red Lion in Waveney

Had a great meal on a Saturday night. The staff are very friendly and spend time with you. Food is very good and generous portions. Great choice of beers etc.

Good choice on menu. Nice proper homemade pie. The fish and chips were good. Staff were very helpful and friendly. Drinks a tad expensive but would go again

Locals only. Very uncomfortable vibe, and was made to feel like we shouldn’t be there. A shame as a great location. Guinness was good if that’s any consolation.

Lovely place to sit out the front and people watch or stare at the sea just over the green

Nice pit stop. Basic food today. I ate Haddock fish cakes, fries and salad. It was cooked well. The fresh fish and chips is probably the best option. Coffee OK but ‘just comes out of a machine’ according to staff so don’t go asking for decaf and one shot !! However it was hot and actually a nice coffee. ☺️👌

Ate here this lunchtime, lovely food . Ellie, the server , was great and very efficient despite the place being busy. Highly enjoyable.

Popped in for a coffee and a pint, sat outside, nice pint.

Warm welcome when we entered and shown to a table. Good lunchtime menu. I had fish pie with seasonal veg, my husband had a chicken burger with fries, my brother in law had Thai green curry and sister in law had scampi. We all enjoyed our meals very much...delicious. Would recommend.

Staff are polite/friendly and the bar/restaurant has a great atmosphere if you are stopping for a drink or having a meal. Food quality and taste was excellent for the evening menu with a good selection and gluten free/vegetarian options. You definitely need to pre-book as the restaurant is busy in and out of season. Online booking system really easy to use and the staff phoned next day to take a deposit and confirm booking. Would highly recommend.

Great food, dog friendly & lovely staff.

Always good for the last 40 years I've been going here !

Lovely Adnams (of course) and friendly owner/staff.

Popped in for a few drinks. A character pub, lots of locals & visitors. Staff friendly & drinks served in a timely manner.

Lovely friendly staff popped in for a lunch time pint Southwold is stunning!

Good food and service. Great beer

Great range of gluten free options on the menu explained by knowledgeable people. Food was great and served with good range of Adnams drinks in a homely atmosphere.

Dog friendly and very accommodating with helpful staff

Stopped here whilst on a dog walk, managed to grab a table outside! Really great menu, great choice and really reasonably priced.

Popped in today (13/11/2023) to be met with a sullen barmen, no charm, no charisma, not even a smile on an autumnal afternoon, we wanted to look at the menu for that evening which was nearly snatched from my hands, we orders two drinks and tried to find a seat, was promptly and rudely informed that we couldn’t sit in what was the restaurant (we didn’t know this)! The waitress could have just explained politely but no! We took our drinks outside, neither of the staff members that we encountered were nice or welcoming! We then popped to The Sole Bay in instead, lovely warm welcome by a friendly smiley chap who couldn’t have been nicer, allowed us to look at the dinner menu ( off there now in fact ) without issue although the kitchen was closed! We are here for a week but won’t be spending a penny more here, all the establishments at this time of the year are quiet, so helpful tip for The Red Lion, try being friendly, try maybe a smile or at least a hello, it goes a very long way for people trying to spend their hard earned cash on a few days away!

The food was just delicious. I’m not sure why most places muck about with burgers but the one I had at the red lion was exactly how you want a burger to be. Then we shared a crumble which was fantastic. If it was my local I’d be there every weekend. So many pubs muck about with food. This one doesn’t. Husband had fish pie which he said was just lovely

Lovely pub, great selection of beers (Adnams naturally). It has a nice dining area, but we were only there for drinks. The outside area was spacious, but the weather was not that agreeable. Dog friendly which is a positive for me, although I don't have a dog. Great service.

Very average food at high prices. The place itself & staff were ok. The food was very average. I've never known a restaurant anywhere in the world refuse to swap chips & salad for Veg/potatoes on a meal! How inflexible! Wouldn't recommend & and won't be going again!

Called in for a drink on a Sunday afternoon. Was busy with food orders. We only wanted a drunk and only 1 person behind bar from what I could see so took a while. The southwold stout though is definitely to be recommended.

Stopped here on a Friday night for something to eat. Food was good as was service. Was very busy at the bar, a bit quieter in the restaurant!

Pleasant service. Good selection of food on offer, with an ever-changing specials board. The waiting staff were very pleasant.

The food was absolutely lovely. Ordered ham, egg & chips, smoked haddick and mozzarella fish cakes & chips, southern fried chicken & chips and a side of onion rings which were huge. The portions are very large. The waitresses were very friendly. The service was excellent. Would definitely recommend it.

Fabulous large family gathering for Sunday lunch celebrating a big Birthday . Hired the private room. Staff were so helpful, nothing was too much trouble. Would highly recommend it you have a large group in a relaxed bright sunny room.

Visited multiple times during our stay. Was always friendly when we went in. Excellent choice of Ales from Adnams. Great outside seating area too.

Fantastic staff , polite friendly and very helpful especially manager Paul stayed in carpark opposite

This is my first time at the Red Lion to dine. The menu looked so great, and the food was delicious.

