The Hayward in Shropshire

We recently had our wedding at The Lion Hotel, and had a fantastic day. All of the staff were brilliant, very friendly & helpful. The food was fantastic and a variety of dietary requirements were catered for, with no problem at all. During the planning Noel was excellent, he clearly knew exactly what he was doing, he answered all of our questions quickly and made us feel confident that the day would go well. On the day Noel & Alex helped to calm our nerves and put us both at ease so that we could really enjoy our day without having to worry as we knew everything was taken care of.

My partner and I stopped here for a late lunch around 4ish, in that inbetween period where most places had either stopped serving or wouldn't allow our dogs in. The staff were friendly and welcoming and the food was reasonable and delicious. The chef was happy to swap a menu item for me which I know is a pain when it's busy and the beef hash in particular was delicious. Would definitely recommend and go again when I'm next in Shrewsbury!

We held our office Christmas Meal at the hotel on 6th December, Our meal was delicious, and we all had good fun. So on that note, just a massive thank you from me and the gang from our office. We had a fabulous meal on that Friday, and the attention to detail that you guys delivered on the day was superb. Happy Christmas to yourselves & wishing you all a magical new year.

For my friends 40th birthday my husband and I decided to take him and his wife for a meal at the Lion hotel. The food was delicious and our steaks were cooked to perfection. The service was impeccable and faultless. We were made to feel welcome and nothing was too much trouble for the staff. We had an excellent evening.

When travel zoo have their offers on , this is the place we go. The table dhote menu has something for everyone. Weve been twice , looking forward to going again.The lion hotel is very old world , i love it .

We visited the lion yesterday for an afternoon tea with my family, son & wonderful clients. From the moment we walked in & were greeted by Alex in such a friendly & professional way I knew it was going to be a great afternoon! Alex was so welcoming, the food was fantastic, everybody loved the sandwiches & the cakes were just beautiful, we were all so full, the prosecco was absolutely beautiful too but for me the person who made it so enjoyable was Alex with his excellent customer service, he checked on us several times to make sure everything was ok, he paid fantastic attention to my son to make sure he had everything he needed. He is an absolute asset to the lion & I wish him all the luck for the future, we will most certainly be returning & look forward to getting the excellent customer service & food again, the lion is a beautiful piece of Shrewsbury & is a must to visit.

We didn’t stay at this hotel but ate here once with friends. It was very quiet with subdued music in the background. Despite an issue over the pasta dish which contained bacon which our friend couldn’t eat so my husband had to swop,his lamb chops. A shame as my husband was looking forward to those. Then we came to the desserts. The poached pear in a syrup was devine and my friend wanted a second but refrained! If the poached pear is on the menu when you visit we highly recommend it. The restaurant is traditional, we thought they were understaffed but that was our own opinion. We looked at other diners meals to see the burger, chips and onion rings was very substantial.

We have been regular visitors over the years & are sad to see how much of a refurb this wonderful building needs. I booked a groupon meal for 4 people. The restaurant was fairly quiet, but the food looked appetising. We were given a very restricted menu (3 choices). Starters were OK. The whitebait was disappointing (undercooked, no bread, wilted rocket). Soup very good. Two chose chicken for main and were pleased; two chose battered cod & chips. this was very poor. Soggy batter and chips. Desserts were small & the crumble very poor. Summer pudding good quality. We did comment to the waitress but she simply smiled. The a la carte food looked much better. I wouldn't risk the Table d'hote again.

I visited the Hayward restaurant within the Lion Hotel after I purchased a Groupon voucher. Along with my wife, I enjoyed a lovely three course lunch and a glass of Prosecco. All courses were excellent, with good quality food, which was well presented, well cooked and tasted great. The service was pleasant and friendly at all times and the environment was relaxed and comfortable. I can recommend the Hayward for a pleasant meal in pleasant surroundings.

Was given the voucher for our birthday presents. A fantastic afternoon with superb food. A good choice from the special menu and plenty of it. A very friendly welcome and service from the waitress.

Stopped off for lunch while out on a motorbike jaunt , the three course meal was superb and excellent value for money, the waitress was very attentive and very pleasant, would recommend you try this place

I went recently with my boyfriend. I noticed a lady was going out of her way to check the afternoon tea was ok with everyone. It was Mother’s Day. I asked her name because I wanted it for the trip advisor I think it was Vivienne? I can’t quite remember. I just thought she was so polite and really cared that the customer was happy. I would love her to be front of house next time I come in for a meal. You don’t get many people that are as confident and friendly as I thought she was. Really impressed with the food too.

We had lunch here yesterday and we enjoyed it very much. The soup we had to start with was beautiful ( But a £1.00 each extra for a bread Roll??? ) We both enjoyed our main courses of Chicken and Pork ..the sweets were okay, but I think bought in??? We loved the hotel and dining room and the 2 girls serving were very nice and attentive. There is so much competition and so many places to eat lunch in Shrewsbury, my only comment would be that ordinarily the cost is too high. However we enjoyed the experience.

