The Old Red Lion Pub and Restaurant in South Northamptonshire

Another Northamptonshire Pub that made a stranger who only moved the to area at the start of the lockdown very welcome. Gorgeous cosy interior that has not been corporatized or over developed. Friendly locals easy to engage with. Oh and the ale is stunning The village is stunning and sits on the equally stunning Knightley Way among the lightly used back roads around this largely undiscovered section of the county. Restrictions for the crisis are sensibly managed and not at all onerous. Food has not yet restarted but I am sure it wont be long and there is no reason to believe it wont match the excellence of the rest.

I have travelled most of planet Earth. My name is Isabel. The food is better than the Savoy and Ritz in London. The ambiance is better than any Pub in Stratford on Avon, Shakespeare county also better than Chester. If you are travelling from abroad, it is defiantly worth a detour.

Food and service good even when arriving for lunch at 2.00 pm we were made very welcome. Vegetarian choices were limited. Pestal and mortar to grind your own salt and pepper, a great idea! Seems a very homely place and would have loved to have had a few beers but I was the driver!

Didn't try the food, just drinks, but good sized function room at the back. Decent sized car park too. Also a suprisingly large selection of confectionery behind the bar lol.

I visited here with my family for a late Saturday dinner and the staff were very accommodating to fit us in. I had the black pudding fritters followed by the venison pie with sweet potato fries. Both meals were brilliant.

We came here for Sunday Lunch in March having viewed a property in the village. The Pub/Restaurant looked inviting and we were warmly welcomed by the landlord who took us through to a table. Although the small Bar was busy the restaurant part was surprisingly empty but in a nice setting looking out onto the garden.The menu had plenty of choice and the lady who cooked and served the food was chatty and informative about the village. The portions were a good size and very tasty and we just about managed to squeeze in dessert. Sadly we wont be moving to Litchborough but we look forward to returning for a pint and some food in the future.

The service was very helpful and accommodating. The food was tasty and home cooked, and was good value. The atmosphere in the bar was good, with a number of locals in there.

Top end of pub lunch prices. Visited with a walking group. Good service. Had quiche, salad and chips. Those who had soup had to ask for it to be made hotter, which was quickly done.

Went with my wife and two friends for Sunday lunch. I had looked on the website beforehand to look at menu, but Sunday menu not shown so I assumed normal menu would be available. I was wrong a limited Sunday menu of predominantly roasts prevailed. This however should not be off putting as the quality of the roasts was very good. Between the four of us we experienced Beef, Pork and Lamb, all were superb. The pub was not busy and the service we received was efficient and friendly. Would call again.

We went for a nice walk around the area then had a late Sunday in the Old Red Lion. Luckily I phoned ahead of our arrival, because the kitchen was going to close an hour early because as this was the first weekend after Xmas it was quiet. The pub is dog friendly throughout and humans receive a very warm welcome too. We ate in the restaurant at the rear of the pub which, if I counted correctly, seats 40. There are other rooms in which you can also eat. There is also a nice large garden for the warmer months. The food menu covers a wide range of dietary requirements, including Vegan, although no deserts were suitable during our visit. However if advance notice is given the choice can be extended. Two in our party had the Vegan parsnip, mushroom and cashew nut loaf roast dinner and I had roast beef, both served with veggies and the beef additionally with a Yorkshire pudding, cauliflower cheese and horseradish. Surprisingly the Vegan option is more expensive than the roast beef. We all enjoyed our main courses. I am not Vegan, so I was able to try the Bread & Putter pudding with custard, which was delicious. There is a changing selection of two real ales. One pump is for Great Oakley beers, who a very good local brewery, and the other pump is for guests beers from other local and national breweries. During our visit the guest was Shepherd Neame Spitfire, an ale I know very well as I worked in Kent for 15 years and still visit there once per month. Sheps beers all have a distinctive taste, which I could identify in a blind tasting and what I had been served was definitely not Spitfire. The ale was in good condition, like my preceding Great Oakley Tiffield Thunderbolt, but my second pint was bland tasting and not what I was expecting. When leaving the pub I noticed the Spitfire pump clip had changed to Charles Wells Bombardier, so I now knew exactly what had happened. The barrel had obviously been changed and I had been served Bombardier, which I know has a bland taste. Sadly and disappointingly the barman denied what I suspected had happened. He just said "I know where you are coming from"! Why couldn't he have been honest and admitted my ale had come from the new barrel? I could have accepted that, although would appreciated being asked if I minded, to which I would have requested another pint of Great Oakley instead. The latter incident spoilt what up until then had been a very enjoyable experience. This, and the fact that the Vegan roast was not good value when compared to the meat option and the kitchen (and I was told even the pub itself), can close earlier than published times if not busy, prevents me from giving the Old Red Lion an Excellent rating. However, I still think it is Very Good and recommend it, especially to dog owners and walkers.

We were in Northamptonshire for Remembrance Sunday. Our rented cottage was so cold and it was a miserable November night so the sight of a large woodburner was so welcome. We ate in the bar - steak night so had very well cooked steaks at a reasonable price. Good local beer. Melvina, licencee very welcoming as were the staff and also the locals.

This is a lovely village pub. There’s a friendly welcome and the food is very good. We had the roast dinner. There are some good ales on tap too.

It must be about twenty years or so since I last came here but I certainly hope it won't be that long before I come again as this is an excellent pub - great beer, great food and a warm welcome. What more could you want? It's an old stone building with a very traditional and characterful bar with a huge fireplace with an old wood burning stove. The bar isn't very big but there is a separate restaurant area set in a newer extension. The extensive, reasonably priced menu comes in two parts: 'Classics' mostly priced around £10 and 'Specials' priced around £12-15, plus there are a few additional items on the blackboard as well. The food is excellent, the 'Specials' menu in particular featuring a great range of traditional British meat dishes (also fish and vegetarian choices) - I opted for the Rib of Beef (£13.95) served with mashed potato and a selection of fresh vegetables. There are three handpumps serving a varying range of ales, seemingly one national brand, one local brew and a third from just about anywhere. For me it had to be the local offering and a pint from the local Nobby's Brewery went down very nicely. Hope to return here again soon. Note: they don't currently open weekday lunchtimes.

