Red Lion in Dacorum

Our table was booked for 1pm, it wasn’t busy, we were given menus, but no offer of a drink. We must have waited for 10minutes with no sign of the only waitress coming over. I decided to go to the bar to order drinks, I was told someone will be with us soon to which I replied but they aren’t!! Finally our order was taken, food delivered, my friend asked for Parmesan cheese, but it never arrived. You had to put your hand up to get attention, no one came over to see if we were happy with everything. We asked for our bill, it was bought to our table and again we waited a good 10minutes, hand in the air to actually pay!!! Food was good, service absolutely appalling, goodness how they would cope if it was busy!!!

Visited with my family (6 adults & 5 young kids) Service was generally slow as it was a busy Sunday. The mains arrived over an hour and a half of us arriving, no offer to bring the kids meals out with the starters. The main issues arouse when my 4 year old boy was not served his roast dinner along with everyone else on the table, resulting in him sitting on his chair crying as he was so hungry, finally receiving his food 15 minutes after everyone else. (Other tables were being served their roasts whilst my son was made to wait) I spoke with the a young boy who was apparently the manager & his young team who all appeared to have little empathy and any real understanding of how to accommodate my family and deal appropriately with the issue. To quote the manger “yes this does happen when we’re busy” Will not be returning.

A family party of seven, we enjoyed a great evening in one of several “pods” in the garden of the Red Lion What is a pod ? It is an individual hexagonal dining space with its own lighting heating and even music - a hexagonal shed if you like ! I believe these units were inspired by the Covid restrictions but are now very popular and “fixtures” Food, with an Italian theme, and service were excellent Well done Red Lion ! I should add that there are plenty of conventional tables both inside the pub and in the garden We will be back !

We had a really lovely birthday meal, Beth was very helpful and attentive all evening and made our experience even better! Would definitely recommend the halloumi.

Lovely pizza baked in a pizza oven served by the wonderful Eleni, who made it a special evening. We had a lovely impromptu leisurely summers evening meal.

We came for Sunday lunch. Pizza was good as always. Sunday Roast was very disappointing for the price. Stringy beef, a crunch Yorkshire pudding and roast potatoes. I would recommend The Plough at Leverstock Green for a nicer roast at significantly less cost.

Loads of very friendly staff but no one seemed to be in charge almost tripping over each other. Roast dinner yorkshires hard and roast potatoes anemic which should be best part. So it was ok but not good Recommend the breakfasts.

We both had the lamb shoulder , which was well cooked and presented. Lena and her staff were very attentive and could not have been more helpful

Lovely venue, however quality of food has dropped over this year whilst prices have continued to rise. Classic fish & chips no longer looks hand made, more like a Birds Eye packet. Sea bass was a bland white plate of food, no thought about adding a bit of colour to make it look appetising.

Seems to be slipping slightly. Having used the place for over ten years, the staff seem very inexperienced and rushed, yet service was bordering on the slow mark. Disappointed that they have implemented a minimum number (rather than minimum spend) in the he Oakpods as we prefer the quiet rather than the noisy interior. Quality of food was good however.

I use oakman inns a lot and have come to the conclusion that this is the worst managed of any ive been to ! When they're quiet, service is at its slowest, although you can see members of staff standing around talking, drinks take ages to arrive and appear to just sit on the bar awaiting someone to deliver them to the table Last night, I ordered an 8oz rump steak, cooked rare, it was mostly tough with about one third being totally inedible and uncuttable ! I mentioned it to the waitress, asking her to tell her manager, she came back and said the manager had offered a 20% discount on the meal. Pathetic, if I order 8oz of steak, is it unreasonable to expect that I can actually eat 8oz ? It might have been better if the manager had actually dained to tell me himself instead of expecting the poor waitress to pass on his insulting offer Come on Oakman, sort this place out and get a manager in who can run the place properly!