Very clean, friendly and polite staff . Starter very good ,Sweet very good , Main meal well cooked but rather small all most child sized portion not impressed.Good location in the town ,parking provided little outdated but fine

Booked for afternoon tea with friends. Wonderful service lovely food. Will definitely be back. Highly recommended. Host was very helpful and informative and welcoming. Has a wonderful oldy worldy feel and was very relaxing

Had a very poor meal. Purchased a Groupon voucher which was £29 and offered a three course meal with a glass of prosecco. Unfortunately the meal was very uninspiring. I expected the choice of food to be limited but on seeing the menu was surprised by the choice of 4 options for each course (even if pea ravioli served with new potatoes and vegetables seemed a little strange). For starters we opted for the brie with cranberry sauce and the goats cheese: Both plates appeared with a handful of undressed salad leaves (the bistro salad pack from the supermarket is a perfect comparison). I had a single slice of warmed through goats cheese and the was a chunk of breaded brie on the other plate; both had then been 'treated' to a drizzle of balsamic glaze! To say the food was poor is being generous - I would have been ashamed to have served this up at a dinner party, in fact wouldn't have. Our comments on the very average food were passed to the waitress when the plates were cleared. As main course I opted for the sea bass fillet with roat potatoes and mediterranean vegetables with a tomato and basil sauce while my husband decided to try the pea ravioli. We were so disappointed when the plates arrived. I had an overcooked piece of fish with overcooked roast potatoes and some grilled courgette and cherry tomatoes. The sauce, I believe, was probably a ladle full of the tomato and basil soup offered as one of the starters. My husband was presented with 4 flaccid ravioli with new potatoes, carrots and green beans with a yellow coloured sauce drizzled over the ravioli. The fish was just edible but an extremely average plate of food. The ravioli, it turned out, was overcooked and didn't contain any of the promised pea filling - this was sent back to the kitchen with appropriate feedback and, given the standard of the food on offer, a replacement main course was declined. We decided, as we had the voucher, to give desserts a go and opted for a warm appple tart with custard and I opted for the gin and elderflower cheesecake. To be completely fair both desserts were OK, not mindblowing but of a satisfactory standard and were a reasonably pleasant end to an otherwise very disappointing experience. We weren't offered coffee or additional drinks so left. We did offer feedback to the waitress on our way out of the restaurant but all she could offer was that they had been very busy that day and the food was usually of a better standard. The staff were pleasant enough - but service was very slow. Such a shame as there is the potential to play on the age of the hotel and the atmosphere of such an old building with lovely features. There are a lot of eateries in Shrewsbury and the management here are missing out on an opportunity to offer good old fashioned British cusine in perfectly suited surroundings which would be a real difference to some of the other places on offer. Enjoyed the ambiance - but will definitely not be going back and would not recommend. Very disappointed indeed.

I bought a GroupOn Voucher for my partners Birthday which was very good value. A three course meal including glass of Prosecco. There was a good choice for starters, mains and desserts. My partner and I ordered different and both of us very pleased. Food was delicious and very hot. The waitress was very efficient and friendly. I will definitely be going back at a time in near future.

Oh my this place is fantastic and Jackie is my all time favourite bar attendant ! She makes the very best mulled wine I’ve ever tasted, what a beautiful building, fantastic staff, amazing food - ♥️♥️♥️♥️ I love this place with its 400 year old fireplaces and it’s quirky rooms ..... gorgeous !

I can only speak on my own experience but I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed my evening from start to finish. We were welcomed by a delightful young man on reception who guided us to our function room. He was very polite and helpful, our food arrived and was served by very helpful staff and it was all served quickly ,the food itself was very nice, vegetables were a little over cooked but that is just to my taste, our tables were cleared and we danced the night away with friends and colleagues.

Staff were very attentive and helpful however the food left s lot to be desired The starters were tasty but tiny the mains were "pub grub" not worthy of a restaurant ( the cauliflower cheese was discussing!) Sorry to witness it's demise, we will not be going again

We met family members for Afternoon Tea and the food was excellent! A nice variety of freshly made sandwiches and scones and desserts. Lots of tea and coffee! The staff was very pleasant. This will be a definite stop for Afternoon Tea when we are in Shrewsbury!

We stayed at the Lion for three nights and ate in the Hayward Restaurant twice at night and three times for breakfast. Breakfast was really tasty. Cooked options available as well as pastries, rolls, cereals, fruit, yoghurts etc. Dinner on both nights was excellent. Good choice and excellent quality food - we had fish, chicken and steak, all of which was superb. Friendly staff. Highly recommended.

Used Groupon voucher for excellent three course meal. Staff were top notch!. Would highly recommend this restaurant. Free parking at rear of hotel if you give your registration number to reception. Great place. Give it a try.

a great night out i have been to works party in here i love the place i love a nice cool drink in there also its not far from town so you can have a real great time of it so you can nip in on saturday or sunday for a nice drink on your way home from shopping

My wife and I visited here with two friends for the £29 3 course meal deal.

Went with some friends three of us ordered the chicken and bacon salad with dressing to start it arrived with no bacon and no dressing.Main course menu said pork loin we got a pork chop which was over cooked.

