The Blue Lion in South Cambridgeshire

Very friendly professional staff. Giuseppe was lovely and very welcoming. They should be much busier than they are .

Ghastly - we went for the Sunday roast. The pub used to be fab several years ago so we saw they were advertising roasts and thought we would try it. Never again. They didn't have our booking, we had to get our own menus and we had to ask to order drinks. I felt sorry for the one poor girl who was working there. The food was disgusting - I think they poured hot gravy on everything (the food was swimming in it) to warm up whatever had been standing there all day (we went at 5pm). It came all plated up and for some reason the 'roast' potatoes were cut into small cubes. Why? Veg was a couple of carrots and frozen peas. No one came to ask how our food was - we would have said. We paid and left.

I was looking for best brunch in the town and i found at this pub I love the authentic pasta with my friends and honestly love to go again

Great place to visit, wonderful Italian food & service thanks x

Surprised to taste the best curry , interesting. As a special to find a lot of world wide dishes and they specialise on Italian food , the strawberry tiramisu was delicious never had one before. Great deco and interior and best customer service. All staff very friendly and professional

The best Italian restaurant in Hardwick, I’m a regular customer. Good customer service and the food is delicious. I will highly recommend

Review on Sunday roast only and not the staff or pub. We paid £38 for 2 roast dinners and a cauliflower cheese. The dinners were warm at best, meat was overcooked and chewy, they used frozen Yorkshire’s and potatoes more ‘fondant like’ instead of roast. Pictures online not a true representation of what we received. Travel a lot around UK with work and this is probably one of the worst Sunday roasts we’ve had. Disappointing as we were really looking forward to a nice Sunday roast.

Great food, great service and great drinks! Highly recommend! Staff is very nice and pleasant, food came in good timing. Was a great night

Really a mess of a place. The booking was forgotten (done over the phone), the decor leaves a lot to be desired (sellotaped windows, events signage thats months out of date, ancient dirty and dishevelled furniture), all interractions with staff had to be chased, menus are food stained and many of the items were unavailable, and the one meal was even forgotten. Our table had a mix of sunday roasts and pizzas, and noone finished their dishes due to the horrible flavour. Gravy was swimming with oil, veg was old and tired, pizza lacking cheese and the food generally tasted bad. Even the pints were flat. We saw lots of other patrons leaving unfished meals and having to chase staff to take orders fetch the bills etc, so it seems we had an average experience of the place. At least it was inexpensive. Don't be fooled by the lovely exterior, the inside is old, worn, and the food and drink are not nice at all. I had been here many years ago and had a similarly bad experience. It appears that even with the alleged management change things have gotten no better (maybe even worse) There was even a large pile of burnt material in the car park 😅. Stay well clear. There are plenty of much nicer places in the surrounding area.

Always super. Our food this evening was superb. Very enjoyable evening.

Not much of a pleasant dining atmosphere in this pub - all pretty basic and functional. Food was appalling. Olives as a starter were small and dried up and looked as if they had been collected from the left overs of previous diners. Really unpleasant. Ordered lasagne and salad. Lasagne pretty dried up too - as for the salad it never arrived. Service non existent- had to go up to the bar to order. First and last time I’ll eat here.

Appalling food and amateurish service

Good food. But very poor service. Today it took 1-15 hours to order for our food and there were only 11 people in there! We were just about to call it a day and pay for the drinks only, after bringing it to the waiter notice that we finally got our food.

An excellent lunch for a party of 15. Great food and good service but cannot believe the size of the portions, they are massive. Thank you Bluey!

The food was tasty, a good selection of traditional Italian dishes and friendly service. Good portions and reasonable price too. Their pasta was just like from Nonna's. Big thumbs up. I'd definitely like to come back to see if I can give 5*

Giuseppe laid on a reception after my husband's funeral. It was lovely food, with calamari, mussels, pizza and lots of other buffet food. It was a really nice atmosphere, the open fires were lit and we had most of the pub to ourselves.

