Restaurant at The Old Black Lion in Powys

Staying in HOW for a week Phoned at 1130am in a Sunday for 4 adukts and a dog an 1hr and 30 mins later we 3 riadt beef and 1 roast pork, followed by x 4 spotted duck puds. All the food was outstanding no wonder why they have so many awards on the wall. We booked for curry and quiz on the Thurday. Reasonably priced. Beer was top notch. Book a table is my only advice. Rs

Fantastic service and scrumptious food. I would definitely recommend. Be aware that taxi services in Hay are very limited, so we ended up having to walk a mile back to our B&B. Which was quite lovely on a starry night. We did try to thumb a lift but locals were not very keen to help.

We had a lovely stay in this beautiful old building. The staff were extremely kind and we loved our dinner and breakfast. The beds were comfy and it was all very clean.

If I could give more stars I would. First impressions are everything and we were met with the loveliest welcome and it ended with a fabulous goodbye. Parking on site. Great location. Beautiful roast.

We had room in annex, was not very warm, at one stage there was a problem with main boiler. This was sorted after a short delay. Disappointing menu, not a great choice. We had RIB eye steaks, mine was OK, but wife's was rather sinuey. Both served with one tomato and one mushroom . At £28 rather overpriced. Better value food and drink at the Tapas bar in Hay. Breakfast at £10 was decent value.

We very much enjoyed our stay in the Cromwell Suite last October and look forward to returning in September. Excellent food and service by friendly and polite staff.

Had a lovely meal with quite a large group of friends all our food was excellent and the service was friendly and efficient. Highly recommend!!!

There is a reason why this is called Hay on Wye hidden gem, devine why they are not Michelin Star I do not know, certainly the food is M.S presentation as seen on MasterChef. Service is excellent and the restaurant and Lions den are immaculate

It's great to go somewhere where you feel that the staff really want everything to be right and the whole team here were working hard to make that happen. We were all super happy with our meals, the crab/lobster sauce starter got rave reviews. Beer was judged to be on perfect form! Friday Jazz was also really good, not too dominant and added to the good atmosphere. We look forward to coming back.

We had a wonderful meal at The Old Black Lion last week to celebrate a family member's 95th birthday and couldn't have been happier with our chose of venue. They were extremely helpful when we contacted them beforehand and organised a beautiful bouquet of flowers from a local florist on our behalf for the table, which looked lovely when we walked in the room we ate in. We had a warm welcome when we arrived and the service throughout was excellent. All the food was delicious and beautifully presented, with something on the menu to suit everyone. The turbot and lamb main courses are to be recommended and the specially decorated birthday pudding plate for the birthday 'girl' was a lovely touch. If you are looking for excellent food, friendly, helpful service in a relaxed atmosphere, we would definitely recommend visiting here. We can't thank James and staff enough for providing the perfect setting and excellent food which helped make the day special for her. We couldn't have chosen better.

A very pleasant restaurant within an atmospheric pub. Cosy atmosphere with dining area split into separate areas making it seem more intimate. Friendly service and dog friendly. However the high spot was the food. Quite a small menu but everything was freshly cooked and beautifully presented.

We ate in the bar area as we were here with our 2 dogs. The food was delicious and the service was excellent. Nothing was too much trouble and they even brought a bowl of water over for the dogs. The staff were very friendly and welcoming and we were even able to leave our cars in their car park whilst we went and had a look around the local shops. All in all a fantastic experience and we can highly recommend a visit to the Old Black Lion.

A beautiful old pub serving excellent cask ales and keg options. The food is hearty and prepared with care, but the most outstanding aspect of our visit was the level of service: the staff went above and beyond to ensure that we were comfortable and sated. Highly recommend and we will certainly be returning.

Great food, great atmosphere. First time visiting the Black Lion, I had the risotto, it was just amazing,loads of flavour. The roast beef looked great and plenty of it. There was no pressure to eat and run, which was lovely. Can't wait to visit again.