Went here with Mrs last nite with a groupon 3 course voucher....have to say the staff were lovely and friendly even if I didn't hear one with a British accent while I was there....

We can not recommend the lion hotel in shrewsbury for afternoon tea. The quality and friendliness of the staff is to be highly noted. The price that we paid was excellent value for money. We were not able to finish all the delicious cakes, to which made a wonderful treat for those who couldn’t make the day.

Having visited a year or so before and having an average experience when friends invited us along on a Saturday evening - as they had a voucher I wasn't really looking forward to the meal. How wrong I was. The service was outstanding and the quality and presentation of the food excellent. A lovely relaxing atmosphere and a very enjoyable evening. Definitely worth a visit.

I visited The Lion Hotel today as part of an afternoon wowcher deal. Upon arrival the staff were very friendly and showed us to the room we would be having the afternoon tea. The setting was intimate and it was nice to enjoy rooms with so much character. The afternoon tea itself was lovely with a good variety of choice.

This was a Groupon voucher for a 3 course meal with prosecco. The meal was off the a la carte menu and was not your traditional pub lunch. Food and staff were excellent and would certainly return at some time

I purchased Groupon vouchers for lunch at The Lion. 2 person voucher cost £29 and four person voucher £56. Each person was entitled to a three course meal and a glass of prosecco. The food was outstanding so there were no complaints from anyone. The Lion itself is a very old building and needs a fair bit of refurbishment but is ideally placed almost in the centre of Shrewsbury. Well worth a visit for lunch whilst out shopping. Unfortunately, I think the Groupon offer has ended but if it becomes available again, I will certainly purchase more vouchers. Fab.

When residing at the Lion Hotel, The Hayward is a perfect place to relax and enjoy yourself . I really enjoyed myself.

We thought we would try the venue on a Groupon. We arrived at the hotel that had more car parking facilities I have ever seen for a in town hotel. Some of it was undercover, safe and cctv coverage.

The food quality, taste and presentation was very good indeed. The waitress looked after us in a friendly and not overbearing way. Price was a little on the high side because the decor in the restaurant was not up to 5 star standard.

Muy buena comida bien presentada con un gran servicio amable y discreto. No sirve bien grandes porciones pero de buena calidad. Disponible a un precio razonable, pero ofertas en travelzoo y groupon puede dar valor incluso mejor. Considerar si otros eventos están en el hotel si estás buscando romántico e íntimo. Como por ejemplo los sábados puede ser lleno de bodas en las zonas de bar y otras partes del hotel, que pueden afectar el ambiente relajante que es posible aquí. Los tés de la tarde puede ser bastante buena relación calidad-precio!

Reservamos un almuerzo de 3 platos con un vale de Travelzoo.

Muy decepcionante. Los primeros, todos £6. 50 eran extremadamente pequeñas. Uno de nuestro grupo había sopa, una placa plana con muy poco contenido. Otro tenía la opción de remolacha, extremadamente pequeña. Los platos principales, todos 15 libras. 95 eran más como entrantes de los platos principales. Yo tenía un filete de lubina, a un minuto de la porción con pocos granos verdes, dos o tres patatas pequeñas y un par de habas. Este era más como un entrante de un plato principal. Mi hija en la ley la opción vegetariana, que resultó ser de 3 piezas de un plato tipo ravioli. Todos estábamos esperando tener platos de verduras en el lado, pero obviamente estos no estaban en el menú. Los postres eran igual de minuto en parte, todas en 6 libras. 50

Visité hace unas semanas y están poniendo fuera escrito una crítica buena, pero pensamos que, sin duda, merecen.

Fui a almorzar con un amigo y tuve una muy buena experiencia. La comida era agradable y buen servicio. El personal era amable y muy servicial. Wifi gratis y aparcamiento gratuito justo en el centro de la ciudad, lo cual es una ventaja.

Tuvimos un almuerzo de 3 platos y champán por £84 para 6 personas zoo Bono de viaje. El servicio era excelente opción caliente buena comida en el menú, y la habitación era mesa servicio período edwarden silver recomendaría 8 10 volveremos.

Despite living in Shrewsbury for many years this was the first time we visited this restaurant. What have we missed! !!Although the restaurant is a little dated and the tables placed far too close together, the ambience was nice. The staff were extremely friendly and amenable although we did have to ask for our basket of bread as they seemed to have forgotten us. Our meal was fabulous. My scotch egg starter was so very tasty. My husband thoroughly enjoyed his main of beef cheek and my pork was fabulous. Both meats were beautifully cooked. Our only criticism was that we could have done with more veggies. We will definitely return: this time with the discount voucher that others on Trip Advisor have alluded to!!

The Lion Hotel, an old coaching inn, is well sited at the top of Wyle Cop in Shrewsbury. Its restaurant, the Hayward was a revelation. We had the 3 course lunch here using a deal voucher and were very impressed. It is a traditional, nicely elegant restaurant, a place to take a little more time over a meal. The service was everything it should, be professional yet friendly, very helpful and careful over our Gluten Free requirements. The beetroot starter was beautifully presented on a mini platter. The main courses so large neither of us could finish them (two chicken breasts served where we expected one). A gorgeous, cleansing lemon and raspberry posset dessert. Each course was very, very tasty. We will eat here again!

