The Lion at Farnsfield in Newark and Sherwood

This is a fabulous welcoming place where the staff and customers all seem so nice. Welcoming to dogs and there were a few there which is always nice. The food is great and varied. Can’t wait to return.

30 Nov 2024. Meal booked for approx 16, for my 60th Birthday, which my daughter organised as a surprise for me. The starters were late, 40 mins after 4pm booking and one was incorrect. The main meal was a disaster for me and disappointing for others. The pork was not crispy, it was like a brick. I sent it back and by the time my other chosen main arrived, everyone had finished theirs! Comments from others was that the blade of beef was extremely salty, the turkey meal had rock hard, dried up roast potatoes, inedible dried up stuffing, the vegetarian loaf was basically like eating a slab of stuffing. I would have expected a small compensation for this, but it was not offered. For a place I have dined at before, I will not be revisiting until the chef is replaced and an announcement made. From all the recent bad reviews, this needs to be swiftly addressed, before the reputation of this once highly recommended eating place is tarnished for good. My Birthday meal was a memorable one, but not in the context expected.

A party of 4 went for a late lunch. Plenty of choice. Food was well presented and tasty. Service was a little relaxed ( forgot our wine list and had to ask again). Place was still busy at 3pm on a Monday so that's a good signà

Well prepared food and service. Will definitely use again.

The Lion has a fabulous menu that does not disappoint when delivered. Pies are highly recommended, but every dish which we were served was excellent.

We went yesterday for my mums 80th birthday, we was extremely well looked after, the staff dressed the table with our balloon and confetti for us and bought the cake out at the perfect moment. The food was absolutely delicious as always, I can't recommend it enough.

I was a bit gutted, always one of my fav places to go. My gravy had a very burnt taste to it but did not discover until after poured over my dinner, I did get some more gravy but was on my dinner, my husband had the firecracker street eats which had many times the chicken was very over the cheese sauce not as cheesy. Vegan nut roast quite over and vegan meals came out first, by the time the meat eaters meals came out they were nearly finished as would have gone cold waiting. Desserts all just tasted sweet and rainbow sponge pudding had halved. Order 2 cocktails that were the same but looked totally different. Overall I was disappointed as usually so good.

May 2023 - Top quality food for fair price. If you like steak and ale pie... You have to go here... Add stilton on top...🤤 November 2024 - The food is still top quality however the service is seriously slacking. We went out as a table of 10 last night and we had pre ordered our meals. Within minutes of arriving our meals were brought out, however three were missing. It wasn't until another 20 minutes later that we were told that there had been a mix up in the kitchen and the missing meals would soon be out. Most of us had finished our dinner before the other guests had their meals brought out (including the birthday girl). No apology, nothing... Drinks also took a long time to come out and the waiti staff had no idea who had ordered what. Lots of young staff standing round don't doing a lot. Quite disappointed as I was the one who suggested this place for our dinner out, I feel really let down.

Lovely little country pub, polite service. We both ordered a meatball marinara sandwich, which at approx £12 each wasn't cheap (I was midway thorough on tje photo) ! Service was prompt but when I opened my sandwich there was about 4x 50p sized meatballs in this huge lovely soft ciabatta even cut in half didn't fill the roll. And a very very sad side salad, no tomatoes, cucumber, just a sad limp soggy bit of leaves! Feel ripped off for the food.

The food was amazing but the bar staff were rude and aloof. Quite expensive but quality shone through

Called for a quick pint good atmosphere nice place food looked good will call again

I've been to The Lion numerous times and enjoyed it. I took my family for a special meal but was disappointed. The portion sizes were definitely smaller. My meal was certainly precooked and microwaved to reheat. The chicken (tiny amount) was hard around the edges and the mound of potato was also tough on the exterior ....as it would be after being microwaved. The tiny amount of broccoli was very hard. My son ordered an Old Fashioned and there was no trace of whiskey in it whatsoever. He was very disappointed and so was I as he rarely gets out, so this was a big treat for him. We felt the standard had deteriorated since our last visit, over a year ago. The decor and ambience is wonderful and the staff were lovely too, pity the food wasn't your usual standard. I hope you take this as constructive criticism and not a snipe at your business, I truly want you to do well.

