Red Lion Babcary in South Somerset

Held an aunts 80th Birthday lunch on a Sunday. Everything was exemplary, the room, the staff and the food. Top notch 👌

Great food and great location. About 20 minutes off the A303

Group booking for Sunday lunch, able to pre order and good communication before our visit. Food and service excellent once we arrived even though we were a little late arriving

Lovely old English pub out in the countryside

Lovely place to relax and unwind for a couple of days. So friendly and nothing was a bother. Even tried experimental cocktails 🍸. Good gluten free menu. Would love to stay again.

Visited twice within a couple of weeks. Firstly on a Saturday for lunch and then on a Sunday for a roast. The service was fab, the food was absolutely delicious and the place felt alive with lots of happy customers. Both parties I visited with agreed it was our new favourite place! We'll be back soon!

The BEST roast dinner I have had in a long long long time.

A lovely village pub, full of character with great pub food.

Ham hock starter was fabulous, pardon peppers great, chicken and salmon mains a great choice. Chocolate delice for dessert finished a lovely meal.

Myself, my husband and 7 friends go for Sunday lunch every 4-6 weeks. This is mostly during the winter months. I'm rather smug because the Red Lion was my suggestion and it was a huge hit. The Sunday lunch is amazing. Generous serving of meat, potatoes and veg all cooked to perfection and served on your plate rather than having to help yourself to 'shared' veg where everyone is really polite about how much they take. Cauliflower cheese is to die for. I almost shed a tear when I didn't have the stomach capacity to clear all side dishes and the leftovers were taken away. Apparently the starters were very good, I didn't have one but they looked tasty. The only criticism I can make is the £3 charge for extra gravy. I think this is unnecessary particularly as it came in a teeny tiny ceramic jug which I probably could have bought in IKEA for less.

Been here a couple of times for lunch, it's such a nice pub, really good food and the waiting staff are delightful, we were very well looked after.

Food was nice but from the moment we walked through the door we were greeted by the most miserable barman I have ever met who ended seating us and unfortunately serving us for the duration of our stay. I strongly suggest he seeks an alternative career as front of house hospitality is not his thing. Oh, he also asked if we could settle the bill so he could go and have his lunch! Awful service from start to finish and considering the large service charge you put on the bill I would take a look at your staff! Shame, he totally lets the place down as apart from this one particular individual the experience was nice.

Food was nice but from the moment we walked through the door we were greeted by the most miserable barman I have ever met who ended seating us and unfortunately serving us for the duration of our stay. I strongly suggest he seeks an alternative career as front of house hospitality is not his thing. Oh, he also asked if we could settle the bill so he could go and have his lunch! Awful service from start to finish and considering the large service charge you put on the bill I would take a look at your staff! Shame, he totally lets the place down as apart from this one particular individual the experience was nice.

Enjoyed an excellent Sunday lunch with friends and our two dogs. Very nice choice of vegan food including a superb pudding. We were all extremely impressed with the quality of the meal, the friendly service and the value for money.

Chose this as some French colleagues were staying nearby and so I wanted to take them to a good country pub. Red Lion really fitted the bill, open fires, some good beers and very good food.

Been coming here for years and this was an impromptu visit and called in on spec , We were seated and then the chaos seemed to ensue , other couples came in and were seated and orders taken as was ours Then nothing ! We waited for at least 50 minutes Then our side orders arrived and promptly disappeared when they realised no one had cooked our mains !! Wait another 20 mins .. I had the lamb chop and I use the term exactly! At £28 no sides was shameful My mother had the pork tenderloin and tender it was not and had been overcooked given the length of time we had been there we were not sending it back . At no point was there any form of apology or recognition that things had gone awry. Sadly I’m done with this place and I take some nice memories with me over the years

Just had a tasty meal at this pub. The staff were delightful - professional, helpful and polite. The pub has a warm, friendly atmosphere - could have sat there all evening. We took our dog - they took a photo of him and he is now on the wall of fame in the pub - what a lovely idea! Will definitely be going back!

Firstly, I will start by saying they need to employ a cleaner…or perhaps a new one. The bathrooms are disgustingly filthy. The tables are more sticky than super glue. Had to ask 3 times for more drinks, my wine glass had something in it and a cobweb on top! How? Food was just greasy and we left feeling sad, deflated and sick.

Top quality Sunday roast. You can tell the chef knows their onions. The gravy was the best. Great service and a well presented pub.

