Red Lion Chelmondiston in Babergh

My husband myself and our 🐕 were staying over for the night and a nearby ⛺site ,one of the locals had told us how this pub restaurant had gone down hill and was only a 🌟 and to avoid . We always like to try places for ourselves, and make up our own minds , we were not disappointed .very quiet only 1 young couple with a toddler eating a meal when we arrived and a group with a child arrived abit later and maybe a couple more who just came in for a drink . We were welcomed with a smile by a very friendly chap who served behind the bar, took our food order, waited on us , and made a fuss of our dog 🦴. The menu had a variety of different dishes, and food was full of flavour . I would definitely recommend the red lion .

A choice of traditional or Asian food, all of which is good.

Great country pub. Friendly welcome, whether you order a pint or meal Excellent cooking and varied menu. Well behaved dogs welcomed. Good draught beer

Monk fish amazing pork amazing sticky toffee pudding amazing. Choice of beers wine very good. Unfortunately this didn't last the very next visit was awful & we never returned & having received a response only 9 months later I am not surprised I why I have reduced the rating to reflect.

We went here because our reservation at the Butt and Oyster went awry, but we were delighted by all aspects of our meal. Service was prompt without being overwhelming and the food excellent.

Dropped in to the Red Lion on the off chance as we are not from the area and was not disappointed. We received a really warm welcome and staff were very polite and attentive. We sat in the garden area as it was a warm day and it was very pleasant. The Sunday menu offered 2 courses for £27 or 3 courses for £32. The roast beef was cooked to perfection and for dessert the Eaton Mess was also lovely. We would highly recommend a visit

Great pub in a truly delightful little hamlet filled with truly delightful people and close to Pin Mill and its famous boat wrecks

Excellent food and service. Surprisingly quiet on a Friday evening. Dog friendly in the main bar area. Don't forget to register your car registration number on entering (easy) as car park is controlled.

Interesting fusion type menu with both Indian and English options. We ordered the minestrone soup and Chicken Tikka starters, then for mains we had the Chicken breast with mash and vegetables and the traditional Lamb Curry. All dishes were generous, excellent and good value for money. The much talked about parking issues are a non event. You just need to put your registration number in at the bar for free parking, simple.

Great place to visit for lunch. Came here on a Sunday and although they do a Roast we decided to have something different, and we were not disappointed! Very clean, great friendly service, reasonably priced (2 x starters, 2 x mains, 2 x coffees, 2 x glasses of wine and a beer came to £79). Clean toilets, accesible entrance and a nice greeting. Will definitely come again. Highly recommend.

Delicious food, lamb curry was excellent.

Booked a table here with our dog on Saturday. Our first visit to this restaurant. Car park was easy, just put your reg number in a little machine at the bar for free parking. Very welcoming and attentive staff. Food was delicious, I can recommend the Leek and Potato Soup and Patata Bravas for our starters and Chicken breast with vegetables and a Pancetta sauce and the Seafood Risotto for our mains. Cooked to perfection. Establishment is clean and comfortable, toilets immaculate. Can't fault the place. Will return.

We went here as a big party for Easter Sunday. Lovely meal, roast beef was cooked perfectly. Kids meals were great too, a lovely family get together at the red lion!

Superb food reasonably priced in welcoming pub restaurant

Just had mother's day meal absolutely lovely food great service from start to finish all meals where so tasty would definitely be recommending to book for a meal fantastic thanks very much red lion team

Beautifully cooked roast and very generous portions, a good selection on the menue attentive service and excellent value for money.

The food is really great 👍 service is absolutely amazing with a lovely atmosphere. The owners are really lovely and make your stay special x

We ate here lunch time today, the food was 1st class as was the friendly service, we will be coming back to sample the Friday evening Thali. Eat here and I'm sure you wont be disappointed, don't forget to register your car at the bar though.

On the right side of the road as you drive through the village heading for Shotley, this super establishment is just as great as the last time we visited. Easy parking in a large car park with Disabled Parking (make sure you register your car at the bar as the car park is operated by an outside firm) a lovely welcome, a sensible menu selection including interesting alternatives, starter and main course at £27.50 which might at first glance seem quite high but you really get the quality you pay for. This time I had Prawn Cocktail (I ran out of lettuce before the prawns) followed by Roast chicken, roast potatoes, cabbage, carrots, parsnips and cauliflower cheese all in a delicious dark gravy. My pal started with Sticky chicken wings, tamarind glaze and crispy rocket followed by Beer battered cod with chips, tartar sauce & mushy peas. We quite often go out for a Sunday Lunch and my pal is not known for giving compliments but he rates The Red Lion as the best Sunday Lunch in Suffolk and who am I to disagree with him. Lovely pub, lovely people and lovely food, what more can you ask for. Why not go and see for yourself?

Absolutely amazing, friendly folks, reasonable prices, exquisite food, can't wait to return. I FULLY RECOMMEND RED LION AT CHELMONDISTON. PLEASE PAY A VISIT.

