The Inn in West Dorset

Very disappointed with some meals.Fish pie was good. Roast lamb was tough. Plaice was nice but very small. Vegetables were just boring boiled. Staff were friendly, speed of service was good. A nice log fire too. We will not return due to the food

Just had a roast beef lunch beef was tough very poor altogether never again what are they doing on the kitchen ? Is there no chef? Veg was hard,potatoes burnt but soft not worth the money we paid wpnt be returning .

Went here for Sunday lunch. For the price should be good, but sadly no. Roast beef tough gravey runny as for the boiled veg awful. So disappointed! Food was luke warm. Avoid. For a hotel it could do so much better. Surely chef and staff can see what there serving and be embarrassed by it. will no be returning.

Very disappointed with some meals.Fish pie was good. Roast lamb was tough. Plaice was nice but very small. Vegetables were just boring boiled. Staff were friendly, speed of service was good. A nice log fire too. We will not return due to the food

Group of 6 stopped off for some lunch, the atmosphere of the quaint pub like eating area was appreciated and enjoyed however the overall experience wasn't thrilling. They had ran out of a burger, as it was barely midday on a Saturday afternoon which was a little disappointing. The food was okay, didn't take too long and was fresh.

Lovely atmosphere ,friendly service,relaxing place to go after a busy family day out,for is.did not even need to book.

Popped in for coffee and a warm up on a blustery day. The bar area is cosy and the staff welcoming. Although we only had a coffee (very good) we noticed food served to other customers. The dishes were freshly prepared and nicely served.

Ever year we holiday in Lyme Regis and always visit here for a meal. This year just wasn't up to the standard of previous years. The male bar staff seemed very disinterested and when they brought the food barely spoke. My fish pie was very bland with an anaemic potato topping and the dessert with caramel sauce had crystallized!

This is a beautiful building with a rich and fascinating history, and the staff seem very nice and friendly. This means I don’t feel good about posting this review, but in light of so many other positive ones it suggests we perhaps had a rare bad experience here. We visited for a Sunday roast and had high expectations because of how lovely the place seemed. Unfortunately we were disappointed and it is with regret that I say it was possibly the worst roast dinner I have ever had. The potatoes were a dull, wrinkled, sunken grey brown on the outside and dry on the inside, suggesting they were leftovers from quite some while ago, and some were just inedible. My mum asked for some replacements and received them quickly, and it has to be said that they looked miles better than what we were originally served with, but by that point I had been a bit put off. I had the vegetarian option, and while I think it’s great that they offer an option, it wasn’t exactly appetising; a pyramid of tomatoey lentils with black burnt cheese on top. The tables too seemed exceptionally sticky, to the point where we had to peel our menu off the table in order to read it, and I noticed a staff member having to do the same. Perhaps something to do with the dilution of the cleaning spray? Which was also not a great thing to do to be honest, I understand the need to clean but spraying cleaning chemicals very close next to people that are eating is perhaps not the greatest idea. As a plus though I thought the Yorkshire puddings (always a favourite) were very nice, and apparently the beef was very good too. Upon explaining this to the duty manager he very kindly gave us 50% off our bill, saying this was a very rare occurrence (though an arrival we had heard another guest complaining, but as I say maybe this was a bad day) but it was all just very disappointing.

Went for dinner at 7.00pm, and by 7.30 the bar was full, so get there early! I had the "special", chicken curry. Quickly served by friendly hardworking staff, very tasty and not too hot. Didn't like the local beers, but that is a personal taste thing.

I don’t normally write a review, however The Inn deserves an outstanding one. We visited on Sunday for lunch, calling in late and bagging the last two portions of Roast.... we had just sat down with drinks when my 12 year old son was stung by a wasp, the staff immediately flew (pardon the pun...!) to his aid, bringing vinegar and cottonwool to draw out the sting. This was followed up by chocolate bars and biscuits for my children. When the lunch arrived it was hot, obviously freshly cooked, particularly the hake which my son had, and completely delicious. With excellent fresh, al dente vegetables on the side. The overall level of care, compassion (given the circumstances) and dedication from the lovely staff, in particular Tyler, was really good to see. We will be back, with friends! Thank you

We were after a wholesome meal nothing flash family friendly place to eat. The food was tasty, quite a standard menu but just what we wanted. The staff were welcoming. I had crab salad which was nice, we also had a burger that was tasty if not a little over cooked and ham egg and chips. We also saw the scampi which looked amazing. Good location about half way down the main high street.