We asked for a table for four on a walk in and we’re given a lovely table in the back room. Warm and friendly staff, quick food service and very good quality too. Very happy

Really good food and attentive service- thanks

Great place ...whether eating or just having a drink

What a find, thank you Chef for our time and effort put into your food. I can highly recommend the meat and ale pie.

No disabled access and very dismissive about it. Can understand why in 2023 pubs and restaurants are happy to exclude customers. Understand old buildings have challenges, but this place hasn’t even tried.

No disabled access, and very dismissive about it.

Just had a lovely meal at the red lion. Hubby had steak pie with mash and seasonal vegetables, I had haddock and chips. Staff were friendly and helpful. We will visit again

A very popular pub in Southwold. Perfectly pleasant, with lots of outdoor seating, but a relatively restricted range of beers.

Good meal, good crowd. Satisfied.

As enjoyable as ever. Take your Adnams pint out onto the green. Fabulous way to while away a hour!

Fabulous service and very friendly under pressure bar manager (Well done for keeping everyone happy) Had a great evening, staff were really helpful and understood our groups allergen request. Food was really good - and the Baileys Cheescake ensured I was full to the gills and happy as Larry. Lovely place

Great service. Very accommodating staff. Food very tasty.

Great evening meal tonight during our holiday in Southwold. Actually eaten here before (3rd time!) Staff really friendly and attentive, food lovely, good choice and generous portion size. Had pudding as well this time, very nice. Keep up the good work all at The Red Lion. I'm sure we'll be back

Such a shame, went for a nice dinner and left upset. The food was raw and bloody, the wait was 50 minutes and there wasn’t many people in the restaurant at all. No apology and the prices are shocking! Won’t be back!

Lovely location and lovely food. Walking distance to beach and shops.

The Red Lion continues to be one of our 'best places to eat' in Southwold. We turned up one weekday evening without a booking and easily found a table. The food is sensibly priced with good portions and the service was friendly and attentive. Good range of basic pub food and a nice ambience. Well recommended!

Really pleased to be able to get a table for 3. The pub was busy with some large bookings but the staff still had plenty of time to look after everyone. No problem bringing our dog in. We ordered 2 thai green curries and 1 fish and chips, we wanted to swop the peas for coleslaw and this wasn't a problem. The food arrived quickly, really hot and was delicious. The pub was comfy, clean and cosy. Staff were polite and helpful. Toilets were very clean. A great evening.

My wife and I ate here on a Wednesday. We were there for the 6 p.m. start of service and we had not reserved a table. We were seated in a carpeted area, away from the busy bar area. There was a printed menu and the waitress said “specials” were on a board in the bar and to take a photo of them on our phone – we didn’t have one. My wife looked at the specials and reported back to me. I had the normal fish and chips and my wife had the special of crab, salad and new potatoes in butter. Both meals were £16.50. A large glass of sauvignon blanc was £10.70. The meals came very quickly and both were enjoyable and tasty. 10% service was added to the bill but the waitress made this very clear and would remove the charge if we wanted her to. We were happy to pay it and left extra because we were very pleased with the food and service. We paid in cash - great that the pub continues to allow cash payments. Desserts were available and a blackboard showing the choice was brought to the table. We would return in we were in the area.

Great choice of food. Service good.

All the staff were so welcoming and friendly. There's inside and outside dog friendly areas so we drank outside with our two dogs but moved inside to eat. Food was well presented, very hot and good sized portions. Would definitely recommend the Red Lion!

gone down hill in recent years food average at best.

Sat in the sunshine with drinks. Its a lovely place.

Dog friendly bar area. Good choice of menu. Very popular pub. Always our 1st choice when in Southwold.

I had not been in here for a while. Went with some family and friends and had a drink and a meal. It was served quickly and not overly expensive for Southwold.

Rude staff, won’t visit again. It’s a shame as most Adnams pubs have professional staff and service.

Stopped here for lunch, it was busy but got served quickly and didn’t have to wait long for our food. We all had fish and chips and the fish was delicious. They also had wild wave blush on tap which is definitely worth trying.

Food was OK,service was mediocre. Flies were a problem and I was sitting inside.

Whilst in holiday , we popped into this superb pub for a well earned drink , would definitely come again as we really enjoyed

A good pub for drinks and food. We have gone in there evrytime we go to Southwold.

Nice pint of cold bitburger lager, friendly staff,nice atmosphere, highly recommended

Food was lovely. I had the Fish and Chips, there was more than enough food. Wife and daughter had chicken strips and thoroughly enjoyed them.

Fantastic food and excellent service only waited ten minutes for food bearing in mind the pub was very busy with people ordering food. Good choice for vegetarians. Well worth a visit.

Nice pub Good selection of local ales . Plenty of outside seating . Dog friendly.

Interesting selection of goods offering some standard fare and some good variety, priced around the £10 for a starter/small plate And £15 for a main. The mackerel pate with sourdough toast was really good and they chicken burgers were well made, not over cooked and seemed fresh, good salads too. Overall 1. Good food 2. Good beer 3. They take cash. I’m more than happy to return!