Our Christmas Day meal made up of 6 courses was absolutely delicious. The staff were very attentive and we were not rushed into moving on to the next part of the meal. The atmosphere was very relaxing with just a quiet hum of voices from other diners. Overall a very pleasant experience.

It was too overpriced when I visited whilst being empty I thought the food would come quicker but staff were sat behind the bar talking, wouldn’t come back until it would change management

**WARNING** Unregulated parking scammers# are now infesting this pubs car park. If you want to avoid the risk and hassle of a speculative invoice adding to the cost of what is a pretty average meal this place is probably best avoided until the cameras have gone. Mis-key your registration £100 to the parking company. Had a drink too many and leave the car overnight into the next charging period. That's another £100 thank you. Take more the 15 minutes rushing to and back from the corner shop. £100 thank you. Best avoided at all times. #MP's words in parliament.

Fantastic food and brilliant staff. Highly recommend, we will be back

Went for a Sunday lunch as we only live in Shotley and haven't been here for a few years. Lovely staff. We had the squid and mushroom soup for starters which were lovely. Hubby had roast beef and I had the chicken. Vegetables cooked to perfection and great cauliflower cheese. Loved that you get bread sauce. Gravy was rich and the best we've tasted. Have booked again at the end of the month.

Excellent food. Really tasty. Some different dishes to choose from alongside the usual pub grub.

We went for Sunday lunch and it was a bit quiet but we needn't have worried. Delicious food, friendly staff and great service. Overall a lovely late lunch on a cold Sunday afternoon!

Our local. Understated. Fantastic food. Reasonably priced. A proper pub with friendly staff . Highly recommend.

Shocking. After waiting an hour we cancelled the meal and left.

Fabulous looking pub, very smart and a warm welcome from staff and locals. We really enjoyed our visit

The food is great and the staff were lovely.

Had a great meal for 7 celebrating a birthday.

Restaurant was nearly empty, lunchtime and only three tables occupied, food was very poor vegetable lasagne had no vegetables in it, and when we complained waiter just said "well someone yesterday nearly licked it off their plate, we had been recommended to this restaurant, but will never go again, no alternative meal offered nor refund, service poor and slow, even though it was nearly empty.

Great menu that catered for all tastes. Good service. We will come back

Had Sunday lunch and it was excellent very well presented and extremely tasty. Great service 😀

Have been here a few times and really enjoyed the food and service. Sadly not great tonight. Sloppy service and food portion erred on the side of stingy. Table not laid, had to go to bar for drinks in between courses. Asked for a med steak, it was rare. Asked for no chips/ no rice with curry but was charged anyway. Just all a bit disappointing this time.

Beautiful Food, especially the lamb, well recommended !!! Thank you to our lovely waiter for the welcome and relaxed atmosphere!!

Pricey !! Left lots of fish as not cooked right. Charged £2.95 for 1 round of bread quartered. This was requested as our soup came with none.

Very disappointed. The monkfish curry was lacking flavour and only had a couple of table spoons of sauce over a miniscule slice of fish. The boiled rice was plentiful but tasteless without sauce. The restaurant manager did not bother to discuss my complaint but did deduct from our bill. Won't be returning. Restaurant very quiet for a Saturday night, unlike others in the area.

Stumbled upon this place as the Butt and Oyster was fully booked. Expected a typical run down country pub but couldn't have been further from this. Lovely clean, friendly and modern pub. Great lunch selection and quality ingredients used. Will definitely pop by again!

Delicious food and excellent service!

Stopped in for a beer. Staff friendly and nice atmosphere. I didn't eat, but the food I saw coming out of the kitchen looked good

We love this place, very dog friendly lovely restful ambiance and the food is delicIous. Staff are very friendly and helpful.

Enjoyed everything about this place except the overpriced wine list which made it an expensive visit. Staff very friendly and welcoming food was excellent and very reasonably priced. Not visited in years but the redecoration is lovely.

Excellent Sunday lunch. Lovely food, great service. Generous roast dinner with lots of veggies. Thankyou.

Food, drink and service all excellent.

Fantastic meal , brilliant place to eat lovely setting, friendly staff lovely food thank you xx

An excellent pub/restaurant with friendly staff. To have great food and drinks in a very comfortable setting. At reasonable prices.

Lively place, friendly staff and superb food what mire can you ask for

Looks to have been recently refurbished in a hard style. Strong lines, no soft furnishings and a "Farrow and Ball" colour scheme. Two beer taps.

Nice cafe, very friendly, well laid out walks and cycle trails from here. Would have appreciated a bit more information about the area in general.

Kieran looked after us good. The food is very good and wine lovely. Well done to the staff

Excellent meal, friendly staff. Good atmosphere.

Outstanding service not only for our meal but there hospitality is first class. We used the restaurant and accommodation apart of our wedding in June 22 and the service received should be applauded. The room, friendly staff, welcome feel, professionalism. Myself and my wife can't recommend Mandy and her team highly enough. Thank you

Lovely food at very reasonable prices. Always have a relaxed meal here, thoroughly recommend.