We had lunch last Friday. The dining room is lovely with crisp linen tablecloths and napkins. The food was excellent, we had the scotch eggs and soup, followed by the beef cheek and the chicken and ending with the lemon posset and the ice cream and brandy snap. It was all excellent quality and beautifully presented. Together with great service we had a delightful lunch. We will be back.

The Lion Hotel is a wonderful 16th century building with an equally wonderful dining room: spacious and elegant with dark wood and perfect heavy white linen.And the food more than lives up to its surroundings. We started with smoked salmon and a scotch egg. The smoked salmon was, well smoked salmon but the scotch egg was a revelation. Crisp on the outside, delicious moist meat and the egg yolk runny: don't know how the chef managed it but this simple snack was really taken to another level.For mains we had the ox cheek and confit pork shoulder. The pork was very tasty if a little dry but the ox cheek was sensational: cooked long and slow it was tender and moist and melted in the mouth. Very generous portion too. All the accompanying vegetables were perfectly cooked and I was particularly impressed with the mustard flavoured polenta.We shared the portion of Stilton & crackers whilst finishing the excellent and reasonably priced Argentinian Malbec, and then ended the meal with some delicious rum and raisin ice cream.The price with a Travelzoo voucher was really exceptional value; overall we thoroughly enjoyed the experience and will be returning very soon.

We had lunch in the Hayward restaurant on voucher which was great value in itself. But the food quality and choice was staggering. The portions were large and well presented and the food was tasty and had obviously been given some thought. service was also good. I would definitely recommend eating here. Desserts were amazing - our favourite was the after eight mint cheese cake - delicious!

We enjoyed the afternoon tea so much! The staff is kind and informative, and the hotel has a cosy athosphere. We started with a detox champagne. Great start! Delicious scones, smooth clotted cream and wonderful cakes! The waiter wanted to know witch cakes we loved, so she could tell the chef. Good initiative! They did everything to make us feel comfortable and welcome. We will be back!

Great location in the centre of the Town.We had a 3 course meal - a good choice of food, all the courses were served together and very well presented. The quality of the food was excellent. The service was very good.

Visited here for our wedding anniversary and had a 3 course meal. I must say that it was very well presented and great value considering. Have booked again for a similar visit for my wife's birthday. Would recommend.

This was a celebration treat and a beautiful meal it was. The restaurant is a very traditional layout with a pleasant ambience. The waiting staff were very pleasant and happy to please. Our meal was very good as was the presentation. The only down point was the parking facilities. We parked in a NCP car park in Wyle Cop which ended with us rushing the meal to get back to the car for fear of a fine.

Stayed at the lion hotel last weekend, and dined at the hayward. What can I say....everything was perfect. Delicious food, the garlic chicken liver patè is the best I've ever tasted. Breakfast was also really good. A special mention must go to Chris, Jack and Gabby for their attentive service. I look forward to returning to this hotel and wonderful restaurant.

A return after 12 months with a party of eight adults for a very enjoyable evening in the restaurant. With out exception all of us said that they had enjoyed the evening. Between us we had a full selection of the courses available. The food was excellent and the beef selection was superb. The service was polite and professional with all of us being served are food at the same time. The staffs were polite and professional. The surrounding are historic and comfortable.We all would recommend a visit.

Just returned from a very enjoyable afternoon tea at the lion hotel . £17 for two people . Fresh sandwiches, warm scones clotted cream and jam plus cakes and flapjack .Good choice of teas and coffee. Very nice service from Chris and Jess . Highly recommend it very good value.

Paid for a meal for two via an offer from the Travel Zoo site.The voucher deal was good value we felt, but the food was pretty average. Glad we did not have to pay the full menu price.Will visit the place again though as it is nice inside. Staff helpful and friendly too.

We took advantage of a Travel Zoo offer and have to say the food is excellent and I'm sure we will be returning soon.Chris who looked after us was just fantastic as were the other staff we dealt with - all in all very, very good

Unfortunately The Hayward was a disappointment today. Having booked in advance to enjoy a Christmas meal with family we were all expecting something above average. The table looked lovely and the little touches, crackers, party box/table favours were great. The staff were friendly and happy to help. I was eating the duck and sadly it was fatty, drowned in gravy and a disappointment. I do not expect to have gravy served on the plate in this kind of restaurant. I do not like gravy and it should be optional. This is why there are gravy boats, surely?The children's meals were terrible. The soup starter was a full adult portion, ridiculous and impossible to eat without a large amount of spillage.The chicken goujon mains consisted of battered!!! chicken strips and chips. All of which was saturated in fat, overlooked and again, an adult sized portion. They were also expected to share the adults vegetables. A far more sensible option would have been a few breaded chicken strips, a handful of chips/ spoonful of mash etc and a few peas/carrots/sweet corn etc. Or else, provide a small portion of the adult options. The children should be given smaller plates too. Their deserts of ice cream and chocolate torte looked great. The ice cream was lovely but the torte was not child friendly. Too rich and the filling was not pleasant, very grainy and not nice to eat.Overall, I have been put off returning to The Hayward in future and will not be recommending it based upon today's experience.

