The Lion Inn in Chelmsford

Excellent food good atmosphere but can get noisy. Staff excellent and location is convenient We have been as a couple and with a party of six. This place never disappoints I would highly recommend

Fantastic meal with friends - our first time here! Absolutely gorgeous roast! Prices very reasonable although service charge 12.5 % rather than 10 % not sure why. Staff very helpful. We all had an excellent time. Had a quick look at tge hotel next door, wow! Loved the astro turf lion standing guard.

Love this place!! The food is amazing. Went for parents anniversary meal with family and they were very impressed. The staff, although rushed off their feet, were friendly and helpful. Thank you !

A Quick thankyou to all of your staff for a beautiful meal on Sunday evening, we each enjoyed a starter followed by a beautifully cooked roast dinner and a few drinks. The service was brilliant and well managed the restaurant was lovely and clean and the food came out at a reasonable time of ordering this was our first time of visiting but we will definitely return. Many thanks Jemma

Great food and service. Had a great lunch here.

I would have given a 5 star as I loved the place, ambience, and location. It was my first visit, and I had to say I was impressed. The only thing that took the star away was the service. I had to wait for 15 minutes at the bar 🍸 and eventually, i gave up and left the place after just 1 drink. There were 4-5 staff members behind the bar with only 3 customers, including me waiting, yet no one was served for at least 15 minutes. I understand the restaurant was busy, but I believe bar customers should be equally important.

Very busy Saturday night dinner was s bit slow to arrive but we weren't In a hurry

Very busy on Sunday but food and staff delightful. 100% recommend

We had a meal for my daughter's birthday, the food was lovely and brilliant service the staff were helpful and efficient. Will definitely go back

Great food, great service and great ambience.

In for breakfast, team attentive, food great and open fire going. Felt welcomed and valued by the team working this morning, thank you.

We had a lovely meal with great company but being a large table of 12, where we were sat in the middle of the restaurant was incredibly noisy and struggle to hear Next time, would have been better suited at the back

Brilliant place for food. Never had a bad meal when I have been to the lion inn. Recommend this place to everyone

Sunday Roast review - very mid. Roast potatoes were woeful, we were given a tiny plate of boiled, tasteless vegetables to share. It had a total of two broccoli florets. Yorkshire pudding was bland and cold. The meat was the only redeeming feature, pretty decent. The starter was decent. The restaurant itself is large and has a nice interior, the outdoors area was attractive. Lots of staff, who were friendly but could have been more attentive.

Had a lovely meal outside. Food was amazing, service was good except long wait at end to pay bill but otherwise best meal both me and my partner have had in a long time eating out and very reasonable (£85 and both had 2 alcoholic drinks and a starter and main each)

Used to adore coming here but on several occasions one has been left bitterly disappointed. Yesterday evening popped in for soft drinks and a beer and not food as dined earlier. Larger tables had empty and full glasses left on them including our own which had very full glasses left thus causing confusion as to whether the table was occupied along with discarded qcigarette packet. One had to look for staff to get the table cleaned despite several members of staff passing near to the table numerous times I had a non alcoholic cocktail which consisted of a small tumbler sized glass full to the brim of ice. I paid for a drink not something that resembled a Slush Puppie with very little content. Please ask in future if customers have finished rather than clearing their glasses and snacks,. Shame the staff were not so eager to clean the tables earlier. The Lion was a place we really loved and recommended to many people but sadly no more. I remember on a sunny Sunday evenings in the past the garden used to be packed, one could not get a parking space, not so yesterday.! Such a shame, as there were on past visits really lovely members of staff and the was food fantastic. Little point in complaining as when I once did I was treated in an a very dismissive manner. Our visits got less and less and yesterday was the final straw !

