The Golden Lion Inn in Scarborough

Popped in here on a Saturday night, live band was playing traditional Irish music and it made it a good atmosphere. Guinness was good and the bar staff were friendly. Small pub but worth a visit.

We were out to meet some friends one evening and were having a pleasant time. Last orders were called at 10.20pm. Ten minutes later the woman behind the bar stopped serving and refused two people who walked in. At 10.35pm she surrounded us with stools as she plonked them on any avaible seat she could find. There was no discretion, no politeness, no manners; it seemed to be a deliberate act to make everyone who was still in the pub feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. At 10.40pm she shouted out "I want everyone's glasses, I am shutting the pub NOW!" There are plenty of other pubs in the town where we feel welcome and in future will be avoiding this pub.

Absolutely disgusting manor of the women who ran the pub no manners at all and all she was interested in is serving the locals and certainly not the people who spend the money as tourists. Very rude and patronising after spending a large amount of money with my family the service was absolutely disgusting with no people skills whatsoever please avoid vile behaviour and management 😡

Passive aggressive. The staff were curt and aggressive. I didn’t even finish my drink. A very disgruntled bar tender didn’t want me in there. I left and visited another bar and got a lovely experience. I’d give zero stars if I could. Not a good way to run a business.

Great compact Irish bar just off the quayside. Friendly and efficient staff, fantastic Draught Guinness and decent prices. This is a lively bar where riendly craic is the order of the day. Recommended.

Usually we really enjoy coming to this pub when we visit Whitby, but we were really disappointed this time. The people in there are always friendly and chatty, but the staff were quite rude this time around.

We went in this pub for my dad’s birthday and the bar man called Anthony was amazing …he couldn’t do enough for us ..he was so friendly, interested in us and made us feel so welcome He was kind n polite and is n absolute credit to ur team Well done Anthony we can’t wait to come back xx

Dropped in at the Golden Lion while visiting Whitby, lovelly 'Irish' bar near the sea front. Great pint of Guiness. Last time we visited there was some musicians playing..must have missed them this time. Excellent atmosphere, friendly staff and dog friendly....

A really proper pub. Belt and braces, great bar staff and a fantastic selection of drinks. A real Irish gem in the middle of North Yorkshire.

Called in for pre dinner drinks. This is a decent pub serving reasonable pints. Whilst there’s live music some nights, it hasn’t started when we were in but the pub was full waiting for the artists to arrive

Me my husband and the dog visited here every day when we recently stayed in Whitby. It was warm and friendly. Guinness was good and we would definitely go back if we visit again! Irish music being played and a relaxed atmosphere.

Stayed in Whitby for the weekend and visited several pubs - this was our favourite (we came here both nights). Great atmosphere, staff efficient, and drinks were good. Irish music on the radio which was nice as a lot of bars in Whitby didn’t have music.

Great old fashioned pub. Good choice of drinks. We popped in and ended up being there as night. Very about and cosy. Live acoustic Irish music which the audience joined in with. Really friendly staff and customers.

Went to enter at 10.34om board outside states open till midnight walked through the door to an announcement that everyone could here to say sooty we not accepting any new customers as we closing di we said about the board reply was or yeah the board is wrong

We are local and avoided here for so long because of an individual member of staff that was toxic, didn’t represent or promote the ideals of the management. Called in and enjoyed the Scotland Ireland rugby game, management and staff warm and accommodating. A nice traditional feel, clean and attentive staff. We will be returning more and more now the Bron has gone Thankyou

We went into this place for a pint. Went in. Dirty tables everywhere. I smiled at the bar lady. She ignored my smile. She came out and said that we had to wait as she needed to clear the table. She then commenced to clear all the other tables that were unoccupied - really? Why not our table? Anyway. I have a bad back so I sat down by the table. She then said words to the effect of that I would need to move as she needs to clear the table. That was enough. A very impolite welcome to this very average pub. We got up and left and went to Middle Earth Tavern, where a clean table and a warm, friendly welcome awaited. I very much hope people read this (and all the other bad reviews) and boycott this pub, and hopefully, when it goes bust, they will get people in who enjoy hospitality. The lady concerned needs to look very closely at the way she interacts with her guests, and modify her poor manner. Worst welcome ever at any pub I’ve been to. Will not be back. Ever

Amazing service great place to stop for a refreshing drink. Landlady Kerry even gave us a free parking pass when we forgot to arrange before getting here. Lovely helpful bar staff highly recommend.