We visited the Red Lion on two occassions in a 2 week spell. Once for Sunday lunch with friends and once for an eveing meal with family. The lunch was excellent and was the reason for booking a table of 6 for an evening meal on a Monday...big mistake. The table I reserved in the restaurant for the evening meal, was changed to a small bar table (as the restaurant room was not in use) and the service was extremely slow, one of the starters didnt arrive, the waitress was new and totally overwelmed. I know that dining out on a Monday can be problematic but this was treadful and such a contrast to the Sunday lunch serving.

Having been before our expectations were high but when we arrived we were disappointed. First thing we noticed was a lack of people at the bar, well there was no people at the bar. We was shown to our table promptly, The waitress took out drink and food orders and it was noticed that the place had little or no ambience, the table was sticky and there was something stuck under the table. When our food arrived my meal was missing a Yorkshire which was quickly remedied. The pork was cooked very well and potatoes nice and crispy but sadly the parsnip was overcooked as was the carrot. Not of the same quality as we expected. Sadly we will not be returning.

Gorgeous pub with garden in obviously moneyed area of Somerset . Friendly attentive staff and a superb burger and fries preceded by Ham Hock terrine with pea purée. Menu well constructed with especially enticing deserts . Sitting in the garden having lunch was a beautiful experience. Largish car park. Will go again .

We came on the Bank Holiday Monday so the pub was understandably busy. As a result, food did take a while to arrive. I had specifically asked for a starter as a main course and was told that wasn’t an issue by the manager and the waitress. In spite of this, it came as a starter! I mentioned this to the waitress who just shrugged. There was no attempt to apologise or remedy the situation. As we’d already waited for a long time for food and my daughter and mother had their food already, I didn’t want to wait another 30 minutes. Strangely the waitress also insisted on taking away our side plates and napkins before eating. The food I had was good. The waitress was very unhelpful!

We love The Red Lion and it’s a delightful place to sit outside on a sunny day. We always have wonderful food here and the staff are always very pleasant and welcoming. We’ve ate here twice in the past week as we enjoy it that much.

It’s a nice looking pub and a great looking menu in theory but the service was very poor - lacking attention to detail. The food was fine but a bit average and certainly over priced. The atmospheres was also a bit sterile. The staff seemed inexperienced and didn’t really seem to care. A pub that looked good, promised much but sadly under delivered - shame.

I have reviewed The Red Lion before - it is always excellent. We had such a good time last night I feel compelled to write another. Four of us went for dinner. After bad weather all day the sun came out and we had delicious cocktails in a very sunny garden. My Tom Collins was outstanding. We then went to our table. The current chef is amazing. I had delicious ham hock as a starter. As main courses we had two hamburgers, one soufflé and one pizza. Those who had the hamburgers said that they were as good as they ever had tasted. My pizza was absolutely superb. I would love to get the recipe for their pizza dough! It is delicious. Our vegetarian guest said that her soufflé was outstanding. It certainly looked perfectly cooked. Only one of us could manage a pudding, although I had an expertly made Irish Coffee. When I got the bill, I got a bit of a shock - as to what good value it was. It was just “one of those evenings” that put you in a good mood. Great setting, delicious food and outstanding service. Looking forward to next time.

We stayed for one night on our way to a wedding in the West Country. So pleased we decided on The Red Lion. The room was lovely - beautifully decorated and spotlessly clean with an extremely comfortable bed. The dinner in the restaurant was excellent and the breakfast was great too. Friendly and efficient staff. Would definitely stay again and highly recommend.

Very disappointing lunch today. We live locally and rang at 10.45 to check their usual fabulous fish & chips was on the menu which was confirmed. However, when we arrived at 12.45 was told no fish delivery. So we ordered alternative dishes (plaice and chicken caesar salad) which were JUST ok. Half a plaice overcooked and very dried up chicken caesar salad with brown ends to lettuce and not enough dressing/croutons/anchovies, followed by lemon posset topped with rather wilted green topping like mustard and cress. Additionally, the bar table tops have VERY sticky surfaces! Will not be returning having supported for 20 years.

Wow, this is a hidden gem. My husband remembered about it from working near hear. It certainly was amazing from initial greeting till departing ( which was hard to do). It was a beautiful day so we opted to sit outside. The Team were fantastic. Working efficiently,but in a timely manner. The roast beef was so tender, and all the veg and gravy was so delicious. The presentation was stunning. Kitchen and front of house were exceptional. I left wanting more, but we were so full. We will be back. Thank you.