Love this restaurant, staff are accommodating and friendly, food is excellent and beautifully presented, varied menu and wine list. Love it.

Good interesting choice on the menuFood well cooked & presentedService good - professional Pleasant dining room with nice lighting

We were staying in the Lion hotel and usually want to sample the hotel restaurants where we stay to be honest so kept our reservation despite there being many potential offerings in Shrewsbury.We weren't disappointed - smoked salmon encasing a poached egg to start for me and pate for my husband, followed by succulent chicken and hake for our mains then a lovely cheese board. Three course for £49 and all dishes tasty and none too big that we couldn't then go on to enjoy the Shrewsbury nightlife which is extensive. Lovely food.

We ate in the restaurant for the first time for a few years and were pleased to see it was maintaining its traditional standards. The staff were helpful and on the strength of our visit we will certainly be thinking of making the Lion our base for our next visit to Shrewsbury.

Excellent evening meal, followedby a good nights sleep and good breakfast in the morning. Staff very helpful and friendly.

My husband booked through an offer with travel zoo. I wasn't expecting much but wow! Excellent service and beautifully presented food. My husband and I both opted for the goats cheese in sesame seed starter, one word- delicious! For mains my husband went for the hake, which was cooked to perfection. I chose the beef, which did not disappoint, size wise the beef dish was very filling. We both finished off with strawberry cheesecake, which yet again was scrummy. Will definitely be visiting again.

We had a fantastic, kind and attentive waitress but the restaurant is tired,and the menu disappointing. Pork belly slightly overcooked, fondant potato was basically a par boiled spud. We didn't have a starter or desert as the options lacked imagination. The dining room is old fashioned nothing wrong with that but atmosphere spoiled by whoever stuck on a cd that veered from country and western to One Direction and as the youngest diner in the restaurant by a fair few years at 46 they really weren't thinking of the customers.The Lion and Pheasant down the road is a great example of how it should be done and The Hayward will really have to up its game if it's going to survive.

I have dined at the Hayward many times in the last five years and it used to be one of my favourite places! The food was always very good, staff attentive and the decor of the building is indeed spectacular.However, my partner and I visited for lunch on Saturday with a voucher and we saw a clear drop in standards and quality of food, and a limited menu with only 4 choices for starters, 4 for mains and 3 for dessert with one cheese platter for extra £2.We both had the chicken pate as a starter. This was supposed to be 'garlic baked with a redcurrant jelly'. What we got was a pasty white thing that didn't really taste like liver but more like boiled and pureed chicken breast. It was unseasoned and bland and there was no hint of garlic. The jelly was simply very tiny bits of jelly/jam you get in a jar for your toast at breakfast.My main was the hake with chorizo and potatoes. The hake did not taste even vaguely like fish (I suspect it was the cheapest supermarket price that's been frozen over and over again) but the chorizo and tomato sauce somehow saved the dish. A distinctly average course.My partner had the pork belly with potatoes and some green beans. The belly tasted ok but he only got one potato cut in half. He felt that the dish was missing a side and his tummy was left rumbling after this!For dessert I had the baked Alaska - with hard, bland ice-cream on the inside. Again, this was average, if not a little disappointing.My partner had the strawberry cheesecake. Well, that was a bad choice! What he got was a slate with two lumps of crumbled biscuit with a dollop of ice cream each on top and a few stale strawberries. He called it a failed 'deconstructed cheesecake' and told the server that he found it to be a silly dish with not much going on for it.The staff were very nice and welcoming and after mentioning that we felt the food was poor quality they apologised. Do I recommend visiting the Hayward? Yes BUT NOT FOR FOOD, not even with a voucher! Come in, sit by the beautiful fireplace and have a coffee or a beer, enjoy this beautiful historical building. It is an architectural gem but the food quality lets it down. Poor, cheap ingredients in a bid to cut costs - please go for that coffee instead and have your meal somewhere else to avoid disappointment!

We found a deal at this restaurant on travelzoo which was a three course meal with a glass of prosseco for two for twenty nine pounds which was an excellent meal and value for money. The service was excellent and we had a great night.

Excellent location and facilities. Beautiful building with parking facilities, nice dining room , good service and good food from a fairly limited menu. I struggled to understand their eastern european staff but service in general was good.

If you haven't been to this beautiful old Coaching Inn, then you have missed out! Not only is the setting superb but the meal and staff are too! Where else can you pay £14 for a main, eat off crisp white table linen and be surrounded by antique furniture and paintings in a very romantic setting with tables generously spaced? The portions of food were generous and starters and desserts were equally excellent value for money. Just going in for coffee during the day is equally a treat: so much cleaner, cheaper and more grand than the multi national coffee shops. Go and try this beautiful hotel ; I'm sure you will not be disappointed and in the winter sit by the huge open fire! See you there!