We were greeted by a very friendly landlord and given the option of where we wanted to eat, in the bar, the snug or in the restaurant. We chose the restaurant as it was nice and quiet because we were having a catch up with an old friend and wanted to talk. The waitress came with a very extensive menu for a village establishment. We had black pudding, mushrooms and duck pate for starters followed by lamb, rib of beef and chicken ham and mushroom pie finishing off with sticky toffee pudding and bread and butter pudding. All the dishes were absolutely excellent. Something different about this restaurant was the salt and pepper which both needed to be ground in a pestle and mortar. If you want an excellent meal in friendly surroundings you can’t go wrong here.

It is not often I see several main courses on a menu that I really fancy but I can look forward to returning here and trying the others that I didn't choose on this occasion. You do tend to wonder where you are when you walk in the front door. There are several quite different areas to choose from. The bar is warm and friendly with small tables and comfy furniture left probably wherever the last occupants left them and it's all pleasantly traditional. We chose to eat in the main restaurant area which was a good idea - later in the evening the bar had filled up and I cannot imagine we'd have been able to have any conversation at the table offered there with locals making a great deal of noise! Really good service from all the staff there, even bringing the boards from the bar through to remind us of the various specials that day and the selection of pies that was impressive indeed. The three of us each chose a different starter, main course and dessert so you'd expect out of 8 or 9 dishes there might have been one that was merely average but every one was really, really good. Just the right quantity and really brilliant quality. Lamb, rib of beef and a superb chicken, ham and mushroom pie all were a delight. I liked the comparative peace of the restaurant area and I do hope enough people go to keep the place going as there were only a couple of other tables occupied that Thursday evening. Prices were very reasonable and I was more than happy to pay the average £25 per head which included a few drinks too. I shall definitely be recommending this place and visiting again. Just beware of that table in the bar if it gets busy!

A lovely village pub where landlady is very welcoming. The locals are very friendly too. You can sit in the bar by a big log fire or in the cozy snug. If you feel like eating, the food is excellent with local produce and cooked by the landlord. Overall a family run pub which gives a personal touch.

Walked to the Old Red Lion with friends and their dogs on a Saturday lunchtime from our nearby village. Pub dog friendly and the locals too, unlike some pubs in the area. Good choice of real ales and cheese rolls. Asked if we could order some chips to go with the rolls and although the kitchen was closed the staff were only too willing to help. Will definitely venture back walking again. Lovely place and friendly staff.

Me and 6 other friends have starting meeting regularly for a meal. Our first visit was just before Christmas when we had Christmas dinner and have been twice more since for pies! The night we are all available is a night that the kitchen isn't usually open, but as we have booked in advance the kitchen has been opened especially for us, which is very accommodating! The atmosphere has always been warm and friendly, and we have been given our own cosy room! The service is always quick and friendly. We have had a set menu of homemade pies and puds the last 2 times we have been, which was very reasonably priced and good quality. We will definitely keep going back. Very lucky to have such a friendly local on our doorsteps.

Popped in last night and had a very warm welcome So good to have such a quirky village pub with a lovely restaurant .Just has a a lovely feel about it and made to feel so welcome. What more could you ask for !

Went with friends . Pub is dead with no atmosphere at all . A little background music wouldn’t go a miss . Staff are very unprofessional, land lady looks like it’s a effort to get dressed and make herself look presentable and hair is greasy . Just a complete turn off of wanting to eat there . Staff are are miserable and unprofessional. Pub is dead . Website is not correct and it’s not a welcoming pub at all. Don’t waiste time going there

Found this place whilst driving back home from nearby Canons Ashby one Sunday afternoon. Hadn't booked but seated no problem. Food was lovely and tasty - had black pudding fritters, and roast lamb. Service was attentive and friendly.

We found this place by accident, and were pleasantly surprised! Great local ales, lots of home cooked, locally produced food, great friendly service. The lady who runs it was very friendly & attentive, and explained that the meat comes from their own farm!

Me he alojado localmente con trabajo y pasado este lugar preguntarse si para parar o no. . .

La comida es muy buena. Menú variado algo para todo el mundo. No quería que la hierbas en mi risotto y nos dijeron que no había problema. Estaba delicioso 😋

Habiendo fracasado rotundamente (a) encontrar un pub cerca de la increíble Canons Ashby donde estábamos y/o (BE) encontrar uno que estaba abierto que finalmente encontré el león viejo rojo en Litchborough. Es diseminado por unos 4 habitaciones, pero la parte más interesante fue cerca del...

Nos detuvimos para comer mientras caminando. Excelente calle Brewery austell Trelawney de barril. Huevos con jamón y patatas fritas se convirtió en un plato realmente fantástico, las patatas fritas eran suaves en el interior y en el exterior, fresco el jamón estaba cortado y glaseado con miel espesa. Como éramos los únicos que comimos en el bar cerca del quemador de madera. Todo muy agradable y sin duda lo recomiendo.

My girlfriend and I came here expecting some top quality food, we'd looked at the menu before hand on the website, but when we arrived we were presented with an A4 piece of paper with a fraction of the dishes we saw on the website. When we got there we had to wait for a good ten minutes for anyone to seat us (we could tell where we were going to be seated anyway because there was literally no one in there and one small reserved sign ) My girlfriend decided to have the pork belly with mash and veg which was a special, what she got was definitely not special, first of all she got sweet potato mash instead of normal mash, the gravy was honestly like water ( I have video to prove it because it was that bad ) the pork belly itself was undercooked the and bland with no flavour whatsoever.