Friendly waitress the evening we went here for dinner. My friend had crab and I opted for fish and chips. Both meals were fine and priced well. Slightly more options on the menu would have been a plus.

The bar at the Royal Lion Hotel likes to call itself 'The Inn' nowadays. Has this change of image led to any other changes? No. The menu is unadventurous 'pub grub'; the 'specials' are not a lot better. There seems to be little care or attention paid: our suet pudding meal was let down by the portion of lukewarm vegetables; the ale was not in the best of conditions either.

Had a meal in the bar last weekend. Food was OK but nothing to write home about. Décor rather 1980s. Beer quality was poor (not for the first time). All in all OK but not one to rush back to.

ive been in here a few times for food whilst in lyme regis. freindly bar staff good food, and great place for sitting in front of the fire with a pint when its cold out. definatly worth a visit.

Good food, friendly staff. Not too pricey either! Thank you. Didn't try any others in the town as this place suited us down to the ground.

Good local ales and lovely comfy settees to relax in. We only popped in for drinks so didn't eat but the food looked really nice.

We visited today at about 1.30.We are both retired and our small quiet Cocker Spaniel was on a lead.

We went to Lyme today and popped in. We were rudely spoken to by what I can only assume being the duty manager as he didn’t introduce himself, very poor customer service!! He then stated in a quite disrespectful manner “ you cannot bring that dog in here ” when we tried to apologise that didn’t realise no longer dog friendly we were shot down by same man saying “ you cannot bring that dog in” that dog is our family pet and goes everywhere with us. When we stated another dog was in bar he went “that’s a resident dog” either you allow dogs or not!!! It is not a selective policy and should be a blanket ban if that is the case. I shall not recommend this place to anyone due to this gentleman’s poor attitude to us.

After a walk around the Cobb went for lunch. Very nice place and good friendly staff. Ordered crab sandwiches and a drink having asked if the crab was fresh. When they arrived they were a strange orange colour, but tasted ok. Should have known better in rough winter weather and later that day was suffering from food poisoning. Take care with crab in bad weather.

We are locals and have become increasingly disappointed with this pub. The menu in the bar is unimaginative and the quality of the food is very poor. The beer is served too warm (we understand that the pipes from the cellar aren't properly lagged) and the place is staffed with frosty eastern europeans who are chilling in their lack of welcome and can't raise a smile between them. With so many locals unemployed, why can't Lesley Stone (the owner) employ some of them, rather than import cheap foreign staff who wouldn't recognise a local if they drank warm beer in there every day of the year?

Ate dinner in the bar/lounge. Very typical tourist food. Industrial smell and taste. My husband and I ate different things and we were both disappointed in the money we spent to eat. Service was good though!

A great pub, really good range of beers, and a good and varied pub menu. The staff were very friendly and helpful. A great pub with a great atmosphere.

Sunday lunch for four, child's meal really small, fish pie had 4 pieces of fish, had much better food in other places. Efficient staff who were friendly but food really not great wouldn't return. There are so many other places to eat in the area so I think needs improvement

We called in for drinks during our stay in Lyme Regis. Really lovely atmosphere in this hotel and centrally located. Nice decor, friendly attentive service and a good range of drinks with reasonable pricing.

We visit the Royal Lion every time we go to Lyme Regis.

We called here for an early evening pub meal and were pleasantly surprised. Service was friendly and the food arrived promptly so no complaints there. Decent no frills pub food - lasagne was a good portion and the suet pudding very tasty. A good choice of beers as well to go with it. Worth a visit.

Rather than carry a picnic up and down the steep hills to the beach, we decided some time ago to dispense with that idea and have lunch in the Royal Lion Hotel's lounge bar.

We chose the Royal Lion Hotel as it has Family Rooms on the ground floor level, in which our son and daughter were able to stay with their children but also because those rooms open onto a courtyard, which itself is only a few steps from the hotel bar (The Inn). Thus we were all able to enjoy the range of local ales on sale (incl. Otter bitter & ale) as well as g&t;'s and a selection of nuts and crisps. The Royal Lion is a fine place to stay and the Inn is a quiet (though with a rather dark interior) place to have a drink if you are non-resident.