We had a wonderful family birthday celebration meal here with wonderful food. We were seated in the Lions Den so we could bring the dogs. The staff were friendly, accommodating and informed about the menu choices. The food was incredible serving delicious pink lamb, pork belly and other incredible dishes. All dishes were beautifully presented and delicious, I was far too excited to eat it so no photos taken.

We booked a meal here as part of our wedding anniversary this year, while staying near Hay. The service was excellent with good attention given to our dietary requests. We both had sea bass which was beautifully cooked and the setting was very relaxed. Thank you.

Had a lovely meal, the service and food was incredible and all went well till about 9:30 when we heard lots of shouting from outside. The owner (I presume?) was shouting at the lovely barman who served us all evening. He then came into the bar and shouted at the 2 other members on the bar using some bad language. I pity the staff who try so hard and they don’t deserve to be treated that way. Ruined our whole night and we won’t be coming back

The quality of the food and service is second to none. The pork loin was superb and the sticky toffee pudding was excellent. We will be back as in my opinion it's one of the best restaurants in Hay. Highly recommended.

En route through mid Wales and our.visit to Hay was made special by a delicious lunch stop. Best silky smooth cauliflower soup and tasty Caesar salad. Husband had lamb loin with veg. All perfectly cooked by a chef with a great palate. Waiting staff efficient and very pleasant. Looking forward to next visit!

We visited the restaurant as a family of four. We were blown away by the food & the service we received. The menu & food was unfussy but cooked to perfection. The ingredients were all locally sourced & tasted amazing. We had such a good meal that we returned for another visit on our last night in Hay. Again there was nothing we could fault. We all agreed it was one of the best restaurants that we have visited in our travels in the UK. It is worth every award they have or will undoubtedly get in the future.

An amazing evening, great service and superb attention to detail. We felt very well looked after. Cheese Souffle to die for! Thank you to James, a fabulous and genuine host. We will be back, both to the River Wye for more fishing, and evenings spent at the Old Black Lion. Fantastic. Call in, you will be so very pleasantly surprised :-) PS I'm not related!!! Just had a great time!

What a beautiful pub! The food was wonderful and the staff were so lovely to us. We were a very large group (we did book beforehand) and they were quick and attentive. It was a wonderful evening

Set in an old pub and retaining a lot of charm; menu was mostly British classics - everything we chose was cooked excellently. Would particularly recommend the salmon starter and the roast lamb main.

Ideal place for a meal. Food was excellent. It was delivered promptly. The staff were all extremely friendly and helpful I would definitely recommend this as a place to visit.

We researched restaurants/pubs in Hay on Wye, The Old Black Lion came up as the most popular. The staff were very friendly and helpful and the food was very good. On the negative side, there wasn't one vegan main course. and just one vegetarian choice,...

Delicious food, clean and cosy and with very welcoming staff. We really enjoyed eveything. Also price was very good. Choose this restaurant for food or for a drink only! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Excellent Sunday roast that they easily made gluten free! This is a very nice old pub with a garden in the backyard. The owner was very friendly and good service overall.

Fabulous lunch and friendly and welcoming staff- the whole experience was first rate- great menu -delicious salmon steak and lamb with mouth watering desserts and excellent coffee-highly recommended

We booked for a special birthday dinner and anniversary treat after excellent on-line reviews. But, although the lamb rump was tasty, the portion size was on the small side. However, the most expensive item on the menu – the steak – was served overcooked and...

Six of us traveled for 10 days within Wales and England. We all agreed, that our dinner at the Old Black Lion was our best meal.

We booked at the last minute, having been disenchanted with the Hay Festival restaurant, & we were fitted in cleverly & willingly to an already full restaurant. And despite their being so busy, we were made so welcome by James, & all the staff, who...

Popped in for a quick drink, the young lad behind the bar was amazing. So welcoming and on the ball with the service, a great asset to any business

Extremely disappointing return visit, having last year had a delicious, if expensive, meal with friends. The setting is a surprise: a traditional, comfortable pub with old-fashioned carpet and wooden beams, but with a menu whose prices would not be blinked at in Pimlico. Service, as...

