The Golden Lion in Gravesham

I’ve been meaning to come and watch at the pub since I stumbled across the winery back last year Can’t fault the food for what it was keeping the menu simple is always good in my opinion can’t mess things up The pub itself is tired and in desperate need of a make over very spit and saw dust This has the potential to be a great local restaurant which let’s be honest isn’t much around now the pump rooms shut Will definitely be back And the girls serving absolutely lovely

Staff were very accommodating however we were disappointed with the presentation of the food. The chicken pie was tasty but the whole dish was swimming in gravy - would have preferred far less or the option of having your own jug to add it from. It made everything a bit soggy. Also the starters and desserts could have done with a bit more of a flourish - one scoop of ice cream/sorbet on its own didn’t look especially appealing! I didn’t like the rhubarb sorbet - too sharp - but that is just personal taste. Also the custard ice cream tasted like vanilla - not really custard flavour so we weren’t quite sure why it was named that. Feel like the menu needs a few tweaks.

Amazing food at a reasonable price. Staff are always friendly. Would certainly recommend for a Sunday family lunch. We came here after a Silverhand Tour of Luddesdown Court with Jamie. Always very knowledgeable and would also recommend

I took my mother to the Lion for her birthday lunch. We were very impressed with the quality of the food and the excellent service. We both had the venison as a main course. This was cooked three ways and exquisitely presented. It tasted delicious and was, we felt, very good value for money. We followed with a selection of the homemade sorbets and ice cream and these were also very good.

Amazing experience and atmosphere. Especially Monty who made a very good lamb roast.

Amazing food and lamb will defo come back. Monty is a great chef.

We had an amazing Sunday Lunch. The food was delicious and was very well presented. The staff were very attentive and made sure that we always had everything that we needed. There was a lively but relaxed atmosphere too.

Value for money but about all staff are fantastic

Came to the lion for the first time and had Sunday lunch with friends.....roast lamb, beef and chicken, absolutely delicious with all the trimmings, and finished of with the mouthwatering desserts... chef and the team should be proud. We look forward to coming back and trying other dishes on the menu.. Only downside was no white wine glasses available for our bottle of silverhand chardonnay and were given flutes instead...apart from that a delightful afternoon had by all at the lion...

We were told about The Lion by our Airbnb host, and how pleased we were. The service was brilliant and the food was excellent. Basically high end restaurant quality food at pub prices. Good selection of wine from their vineyard. Will def be back.

Changed hands and has lost it charm won't be back

Great local pub with a traditional pub feel to it. They have upped their game in the kitchen and the food is very good. The Sunday Roasts are amazing and you should book ahead. Good sized car park and plenty of walking to be had in the surrounding countryside.

Sunday lunch - disappointed. Wine glass was dirty, replaced promptly. Roast was acceptable, but yorkshire pud rather well done. Desert, had to have another ice cream as not available from the menu. Finally - no coffee available as machine not working !

My husband and I visited today for the first time after a lovely 10k walk. We enjoyed a wonderful meal which was quickly served. The lamb was incredible - so tender and full of flavour! The cheeseburger and chips were perfect. You could taste the quality with every bite. Pleasant crowd as well. Will be back soon hopefully.

My second time there, and it didn't disappoint. The lamb is simply magnificent, and the bee pollen cake is gorgeous. Can't wait to eat there again

Okay, I've been coming here for years but that doesn't mean I can't praise this place. You'll find it nestled deep in the Kent countryside, somewhere between Rochester and Gravesend. In the winter, it can be cold and dank here, in the summer it can be like the tropics. In the autumn, it can be down right spooky but that just adds to the attraction here. Okay, that's the location sorted. The food is divine, there's a good selection of local ales as well as locally produced wine(Silverhand). The publicans Graham and Nikki offer an honest warm welcome.

Fantastic afternoon. Food was so good (I should have said brilliant) and the wine was exceptional. All of us were raving about the experience. Thank you 🤩

First off, the food was lovely. Couldn't fault the food at all. Sadly, the service was to be desired. We'd booked for Sunday lunch, at 3pm for 6 people. We were there early, seated just before 3pm. The service was very slow, and come 4:50pm, we were bluntly told "if you pudding you'll have to sit at the bar in the pub as we've got people waiting for this table". The bar is tiny, and was full of locals enjoying a drink (and rightly so) but no where near enough room for 6 of us to sit and have desert. We'd booked for a special birthday treat, so it was a real disappointing end to what would have been a nice meal.