Primera visita a este encantador pub, Estábamos reunidos con un grupo de compañeros de trabajo, así que podrían reunirse para trabajar para la misma empresa pero en diferentes áreas. Nos sirven dos miembros de personal que eran Melvina el encantador casera y Caroline detrás del bar. . Todos ordenados desde el menú de tapas muy bien preparado por el chef, Toby fue encantador fresca, sabrosa, caliente y un lujo. . . volveré en un almuerzo de domingo con mi familia. . . .

Absolutamente genial, básicamente comida bajó hasta una cena de navidad para todos nosotros en la oportunidad, como pedimos! Todo perfecto! :-) Gracias Toby! Todo el personal era muy agradable, incluso el personal del bar, Charlie ;-)).

Cálido tranquilo y relajante. El comedor estaba muy bien y tenía un ambiente relajante.

Visited the Old Red Lion for Sunday lunch with friends and was greeted by a friendly young lady who showed us to our table, gave us menus and took our order. She was most helpful with our enquiries and brought our drinks order without delay. Our meals, we all chose the roasts, arrived promptly and were lovely. Plenty of delicious meat with lots of different vegetables all cooked just right. This is how to keep the customers happy! Would definitely recommend and we will be back to try out the rest of the menu.

Visited with the family and found a warm welcome even with a 4-year old on toe!The children loved playing skittles. We then settled down to a great lunch with scampi & chips for the grown ups and the children chose from the tapas which they devoured. I would recommend highly for a pub lunch.

Have visited twice in the last month and the food and service was brilliant. The seafood risotto is highly recommended and the chicken breast was superb.

My partner and I have been to the pub 3 times in 4 weeks as the place we used to use has had a change of management and no longer caters for our needs. On each occasion we have had excellent food and service and intend to use it regularly.The staff are great, Toby the chef is outstanding and met any request for a slight change to a dish brilliantly as my partner is a vegetarian. The Tapas board is a lovely addition and today bar extras were offered to non dining patrons. Pricing is very good, quality outstanding, both food and drinks. The pub is immaculate and care seems to be taken with its upkeep. It has a good sized garden though with the autumn coming it will have a rest. Nothing is too much trouble and every request met with a smile. Its a couple of miles off the A5 and offers great accessibility with a good sized car park. We like it very much.

We arrived just as the restaurant was closing for lunch, but Toby (Head Chef and all-round nice guy) said, "Come on in, you're fine." We ordered various main courses and desserts, all of which were absolutely delicious, well presented and great value. The food is homemade with care and the service was friendly and personal. Exactly what we wanted for a family get together. The staff clearly work very hard to make this restaurant a cut above the typical pub fare - would highly recommend. Our parents live close by and will certainly be back...unfortunately we live in Canada, but perhaps they deliver?! Grateful thanks.

Everyone here are so nice and welcoming. Proper traditional village pub. Great food and friendly people

We pulled in to the car park, it's an impressive but slightly unloved looking place, this was the best part or our visit to the old red lion, it was down hill from here.The greeting was friendly enough but awkward doesn't really do it justice, I kinda felt like we were the first customers they'd ever seen, the warning signs were there, I guess it's our own fault we progressed to the really miserable bit.So we sat in what looked like a combination between a farm shop cafe and a prison where we were waited on by a polite but entirely inept waitress. I've known vending machines with more knowledge of what's on offer, in fairness having eaten the food I can only assume that she might have too and that she was trying to block in from her consciousness.The food turned up and there was a glimmer or something better than terrible, the tapas, although I suspect it may have been frozen in a past life, was deep fat fried with a degree of success and we were mildly optimistic that the mains may be the saviour of the place.Disappointment loomed....The mains came out and I was greeted with a arrangement of pink and grey body parts festooned by a web of sinew, I looked around at my table, everyone's was as miserable as mine. I have my competitive spirit to blame for consuming any of it, it was a proper I'm a Celebrity moment, covering it any sauce and swallowing without chewing.....needless to say reality kicked in.....I was in a desperately sad place.....with my family.....being poisoned!....no need to carry on eating!We paid up not to prolong the agony then made a hasty retreat....I've changed my mind, this was the best bit.Avoid at all costs.

We visited The Old Red Lion for Sunday lunch for my partners birthday as a party of 4. On arrival we weren't shown to a table, despite having booked, but were waved through to a room and told to "sit wherever". It seemed very disorganised and the staff seemed very uninterested.We went and seated ourselves at a table and were the only people sat in the room. To say it lacked any kind of atmosphere would be an understatement. Some background music would have been a welcome accompaniment to what was otherwise a very bleak and somewhat scruffy setting. The menu was quite confusing to understand however we ordered tapas to share for starters and then three lamb roast dinners and a scampi and chips for mains. I asked the waitress what vegetables come with the roast dinner and she didn't seem to have a clue; I don't know whether she was new or nervous or what but she definitely wasn't up to scratch with her knowledge of the menu and didn't seem very professional either. I also ordered a jug of water which failed to appear for the duration of our stay. The tapas was probably the best part of our meal, and by that I mean edible. When our mains arrived I struggled to see anything resembling lamb on my plate however I proceeded to smother mint sauce over what I assumed was meat. A few minutes after receiving our meals, the head chef appeared to tell us that the lamb had been cooked rare as that's how he likes to do it and if we wanted it cooking more we could send it back. How about asking this BEFOREHAND and before mint sauce and gravy have been poured over everything?! We chose to keep our dinners and not drag out our stay any longer. The mains were almost entirely inedible; the grey pile of slimy, fatty lamb was utterly horrendous and the veg was miserable. I can't comment on the scampi and chips however it didn't look particularly appetising. I felt so bad as this was my partners birthday meal which I had chosen and booked and his parents were paying for. If it had been any other night and not a special occasion I'm sure we would have complained and looking back now, I wish we had at the time. Honestly the absolute worst meal we have ever ever had. So disappointing!