I do like this pub and usually have a good meal here. The salad I ordered for my main felt a little on the small side for the price, on this occasion, however I wasn't charged any extra for the delicious bread I requested. The service was excellent and friendly, although there were only a couple of other tables occupied. The one thing I was most disappointed about was the change in menu. The cost of rose prosecco had gone up significantly, and my favourite dessert (Bombolone) that I had there just over a month ago is no longer listed as Vegan on the menu. I asked why this was and received a very helpful answer. Apparently, it is no longer cooked in a separate fryer. It can't be cooked in the gluten-free fryer as it's not GF. Now it has to be cooked in the same fryer as meat and dairy. Maybe I'm a tad picky but even before I was Vegan, I can't say I would have been particularly thrilled to discover that my sweet dessert was cooked in the same oil as chicken...! Maybe that's just me. Anyway, it's a real shame that one of the best desserts on the menu, and one of the very few Vegan options, is now no longer available to me.

Visited for the first and last time today…. It was an awful experience from start to finish. We had a table booked at 4:15 and left the restaurant at 8:10 due to the worst service I have experienced anywhere. We ordered drinks in the first few minutes of sitting at the table to wait 45 minutes for them to arrive and get several wrong along with drinks that we did not even order (which were also added to the bill). We then ordered food and waited an extremely long time for starters to arrive with some missing (these were then an extra 20 minute wait). We had different members of staff come over 3 times to inform us we had ordered food they did not have in stock and that we needed to change them - even though this was an hour after originally ordering. We then waited a long time for our mains, which the cauliflower cheese came uncooked to the table and was cold - we had to ask for it to be cooked. There was a certain staff member who was really annoyed that we kept having to correct our orders and slammed a dish on our table and said ‘I’ll leave this here as I am busy and do not have the time’ - even though the dish she put down was not part of our order in the first place. This was extremely rude and made us all feel uncomfortable. When asking for the bill we asked several members of staff, which took half an hour to have a card machine with us - we were asking, being told yes and then nothing. Apart from 1 member of staff (who we tipped individually) were acting as though they had no idea what they were doing and had no manners what so ever. Our service charge was £60 - which was requested to be taken off because the service we had was diabolical, in-fact it was embarrassing that any member of staff thought it would be okay to leave that on the bill. When we asked for it to be taken off we were told the manager has to confirm and that he would be over - we could see the manager who was too shy to come to the table - which he never did. NEVER AGAIN will myself or the other 9 people at my table be going back here. Disgraceful with a rating of 1/10 doesn’t even cut the service of our meal. For 15 people to be running and serving a restaurant and only 1 be polite to us tells you everything you need to know.

Really nice lunch with 4 friends - Wonderful burgers, and out pet veggie was happy with his nourish bowl. Charming and funny waitperson - is it still ok to say waitresse?

Called in for a spot of lunch whilst visiting nearby. I chose Kleftico which at £24 and one of the more expensive meals on the menu I was really looking forward to as it is a particular favourite of mine. Well what a disappointment/rip off. Basically it was a once nice piece of lamb reheated in the microwave as the toughness would suggest and sat in a pool of bisto 🤢 The lemon and oregano crispy baked potatoes were anything but, they were leathery on the outside, uncooked in the centre, not crispy at all and tasted sour. The slice of aubergine however was delicious. We were not asked the customary ‘is everything alright with your food’ or ‘was everything ok with your meal when the plates were cleared’ So disappointing and had I not been in mixed company I would have sent it back. My partners fish and chips was excellent, thankfully. The pub and garden are lovely, such a shame that some of the food lets them down. I won’t be revisiting.

Had family from overseas and wanted traditional fish and chips and it was amazing. Delicious. Our server Shayne was very friendly and gave excellent service.

Please see photograph, this plate of food cost me £33! Yes it was a 7oz fillet steak, yes I know meat is expensive but seriously that half a tomato, one mushroom and an egg cup of chips is an insult to my purse! Manager’s response to an email sent I feel was inadequate. No apology for the quality or quantity, merely a sorry that I was disappointed! No sh*t! I didn’t want a freebie, just wrote in to offer feedback. It’s very local, I have been there lots, family are shareholders but we won’t be returning despite manager suggesting when I do to speak to him in person as I found the tone of his email as insulting as the meal!

It's been a few years since we've been to the Red Lion but the standard was as good as ever. Good service and excellent food. The lamb shank was perfectly cooked and the desserts were delicious!!