Absolutely fabulous meal for my Mum’s 70th. The food is so delicious. My Mum was delighted. Staff were lovely too.

I’m all the times I’ve been to Hay on Wye I’ve never visited the Black Lion. What a fabulous pub. Very friendly staff who were very pleasant and informative. The lunch menu was very varied so I chose the Chilli Hot dog . It was...

Great atmosphere and very attentive staff serving the delicious, well cooked food. We will definitely be back and hope the accommodation is as good as the restaurant.

Fabulous- all I can say is definitely recommend for friendly service and great food. We all had Sunday Lunch and was definitely one of the best we’ve had in a long while

Booked a table for 4 and was relieved that there isn't an allocated "time slot" which had been the reason for not returning to a previous haunt. No rush here, just really good food (duck and venison were worth the decision) in great surroundings. Staff...

Extremely friendly owner and staff. Imaginative and freshly prepared food. Friday night has a live jazz band. Booking helpful as this seems to be a very popular destination. Would highly recommend.

Called in for lunch and to feel very welcome. Lovely pub and fantastic food and a great pint of beer

Great experience. Lovely friendly service, charming traditional atmosphere, excellent menu and great food. Had a delicious and memorable dinner. Great smoked salmon and audergine to start. Braised beef shin and Leek & Cheese pudding were really tasty. Definitely best food pub in Hay.

We pre-booked a group of over 20 international visitors. The communication was excellent and the food and service we received was outstanding.

We booked a table for four and stated we would have our dogs with us. Whilst I appreciate that some pubs have specific areas to eat with our canine friends, I don't expect to have less of an experience JUST because we have dogs with...

Just been here for Sunday lunch and the food was really lovely. The apple crumble and custard was so light and nice would deffinately recommend a visit here to anyone staying in the area. If we come back we will deffinatelt be going here again...

Lovely atmosphere and staff, the most delicious, high quality food, which was beautifully presented. The duck was really yummy, as was the cod. Definitely the best place we have eaten in Hay On Wye! We will definitely be back. The goat cheese stater was also...

We loved our evening - jazz in the background, super service. Food was delicious and beautifully presented. We had the duck and the cod and then the rhubarb for pudding - all amazing. Highly recommend.

I have eaten here multiple times with my partner and the high quality food and service has always remains constant. Easy to see that everyone there is hard working and it shows in the great customer experience as well :)

We had an excellent meal in a completely full restaurant last night. All of the dishes were very imaginative and well presented. Congratulations to the Chef and to Jodie and her colleagues for their very attentive service on such a busy evening - well done...

What can I say ! The old black lion 🦁. What lovely pub ! Food is excellent. Always a warm welcome . Jodie is brilliant.. always smiling. Service Is impeccable.. always on the ball looking for the next thing todo ! Nothing is to much...

We booked for 30th December. Myself & my husband arrived to be given a very small table squashed in beside the bar when the whole restaurant was virtually empty. Next we were told that three 'mains' were off plus one starter. Allegedly because 5hey had...

We went to The Old Black lion for our usual Christmas get together with friends. The positives first. Really good staff , friendly and helpful . Good steaks and served with beautiful sauces. The negatives. Not very Festive. Too expensive for what we had. I...

We had an excellent lunch in the Old Black Lion. The warm and cosy restaurant was busy on a weekday but the service was impeccable. There was an impressive attention to detail, from the tableware and glassware, to the trimmings that accompanied our selection of...

We absolutely loved it at The Old Black Lion. From the warm welcome to the cosy fire to the delicious food and the magician barman with great card tricks, the whole experience was great. We liked it so much that we came back the following...

It was a very quiet Monday lunchtime in December but we were warmly welcomed, quickly served and the hot sandwiches and Black Lion ale were tasty and most welcome. Bar area is attractive, toilets clean and tidy. We shall return

Service and good exceptional. A very busy night but nothing too much trouble. Highly recomended. We had mussels which were fantastic. Thankyou so much

Popped in the other day as I was visiting the area with a friend. Great welcome from staff and the menu looked interesting so decided to stay for food. We were soooooo glad as the Winter Vegetable salad was delicious and the Serrano ham with...