We arrived in chelmondiston later than expected and decided to try the Red Lion for a meal and having not booked we were not hopefull.we were greeted by a friendly girl who then asked the charming host if there was a table for us and we were led to a lovely table by the window with cushions..and made to feel realy welcome.I asked for sauvignon blanc and was offered a choice of two and when i couldnt decide i was given tasters .what a lovely touch.our meals were top class and the whole experience was amazing.couldnt have got a better welcome to chemondiston.

Excellent food and polite staff

Lovely meal, great atmosphere and very friendly attentive staff. We will definitely return.

Lovely evening delightful staff excellent meal.

Only had lunch here, so can not testify to whole menu. What we had was really good ,most friendly welcome and good choice, will be back.

Excellent food and great service

Great food, good atmosphere and really friendly staff

Great ambience, food and service! Lovely, just lovely!

Lunch on a Thursday. Charming welcome, friendly and efficient team. The meal was a pleasure (spinach soup - delicious; and cod and chips with mushy peas - first rate). The tables are well spaced (Covid) and the washrooms were spotlessly clean and tidy. A happy find.

Food was excellent and was served by very friendly staff.

No booking, got a table by chance. Charming service, food very good. Lucky to find.

Had a nice mid-week meal here recently. The restaurant is spacious and nicely decorated. The food was lovely and very reasonably priced. The service was friendly but at times a little slow.

Very good pub, tasty food and good service. .

We find this has really good food, lovely staff, made very welcome, always had a nice meal, our first choice when deciding to dine out

Lovely food, very accommodating friendly staff, and good price

Clear concise updates, attentive staff and amazing food! Also happy to fill our great Danes water bag.

We visited here this week. The Red Lion is excellently decorated, the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, and the food is amazing. Can not recommend this Suffolk gem enough.

Lovely food and excellent service. Highly recommended!

Had a cracking night with friends, super meal, lovely atmosphere, our waitress was superb

A great pub with very friendly personal service, and excellent food. I had the calves liver, which was beautiful. Best meal I've had in ages. If you can't stand liver, try it anyway. It'll change your mind.

Surprisingly great The staff are really friendly and the service was impeccable but I was a little apprehensive about the food, turns out, it's fantastic I had the skate wing which I think I am confident to say that it was the best that I have ever had Definitely recommend either dinner or lunch here, really great place and not overpriced

Perfect food Perfect location Perfect hosts

A wonderful atmosphere, great food, the service was exemplary from the staff, would highly recommend a visit!

Our first night in the area and we chose this as our first eating place. What a great choice! Friendly, polite, and engaging service providing first class food. The emphasis upon service could not be faulted, even taking the time to provide a taster of two suggested wines (both of which were excellent!). The whole experience was a pleasure. We look forward to returning.

Meal was fantastic, l must also say thanks to everyone at the Red Lion for making our birthday celebrations so special, the level of service is second to none! Dispite a really busy day with weddings etc they still looked after so so well. We will definitely be back!

Good food, reasonable price, friendly staff.plenty of parking.

Always great and tonight no exception great food excellent staff Great value.

Excellent service. Lovely hosts. Great food

Consistently great food (I fancy the sea bass) and amazing friendly service. One of the jewels that make the small village of Chelmondiston really shine. You get a great level of service suited for a random meal with friends or a special evening out with your partner.

Excellent food, very good range of choices and first-class service.

FANTASTIC FOOD & GREAT SERVICE.

great food very friendly service would recommend thus wonderful place.

My wife's birthday her daughter treated to meal there service was great friendly people food was excellent

Absolutely lovely meal! Food was amazing, ambience was fab, service was excellent.

Love it, great food and personal service

Lovely food and attentive service in a nice setting.

Had a really good starter of goats cheese etc, delicious then an excellent steak with pepper sauce . Very good

Once again a really delicious meal. Lovely venue and excellent service. We love it here.

I will give 10 out of 10 for the meal and the service.Can not fault it perfect will highly recommend the Red lion.

Went to visit Dougie and Mandy the host of the Red Lion as it was a usual pilgrimage for our anniversary a little later this year because of covid but always a great pleasure to visit nice relaxing meal and stay in the B&B little Barn excellent as always see you all again soon

A great place for lunch or dinner. Wonderful food - locally sourced and skillfully prepared - excellent service and a great wine list. One of my favourite places and a cut above most gastropubs. Highly recommended.

If you fancy a relaxed atmosphere with some of the best food in Suffolk then you won't be disappointed. I can't rave enough about there venison dish, it's a must try.

Great food perfect host and staff so helpful

We eat regularly at the Red Lion - it's a lovely village pub serving food that's a cut or two above 'pub grub'. Also a sweet B&B in a tastefully converted barn.

Pleasant Staff. Good food. Variety of tasty drinks