Our usual lunch venue had closed so we looked for somewhere on our way home . Saw The Lion Inn and gave it a try . Really attractive pub. It was a boiling hot day 12/8 /24 and we were seated in the courtyard by a very nice smiley small blonde lady . Nice menu. We chose Cod with samphire and pea purée. The accompanying potato cake was really dry and needed some cream and butter , probably dried out because it was prepared a while earlier, but the rest was nice . The only negative was the attitude of the young waiter who took our order, ( I had to call him over ) and then he brought the Bill. I’d say he was rather bored and not particularly happy in his job. The only time he smiled was when we added a tip , which in fairness wasn’t much deserved by him personally. Will definitely go back because it’s a really nice pub. Would like to try a stay there too as it’s a hotel as well .

Steph our waitress was so good I had to ask her if she had shares in the company I’m a business owner and recognise a gem of an employee when I see one. The Lion is very lucky to have an employee like Steph that cares …. Our party of 4 all had incredible food Well done to all !

Amazing Sunday Roast, best we’ve had in a long time!!! Had Roast Beef (2 stunning thick slices), juicy pork belly with incredible crackling and steak and ale pie, all with bucket loads of veggies……and fluffy yorkies. A little on the pricey side, but so worth the money, will most definitely be returning again soon.

Lovely setting and great service helpful and friendly but the menu promises more than it delivers on a few dishes that I have seen or eaten , what a shame, otherwise it hits all the right spots

Members of my family frequently dine at the lion. We love it! A really pleasant environment The food always excellent. The service friendly , helpful and efficient. An interesting menu at reasonable prices. Recently I had a family lunch for my birthday in their private dining room. A lovely room Again everything absolutely perfect We had our own waitress Steph who couldn’t have been more helpful and efficient. We were able to go outside into their excellent secluded garden as it was a lovely day Some family stayed there and highly recommended the rooms and breakfast. Do give it a visit. Just off the A12

Met up with some of the clan for dinner. Went on a Friday evening and sat outside. Excellent meal had by the majority....steak pie was rich and tasty, personally I would have had a puff pastry top rather than suet. Also when did veggies become an extra cost? With had lobster bisque spaghetti which was a little tasteless. But all-in-all very enjoyable time.

Perfect place for meal just to pop in book a room and have a private group meal outside tables good spot on and service was fantastic bubbly polite well worth trying.even had a weeding going on and didn't feel busy at all .didn't stay in rooms so can't comment.

I have recently got married at the lion house and the whole experience was a amazing. The venue is beautiful and the courtyard makes you feel like you could be in Spain or South of France. All the staff were second to none and couldn't do enough for us and all the other guests, especially Georgina. Finally the food, we went for the grill menu and it was definitely a wise choice, as all our guests loved it and all they can talk about are the ribs!!!

We went for a party & was located in the sun terrace so it was like private dinning. We were a party of 10. Service was good, food was good all had a lovely time & have gone back since

I have often eaten at The Lion, and I have never been disappointed. It has always been very busy and had a noisy atmosphere, but on my last visit on a Sunday evening, it was quiet.

Had a lovely meal on 14/5/24 for my 40th birthday! Our waitress Steph was wonderful and was so helpful and friendly. The food was delicious and we will definitely be back!

I love this place . We have been a number of times and seen it grow over the years . Still great food and choice - great atmosphere, lively if not a bit noisy unless you sit around the side - always forget to take photos of the food to put on here - will do next time - great place to go , couples or family … celebration or just going out out

Service was very poor, feel like the area we were sitting gets forgotten..had to keep calling our waitress over.

The excellent venue for a birthday party great service and food very efficient staff

I've had the pleasure of staying at the Lion multiple times and it was always a great experience Easily 5 stars

Always our go to place for a Sunday roast or indeed any occasion, being somewhere local we can always trust which never fails to disappoint. Consistently delivering incredible food & hospitality - the management are always welcoming and friendly, greeting us on a first name basis - such a nice attention to detail. Highly recommend!

Fantastic meal. Food was piping hot and really tasty. Great selection on the menu and different specials. Staff were really attentive. Even though it was really busy, we didn’t wait long for food. Will be back again soon!