My wife, two friends and I dropped in for a coffee, and found the bar really very comfortable and quiet. Once inside we saw a notice in the window offering coffee and cake for just £2.50 and hence we took up the offer and all ordered carrot cake with our beverages. To be honest we weren't expecting much at all for that price, but have to say it was the best value we experienced on a 23 day trip across Gloucestershire, Shropshire, Hereford and Cheshire. The cake was plentiful and very good and we had two huge pots of coffee for the four of us. Too much for us to drink! The staff were very friendly and super efficient, and so I would highly recommend The Lion Hotel. A first class experience and brilliant value too.

This is the main restaurant at the Lion Hotel. Lovely surroundings, silver service, excellent food and friendly staff.

My husband and I recently enjoyed a lovely lunch at the Lion Hotel, like other people around us we were enjoying a good value meal with our Travelzoo voucher, 3 courses and a glass of proscecco. We thought the food was excellent and was so well presented which is always a bonus. Our waitress Kelly was lovely, very pleasant and helpful. We have stayed at the Lion many times over the years before we moved to Shrewsbury and it was lovely to be back in the elegant dining room enjoying good food and service. We have already ordered another voucher so we will be back. Thankyou.

we had a wowcher voucher deal to stay at the hotel and a 3 course dinner was part of the deal. The food was excellent and very well presented and staff were friendly and helpful

We had afternoon tea at the lion and it was lovely , very welcome as a midpoint in our journey home from Wales . The interior of the inn is very jaded and in need of careful refurbishment ; but our sandwiches and scones in particular were wonderful

Choice of 4 items for each course, but absolutely delicious. Menu a bit different to the run of the mill hotel fare.

Whenever I'm in the UK visiting family in mid Wales I try and get over to Shrewsbury, a quintessential English town for a nice day out. I frequently call in at the Lion for a beer after a lot of trekking around town ad on head back to the railway station.This time I noticed that they served afternoon tea. For two it was a very reasonable £16 (in fact, I'd say it's a steal). £10 for one...still excellent value.It was fantastic: really good sandwiches, scones to die for and excellent cake to finish. All with an endless supply of tea or coffee (they keep it coming even after you've finished eating).Top quality service from Beth made it a really nice hour and half. Next time I'm over I'll be going back for sure.This is great value (just a scone and a tea is going to cost you £5+ in Shrewsbury) so whether you're a local or not I'd encourage you to call in and check it out for yourself Very highly recommended

Every tuesday night salsa lessons and social from 8pm. The ballroom is very grand and we are spoilt to be dancing in the grand room with high ceiling. The food here is also reasonably price and good quality.

I had afternoon tea and was treated so well! My tea was replenished when required and the cake and scone was lovely!The server "Chris" was very polite and friendly. I will definitely visit again very soon!

Pleasant spacious and tastefully decorated dining room with antique furniture, fresh white table linen and attentive service made for a relaxed meal. Small but well-considered menu and wine list. Good quality ingredients.

purchase a 3 course meal deal through travelzoo for £29 for 2 people & could not fault the foo & the home made white onion soup was delicious

Like other reviewers we went with a voucher which is excellent value. The dining room is classy and the service is attentive and friendly. The beetroot soup starter was fabulous, our meat eating companions loved their main courses which were beautifully presented and delicious. This would have been five stars but the veggie main was disappointing. A barley risotto with roasted veg was tasteless and texturally unappealing. The wine list was also good and great value. For its location this is a gem. We had a great night and would certainly give it another visit.

We purchased a Travelzoo voucher for a 3-course meal for 2,including a glass of Prosecco, for £29, and, not knowing The Lion Hotel at all, expected a 'pub grub'-style meal. The menu, however, looked pretty haut cuisine, and we were not disappointed. It,s a lovely, historic old hotel, and the dining room is huge and attractive. We were there Saturday lunchtime, and there was only one other couple there. The waitress was very sweet, and appeared to be covering the bar area as well (for coffees, anyway.The food was exceptional-my starter of roast bonemarrow was fantastic, as was my husband's smoked salmon.My beef dish was gorgeous, as was his pork. We both had the cheese board dessert, which, if anything,was too big! My husband pronounced it the best meal he'd had in a year, and I must echo that. We'll definitely go again.

The beef was amazing, Never had roasted bone marrow before - so that was great to taste and the crème brulee was to die for.

Avery pleasant evening in historic surroundings. There were 8 of us and all enjoyed a very pleasant evening with very good food at a reasonable price. Excellent and professional service by all staff through out our evening. Parking available. Very good value for money – we will all be returning again in the future.

Very traditional table clothed dining room, fabulous service and great food. Nothing not to like about the old wooden Lion hotel

The food was very good, especially the chocolate tart dessert. We booked for a work Christmas party so there were about 20 men and 2 women. The restaurant is very large and the service was good. The night we went was very quiet so hardly any other diners. They did an offer price for our group of £20 per head for 3 courses, with a choice of 3 options per course including full Christmas dinner. The only downside was the lack of drink options at the bar - no diet coke!