Popped in briefly mid-walk today and will definitely return. Delicious bruschetta and two cosy, warm open fires. Very good service. Loved it!

It has changed hands recently. We had two pizzas they were very good. We will be back.

Came here for a group lunch midweek after a country walk. The menu was extensive and reasonably priced with lots of Italian specialities. Food was served piping hot in copious and tasty amounts. My gluten free pasta dish was delicious. Members of staff were welcoming.

Well you talk about a sleepy village pub with a bit of a reputation as a yo yo pub....Not any more...! Just had one of the best Italian meals outside Italy...lie not! Simple ingredients,no frills no arty food this is simple wholesome Italian food at its best, and it's a plateful! Fabulous pasta and chicken dish matched with a cracking red wine at a very reasonable price. Great atmosphere, easy going friendly staff. I was back in the Italian countryside where I spent a lot of time near Torino and Modena when I ate here tonight...that good. Worth a visit trust me. And....you must try the Lemonchello milk drink.. It's a family secret....and ...I have only had one this good in Modena. This a little bit of good old fashioned Italian cuisine and hospitality in the Cambridgeshire Countryside and its bloody fabulous. Return we shall...

I ordered the Diavola Pizza, it packs quite a punch 🥵and leaves your taste buds feeling energised and refreshed in an abundance of flavour. I’ve given it 4 star as an option to have it pre sliced would’ve been a beneficial option.

Beautiful old English pub with an amazing Italian flare, serving the best pizza this side of Naples! Can’t recommend highly enough. We have become regulars here due to the wonderfully authentic Italian menu, all freshly prepared to order. Also serve the most amazing Sunday Roasts and have an extensive take away menu. Always a warm and friendly welcome and there is a pretty garden for Al fresco dining, and plenty of free parking.

Very nice food at a good price went to a friends 21 birthday party would recomend

Second time having lunch here and the food is incredible! It’s so peaceful and a lovely atmosphere. I will be back. Thank you!

2nd time I've been in the last few months and will be back for lunch again. beautiful Italian pasta and pizza. Very tasty and very good price.

It's a lovely pub/restaurant. Environment is great, friendly and helpful staff. Beer and food were both excellent.

Really enjoyable an welcoming experience. Despite the gas problems resulting in only pizzas being available we had lovely food and were very well looked after. Highly recommended!

Went there on Wednesday evening, lovely atmosphere and the food was amazing and plenty of it, our waiter was Jo, lovely man very friendly, I would definitely recommend The Blue Lion, great value for your money , if we are ever in the area again we will be back .

Very good meal in a nice setting - bonus points for gluten free options across the pasta menu! Service was exemplary and the beer garden a peaceful place to sit and enjoy a read after lunch. Will be back!

Lovely meal, cooked well and good choice menu although it wasn’t the same as advertised online. Tiramisu dessert was ok but could have had a lot more coffee flavour, was quiet bland and tasted like a cream dessert. Would return as plenty of good other choices.

Very good attentive service. We called in at lunch time. The lunch menu with lots of pasta and pizza but alternatives also. The beer was good.

Honestly, the BEST Italian meal I've had in the UK and better than most in Italy. It's been under the current management since 2022, so ignore reviews before then. Also, ignore any reviews lower than 5 stars as they must have been written by mistake. A great selection of dishes and cooked to perfection, served by really pleasant people who care about what they do. I can't wait to come back.

Food ok, needs to employ good waiters and waitress, not junior staff with no idea.on how to write the order down.

Had not been to the Blue Lion for ages and popped in whilst out walking. Had a delicious sausage, mozzarella & broccoli pizza & a pint. Best pizza ever & nice surprise visit so will be going back

Simple and well-presented food, all the better for it, friendly and attentive service. Molto grazie!

