The Golden Lion in County Durham

what an amazing pub, very clean, warm welcoming staff, good atmosphere and lovely food

Proper pub with proper food and a warm welcome.

I would highly recommend this pub if you are visiting Barnard Castle. It has real character! The staff were really friendly and unpretentious. The food was excellent pub grub - home-made steak and ale pie was amazing!

The Golden Lion is certainly trying, but after stopping here for our lunch on a day out we were left somewhat wanting. It's a lovely old building but there's much inside that needs tweaking. We ordered pie & chips as well as bangers & mash. The pie is not home cooked & I wax actually able to drum on the crust with my knife before it broke, it literally took a stab to break it open. The pie was about 1/3 full with meat which was very gristly and the chips were like mini baked potatoes each. Portion size was fine & filling, but the veg was also slightly underdone and I left most of it. A home cooked taste would go a long way in this charming little pub, I don't think we'd return.

It was a very quiet Monday lunchtime when we visited, but we left very disappointed. The pub was very dirty inside, and our table was incredibly sticky. The music was way too loud, and we could barely hold a conversation. I had bangers and mash, the portion size was good, and the food arrived hot. Unfortunately, the veg was overdone, so were the sausages, and the mash was tasteless. Definitely not a meal worth £12.95 😕

Great food, great staff.... good beer selection.

Came to the golden lion for some food, food was cooked perfect and was fresh and tasty, staff where friendly will definitely be coming back.

What a lovely friendly pub, warm and cosy. fantastic staff very welcoming and more than happy to help with any queries. Delicious food! Together we order ham egg and chips, gammon and mince and dumplings. Highly recommended this place. 5*

Called in for lunch on Saturday 12th October whilst on a coach trip in the area. The pub was very busy and it was a lovely atmosphere. We ordered our food. Cheeseburger, mac n cheese and chicken and bacon baguette. This came quickly and we all thoroughly enjoyed our meals. Perfect potion sizes and full of flavour. The waitress and bar staff showed great hospitality and made us feel very welcome. Next time we visit Barnard Castle we certainly will return to the Golden Lion!

Called into the lion for some food as I had attended for a Sundays lunch which was super I can honestly say from the moment I walked in I was greeted by friendly staff, I had the mince and dumplings and my friend had a baguette it was honestly lovely amazing chef as the mince and dumplings were full of flavour and not a small dumpling either. Hats off to the golden lion will definitely be back in what a wonderful team of staff they have credit to as nothing is to much. Pub is clean and well looked after. Thank you again

Moved to Barnard Castle recently and had friends visiting. We went to this pub with some trepidation as we had read reviews but our concerns were soon eased. Friendly atmosphere and friendly staff. Service and food was excellent. Great value and will now be a regular visitor. Friends even said they wished they lived here so they could go more often. Special thanks to the young lady with long dark hair. I think she was called Judy for such a warm welcome.

Not a very busy lunch with only 5 people in the bar when we arrived but still took far too long for our meals. Cheese burger and chips - 41 minutes, Baguette and chips - 45 mins / 50 mins, BLT - 50 mins. Cheese and Ham Baguette - 52 mins The quality was also pretty sub par, which considering the amount of time it took was a bit of a joke. The cheese burger wasn't even fresh, with a frozen budget patty in an overly dry toasted bun. Edible, but only just. Positive notes? The tuna mayo baguettes were apparently quite nice.

Had a lovely meal today in this really old pub. Friendly lady working behind the bar at around 3.30pm.

What a view, great team members and beers

We visited this place on a Saturday early evening. The kitchen closed at 5pm, which was a bit odd, and the bar staff was more interested in being the wrong side of the bar than actually serving customers.

Lovely food and lovely staff well worth it see you again soon from Sharron,Evelyn& Corey.

A traditional pub with a very friendly atmosphere. Staff very obliging and chatty. Food good. Pub fare cooked to order and delivered promptly. Good chips!

We dropped in for lunch whilst shopping in town and had a enjoyable time. The melodramatics of the barman as he flitted between bar and kitchen was a source of great amusement during our visit. Will visit again. Martin.