Had a poor experience here a few months back and thought it was a one off. Sadly not. The ‘prosciutto’ was packet ham, and the cheese was the plastic square type. Masses of salad which was a few days past it’s best with too much dressing. Mayo for the chips was watered down and another sauce had coagulated in its dish, with age. Battered squid had massive long stringy plastic bits in ???? , and was cold. At half this price it would have still been poor food, sadly felt like a rip off. Waiter who was asked why it was not Prosciutto, never returned to the table. Avoid until under new management 😔

When we saw the menu we only ordered a starter (brushetta) and a glass of wine! £40 for 2 people!!! A burger costs £18.50 .... its not a 5* restaurant to be charging those prices ridiculous prices!

We have dined at the Red Lion many times over the years. We first visited in 2018 and absolutely loved it. Fast forward 5 years and it has lost its star quality. For a family-friendly restaurant, you can't fault it. It's in a lovely location and the restaurant has ample space catering to small and large parties, indoors and outdoors. I've rated it 'average' because the food quality just isn't that good anymore. It's a mix of poorer quality ingredients and the way it has been cooked. Service is hit or miss. Even when the restaurant has only a few tables to serve, you can end up waiting for basic service. I've had occasions in the past where I've had to get up from my table to get some service.

We stopped off for something to eat as we had been to Ashridge Estate and were on the way back home. The place looks lovely but ended up being a bit of a letdown. We asked to be seated outside and were given menus, but after 15 mins no one had come out to take our order, not even to ask if we wanted drinks (it wasn't particularly rammed or busy inside either). I had to go inside to say we were ready to order. I ordered the Gluten Free Alternative of the beetroot falafel burger. I also swapped the fries out for chunky chips. I checked everything was Guten Free on the menu; however, on the drive home, I started to get the tale-tale signs of painful indigestion and uncomfortable burping /trapped wind that I get after eating gluten and have been left wondering if it was truly gluten-free and now not looking forward to an evening of discomfort. If I wake up tomorrow with painful joints and really bad rib pain (and other unpleasant symptoms), then I will know for sure I have been glutened. Wondering if it was actually GF (the waitress did confirm it was when she handed it to me) or if perhaps there is flour somewhere in the falafels or when frying the chips? Also, I ordered a GFA burger as I fancied the joy of biting into one and getting all the flavours. The bun was so small and stacked so tall that the only option was to eat it like a deconstructed burger with a knife and fork. Not what I expect when I am looking forward to a burger - think I should have ordered the salad with falafels! My overall impression is the place is style over substance and lacking warmth/personality - and the food was okay but not equivalent to what you would expect flavour-wise for the money paid. Plus, I now seem to be in discomfort because the food appears not to have been GF (There was nothing else ingredients/food-wise that has ever caused me the kind of indigestion I have now, which I typically get whenever I eat gluten).

Wow, so expensive, £10+ for a medium sized rose, and not that great as it was warm. Not surprised pubs are struggling with prices like that.

Sorry but whilst the venue is pleasant the food is highly overpriced not particularly good and I don’t think charging service charge on my bill is appropriate for at the end of the day is just a pub! £60 for two rather bland salads with...

We all opted for the Sunday roast. Beef was grisly and chewy and each slice was encircled by a fatty rind - very strange. The blunt knives wouldn’t cut through it. No steak knives given. Yorkshire puddings were overcooked. Roast potatoes supposedly cooked in duck...

The Red Lion was taken over and re-opened a few years ago in our little corner of the Chilterns as a slick, friendly pub restaurant. It brought a sorely needed bit of urban sophistication to the area: simple food, well cooked, all-day dining. It’s owned...

Been there with some friends for a nice meal. Great atmosphere , very busy restaurant, good service in all aspects and great selection of daily specials. I had the mix seafood platter which it was to dying for. We will definitely coming back! thank you!

Not Great. Having been a long time customer of the red lion, it pains me to say, it’s gone down hill. My most recent visit was the nail in the coffin. After being told I couldn’t have the 3 options I originally asked for because...

We popped in for a meal on way home from a visit to a friend my husband had the roasted cod I had the burger both were lovely cooked well and hot service was good

The roast beef was absolutely beautiful, even though its a little pricey, the amount you get on 1 plate could definitely feed 2, the pods were very cozy, with music and volume control, would definitely return

Appalling non-service. We arrived and were told to go find the pod in the garden I had booked, by the manager - who vaguely gestured to it but didn’t deem it actually necessary to escort us there. We then sat and waited for 20 minutes...