Very dark and dull decor needs a face lift

First impressions count . Walked in for lunch . Sat down at table .Place was cramped on bar side and tables dirty. Walked out unfortunately won’t return

Love this pub , usually busy, but there is never a wait . Food is gorgeous and served in good time . TIP , try the street food.

Delicious food with relaxing ambience and quirky decor.

Good food, good beer is there anything else?.

Nice all-round service, food and atmosphere, parking can be a problem.

The friendly staff here at The Lion appear to be working hard to make everyone feel very welcome even under what are unusual circumstances. Already looking forward to making a return visit.

Special occasion but to be frank, the food was mediocre. Chicken overcooked, broccoli hard and fondant potato hard & undercooked. Others in the party had similar experiences except for those who ordered burgers. Not a great wine list or choice of dessert and no cheese board. Awful smell of drains near our table. Toilets were soiled and a right mess in both ladies toilets ( so much so we had to report it). We love this pub so very disappointing. Staff were lovely but inexperienced and lack of an experienced manager presence. Not worth the £200 bill unfortunately.

If you haven't been to this place you must go for coffees a pint or your dinner what an amazing place tip top menu so much to choose from good selection of beers and wine and cocktails brilliant service excellent staff very friendly the place is out of this world well done to all at the lion we will all be back for more

Lovely place overall. Good sized restaurant and it wasn’t overly crowded like some places. Meatball starter was delicious. Chicken burger was over cooked and very dry.

Food was delicious, service great and a lovely atmosphere. Would definitely recommend.

Booked a Saturday night slot, car park very busy, managed the last space! Pleasant lounge bar area before the meal. Bar food served as well, looked decent fayre. Our table in the restaurant was ready on time and a bonus, we were in the “parlour,” best area if you like quiet. Quick service, excellent new Autumn menu, cod croquettes great starter, the salmon fillet excellent, partner enjoyed the chicken breast. Overall pleasant experience, will be returning soon. Booking essential at weekends.

Went as a family of 4, 3 meals good 4th meal poor, gammon over cooked & fatty, gardens peas like bullets, chips re-heated, very slow service. Ordered Americana coffee half a cup.

We were a table of 8 and was advised to preorder our meal to help speed up the service as there were a few larger table bookings. It still took over 1.5 hours for food to arrive, apart from helping the chef work out what food they needed it made no difference to the serving time. We asked 3 times for table water too. 7 of the 8 meals were very good but the sea bream was not great, it was the tail end of the fish and a very small portion. Looking through facebook pics of the same meal made it look like half the portion! He came home and ate again as was still hungry.

Food fantastic, great friendly service and dog-friendly in the bar. Great for Sunday lunch but very busy. Did I mention the food is fantastic? 😉

The best fish and chips I've had for years!!!

Had a pleasant meal here last night! Beautifully presented food that tastes as good as the look! Friendly staff that are trained professionally, always greets you with a smile. Most importantly they know exactly when to approach your table! Comfortable and tasteful decor to seat in and enjoy. All in all a great experience and will definitely be back! Thank you.

Lovely traditional pub in a countryside village. Staff were warm and friendly and the food choices were extensive,well priced and would suit all tastes and appetites. The brisket beef chilli was amazing with home cooked nachos and only £14.50...delicious . Good sized parking area and spotlessly clean throughout. .

Food was lovely took a while for drinks to arrive but was busy

Always great food and service, we took friends that hadn’t eaten there before and they really enjoyed it too. I need a gluten free meal and there is always a good selection

Very nice place, excellent food and very good service. Don't hesitate... try it and you'll come back!

Amazing food and very friendly waiter

Amazing atmosphere. Great staff. Food is always amazing. Keeps the menu refreshed. Always clean. Dog friendly Only issue we ever have here is getting a car parking spot. This can't be changed, but some customers do park rather inconsiderate.

Never fails to please, excellent!

Very nice place, staff pleasant and helpful. I had the steak ale & mushroom pie which was great & my other half had the pan roasted chicken which she loved but wasn't much of it, on the plus side though that meant room for desert.