We love the new look, food, and atmosphere. Would recommend 👌

A good menu. I had seafood pasta, delicious. Generous portions. Dog friendly. Popped in after a dog walk, pleasantly surprised.

Here at 11.30 on a long distance path, waited on vain for anyone to open up. Two locals outside said "They're usually here by 11.15". Left after 15 fruitless minutes.

Amazing staff , apart from one who I think is the manager (all the staff looked a little uncomfortable when he was around or scared to ask him a questions) When they finally did he either belittled them or took them outside to shout at them. I asked for a specific thing and his whole attitude changed and was very rude. I don’t usually comment on this stuff but he made us feel really uncomfortable. The young girls working were amazing and couldn’t do enough for us! More like that please!

Having previously left a very positive review, our last visit left us very disappointed. Guiseppe appeared not to be there and bar and food service was very poor despite very few customers. Spoke to the person in charge that evening and she just beligerently shrugged her shoulders in response.

Lovely menu of Italian food. The pasta and pizzas are delicious and the funghi alla crema is a must! Very friendly staff. Very reasonable prices.

Very haphazard service - had to chase up our starter when didn’t arrive for ages, menus dog eared and in short supply, parmigiana looked like a splat on a plate, pizza Ok but 15.50 for gourmet is pricey. Lovely setting and classic country pub but more miss than hit…sorry we won’t be back

Lovely place to stop for a pint. Didn't try the food, maybe next time

Superb food freshly cooked, service reflects that. Little bit cramped and noisy but to get enough covers to make it sustainable in such an old building, unavoidable. Best pub meal I've ever had in the Hitchin area.

Excellent pizzas, and it just happened to be 2-for-1 pizza Monday! Will most definitely be going back.

I hadn't been to the Blue Lion for a number of years and was pleasantly surprised to see the Italian menu. It was fantastic! Very authentic pizzas and very filling. And they offer 2 for 1 on Mondays!

Wasn’t open when I tried to eat here, very odd. Best book by telephone as I found out they were sadly shut due to a funeral. The pub looks great from outside so I was disappointed.

Lovely traditional English country pub. Go on a sunny day if you can and sit in the beer garden outside.

First time we had eaten there and I must say the food was absolutely lovely. The portions were plentiful and the taste and aroma of the food was great

Looks welcoming from the outside but we didn't stop as Italian was not our choice for lunch. Menu looked good though. No staff appeared so we left after 5mins

We met up for a family birthday meal. The food was lovely (but lots of it) and the setting was perfect. We were in the conservatory on a sunny day. The restaurant wasn't busy, and as far as we could see, there was only one member of staff covering the bar and waiting on the tables. At no point were we offered more drinks and we weren't asked if everything was OK. I don't know if they do desserts - we weren't offered any. It is a shame because other than this, everything was perfect.

At last reasonably authentic Italian food in Cambridge. Thin crispy pizzas bursting with flavour except for the one with pineapple that will make any italian spin with rage. Good simple pasta not mucked about with just god ingredients simply cooked. I'm guessing the carbonate has added cream! This is England after all who understand nothing. Give it a try just don't expect the rubbish you usually are served

I live 20 minutes drive away and didn't want to go to Cambridge centre to eat out, so I tried this pub. The food is proper Italian style. Fresh ingredients, hot food. Portion is massive. Would like to come back and try a different menu. If they can provide chilli oil for condiments, that would be appreciated.

What a wonderful evening with fantastic food,host and friendly atmosphere!! The starters and pizza were just incredible along with fabulous host and atmosphere,made to feel so very welcome and will definitely return! Thank you for a wonderful relaxing dining experience!

Amazing Italian cuisine! Looking forward to dining soon to try out the pizza.

Amazing food, beautifully served and fresh! Very good atmosphere. The staff are polite and helpful. Really enjoyed our family meal there and will definitely be going back !

Fantastic pizza and Italian food!

