Red Lion in Isle of Wight

Decent meal out. Fun place and a good vibe when we went as family on a Friday night. Food and wine was solid. Maybe a bit on the pricey side but not too bad. Worth a visit.

Wow this pub never disappoints - we have been coming here for years. We have never had a bad meal. This Sunday was the best ever… you are really spoilt for choice the menu is really inventive. We had the Cod Raviolo and Pigeon to start followed by the beef roast. Everything was cooked to perfection and so tasty. The dishes looked prettier than my photos ! There was also an additional serving of cauliflower cheese served with the roast, just out of shot. Wonderful atmosphere, welcoming, friendly and super staff. Can’t wait for our next visit. Thank you Red Lion.

Excellent, well-presented, good value food beyond the usual pub fare. The pub goes for quality rather than quantity, but the portions are just right. Friendly, helpful staff. Good range of beers. Authentic pub atmosphere. Parking a bit tight on popular nights.

Booked for the 7 course Valentines menu, everything was superb- highlights included the mushroom & truffle pearl barley risotto and the fillet of beef main course. Excellent value at £55 considering the ingredients used, faultless.

We were in IOW for a month and tried most pubs, cafes and restaurants in this area. The Red Lion had good beer and was a lovely traditional pub. We enjoyed a couple of visits having drinks. One Friday evening we booked dinner but the experience was poor. We ordered a cheese soufflé starter for my wife and one bass fillet and one suet steak pie. After about 20 minutes a single plate with a couple of tiny balls of what looked like choux pastry with grated cheese on arrived. It was plonked in the table without explanation. We assumed this was a chef’s treat (amuse-bouche) while we waited. Minutes later the main course arrived. It appears the cheese soufflé order got lost. We raised the issue but clearly the staff were untrained so there was no point asking them what was going on. We ate the main course and decided not to risk a dessert. Upon paying we were charger £9.50 for the “doughnuts” served at the outset. I paid and decided not to make a fuss but never to return. As to the main courses, the bass was served only warm, and the meat in the suet pie was tasteless, only the gravy gave it any flavour. The Otter beer was great. Not sure why there is a Michelin a claim on the menus? Perhaps for the beer!!

A great first visit, great food, lovely staff. I will certainly be going back.

We have been coming to the Red Lion for many years , but this time we were visiting someone in a Nursing home near by and stopped in for a drink. We looked at the Menu and decided to have a starter each. My wife had a 3 baked Cheese Souffle and I had a Beef Crumpet. Both delicious, the food has always been above the standard of other pubs on the Island, and we are returning in a few days time after another Nursing home visit !

Traditional pub fayre cooked to perfection. Gluten free well catered for. The gf fish and chips were beautiful

Once again, another delicious lunch at the Red Lion. Always well looked after too by the friendly and efficient staff. Highly recommended. Until the next time..... Thank you

This best burger ever. 100% quality beef and gorgeous fries. I had the white chocolate and passion fruit cheesecake to follow. Amazing. Definitely worth a visit.

Lovely atmosphere, food was delicious! Very dog friendly. Parking was good, it’s in a nice area. An all round lovely pub for food or drinks.

Not our first visit to the Red Lion but probably the last! We went for Sunday lunch with friends but were disappointed. We shared the Parmesan truffle donuts but they were chewy. We all chose the roast beef and the beef was incredibly rare… it was so thinly sliced and was ‘stringy’. The red cabbage was like jam, it was so sweet. The potatoes and cauliflower cheese were good but none of us ate much and we mentioned to the Waitress that it wasn’t great but no one came to talk to us… which we thought rather odd Such a shame as it’s such a pretty pub

Visited after overhearing a member of staff at the Isle of Wight Gin Distillery raving about this hidden gem. Went for lunch on a quiet January afternoon and thought it was so good we went back on a Friday evening for dinner. The whole dining experience was sublime! If we’d have found it earlier in the week we’d have gone through the whole menu.

Excellent food and good beers. However, diffident, unsmiling staff behind the bar today who made no effort to make one feel welcome and who seemed to enjoy being slightly inflexible (you MUST order at your table, if you don’t have a table number, go and find it) and mildly grumpy. Shame, lovely pub otherwise.

Disappointed that there was no sea food choice as apparently the chef has a seafood allergy. The food we ultimately chose was good and very tasty. The staff and service was good. Nowhere on website does it say “no seafood” and we only found out at point of ordering.