After spending a lot of time trying to find the right place to have lunch we decided on the Royal lion and I'm glad we did what a friendly place, clean, good friendly service, great food. I highly recommend this charming place!

We ate here on a Saturday evening and found the food and staff all very good. On making a return visit we walked to the bar to get a drink the older male barman never even spoke to us. On ordering a G & T he didn't ask what type of gin I wanted or if I would like ice and lemon! Not very good customer service so we ate elsewhere.

Took up a Travelzoo deal at the Hallmark Carlton Hotel Bournemouth on Monday, bed breakfast and evening meal with two bottles of wine for 4 people - £200! Tuesday travelled along the coast ending up in Lyme taking in The Royal Lion for afternoon tea at 5 O'clock. An iconic hotel for me given The French Lieutenant's Woman connection. Very nice lounge, very nice seating, very nice tea, couldn't get a Capaccino for one of our party, food not available until 6 o'clock not even cake! but despite this we decided it'd be nice to spend the night at the Hotel. Tried to negotiate down from £150 a night for B&B; - nothing doing. Presumably hotel policy is to gamble on later late bookings rather than the certainty of 2 rooms at, say, £100 per room at 6pm? We headed on our way home. Shame really!

We looked in around 2pm on a Sunday afternoon and found the place to be fairly quiet, no rif-raf and no children, so we decided to eat there. Our Sunday Roasts (roast beef) were superb, with tender, tasty beef, Yorkshire Pudding and superb roast potatoes, together with a good selection of inventively presented vegetables.Really a superb roast. Very pleasant and peaceful atmosphere; very good service; very good value for money.

The chaps behind the bar are friendly, and there is a warm fire glowing away this time of year. Mercifully, in the cold this April. You will find tall thin menu cards and wine lists in regulation plastic folders. On them, you will find British standards - sandwiches, maybe a salad. To be quite honest, I've forgotten, as there were no surprises or deviations from pub grub. Except 'local whitebait'. However, when I enquired, these turn out to be freshly fished out of the deep freeze.

Had an evening meal here in the bar, beer is good, wine is good and reasonably priced, my haddock and chips was beautifully cooked, my wife's Pollock lacked a bit of seasoning but otherwise fine, easily fixed with a shake of salt!

The beer was good and the food ok. A very nice hotel worth another visit, reasonably priced as well.

Dined here last evening. The dining room itself is olde worlde and quite characterful, the open fire being particularly welcome on a cold evening.

Have been in the Royal Lion a few times before & it is nice to see nothing changes! Still owned by the same lady and still has it's olde world charm.

We have only been here for lunch before, but a chilly afternoon sent us away from Marine Parade and into the warmth of the Royal Lion.

5th March 2017- Dinner. We came here for "fish and chips" by the sea. Bad idea. It was so bland and tasteless. The pub dining area is quite noce, but for us at least the food was just not good enough to warrant a visit. If you're staying here I'd eat out.

A fantastic old coaching inn with an amazing fire place. Visited on two occasions over a weekend once for drinks and then for a meal. Staff very good on both occasions and atmosphere felt like going back in time.

Asked for afternoon tea and was told that would be possible. The older man behind the bar then said we could only have scones. My husband asked if that would include a selection of scones to be told, no, just a scone. When it arrived, it had been microwaved. My husband asked the same man where the bathroom was and he simply waved his finger in the general direction and didn't even speak or make eye contact. I can't say it was all round diabolical service because the young lady behind the bar was extremely polite. All in all though, quite poor.

Really enjoy popping in for a glass of wine - yesterday had cheese platter which was perfect. Great place to pop into if it's raining and dog friendly

This hotel is iconic in Lyme Regis with its Prince of Wales plumes sitting atop the impressive bay windowed facade. Oddly - and for the life of me I can't think why - in all the times we've visited Lyme this is the first time we've entered the place.....And very nice it is too!

We wasn't staying this time but stopped off for a few drinks.

Had a few drinks with family in here on a Saturday night. Nice atmosphere, open fire and traditional decor. Reasonably priced drinks and friendly bar staff. Didn't try the food so can't comment. Clean, modern toilets.