I recently had a truly disappointing experience at The Golden Lion pub in Barnard Castle, and I feel compelled to share my frustration. After placing our order, we patiently awaited our food for over an hour, only to find that it never arrived. When we inquired about the delay multiple time but they repeated it would be coming soon, the server attempted to help but ultimately called the manager for resolution. Unfortunately, the manager refused to even consider giving us a refund. Instead, she passed the responsibility back to the bar staff, claiming she was far too busy to speak with us directly. This behaviour is not only unprofessional but also downright rude. To make matters worse, we ended up losing over £50 for meals we never received. The complete lack of accountability from the manager is baffling and unacceptable. We felt dismissed and uncared for, as if our patronage didn’t matter at all. It’s one thing to experience delays, but to pay for goods that you never receive, and be met with indifference and hostility when seeking help, crosses the line into theft. Dining out is supposed to be an enjoyable experience, yet The Golden Lion turned what should have been a pleasant afternoon into a stressful and frustrating ordeal. I would strongly advise against visiting this establishment; there are far better options in the area where customers are treated with respect.

Visited for lunch following a trip to the castle grounds. Service was fantastic. Dog friendly and even provided water and a dog biscuit with for each of the pups. Food was delicious. Would highly recommend.

On holiday from Worcestershire with family, the food was lovely really enjoyed it the service and staff were excellent highly recommended

This is a good pub been going in for years, it's recently changed hands and I have to say it's a big improvement, food is great too and it has a good selection of beers, wines and spirits at reasonable prices. Staff are really friendly and welcoming. My father in law has just turned 93, and he really enjoys his time in their we both do in fact. Dogs are welcome to which I like. It is a great place to relax and enjoy a pint.

Land lady was so welcoming chatted to us and made us feel very welcome. The food was exceptional including proper chips was really lovely food would definitely recommend, such a lovely atmosphere. Visited here whilst on holiday and would definitely come back.

Just popped in for lunch , new staff who were very friendly and helpful , food was tasty and well presented .The pub is in a great position by the castle , if in Barnard Castle ..try it !!

Very nice pub with good food. Friendly staff and good prices. Worth a visit.

Food good Young lady serving very pleasant with good customer service

Came to this pub for a Drink on Sunday 7th July as we have a Caravan in Barnard Castle. The group of Male and Females who were in (especially a Male ) were shouting and swearing and the barmaid was just laughing at them. Didn’t feel comfortable so we left without finishing our drinks and won’t be returning.

We live in south shields but come through to the golden lion often and the food is great and the staff friendly just what a proper pub should be like everyone is welcolme even your dog

A warm friendly greeting from the landlady. Dogs welcome Food was great.i had the homemade pie,which was a pie and not a flakey crust on top of gravy.my wife had hunters chicken which was lovely.the chips where double cooked and proper not frozen. Will be back when in the area again

Fantastic home made food, would highly recommend. Very welcoming staff and land lady made you feel at home. Wouldn’t hesitate to go again.

This local pub was a fabulous find. We were welcomed as soon as we sat down. They are dog friendly and really are . You could tell by the interaction with locals it’s a real community pub that welcomes strangers . Vicki the landlady came over personally to say hi and explain that it’s all home cooked . We were spoilt for choice . The food was absolutely amazing .

Barnard Castles oldest pub, dating to 1679. Lots of charm and a great selection of food. Took a little while for the food to arrive, but seems like everything was made to order, especially the "proper chips". I opted for the Steak and Ale Pie which was fantastic, packed full with amazingly tasty meat, no gristle or fat. Served with peas and a decent serving of their chunky chips. The gravy was a little thin, but still tasted great. My Mum had the Hunters Chicken which came in a huge portion size, which she failed to finish, but was determined to try as it tasted so good. The beer garden is claimed to have views of the castle, but due to all the beautiful foliage even I, at 6'5", could only just see the top of the tower of I stood up. Even so, a very nice spot on a nice day.