Just bought a 4 Stagioni pizza, not bad (dough, texture, ingredients, taste). Have to say that from now on I’ll buy local, no need to drive 1h to Cambridge for a decent pizza. I’ll try the rest of them and update the review.

This restaurant is very different now with Italian cuisine and such a warm welcome !! The starter bruschetta was really tasty and very large!! The carbonara was amazing. Plenty of creamy sauce and pancetta with spaghetti cooked to perfection. One must have the Tiramisu !! We shared one because we were so full after such a wonderful meal. We will return. Certainly worth driving 60 miles for such a complete experience.

Wonderful meal, service was great, no complaints. Meals were served hot and in a very prompt time. Would certainly recommend and will definitely return.

Website states it closes at 11 but it closes a lot earlier, actually 9 on a Sunday. Beware.

Really lovely pizzas and good pasta. Generous portions. Friendly, attentive service. Seems a completely different place to when they just opened last year and were a little understaffed and overwhelmed. Massive improvement. We will definitely visit again.

10/10 Amazing waiter called louis very laid back and helped recommend good food. Seemed so calm and nice definitely deserves a raise!

Lovely food, First time i been in The blue Lion and i was so impressed whit my partner. We had delicious food and because I’m professional chef i can tell the food was fresh,the calamari was crispy the risotto and carbonara was just perfectly made. Atmosphere was good and chill whit nice and friendly staff. Definitely will back .Well done.

I can't express what a delicious, lovely, happy time and meal we had tonight. Guiseppe, the owner, was so kind and welcoming. Our young waiter was also very respectful and attentive. This is our third meal at Blue Lion since the start of the New Year. We usually have aubergine parmigiana, but a couple of weeks ago, we also tried the two for one pizzas on a Monday. I had the contadina one and it was scrumptious. Tonight, we branched out and had the pasta. I had a spicy tomato one, and the person I was with had the carbonara. WOW. We'd had a long day, and this meal was just so comforting and hot and delicious. I know La Pergola is meant to be "the best Italian restaurant in England" (and it's great) -- but we much prefer the way The Blue Lion does Italian. The pasta is not as al dente, for example.

Absolutely wonderful food staff is very friendly pizza s are the best and a very good point of Guinness I must say

Me and My other half came here for some pizzas, they’re truly amazing. The staff were so kind and lovely, the owner is also amazing such a friendly guy. The pizzas are so good and highly recommended them. I will certainly be coming back. Thanks again for such an amazing experience.

Really pretty little pub and restaurant. The food was pretty good. However, the risotto eatalia only had one prawn in the whole dish! The flavour of the rice was really nice though. The meatballs could also use a little more seasoning in the meat. We would come again to try different things off the menu.

We had a meal for 5 people, the service was great, the food was delicious, would definitely recommend.

Amazing 5 stars lovely food very nice service and food I would recommend.

It's been some years since we last visited The Blue Lion. As we were in the area we decided to pop in for an early evening drink for old times sake. For such an historic building the interior has been completely whitewashed inside, dubious artwork, no curtains or soft furnishings or character of any kind. It has a bleak and unwelcoming air although one fire was lit it was still chilly. Beer wasn't kept very well either sadly. I've been in transport cafes with more ambiance. I know the owner can't choose their customers but a noisy baby wandering about in nightclothes with a dummy and a blanket did not help. We couldn't wait to leave.

This pub is an absolute delight! Lovely decor. Logburner and fire lit also. We had Sunday lunch, which was absolutely beautiful. One of the best roast dinners I’ve had in a pub! We will be returning to try the Italian menu very soon. Staff where lovely ☺️

Amazing Italian food in a historic pub! The pasta and pizza are so good, and the owners are really friendly. They also have fresh homemade desserts that rotate regularly. If you are in the area, I cannot recommend highly enough!

The pizza at this restaurant is truly amazing, especially the tuna pizza. The fresh tuna, flavorful tomato sauce, and perfect crust create a delicious culinary experience. The high-quality ingredients and inviting ambiance make it a must-try for any pizza lover.