Went to a mid week evening wedding reception there. Very smart venue. Staff friendly, helpful and attentive. Good parking, and on bus route between Chelmsford and Maldon.

We stayed over night at the Lion Inn and cannot recommend this place enough! Absolutely 5 star service from start to finish. Food was amazing and all the staff were super helpful. The room was absolutely lovely, extremely well decorated and comfortable. We will definitely be back soon!

We stayed over night at the Lion Inn and cannot recommend this place enough! Absolutely 5 star service from start to finish. Food was amazing and all the staff were super helpful. The room was absolutely lovely, extremely well decorated and comfortable. We will definitely be back soon!

Buzzing atmosphere, great food and helpful staff. Returning customer.

Oh dear must have been a bad day. Been here for years and always outstanding but today so very poor. Prices have recently really increased a lot. Still taking our coats off when we were asked for our drink order if any. Not many smiles from the team who were slow by previous standards but perhaps we upset them by asking to be moved to a different table. Late on I asked for a small glass of water and as it hadn't arrived after a few minutes I reminded the floor manager who slammed a glass down on the next table, said she had ordered it and stormed off glaring at me. Not a good advert for front of house and very unprofessional. Nevertheless we still we left a tip but may not be back as spoilt for choice for other excellent eateries in the area.

Had lunch here for a celebration, consisting of prawn cocktail starters that were £8.95, a reasonable amount of Prawns/crayfish with sauce and lettuce, plus half a slice of rye bread. The main course for me was a large haddock and chips , of which both were good. For my wife, she had the pork belly that had mash, cracker strips, a light mustard sauce. Overall the food was very good, but £190 (4 starters and mains, 3 desserts, 3 coffees, 1 bottle of processco and 1 bottle of water) including tips, was a tad expensive, I would have expected a bit better for that food was 4/5. Didn't use the rooms, so I can't score those. Good service and very nice looking inside.

I’ve been to the Lion inn several times now over the years and have always been impressed with the ambience and the food is consistently incredibly tasty, really well presented and a reasonable price. The Lion however has surpassed even my expectations tonight by the level of service received from the most bubbly, kind, caring and amazing waitress I’ve ever known. My girlfriend and I wanted to say a huge thank you to Steph our waitress for the evening who brought the whole experience to another level. Thank you Steph for making a lovely evening even more amazing!! If you’ve been on the fence about going to the Lion, then go just to meet Steph!!

Excellent destination for lunch... Good menu, good price and excellent service ...

Had a meal here yest eve with family. Food was lovely. Our waitress was excellent. Nothing was too much trouble.

Just came back from a lovely evening. Out waitress made our evening....she went above and beyond to make our evening special. Wish I'd found out her name for a name check. Food was as good as always.

An unassuming place from the roadside but outstanding once in! Try the delightful bread board or perfect pork crackling; but starters may seem unnecessary as the portion sizes are decent. The latte is a definite must-try. While the sides come at an extra cost, the Homemade Fish Pie and The Lion's Homemade Pie are absolute delights, easily ranking among the best we've ever had. The service strikes a seamless balance - attentive and professional. The cosy ambiance is perfect for some Instagram-worthy shots. Remember, the kitchen starts taking orders at 12, but worth the wait. Consider arriving early or booking in advance on their website. Ample parking is an added bonus. Our bill for two amounted to approximately £65, excluding the tip. Visited a couple of times now! The ham, egg, and chips, along with the double sea bass and main tart, offer pleasant, but not particularly remarkable choices. While they don't quite steal the spotlight like some other menu items, they still are worth a try if not in the mood for a pie. You will have an enjoyable dining experience here.

One of the best pubs for traditional British food in the East of England, absolutely unmissable!

Wonderful roast beef for Sunday lunch. Only problem was that I had no room for a pudding. Service and general environment excellent. The staff work hard with a smile on their faces! Can't praise enough! Can't comment on the rooms as my family live very close by.

