomy. Needs more lighting. Otherwise food and service ok.

I ordered a half of cask ale. I was holding a £5 note and the barman seemed to be incredulous that I was paying with cash. He said £2.15 and went to the till. Returning from the till I heard something hit the floor behind the bar. Unperturbed he gave me my change which was 20p short. So I said you dropped it on the floor. He had an unenthusiastic look around the floor but apparently couldn't see it so I told him to put in the charity box if he found it. Not impressd with his attitude at all.

Quite during the middle of the week food was home cooked and natural

Great pub with decent food and a good range of beers. Quiz night is always a good night especially when they bring out the Yorkshire puddings and roasties.

We love the food at the golden lion. It’s a pub but the food is restaurant standard. A family member said it was the 2nd best steak they’d ever had when we went previously. I love their steak and mushroom casserole which comes with a suet dumpling and a choice of chips or veg. I actually hate mushrooms but I just leave those. Their chips are always gorgeous.

Went with our two grandchildren for lunch friendly server but my thirteen year grandson stopped eating and told me it was dry and over cooked no staff had approached to ask how the food was so took it over to the bar and advised of this , and was offered another but due to time constraints we said no . When we went to pay the bill the item had not been removed so quired this and after some wait was told as half had been eaten only half the amount would be deducted. I was this was the managers decision , so I advised I won't be visiting again !!!

Had our wedding here, Julie was a great host and wedding support. Food was great. Venue was great. Would always recommend to others. A huge shout out and thank you to Julie!

Another quick review…outdoor area is so bad. Cigarettes everywhere, disgusting tbh..surely you can clean the area. Wrappers everywhere so bad..

Had lunch with hubby and yet again it was fantastic. The food is second to none at the Golden Lion. As other people have mentioned I agree the pub is “tired” and “old fashioned “ and quite dark. Also I am not a lover of sculls and antlers. But I am there to eat!

Visited at early lunch time Sunday. We hadn't booked but they welcomed us straight in. The Sunday lunch was top notch. We all had the turkey and was really good quality food. The food is obviously from a carvary, which is wisely kept out back away from fingers. This accounts for the speed of service which was really quick. The quality of food was far superior to other offers in the area. Good selection of beers on tap, including a very decent pint of Madri. Would recommend and will return.

Really enjoyed the fish and chips with mushy peas - everything was very tasty, perfectly cooked and the portion size was good. It was a lot better than the same dish from the pub round the corner that I had the misfortune to sample a few weeks ago (the one where the US President lives). The atmosphere was pleasant, the staff were polite and we didn't have to wait long for our order to be taken and then for our food to arrive. I will definitely be returning.

Food was lovely when it eventually arrived. Waited around 20 mins just for the drinks. The young staff could do with a lesson in customer service and a smile wouldn't go amiss. Older waitress was apologetic and hard working. It was as a shame because the food was very good.

Food was ok! Staff look like they don’t want to be there! Very dark and very dirty pub, needs a good deep clean and a bit of maintenance would not go a miss.

Went for a family breakfast. A full English, veggie breakfast, eggs Benedict and a child’s breakfast. Thoroughly enjoyable morning.

Went for breakfast, was ok, poached egg undercooked and didn't have any vegan/dairy free butter despite it being on the menu on Facebook. Not bad but not anything special.

Excellent full English breakfast and coffee on a dreary, rainy day ☔️. Friendly service and my breakfast came promptly, delivered by a very cheery waitress.

We had a lovely family meal yesterday at the Golden Lion. We had a range of dietary needs that were fully met by the attentive staff. It was our first visit and we will definitely return.

Went for motors day table was so small could barely get around it. They moved a table near by to make it bigger for another family trapping a table. They then asked our elderly grandparent who has just had a hip replacement if they minded...

Prawn cocktail full of shells, meat tough and inedible, very poor mothers day effort. If they are willing to offer money off , they know its not right

Whilst the service was excellent, the food quality was average at best. The pate was indifferent, and the potatoes were dry, old and tasteless. An average meal all in all. We won't be returning.

I came with two friends after receiving a gift voucher for an afternoon tea treat. Whilst everything we had was nice we had a few hitches along the way. Despite booking in for it ,it wasn't in diary for a tea so staff weren't sure...

Friendly welcome from efficient and helpful staff. Good selection on menu. Service a bit slow but understandable for a reasonably busy Friday evening. There was six of us and Evey dish was faultless and extremely tasty. Will be returning soon.

We had a lovely afternoon,the menu for Xmas Lunch was spot on,the staff were very friendly and attentive,the dining room was decorated lovely and spotlessly clean.We were lucky to get booked in,Will make sure we do next Xmas🧑🏻‍🎄🧑🏻‍🎄

We really enjoyed our evening and the food was unbelievable! Excellent friendly service too! Would always recommend, my steak was huge!!!!!

We have just had the most delicious meal here today, rump steak cooked to perfection, lamb rump slso extremely nice. Desserts were very nice too. Had a few beers, wine whisky and gin and we were surprised at the very reasonable cost. Great work guys...

This pub isn’t the best in the town by far, but the staff are generally friendly and they allow dogs in the pub area. Drinks are reasonably priced, but don’t understand why they sell roller cola and not a branded one. The pub does need...