Popped in here on a Sunday, early evening. Went in the lounge room, so cosy and warm on a miserable day. Love burner and cosy decor. Landlord & Landlady were very friendly and seemed like lovely people, couldn't do enough for you. My only slight criticism is that the toilets could have been cleaner, the loo and sink themselves were clean but the surroundings of them needed a bit of a clean. Regardless of that we would definitely return next time we visit Whitby.

My wife is Irish and I lived in Ireland for 15 years. We thought it might be a laugh to pop in for one here as there is a lack of a decent pub in the whole of Whitby. This place is as Irish as Oliver Cromwell. Front bar had an English lad with in a waistcoat and a guitar that he couldn't play presumably trying to look Irish. When he decided to put on a mocking and fake Irish accent in only the way that the English can do we thought it best to bail out before risking a ;pint. And the place smells like a toilet - an overpowering stink of urine pervades as others have said. Grim.

Loved this place for some Sunday drinks. Had a great time watching the football, meeting lovely dogs and even bumped into the Leigh and Kerri and had a great time with them. Highly recommend 🥰

It’s hard to write a review of this Pub as we didn’t stay! When one barmaid is serving two bars, and when she blatantly ignores a visitor to serve a regular out of turn, it was time to leave.

12 quid for 3 tiny cokes & a Guinness woah, nice Guinness but like what £6 for a pint. No wonder it’s dead inside. Overpriced but nice Guinness

We’d been out and about in Whitby for a few hours and needed to quench our thirst. Luckily, we managed to fall into The Golden Lion as we love Irish pubs! The landlord was really friendly and when I asked if the cider was sweet, he offered me a taste. The pub has a wonderful atmosphere and although quiet at first, a group of extremely friendly and funny Geordies entered to make our day. A wonderful pub - it has much to recommend it.

Charged £3.50 for a coke sized glass of plain draught Soda Water which is only 10p cheaper than pint of beer.Doesn’t give you the incentive to not drink alcohol.

This pub is our kind of pub, everyone made to feel welcome and lovely bar staff, we visited alot of pubs on our day there and by far this one won hands down on how we were welcomed in 😊 you will be my first port of call if we come back there in the future

Along with a few friends we spent a few days in Whitby. The Golden Lion was the closest bar to our accommodation, so we spent a few evenings in the bar, excellent staff - very friendly and helpful. Great choice of beers and spirits, has...

Excellent little boozer, very friendly staff and a warm welcome. Very small pub but very comfortable.

Andrew the barman is amazing. We had one of the best times of our lives in this little pub. Would go back in a heartbeat. And........ not a whiff of urine!

Travelled there for a New Years get away and ended up at this lovely little pub. All staff very friendly, atmosphere was great, very homely and enjoyable, will definitely be visiting next time we are over. Couldn't have seen in the new year in a...

Disgusting smell of stale urine. You could smell it, in the first room on your right. The back room, closest to the toilets was unbearable to sit in. Quickly downed my pint and left. Worst smelling pub I’ve ever been in. Surely the staff and...

Went on a small pub crawl at weekend away with partner. Very busy all over so particularly looked for pubs not as busy and where you could sit down. Came across this but so wish we hadn’t. As we entered the kind of courtyard entrance...

I Just called in for a couple of beers it's not very big ( 2 small rooms ) no sky TV it's very near the front of the town I staff was friendly I would go again John

Great place - a typical Irish Pub outside of Ireland. We called in on a Saturday evening during our recent visit to Whitby, mainly because it looked typically Irish and the fact that we are going to Ireland for a couple of weeks very soon....

We came for a few drinks without the kids and sat in the snug. Staff were friendly and the taped music was good, the atmosphere was quiet but a smile from most other patrons made it warm and friendly. Here was were I heard the...

On a rainy day in Whitby our party of 16 were having difficulty finding anywhere to have a drink until we found this little gem . Proprietors Kerry and Leigh went out of their way to fit us all in while at the same time...

Came to the Lion following a walk around the local Moors. The pub is placed in an incredible location in the middle of nothing. We both had the roast dinner. The food came out very quickly, a little too quick if anything as it was...

Visited here 18 sept pub was busy and ha to wait the doorman was great we had our dog with us and he found us space in the pub at the back a real gent he was a credit to the pub and all covid guilines were met great beer and people

Fantastic atmosphere and friendly staff great for old fashioned banter.unlike some other pubs in Whitby where it appears the staff have lost their sense of humor

Great atmosphere in this little pub. Only negative was live music not connected to any speakers so it was little hard to hear.