We have been to the Red Lion many times before and will go again. Normally everything is fine, but yesterday they let themselves down. My Kleftico came with chunky chips, but in my opinion 5 small chunky chips, not even a whole potato, that barely...

Parts of food good and the rest average and overpriced, our server Katie J was excellent, welcoming efficient good personality.

Went here for lunch with friends. The waitress insisted that we pay even though I was still eating my dessert. I complained about it but she just carried on. So rude. Won’t be back.

Visited here for the first time with family, very busy indeed, it was a bank Holiday so expected it to be busy. Staff were very friendly. My first two options for my main were not available so opted for a steak, medium - when it...

We decided to meet up last weekend after our last disappointing visit to the Red Lion. We all planned to avoid having the HALLOUMI & PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM Burger, but after checking with the waitress, two of us ordered them again. Apparently our experience from last...

Great meal and great service, served by Honey who was amazing! Very friendly, polite and quick service, can’t thank her enough!

We had a lovely meal here. When we arrived we received a warm welcome and were shown to our table where we advised that Jack would be our server for the evening. Theres a good choice on the menu and we all enjoyed our food....

Lovely restaurant. We were served by Katie who showed excellent customer service and was very friendly. Food was tasty and there was a reasonable selection for Vegans. Bit pricey however overall, a lovely experience

Meeting with friends for a catch-up meal at the Red Lion on Valentine’s Day turned out to be a very pleasant evening. Surprisingly the restaurant wasn’t busy given it was Valentine’s evening. Even so there there were enough people there to create a nice atmosphere....

Credit where it’s due… I’ve been to The Red Lion a number of times. And mostly good experiences to be fair. But last night we came for dinner and were looked after by Paige who was very good at her job. I could always get...

Had the pleasure of visiting The Red Lion on a six Nations Saturday evening. It was super busy but service was fantastic, as were the setting, food and drink. We had booked one of the oak pods for no extra cost which was a really...

Visited for a birthday meal on a Saturday evening. I had added a note to our booking to let them know if was a birthday but they did nothing with that information. On arrival we waited too long without being acknowledged even though we’d been...

I booked for a party of 17, we pre-ordered, the food was excellent, the order was correct and the food all came out within a reasonable time. The two people who were looking after us were friendly, polite and helpful. We would love to go...

We always come here for a regular catch up and Coke in a mug, so much so the staff know my friend for her particular drink and breakfast preference . That makes a difference . And wanted to highlight the exceptional customer service received from...

Sat in the bar by the fire, on a Tuesday lunchtime. Relaxed and cosy vibe. We ordered the Sharing Platter and it was really good, we kept commenting how tasty it was hot. Bread was hot and fresh, everything presented so nicely. I own a...

After my last review I vowed not to visit again However it was a convenient location to meet a friend What a difference the whole experience was so much better - service, food, everything Our waitress Ashleigh was excellent Here's to next time

We were a group of 4 work colleagues, greeted warmly on arrival and seated immediately. We informed the waitress (Lina - please excuse the spelling!?) that we only had just over half an hour to eat lunch and she was extremely efficient and with her...

Lovely Pub, Food needs improvement I have been to this pub several times before where we have enjoyed the high standard of Oakman Inns food. Our group had no particular complaints on the starters front all be it one of the members of our group...

A big group of 15 adults and 3 children so we were required to prebook our menu choices, which was done. We booked for 12.15 and finally got our meals at 1 o/clock. What is the point of asking our friends and family to go...

We went to the Red Lion for a family Sunday lunch, the service was terrible and the wait for food was ridiculous. Some of the table had one course, half had a desert too and we were at the table for over 3 hours. Insane...

Service so slow We waited 40 mins for main course only to have hard poached eggs Venue is good and our waitress very nice but there is obviously a serious problem in the kitchen

I've visited here before and the first time was very average. I was looking forward to returning as I understood the place has been refurbished and the menu changed. The venue itself is lovely, and they've done a good job. However, the fact that the...