Wonderful food and ambience and within a reasonable price point. Friendly and professional staff. A joy to eat there

We had lunch with another couple, this last Sunday. Excellent choice of roasts including beef, pork, chicken plus a vegetarian nut roast, much enjoyed by one of us. Superbly cooked, friendly and very professional service. A gastropub of real and special excellence.

absolutely fantastic, one of the best meals we have ever had, the staff so polite, such a shame we live in coventry, else we would be regulars, what a lovely way to celebrate my 65th birthday thank you so much

We attended a meal with friends, we were seated in the outside gazebo, it was pretty warm in there so we requested the bifold doors were opened, there seemed to be a bit of a problem with the doors, but the staff managed to get...

Fantastic food and service, very lovely location. £20 for a roast is top end pricing but the quality of the food was excellent. This would have been 5 star review had it not been for the 12.5% automatically applied surcharge which I only clocked after...

Set in the Someret village/hamlet of Babcary, in the middle of nowhere not far from the Podimore roundabout on the A303, this 'pub with rooms' also has an extremely good restaurant. When you check in you are given a bottle of chilled tap water and...

A beautiful country pub, glowing golden stone, great food and beer and charming efficient staff. On a bank holiday, am I dreaming? No, The Red Lion at Babcary delivered all that with aplomb. More innovative food than I was expecting, Carrot Pakora but it did...

Great Sunday Lunch, we went with my Brother and his Partner we had a splendid time, really good food, good waiting staff great beer. What more could you ask for on a Sunday Lunchtime. We will return, it is our third time in as many...

we were on a table in a throughway. we ordered 4 Dishes in total 1 was very good, 2 were below average and the burger really poor. It was served in a cheap burger bun, and overcooked. staff were great £80 for 2 with a...

We booked an overnight stay with dinner, in the delightful pub that we had previously visited many times. We had paid a £150 deposit. However I became ill and had to cancel the weekend visit. The first hotel we cancelled offered to transfer our deposit...

We called in here for lunch as we recently went to a funeral here to try it. Great interior fantastic welcome loved it all the food ambulances all of it but having left paid the bill and left a tip only to get home and...

Been several times for dinner (see my previous reviews) and been very impressed This time went on line, saw sample menu and booked restaurant Arrived to be told only bar open because of lack of people, not great but ok told menu is the same...

We stayed here on our way home from visiting family in Somerset. We stayed in room 6, which was huge. A room that faces the road, but a very quiet road so not an issue. The bed was a super king with crisp clean white...

Fantastic, home cooked food (the pies and triple-cooked chips are awesome!) that we always use as our rest stop from Surrey to Cornwall. Peaceful and SO much better than the usual Services.

Lunch for four on my wifes birthday. Wonerful service with food to match. We live fairly locally and this is our favorite pub my a huge margin - they just get it right.

We had a wonderful overnight stay here on our way to Devon. Our room was vast and beautiful, dinner and breakfast were delicious and staff are charming.

This is a gorgeous pub in lovely settings. We went for a new year lunch. Food was superb along with the service although we should probably of had proper steak knives for the sirloin but it simply melted in your mouth, superb. It’s not a...

Lovely pub with beautiful surroundings, delicious food and great service! Would recommend to others.

This gastropub/ little hotel is certainly off the beaten track but well worth a diversion. Wonderful bedrooms with very comfortable large beds. Noble Isle toiletries were a treat. Our evening meal was delicious and well presented. Super young staff and charming owner. We will return!...

Great olde world pub , great food and lovely staff working hard. A bit of a wait for service but it afforded gave us more time catch up with old friends. Little Robyn who served us engaged with our table in a welcoming and friendly...

Stayed over dinner bed and breakfast. We both had fish and chips which were stunning. Crunchiest batter I’ve ever eaten. Breakfast was beautiful. Highly recommended

Hadn’t been since Covid, but if anything it had got better since we had last been. Sensible portions of really well cooked tasty food. Sausage and mash with chocolate fondant for dessert.

Really expensive. Had lunch there. Almost £20 for a burger and chips and they charge for each extra, also adding a suggested service charge which was cheeky. Trying to make money back after Covid. Felt greedy which was a shame as the pub was nice...

Good food, nice enough bedroom but long waits for service. Also not informed when we checked in that we could order a drink from the bar in the afternoon as residents, thus we waited until 6pm to order one, as per the notice giving opening...