I do not want to give a good review as everyone will go there but I have to be fair the meal was brilliant as was the service will be going again we also stayed overnight brilliant again

Well ..a variable experience overall with some great staff compensating for others that we’re just not “tuned in” or maybe it was their first day. Food wise it was OK. They’ve won good food awards three years on the trot and some dishes were more...

We walked right in on a Thursday night - no reservation. We were seated straight away. Watered. Fed. All with a smile... Food is good too...

Superb food served by really friendly staff. A great experience all round. A very cosy ,old style pub with a good selection of drink and food

This is one of our favourite restaurants in Hay. The food is always delicious, and the ambience and staff are lovely. As a result, my partner and I hosted our wedding reception here. The food was out of this world - the chefs catered to...

The food was overly salty and the price too high. I would not recommend this place. The toilets though were very clean.

We thought we would eat lunch in Hay but could find nowhere offering more than snacks as one pub was shut for the day. We had given up and bought a ready meal in Spar. However the lady there told us how to find The...

We recently ate here with two friends for my wife's birthday, as it was recommended by our b&b owner. I'm so glad we chose this for a special occasion. The arrival of our friends was a surprise for my wife and the staff was in...

Staff are brilliant, go above & beyond to please. Food excellent too. A lovely evening. Won't hesitate to recommend.

This is the first time , we have been in this part of Wales. We stayed there for 3 nights, and it is easy to find, easy to park. All of the staff were friendly and accommodating!! We had a couple of lovely meals, I...

We came here during our stay in Hay on Wye. We were not disappointed. We booked a table as it was fully booked the night before although some people could get a table on the night. I had a lovely steak. Service was excellent. Would...

Went here on recommendation from the Smith B&B hosts and well worth it. Not knowing the area we missed our 7:30pm booking as drove in opposite direction. When we finally arrived at 8:00pm full of apologies and stressed out the lovely young barman said "no...

We ate here last weekend and were so impressed. We had three courses each and every single one was superb. The staff were friendly and helpful, wine was excellent and good value and the food was by far the best we had all weekend in...

We had dinner last night (jazz night), while camping in the area and both the meal and the music were fabulous. The food was well presented and tasted wonderful. It was a step up from the usual pub meals with delicious sauces and flavours. We...

Went with my Family and 2 dogs , had a nice seat in the marquee . Had the rump of lamb , bit pricey but worth it as it was delicious

The Sunday Lunch is excellent. The staff are lovely...highly recommend. Ghe Pub is very easy to find and is well set up.

Dropped in here on the off chance of a bit of lunch and have to say the food was great. Had a simple risotto, but well cooked and some of the best I have ever had. Great food well presented and very accommodating because we...

We visited this restaurant twice and can thoroughly recommend. No other restaurants came up to this standard. And there was no background music. We were warmly welcomed by the ?owner, ?manager, ?head waiter, and we were attended to within reasonable time. (Everywhere else we went...

This is really a restaurant not a pub and very good it is too. We had an amazing Gorwydd cheese and leek soufflé, and brill. Both absolutely superb. Not cheap but reasonably priced for such skilled cooking and quality ingredients. The restaurant was packed and...

As a last minute decision i chose to stay over night in hay on wye, the black lion was the only ace i could find a room at such short notice. the staff were very helpful and one of the locals/regulars very kindly lent me...

We were welcomed warmly for Sunday lunch during the busy Hay festival. In fact service was excellent throughout. Our young children were made to feel very welcome, and the availability of the whole Sunday menu in children’s portions is a smart idea. The food was...

The Hay festival is always busy and difficult to get a table in any of the pubs or restaurants , so I was so happy to get a table for six at The Lion. Lovely old country bar style eating area.The Maitre was suppurb as...

We had been recommended the pub by a local and the online review’s certainly backed this up. We had booked for 6:30 on Thursday and arrived a little early. We were shown to our table quickly enough and handed menus. I had looked at the...