Very nice food efficiently and pleasantly presented. The other customers were all very much at ease which suggests that I did not just hit lucky. I ate here a few years ago and experienced the same high standards of food and service. Seaside town out of season and pretty busy so that in itself is a very good sign. Sorry to see the other reviews were not as good as my experience. Although the food arrived quickly it is not a fast food outlet where you can have what you want whenever you want and I can only assume some day trippers and holidaymakers expect everywhere to be run like a fast food chain. This isn't and that's how I like it, to be looked after by respectful professionals who know what they are doing and should be appreciated for this.

We weren't very hungry, so we shared a starter and a main. They were very happy to bring extra plate and cutlery.

Food Fairly poor but cheap. Green curry was dry as it gets. Pie not bad Foreign staff pretty miserable too Kinda hope for that Dorset quirky staff that make the visit worth while. Shame as lovely old pub full of character.

My girlfriend and I stopped in for a drink before going on elsewhere for a meal. Friend place, but fairly dated in decor appealing more to over 60 age group. Not somewhere for the younger end of the market, but it is quiet if you want to get away from the hustle bustle of Friday night drinkers.

If you like the above with standards you have arrived. Not unusual but rare to see traditional standards being maintained throughout the establishment. Polite, smiling well turned out staff throughout. I took only a bar meal which was prompt and nicely served however I have to say was average pub food in these times of high expectation. I did however do a little exploring and was pleased to see that the hotel had retained lounge areas and a restaurant on the first floor which was a delight to behold, spacious, elegant with beautifully set tables.

Stopped for drinks and a meal. We were surprised to find that we had to wait until 6 to be able to place an order for food. There were 3 other parties also asking for at least a snack. Bar staff were more than un-friendly-no smiles or greeting and even serving us some crisps seemed to be too much trouble. The meal itself was un-inspiring. A curry that was more soup than curry and very bland. At no point did any waiting staff bother to ask if the meal was all right. On the plus side. we appreciated being to take the dog in though by the end even she seemed a more delicious option.

Visited with friends on Sunday having a roast dinner. The dining area and bar are very well finished and comfortable making it a nice place to eat. The roast was good and solid without being spectacular (needs more veg!) and the wine I had was so so, but everyone else enjoyed there drinks. We had desert as well, which was extremely good. The staff were polite and attentive and overall it was a very enjoyable lunch. A real bonus was they allowed dogs.

didn.t stay here but called in for a drink one evening, quite expensive beers and noticed the hotel manager chatting to some people sitting next to us, he ought to think before opening his mouth, was being very derogatory about some guests he'd had stayng recently and delighted in saying some horrible things . Not good practice for someone in the hotel trade. You should always think that you don't know who may overhear.

Food was always hot and plentiful very good choice and has special board. Excellent choice beers wines and spirits try it

A nice straightforward meal and a relaxed atmosphere. Possibly a bit expensive (but this probably applies to the whole town)

Called in on the off chance for lunch as we had just arrived in Lyne for a weeks holiday,

We were looking for somewhere to have a biggish lunch that wasn't mainly a chip shop. The places on the seafront were packed and we came upon this pub and hotel on the main street a bit latish 2.15pm. Quite nice in a pub sort of way inside with wood paneled walls and an old worldly rather dark feel in the bar. The food was good enough and the staff pleasant, my wife had fish and I had spaghetti bolognese. They started putting out scones for afternoon tea as we left, they looked good home made style.

We stopped here for a quick lunch. It's quite traditional on the inside, decor a little dark. Quite a small menu but was good. I had a shepherds pie and OH had ham egg n chips. All good and served quickly. Only downside was it was a bit stuffy and we couldn't open a top window

Went to the Royal Lion on a friend's recommend on arrival in Lyme Regis. Light lunch of whitebait & mayo was just the right amount without being stingly or overwhelming. Not drenched in fat either. Went back for Sunday lunch and enjoyed generously portioned roast beef, yorkshires etc. Bar service efficient and friendly. NB this was the bar area though - this is not a review of the main restaurant. Would we pass on the recommendation? Yes, certainly.

We stopped for lunch and enjoyed the experience.we all ordered the fish and chips and were not disappointed.the fish was well cooked and fresh tasting.the staff were very friendly and helpful.there is a good choice of beers available .

Went into the royal lion a couple of times whilst we stayed in Lyme. Very nice pub, friendly staff and nice atmosphere with food served as well. Would recommend.well worth a visit. Right in the main town as well.