On first arriving we were not welcomed by any of the staff.The landlady was very grumpy and didn't appear professional in the least.Food was ok. Would I recommend definitely not.

We called in here for a drink, asked what was the palest beer, and got offered a very large taste, before we were invited to order. The beer was lovely, so was the landlord, and the regulars clustered around the bar were smiley. The landlord found us a nice place to sit out the back, in the sun, and we were helped to feel most welcome. We didn't eat, but had our hotel not included dinner in our package, we probably would have done. I think that friendliness and quality local beer are the two things that we will remember about the Old Red Lion.

Friendly pub, very helpful staff and lovely food. Although they don't do a child's menu they would do small portions for us. Interesting pub skittles game which helpfully kept the children occupied while we waited for food.

we went tonight for a meal at the old red lion litchborough and the meal and service was excellent my meal was lovely my husband had steak which was lovely but a bit chewy. we both had dessert it was a toss up between sherry triffle and eton mess in the end we both decided to have one of each so we could try the other ones very good meal

We have visited a couple of times over the past few months and the restaurant continues to deliver really good quality food and service. We had a range of excellent Portuguese tapas (the sardines were great, and now I'm torn between this and the fish soup) followed by seafood risotto, chicken and steak for the family. Each was very tasty, piping hot and obviously freshly made. The portions size was spot on - only a shame that we didn't have room for desert (which did look very tempting)!No doubt this is now the best village pub and restaurant in the area.

A well presented and extremely delicious lunch today. Very reasonably priced. The barman / waiter was extremely pleasant and helpful. Well done to the chef as well. We will be returning.

The restaurant is actually okay and the food, actually not bad (yet lacking any form of presentation or theatre) but the pub itself is very dated and quite "spit and sawdust". It's a shame that the locals seem to go elsewhere as we dined completely alone on a Thursday evening. The menu (which has a strange name for some unknown reason) is quite reasonably priced and the food was wholesome and tasty. A little background music would be nice with our sit-down meal. The Guinness on-tap was at least very good but the choice of ales was to say the least, odd!

We had a very enjoyable meal with a fish soup starter followed by tapas, authentic Mediterranean cooking and filling too.

Went here to celebrate my daughters phd. We were the only ones there but it did not matter as the food and service were excellent. They deserve to have more customers.It was a Wednesday night! We shall return...

Having been a regular of The Old Red Lion for a number of years, I can say that the current chef is the best that they have ever had. Toby has a passion for trying new things, and has recently put on a Tapas menu, alongside the regular menu. A couple of friends and I had Tapas last night, very reasonably priced, good portions, and very tasty. Between the three of us, we tried 6 of the 8 available options, and there was nothing left.If you like Tapas, then I urge you to give The Old Red Lion a chance.

I've visited the restaurant a couple of times now since being under new management. The roast dinners are amazing, with a real variety of vegetables and large portion sizes! The roast potatoes were extra crispy which is perfect for me and big home-made Yorkshire puddings to go with it. The starters are really lovely. We had the pate and ham hock which were both so elegantly presented which is rare to find in a village pub like this. Overall, the food and presentation are both of great quality. Much more so than some of the other village pubs near by that charge the same prices. I'd highly recommend giving this restaurant a go as the new chef seems to have turned things around significantly!

Came here with my 2 daughters.The chips were the best I've ever eaten in a restaurant and huge portions too.The fish finger sandwich was delicious and you must try the ham, egg & chips

This village pub was recommended by friends who had visited earlier for dinner and waxed lyrical about the food.It was a quiet lunchtime when we arrived but we were struck by its quaint nature and real country feel.- just like a pub should be. The bar food was very good (I had a fish finger sandwich and it was enormous) my wife had plain ham and again there was plenty.The staff were welcoming and friendly and took us to see the extent of the rooms in the pub, a dining area and separate room which seats 12 for that special family and friends private party. Well worth a visit

This is sort of a local for us but we have been delighted and disappointed over the last 3 years with the food here. The welcome and staff have always been excellent. We heard that a new chef had arrived and decided to give the 'Orion's Bow' restaurant another go. We went with a couple of friends and we were delighted to find an excellent meal! We all went for the Sunday Roast (3 beef and one pork). It was delicious. Very tasty tender meat, cauliflower cheese (nice strong cheese sauce), roast potatoes (crunchy), carrots and the most wonderful gravy. The pork belly was actually a bit fatty but at the end of the meal the staff recognised this and offered a free drink or dessert..... The three desserts we had (sticky toffee pudding, chocolate fudge cake, apple crumble) were all delicious. Very reasonable prices too. Would definitely go back........ Really worth a visit.

Restaurant itself is lovely, nice atmosphere, well decorated. The food we had was good (chicken parfait was delicious as was the ham hock starter) but the portions were a bit on the small side - 3 scallops for £9.95 was expensive. We all had fillet steaks, which at £23 were good but again about £5 too dear. Food was very well presented and service was good.

