The Lion Inn in Chelmsford

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!

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.

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!!

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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………

My wife and I went for the wedding of our granddaughter and everyone had an amazing time.A massive thank you to all the staff for great hospitality and the chefs for lovely meal. My wife is disabled and the staff could not do enough for her especially Jo Bilton who was wonderful nothing was too much trouble. We felt it was five star.

So tonight was unexpectedly busy. A wedding so car park was full Table allocation fairly quickly s positive Starters hit and miss. Too many cashews in the blue strawberry starter. Mains fab especially the fish but …. Cashew in the salad … did you bulk buy ?? Pud’s crumble amazing. Service really fab waiter friendly couldn’t do enough. Sorry I didn’t ask your name. Drinks ok a bit of a wait to start. Over all good for a big busy noisy venue.

Not impressed , there were 12 of us booking and had to pay £120 deposit due to number. We had to have our bill in one large bill when we wanted to pay separately. We were the told we had to pay 121/2 % service charge. An elderly family total confusion. Meal was presented in fits and starts and we we put on a long table where conversation was limited. Staff had very limited customer contact

What a fab place! Didn’t have a reservation as was told walk in service so was worried wouldn’t get a table. Was told when we arrived we’d have a 30 minute wait - no problem, had a cocktail at the bar (delicious) and then we were told our table was ready after ten minutes. Had a lovely meal (steak and salmon /sea bass Asian salad) and the staff were amazing. Great buzzy atmosphere! 💯 recommend! Definitely be back!

My young sons sausages were very pink in the middle and cold. Staff very defensive and said they were supposed to be like that. The texture of the meat was uncooked. Fish and chips were average. We have had some beautiful meals here over the years but it’s not the place it was unfortunately.

We recently celebrated our parents 60th wedding anniversary here, in the function room that holds up to 40 people. It had been organised since February this year, and the customer service has been excellent. The team has kept in touch, answered all questions promptly and went out of their way to make sure the evening went off without a hitch, making the occasion so enjoyable and memorable for all the guests. A big Thank you to Helen and her team who looked after us that night and to the back of house staff for the excellent food. Most importantly, my parents had a fabulous evening and want to pass on their thanks to you all. It's easy to see why you won the award for customer service and we would definitely recommend the Lion for any celebrations.

Visited for lunch recently and it was lovely. Had the fish cakes as a main, delicious and great portion size. Staff super friendly and attentive. Really enjoyed it.

Great……..if you like potatoes 🥔 🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔 Plate full of potatoes and less meat and veg. If you’re into carbs you’re in the right place for Sunday lunch.

Have visited The Lion many times & will always be impressed by is decor/vibe/upkeep/food quality/service. Alex was our waiter - courteous, smart & ever vigilant to our needs. From being greeted at the door to the delivery of our food & drinks, the whole team are customer focused & smiley. Long may The Lion roar with its individuality & high standards.

visited lunchtime today , great choice of starters & main courses , the starters were excellent as were the main course, generous portions & served promptly. Staff very friendly & attentive , i would thoroughly recommend this restaurant .

Went here on 24th for friend’s Ruby wedding anniversary held in the private dining room. From the moment we arrived the staff were very welcoming and made me feel as if it was my celebration despite just being a guest. The service was exemplary from...

Really nice meal here on a busy Saturday night. The dining area is huge and they fitted us in no problems. No reservations are accepted Environment can get a little loud and I did struggle to hear our friends opposite us from time to time....

Lunch for three in a lively atmosphere with great aromas in the air. Our waiter was Ben who was great and got all our individual food requests spot on. Two of us chose the half roast chicken with herbs and my other half had a...

Oh dear what have the new owners done ,use to be a regular not no more ! Food standards and choice nowhere near what it use to be ,goodbye to another great eatery 😢

We visited on a Sunday evening. It was about half full and we were seated straight away. The first impression was just how noisy it was - very difficult to hear anything over the noise of customers. The lack of soft furnishings didn’t help this....

This is one of our favourite places to eat, we decided to go on Saturday early evening and again was not disappointed. Food was lovely, there was a small issue that my main course was not hot, I informed the Waitress and she took it...

The Lion inn private dining room was the perfect venue for my aunt and uncle’s diamond wedding celebration meal. The food was delicious and they catered for different dietary requirements for our party. The waiting staff worked tirelessly to accommodate our requests for food and...

Just had a delicious lunch at The Lion Inn. As always, the food was excellent. Beautifully served and piping hot. Though all the staff were excellent, I have a special mention for Ben who showed us to our table and served us throughout. Such a...

Such a great venue in Chelmsford. Best place in Essex for a good meal/drink if you prefer a more sophisticated crowd. Lovey food. Pub grub but done well and decent portions too so great value for money. Lovely helpful staff. A big venue so can...

My husband & I went here for our 2nd date and recently returned for our 4th anniversary! Food was fantastic - we had the posh bread, butter, olive oil & balsamic vinegar and the calamari to start which we shared, followed by a steak each,...

Only just glanced at the previous reviews and could not agree more. We visited the Lion and was very much looking forward to a Sunday roast with friends and family. We will never go for a roast again and I cannot believe the kitchen staff...