I emailed The Golden Lion on 10th August after receiving atrocious service but have not received even an acknowledgement of my message. So, as I said in my email I am writing here to warn other potential customers not to bother going along. I would...

We had a good lunch eventually but to get there so many things were wrong. Despite nice staff the table was ‘sticky’, wait for food was ages, menus ‘dog eared’ etc. Main courses pricy so we had half portions which were adequate and well cooked....

Food and service average. £15.99 for 2 courses. Played ‘Do they know it’s Christmas’ by Band Aid several times while we were eating. Do they know it’s not Christmas 😂 Satisfactory for a weekday lunch.

Had a lovely first time visit to the pub today with our family for a birthday, staff were fast paced, never sat to long between courses and the prices were excellent!! Food standard up there at the top. We will defiantly return thank you!

Visited with my husband during the eat out to help out scheme and it was our first visit. We were very impressed with the food and the quality and quantity likewise. The portions were huge and we did struggle to eat it all. It was...

Restaurant did the social distance requirements well. We went on the dine out deal so did save some money, would have been more annoyed if I had to pay full price. The menu was limited, not sure if it was due to the dine out...

Choices are fairly plentiful however the hot slow roasted beef which we ordered for our two 9 year old children had to be the toughest beef ever tasted, one would expect beef in a bap with gravy to be tender, it was nothing but moans from the children and I had to agree

Despite informing staff numerous times and other messages on here, the toilets are still disgusting. Even at 2 pm before evening drinking and meals, they smell terrible and two were completely blocked with paper.I would now not eat a meal in here despite reviews saying it is quite good. If the toilets are still so bad, one has to wonder how much attention is paid to hygiene.The whole place needs a refurb but as it’s in such a convenient locality, obviously the owners feel they are doing very nicely without needing to.

Visited with my family there was 17 of us the Sunday lunch was beautiful served piping hot. The place was so busy staff were so polite and worked so hard so thank you to all the kind lovey staff 5 🌟 all the way.

Although our food was very tasty and well presented this place needs complete refurbishment a good clean would hep too.

We had our daughters christening in the function room. Food and staff were fantastic. Would definitely recommend.

4of us went for lunch midweek.it wasnt too busy but we had a bit of a wait for meals but we all enjoyed our meals 2 of us ordered from the light bite menu I had gammon black pudding &chips my friend had chicken in peppercorn sauce veg.1had a healthy salmon salad * the other had liver &onions in a red wine gravy.Sadly we didnt have time for desserts.but there seemed to be a good choice.Would definitely go again

For months now the hand dryer in the men’s toilets hasn’t worked. We have reported this to staff many times. In the ladies’ toilets there are crumbling tiles and at least one door doesn’t lock. There has been a smell in the toilets for a long time. We do go into the pub in the evening after there have been many customers but this isn’t really an excuse. In the years The Golden Lion has been open, there has been no apparent refurbishment and we believe it rests very nicely on its laurels as it is popular.On the plus side, the staff are very pleasant and the food reasonable.One does have to wonder however how clean the kitchen really is if health and safety is not a priority in the toilets.

We’ve visited this pub many times over the years. When we walked in on Saturday it was dark, old fashioned lights with comeebs(!) filthy stained carpets, old fashioned tacky tables, no atmosphere, totally in need of some money spent on it! The toilets, as other guests have mentioned, are filthy / no soap, radiators all covered in rust, doors broken etc. The food was ok but come on - this place is desperate for some money spent on it to bring it at least in to the 1990s. Very poor. Would not recommend. Don’t waste your money!

Lovely breakfast/brunch with my daughter. I had the vegetarian breakfast and it was lovely. Perfectly cooked and not greasy.

We had a full English breakfast here today. We didn't enjoy it the food was dry and not very hot, it must have been stood a while. However, the latte was lovely!

lovely chips, nicely cooked veg, friendly staff, really enjoy coming here for food or just a lovely cuppa!

We eat here all the time and the food is fantastic but your chips are always AWFUL!!!!!! Soft, tasteless (apart from the taste of stale grease) and unappetizing and today is no exception. I don't know how you cook them but for the love of god do some research and change your cooking method. Contact the Balti down the road on Murray street and ask them, their chips are fantastic, dry, crispy and taste of potato not oil.

Visited today for Father’s Day. Busy as expected but quick service from polite staff. I had the veggie option, leak and blue cheese pie. Thoroughly enjoyed it and so do the rest of the party. Particular praise for mince and dumplings was noted. I’d definitely recommend a visit.

whent for lamb chops non on menu very disapointing found place very run down as to n2 years previous

Ordered a chicken Thai green curry. After waiting half an hour the meal arrived resembling a very thin soup. Even after adding some of the rice the meal was still soup like and impossible to eat with a fork. I sent it back and was offered an alternative but as the other diners in my party were already eating I did not have time to wait a further half an hour. At no point did anyone come and apologise or say sorry. A very disappointing experience and one I won't be repeating any time soon.

This pub is clean and modern until you visit the ladies loo. Dirty, old fashioned and in drastic need of some money spending on them: handles missing from the pull chains, water leaking from the toilet pipes onto the floor, tiles chipped and sink taps old and generally nasty looking! I believe the toilets upstairs are fantastic but the same cannot be said for the public toilets downstairs. Come on Golden Lion get some improvements done!