Do not go here. It's phenomenal and I don't want to share it. The venison or lamb dishes are superb. It's the best sticky toffee pudding in the country.

We celebrated my mum's 60th and nephews 4th birthday at The Lion. The staff were super accommodating for the kids in the family so their little palates were catered for. They were incredibly attentive and bought a cake we had arranged previously with candles out at the end of the meal singing "happy birthday" The meal itself was very good, we as a family ordered the beer battered haddock, venison, lamb and chicken with the kids having burgers, chicken goujons and fish goujons. Definitely recommend and hats off to the chef and staff for looking after us on the day.

Wow! Just wow! Ive heard its great and the menu is amazing but wow! Yes it did exceed my expectations in all ways. I had steak tartare and venison for main and wow! Yes I’m speechless! I am going to be a regular now! The only negative and maybe advice for management is to change the coffee machine. Im a huge lover of Latte and the one I received was really undrinkable 😢 love a good coffee after a meal with the desert. Especially if there is a breakfast menu on a way… coffee is essential! :)

We booked a table of 8 for a Sunday lunch with the family as we didn’t manage to get together for Christmas. A few of us had starters, which were really nice, Some of the group were saving themselves for dessert The food was great and couldn’t fault it also the service was fantastic, the reason for only 3 stars is after our starters we had quite a long wait for our mains the waitress told us that the chef wasn’t happy with the quality of the meat and apologised for the delay, this was fine with us. However once we had finished our mains and as the plates were cleared we were told that our table had another booking in 10 minutes and was told if we wanted a dessert or coffee that we would have to have it sitting at the bar. This was very frustrating as after eating our main meal we then didn’t have any time to sit and chat the people that wanted dessert didn’t bother. I could understand if we were late for our sitting or we’re slow to eat but we weren’t. So this was a really disappointing end to what was good service and good food hence only 3 stars It was such a shame to end the family meal this way.

Looks like a rather typical boozer but serves food with a higher-end price tag? I know it's under new ownership with the Silverhand Estate, so maybe a bit of money will be put into refreshing the decor soon and getting it on-brand? I noticed they'd changed the old name from 'The Golden Lion' to simply 'The Lion', so there's clear intent on rebranding and going upmarket, just need the interior to match that! The Sunday roast had some great flavours but the portions were pitiful at the prices charged. The roast potatoes were subpar. The meat was excellent and no complaints about the Yorkshire pud, but come on — this doth not butter one's parsnips! Again a similar issue with the dessert, not a great portion considering it was £8 for the sticky toffee pud. They also had no custard?!

Nice hearty flavoursome food above your usual pub standard.

Very tasty and fresh food. Good service with family vibes

Super lovely and friendly staff, excellent food with very generous portions and convivial atmosphere. Loved the locally sourced elements and dog friendly too!

Great afternoon with friends, thoroughly enjoyed the food and wine. Lovely atmosphere. We shall definitely return. I want to try the Sunday roast next!

Absolutely amazing food. The lamb dish is out of this world. Service needs a smidge more polish but will be going back regularly having moved 10 mins away recently.

Always a fantastic stop off Gravesend CTC Thursday nights First Thursday of the month Fantastic service 👏 Great staff Great Beer 🍺

Lovely cosy friendly pub with great food and obviously (curtesy of Silverhand cellar door) fantastic wine . The service was exceptional- really enjoyed our lunch - better than some other supposed’high end’ venues😊

Had Christmas dinner at the Lion , fantastic food and the staff very friendly and extremely efficient. Would definitely recommend

Trying to serve posh nosh in a country pub suits someone, the dishes we were delivered I personally struggled to eat, the price well I was paying was a lot for not a lot!!. Nice Publicans and Staff

Really good food but still a proper pub, nice!

A special thank you to Thayer , Sabrina and Grace For making my birthday lunch so special, Not only were they very attentive But the food was superb and Thayer’s Knowledge of the wine in the winery was excellent, They are a credit to the Lion

Popped in for lunch and was plesently surprised by the quality of the food available. Definitely the place for lunch and dinner and will definitely return

Six of us booked a table for lunch, but my son and family were one hour late. The staff at the Lion were very tolerant, patient, and accommodating. All six of us had enjoyed our meals immensely. Very good cooking,very good service, the waiting staff were most helpful and cheerful ! I can recommend this pub to my friends and relatives and anyone who appreciates and enjoy good cooking ! Three cheers to the chef/chefs and kitchen staff !