I love this place. Incredible food. Fantastic relaxed friendly service. You can dress up here for a birthday or turn up in your Jean's. Everyone welcome and the atmosphere is always casual friendly and welcoming. My favourite place to eat in essex xxx ❤ pre booking not required which is great xxx

We went for a wedding. Lovely venue, great food and the staff were absolutely brilliant. They were so attentive and made the day really special. We stayed in the hotel as well and the rooms were lovely and the breakfast in the morning was fab too. Continental options followed by a great choice of hot breakfast. Thank you to all the staff that worked so hard!

My wife and I have visited the Lion many times over the years and decided to hold our wedding anniversary in the function room at the Lion for twenty family and friends. The whole experience from booking to fantastic food and drink with help and hard work from all the Lion staff made this a great night for us all. Thank you so much to all of you especially Jennie who held it all together from Margaret and Paul Rayner

Wedding Venue My daughter got married here in March 24 - Wow what an amazing venue with wonderful food and top notch customer service. Our whole day was fantastic from start to finish, we stayed at the hotel the night before, housekeeping were able to get the bridal suite ready for my daughter to use early, they even helped her move her ‘stuff’ from her room to the bridal suite. The wedding planner stayed in touch with my daughter on and off all morning and ushered the wedding party to where they needed to be throughout the day, she was efficient and polite and always had a smile in her face. Wedding food Out of this world, to the point virtually all the guests commented on how lovely their food was. Serving staff An absolute credit to their company, every single one of them were friendly and polite nothing was too much trouble and their service always came with a smile. Hotel rooms Lovely, beds were large and comfortable room space was more then adequate as we were there of my daughters wedding you can imagine the amount of bags (including a wedding dress) we had with us - plenty of space to fit it all in and still walk around the room. Bath and shower were lovely. Tea bags were the only minor disappointment, easily rectified by a quick trip to local shop, if your reading this bring you own from home. Overall I can thoroughly recommend this venue, it’s biggest seller had to be the staff, customer service these days is almost nonexistent however this venue had it in spades! Thank you for making my daughters wedding day so so special.

Sadly the lack of service / attention made my son’s 21st meal / gathering a lot more difficult & stressful than it should have been !

We celebrated my father's 90th birthday here with a beautiful meal for 30 people, and couldn't have been happier with the food, venue and the service. Steph and the team who looked after us were superb. Many thanks to you all.

We’ve been coming here for years and I’m sorry to say that the service and food has drastically gone down hill. Staff are polite but have a tendency to just bump into your chair as if you sent there with no apology. Drinks were very slow to arrive at the table (a good 10 minutes) and the place was not very busy. Food was the most disappointing. The fish pie was far too salty - this used to a favourite together with skate wing (which hasn’t been on the menu for a very long time). Chips were not good and nowhere nearly as good as the duck fat chips that used to be on the menu. The ciabatta with the specials pate was shop bought crostini (brittle and tasteless). Haddock on the fish and chips was very thin piece of fish with thick batter. Finally £4 for a small bowl of peas and similar for mushrooms when dishes are coming up with no veg is an expensive joke. Needless to say we won’t be hurrying back. Such a shame…. If you could stop putting profit ahead of the customer dining experience that would be a start on turning this back to the nice place it once was.

We came here for a last minute Sunday lunch and were able to sit within twenty minutes, leaving enough time for a cocktail in between! We then were seated and ordered starters and pork crackling to share. The fresh bread was warm, soft and covered in thick salty butter! The roast lamb was cooked to perfection. However the portion of lamb was rather small considering the price was higher than the other roasts. We would come back here again but opt for a different roast… The car park was really busy but we squeezed in and then we were able to take in the beautiful grounds and attention to detail both within and external of the building.

Been coming he for years, foods always amazing staff are always very helpful especially Steph always makes our visit welcoming and fun

What a wonderful day! We were in "The Suite" for a birthday party and Steph was absolutely amazing! She was very attentive and was able to help with any questions we had. Steph took some great photos of the group. Thank you for making it such a special day, Steph!