Not a bad pint of York Brewery Guzzler, and a friendly barmaid (Think she was called Julie - apologies if I got your name wrong). Only 2 other customers on a quiet Monday afternoon. Note to mangement - please, please either get your heating sorted...

There was a time when pub grub was a pickled onion or pork scratching's not any more on a recent visit to this cosy pub we had seafood salad to die for. Oak hot smoked salmon crayfish tails and smoked salmon delightfully served on a...

This is a really cosy pub just up the hill to the West of the swing bridge. Inside, the bar is small and comfortable, you'll get a mix of locals and tourists at the bar, the landlord is friendly and really sociable. The beers are good. Altogether very pleasant.

New owners great good beer very clean and will be even better after they get a makeover liked playing the games provided looking forward to trying the food when they start doing it my wife loves the open fire so if your in Whitby go in for a drink thank you see you soon

This little pub is really nice to visit, especially if you are about to climb the hill and need to gain a little kick to your step!Well put together drinks, and well kept beers are the order of the day; I had a whisky and it was lovely nice and warming on a cold October evening; my wife's gin was also excellent.Snug and a public bar, both are accessed by a corridor down the side of the pub.

We attended Gorh weekend and found ourselves in this pub on a couple of occasions. Diverse clientele makes for a great atmosphere. Very sociable and comfortable pub. We were regaled with tales of Dracula from the owner who claimed to be Romanian though the jury is out he was informative and funny. The landlady chatted with everyone and provided a great welcome managing the door with a friendly approach which was a lot nicer than some of the pubs over the weekend. Next time in Whitby we will be back. Wishing the relatively new owners every success.

So happy to see this lovely old pub has a new lease of life, very welcoming and old games to play with to crack the ice with conversation with other people. Will make it a regular haunt .

this pub is now under new management and it is much improved. The small of wet dog has gone and the ladies toilet are actually usable now

We visited Whitby for my 50th birthday. Having been in the golden lion pub on a previous visit, we called in again. The golden lion has changed hands. The new owners are a lovely friendly couple, who are spending a lot of time, effort and money on doing much needed cleaning and renovations of the old pub. Very nice to see such a historic part of Whitby finally being cared for. Superb beer, really lovely hosts, with an interesting ghost story to tell........!

having fond memories of this pub over the years my wife and went there for a lunchtime drink whilst we were in Whitby recently. It is under new management and we had a nice chat with the owner , Deborah( we think). It was quiet but there were some good real ales on and Deborah outlined her plans for the premises over the coming year. It sounds like they are making great effort to make a go of this place and they deserve success.

Visited the Golden Lion whilst finishing off a perfect weekend away with my girlfriends. Such a lovely, welcoming place, perfect for a quiet drink and chat. The landlady was so friendly and made time to come and chat with us all and share some laughs. Will definitely be back next time I’m here

We popped in for a quick pint and we’re delighted by the friendly welcome we received. It has recently been renovated but it has been done in such a way that her vintage charm of this ancient pub is still in every nook. Ask to hear the stories of the very active pub ghost!

Called in to this pub, it was full of kids. Now I know everyone has to take their kids with them (sometimes )but when they come in pub in there school uniform it’s bit much.

We popped in here mainly to escape the wind and rain outside as the weather was terrible.

A lovely bar staff member and a nice secluded idyllic oldie worldwide setting makes it a pleasure to be having a drink here. Central location and wonderful old pictures of Whitby make it a special place for any visitors. Highly recommended.

No real ale when I was here apart from Black sheep. The barmaid was too busy on her phone to even serve me.

We popped in for a quick drink during a day trip to Whitby but quickly wished we hadn’t!! We only ended up staying about 10 minutes because of the rudeness of the member of staff who served us. She wasn’t welcoming at all, with no warmth or hospitality at all. I’m wishing we’d read the reviews on here before we went in to be honest!

Went towards the door. Two blokes and a woman kicking off. Inside was something off a rough hole. Good place for piss heads and fighter's. Would not recommend to normal folk.

the first thing you notice about the place is the smell of wet dog when you walk in. I noticed the lease was up for sale and from the look of things the owners have stopped bothering with the place. Lots of the drinks were unavailable and the men's toilets were not working. This is a shame as this is one of the oldest pubs in Whitby and has an example of a bottle window on the side of the premises which is unique to Whitby. Hope the new owners, whoever they are, bring this quirky little pub back up to standard

