Red Lion Pub in East Cambridgeshire

Came in here on the off chance as needed somewhere for lunch and what a lovely little find. It was nearly full when we looked in which was a good sign. Staff were friendly and gave a great drinks recommendation which I thoroughly enjoyed. The main food menu had great choice and the food was of excellent quality. I would definitely come here again as well as recommend this place to their people.

Table for 4 booked in advance to secure a Sunday lunch as we know booking is essential.We all had different mains - all were great with fabulous gravy and fresh vegetables topped off with a cauliflower cheese dish to share.Dessert of vegan Eton Mess was a pure delight.Cant wait to go again.

Stopped here for lunch whilst having a little drive around the area. The staff were friendly and welcoming our lunch was served hot and was delicious. The eating area is warm with a nice atmosphere. Overall would recommend for a casual pleasant dining experience

We recently visited the Red Lion, a cosy welcoming pub, before heading to the Winter Lights at Anglesey Abbey. The staff were really accommodating with the time we wanted to eat, even calling to say we could pre order and arrive a bit before opening time. The food was also delicious. The halloumi and mushroom burger and beef burger with cheese were wonderful, and the kids food also got a big thumbs up. Thanks again for being so accommodating and for the great food. We will definitely return.

My wife and I both enjoyed our excellent roast beef meals with all the vegetables and our desserts. The service was first class and staff were friendly.

Can’t fault this pub for a meal. I had steak and kidney pudding it’s was delicious filled with meat very filling on the tum. Staff very friendly and helpful not rushed.

My wife & myself visited on a Friday lunchtime after a local circular walk including Devils Dyke. The food was very good & competitively priced, and the service was friendly & excellent. We will definitely visit again to eat in the near future.

Booked table and greeted with a warm smile. New menu but food just as nice.Cant praise it enough.A typical quaint English countryside pub/restaurant. Small car park but plenty of on street space normally available.

We were stopping in Swaffham Prior in our motorhome at the nearby Caravan & Motorhome Club 'CL' site and decided to walk up the road to try out the food and beer at this beautiful little pub.What an absolute gem of a pub it is with delightful friendly staff who served us with the best steak and ale pie we have eaten in many a long year, it being served with perfectly cooked local vegetables and all washed down by a couple of glasses of the amazingly brilliant, multiple award winning Batemans XXXB.Whilst in the village, it is well worth taking some time to have a look around both the architecturally different St Cyriac & St Julitta churches that are located right next door to each other.

I went here for lunch with my parents on Bank Holiday Monday. We all had food and a drink and sat out in the spacious beer garden. I had the halloumi and mushroom burger - it was lovely (although the chips were slightly undercooked). My Dad had the gammon and really enjoyed it, my Mum liked the fishcakes too. Food was brought out to us and we collected our own cutlery and sauces - a lovely little country pub!

Friends suggested meeting for lunch. Wow what a meal. Great taste and lots of it.Huge Yorkshire Puddings.Pleasant staff who attended to our every need.A place not to miss but need to book up early.

Both had a burger & chips - well presented and very tasty. Excellent service & friendly atmosphere! Would certainly come again!

What a find, superb, home-cooked food, friendly hosts, great beers and a cosy country pub atmosphere. The chef is vegetarian so the menu is unusually (for a country pub) veggie friendly. If the vegetable pie is on the specials menu, have it! Beautiful puddings, everything cooked with love. Can't wait to go back.

Met friends for lunch. Lovely pub retaining lots of character, friendly helpful staff, great food, cooked well. We will be going again.

We are regular visitors to Anglesey Abbey, which is 5 minutes away, and thought this pub may be a good change to the 'school cafeteria' approach at the Abbey.

Visited the sunday before xmas to take my elderly mother out, place was reasonably busy but as we had a booking for 12.15 it was cold as the heating had only just been switched on!

We had lunch here while visiting family over Christmas. My husband and I are both vegetarian and we were told the landlady is vegi, which was exciting as we often find vegi pub grub dull and unimaginative. We had the Glamorgan sausages. They were very tasty and clearly home made. The veg and mash accompanying the sausages were scrummy too. Shame we live two hours away, if we were locals we would eat here regularly.

Four of us had three roast beefs and one roast pork. - all excellent. Plenty of food, but not too much to overwhelm . Pub was busy, but service was efficient and relaxed. Only VERY minor complaint - I could have liked a little more sauce on my sticky toffee pudding. But no need to reduce a star.