It's amazing that this place is so busy all the time, even during weekday lunch! The staff do an incredible job as well, service was smooth, atmosphere great, and food was 10/10. My friend had the salmon special and I had the belly of pork, the jus was amazing and the crackling 'spot' on. I was so full but had to have a Malteser cheesecake. It was worth it! Will definitely be coming back!!

Had my 80th birthday celebration on 23rd March at your amazing Inn, food was excellent as was the atmosphere, the server Steph was absolutely brilliant and a credit you, she could not have been more helpful in making our evening a success, please tell her this is from the 80th jolly man. Thank you.

Had dinner with some friends. Chicken liver pate was tasteless, but the fish pie was great.

Extremely disappointed, I phoned to ask about allergies and if they could cook for me. Got there sat down and asked the waitress what I could eat. She went off to the kitchen and apart from steak which I don't like it was the same old thing Fish and chips was all I could have, I thought It had its own kitchen and chefs. I dont know if they dont know how to cook or just couldnt be bothered.Really upset and disappointed due to it being our wedding anniversary meal x

Just returned from a lovely meal at the Lion Inn. Great food, great atmosphere but biggest shout out to the lovely lady Steph who took over from our original waiter. Very friendly and informative. Alerted us on how to scan the code for the Specials board to save us getting up and going over to them. This gave us plenty of time to ponder over our choices. We were there with our 18 month old grandson and after eating his meal on his plate from home, Steph kindly took his plate and cutlery to wash them for us. Nothing was too much trouble so a big thank you to her. Hope you’re on shift for our next visit. We thoroughly enjoyed our early evening meal. Highly recommend.

We went to the 1920’s themed Murder at the Casino. It was a 3 course meal with coffee & Prosecco while trying to solve the murder of Joey the croupier in the casino. It was an excellent fun evening. The actors were all great. The food was excellent and the drinks were chilled nicely Most people really made the effort to dress up in the requested garb of the time and they looked great. Looking forward to the next one.

Continuously come back to The Lion Inn. I’ve never had a bad meal. We got married at The Lion House in 2022 and stayed on site and the rooms were very nice. Large rooms, clean, modern and each room was different.

Havent stayed here but what can i say......from the moment we wandered in to the moment we left, very well looked after. Service was excellent. And the food....fantastic and great value. Ive already recommended to many friends and will certainly return. Thank you

Came here for lunch with some friends and it was 10/10.. had such a lovely time and would definitely come back again, well down Steph

Excellent place very busy great atmosphere food decent price staff friendly

Had a wonderful experience, great food and absolutely fantastic service by Steph. Would highly recommend and we will be back soon. Chloe and Jimmy - peace out A town x

Fantastic as always great atmosphere. Food was outstanding. Try their blue strawberry salad it's amazing

Mostly untrained staff, very slow to serve nearly 30 minutes at the table before attendance and then slow throughout, food was hot but not much more you could say about it, shame as the décor is nice but that's not what we came for. Was a guest of someone else so not our place to bring the standards to the attention of the manager although you might expect the manager to already be aware. Oh and really don't like the specials being on a QR code, I had left my phone at home so no idea what they were.

The place was quite busy for a Tuesday lunchtime and I can see why as it is a great venue with super food and attentive service. Bravo.

I generally visit once a month and it is always such a pleasent experience in this extremely popular pub. The staff are very helpful and friendly. The atmosphere lively and its well maintained with a lovely large log fire in the main area. The food is always good and they serve very good decaffeinated coffee. They have a very large open area but also quiet areas too.

Fantastic food, good service, had to wait a little while to be seated but worth the wait

Very poor dinner Veg was not cooked potatoes were very very dry and the so called sirloin steak was all fat very disappointed as meal was not cheap

Lovely venue, but no heaters outside so not very smoker friendly at all

Private dinning room for a family 50th birthday celebration for 22 guests. The food choices were excellent for a set menu, very accommodating for our adults/children party the food all arrived together and was amazing quality. Our waiter Alex was very attentive and nothing was too much trouble.