We visited the Golden Lion on Saturday 7th July at about 7pm. There were four people in the lounge when we arrived. The pub had three cask pumps on the bar but no cask beer. Neither did it have bottles of Newcastle brown Ale. This Saturday night was probably among the busiest Saturdays of the year as it is Northern Soul weekend. When I placed my order I was dismissively told that what I wanted wasn't available and so I ordered what they had. We sat opposite the T.V. which was on but turned down. Not that it would have helped if it was turned up because the background music which the staff had on ( not Northern Soul ) was so loud it would have been impossible to hear in any event. It was clearly the choice of the young barmaid dressed in black. It was so intrusive that one of our party asked if it could be turned down a little. The older barmaid dressed in orange obliged. However the younger one who was quite clearly not happy to have her music turned down, actually shouted " he said down not off " and promptly turned it up again even louder than previously. She then walked over and turned off the football. I think they are taking the Welcome to Whitby signs off the door when this incredibly rude barmaid is working in future. Whitby is a great town, full of decent people , but avoid The Golden Lion Inn at all costs.

Great bar especially the delectable duo Mandy & Karen. Service with a smile, always chatty and never a dull moment

A really small bar almost tucked under a hill.

Four of us visited for three or four drinks the weekend of the 'Endeavour' return; the pub was cheap, cheerful and we met some local characters. We enjoyed it.

Visited Whitby on the 6th May 2018 on a bus trip from durham, same time every year. Walked in to see the young bairmaid (dark haired chav) with a face like thunder. Arguing with me and my 50 year old dad as she couldn’t understand what my dad was saying. I simply repeated what my dad had asked for. Her face was like thunder and her tone of voice was disgraceful. This resulted in us leaving the bar after the drinks had been poured. Money lost on the pubs behalf due to terrible customer service!!! Totally in the wrong job. Was then told she was slagging me off to customers after I left. Such a shame because the pub is in a lovely location. 2 hours later saw her sat in a pub drinking, hopefully her manager told her to go off and go to the pub, that’s obviously were she wanted to be. Will not be returning to this bar next year and neither will any of my family. Took our business elsewhere to a pub down the road with brilliant customer service.

Have been in here many times over the last 20 years or so, and it is still a great place. It remains an olde-worlde pub as far removed from the plastic "chain-pub" of today. Always cosy and welcoming.

Called in a few time for a drink or ten and a lovely friendly pub. Quite small but cosy and has plenty of character

Visited Whitby on a cold, wet day! A warm welcome didn’t await us in the Golden Lion. No one even said hello and I mean the bar staff. They were so taken up with sorting bottles of bottled gas that customer service was totally non-existent, even to the point of apologising that the outside door was left open five times - leaving paying customers to close it! The ladies toilet bin was overflowing at 11.00am! I’ll try somewhere else on my next visit! Locals may like it, I don’t!

Choice of two cozy little bars. A few good hand-pulled beers to choose from. Definitely an old-skool English boozer experience.

Disappointed to call in here, with the promise of cask ales as advertised outside, only to discover three pumps were off. A reasonable pub on the inside. Plenty of choice elsewhere in Whitby though..

We were staying at the Angel and the Lion was our first venture out. There were 8 of us, so we went to the back of the entry and sat in the rear room. Service was bang on and the beer was good. The place was tired, but in a cosy old time way, which again was okay. The smell in the room was the biggest issue. It was clearly a drain / sewage odour which was really unpleasant. I required a toilet break while we were there and I have to say that the toilet smelled better than the lounge. It really is a concern that needs rectifying.

What a lovely place the Golden Lion is but more than that what a wonderful staff! It's full of history and small private bars but the service is excellent and the beer exceptional! Love the place and it joins a list of my favourite places. Well done guys you are first class!

Called in here for a drink, we went in to the snug it was like stepping back in time very quant and dog friendly. The staff were friendly that in fact we went there the following day but this time in the bar for drinks, very sea faring boats , anchors and stuff nice.

We went in to the Golden Lion for a drink, it's a lovely quaint pub with 2 rooms. Half way through our drinks the barmaid started smoking a vapour cigarette and then 2 of the customers started, as this is only small pub and the rooms are also small it was like a fog descended. With that 4 customers got up and left and so did we all leaving drinks on the tables. I am a smoker myself but l do object to these cigarettes being smoked inside as they give of too much vapour and some of them smell worse than cigarettes

Mandy & Karen were so welcoming & chatty. The old pictures in both rooms are great & the beer was good!

If you love a pub where you are made to feel as if you are intruding on the barmaids evening this is the place for you.