Booked a table for lunch here on Boxing Day. The options for food and drink were great, and our chosen dishes and tipples were fabulous. The menu included numerous game dishes, which suited my husband and me. We had a pigeon starter and venison for mains; these dishes and the others we had were truly delicious and served beautifully. All this was topped off with friendly and attentive service. I'd thoroughly recommend The Red Lion.

It looks like a typical village pub, BUT it serves the food of a high end restaurant, the best lunch we had on the island.

The smaller portion roast was perfect for lunch and all very tasty. Friendly, cosy and efficient.

Visited while on holiday with our dog, staff were very friendly and helpful as my wife is on a special diet. Food was really good and we, including our dog were welcomed.

A friendly pub catering for diners and locals alike. We shared a starter of mousse. My partner had the steak and ale pie which she found excellent - and the vegetable were good too. I went for the Confit of Duck. What I received, in my opinion, was a duck breast (not confit) but, to be fair, it was very good and served in an imaginative way with suitable vegetables and was thoroughly enjoyed. The only disappointment was the wine - a French Merlot which was thin, acidic and tired. I spent my life in the wine trade and like to think I know a good wine from a bad one. I only visit the Island once a year and will continue to dine at the Red Lion. The chef has imagination - so often lacking.

Just dropped in for a casual lunch and we were gobsmacked at just how good everything was. Sean Jeffers' team, including Nick Gerring, formerly of the White Lion in Niton, cook astounding food; exhileratingly good grub! Don't know how they do it. And the front of house is calm, efficient and friendly - all very joined-up management. In truth, the best food we've ever had on the IoW

The Food was lovely , staff pleasant and friendly. Such a lovely pub with great home cooked food

Not sure about some of the poor reviews submitted but we visited for Sunday lunch and it was fantastic - had the beef crumpet, roast beef and the chocolate Malteser cremaux with honeycomb and it was delicious. What a gem of a place - wish we had a pub serving this standard of food where we live. All I can say is lucky Freshwater and IOW residents

Wow, what a great little pub. The food is great, really worth a visit. Very friendly staff. Thanks for a great evening.

Called in by chance whilst on a circular walk from Yarmouth. Ordered food (Tuesday Lunchtime) and it was outstanding. Really impressive. Would highly recommend

My family and I came for dinner here last Saturday night. There were 6 of us in total. We were greeted by friendly and attentive staff. We tried a variety of dishes between us including the Parmesan doughnuts, beef crumpets, tartlet, burger, vegan gnocchi, and suet pastry steak + ale pie. We were going to skip dessert but couldn’t resist trying a few between us!! The crumble was perfect for a autumnal evening and the ‘Malteser’ dessert was a masterpiece!! The chefs are extremely talented. Every single dish was beautiful presented, and tasted fantastic! You could tell the produce used was all of great quality- they even have their own fruit n veg garden at the back! This isn’t the first time we’ve visited and certainly won’t be the last! 5*

Over the last few months the food has gone down hill - the roast beef was tough, the burger had no seasoning or flavour and the fish of the fish and chips was nothing like as good as it used to be. Also the pub...

We were really looking forward to our meal. It was a birthday treat. Food was tasty but small portions, the roast beef just came with a small dish of cauliflower cheese between two, it was possible to order extra sides. My partner cant eat beef and there was no other option, so had the duck which was lovely. I had catch of the day, fresh mackerel. The room was a little cold and soulless, a log fire would have been lovely as it was a cheerless day, but there was a table placed right in front of it, so not possible. Don't expect good old pub grub, sadly.....

After all the 5 star reviews I read before our visit, we were underwhelmed by the food and the service. It is was very average.

Booked for sunday roast, as two family members have Birthdays. Limited beers on tap and no local ales available. 2 waters,one j20 and one pint, £14.35. A roast was £18.00,comprised of 3 small roast potatoes, two slices of beef,Yorkshire pudding,a small spoon of carrot and...

We had deliberately booked based on its reputation and we were not disappointed. Possibly the best bar service I have had since “Heston’s” in Bray. We had the doughnuts, crumpet and parfait which were sublime. My wife’s duck was superb as was the sticky toffee...

Starter divine. Main fish was perfect. Chips awful. So overcooked. Did not look like chips. However customer service rating high. The issue was dealt with to my satisfaction thank you.

Busy when I arrived with my son, during his lunch break from work. Great welcome and a table for two was soon available for us. Great light lunch of deep fried fish filled ciabatta roll with fries. Excellent!!!