Lovely food, good pleasant service, nice atmosphere.

It was a family gathering at which all decided to have the Sunday Roast dinner. It is a sad reflection that one leaves a restaurant knowing that one could have had a far better meal prepared at home!. The ambiance was good and the servers were spot on, no complaints in their direction. However, old blunt cutlery trying to cut hard potatoes was a challenge. The roast beef came with a 2cm ring of raw fat and a medium rare request produced wast when delivered almost raw and again a cutlery challenge. A small dish of vegetables for four people was inadequate, eg, one piece of broccoli each and 6 string beans and 4 carrot strings per person. A request for cauliflower cheese for four to share produced a small bowl of two florets per person and the large Yorkshire pudding was again a rigid challenge for the cutlery. Having used the Lion since it opened as a restaurant,it has, food wise gone dramatically downhill. I can anticipate the response - did you report this to the server and the answer from two ancients is, no we did not wish to embarrass our young hosts and given our previous loyalty and respect of the Lions prior food standards we would not have expected to do so. A very sad day that one of our stand by places may no longer be so.

Fantastic evening spent at the Lion Inn. Food and service exceptional. Our waitress Steph could not have been more friendly and helpful. Thank you for a wonderful experience.

We arrived mid-afternoon and spent a couple of hours enjoying the food, drink and ambience. The menu+ wine list was well structured, with nibbles, starters, mains and vegetarian selections, as well as a chalkboard listing daily specials. The carrot and coriander soup was the perfect foil for a cold and bright winter day. The homemade steak pie with mash and mushy peas was on the money as were the steak and chips ordered by my wife and son.

What can I say, it's extremely rare as an ex hospitality professional to find somewhere of this caliber. The standard of service and quality of the fiid were second to none. The waiting team were able to deliver a polished performance but it didn't at all tok rehearsed it was a natural level of what I can only class as excellence. Thank you to all of you the wider industry has a lot they can learn from you.

We booked the private dining room and our waitress was Steph. Absolutely brilliant, she couldn’t help us enough went out of her way to help. Everyone commented on how brilliant she was.

It's a busy, lively place with a great menu that I haven't eaten off of yet because the specials are so good. If you see skate as a special, make sure you have it.

Food cold chicken hard Really gone downhill Wouldn’t go again terrible food can’t even hear each other speak There are much better restaurants in Chelmsford & there cheaper!

Superb food and drinks and excellent service from start to finish. Evening dinner for 6 friends. Wouldn’t hesitate to revisit. 👍🏼

Well worth the 40 minute drive....amazing lunch, very tasty, presented well, very professional happy staff, great choices on menu....

As alwaya fantastic food and service Just one question..... Pre covid u did a fantastic fish platter. After covid no fish platter. Please please can we have it back on the menu

I was lucky enough to be invited to a family function at the Lion on Saturday 6th Jan. Well what a delight it was thanks to the staff and chefs that busily provide the service. The meal was second to none , just fantastic. Thank you Lion Inn we will be back!!

We spent a wonderful few hours in a private room at the Lion to celebrate my Wife's special Birthday with 26 members of our family and would very highly recommend this restaurant for its food quality and service which was impeccable. Its only problem is its own success, as even with increased car parking it is still sometimes difficult at weekends to find parking spaces near to the restaurant. However a small price to pay for such a brilliant evening in very amicable surroundings and supported by very well trained staff in our case lead by Ayla and her team of little helpers.