Amazing food and service. My daughter and I are vegetarians but don’t like too much spice. Joe asked the chef if they could account for this, and the chef made us amazing dishes taking into account our preferences. Attentive staff, only got one person’s name which was Joe, he was great as were all staff. Going above and beyond, really caring if we enjoyed our meals. Lovely decor, music not too loud which was such a bonus for me as I often feel over stimulated in restaurants. Thoroughly recommend

Very friendly staff and loved the decor. Food was nice. Slight disappointment with lack of non alcoholic beer but I know that's a niche market. Overall very nice.

Came away hungry. Ordered fishcakes as a main course. Totally prepared to pay extra for this but order lost in translation. Single fishcake delivered without any salad or anything at all on the plate. Sent back as undercooked and same fishcake served back which was lovely but simply not enough for a main course. Literally a fishcake on a plate. Not great if you don't eat meat or ask for something different. Staff ok but didn't really listen. Husband's meal ok but spoiled by my experience. Second time and won't go back. Shame as it's a lovely setting and looks like a great menu.

Great pub and fantastic service and food.I decided to have the street food off the menu and could not fault the food at all.We will definitely be back again soon.

First time in The Lion at Farnsfield, really impressed by the decor ,it was really lovely inside. The food was great ,but we were given our food the young lady dropped one of my sausages on the floor and I didn't hear an apology. We had the Hog Tray and it was absolutely delicious,we both left some food because we couldn't finish it as it was such a lot . We took the residue home for our dog Star , who thought enjoyed. Definitely would return.👏👏👏

No room at inn but had plenty of empty tables.

I can’t remember the last time I went somewhere and everything was good!! Very pleased and happy with our visit. Food was slow but worth it. All staff were nice, serving with a smile and kind. The place was nicely decorated.

Absolutely gorgeous meal and not badly priced, throughly enjoyed my date there. Great decor and atmosphere, all staff lovely

Had a wonderful lunch here today. My friend and I are both vegetarian, and it made a pleasant change to have so much choice for our main courses and desserts. Great service, with just the right amount of attentiveness. Loved the decor (wallpaper is amazing) and the background music was great and just the right volume to allow for easy conversation. We will most definitely be returning.

Only had drinks here, service was good

Lovely food. Will certainly return

Been many times and always been lovely food, however today very disappointing. We asked for the beef pink it came out raw, all the food served came out cold, the gravy was like water. No love at all went into todays meals. We overheard another table complaining about the meat being raw too. We was offered a free drink as the manager said that's all they can do. When paying nearly £18.00 for a meal we expect it to come out hot at least. It wasn't overly busy.

I like this pub from the outside to the inside with good food (beef rib is delicious) and good drinks selection. The decor is smart too.

Delicious dinner.Good prices.Big cart.Great...

Lovely staff very friendly. Food really nice will definitely come back

Had lunch here on Bank Holiday Monday. The Lambrosia of the God's and the burgers were outstanding. Great staff, really great food. Highly recommended. Many thanks.

Excellent food and service not to pleased with the three men swearing quite loudly near my kids

Food was delicious and staff really friendly

Very nice but disappointed in the seating in the lounge it was very dirty didn't like sitting on it ,when you go out for a meal in your dressie clothes you don't want to be sitting on dirty seating

Nice but very overpriced. Just nothing special

3/24 First visit for a couple of years with my daughter and family who live locally. Reasonably priced and varied lunch menu. Had the beef, caramelised onion and Stilton melt advertised as a doorstep sandwich - which it certainly was! Very generous amount of beef and served with mixed leaves and a generous portion of fries. I struggled to finish it! Good service too. Food and service good overall. My daughter's burger was a bit overdone and the bread (sourdough I think) with my soup was almost unchewable. On the plus side, I have never had so much meat in a pie as in their steak, ale and mushroom! Very tender and tasty too.

I had a Sunday lunch here last weekend and it was absolutely fantastic. I particularly loved the Yorkshire pudding burger! Great selection of cocktails too. Will definitely be back! Thank you :-)

An excellent lunch - good choice but the daily special was superb. Well done all.

First time visiting The Lion, we came on Sunday. The Sunday lunch was great, amazing flavours from all the elements and very filling. One of the best Sunday lunches I've had. The only thing to let it down was the beef which was very tough and chewy. Same for the other 5 people in our group that had it too. I'll definitely come back but would avoid the beef next time.