We had our dog with us and popped in for lunch.

Dropped in for Lunch on 31st Oct 2015. My wife's Bream was undercooked and the ramekin my peas were served in was chipped, otherwise my Ham and Eggs was passable. However it didn't ruin our trip our day in Lyme Regis.

Had lunch here on Friday with a couple of friends. Although we all only had sandwiches, Roast Beef, watercress & horseradish and fresh crab, they were lovely. Service was also great; professional and friendly

We were a group of 6, eating here on the recommendation of our local friends. Really pleased we did. My plaice with sauce vierge (tomato chopped up with garlic) was simply served with a side salad and new potatoes. It was excellent, just what you hope for when ordering fish in a seaside restaurant. My pudding was croissant with white chocolate and a few hazelnuts, served with clotted cream. It was worth every calorie, superb. Apparently everyone else's meals were just as good. We washed it all down with a couple of bottles of white rioja, which was just right with the fish.

Popped in here and found a table easily even at lunchtime. Bar staff were relaxed and professional but didn't smile. Food was very average in quality, presentation and flair. Disappointing. Hotel looked nice from photos in reception and it has a pool!

To be fair we only ate at this hotel, but didn't feel it was up to the reviews we had read. The service was slow and the food was very mediocre. We also felt the main meals were overpriced, the Caesar salad was very small, although we asked for the larger meal.

After chatting to a local guy who recommended a visit to this hotel, my family and I went for lunch today.

A quick stop off on the way to Weymouth, great little family run hotel, good service and well priced food served in the popular bar area. Both had cod, chips and mushy peas and it was very good. Dog friendly as well.

Very professional welcome, great choice of beer, good food presented well. Clean and tidy. Good burger cooked well and hot. First class venue, we were treated to some songs from the female staff which was actually very good. A pleasant bar to have supper

The Royal Lion is an old coaching inn located in Broad Street Lyme Regis. Very good bar menu and drinks both real ale and wines. Great value and a good place to stay in the centre of the Jurassic Coast.

When trying to find food in November in Lyme Regis, there's not much choice. A friend had stayed at the Royal Lion and had said good things about it. On the Friday night, there was a reasonable number of specials on the board and a full bar menu. I had the gammon & my partner had the fish cakes, both being cooked perfectly. One issue (which wouldn't prevent me going back) was the food was radioactively hot (I'd prefer hot rather than cold food)!

Thought I would take a lunch break here on a trip to Lyme. Inside was a little tatty in the bar but made up for by the staff who were very friendly. I had the battered fish, chips and minted peas which was good - the fish was excellent, far too many chips though and the peas were a little blackened - (cooked for too long perhaps?). I could not fault the food service. All in all, I think I would give it a miss next time.

We had a good, well cooked traditional meal in this quite romantic old coaching inn setting. The staff were smart and friendly. Good value apart from the dessert (small Eton Mess which was nice but well overpriced at £5.20ish - realistically should be around £3 and that's still pricey for the size).

well what can i say. food was not the best, but when your hungry you have to eat, the service was good location was good but being a busy area, they spend no time in feeding you fast and out the door to get next customer in, we found this very off putting,

We stopped here for lunch after a day exploring the area. we had eaten here before, and while it doesn't 'knock your socks off' it was perfectly adequate and tasty pub food.

A very 'traditional' nice and friendly Hotel by the look of it! We only had lunch but the service and surroundings were really enjoyable. We ate in the bar which boasted a REAL FIRE and a very acceptable menu. The staff were couteous and efficient and all in all it was time well spent.(It was snowing outside!) Would recommend the 'Bookmakers Sandwich' (minute steak with fried onions and tartare) and their range of sandwiches. Chips were homemade and absolutely superb. Would also recommend the wines - the Shiraz & Pino Grigio were outstanding. All in all a very pleasant experience

stopped for an afternoon tea during a lovely visit to beautiful Lyme Regis. . .felt most unwelcome and first scone served could have been used to knock nails in although this was changed. . Generally felt like i was was not welcome. . It took ten mins to pay and i had to remind them what i had ordered.

We went to the Town Mill brewery and were enthusiastically advised to go to the Royal Lion as it was one of a small number of pubs in Lyme that sold their real ale.