I booked the function room at the Lion Inn for a surprise meal for 31 people for my husbands 40th birthday on New Years Day and it was a fantastic experience from beginning to end. From the staff I corresponded with when making the arrangements to the waiting staff on the day, everyone was friendly and helpful. The room looked fantastic and the food was beautiful. We had the set menu and there was a good choice, an abundance of sides and all for a very reasonable price. Our waitress, Jenny, was on her own most of the time and did an amazing job. She was helpful and friendly and made a fuss of my 3 year old son who was the only child with us, All our friends and family commented on how lovely it all was. We’ll definitely be back.

We have walked in in a sunday evening, our first time here. We both had the pork belly for mains and sticky toffee pudding for dessert. Food was excellent and our server, i believe her name was Sophie, she was lovely too.

The staff here are amazing. One of our group fell ill during our meal and the staff dealt with it in the most professional and sympathetic manner. Can’t praise them highly enough. Thank you. Also food and decor superb.

We have just returned home from a visit to The Lion Inn and I have to say it never lets us down for decent food at a reasonable price. If you like a lovely tasty meat pie packed with chunks of steak and mushroom this is for you. Served with just the lid it oozes flavour along with mash (a side of vegetables is extra) My wife had the Haddock and chunky chips which she said was very nice. Well worth a visit.

Went for a lovely Sunday afternoon roast in the summer. All staff very amiable, although busy and we had to reach out to them rather than staff approaching us. Our drinks and food were nice and although roast potatoes looked fab, they were actually over cooked and dry, but the rest was lovely so we weren't put off and would return. The surroundings are pleasant, plenty of space between tables so you dont feel crammed. Dogs are welcomed in the outdoor seating area's, unsure of inside though. Toilet facilities were all impeccable, internal décor is quirky and ornate

Best roast dinner we’ve had in a long time. Food was excellent, service was great. Had a wait of around 30mins to be seated but wasn’t too bad. Was worth it for sure.

We attended a wedding and stayed over at this hotel. The wedding was absolutely amazing, the venue was perfect and everything ran like clock work. The food for the wedding was amazing and people were going up for second helpings, so must have been plentiful. Our room was beautiful, very clean and had everything we wanted, clean towels, toiletries. Breakfast was delicious and we liked that you ordered from a menu rather than a buffet. The staff honestly couldn’t do enough for you and every staff member was polite and very friendly. We loved it so much we are already planning to go back for a cheeky night away. Thank you all x

Not expecting too much after two lunches at The Castle at Great Leigh’s which has also been taken over by Red Cat. The second visit we were the only table with people seated. What a very pleasant surprise at The Lion where we’ve not eaten at since it changed hands, now Red Cat. Friendly, attentive waiters, excellent fish pie, probably the best I’ve ever had. I was a bit concerned after reading the rules about arriving in time and the allowance of 2 hrs. However there was no hurrying or being rushed at all. Well done all at The Lion. Only one small negative not about the food! A sign showing where the disabled access from car park into the restaurant would be very helpful. In my wheelchair, I found myself at the top of steps leading down to one entrance, then at a step going up to another entrance before asking a member of the public where I could get in. Luckily it wasn’t raining.

I booked a table for 10 guests. The staff had arranged the seating so we were on one table as I had previously requested. The staff were friendly and helpful. The food arrived promptly and was tasty. Portion sizes were really good. I had a great time. Thank you.

Always very good service and delicious food. Specials menu is extensive and does change. Worth a visit for a good meal..

Same great food and service. Fantastic venue and always busy. Staff are efficient and attentive and always smiling. We have eaten here as a couple and with family and everyone has rated The Lion five stars.

Attended the murder mystery evening on Friday, and it was very good, the actors were funny and controlled the room well. The food was great and the food service was very good too. Big negative was the bar area…… just getting a drink took an absolute age…. Staff behind the bar just walking around aimlessly with absolutely no urgency whatsoever as we needed to take our seats. Had a further issue at the end of the night with a barman, won’t go into details but all I’ll say is that his attitude towards me was so unprofessional, he knew he did wrong and could’ve just held his hands up……but instead, just ignored me. I appreciated the manager sorting it out in the end. Really put a dampener on my evening. Shame………