I've always liked this pub, which is also in lovely setting, but the new menu is superb. I don't normally eat burgers but me and my nieces agreed that they were the finest ones that we have ever had ! Yes you pay a bit more than you would for normal pub food, but the quality is superb and well worth the extra price- which is still very reasonable. In addition the beer and wine were excellent and the staff friendly and helpful. Very highly recommended 👌. Do visit- you won't regret it.

Owned by (I think) by Silverhand Estate - large vineyard), the food was very good. We had crispy squid to start - good portions, very crisp with a bit of a bite to the batter. Main course we had venison - very well cooked with seasonal greens. My wife had a glass of Silverhand's dry white wine which wasn't exorbitant and found it very good. Service was good (unfortunately one of the waiting staff was ill on the night so there was a bit of a wait but nothing to get upset about, and the other waitress was very pleasant. So 2 starters and two mains, a glass of wine and a couple of beers was £79, so very reasonable. I shall certainly go there again. There is another dining room but tonight' tables were by the bar but the locals were quiet - no noisy individuals which can be a problem in other gastro pubs.

It is so good to have a local pub that serves great wine and food. I love that I can visit with my dog after a walk on the North Downs, see the locals and drink the wine from the vineyard.

Fantastic Sunday lunch, food was amazing with so much flavour. We had the lamb with pans of shepherds pie which was unexpected but wonderful. Staff as always were very welcoming and super friendly and attentive. Will definitely recommend.

Fabulous. The food was fantastic. I had the steak tartare and the venison. It’s was delicious. A bottle of the silverhand classic and a nice red. Staff were very attentive and the service superb. Can’t wait until you get the refurb. We will definitely be coming back. Thank you.

The food on opening night was amazing. The quality of ingredients, freshness shone through and the passion for presenting a plate of food like fine art was worth waiting for. Can’t wait to see this country pub transformed aesthetically to compliment the 5⭐️ food to take this place to great heights. I love the elegant marketing on social media too it has prestige and really draws you in. The Silver Reign served alongside the meal coupled very well with the food I ordered: Starter-Cornish Crab on toast Main- Roasted Cod with creamed potato Dessert- sticky toffee pudding with custard ice cream.

Fantastic pub run by fantastic people! The new menu and chef at the Lion is superb. The battered haddock was the best I have ever had, the batter was so light yet SO crispy - it was delicious. The starters were my favourite, all the ingredients are so fresh, you can tell they use high quality, local produce from the taste of each dish. The sticky toffee pudding was also outstanding. The service was amazing and the team are great, always so welcoming. Our waitress was very attentive and checked in on us regularly making sure we had everything we needed. Such exciting things ahead for the Lion and can’t wait to go back and try all the dishes on the menu!

Wow! The new mention is awesome. Service outstanding. The gnocchi is simple the best I’ve ever had! You’ve also got to try the sparkling wine! 100% recommend. Grace, is wonderful and Nikki so lovely as always m

What a great pub. Lovely countryside location, big car park, great beer and friendly staff & punters.

Enjoyed without doubt the best Sunday roast I’ve had for many years, choice of chicken, pork or beef accompanied with cauliflower cheese, broccoli, peas and carrots, Yorkshire Pudding and amazing roast potatoes. Great value at £14 or £16 for a three meat option. Friendly staff and great atmosphere, would thoroughly recommend.

Friendly warm welcoming staff, gorgeous food, fish batter was crispy and delicious, certainly recommend this quaint pub, perfect for an evening out. Lovely beer garden and a great play area for children

Had fantastic service for a large party. Fish and chips was perfect, not to greasy, with generous amount of cod. Lamb burgers were also a hit with some of my party. Lovely quaint pub with a great beer garden.

Took my parents on Mothers Day & Fathers Day this year for Sunday lunch, both times were excellent. The quality of the meat is very good and gravy tasty, enjoyed roast potatoes, the veg on the side also, thank you. Pub is clean, staff friendly & accommodating and for the first time we visited the Cellar Door shop next door. Well done everyone, we will be back.