I love the ambience in this little pub. The staff were great and the service extremely friendly. I tried their crab souffle which was simply one of the loveliest dishes I've ever had, and the Rose wine by the glass was more than acceptable. The...

Lots of reasons for this being a very highly rated meal out. Top of the list for us being an excellent range of very high quality gluten-free food. Lots of options for starters, mains and after. Big thank you to the red lion for taking...

As a group of five people we had booked for evening dinner; on arrival we were welcomed by a member of the front of house team and shown to our table. We ordered drinks whilst we perused the menu. I must say that the front...

I know the food is good here having visited for over 20 years but really the service time levels from kitchen to table are so so slow. Although I only live 3 miles again I’m afraid I won’t be eating here ever again The staff...

We enjoyed a one night stay at the red lion, always wanted to visit here. The room was luxurious and equipped well, loved the decor. Our room had a shower over a bath so you might wish to check this before booking. We enjoyed a...

We had guests staying with us for a few days so Monday 8th August I telephoned at 9.30 am to enquire about eating at this pub that evening, left a message for them to ring back, this never happened. It has also been the case...

I booked The Red Lion for my husband’s birthday. We’ve been before and the food has always been good. Tonight the food was again very good but the evening was ruined by poor service. One young lady was helpful and got us the water we’d...

We had a short stay of 3 nights with our dog . The accommodation was very good with a large spacious room on the ground floor, breakfast was very excellent with local produce. Dinner was also excellent. Would recommend this accommodation .

Stayed at the Red Lion with our dog Boston. Our criteria when staying at hotels/pubrestaurants - i) Dog friendly and parking ii) Very clean iii) Good food and good customer service The Red Lion has it all - Such a lovely place. Very dog friendly....

I have just seen that I paid £28.55 for an ordinary bottle of sauvignon blanc wine this evening at this country pub in Somerset. I am shocked by such a ludicrous pvercharge. I certainly won't go back and would very much suggest to avoid.

Delicious food and fantastic customer service. Our food was somewhat delayed; to make up for it, a side dish was taken off our bill and we were given a complimentary appetiser to keep us going. The food was well-presented and really tasty. I recommend booking...

Booked 3 nights B & B. Limited choice for Breakfast, finishing time prevents a lie-in if needed. Day of departure no breakfast available - the building was in darkness, obviously someone overslept. Left without being able to settle account but they still took full payment...

We've just returned from the Red Lion feeling very disappointed with the meal and confusing service! Having not booked we were very grateful that they were able to fit us in. However the menu we were given was limited and not cheap. I asked about...

I am bemused by the negative reviews - although different people have different tastes. We made a last minute booking and had a wonderful lunch there yesterday in the sunny garden. The service was polite and friendly and the main courses we each had, one...

This has now become one of my staple Somerset recommendations for food. The menu is constantly changing and I am yet to have a meal that I have not wanted to shout about! The flavours are great and you won't be disappointed with the food...

Right, we have stayed in some pretty nice places in the past and The Red Lion is right up there with the best of them, in fact it might even be our new favourite getaway destination. I say destination, and I really think it is...

A very warm welcome, choice of menus - pizzas cooked in outdoor oven looked delicious! Our choices from their lunch menu were. Very reasonable prices. an old historic Inn - comfy!

Lovely country pub which we have wanted to go to for a long time. Shocked by the terrible rude service. Will not be returning

Excellent service & food thank you booked the first night & returned the second night with no booking very busy but accommodated with no problem at all

Food was 10/10 atmosphere was great and the staff were so attentive and welcoming to everything we need. Would recommend if you’re in the area or want somewhere to travel too! Thankyou red lion inn

Superb. Recommend everything especially puddings. Staff great. Lovely old pub with a thriving customer base. Hope to go again.

Sunday lunch is a good indication of a pubs food offering and unfortunately ours on Sunday was very pedestrian and not great value. Our table was reserved and ready for us and the menu looked a typical pub offering. The roast sirloin was described as...

Met some friends for lunch last Thursday, this pub/restaurant used to be a really great place to meet... Haven't been there for a while because of the Chinese Plague, but our visit was absolutely amazing, the staff & food nothing less than first class, the...

Lovely stay - welcomed from the word go by very friendly, chatty staff. Room was comfortable with a huge, comfy bed. Drink on arrival in cosy bar with a log fire, great beers on tap and very well priced. We ate in the restaurant in...