I'm repeating a review I've just put on for the Lion Hotel, Shrewsbury as I didn't realise The Hayward was listed separately. We bought a Travelzoo voucher for a 3 course meal for 2 plus a glass of prosecco each for £29 and booked a table for a Wednesday evening. The menu was varied, the food very well cooked and presented and the service efficient and pleasant. It was an enjoyable evening but the restaurant had very few diners and no ambience. Such a shame.

called without booking and whilst fitted in for late sunday lunch which unfortunately didn't live up to expectations. the roast beef was tough although turkey was good. staff little frosty to begin with but thawed towards end which i attributed to a busy service.

Didn't find this link until I had submitted my review under the hotel name but in short amazing, exceptional food wonderful service, great value for money, very historical old building. Must visit.

Having bought a travelzoo or similar voucher last year we booked a meal for one Sunday evening. When we arrived a disinterested waitress gave us a Sunday lunch menu and said it was the only choice on a Sunday and said almost immediately " what do you want" quite abruptly.The value of the meals on offer were less than the voucher cost and as we didn't want a roast we decided to leave and eat elsewhere.We re-booked but as it was proving difficult to get an evening slot we had to settle for a mid-week lunch. On this occasion the menu had a far better selection and the food served was to a good standard but again the service left much to be desired. Asking for some salt for the table was like asking for the earth. Maybe redeeming a voucher was considered worthy of a lesser service I don't know.

We went by accident thinking it was another restaurant which in fact was next door. The food I thought was excellent, my wife and I had a most enjoyable evening.There are a few touches that let down front of house like bar glasses for the wine. We would highly recommend it and hopefully return again.highly recommend it and ho

We were staying in Shrewsbury for a couple of nights & we're looking for somewhere to eat on a Wednesday night.Our first choice of restaurant after checking out reviews on TripAdvisor was not serving food that evening according to a handwritten note on the door. Our second choice was closed, so we ended up here. The fact that they accept Tastecard also swayed it on the basis that if it wasn't great, at least we were only paying half price.It wasn't clear from the outside if it was even open to the public but we enquired inside & after checking, we were shown to a classic looking traditional hotel dining room. The menu offered several choices of starter, mains & desserts at not unreasonable prices.We both opted for mains of Salmon on sweet chilli noodles & lamb rump with mashed potatoes & seasonal veg.Both were tasty, filling & nicely presented. Overall, would recommend this place as the food & service were more than acceptable.

Booked a table of four for my husbands birthday, read mixed reviews so weren't sure what to expect. We were not disappointed, fine dining at it's best.Although I wasn't keen on the soup starter (veg not my favourite!) the pork starter was delicious and well presented. Main course though was spot on, all the different flavours came together nicely for a tasty, well proportioned dish. Desserts had to be the chocolate brownie, very generous portion and not a crumb left on our plates! Waitress was a new starter so was still finding her feet, herself and bar tender both very accommodating and friendly.Will look forward to a return visit.

Thank you to the waitresses but a firm thumbs down for the chef. This meal was, by some margin, the worst we have had for a decade and almost rather enjoyable for its awfulness. My wife was told that her steak must be medium (not rare) because it had already been cooked (does that mean pre-heated steak?!). She was then assured that nothing on her plate contained gluten, only for this to be revised that yes, the stuffing and Yorkshire pudding possibly did have. Bizarre muddle. Then, when told that the passion fruit sorbet was not available (on a dated Sunday lunch menu) there was further muddle and delay. After going out to repark the car, I was eventually able to order sorbet alongside other puddings; one then arrived with sorbet as part of it. The order for sorbet never arrived. Naturally the dining room was nearly empty and the service painfully slow, with waitresses walking by in arbitrary passings-by, empty- handed. Extraordinary - I fear we were not the only ones to be subject to this amazingly second-rate service.

Visited at lunchtime today after a gentle browse around town so we arrived with a decent appetite for lunch. I started with the asparagus while my wife had the smoked salmon carpaccio. All cooked perfectly but the carpaccio portion was very small. Now I know carpaccio means thin slices but each of the 6 slices was about the size of a 10p coin. Onto the mains. Chicken with a risotto tower cake (the guinea fowl mainstay on the menu had disappeared) and sea bass. Again, beautiful to look at and lovely to eat but a little on the small side. Finished with the cheese selection which was very nice and, in contrast to the starters and mains, a decent portion. The staff were excellent and the wine list was interesting and fairly priced. We did enjoy our lunch and the quality of the food makes it worth a visit - we would however have liked a little more of it.

After a great dinner at the Golden Cross the previous night, we agonised long and hard about where to spend our second evening. We picked The Hayward over the Lion + Pheasant.Sadly they were having an off night. The menu changed literally as we walked in, and the anticipated Guinea fowl was no longer available. Nor was the Lamb Chump.We were told the chef had left abruptly and they were struggling, so do try the place for yourself as they may have got back on track.The wine presented was not what we had ordered, but we noticed before the cork was pulled so that could be put right.The cheese board of 3 local cheeses was unavailable, but we were offered a substitite of cheddar and goats cheese. Thanks, but no thanks.To be honest, the food we were served was rather bland 'hotel' food, and I think The Hayward are capable of better than that, from previous reviews.I will check back to see what subsequent reviews say as I suspect we just caught them on a bad day.