This charming family run pub and restaurant has just relaunched their food side of the business. Now in the hands of a very capable young couple who are providing delicious, beautifully presented and keenly priced food.As with all new set ups it isn't always busy but hopefully this will come in the future. The welcome you receive though makes up for any lack of customers.I urge you to try it because the food is worth it, oh and the beer and bar are pretty good too! :)

I checked this pub out online and thought menu looked good. They claim to have just relaunched with local produce and the night we booked was "burger night" so we looked forward to it.How disappointed we were.The menus we were given bore no resemblance to the ones on the website and there was no sign of a special burger night!Despite this we ploughed on and ordered.Less said about the starters the better.I ordered a lamb burger (one of three available) and himself a pie.My burger arrived and it was literally a bun with a lump of meat with a bit of bacon and cheese (bacon and cheese extra!). It was served with a few chips and a smattering of lettuce and a couple of slices of tomato and cucumber.Given that I was charged around £12 for this I could never recommend it. Himself's pie was very small (not enough for a growing man) and sadly lacking in flavour.Also, I think they need to take a good hard look at what their website says and offers and what actually is available. I think it is bordering on dishonest when comparing the menu, pictures and statements online with what we experienced.I am making sure that I let everyone know just how disappointed we were with this place and not to take the website as an indication of what is offered.

Our local pub (which has always had good beer, friendly service and a warm fire for those winter evenings) has just relaunched with a new chef and menu.It now adds a great food (we had sea bream with mussels, chicken with wild mushrooms and brisket). All of which was very good quality and at a reasonable prices.

Lovely friendly typical village pub. Very warm welcome. Some villages can be cliquey, not here. Family owned give it a go...

My brother had his birthday spent at Whittlebury hall and i decided to drive 30 miles to meet him in the area to treat him for Dinner. The visit started badly, the pub was empty, and the batty old bar lady struggled to manage a drinks order of 4 drinks. then we were seated in the restaurant, (no waiters) which i have to say, aesthetically was lovely. 4 of us dining ordered starters and mains - and every single meal was inedible. Black pudding fritters - on a mountain of chopped pepper :/ 2/10 Sirloin steak - 3/10 - chips had been fried twice, but the first fry was about 7 hours previous My brothers partner had chicken and chips - the easiest meal on the planet - nope, was so dry it was inedible. also, the guy that brought the dishes out from the kitchen, looked on a different planet, and if he created the food then probably explains the standard of food. Presentation - horrific, Taste - Horrific, Service - Horrific Appalling place to eat, which is a shame as the venue is lovely. £75.00 down the drain

Bar area nicer than the restaurant but the food was quick and hot. Lovely local beers and the people were friendly. Local gigs.

Had Sunday lunch here with my girlfriend last week. Great selection of real ales. The rump steak was fabulous and cooked perfectly to both our likings. Service was excellent. Chatted so much that we almost walked out without paying. The staff handled this brilliantly. Highly recommended!

We went out for a meal and sent both out meals back. The steak was off and the "pork slices" were chunks of pure fat. We ordered something different the second time round and they weren't much better. Very unimaginative and the vegetables were cooked to death and came out cold. I would not recommend here nor will we be returning.

We went here with extended family and our hosts had booked it based on how it is described on the website. The outcome was a bitter disappointment.Some good points, well, it has a large car park and it is opposite the church, so it would be ideal if you are someone who "thirsts after righteousness"The ale is of a good standard and is well kept, served at a good temperatureBUT, the restaurant is a bitter disappointment. I don't have a problem with a pub having a limited food offer, in fact, it can be a good idea, however, when the website offers so much, it is a disgrace to find so little on actually arrivingTo add insult to injury, we paid £70 for a round trip by taxi, so it turned out to be an expensive disappointmentThe prawn cocktail was served on a plate, a lettuce leaf, with some shredded vegetables , a sprinkle of prawns and a little pot of a very sweet dressing. At £6 it was shocking, given that there is an Aldi a few miles away where a bag of said prawns is about £3.50, the mark up is eye wateringThen there's the produce from our farm claim... Yes, the meat is from the farm, but not the frozen peas, which was the only "seasonal vegetable" available. Winter veggies may not be the easiest to make appetising, but it can be done - buttery purees of swede, roasted pumpkins mashed with olive oil and north African spices, crunchy cauliflower in a gratin - sadly none of these were present (Monty Python's Cheese Shop again)The fresh market fish was a fillet of white fish which had seen a factory since it last saw the sea, or the market for that matterThe waitress visibly flinched when I asked for my steak to be cooked rare, needless to say, it came medium. The meat was OK, but it wasn't exceptional, served with chips (potatoes from the farm...?) and peas (aforementioned, frozen, not seasonal, not fresh)Northamptonshire is a real mixed bag when it comes to food, from the exceptionally good to the downright poor. This is at the bottom end, however, folk are fickle, and there was a party of twenty one on an adjacent table for a birthday celebrationIf you like your food grilled or fried, over done and served with chips and peas, then this could be right up your streetI will be referring the website to Trading Standards for their comments

If you want home cooked food in a very relaxed and welcoming atmosphere then go to the Old Red Lion. The staff are always excellent. This is not a restaurant trying to be trendy, trying to be something they are not with young kids running the place. This is a good honest family business using products from their own farm for a good price. Everywhere is spotless. The bar is a small traditional country pub style with other small rooms attached, all equally welcoming. It has a wood burner in an inglenook & an original flagstone floor. A good selection of real ale is always available for the more discerning drinker, kept in good condition. We took our Australian visitors there and they were blown away.

we went here for a Saturday evening get together with family. We booked in advance and were very happy with the look oh the menu on the website. A great selection of food and choices. My first impression on arrival was that it was a very tired local pub. Well in need of attention. The dining room was very spacious but had harsh lighting. When the waitress bought the menus we were more than a little annoyed. There was hardly anything on it compared to the website. Everything was served with chips which I didn't want either. Prices very high. My slice of quiche with peas was over £10. I asked for seasonal veg with mine and they only had peas. Whatever next? Frozen peas anyone can have in their kitchen. Not good. Service was ok but not really to a good standard. I wouldn't go back that's for sure.