On holiday in the area and were looking for a cosy , dog friendly pub for lunch . This was the perfect choice . Very friendly lady served us , not surprised it was busy even on a Monday

This place is mint ! We went in just after a walk through the woods from our caravan site and decided to chill and get some food with our young daughters. The landlady was very nice, attentive and offered us a taste of the cider we fancied before we ordered it. We decided to get a hot shot parmo- my husband loves hot food but is hard to please as its never as hot as he'd like it BUT he was massively surprised with this meal and said it was possibly the hottest food he's ate! (I've never witnessed food making him cry but there was a little tear in his eye 🤣) he was well impressed. I ordered a lasagne with salad chips and garlic bread which was really tasty and again possibly the best lasagne ive had. For our 2YO daughter we ordered sausage and chips, which they gave her gravy for as requested additionally. We sat in a quiet beer garden which soon got busy and had quite the atomosphere. We were offered a parasol to shade the baby when i was feeding her. Then the landlady even came over with some ice cream for my daughter. Our experience here couldnt have been any better ! The food was phenomenal, tge service was phenomenal and we wish we lived closer as we would 100% be back there again and again. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

This place is mint ! We went in just after a walk through the woods from our caravan site and decided to chill and get some food with our young daughters. The landlady was very nice, attentive and offered us a taste of the cider we fancied before we ordered it. We decided to get a hot shot parmo- my husband loves hot food but is hard to please as its never as hot as he'd like it BUT he was massively surprised with this meal and said it was possibly the hottest food he's ate! (I've never witnessed food making him cry but there was a little tear in his eye 🤣) he was well impressed. I ordered a lasagne with salad chips and garlic bread which was really tasty and again possibly the best lasagne ive had. For our 2YO daughter we ordered sausage and chips, which they gave her gravy for as requested additionally. We sat in a quiet beer garden which soon got busy and had quite the atomosphere. We were offered a parasol to shade the baby when i was feeding her. Then the landlady even came over with some ice cream for my daughter. Our experience here couldnt have been any better ! The food was phenomenal, the service was phenomenal and we wish we lived closer as we would 100% be back there again and again. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Loved this spot for an original Parmo! Sunny garden, great service, and friendly atmosphere.

Great pub, fantastic food, service & lovely staff.. We will be back.. 😁

Old fashioned pun serving good beer and nice food cooked on order.

Steak pie chips peas. Very good portions. Pie nicely cooked. Prices reasonable

Great friendly pub had a lovely meal in here ,dogs welcome ,which they gave a biscuit and water to .

Ordered food and drink and paid. Was told it would be brought to the outside table, which it was. Mine was a pint of Banks and my wife's was a half Stellar and lime juice. My was great, my wife's was soda and lime. Took it back to bar where the landlady was very abrupt with the girl who pour it and another girl replaced, with a pint of watered down Morretti. Absolute disgrace. Food was ordered as lamb and mint burger and for me a lion burger without the salad and slaw. Food came and mine was with salad and slaw. YUK. Told the young server that I didn't want the salad, he looked petrified. It was taken away and brought back with it just scraped off. Thought it would of been done fresh. By then I was too hungry to care. All in all a very bad experience and will never venture there again.

I’ve lived in Barney since I was 14 now 46. Drank in the lion for years it’s always been a lovely pub to socialise in and still is but since it’s been taken over it’s just grown and grown .food is top notch ,the landlady can’t do enough to accommodate your every need from Loaded fries to ya smash burgers everything to ya scampi is made with love . Vicky you deserve all the reviews and luck in the world .if your looking for a friendly place to chill have food with ya pooch lions where it at .xx

No hot drink and very limited food would not go

Food was nowt special for the price

Had the best afternoon , great atmosphere , fabulous friendly bar staff nothing to.much trouble & a very talented young boy singing a great start to our Bank hol weekend !

Food excellent, all home cooked, paramo was the best my husband has had. Will definitely come back

We had a very nice lunch. Tuna Mayo baguette and ham and cheese baguette. Came with nice side salad and a bowl of crispy fries. All the staff were friendly and welcoming. Provided water and dog treats for our dog. Would recommend

Very friendly and food was nice home cooked

You get a home cooked meal here and it's delicious. Friendly service too!

Friendly pub with nice chatty customers but food rubbish and not the nicest response to a complaint that the chips were incinerated

Lovely dog friendly and wheelchair accessible pub with delicious food. Table of 7 including OAP and teenagers, all plates clean! Lamb burger was beautiful and cooked to perfection. Staff friendly and welcoming. Atmosphere was good, quiet but that’s expected at 3pm on a Monday afternoon. Thank you Golden Lion, we would definitely revisit when back in the area

We called in the other day as we don't get to Barnard castle a lot, we've been in the golden lion last year and had drinks in the beer garden which is great in the sun, anyway this time we had some food and I must we thoroughly enjoyed it, best meal we've had in a pub for a while, its was the parmo and steak pie that we had, they do other meals as well so I would definitely recommend you pop in and have a bite to eat I'm sure you won't be disappointed