"Food served from 12pm" the board outside proclaimed, popped in just after 2.30 on a Sunday. No food available! Went to Sole Bay Inn and had the most fab lunch, friendly service too.

Nice to sit outside enjoy a drink in the summer ☀️

Very accommodating, dog friendly, very good menu offering, felt it was a little short staffed as service was slow. Ample outside seating and roomy restaurant.

Lovely pub. Excellent place to eat, with good food & great staff.

We hadn't booked but the young red head lady found us a table for the 4 of us. This was a friday evening so it was quite busy. The service was perfect and so was the food. I would definitely recommend this pub for a nice evening meal.

We went as a family of 8 whilst on holiday. Meals were ok but overpriced and very skimpy portions. A pie was £16.50 , we expected a pie not a sliver of pie. So 8 mains and 6 desserts and a few drinks was £250! The service was ok a bit haphazard. Even the waitress said "Jesus christ " as she handed us the bill. I felt also like they were getting ready to close and were tidying up around us

Overpriced food with stingy portion sizes. £16.50 for pie and mash but only received a small slice of pie and a small amount of mash. Don't like to leave negative reviews but really feel like we've been ripped off.

Good food, not dog friendly inside 😕

Ok pub but not as good as others in town such Lord Nelson, Crown and Sole Bay. Not as friendly as some of the other pubs and but more expensive Seating outside looked good and plenty of it

Lovely pub will definitely be back well done

Top notch food and brilliant service.

Food expensive but good. Well organised and didn't feel over crowded in the foyer. Worth the once ever cost

The staff were very polite and helpful. The food was cooked nicely and presented well. However, the prices appear to be moving upwards, away from family friendly. And, the 10% service charge added to the bill in addition to the total cost makes one wonder!

Enjoy a good pint with my wife staff very friendly. Probably one of the cleanerst toilets I've been to in a pub good location .if up this way again differently go back there again

Stopped at the Red Lion for fish n chips for Sunday lunch. The food and service was excellent, fish cooked beautifully and served with crispy chips (triple cooked maybe?) great service and very welcoming bar staff.

Food seemed overpriced and the wait staff we had seemed to look down on us. My partner was charged nearly £5 for lemonade when a pint of cider was only 60p more. We had onion rings which were so oily they didn't taste of onions at all. The Atmosphere was nice and seemed like a friendly pub.

Lovely weekend room was lovely and generally fine menu could have a bigger choice. Table we sat at was a bit cramped there was 6 of us and booked in advanced. Food was good.

Good location but unfortunately we were charged over a pound more for our drinks than all the other pubs in Southwold. We had the feeling that we were charged more because we were tourist not good

A lovely adnams pub with outside seating and a large indoor restaurant, friendly staff nice food and some great ale.

Larger of the Adnams pubs in Southwold with friendly staff and food. The usual range of beers and ciders and all at tge same prices across all pubs (Sole Bay Inn and Lord Nelson). Good outside space and food served outside too.

Lovely beer as always with an Adnams pubs but we were very disappointed to be charged over a pound more for our drinks then the other pubs in Southwold we had the feeling that we were charged more because we were tourists which is just...

Great location to watch the world go by. Lots of tables outside. Grab a number and make your way to the bar. Nice selection on the menu with prompt, professional and friendly service. A warm welcome given to furry friends even inside with a friendly pat extended for good measure. Reasonably priced for Southwold with great value and tastes good. Landlord/chef/owner is doing a cracking job. Keep up the great work 🙂

Lovely traditional pub with a fantastic beer garden overlooking the sea

Stayed here for a night. Everyone was very welcoming. Food was amazing. And chalets where large and clean. Didnt want to leave.

Very nice pub, with good food - ideal for a casual meal. My husband loved his steak pie! Service very good. Must mention Blanche, the lovely pub owner, who helped us so much when my husband fell.

Nice pub. Busy when we popped in for lunch but the service was really quick and the food was good value for money.

Food and service ok but..........no mention of a 10% service charge beforehand and then you are told about it when presented with the bill - very awkward to say no at that point. Bit sneaky, didn't go down well.

Great pub, lots of seating around on the green

Lovely friendly pub, comfy seats, good beer and dog friendly.

Great pub. I think they had the best Broadside in Southwold. Food excellent. Staff excellent. Will be back!

I mucked up my booking for Sunday lunch, they sorted it out for me, Lunch great, Staff very helpful and efficient...

Stopped here by chance whilst spending a few days away in the area. Lovely well kept pub in quiet and lovely surroundings. Only had a couple of drinks here but the food being served looked fantastic. We will definitely visit here for a meal very soon.

Nice pub, short distance from the beach, sells a decent pint

Lovely pub! Traditional feel. Very welcoming and marvellous food.

Busy pub at lunch time on a weekend in Southwold. The lady serving the tables was really helpful. We had a great fish and chips which will stay impressed in my visiting family for quite some time. Highly recommended

When I reserved the table by telephone I was told to book the table at 1pm so we could get a roast. We arrived at just gone one to be told there was no beef, no nutroast and only 4 pork. There was 9 of...