The outside looks promising but once inside you quickly realise you've made a mistake. Yes it's small and quite old fashioned but I would have been happy with that if I'd had decent service. Just about everything on draught was off and the bar maid serving appeared completely uninterested in finding any alternatives. With so many other places in Whitby to choose from I certainly won't be bothering with this place again

Received a great welcome. The lady behind the bar was very accommodating even when asked for ice cubes for my little boy. Worth a visit.

Great little pub , the bar staff were great , funny , beer reasonably priced , a good talking pub would definitely visit again

This a good old fashioned pub with a good selection of reasonably priced drinks.The staff are friendly and welcoming.The pub itself is not the biggest so it can get quite packed.

Although it's quite a small pub, and quite crowded, even in the week, the locals will always make room for two or three more! A warm welcome is always given by the very friendly bar staff, we haven't had a bad night or lunch time drink in all the years we've been visiting Whitby 30+ years. We plan to drop in again quite soon. Highly recommend if all you want to do is waste an hour or so whilst you have a quite drink!

Called in for a drink on way out. Fab decor ready for goth weekend. Great service. Fab, clean traditional drinkers pub. Superb find tucked away from the main run. Need to get buzzed in to the loo, which keeps it nice and clean for customers.

We always find The Golden Lion nice and warm and welcoming every time we come to Whitby usually twice a year.

Last minute booking, which seems to be a trend in these reviews, turns out there's a reason!

Walking around whitby on a Saturday night with no accommodation booked. Asked in a few places all averaging £90 per night. Popped into the golden lion who had room only for £50 which appeared a bargain. The pub is tiny with a small selection of real ales. Accommodation was basic and certainly nothing to get excited about. The bed was very comfy however. The worst part is the corridors and bedroom smelled very musty and damp. Outside you could smell the drains. Carpets and shared bathroom very tired. Staff very pleasant and helpful. Ok if you are short of accommodation but certainly wouldn't book here in advance...!!!

On a wet and windy day we found this pub tucked at the bottom of the short steep alleyway. There was good welcome and good beer served. Don't let the no view put you off stopping here for a pint.

We called in the Golden Lion as they had the Tetley sign on the window but alas they didn't have any cask ales that evening so Hubby managed to down some smooth flow instead. We met lots of people to chat to including a gorgeous dog called buddy.

we have been in here several times, there isn't a lot of room but the atmosphere has always been good in here

Great little pub, you can feel the history of the place as soon as you enter. It has alot of original decor. Very friendly and helpful staff.

My wife and I stayed here 23 July whilst touring North Yorkshire. Good pub centrally located . We stayed on Saturday 23 July , Whitby was full, no other rooms available. We stayed in the loft room, I am 6'2" and struggled as I couldn't stand up. It is a shared bathroom, the room had a double bed with two drawer packs. The room and bathroom were very clean and the bed was very comfortable. £50 for the night was a very good price when most are charging £150 +. The entrance is by the back gate and up the fire escape. The room is then up a small set of steps that turn back on them selves, hard to negotiate with a suit case or if you've had a drink. If we had planned and booked in advance we wouldn't have stayed here, it was either here or go home. We decided to stay and were glad we had. Thank you Golden Lion.

Went into this pub by accident was looking for a friendly place to have an early evening drink - couldn't have found better!!! Landlady was lovely friendly and informative a warm welcome made us feel at home would definitely recommend drop in for a cold beer and a warm smile!

An excellent little pub set into the corner of a hill. Tiny place but still has a great vibe and all punters seemed to be having a good time. Worth a look in

Having fought our way through the narrow pathway with smokers either side to get into the pub, we were immediately met with the smell of the toilets. We quickly turned around and left, having not entered the main pub area.

It w as so nice to sit by a fire and get warmed up. Good selection of beers on offer. Free wifi. Tea and coffee also served

Didnt actually eat here, just dropped in for a drink on the evening after the Grand National. Friendly landlady?barmaid. Quiet and cosy.

we just popped in here before returning home, the staff was friendly can't say too much about the place as didn't experience much,but it looked a fun place to be

Visited Whitby on Friday the 4th of March. The wind was howling and the rain was pouring down so we called into this pub. So pleased we did it was a small and snug traditional pub with a real open fire burning away in the bar. There was a good selection of real ales and other beers on offer and very friendly bar staff. After chatting to the landlord we decided to stay the evening in one of the pubs letting rooms..The room was small and cosy with a great fire feature...We will defiantly be returning again.

We went to the Golden Lion on our pub crawl in whitby. This pub was warm, inviting and the bar maid was very friendly.