We have been to this restaurant before but it has had a makeover so thought it deserved another visit. First impression was that nothing much had changed except the menu. We went on burger night but generally the menu was rather limited. The premise of being a "butcher's block" menu was all a bit odd as apart from some steaks there was a limited choice of meats. The meal didn't start well as the prawn cocktails were tasteless, watery and served in ridiculously tall glasses which were awkward to eat from. The sauce barely covered the cold prawns and the bottom of the glass was filled with grated carrot. I tried a southern fried chicken burger which again, was rather tasteless and only the melted cheese made it edible. I doubt it was home made and it wasn't made with a fillet. The chips were crisp and nice but too salty. I did enjoy the chutney but the salad was a small lettuce leaf with a couple of bits of tomato but no dressing.To be fair my eating companions enjoyed their choices so maybe I just made the wrong selection from the menu. Prices were rather steep for what we got and I think I would rather have my meal on a plate rather than a breadboard.I don't think I will be back unless they change the menu back to how it was before.The staff however were excellent so praise where it is due.

1st Visit to this local pub for a meal with friends , on entering the pub I thought what kind of a place had I bought my friends to .....a very old fashioned bar area was our first impression and my thoughts weren't high for our meal .....we were shown to the restaurant which again was old fashioned and homely, 3 out of 4 of us had the steak which everyone thought was ok I had the lamb which all though tasty and big enough for me would be a bit mean for most men, the service was excellent, the food in my opinion was good but not great. okay for a meal but not for a special night out . I think this restaurant would appeal to people who like good basic food !

Good selection of beer and ale however the weekend I was there the Foster and Amstel barrels were empty. Also a good idea to check the Best Before dates on some of the bottled beers and ales. One Heineken was 2011 stock! The new menu is a great idea however some of the items very pricy. Seemed like London prices not what you would expect from a country pub/restaurant. The staff are always cheerful and do everything they can to keep orders running smoothly.As other reviewers have noted, the pub needs some TLC, the lighting is much too bright it's very harsh in the bar area, the upholstery and bar chairs need to be refreshed. Forget watching any sports on the tiny TV on a Saturday or Sunday with your mates as there is not even FreeSat or FreeView. There is Internet,, but it's so slow it might as well not be there. This is a pub that has a lot of potential, the food is good and could be great. An enjoyable venue that could be so much more.

Very good food, great service, charming pub.I had the fish and chips, the fish was very fresh and the chips were home made.

A friendly welcoming pub with some great meat dishes on the menu, thanks to the supply direct from the connected farm.

We stumbled across this amazing pub and restaurant after driving through the Northamptonshire countryside with village after pub-less village. A real find. Real ale, friendly locals, delicious food which was attractively served by cheery waitresses and well cooked. The added bonus was that the meat came from a local farm and the vegetables were all home grown (I think I understood that the farm was owned or part-owned by the pub, but I may be wrong). We had a steak which was excellently cooked and melted in the mouth, plenty of fresh green vegetables and a pot of perfect chips. At 16 pounds each it was excellent value for the quality of food. We were short of time so did not go for pudding - we certainly will next time! The restaurant looked lovely, but they were perfectly happy to serve us in the bar area which suited us.Well worth a very short detour from the A5 on the way to Daventry if ever you are that way folks!

Some friends had visited here with the Aston Martin Owners' Club and had an enjoyable dinner, so suggested we visited for lunch. We had booked a table but the restaurant, although busy, was not crowded. Our friends chose the Gourmet Burgers, which they pronounced excellent.I chose the regular burger, asking for it without the bun, and my husband had the gammon, egg and chips. Everything was accompanied by seasonal vegetables, which really weren't required as the portions were large and the salad garnish adequate. My burger came with the bun and my husband's gammon was somewhat chewy, but these are minor criticisms.Our desserts, sticky toffee pudding, white chocolate and strawberry cheesecake,cookie and strawberry stack, and chocolate fudge cake with orange sauce, were all delicious.A good place for lunch. We will return.

Having not been back for a number of months, we revisited the restaurant last weekend. It would be difficult to fault the meal - my partner's beef looked and tasted superb and arrived cooked rare, as recommended by chef. My beefburger was made from quality meat, dense yet juicy, and full of flavour. Service was efficient and cheerful. We had a lovely evening and my partner is already talking about a return trip to sample more of the comprehensive menu. Which brings me to the "But". There is no doubt about chef's talents with a piece of meat, and if you are a dedicated meat eater then this is a blissful experience. For the likes of me who finds it difficult to approach a large piece of meat, it would be good to see a fish dish on the menu. Until then, it'll be the beefburger for me every time!

Great little pub, the restaurant has recently reopened with new decor and restaurant manager and chef, the menu is geared to local sourced produce. Like another reviewer the locally salt beef is excellent, however the big hit was the homemade scotch eggs for us, nice crunchy outside with just the amount of runny yolk, in fact they ran out due to the demand when we visited. The waiting staff were excellent always checking back to ensure food was ok, or any drinks required.

After being to this restaurant a couple of months ago and being really impressed we thought we would go back and take some guests. The beer was good and so was the salt beef offered to us to have while we ordered our meal. the starters were excellent, so much so we said we would have to bring the whole family sometime. Then considering there was three waitresses we waited along time for the plates to be collected and for the main to arrive. This was disappointing, the veg was nearly raw, the plates were cold and the pork was dry. When we told the waitress she apologised and said she would let the chef know, that was the last we heard, even when we asked for the bill nothing was mentioned. Putting that aside the beer was good.