Always lovely, come rain or shine :)

Stopped here on a Monday afternoon for lunch, sign outside advised lunches are served daily. Was told by staff in the bar that no lunches are available on Mondays. Please do not advertise what you do not provide!

Stopped by on a Monday afternoon after seeing a sign outside advertising daily lunches. Attractive location with an old church in the back got our hopes up. What a deep disappointment for all, specially hungry kids, to learn that no lunches were available on Mondays. Please don’t advertise what you do not supply. I recommend Piano Cafe for superior service.

Busy local pub with good food and real ales.

Lovely location, fantastic food & great service. I would recommend you book in advance as it gets busy and I can see why. This is the second time we've been and the food & service were great both times. Highly recommended.

Super food and warm, friendly welcome

Can't judge too well as we only stopped for a drink... Lovely pub, nice atmosphere, nice location... As I say we didn't eat there yet....

What can I say I have known chef Sean Jeffers since he was 16 washing up in our yacht club kitchen, he has gone leaps and ,bounds and beyond ,he and his team smashed it out the park tonight absolutely delicious food and great service...

Classic village pub, no gimmicks, not pretentious. We both had the ale & steak pie. The contents were good quality, as were the vegs, but the suet pastry was so hard it was difficult to cut & impossible to stick a fork into to pick...

Interesting menu but disappointing portions and not quite what we expected nor what our servers promised. Overall not good value for money.

The Haddock and chips were wonderful

Amazing food &And services 😋 Thank you

Last week we were motoring around the west of the Island and stumbled upon The Red Lion. We only stayed for a quick thirst quencher but we found the place extremely friendly (the bar staff as well as a table of locals we spoke to.)...

Very enjoyable lunch with my son, the staff were lovely. Thank you Red Lion 🦁

A traditional country pub but with excellent service and food. Would highly recommend and will hope to visit again.

Good food but the service was a bit too slow. The sharing stater was interesting but not really a sharing dish more of a small starter on one small plate. The venison was delicious but could have benefited from more vegetables, particularly some form of...

Nice food. The only reason I gave it 4, as yet again in a decent place, the main event was fish and chips or burger.

Great beer great staff certainly recommend

Good food, I thoroughly recommend it.

Just off the ferry and found this lovely old pub. Luckily they managed to fit us in and we had a fabulous roast beef Sunday lunch. Great staff and great atmosphere

Fantastic fried haddock and chips. Perfectly cooked. Steak and Ale pie was great. The gravy was delicious, as were the mashed potatoes. Service was great. It was a really good atmosphere. No loud music and a convivial crowd, young and old, was at the restaurant.

On a cycle ride and stopped for a drink. Lovely.

Managed to fit us in despite being fully booked. The meal was superb, staff were professional. Booked again.

Managed to fit us in even though they were fully booked, I do recommend booking and not just trying your luck, you may well be unlucky. the food was superb and well worth the wait easily one of the best meals I've ever had. The service was excellent even though it was busy the staff didn't seem rushed or stressed. l Loved it so much I've booked for another meal later in the week. Well worth 5 stars.

We visited the Red Lion on of chance expecting a couple of drinks and pub grub. Well all I can say don't expect scampy and chips in a basket .The food is I would say the best on the Island Michlin standard at least. Staff...

The best pub on the whole Island - the food, the staff, the location, what more could you want? Every meal I have ever had here has been exceptional, whether it's bursting at the seams or quieter, the quality is amazing. The staff are all really friendly and welcoming and there is a great mix of locals, dogs and visitors, it has the balance just right. Would recommend to anyone.

We had dinner here on Friday night after a recommendation from our hosts. Great savoury doughnut starter and excellent choice of mains. Staff were v friendly and helpful through your meal.

So pleased we visited, we came for lunch one day , the food was so good we then booked for dinner the next night, they have a great menu with gluten free options, it’s dog friendly both inside & out, parking can be tricky but...

Great dog friendly place, Had lunch here, gluten free options and the food was some of the best I’ve had on the island. Fantastic

We ate at the Red Lion whilst on holiday in Freshwater and it was absolutely the best meal we had. The food was beautifully presented and tasted great. We had booked in advanced and it was a good job we did as the pub was...

Stunning village location. Beautiful old pub.

Lovely lunch thoroughly enjoyed by all 4 of us. Great food & service.

We arrived just after 6pm having not booked a table but the staff were super friendly and found us a table within the hour. The food was lovely, highly recommend - maybe just book to be safe. Edit - So good we went back for lunch the following day, did not disappoint!