We love this pub, and having been regulars for years, can safely say that Steve and Michele are the best hosts this pub has ever had. Steve is great, friendly and welcoming at the bar, whilst Michele and her chef work wonders in the kitchen. We celebrated my husbands 60th birthday here with a surprise Sunday lunch for forty people in September. It was absolutely superb, sorry to other people who couldn't get food that day! Everyone in our party enjoyed their lunches, again, nothing was too much trouble for Michele, Steve and their lovely staff. We are currently abroad for six months, but returned last weekend. Guess where we went for Sunday lunch. We couldn't wait to see our lovely hosts and taste their fabulous food after three months away, and you can bet it will be the first place we go when we get back next year - so save a steak and kidney pudding!!!!!

Dad booked a table, via email, yesterday afternoon as we were visiting Winter Lights at Anglesey Abbey.

Had a gorgeous meal here last night and a friendly and warm welcome from Landlord Stephen. I had steak and ale pie with loads of gravy and good veg, hubby had special liver and bacon and my stepson has the veggie curry. All delicious. We shared sticky toffee pudding- plenty for three! An offer meant we also got a free bottle of wine. All in all a lovely evening - be back soon!

Visited as a party of 6 one Wednesday lunchtime, place has a rustic charm being set in a small village off the main road. Menu is reasonably extensive, with extra specials on a chalk board - food was well cooked and reasonably priced at less than £20 ph for 2 courses and drink

The Red Lion is providing excellent food, a real friendly service. Cannot fault it whether it is for lunch, evenings or themed evening

Great food- friendly staff . The pies were homemade and fantastic.

Lovely pub, warm reception from the landlord and lady, lovely food (amazing pie menu!) and reasonable prices! Will definitely return soon!

I visited on Sunday with my daughter, my sister and her two children. The pub was really busy with a lovely atmosphere and friendly staff.

Very clean pub. Food was tasty, hot and with good portions. Staff were friendly without intruding. Would definitely recommend.

Lovely pub. Delicious food. Had steak pie which was full of tender steak. Best ever. Highly recommend. Staff very helpful Thank you. We will be back.

There are a couple of caveats to this review. We turned up without booking and it was Sunday around 12:30. There was a large party in a the place was very busy.

The meals here are vegetarian friendly and the chef is certainly a feeder- go hungry as you’ll need space!

This pub seems a quiet, sleepy little village pub but it is a real delight. Excellent food, friendly staff. Very clean, pleasant atmosphere. We'll definitely be back!

My sister and I were enjoying a walk from Burwell and when we reached Swaffham Prior we decided to take a walk into the village and came across The Red Lion serving food. Perfect as we were both feeling hungry. We enjoyed a Mushroom and Halloumi Burger and a Cheese and Tomato Baguette. It was a lovely atmosphere and surprisingly busy for a quiet village on a Wednesday lunch time. We will be back to enjoy more of the food and perhaps some beer next time too!

Went for Sunday lunch and drinks in the garden,very good food, excellent service. Very relaxing,good view of both churches from seating under pergola. Would definitely reccomend. Paul and Sarah.

Ate with family on a Sat evening and enjoyed a super meal. Stepping straight off the pavement into the bar the pub has retained it's character with a wealth of exposed timbers. The food and service was very good, only slight criticism is that it is quite cramped with the tables very close together. I enjoyed the wild boar sausages which were delicious and accompanied by mash and veg in a rich gravy. There is a good choice of starters and mains which should cover most tastes and a specials board adding to the menu. With a range of draught beers and wines this makes for great venue for lunch or dinner.Limited car parking at the rear and some spaces on the road mean at busy times you may need to park away from the pub but well worth the trip.

Walked here to try this pub for lunch. Have not been here for over 10 years, so nice to come back to somewhere familiar.

Been going to this lovely little pub for years, visited last week with my daughter for a birthday lunch and it was lovely, friendly staff, food was great. The pub looks very nice inside and outside with plenty of a seating and a shaded garden. Will defiantly go back

Went to visit a friend who lives in Swaffham Prior and had lunch in the Red Lion. What a great country pub this is. Lovely setting. The place itself was quiet so you could talk. The food was excellent, beautifully cooked and quite a choice. The staff were really friendly and helpful. A breath of fresh air.

had a vegetarian option. sweet potato and beetroot burger, all home made, very nice. good, pleasant, friendly service. plenty of fresh meat, vegetarian and vegan options. sticky toffee pudding amazing.