One of te best italian food.good servise.frendly.and very nice location.the oner is italian and the chef as weel thanks.

Tried the new Pizza chef , Pepperoni absolutely delicious, light, thin , crispy, very happy you can really feel the quality difference compared to the surrounding chain and none .. food highly recommended, spacious pub , fire place, prompt service and Monday they do 2 for 1 pizzas really interesting :) well done blue lion !

Visited our village pub with family for Sunday lunch. A friendly welcome and prompt service. It was warm and cosy with a real fire. The team are working really hard to make it a success and it showed. Some of us had Sunday roast and some had pizza and we all enjoyed our meal very much. Good value compared to other pubs in nearby villages and worth a visit. We will be returning!

It's lovely Italian restaurant outside of Cambridge. Delicious Italian food, cozy restaurant with reasonable prices.Only one thing I didn't like it,when we left nobody said "good bye" to us... so staff could be more attentive ( there was only 2 waiters)especially that it wasn't busy evening and we spend £130 and we left a tip.Overall great place!

I think the food was fantastic no complaints there really enjoyed all the food we ate definitely recommend 😁

Although Italian it's not my favourite food, love to have time at my local.

Just brilliant, warm welcome and fantastic food . As soon as we walked in we were welcomed and seated and given 5 star service. The team are so friendly and accommodating and it just has the best atmosphere, everyone is so happy and understanding. Service attentive without being intrusive. The food was brilliant . I cannot rate more highly

I recently visited Blue Lion in Cambridge and had an amazing experience! The food was delicious, and the service was top-notch. I highly recommend trying out this place if you're in the area. Can't wait to go back!

I really enjoyed our meal, but accidentally left my water bottle behind and when i rang up to enquire about it, I was assured I would receive a call back about whether it was found. Sadly, the phone call never came and although I followed it up with a text message, I still received no response. In the end, I took the chance and returned to the restaurant to find out if the bottle had been handed in. The same waitress was present and popped into the kitchen and came back holding my water bottle. I mentioned that I had rung up about it, but she dismissed my comment, with "I couldn't care less smile" or "Yes, I heard about your call, but chose to ignore it". I thanked her and left the pub, but this experience has left a bitter taste in my mouth. Considering our party spent nearly £200 on the day of our visit, I'm not at all impressed by Blue Lion's response!!

Great experience for the first time visiting the blue lion. When we got in we immediately got taken care of. Food was excellent, service was great! Portions are huge! Will definitely return. Thanks!

Superb place with top of the line, authentic Italian food, whether on site or take away. The owner Giuseppe is also a really good sport and his menu is very reasonably priced for the quality he provides.

Visited on a Monday lunchtime. We were warmly welcomed in. Had a good sized, comfortable table for 5 adults. Menu is extensive with some standard favourites and a good selection of uncommon dishes. Meals were well presented and well prepared. Vanilla ice cream is a must. Super! Well done. Thanks very much. If I lived locally I would return more often.

Went there for lunch with some colleagues, I had the Branzino (sea bass) and roast potatoes. The fish was done to perfection. The waiter was very friendly.

A cosy old pub with tasty Italian food, and warm and friendly atmosphere.

A quiet Monday lunchtime for 5 of us....and we didn't realise that on Monday, pizzas are 2 for 1 ! Staters were excellent, pizzas were excellent, and for dessert, the homemade vanilla ice cream is a must....with a double espresso to follow. Service was great too. Highly recommend this place!

In einem Vorort von Cambridge hätte ich diese Qualität nicht erwartet. Schade, dass ich nur einmal dort war.

