Red Lion Babcary in South Somerset

Terrible service. While the food very good, the entire experience was let down by a waiting team that had no idea what they were doing. Will not be returning after many years of enjoyable visits. A great shame as it all used to be so good.

This was recommended for Sunday lunch it did not disappoint, we had the Sunday lunch with 3 meats everything was cooked to perfection. The staff were excellent and would not hesitate going back.

We came for Sunday lunch, the food was amazing and the service was outstanding, We shall be visiting again very soon. And a massive thank you to staff who helped our family member and made sure we were all accommodated and comfortable.

We have been to the Red Lion many times but not recently until tonight. I’m afraid the food was dreadful. The description of the food was entirely misleading and the preparation and quality even worse. The mushroom shawarma was inedible. Watery mushroom, Halloumi that was tougher than the sole of a shoe, with some weird cream on it. Someone had also emptied half a jar of some very spicy muck on to it. All of this presented in a massive brioche bun. Not sure what made it a shawarma! I also ordered a side of broccoli which came with a mass of what hideous mustard coloured goo on top of it. My husband dutifully ate his ( he made a better choice than me) but was also extremely disappointed. The waitress was kind but frankly it was dire.

Really pleased we found this place. The staff were super friendly and phoned us before our stay. They booked us a nice table for an evening meal and the food was GREAT!!! We'll definitely visit again...

Delicious food in a charming pub at reasonable prices

Staff were fantastic, and the setting was cosy. We opted for some snacks, 1 main and 2 sides for the two of us to share - croquettes were amazing, and the flat iron steak with chimichurri was very good, but the caeser salad side stole the show! The accommodation was very good, with a big king size bed, and pet friendly as well (bring your own dog bed, bowls etc).

Lovely welcome, excellent service and a really good Sunday lunch - the beef/pork/chicken combo was superb as was the panacotta. A particular mention for the service which was really good.

Booked a table and even rang to increase numbers but this hadn't been passed on so ended up squeezing another chair in. Food was good but service was variable! Had to go hunting for condiments!! And no chocolate on dessert menu!! My son noted.

Very good place, authentic English inn, excellent cuisine, amazing staff!

An enjoyable experience, staff attentive and food delicious 😋

Excellent food. Great service. Good Beers. Great Location. Busy pub/ Restaurant.

Just had dinner at the Red Lion. We had being going there for decades, whenever we are in the area. This evening was worthy of review for two reasons - great food and great service. We were served by the Portuguese manageress (whose name I did not catch) and also by Izzy. The pub was busy, but they were both welcoming, friendly, funny and efficient. We both had the cheese soufflé as a starter. It was outstanding. I then had fish and chips, my wife had the hake. Both absolutely superb. Great evening (again). Highly recommended.

We stayed overnight, had a superb evening meal and breakfast. The room was very spacious and comfortable. They are also very dog friendly,

Called in for some food, the staff were very organised and attentive, the food was well presented and very tasty, I cant comment on the rooms as we did not stay. There is an outdoor pizza hut and plenty of seating, with a small play area to the back.

Fantastic Sunday roast pork. Well worth the visit.

Very disappointing. Over cooked fish and chips, sticky table. Not good value for money at all.

Very good pub! Carol was very polite and kind to us and served us with excellent service. 10/10 recommend this pub

I was recommended to eat here by a friend but highly disappointed we booked for 10 of us on the eve of my wedding but some of the group arrived 15 minutes late and had tried to contact the venue to let them know. it was hard work ordering drinks each time drinks finally arrived there would be issues of some of the drinks missing and then having to wait at least another 20 minutes for the right ones to arrive this happened each time! Water for the table had to be asked for on at least 4 occasions and took an hr Into being there before it was served to the table some of the group gave up and went to the bar to get drinks To order food I had to ask the waitress as we had been there a while and hadn’t had our order taken, it took nearly 2 hours for the food to be served and when the waitress came to the table she was rude and said it was our fault for being late we decided not to bother with the pudding and did not think the service warranted a service charge so asked for it to be removed again the waitress was then rude about this I cannot understand how being slightly late would excuse the poor drinks service and a 2hr wait for food, there is never any excuse for the poor attitude and rudeness from the waitress it’s a shame as the food we did receive was lovely.

Great chips and a quiet place to stop for a brew! Dog friendly and a slide for the kids however close at 3pm for spell until the evening.

We were a party of 10 booked in for 7pm. Unfortunately we were running 15 mins late and were unable to call to let them know as we had no phone signal. When we arrived we apologised for being late and were greeted by a hostile member of staff. It wasn’t overly busy and there were empty tables. We were shown to our table and waited 10mins for someone to take our drinks order. Once we had placed the drinks order we then waited 20mins for our drinks and not all of them arrived. The people still waiting had to wait a further 10 mins. The lovely waitress did apologise. It was 30mins before anyone took our food order. We continued to order drinks with one of the party having to go to the bar to order them because no one came to our table. Again not all drinks arrived and some waited 20mins for their drinks. We asked for water for the table 5 times before it arrived. The food did take some time to come which the member of staff who greeted us at the beginning said was because we were late. The food was lovely and we all really enjoyed it. However the service wasn’t great. When paying the bill at the end which was more than £300 I asked the member of staff to take off the service charge as we weren’t happy with the service she said “well it was because you were late”. She wasn’t receptive to any feedback or to hear the reasons why and sadly that’s why we have left a 2 star review.