Beautiful home cooked food, made to order. Well worth a visit. I've been a few times and everytime it's lovely.

Dog friendly, good food and cocktails most of the time. However consistently very slow service, occasionally over cooked food and rude management! Be warned- they ask for feedback but give this at your own peril! The manger, Sam, is extremely unprofessional and insulting if you dare to point out the food was burnt, drinks orders were wrong and warm or service was slow. After complaining, rather than trying to rectify the points raised, the manger became extremely defensive and aggressive in tone, preceding to complain about the customers of her establishment, stating, ‘…angry when their drink is warm, disgusted it took 30 minutes to cook fresh food.. the list goes on and on.’ Considering the prices of food and drinks at The Lion, I don’t think it an unreasonable expectation that drink orders be correct and wine served cold, starters served within a reasonable time and correctly cooked- not burnt. Further more, the manger took great offence over my estimate of time it took to be served. A direct quote from her correspondence to me, ’those times you’ve quoted weren’t truthful, which makes it even sadder…you got called out on exaggerating the truth of timings, which is understandably a little embarrassing’ … this was in reference to me estimating that our starters took an hour to arrive when I fact the cctv reported they in fact took 46 minutes- 14 minute difference to my estimate. Instead of apologising and offering to rectify, the manager chose to use this 14 minute difference to childishly insult and name call. I have no doubt her usual aggressive style, using guilt tripping and name calling, would work on some more timid customers however unfortunately for her bullying tactics do no work on me. I believe in honest feedback so that establishments can improve. It appears Sam, the manager of the The Lion, believes that the customers are the problem, not her training and management of her staff. The young staff need better training and better management to lead them. Sad to say we won’t be returning due to the appalling response received on providing feedback.

Had the duck and can honestly say it was cooked to perfection. The service was bang on and the decor lovely.

Lovely decor & surroundings . The food was tasty, hot & well presented , wasn't quite perfect enough for 5 stars (the chicken wings starter although tasty, were actually sweet chilli and not salt n pepper, left fingers very sticky and no water bowl provided ) but I would still recommend the food and visit again . The service however was slow especially with drinks. No offer of water for the table and had to be asked twice before it came . Nice menu and lovely atmosphere. Overall 4/5

Had a birthday meal with my husband excellent.

Always good food, pleasant surroundings and a few pups in the bar to fuss.

Amazing food and a great time here. Very popular so book ahead. I had the steak and guiness pie and it was fabulous. Glad I had the veg and mash, because the rest of our party had the twice fried thick cut chips and they were dry and not very nice. The waitress did check on us though, and brought out fresh thin chips instead. Thanks !

First visit to the restaurant area and both the service and food was exceptional. If memory serves me well the head chef is Amy Metcalf who also deserves a mention for the amazing food on the menu and the staff are friendly and attentive.

Excellent food , great service and a very cosy atmosphere I highly recommend this restaurant

Great place to eat. Fast friendly service with a great menu.

Heard many good things about this place and they were all true! Lovely well presented food of decent sized proportions. Waitress was lovely. We weren't rushed. Warm cosy atmosphere just like it should be .

Best eatery in Nottingham with king size portions

Served by 3 different members of staff, had to ask and ask again for water. Wasn't asked if everything was OK,not made welcome. Would not visit again, plenty of good competition out there.

We were in Farnsfield for a couple of nights but wish we had been able to stay longer so that I could have worked my way through the fabulous vegan menu. High praise to a thoughtful chef. What a treat to be spoilt for choice! It's very dog friendly in the bar area. Our golden retriever Tallulah was made very welcome as were we. Highly recommended

Fantastic food and service, the menu has something for everyone.

The food is very good as is the service and is good value for money we sell be returning 😁

Long wait over 45min for food, not being kept informed or apology.