We enjoyed our delicious meals from the Festival Sunday dinner menu and our visit was enhanced by the friendly and welcoming staff

Delightful dining with delicious food. Wonderful ambience lovely welcome. We had a great time and the choice of food and the attention to detail was superb. Taste buds tingled and the host mingled it was a superb dining experience.

A large group of us went for Sunday Roast. The food was really nice and the service was excellent, the nice man behind the bar was very accommodating with my wine fussiness (thank you :).

Great service, and excellent food. Reasonable prices on the lunch menu as well. Rang up and managed to get a table for 9 an hour later in the marquee. Dog friendly too.

Trying to find good food on A Monday in this area is a nightmare! Our friends live in Hay though, and knew about this place, so we were treated to a lovely lunch. The short rib was tasty but a bit gristly, the vegetarian tart...

James couldn’t have been more helpful! I booked the table a few weeks ahead, mentioning that it was Dad’s ‘big day’! He arranged for a birthday balloon to be tied to dad’s chair & there were birthday sprinkles on the table. The food was faultless...

If you are in the area and haven't booked anywhere you could be disappointed just turning up. We booked Sunday lunch the day before and were lucky to get in. The welcome was friendly and the service throughout from the 2 ladies was as good...

We arrive at the pub on a rainy Monday afternoon, park in the rear and get our cases out. A car parks next to us. “Are you staying here?” asks the driver. “Yes, we’re Mr & Mrs B……”, I reply. “We’re the owners” says the...

Lovely cosy pub with very high quality fine dining menu. Perfect treat for a holiday in Hay! Sea bass and whitebait absolutely delicious. A little bit expensive but totally deserved and worth it when you get friendly, attentive, excellent service. Very clean toilets. Nice atmosphere....

We have visited twice during our visit to Hay and found the surroundings, staff and food to be excellent. Restaurant and toilets were spotless.

We found the service to be excellent. Staff very engaged and keen to make sure you had a lovely experience. The food came through very fast but that did not mean the quality was not maintained. I would definitely eat at this resturant again...the price...

We loved everything about the Old Black Lion. Not at all pretentious but quality in every aspect. From the friendly and welcoming staff (who don't look on guests as an inconvinience). The warm and comfortable room and the wonderful food. Service was great considering how...

Lovely place in Hay On Wye, food was great, and the Creme Brulee..even better! Smooth vanilla custard, not too sweet...just right, the perfect layer of caramelized sugar, sufficient thickness, satisfying crack, the slight burn that offers that finesse...Gosh! We went back for more on New...

I was visiting the town to see friends for drinks & a meal at the Old Black Lion. I think it changed hands earlier in the year. The drinks were great, Butty Bach for me. What impressed me more was the food. The steak was...

After a fabulous meal last night we returned today for lunch with family. The unassuming decor belie the exceptional food - we expected pub food but got an imaginative menu and beautifully cooked meals. And all for a very reasonable price. Assuming they keep the...

We were a party of three adults on a Monday evening. As expected on a Monday in November the pub was quiet. We were welcomed to table service, which felt very Covid safe and was quick and efficient. The food was absolutely excellent. We shared...

My wife and I had evening meal here and the food was excellent. Great choices on the menu. Recommend the Stilton, walnut and pear salad as a starter. The haddock and steak mains were also very good. The gooey chocolate fondant with ginger ice cream...

Came here for a Sunday lunch. Having pre-booked we arrived in good time and were taken to our table in a dining room which was far from busy. The menus were distributed and our drinks order taken. We noted that the menu was limited to...

Sunday lunch after long walk. Booked a table at 2.30 for Sunday lunch. Service slow however food good quality. Roast beef tasty and good sides if slightly ungenerous in size. Desert basic but tasty.

We had dinner here during a short break to Hay, and what a pleasant surprise. Very modestly lit from the outside, but what a lovely surprise inside. Great restaurant and lovely helpful staff. Above all the food was great, all the mains were excellent (my...

My wife and I had a delicious lunch at The Old Black Lion. We had fantastic starters, and both opted for the burger for our main. The burger was one of the best we’ve had and the chips were clearly homemade a delicious. The service...