This was the second place we went to as understandably everywhere was pretty busy due to it being Father’s Day. They managed to fit us in still, even gave my dad a free bottle of beer which I’ve never seen any pub/restaurant before. Fabulous staff, very friendly and hospitable. The food was 10/10, great mixture of vegetables and plenty of gravy! Very full by the end of it but still managed to squeeze in a desert which was also very delicious! Already excited for my next trip! Thank you!

Gorgeous country pub, with a surprisingly helpful menu that identified vegan options - of which there were actually several. Not just that, the food was tremendous quality. Really nice atmosphere.

My friend and I were going to walk the Devil's Dyke. The pub at the start of the walk was closed so we went to the Red Lion at Swaffam Prior. That was closed too but the land lady said we could use the toilets and asked would we like a coffee before our walk. She would not let us pay and said call in for lunch perhaps. We had driven quite a way for the walk so she was a lifesaver. We passed the Red Lion again about 1pm as it is on the route. Although the pub had a wake to organise they still did us a baguette which was tasty. That little act of kindness was so nice in today's world. Thank you.

Made to feel very welcome by staff. Lovely atmosphere, first class pub grub. Asked if we could take baby buggy in and were very accommodating

First rate beef / lamb Sunday roasts with fabulously cooked veg- nice selection and not overcooked- in addition to green and carrots and parsnip crisps on plate we were brought cauliflower cheese as well.

Friendly welcome, comfortable seating, well kept beer, delicious (and obviously home cooked) food - all at a reasonable price - what's not to like?

Eating out at our local pub just gets better and better. We have had a number of meals here just for an evening out or for special events like the recent jazz evening and also the Beaujolais nouveau evening.

We chose this lovely pub for a pensioners lunch (which was delicious)! but sadly we were so cold, it was a very cold day and the fire wasn't lit, nor was there any heat in the radiators! Such a shame. We will call again but sadly not until the warmer weather returns.

Like other reviewers we stubbled across this after a visit to the equine hospital in Newmarket. I'm so glad we did.

We visited The Red Lion on a Friday evening with some friends.

We stopped for drinks on a walk recently. A friendly pub with a good selection of beer, also serving hot drinks.

Travelling from Anglese Abbey to Ely Cathedral, we needed a pit stop.

We stumbled across this place after seeing a sign for it on the main road. The staff were friendly and the pub was delightful. We both ordered baguettes which were incredible. Well worth the detour!

Visited this pub for dinner as heard it was nice and were not disappointed. The food was well presented, piping hot and tasted good. Will definitely be back. The only small thing to mention was I felt it was a little chilly - I know it is personal opinion and it is a funny time of year but a bit of heating would have made it nice and cosy but would not deter us from coming back. A nice quaint pub serving great food.

Really friendly, good value, very good home cooked food. We'll certainly visit again next time we're in the area

An excellent pub to visit following a nice Sunday walk. We didn't book in advance and the place was packed! However, we only wanted a light lunch (chose a few starters) and the landlord went out of his way to fit us in and ensure we got some great food in reasonable time. We'll book in advance next time but really appreciate feeling welcomed nonetheless. See you soon!

Called in, looking for a quick lunch after visiting the nearby Anglesey Abbey.

Had roast for sunday lunch very nice lamb. Perhaps more veg for 3 people would have been better. Definetly go again

This is a lovely little pub and judging by the number of drinkers and diners, the management have got the balance just right. Good choice of beers, lovely menu and friendly staff. Definitely one I shall return to.

We went to quite a few pubs on our recent trip to the UK and this was maybe the best. The have a solid pub food menu, but there are a lot of creative touches in flavour and presentation that makes it a tasty, memorable meal.

We've been trying to book this place for ages. You just couldn't get in for love nor money so when we were told back in March that the pub was changing hands we thought 'hello, hello. It's all downhill from now'.

Pleased to visit this lovely establishment again on a visit to my Brother in Cambridge. Really nicely presented, friendly welcome, excellent beer offer (4 cask ales). Nice decor. Comfy seating. Excellent food offer. Good value. Small car park at rear but plenty of on street parking too. Shame I live such a long way away.

We love the Fish & Chips from our local pub and even better we can take it home a couple of times each month. Friendly pub - we love it!

A lovely intimate pub with a good menu and warm welcome. I recently visited the Red Lion with my family and parents for a Saturday lunch, and we all thoroughly enjoyed it.