My first date with a beautiful young lady yesterday. The Lion is almost as wonderful as she is ☺️. We both ate the roast beef dinner which was perfectly cooked to our choice, plenty of it and a superb selection of vegetables. The Lion was packed from start at 12:00 till we left 2 & 1/2 hours later 😳. All staff were friendly and attentive. So yes all in all, highly recommended, we will definitely be back thank you The Lion👍🏼☺️

Ordered the "Christmas Cracker" Platter from the bar food menu. Exceptional quality. Really nice taste - a Hoisin ( or similar) sauce sparingly dribbled over an eclectic rustically chopped mix of pigs in blankets , Roast cubed potatoes, Turkey & stuffing. Unusual concoction - but .. to 'DIE FOR' TASTE. The flavours are there ! I'm weird with food , & I'm not sure I'd have come up with this but ..recommended. The staff are friendly , professional & humanly helpful. Not obsequious ,but really nice. Working well. Good choice of beers. Nice decor. Nice clientele. Nice area. Gents toilets nice & clean. Parking to side of pub - illuminated parking area. Disabled level floor access. Separate large heated undercover outside / smoking area.

I was recommended to go here by a friend. They still had the Christmas menu running which I was a little unsure about. However the food is incredible and the desserts even better. I don't normally have a desert when out due to most deserts being a let down and usually over priced. Will be coming again once the summer main menu is on.

We as a family attended the lion on the 31st December, the staff are 'amazing' so attentive. Great Team, Food excellent, A lovely time had by all, Thank you 😊

A bit of a long wait but the food was fresh cooked. It was really nice.

Really good pub, beautiful food, had the Christmas menu and the black forest cheese cake was amazing.

Great night out with friends and family, would do it again, staff and food where great

First time going to the lion, most certainly won’t be the last.

Works xmas lunch was fabulous, the food was excellent and they catered for all tastes and dietary requirements. Would absolutely recommend and return

The dining room is great, looks closely at the pictures they're quite amusing. The service is good, if a little slow (but if you want freshly cooked food and not pinged micro meals, it's worth the extra wait) the food is excellent, beef blade especially good.

Food was delightful. Lots of choice…. Lovely decor and friendly staff.

Been here many times before but last Sunday was very disappointing wrong meal came out asked for beef well done and it came out very pink /red changed then for a cold meal to come out changed again and very little beef and still pink in places came out by this time our friends had finished there meal pud was just ok . very young staff that did not have a clue of hospitality .

Had a delightful family night at The Lion at Farnsfield. Booking was seamless, received a confirmation email with menu choices. The 2023 Christmas menu was outstanding, high-quality dishes, and impeccable presentation. With 9 people, mains, and drinks, we spent just over £200. Well worth it – highly recommend!

Excellent quality food, had the Mrbeefy yorkshire pudding burger and Lisa had the boss hog roast tray... Fantastic.... Like the rude bottles hidden away among the others...

Lovely warm welcome on arrival, busy Saturday night but table ready on time. Recommend booking the parlour if you prefer a more comfortable experience, always busy, but low noise levels for chat. We four had starters, (great choices), blade of beef, duck and chicken, all cooked to perfection, delivered in a timely manner. Wonderful staff, excellent table side etiquette, nothing was too much trouble, service with a smile. Good choice of drought beers and lagers, extensive wine list, reasonable prices. We have already booked for early December, cannot wait! Well done “Lion”, we had a great time. Bryan.

Can we please request that where ever food is eaten that wet feet dog are not aloud on seating when I enter a pub i wipe my feet ,I can only say I'm so glad that was wasn't going to sit on those seats after the dogs in nice clothing,I know we were in the bar side due to the dining room being booked up but please have sign saying a polite ask to keep dogs off seats ,we have 3 dogs and they are still loved even when sat on the floor .

Amazing service from Lil, Jazz and Emily. Beautiful food and lovely atmosphere. Love every visit to the lion.

This could be a very nice pub but they carry on serving food in the bar area when they have a nice restaurant. Like many places it's neither a pub or a restaurant again you need staff that actually go out of there way to talk to the customers

Nice place, plenty of parking outdoor covered deck area, nice bar and restaurant areas. Good food, decent portion sizes. Try the fish finger sandwich with chunky chips if you fancy a filling lunch.

Brilliant food vast selection of beverages. Highly recommended

A fantastic meal got our wedding anniversary. The portions are on the generous size, so you'll like end up sharing a desert 😁

Fantastic food every time, great value for money. Lovely, attentive staff too!