Had a lovely meal here last week. We used to go here a fair bit years ago but then due to ill health of the landlord back then it closed down, luckily a local farming family took it over and it is now back to the lovely country pub it once was. The beer is good and so is the food. We will definitely be going back soon

Knowing something of the history of this village we looked forward to visiting the "local"Sadly, we only had time for a quick lunch but wished we had stayed longer or had an evening meal. The locally sourced salt beef was very good and went well with a pint of Hooky. Three guest beers to choose from. Landlord Ben took a genuine interest in us and our visit. Lucky Litchborough to have such a great pub.

Typical village pub, that has its local characters and serves a good pint of real ale. The decor of the bar is certainly in need of some TLC and updating and some new furniture would create a better experience for customers.I have eaten here on three occasions and unfortunately the food has got worse on each visit. On my last visit I ordered a trio of pies with home made skin on chips. I was served with cold soggy chips, three extremely dry pies and some limp vegetables that had obviously just been zapped in the microwave.Verdict: Very good for a pint of Real Ale - Food is over priced and extremely disappointing

Wow look this one up just a couple of miles off the A5 near Towcester, the menu looks wonderful but we visited on a Friday night just for a few drinks but noticed the burgers coming past and decided to stay as this was Burger night on Fridays and boy we were not unhappy, what turned out as a few drinks, ended with our whole party staying for fantastic food and extremely good service by two excellent and attentive young ladies, We shall visit again also the real ale is great too

We came across the The Old Red Lion after asking a friend for a recommendation of a good pub with a beer garden. We arrived to find the restaurant packed (by a large group of jolly baby boomers) but the beer garden was empty, and as it was 25 degrees who could resist? The garden is fully enclosed and very safe for children. We only wanted lunch and so only had sandwiches. I had the BBQ Pulled Pork and my partner had the Mexican bean burger. Both were excellent and very filling. We also got a cheese and ham sandwich for our 2 small boys which was more than enough alongside a bowl of chips. The drinks were all very reasonably priced. The service was speedy and attentive even though they had a large party in. All the staff are a credit to the pub. Overall a great little find. We will be back.

Cosy atmosphere in bar and excellent quality of food..friendly and good service and value for money...meat is excellent

Travelled up from MK to meet some friends from Birmingham and happened to come across it as it was dog friendly.The pub is owned by the family who own the farm shop down the road, so as you can imagine the food was homemade, locally sourced and completely out of this world. The people there couldn't do enough to help us.. They were polite, friendly and nothing was too much trouble. It's great to see a once closed pub, re-open and doing what people want to see.. Local food and local beer! My partner is very difficult to please but she's already asking me when we are going back! Great work guys, gets a big five stars from me!

We have been here before for a drink and snack but never for a meal. We had the dog so rang in advance and asked if we could sit in the dog friendly bar area but still get the restaurant meal. This was no problem and in fact were put in the small snug which felt like being at home! Menu was set for the day (Mothers Day Sunday) - a choice of 4 roasts and a wonderful selection of puds - ususally I don't like any of the puds at a pub as they are all bought in but I could have had all of these!! We felt £15pp for two courses was good value, the portions were generous and both courses had a home cooked feel to them. Veg weren't overdone and more gravy was provided when asked for. I had the pork with crispy crackling which was delicious and the Rhubarb and Ginger Crumble which was also very good with nice custard. Iced water was provided on the table without being asked for - amazing as so many other places don't do this simple thing!! My husband also appreciated the nice bitter on offer! My teenage girls also loved the roast (beef) and had the sticky toffee pudding (well rated by a stp expert!!) and the chocolate roulade was also appreciated!It is not a "posh restaurant" with regard to both the menu and ambience and other reviewers giving lower ratings seem to be expecting that. However if you want a nice homely welcoming atmosphere with home style well cooked unpretentious food which is good value for money then give it a try! We were so full we didn't eat for the rest of the day - result for Mum!!

Great food , good portions and a very home made- just cooked feel. Friendly staff who actually looked happy to be there!A group of 8 of us booked and everything went smoothly, fair prices and the home made bread with oil and balsamic was delicious

We, family of 7 of 4 generations to celebrate my husbands birthday as my mum had been there the previous week and had absolutely loved the place and could not have rated it any higher - so all booked. But..... perhaps a different chef? Mussels served even though they were closed and if you choose to eat with a spoon you crunch on the broken shells, rather off putting.Round 2 - dinner, why do people ask how you would like your steaks/ venison cooked as they were all over done and burnt on the edges ( we all like rare/medium rare) making them not a pleasure to eat so I did not actually eat all mine. The gentleman that came over to our table to ask if the meals were enjoyable (perhaps manager?) and were told of our disappointment was overly vocal for the benefit of other customers to assure us that we were not getting a discount but would offer a free pudding but as my mum wanted this to be so very perfect she is the sort of lady that does not want free items or discount of a bill, she would just like it to be perfect. The garden is far from child friendly and needs the barbed wire removing from the fences or advertise that this is not an open space suitable for children..Its taken my 87 year old mum a week to stop being upset about a day out even though we have assured that's its about the company and not the food.

Stopped off on the way back from Canons Ashby. Had an excellent Sunday Lunch.The staff were very attentive nothing to much trouble. Will return.

Great home cooked food...the pie was lovely and the fillet of beef was excellent. The sticky toffee pudding was to die for! We will be going back again soon!

Had a tasty mid week meal in the restaurant, well cooked and presented meal, only disappointment was we were too full to try the sweets.

The venue feels quite 'village hall' like. . The transition from pub to dining area doesn't really work in my opinion. . The 2 girls working went through the motions however no check back on food , no up sell , no more drinks offered. . The Sunday dinners were nice but maybe a little bit pricey for what came to the table. All in all an ok experience however iv heard good things from others so will try again on a weekend evening.