I've enjoyed each of my dozens of trips to the Red Lion over the years, but my first trip for a meal this year was a huge disappointment. Table for 6 last night - 4 adults and 2 kids. Polite staff, but almost everything else...

The service was good and some of the food was excellent. My daughters chicken burger was so dry it was inedible. The outside eating space was delightful and it has the potential to be outstanding.

Previously we enjoyed an excellent Sunday lunch in one of their pods, but on this special occasion when we were hosting an Australian visitor and his uncle who had never previously met, the serving of our main course was agonisingly slow. We must have waited...

Have been here for meals before and found the quality of food has gone downhill. The occasion was saved by the excellent staff.

We have just had the most appalling experience at The Red Lion. We waited 2 hours for our meal, having been continuously told it would be with us in 5 minutes. The manager was hugely defensive and even had the audacity to tell us that...

This is a nice pub, large interior, ample parking, good position in Water End, on the edge of Hemel Hempstead. The staff were friendly and polite if not particularly efficient, the food was acceptable but the pricing was totally unacceptable, four starters, garlic flatbread, grilled...

The Red Lion hosted our golden wedding party on Sunday. The venue was ideal, with an outside deck for socialising, and an adjacent room in which our seating for 25 (including 5 children) fitted comfortably. The service was exemplary and friendly. We didn't feel rushed,...

We booked a pod for Sunday dinner as a family of 4. The pod was lovely and the waiting staff were very friendly but useless! Every drink we ordered took ages. The starters were fine then we waited over an hour for the mains, meanwhile...

I had Sunday lunch here with a group of 15 friends. We booked with only a few days notice and the staff couldn’t have been more helpful in accommodating us. My daughter is coeliac and so it was so good to have a lot of...

Came here for Sunday lunch for my birthday as previously had great meals here and I like the ambiance, but this time the food was simply awful, 2 of us ordered the roast chicken dinner, portion size was massive, like literally half a chicken on...

Obviously hit the pub at a bad time, as the service was really poor. Waited nearly an hour for food - and could see it sitting on the kitchen counter for at least 10 minutes before someone brought it over. Food was Ok when it...

We have been here several times and we recommend it very highly. The food is delicious, the staff are lovely, service is exemplary and value for money is good, our meal today was one that will long live in the memory. As a rough guide,...

Ella served us this evening who was an absolute star and kept checking if we need anything else ect. Been here a few times and never seems to disappoint! Very happy customer.

Was such a lovely evening. Didn’t feel rushed at all. Ella our server was so lovely and very Intentative. Would highly recommend!! Will definitely come back

The worst meal I have even been served and eaten. New menu unavailable, server poor, food shocking New menu, half the items not available. 2 out of 4 starters served 5 minute waited . Asked for starter not to be on sauce this didn’t happen...

We booked a pod for Bank Holiday Monday for 4.30pm. We arrived 10 minutes late due to traffic but our table still wasn't ready. We were told to order ourselves a drink at the bar and wait. We did. The bar was trashed, clearly they...

Visited today for a girlie lunch celebrating my friends 50th. Despite the best efforts of the two young waiting staff, we had to wait over 40 minutes for our main course. The food was ok, but not worth the wait, nothing out of the ordinary....

The place is really nice, the staff are very friendly albeit not very attentive. We waited a long time for our drinks. The food was not that great one of the party had battered fish which had been way overdone and the batter was dark...

We waited 20 minutes to order and my other half ended up going inside to order. Don’t book a pod because you are out of sight out of mind. Our drinks and food arrived all at once, as we were just about to leave. The...

The people who served us were very pleasant, but it took over an hour for the starter - shared cold platters - to arrive. The food on the platters wasn’t very good quality and was tasteless. The main courses were small and just weren’t the...

This was our 1st visit to the red lion after hearing good things about the food. We were left a little disappointed. The food was good. Good menu, good quality and cooked well. The service was really bad. After 40 mins I had to go...

We have been to this restaurant / pub many times over the years but last night was an unmitigated disaster. The primary issue is that we were told that pizzas were not available when we got to our table, at 8.00 p.m., we have always...

Ate here as a quite a large group. We’re accommodated very nicely by the lady on the booking desk after a mix up on dates. Be aware when you go into amending and on line booking that the date doesn’t change as well as your...