Brilliant food and exceptional host and staff can’t fault the service much better than the old staff also never seen the pub look so fresh looks amazing back to being the golden lion

Wow the change is unbelievable, traditional and friendly local pub well worth poping in bunch of friendly homley individuals Been here numerous times over the years , kept trying it out, but drug use ,local riff raff , intolerable bar staff ,who ever ran this establishment was obviously inexperienced

The only place to be when in barnard castle for a night out!!! Great vibes and the landlady is one of a kind always a great night in here and would highly recommend

Just got back from a lovely evening, my two children and I have had a fantastic meal followed by meeting some lovely people in a very family orientated atmosphere and the free pool and dominoes topped the kids night off amazingly that they are already asking when we can go back!

The landlady did not have the juice for our 7 year old so we asked for a glass of tap water (as well as four other alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks). Amazingly she flatly refused to serve us with tap water !!! “We do NOT serve tap water,” she affirmed, twice. I think her actions are illegal apart from extremely rude and money-grubbing. We will NOT be returning. Also one of the cokes had hair and a toenail clipping gloating on the surface and I had to take my pint back as there was LIPSTICK (yes, lipstick) on the glass. It used to be a great pub about 6 months back. Not now - avoid it.

Great old pub, lovely food, nice and warm by the open fire, greeted by frendly staff

Lovely homemade food. Great atmosphere will be returning again. 10 / 10

Popped in for Gammon & chips , fantastic, filled the whole plate - well worth a visit

Great pub in the heart of Barnard Castle! Always stop in for a pint or meal. Great staff and super friendly place. And you can watch sport on the TVs. Big thumbs up!!

Amazing pub fantastic atmosphere and so friendly would highly recommend, can’t wait to revisit.

Beat pub in town food amazing and the staff are just lovely nothing is too much trouble thank you vicky for all your hard work ❤️

What a difference from this time least year. 2 adults 6 children called in for lunch. We were met by the landlady who made us very welcome. Food was amazing and children were well looked after with Easter treats. Our 2 dogs were also spoilt. Would highly recommend and look forward to another visit soon.

Amazing pub very welcoming, food was beautiful and nothing was to much trouble there was great games room, will be visiting again very soon thank you

Great little pub with lovely staff! Good selection of drinks and food and a nice little beer garden with a view of the castle too.

friendly staff, nice atmosphere, nice food

Out of all the pubs in Barney, we regard this as our local. Great singers and fab food. Always a welcome smile and dog friendly.

We often call in for drinks, either will the dogs and also with our family. The pub is extremely dog friendly and they always get treats. On colder days the coal fire is always lit. A lot of work has taken place to make the pub feel cosy and family friendly. The food looks great, all home cooked and sourced locally. Would definitely recommend for drinks and food

Great pub...friendly staff definitely worth a visit

A great dog friendly proper boozer in Barney. Always made very welcome. Staff all friendly, and nothing too much trouble.

Great pub, quick service and attentive staff!

Absolutely fabulous food! Great staff! Very friendly and welcoming! Also very clean pub, sports room nice and cosy! Very busy with great atmosphere! Will definitely be returning for food again

Vikki and her staff were absolutely amazing with me and my family, everything was absolutely spot on and the food was amazing.

Waited 50 minutes for bangers and mash for a guy to walk by me into the kitchen with aunt Bessie’s frozen potato’s food was look warm sausages not very nice

Called in on Sunday before a walk around the castle. We had chosen it because it was dog friendly. We all had the chicken Sunday lunch. Great quality and plenty on the plate. Would highly recommend, we all left feeling stuffed. Great atmosphere and friendly staff, our dog Charlie was welcomed too. Will definitely call in again on our next visit. Dave

Excellent and plentiful food freshly cooked and very reasonable. Friendly staff. Cosy comfortable environment. Roaring fire. Dog friendly.

The Land Lady is extremely pleasant and always greets with a smile! The pub is dog friendly, so I must take some biscuits next time! The menu looks great, hence a meal for me and my friends next time soon.