The food was excellent here, met friends for dinner and the staff were friendly and welcoming. Can definitely recommend the lasagne and the garlic bread was the best I have tasted in a long time. Gelato was delicious. Will definitely go back. Cannot wait to try the Sunday roast. It was quiet but it was a Monday evening and there was roadworks so I imagine it will be busier at weekends

We have been infrequent visitors here over the years as it has never really lived up to expectation, so after it had been in new management for a few months we thought we’d give another chance, that was certainly a mistake. We called ahead, it being 7pm Friday and booked a table for around 8pm. On arrival we began to wonder, 4 other couples were scattered in opposite corners of the pub, the ambiance was somewhat “package holiday “ dining room, with some annoyingly inoffensive music. Service was timely if a little plastic. The menu was fairly classical Italian, we chose an antipasti platter to start and spaghetti dishes to follow, carbonara and puttanesca respectively. A freshly baked pizza base arrived in lieu of bread for the table, it was nice but a little one dimensional without some oil etc. The antipasti was nicely presented but with the exception of the prosciutto a disappointing mix of supermarket fayre with vaguely Mediterranean association. The chunks of unripe Brie/camembert and baguette alongside thick doorsteps of chorizo and bland brine soaked black and green olives from a jar, made an odd foil for the Italian charcuterie and supermarket pesto!! We grazed for a while (there was a healthy amount on the platter mind) until the waitress came accusingly to ask if we wanted our mains, mildly shocked we accepted. What arrived was not the most aesthetically pleasing plates of spaghetti you could imagine, spread flat on the plate and barely hanging on to any “gloss” they may once of had. We were hungry and shocked so just tucked in. ( At this point I feel I should mention that my wife is first generation Italian British born and both her parents are fine cooks, I myself am a sometime chef publican, hotelier so we both know at the very least what we should expect.) The pasta was attempting to be al dente, it was not quite that cooked! The sauces were, well I have no words, we managed 20% and sat dazed waiting for service. We asked for the bill and no comment was made of our obvious disappointment, in fact all staff avoided any further eye contact, I paid at the bar and expressed our disappointment with the pasta and was offered an apology but nothing else, I dislike confrontation so we quietly left and we find ourselves here. Sadly we will never return and I would encourage others to avoid at all costs.

It's a great place to have food, and drink. I would definitely go back again

Cosy pub serving delicious Italian food. The pizza dough is amazing - best in Cambs. Pasta dishes are lovely too. All reasonably priced.

Went with a friend and the food was so over salted and bad we sent it back. The first time either of us have ever returned food. The waitress was barely interested. It was a Sunday evening and we were the only customers which probably sums it up.

This restaurant is very much open, now as an authentic Italian run by the wonderful and friendly Giuseppe. We went as a family of six with grandparents on a Sunday and had a mixture of Italian food and Sunday roast which was thoroughly enjoyed by all. My meatball starter (polpette) and creamy tomato pasta (gallo) were so tasty. Everyone else sent back clean plates too! The food is plentiful and good value with an array of options. The interior of the pub has retained the olde pub charm and the ales were just as good as ever. I understand that they will shortly add a few more “pub classics” to the menu, but there’s currently a great choice of Italian food. I strongly recommend giving it a try under the new owners.

Went here for dinner on Wednesday evening, not overly impressed, had chicken which was OK, potatoes not very chrispy and swimming in gravey. The gentleman serving us was pleasant but came to take our plates before we were finished, so had to ask for a bit more time, maybe it was because we were the only ones eating? We've been here before and had a lovely lunch, bit different this time.

I been here a couple of times and it’s very local but very nice pub restaurant!

Very tasty food. Nice service. I highly recommend.

I don't know where to start, I booked a table for a family occasion for inside, and on arrival I was told it was fully booked inside, lucky enough it was a nice evening and eventually got a table outside. We ordered a starter after a hour of waiting I went to ask where our food was and the waitress was very unhelpful and rude it ended up that another table had got our starter, no apologies. Eventually got our main meal and she wanted to bring our starter as well, food good but service very very poor, spoke to the manager/owner and got know response. I always try to support local businesses but this is one i will not be supporting again, very disappointed.