Late lunch on a Monday sat in the sunny garden. The food was absolutely delicious. Piping hot & very tasty. Our waitress (Sophie) was brilliant giving us a taster of the ales without even asking. Sophie delivered food with a smile & couldn’t do enough...

We booked a table on a Friday night 7.30pm, the restaurant wasn’t very busy it probably had more staff than customers. The atmosphere of the restaurant was like a school disco with loud music (my personal favourite was gangnam style) and staff all sat round...

First of all the place was packed added to that there was some function going on that we didn't know about, it would have been nice to have had prior warning that there was a loud youngsters party going on. We sat a table right...

First of all I’d like to mention that this is my first time leaving a negative review. I visited with a family who have been regulars of Red Lion for over 10 years and have loved the food and service overall, however our recent experience...

We usually visit the red lion once every few months as we love the food and atmosphere there, but it's a bit pricey so we haven't been able to visit as often and it's been about 8 months since we last came. We weren't told...

My family and I visited Thursday afternoon and had a wonderful time. The food was delicious and our waitress Jess was amazing, she made our meal so special! Will definitely return again soon.

Good place to eat and staff friendly . My only criticism is the peppercorn sauce which accompanied the steak, it didn’t taste very nice at all and needs to be reviewed

It is many years since we have been to the Red Lion and we wanted to go and try their pizza again as recommended by our friends. Firstly I will say that the reservation was great and the table we had, plus the service and...

Great welcome from general manager, Ellie, and attentive and friendly service from our waitress Carmelina. Four of us shared a selection of starters; the veggie fritters are wonderful, as are the beetroot falafels. Great pizzas and pasta (we shared everything). And a lovely pint of...

We managed to book a table for dinner on the day even though it was very busy. The dinner was delicious, the menu was diverse. There were various vegetarian options, and you could see the usual pub classics, but also various other options to choose...

We have been here three times so far. The food is very good indeed and there are still things on the menu we want to try. The staff are warm, very friendly and very attentive to your needs. This is our favourite foodie pub in...

We enjoyed a delicious meal at the Red Lion. We were taken very good care of by Edward who was a super host, one of the best. Would definitely return after that level of service…from Edward in particular

Good staff, good menu, and wine list. Not a cheap meal but good value overall. Plenty of seating options inside and out with plenty of off-road parking

had beth as our waitress last week, really friendly & went above and beyond to make sure we were happy, a great asset to the team!

Really disappointing Christmas Eve Dinner. Have eaten at The Red Lion several times and it’s usually good but this was very poor. Firstly the food was awful, there didn’t seem to be a staffing issue and restaurant was only half full. We opted for the...

A very disappointing evening meal before Christmas with our family. While we appreciate that COVID restrictions may have caused some problems in supply and staffing, the restaurant was less than half full and serving staff clearly had plenty of time to chat to each other,...

Friendly and welcoming staff. Food was of the highest standard. Great vegan/plant based options. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening. Thank you Red Lion.

A nice pub and restaurant for a family meal however the Sunday Roast beef was disappointing. One piece of beef which was over cooked and was essentially just a cheap steak. The veggies were Ok. It was certainly not £18.50 worth. The rest of the...

Waited half an hour to be served two cold bacon brioche buns. Coffee and the smoothies were nice. No communication between staff and customers.

Went for dinner after not visiting for a few years, very pleasantly surprised and enjoyed a lovely meal. Great prompt service from a charming and knowledgeable waitress called Carmelita. Restaurant was quite busy and nicely buzzy, really enjoyable evening. Will certainly return. We both ordered...

Went for drinks and sat outside, the sofa was dirty with dog foot prints all over it and smelled of pee . Service very slow when ordering from the app 10 minutes to get 2 drinks and the place was not busy at all one...

Birthday party for 12 people. Had to choose a set menu 3 courses £35 or 2 at £31 very limited choice. If we had to book in advance our food then why couldn’t we have chosen from the main menu or just chosen Sunday roast...

The fare in this restaurant is very poor. The pizza consists of bread with tomato sauce and very little cheese. The burgers are grisly, the drinks are extremely over priced. For dinner for 2 and 1 child it cost £80 and the food was very...

Chicken had no salt and chips where overcooked. Pizza was better than in most places. Never will go back.