An absolute gem of a pub with a fabulous warm welcome, incredible food, superb service and beautiful rooms. The team couldn’t do enough for us and made our little break so much fun! Thank you!

A fabulous little pub full of character. Enjoyed our first night out in 2022. I had the ribeye steak with home cooked chips, onion ring and pepper sauce. It was one of the best steaks ever. Perfectly done (med), tasted delicious. The onion ring was...

Met with friends for a get together meal. Food was brilliant, we had three courses each and we were all impressed by the taste and presentation. Staff were excellent. It was expensive but worth it, would definitely come here again.

Unfortunately our party was halved due to covid in one household so only three of us could experience a special meal. I’ve been to the pub before, an attractive pub in a beautiful village. Inside it has a traditional bar and an added attractive restaurant...

Eating 200 miles from home and taking friends for the first time means that you must be going to somewhere that you can rely on. Once again the food, the service and the quality of all the food and drink was first class. The roast...

My parents were visiting for a few days and i suggested walking to the Red Lion for a few beers, whilst walking we started to feel peckish and thought we would order a sandwich when we got to the pub, we were getting a takeaway...

I had difficulty choosing from the main menu (evening), partly due to lack of free range meat, and personal reasons like I'd had cod the night before, so i went for a starter to follow a starter when the rest of the party having mains....

My wife and I were booked for a two night stay just to get away from recent domestic pressure of caring for a senior member of our family. The welcome could not have been more professional, once it was established who we were, we were...

Called in for a late lunch on our way back from Devon, and so glad we found this gorgeous pub. I had the best gluten free fish and chips I have had, and my husband had the steak burger which was equally good. Staff were...

Great few days away. Met a friend halfway for excellent Sunday lunch and stayed for 3 nights. Lovely pub, delicious food and friendly staff. Our room was fine, perfectly clean and comfortable. Breakfast is freshly cooked to order with superb local produce. We had lunch...

Stumbled across this place when meeting the other half, half way between our current locations. I’m so glad we went because the food was amazing, the pub was beautiful and the staff were so welcoming and friendly. Service was efficient and the food was just...

An enjoyable Sunday lunchtime, well kept real ales, delicious homemade pizza served by exceptionally friendly staff. Can't wait to return to this Somerset gem!

Lovely country pub with rooms - a pleasant, laid back ambiance, good food and accommodating staff. We stayed overnight in one of the rooms and had dinner in the restaurant and can't find anything to complain about. Would definitely return if I was in the...

This was my 'go-to' pub for ambience, service and decent food and have had many meals including Sunday lunches with visiting friends. Had lunch for two in the garden yesterday (3 Aug). There was only an al le carte menu - no sandwiches, pizzas or...

We had a meal to celebrate friends 30th wedding anniversary. The meal took forever to come and we had to ask to order deserts as no one seemed interested in whether we wanted anything. We ordered the special which was venison burgers and had to...

Visited the Red Lion solo for a business meeting in the area and I'm was SO impressed. The staff were so attentive and kind, the food in the restaurant was absolutely to die for (if you're staying here you MUST eat at the restaurant!) and...

Firstly I am fascinated by the connected bad reviews of 3 weeks ago! Trying to by Vodka for an underage person and getting angry when caught out!! Really stupid. Anyway our lunch yesterday was superb. We had different things and it was all terrific. To...

Delicious food and super staff. They were working so hard and clearly very busy but were always cheerful and polite. We had a super evening- thank you

Stayed here for a night - quality accommodation, great food , good choice of well kept (local) real ale, wider than normal selection of quality wines by the glass, good ambience and wrapped up in professional yet friendly service. We will definitely return.

Local to where we stayed for a Summer break ,visited twice for a drink , following 2nd visit had a few mixed feelings- it was very busy and some of the staff seemed stressed and not very welcoming . However, we booked a table for...

Amazed to read the recent poor reviews, ate there last night with friends and had the most fabulous meal. Innovative mixture of flavours beautifully presented and served all in all a real pleasure.

Popped in for couple pints and had to wait forever so didn't bother.. I can see from previous reviews and from local talk that this isn't a proper pub....snooty prices for snooty people by looks of it..waste of time...

Holidaying in Babcary and popped in here for a drink.Left after 30 minutes having to wait for service. Thought we would give this place the benefit of the doubt hence the bad reviews but we were wrong,the reviews are right.Appalling service!! Avoid this place unless...