Lovely country pub with rooms. The rooms were spacious, with a super comfortable bed. The menu was small, but the dishes were tasty and really good value. Staff were cheerful and helpful. Breakfast was good.

We have been several times to the Red Lion and had some great evenings but last night, whilst the food was fine, the staff and service were not up to their usual high standards. The pub was busy but there seemed to be enough staff, however we were asked for a drinks order before we had even sat down and seen the drinks menu, we had to ask for a food and drinks menu (twice), when ordering drinks we had to remind staff twice and the same with asking for various sauces (three times). In all we had 3 different staff throughout the evening which seemed a little uncoordinated. This was a shame as it did not lead to a relaxing experience. Hoping for better next time

Really nice pub serving top quality food & drinks. The service was really good. Would definitely recommend it.

We had a truly wonderful supper at the Red Lion last night. We decided to return after the lovely lady who runs this beautiful pub served us when we first arrived for our stay in North Barrow the previous Friday. Even though the pub was about to close, she graciously offered us a drink -- and we were truly grateful for that after a long drive on a hothouse of a summer's day. We returned last night to this beguiling pub and everything about our visit was extraordinary. The food was delectable (the finest soufflé known to humanity), the beer was perfectly kept and the wine was delicious -- and a super wine list too by the way. From the moment we arrived, to the moment we left, we had an exquisite time -- and we were looked after so well by everyone who took our orders or brought us food and drink. We ambled back to North Barrow thoroughly sated and charmed by the glorious delights of the Red Lion. Thank you so much to you all for such a beautiful evening.

Absolutly stunning. Great service and even better food(we especially loved the steak with the chimmichuri sauce), amazing atmosphere.

I dropped in here for lunch today with a friend who lives abroad and was longing for a “proper English pub experience “. Lucky us! This is such a lovely pub with a great atmosphere, helpful and welcoming staff and fabulous food. I can’t remember when I’ve had a better lunch. The cooking is faultless and we can’t wait to go back. Well done Red Lion. 👏👏👏

Chose this lovely restaurant as it was on our way home from Bude. The food was incredible for me the Chicken Shawarma and Carrots with whipped Feta were outstanding (forgot to take pictures). Had the Peach Pavlova for dessert which was very good.

Gorgeous place to stay, great service and we loved the food too.

Came here for Sunday roast dinner on recommendation from our holiday glamping host. Lovely inn. Good was genuinely one of the best meals had in a long time. All five of us loved our Sunday roasts. There deserts were fab too, as were the beer, cider and wine. There was a storm and power cut before we arrived so the card machine wasn't working so cash only. Bit weird that they didn't trust my wife and kids enough to serve then a drink until I came back from cash machine (20 mins). And could've done with an old hand keeping an eye on front of house service wise. But the food was really really good and came in good time. Would return in a flash. We are a bit of a bunch of foodies, and this hit the spot. Recommended 👍👌

Popped in for a couple of pints tonight. Enjoyable stay in the lovely garden 😀

Called in for lunch, what an absolute pleasure. Great food, service and choice of local ales. Highly recommend

Visited today and we all had a Sunday Roast , 2 x All the meat roast &2 x Roast Pork, They were Totally 💯 delicious 😋, The meat was absolutely amazing, and Roast potatoes were delicious, Thank you chef 👏👏, And to the extremely polite and helpful bar staff , look forward to returning Helena

Sadly we had a terrible evening. Firstly my drink arrived with the wrong mixer and so had to be returned. Then the pizza's arrived with very burnt bases. The place was busy and so we mentioned this but said we didnt want a replacement. The manager then didnt like the fact we mentioned it again when asked how our meal was. She had asked initially but had not stopped to hear the reply. We were given a full refund (not expected) and then told we wouldnt be served further - we only wanted an empathic apology - we wont be returning.

Not enough staff front of house, the two that were serving including behind the bar, worked hard and were friendly but clearly they needed at least another staff member to ease the load.

They absolutely smashed it out of the park with the food here!!! Best tartar sauce I've ever had and the cod & triple cooked chips were amazing. Freshly made and cooked pizza from scratch in their pizza oven... delicious! Only thing that let it down was the selection of ciders. Toilets clean, very dog friendly.

We went to The Red Lion Inn for a drink and evening meal as the holiday cottage we were staying in was nearby. We decided to take a table out in the garden as the weather was pleasant, it is a lovely place to sit as both the building and garden area is very pretty. When I popped in to order drinks and grab a menu, the staff were friendly and efficient, something that continued throughout our visit. When the food came, it was exceptional. They do a gastropub tapas menu thing, so each of us picked 3 items and shared it all. Each of the dishes was really well conceived with a lovely balance. We both finished all too quickly 😋. Will 100% visit again if in the area.

After visiting Clark’s Village we decided to take some lunch and found this charming pub just outside Somerton The pub is an old inne with charming low beams and full of character. The food itself was superb, locally produced and delicious. My ploughman lunch outstanding and complimented the local beer ! My wife’s cauliflower and cheese croquettes sumptuous and full of flavour.. The tandoori hummus was also a winner ! We will be back for more!

Delicious meal in the restaurant. Super!

Excellent food. Lovely chef and bar staff.

We visit The Red Lion in Babcary often and we are always incredibly impressed. The food is fantastic, service always excellent and what a lovely spot in the countryside. Most recently visited when the outdoor pizza bar was open; Lucas made us some great pizzas and was super friendly and knowledgeable - give him a raise! Look forward to our next visit.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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!

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...