Good value for money. Friendly staff. Didn't seem to mind us bringing the horses to the car park. Nice local wine from the vineyard next door.

Food is amazing, everywhere we have been with these massive produced and so called "big reputation" restaurants/pubs DO NOT come close to the golden lion! Lovley and friendly staff and service. Dog friendly! Very clean environment. Would have taken photos of the food but by the time I've written this out food is already devoured. 10/10 😀

Popped in for quick drinks today and great pub and lovely helpful staff will be back soon for meal

We booked for Sunday lunch.We were not told that there would be a time limit .We had sat at the table and had dinner and dessert. We had just got a second drink and were asked to vacate table after 1 hour and 15 mins ,as they needed it.There were no other tables available inside to sit and finish our drinks. If we had known we had limited time we would not have ordered a second drink . Even though the food was very good we would not use this pub again.

Nice atmosphere, friendly bartender and staff members, very attentive! Yesterday went there with my team and drinks verity was great, as well as the nice outdoor space, conservatory area with glass windows everywhere! Will return!

A group of 6 of us visited for the first time recently. Cosy dog friendly pub, very friendly staff, food all cooked well and flavoursome, will be returning!

Fantastic pub! Had sunday lunch and all the food was so flavoursome and delicious. My dad is coeliac (allergic to gluten) and the chef came out to talk to us about it. He went away thinking the gravy was off limits but came back 5 mins later saying he would specially make him some using cornflour instead. Just so thoughtful and kind - really going above and beyond. Service was friendly and attentive. Will definitely be coming back!

Fabulous pub and such a lovely bunch! Nicki and the team looked after 18 of us for a delicious Sunday lunch! We booked ahead and found our huge table waiting for us and had a fabulous afternoon. Everyone left stuffed and all the dogs had a wonderful time too as this place is super dog friendly. Thank you xx

We had booked ahead for 15 of us for lunch on a mild New Year’s Day walk from Meopham. The pub was busy with a pleasant atmosphere. A line of tables had been put together for us all, nicely set up with cutlery and napkins. The staff were excellent. Nothing seemed to be too much effort. They were attentive and pleasant. Great food. The whole experience was excellent.

Wow, what a lovely little pub. Modest from the outside, but the inside is cosy, super-dog-friendly, and staffed by the kindest and most efficient folk. Obviously a local institution in the best way--everyone is friendly, there's darts in the corner and a regular quiz night. We stopped in for lunch and drinks after a 4-mile hike round Luddesdowne village and were made very welcome. And the food is excellent solid pub fare--I had a lamb burger special which was delicious. Highly recommended!

Extremely attractive barmaids ,

Great staff in a beautiful setting. Pub decor is rather tired

Beautiful place with really attentive people serving you , food was homely and yummy

Didn't eat here. Bar staff were friendly.

Bar lady was smoking a vape behind the bar. We didn't stay long as a result of this.

Great boozer. Tucked away in the middle of nowhere. Proper pub. Proper beer. dogd and chit-chat. lovely.

Cycling club meet here 1st Thursday of the month Great welcome by staff Nice beer

What fantastic Sunday Lunch, we throughly enjoyed the ambience of lovely Kent Public House. The Staff were very attentive and the other patrons looked as they were really enjoying their time on Father’s Day celebrations. Definitely shall return to taste the week menu and ales of course. My partners father wants to return just to beat at darts.

A dog friendly pub with a nice garden for the dogs to run around. 😀

Was expecting nice Sunday roast as been recommended. Got small burnt frozen spuds, frozen veg partly cooked. Gravy and Yorkshire was best Thing.

In the midst of beautiful countryside this is a great traditional pub with friendly staff that serve delicious lunch snacks and evening meals at reasonable prices. Range of beers, including 3 real ales, as well as wines and spirits. Great super efficient friendly manager. Locals are very affable and helpful. Well worth a visit or more. Tuesday it is not open till 15:00. It really is a friendly affable proper pub with affordable great food

Great local pub, great food and atmosphere, as always :)

Went here 1st time Sunday 31st April Warm welcome from staff all friendly. We had 4 Sunday dinners 2 beef 2 pork realy nice will go again soon

This is a fantastic pub in the Kent countryside surrounded by farms and vineyards. Perfect place to end a nice walk with a cold pint or two in the summer or by the roaring fire in the winter. The Golden Lion has a great selection of reasonably priced drinks, a tasty menu including a Sunday roast and the most welcoming publicans you could ever meet. Don't be surprised if you're greeted with a big cuddle from both of them on your second visit! This place has the feel of a 'proper pub'. Its so dog friendly, your pooch can expect to be welcomed by their own doggy publican 'Jasper' who pours the pawfect pint. Can't recommend highly enough.