Called today on a wet day , open fire and very pet friendly , we had the hunter parmo & lion burger , wow ! Absolutely amazing , great atmosphere and the staff & landlady were so helpful

We called in for lunch, having chosen the pub based on reviews here. We were not disappointed and will return. We received a warm welcome from staff and locals alike, the fire was hard to leave and the meal was delicious. Thank you! The following is not a criticism and is intended to tempt others across the threshold too. Don’t be put off by the pub’s shabby appearance on the outside. It’s well worth a visit.

Great pub with a fantastic new menu - the lamb and wensleydale cheese burger is absolutely delicious. The fire is a great feature, and the bar staff and landlady are friendly and welcoming. Well worth a visit.

I am a local person to Barnard Castle and of late the reviews of the food in one of our local pubs has been great so thought I would try it for myself and family. Wow, the Sunday dinner takeaway was unreal. Really nice and would definitely do that again. I will be back for food soon. If you have any doubts about going here for food, go, as you will not be disappointed!!

Lovely friendly staff. Perfect way to end a wet walk with the dogs with a good pint by the fire watching the Six Nations Rugby.

Fantastic Sunday lunch. Food was beautiful and nothing too much trouble for the staff. Would highly recommend

Had food here for the first time. Lovely food and lovely size portion. Food was finished serving but the chef bent over backwards to serve us. Highly recommend this place and will visit again soon. Thankyou

A wet Saturday and we stumbled in. Looking for lunch, we were early but had a wonderful home made cooked breakfast washed down with wine and beer. The fire was glorious. Staff were helpful and attentive and our dog was made very welcome. Definitely recommended.

The golden lion was our favourite boozer in Barnard Castle. The staff are very attentive to all and to our furry friends A big shout out to the barstaff Dan,Brad and Lauren and also a special mention to Vicky the chef Amazing food and good value for money. The sweet chilli parmo and curries were amazing. The atmosphere is very relaxed and the huge wood fire just adds to your whole experience. Definately worth a visit

Absolutely spot on. Tried the parmo and home cooked chips was fabulous. People very friendly too. One of us had the burger and was very impressed

Absolutely fantastic pub very friendly staff and Vicky went out of her way to accommodate us all, we all opted for the parmo and I must say it was 1 of the best we had eaten in a long time we all cleaned our plates!!! We will definitely be back xx

Came in for lunch midweek. Couldn't of had a friendly welcome from the lady on the bar. Lovely fire burning so warm.and cosy. Excellent choice if drinks including real ale. Good pub grub menu with everything from toasties to full meals all freshly made.

Eaten here a few times now and every single time the food has been amazing, service is always top notch. Staff are very friendly and even better that the pub is dog friendly! Lovely atmosphere especially with the open fire on. Will definitely be back to eat here again!

Thank you so so much for such a lovely Sunday lunch <3 great price, great atmosphere! Love a tradition pub, can’t wait to see the renovations that are happening too!

We arrived having booked a table for 4 prior to us visiting Barnard Castle. We were offered the only remaining table, on arrival I noticed how tatty and scruffy the pub looked out side. Not much better inside either! I spoke to the couple beside us because I noticed she wasn't finishing her meal. Steak pie, dry and meat tough, not much choice on the ONLY menu available to read in the place which we waited our turn to read. £7.50 for 1 pint and half of tap diet coke too . We decided to leave and went to the Red well Inn, omg what a difference,. Just lovely.

Just had the Sunday dinner wow. It was on par the best I’ve had ever and Greta value. Lovely atmosphere. Great service. 10 ⭐️’s

Excellent, our dinner was delicious just what we wanted! We were made to feel welcome and will definitely be back

Great pub. Had the steak pie absolutely beautifull and fresh homemade. Very friendly clientel, The staff and service where amazing 👏

Our first visit whilst holidaying locally. My husband and I both ordered whole tail scampi, chips, garden peas. This is the most flavoursome scampi we’ve ever had! Our two dogs were welcome, bonus! Real fire made for a cosy atmosphere. Will certainly revisit.

We called in just to get out of the rain and found a lovely friendly atmosphere so desired to eat as well I had the gammon it’s was lovely and the wife had the scampy it’s worth a visit I’d definitely visit again

Called in for a meal and received a warm welcome from Vicky. Decided on gammon steak (x2) and enjoyed it immensely. The steak itself was large, properly cooked and tasty. The vegetables (locally sourced) were fresh and nicely done. Thanks also to the friendly bar...

Really nice and very welcoming, dog friendly BONUS, good food at a good price , recommend it.