We visited on a Friday night on a whim, I have walked and driven passed the pub many times and thought it was about time I went inside.When we entered I was surprised to see how quiet it was in the bar and restaurant and hoped it wasn't because I had made a bad choice. I hadn't and enjoyed a very nicely cooked, tasty and locally sourced meal. We ordered a steak which was perfectly cooked, belly pork which was melt in the mouth and a cottage pie which was as good if not better than my homemade one. I cannot fault the food, I was surprised to see such young staff running the place, I'm not old but I did question whether the barman had actually left school. I felt there was little or no atmosphere in the place and I cannot help wonder if that's because there was no cheery landlord behind the bar. I would return again and would recommend a visit.

I when here with my husband, an old school friend and her husband last night. The village is off the A5. The pub is very small and doubles as a little shop. It is run by the people own the local farm. Built on the back of the pub is the restaurant. It is very clean and tidy. The food is amazing because it is homemade and the meat etc is sourced from the local farm. The prices are very good too. I can recommend the belly of pork and the bread and butter pudding.

Large group of family members visited this restaurant during weekday. The service was fantastic and nothing was too much trouble for the very efficient team. The food was exceptional and without fault. Whilst the prices were slightly high it was worth every penny for the experience. We will return ASAP

Saw this place on our travels. Beautiful location. Ambience was very welcoming.. Went through to the restaurant and was again welcomed by waitress with a smile and shown to our seat.. We were brought out home made bread with olives in with oils and balsamic.. A very welcome surprise.. We ordered and when the food came.. Wow what can I say all round good honest home cooked food. We just had to try a pudding even though we were full.. Yes the puddings were just as good.. We asked for the bill. The young waitress brought this, we paid and left. Will deffenatly be back soon..The waitress was a very well mannered young lady. Very good value for money.. Will be bringing my parents here when they visit.

We went for a long overdue second visit and, if anything, the food was even better than the first time around. The menu, although not vast, still gives plenty of choice and, most importantly for us, the food is treated with the respect it deserves. There is a trend to serve bread and olives in a lot of restaurants now, and this is one of the few where I actually look forward to it - the bread is superb. The atmosphere is relaxed, staff are friendly and there is a good choice of beers and wines. A really enjoyable evening, again - thank you.

Beautiful location. Really good value drinks and food. Staff friendly and helpful. Very clean. Nice just to sit and soak up the atmosphere.

We went for a small birthday celebration and were sadly disappointed. Arriving just before 1pm on a saturday, we arrived to all restaurant areas being empty. Barr us, they remained this way. A sign?The young chaps running the place seem well mannered and pleasant, however dealing with challenges may be easier for them with more years of experience.Trying to pay the bill was painful and chased back at the bar a couple of times as restaurant chap had disappeared.Advertised as award winning coffee, dont be surprised when it is a button machine effort instead.And worst of all? A horrid, flavorless small cut of dry solid pork, sitting on just as solid mash - not the exciting mouth watering slow cooked spiced pork we thought we ordered.Apologies and best wishes were significantly absent. Sorry, it was disappointing

We had Sunday lunch here and I can truly say that our food was delicious .The roast potatoes were amazing,cooked to perfection.I am generally fussy but couldn't fault the food at all.The waiters were both very efficient and attentive.I recommend you give this lovely venue a try ,you won't be disappointed.

Surprised to find such a nice place out in the countryside and still surviving in these times. However it is a delightful pub with large car park, outside seating and has clearly been refurbished to a high standard.We visited midweek and it wasn't hugely busy but sufficient customers to have a bit of an atmosphere.The food tends to the gastro pub variety, but it is reasonably well cooked and beautifully presented. There is a good wide choice through all courses with traditional puds as well to finish.There was only a single waitress but she was very polite and capable making us feel very welcome and looked afterIts nice to see somewhere doing well even if they are a bit out in the sticks but its a place well worth a visit.

We popped into the Old Red Lion as we were on our way to Canons Ashby, the National Trust property nearby and this seemed the only place serving lunch. Parts of the pub are certainly old, but there are beautifully created modern areas with real wood window & flagstones. The building incorporates a very upmarket village shop selling locally produced goods. Being a hot day we ate in the courtyard, in their very comfortable armchairs.Our 'All Day breakfasts' seemed a bit expensive at £9.50, but when they arrived we couldsee why. They were well worth the money! It was a massive 'breakfast' with not just ordinary bangers, but handmade local game sausages, locally sourced bacon, clearly free-range eggs and all the trimmings, along with the biggest mushrooms we've ever had on a breakfast plate - though in truth the mushrooms were a little watery, the only slight disappointment. Even the toast was made from artisan bread. A really great meal in a good atmosphere. Several lads on bikes popped into the shop in the courtyard for fizzy drinks and 4 or 5 guys were drinking in the bar. I just couldn't make out why we were the only diners. The Old Red Lion deserves a wider audience.

We had a family function for 50 people the Old Red Lion. It was brilliant because:They arranged the tables and put down matting so there was an area for babies to hang outThey let a few people in early and helped them to decorate the roomThe décor of the restaurant and toilets is simple but stylishThere is a patio area green space out of the back of the restaurant that we could also useThe real ale is outstanding in terms of choice and how well it's keptThe food was incredibly tasty - not limp sandwiches, spring rolls from Iceland and value cocktail sausages, but really high quality, locally produced, well thought out buffet food.There were dairy-free, gluten-free and veggie guests and all of this was catered for with no problems.It was incredibly good value.The service was impeccable - there when we needed it but not obtrusive It is spotlessly cleanI would definitely use the Red Lion again for a function and having also had Sunday lunch there I would definitely go there for a meal.

have been to the red lion for lunchtime meals we decided to give the evening menu a try and we were not dissappointed a wide variety of choice beautifully cooked and presented the staff friendly and attentive made for an enjoyable evening will return very soon