We visited this weekend after a lovely. Nice and toasty inside. Really tasty food with great portions. Nice drinks too!

Pleasant stop in the middle of our walk

A friendly pub let down a little by at least one the patrons who just likes to use the F and C words a lot as he shouts to his friends. The owners didn’t seem to mind so it’s probably normal. The chicken in the roast was lovely but the very dark brown gravy showed it had been stewing a while as had all the vegetables. Same with the pork except the pork was tough and chewy. If you like your roast spuds really well done, as we do, you will like them.

Lovely food.....and the landlady is funny ....great place

Welcoming pub with traditional food, good ingredients, and nicely cooked. 3 beers on cask, properly served.

Went for Sunday Lunch. Traditional selection including veggie. Food well cooked and very tasty. Would recommend. Just be aware that this is a dog friendly pub

Lovely pub in the countryside Great staff very friendly

I was taken to The Golden Lion by a friend for a birthday treat. It was a middle of the week so not very busy, which was nice. The atmosphere was nice and the young lady behind the bar pleasant and helpful. We didn't feel rushed at all. Which was even better as we had a leisurely meal without any pressure to finish. It might be different on a busy day, but we felt very welcome. Even when we couldn't manage a dessert and just had a coffee it was well accepted. We both had Pate to start with followed by Scampi and chips for our main. The scampi was plump and filling and the chips were thick and cooked to perfection. The meal was filling, so they lost out on a dessert. A nice touch as you enter you are reminded to use the shoe covers that are available if your shoes/boots are muddy. At least that way nobody is walking in mud when they enter the pub and the staff don't have the lovely job of cleaning up later. We are thinking about out next visit.

First ever visit for lunch and food was very good. Nice country pub and look forward to our next visit.

Very friendly staff. Lovely atmosphere. Lovely tasty food

Having cycled passed the pub on various occasions we decided to try Sunday Lunch which was excellent. Lovely food. Decent portions. Nice atmosphere. Friendly staff and good value for money. Would definitely recommend and will go again. Thank you.

Very nice people very good nice pub

Absolutely loved this pub great beer from the iron pier and such a great dog friendly pub 5 stars loved it here.

Good food at a reasonable price friendly helpful staff

Lovely country pub. Very friendly staff and owners. A beautiful place for a beer or 4 in the sun.

Had a lovely evening meal. Food and drink was reasonably priced. Lovely indoor and outdoor seating areas. Good sized children's play area for families.. friendly, approachable staff.

Standard pub fare. Good garden with views of the vineyard yard next door and passing tractors. Bring a child to use the play equipment.

Really nice pub, Friendly with a good atmosphere.

Just returned from another lovely visit. Happy smiling welcome ☺ lovely garden too! Highly recommend this beautiful pub!

Very pleasant pub and extremely friendly

Not great limited bitter no ambience a very few noisy locals,they need to get back to more decent beers and a more imaginative "menu"

Fab, clean pub, good food. Lovely service from the lady behind the bar. Climbing frame for children. Big garden. Definitely go back

I came here last night with my Sister. Lovely country pub with a nice large garden. Staff were nice and friendly. Shared a bottle of wine and had a few starters which were delicious and great portion sizes. Will definitely be returning, thank you 😊

Had a lovely meal with friends here for my birthday. Quite a big group of us. Staff were friendly, welcoming and accommodating. Would recommend and hopefully we'll be back soon.

First time I've been here for many years. Well impressed. Nice safe garden for kids the staff very friendly, a real old pub feel & a good range of beers. Food prices excellent & food looks good. Will visit again very soon

We enjoyed a really delicious Sunday roast at the Golden Lion. We all chose the mixed roast which included chicken, beef and pork, with plenty of tasty roast potatoes, green beans, carrots, home made cauliflower cheese and Yorkshire pudding! Excellent value at £12 a head. Very friendly staff and made to feel very welcome. Not been here for many years and we will return.

One of the best country pubs going. Really friendly staff, great atmosphere.