We live in a neighbouring village and have visited this pub many time over many years. It seems to have changed hands many times and not every visit has been that successful. Last night we had to book a table and enjoyed a lovely dinner. There a a great menu, big selection of beers and warm friendly service.

We were travelling out and about furniture shopping. Lunchtime was a quick google check and the Red Lion was selected.

Stopped at this pub with friends yesterday for lunch. We all had a Sunday roast and it was amazing. So much so that none of us had any food left on our plates, so needless to say we had to have puddings as well. Would highly recommend this for food and the staff are all really friendly and helpful.

Met a friend for dinner and we were extremely happy with our visit. The service was friendly and the meal was delicious. Will definitely visit again.

It has to be said, that we have eaten most weeks, especially Sundays at RED LION, Swaffham Prior for the last 4 months or so, the Sunday roast, is unbeatable in our opinion, David you are a wizard with food. The staff are so friendly and lovely and will be so missed when they leave the pub in the next few weeks. We have been made to feel so welcome, like one of the locals :) Lunchtimes at weekends have been amazing, Bacon sarnie's and Sausage n onion sarnies so tasty too. So, we are making the most of the last few weeks at this wonderful pub, we have already booked for Sundays and will be popping in Saturdays and weekdays. It just remains for us to say.....all the very best to Toni and David and family for their new ventures and keep in touch please. Thank you so very much for making food so special :) xx

Our third visit to this friendly little pub which is perfectly position between Norwich and Nuneaton for our family get together. We're a feisty lively group and the staff always do a fab job keeping us under control by providing superb food and a lovely atmosphere! Thanks again and see you in the spring!

We had Sunday lunch there this week, we have been meaning to go for a while. We were so pleasantly surprised, it was a lovely meal, great portions of tasty food, we have not had a roast like that in months, proper yorkie pud, lean meat, huge choice of veggies, lovely roast spuds and gravy. We will be going back and soon - thank you to all at The Red Lion, great service. The patio area and garden were lovely, sheltered and clean, and comfy.

Went there with the in laws after being recommended by my mum about the food. Absolutely amazing food! Will most certainly go there again and recommend it!

Nice beer garden on a slope, good was good and the service excellent. Been a couple of times and it is a nice friendly easy going atmosphere

I was visiting from Australia to see my sister who lives in Swaffham Prior, and she took me to the Red Lion. What a wonderful country pub, great food,cold beer and friendly landlady and staff, and lovely locals who made me welcome on my several visits.This is a well run cosy country pub, and also has a great beer garden.If you are in the area, be sure to visit this pub, you won't be dissapointed.

Good food well presented with attention to detail, attentive service. Good beer friendly staff well worthy of a visit, you will not be disappointed......

We dined here last night for about the fourth time, with another couple. All of us agreed that the food was very, very good - and reasonably priced for the standard. Toni, our hostess was as usual very friendly and helpful, as was the waitress. The creme brulee was nearly as good as those that I make - this is praise indeed! The combination of social drinkers around the bar area, and diners at the other side makes for a lovely friendly atmosphere. Cannot recommend this pub too highly!

The Red Lion serves a varied menu and in addition will often produce other items on request. All dishes are exquisitely cooked, prepared and served with genuine warmth from staff. Can the beautiful cut of Steak be better cooked to order anywhere in the county of Cambridgeshire? Possibly not! An almost historic atmosphere married with a jovial ambience when busy, makes for a delightful visit that can only be enjoyed, particularly on Sunday, by booking in advance. Highly recommended.

Warm welcome. Pub was not busy at lunchtime which was a shame. Range of pub dishes. Ours selection was fine. Sausage baguette and omelette were as described. I've had many much worse and these were more than just OK. Range of beers.

Warm welcome and delicious food at the Red Lion, which we discovered by chance. This is more formal dining than your average pub eatery, but we were made to feel comfortable and the service was very good. We have made a couple of return visits as a result and would eat there more often if we were more local!

We visit the Red Lion for their monthly charity pub quiz. Although we don't live in the village, we always have a warm welcome from the staff and the locals. We love the Red Lion.

We went for a family meal at the suggestion of a family member and found a really nice old village pub with great food and service. It was a quiet Tuesday night with a few locals chatting at the bar and a wood burner in the fireplace making a nice convivial atmosphere. The food was very good with generous portions, great service too, will definitely visit again

Visited Saturday night for dinner on my wife's birthday, fantastic dinner, service was perfect. A lot of establishments in and near Cambridge should take note, this is how it is done.