Absolutely loved our evening in The Red Lion last weekend. All our meals were delicious and the pub catered well for one of us who was dairy and gluten intolerant. Friendly staff and lovely atmosphere. Definitely recommended.

Lovely grub. Brilliant staff. Highly recommended

One of the best meals out I've had in a long time. I will remember this food for the rest of my life probably. Absolutely outstanding! Thank you.

Top place to eat . Nice people, nice food .

My father and I are locals and visit the Red Lion most weeks for an early evening beer or two. This week, as it was a bank holiday, we decided to dine. We both had fillet steaks and I have to say as one who...

The service and food were excellent roast dinner exceptional, staff attentive and friendly and professional recommend highly after restaurant finishes great pub with locals.

Booked for my husbands Birthday - this is one of our favourite pubs. Can only say the Roast Beef was sublime and the Panacotta exquisite. Can’t think when I have enjoyed a meal more. Service as always friendly and efficient. And so nice that our...

I was told it is rare to get a table for dinner without reservation - we have been lucky. The food was excellent! Mackerel as starter, Lamb as main were both delicious, sweets for dessert as well. Would love to eat there again!

Went here the day after our wedding and the food and service were both amazing! We told them we were just married and they made us an extra special dessert. They also offered to make a dinner option that wasn't on the menu when we...

We have been to the Red Lion on many occasions over many years. We went earlier in the summer and though the food was not as good as usual but hoped it was maybe because the chef was off. Went again last night and again...

Had the catch of the day, and it was stunning flavours. Lovely presentation of food and relaxed atmosphere. Make sure you book.

Just stopped for a drink but seemed a warm friendly place.

Good beer, good food, good service. 5* all round

We came here for a Sunday roast and I phoned ahead to say my children are gluten free and asked if they could do a gluten free Yorkshire if I brought the GF flour with me. When we arrived they had already got the flour...

Wow, the food here was amazing the first time we went and I wondered if that was a one off but no, it was equally as amazing the second time around. Can't recommend it highly enough. Such a little gem.

Excellent place to eat with a nice range of beers.

The sticky toffee pudding was amazing! Food was ok but not an extensive range of choices, specially if you have kids.

Kind service, lovely atmosphere, and the tastiest burger my husband and I have ever found!

Great choice. Excellent customer service and food was good

Food exceptional and priced very reasonably. Service and decor otherwise as expected of a pub (not gastropub) so temper expectations here accordingly.

We've been to this pub on many occasions and always had excellent service and food. On this occasion it was extremely disappointing. The food as ever was great. The service was really poor. Long wait to be served. Had to go to the bar for drinks, water and cutlery. Inexperienced waiting staff. Didn't take empty glasses or plates away. The place was not busy, so no excuse for poor service. Even after a long wait for the bill, the waitress was dismissive and rude of our experience. The food and chef were let down by the shoddy service!

I’ve been to this beautiful pub many times and had exceptional food and service. However, our last visit was extremely disappointing. The food is faultless. But the staff were absolutely appalling. It wasn’t even busy and yet we waited 30 mins to order; had to...

I love this place particularly now that it has a new chef and menu. The food in the last year is nothing short of exceptional including classic pub dishes but also more unusual dishes e.g venison, stone bass. Usually at least one good beer on tap and lovely service. Beautiful setting and building too!

Great pub, staff were friendly and attentive. Has great period charm. Beer selection was good. Steak ciabatta was spot on, melts in your mouth

Loved this place. Totally delicious food, brilliant service, well worth a visit.

Had a super meal here. Staff very polite and friendly and food was excellent. Lovely place to visit.

My wife found this little gem and we were so glad she did. Staying in ryde we drove across the island to the red lion and what a drive along the coast road ! We arrived at the red lion and parked in the little...

Essential country pub on the edge of a town, Estuary and circular walk. Good beer. Quiet road next to church.

Staff were friendly and food was to die for!

Great meal with super service - best steak I have this year but complimented with a fine pint of beer and a Côtes du Rhône that was fantastic value for money - I recommend.

Excellent Sunday roast and desert!

Visited on a Monday lunchtime. Unfortunately, they were not doing food that day. Service was great, and with a smile and the beer was good. Lovely little pub.

I turned up drenched on a Saturday night without a booking and eventhough they were rammo they got me seated -thank you so much The food was absolutely first rate , as was the service, all in all this was great value for money Great...

Tasty food at reasonable prices. If you go to Yarmouth, take the two mile walk along the old railway line beside the Yar estuary to this lovely pub.