We have been coming here for years and we’re very disappointed with the quality of the food on Saturday afternoon compared to our last visit a year ago. Has there been a change of ownership? We felt the quality of the food was not good...

Used to be a favourite local restaurant as there was always sthg surprising on the menu and they sold my fave champagne (Louis Roderer). Went last night and the best thing I can say is that the food was fine. Service picked up after a...

The Lion is a usual dinner spot for me and my friend when we have a catch up but unfortunately I think this will be our last visit for a while. My burger stayed warm for less than 5 minutes once it reached the table...

What can I say, from start to finish, excellent service, excellent food, couldn’t fault Was recommended the pub by a friend and I was not disappointed. We shared a Calamari then I had the fish pie and my wife the spare ribs special. The calamari...

Incredible food , had seafood pie , seriously delicious, well done sheff , amazing cooking skills and service in restaurant superb , very easy 5 stars from me

Visited with friends for dinner. 8 in total. My starter did not arrive, when queried nothing happened until after the others had finished and then mine arrived. I refused it as I did not want to eat alone, and delay the table. The waitress and...

My husband & I had the most wonderful stay here. The staff are all exceptional. Helpful friendly & knowledgeable. The restaurant staff were all lovely. Our evening meal was delicious & our desserts delightful. Karen on reception this morning went over & above with her...

I have visited this restaurant numerous times and I have never been disappointed. The food is always delicious, with a staple menu along with daily specials. Our waitress was Kirsty, very experienced, attentive but not intrusive. Excellent all round

Lovely place little place, and does walk in’s too which is great for last minute plans! Lovely food and lovely staff! Slightly dark in there but it’s got a lovely atmosphere - starter: sticky ribs with prawn crackers - main: minute steak and chips -...

Thought this restaurant is becoming expensive. A glass of Sauvignon was £12 ……….. !!!!!! Fish pie was nice BUT it had no veg with it, that was extra !!!!!

Love this place! Feel very relaxed, even when on my own. Often visit, as very local to family. Food is delicious and they so wonderful cocktails! Always a bonus. You get what you pay for in The Lion. Worth every penny. The staff are always...

Stayed at the hotel and dined for breakfast and Sunday dinner. All excellent in all aspects apart from the extractor fan ( did not work) so the room got very damp!.

Came here as a group of 6 for dinner at 6:30pm on a Wednesday. It was quite busy in the restaurant but we had booked so seating wasn't an issue for us. Service started off really well and that's where it kind of ended... Starters...

As a customer, I must express my disappointment with The Lion Inn. This was our third visit, and unfortunately, it was the second time we were let down by the food quality. On a previous occasion, my wife found a pastry brush hair in her...

I stayed with you last week on the 18th July. I arrived at the hotel after a long day and was greeted by your lovely team on reception. I worked in my room all evening. Your team took such care of me, the dinner and...

We had a lovely afternoon celebrating my friend’s birthday. The area outside is beautiful and the food was delicious . There was a little bit of a wait for orders and delivering the food but we didn’t mind as we were in great company. We...

I've been to the Lion Inn over many years, including Christmas Eve, and it has always been top notch and brilliant, but our visit wasn't quite so good this time. Firstly the service was initially quite slow, and it took more than 20 minutes for...

Visited this restaurant before and I must say this visit we was all disappointed Food was ok but only ok it has definitely lost its unique appeal and now just normal pub food at higher prices Such a shame

Absolutely wonderful evening, my first visit to this great restaurant and certainly will not be the last. I went with a friend who found this gem. The menu was Fantastic along an endless specials board . Highly recommended.

Dined here for my neighbours 80th birthday a few days ago. Everybody enjoed their starters; I had the chicken/cheese bon bons which were delicious. However, one of the burgers was very salty and the sea-bass was also very salty (clearly over seasoned), My Rib-eye steak...

We chose The Lion because it’s central and has a good reputation. We had both been there before and enjoyed ourselves. The staff are always friendly and willing . However this visit was quite honestly dire . The menu has not changed since I don’t...

Overall our experience was ok but nothing special whereas it always used to be one of the best gastro pubs in the area. I had the large fish and chips. This fish was well cooked but the batter was a bit soggy. The chips were...

When I go for a meal I expect vegetables with my meal not to be charged a far from cheap amount for a little bowl.. service a little slow..

Pleasant evening meal, good service and nice food. I always have a problem with noisy environments and The Lion is difficult for me, as it is so large and open plan. However, my main purpose of review is to ask what happened to the chips?...

Booked room and dinner based on good reviews and certainly wasn’t disappointed! Room was comfortable and well appointed with everything we needed. Staff were very welcoming and helpful and friendly. Extremely busy bar and restaurant and staff were running around to keep on top of...

Swiftly got a table and service was attentive. I had the Blue Strawberry salad to start as it used to be a favourite. The dressing of reduced port tasted to me like bbq sauce I really struggled to eat it as I found it completely...

I’ve always wanted to visit this place since a friend told me what a great pub it was. I was expecting a quiet village pub on the outskirts of Chelmsford. Driving into the huge, full car park should have been a hint as to the...

Very popular restaurant so decided to book a table today. Will change my table next time as we were seated under the specials board, very off putting with everyone staring at the top of your head. Ok meal but nothing special, fish was good with...