We live nearby, so 4 of us went for a meal. The Red Lion is a proper pub, by which I mean you don.t feel obliged to eat, but the food is just great, I had steak and mushroom pie, and it was a real wedge of pie, tender as can be, and supremely tasty. The best I've had for years. My wife Sue had fish, which she pronounced excellent. And the puds, all made in house by Toni, and delicious they are too. I can't recommend this place highly enough

We discovered this little gem of a pub as a perfect halfway point to meet up with members of our family..some in Norwich ..some in Nuneaton. This was a our second visit in the last few months and once again it was absolutely perfect! The staff are so pleasant and helpful, and when I told them this was our Xmas lunch…crackers soon appeared on our table. The food is outstanding….which is one of the reasons we came back again, and , if they will have us…we will return again in 2016. Thanks guys!

What a lovely little English pub! The bar has a fantastic selection of drinks to suit all tastes, staff are very friendly and helpful.

visited last night, had a wonderful meal, good beer and wine, just as a pub should be. wish I lived closer.

Excellent food and super friendly service ,so glad we found this little gem , we will be back regularly . Charming old building and beautiful garden

A random choice at the last minute,but so glad it was. Lovely village pub, friendly staff, great beer by Batemans brewery. Excellent food, hot, beautifully cooked……highly recommend the Pigeon breasts. Well worth a visit.

I have been a few times for lunch with foreign friends. I say foreign because II like to show them something truly English. Beautiful village, ancient pub with excellent food. Always friendly and my guests had the pork and I I had the salmon. This pub is also warm ! So many pubs are cold and hence uncomfortable. One complaint ....poor vegetarian menu..

Called in on the off chance and was impressed with the friendly nature of the pub and the food was very good. Saw the previous comment about the beer and couldn't disagree more. I had two different beers from the three hand pumps on offer and both were in excellent condition. Also I thought the price of the food was very good.

an old English pub food was ok but not fantastic. the taxi driver must be on commission, not cheap beer was poor

Family run pub restaurant with friendly staff and entertaining locals who engage with visitors. Tasty food and a varied menu. with a good range of real ales, wines and spirits. Characterful pub restaurant in a very attractive village

My husband and I both had 3 course Sunday lunch today. Really good food, I would have put excellent but they use sliced processed bread, bit of a let down. Excellent value, friendly efficient staff. Would recommend.

Have eaten here a few times and the menu is always very good. The food is excellent and the atmosphere is lovely. Also very nice for a passing pint. Thanks

Have visited here on a few occasions over the last year and each time it has been wonderful. The food is always excellent and we have always been given a very warm welcome. The Christmas meal that we had was just perfect and such good value for money in fact so good we booked again for this year.

Friendly and good food and ale - gathered for a family wedding the following day and lunch here for 21 set the bar pretty high - just great!

Stopped in for lunch on a cycling weekend round Cambridgeshire to find a few local regulars propping up the bar. We got a couple of drinks and headed to the beautiful beer garden out the back. We hadn't intended to stay for lunch but are glad we did: sausage and mash and omelette with chips were both fantastic with the chips among the best we've had.

The "Ale Trail" is a great way to find very good public houses. I needed a stamp on my Ale Trail book, so off to Swaffham Prior to the Red Lion. Really good proper Pub, we had fantastic food, the beer and wine were excellent, and the Landlady and bar maid were fun and efficient. Thankyou.

My wife and I went for an evening meal last Saturday after hearing the standard of food was very good here now,, well we were not disappointed, it was fantastic, I had fillet steak and my wife had the lamb shank and they were both a joy to eat,, service was great too, Dave the chef even came out to chat to diners afterwards which was a nice touch too.

The Red Lion is actually in Swaffham prior near the two churches not Swaffham Bulbeck as indicated. We visited whilst doing some family research. The food was well presented and of good quality and plentiful. The beers were reasonably priced for the area and the staff very friendly.

The Red Lion was our planned staging post for the way-marked Earthworks Way ramble and so had reserved a table for pub lunch ( and needed to have booked as popular haunt). The guest Timothy Taylor Boltmaker and Bateman's Yellabelly were well kept lovely brews. The food was tasty and hearty: pigeon breasts with bacon and mushroom, hake with chorizo and beans. Able to sample the puds too as walking them off. All was excellent and sorry that we are not more local to experience on a regular basis.

A charming old pub with lovely people running it providing an excellent service and very good food. The pub has a good website, which gives some interesting information about the history of the village and the pub.