We used a Travelzoo voucher for a meal with friends to celebrate a birthday here. The access to the car park at the back is through the old archway where the coaches and horses used to gallop through in olden days. The space is very tight for modern cars. The car park is managed separately from the hotel but you can register your car number at reception to avoid charges. I was surprised how many steps there were moving through the hotel from the car park to the restaurant at the front. The old building is wonderful, with lots of interesting features and pictures.We were the only party in the restaurant with a couple of single residents so service was excellent, with Roxie looking after us. The food was good, however there were some dishes missing from the menu choice especially desserts. I had the confit duck which was delicious and very tender. The voucher is great value but I don't think we'd return to pay full price.

Wonderful 3 course meal in pleasant surroundings with very attentive staff. All of the dishes were cooked and presented to perfection. I had tuna carpaccio, sea bass with green beans and a side of hand cooked chips which were enough for the two of us, for dessert the elderflower jelly, all very good. Would go there again.

We had at table for 4 on a Saturday night. It was a travelzoo voucher offer. I had a nice crab starter. Fresh baked bread was provided. Tasty sea bass for main with perfectly cooked green beans. I sampled my wifes Lamb too, that was very tasty. I had the chocolate and banana dessert which had lots of flavour. Compliments to the chef and well done to the waiters for good customer service. Thank you. Great location too.

We have lunched at The Hayward several times but this was our first dinner experience and we were not disappointed. The food was very good, well presented by a talented chef; the wine list extensive and well priced and the service as ever was courteous and obliging

Dined on a travelzoo deal which in essence seemed very good value but little things made us leave feeling generally disappointed. So the building itself is lovely, we arrived early so had pre dinner drinks in the drawing room and perused the menu. Once seated and our menu choices taken we were left waiting the arrival of bread; side plates and knives were on the table so naturally we assumed bread would be offered but no! My father ordered the soup and was not offered any bread to accompany this course let alone the rest of us. So if bread is not included fine - but at least ask if we would like some - or remove the plates prior to our arrival so as not cause any misunderstanding.So starters arrive and we discover there are no condiments on the table, several attempts to attract the attention of the waitress went unnoticed so we went without. The starters were ok - although my husbands chicken liver pate was a runny slop, and my mothers fishcake was under seasoned and rather bland. I did enjoy my goats cheese though. Main courses took an age to arrive but were enjoyable. Having to pay extra for potatoes however was another grumble for us when really this should be part of the dish. Next the dessert - my father opted for the 3 cheeses and biscuits to be told that this was not included in the voucher offer - considering it was priced the same as the other desserts on the menu which were included this made no sense whatsoever - especially as the waitress suggested we order an extra dessert anyway as they were included to which I pointed out would not get eaten and so would be a waste, so why not just include the cheese! So small criticisms but these put a dampener on what should have been an enjoyable dining experience.

We were kindly given a voucher as a gift for dinner for two for £30 at The Hayward.. This was pretty much the only positive of the evening as we'd have hated to pay for the food we were presented with. We arrived and were seated by the pleasant staff, having received our drinks and our orders taken we waited approx 25 mins for our starter. We'd visited via this offer previously and had been given bread and an amuse bouche, this time - nothing! Anyway.. Our starters arrived, I had salmon and haddock fish cake with tartare beurre blanc (£6), this looked lovely on the plate but was completely void of any flavour, it was under seasoned and far too much potato and too little fish. My partner had pork fillet and hock terrine (£7), this was severely let down by still having a small piece of cling film on the terrine, mistakes happen but it's sloppy! The terrine was "alright". Mains. I had a starter as a main course; belly pork with bean sprouts, sesame and ginger (£13) I chose this as I love ginger, however when it arrived I was dismayed not to detect any ginger, just cheap bottled sweet chilli sauce, in fairness the pork was ok but promised so much more. My partner went for beef brisket with parsnip and horseradish (£13.50), the brisket was lovely but everything else on the plate let it down (he definitely made better choices than me though).Finally... Dessert. Again, no expensive ingredients, majority were mass produced sponge based (brownie, Parkin, coffee cake). We went for Parkin with pear (£6.50) and coconut arctic roll with blackberries (£6.50). The Parkin was dry but pear was nice. The coconut artic roll was awful, it was impossible to eat as was frozen solid, I managed to chisel a bit off, it tasted ok but texture of centre was like icecream that hadn't been churned properly and had ice crystals in. I ended up sending it back although the waiter told me it was meant to be like that.. I literally got my spoon stuck in it trying to cut it!! I'd noticed the menu has been changed since last time with heavy emphasis on "cheap" dishes (shin beef, brisket, belly pork, chicken liver parfait), there's nothing wrong with these meats but not when they are vastly over priced. I'm really sad to leave this review as it was so nice last time, please turn this decline round!