The Red Lion in Cheshire West and Chester

lovely meal and great service from kate and charm, the atmosphere is amazing and would highly recommended for anyone within the Dodleston area

When we arrived it was busy and it had a nice atmosphere. All the staff were brilliant, but Paul really stood out as a fun guy and great at his job.

Lovely country pub. Delicious food, friendly and efficient service, parking and lovely outdoor space. All around a great place

Really fun evening at the Red Lion listening to live music. Well done to Kate for organising the evening! Everyone had a brilliant time!

Kate on the bar was very friendly and the service was excellent.

Paul and Charm are amazing. This is our local and they have changed the atmosphere significantly 😁

Once again it is a great place to eat and drink, staff are very friendly and helpful always a good atmosphere.

Fantastic meal, lovely atmosphere and great service by Paul and Charm. Dog friendly and treats for the pooch. 5* will be back again soon.

We’ve had a fabulous meal at the Red Lion Dodleston today. Our waitress was amazing. She sorted the reward card details out for me. It was our first visit to the Red Lion for many years. Our son is 30 now and the last time we visited the Red Lion he was in primary school. We will come on a Sunday next time to try the Sunday lunch menu. Thanks again and I’m not sure of the name of our waitress but Charmaine and Kate are on the Google review slip.

Called in this evening, absolutely abysmal. Looked at me, ignored for 10 minutes. Bring back the amazing Sue, she was great. My two families have been regulars for food and drink for years, never again. Please let me know when these people have gone and I will hope someone like Sue takes over. It was always superb, such a shame.

Service was dreadful. Took nearly an hour to get food and it wasn’t particularly busy. Staff didn’t acknowledge us when we got there, no check if our meals were ok. Took nearly 20mins to take an order when the staff were standing around. Order was incorrectly put through so was wrong. Went out for a lovely family meal and ended up disappointed and frustrated - and it wasn’t cheap.

Waiting time between courses abit long , roast potatoes not roasted long enough, yorkshire pud not freshly made bought in bulk

Went for valentines nt 2025. Bar waiter didn't know what a bitter lemon was!!. Starter bad scallop and prawn starter bland stidgy and dried out!. Main belly pork course was poor to say the least. Broccoli came STONE COLD nit even warm. Potatoes sparse and again cold. No proper apology and as a gesture drinks free 1 peroni 1 bitter lemon!!. Won't ever go back .Ruined a romantic nt . No one came to ask how food was either. The drinks didn't even cover the petrol used to get there. Very very disappointed angry customers!! Diane.

Lovely pub, excellent service from staff. Plenty of parking, great food. The garlic mushrooms were really flavoursome and the 3 meat Sunday roast was lovely. The Eton mess was not great at all( so much so that I mentioned it to the waitress) there was next to no meringue and it was all cream with a couple of white chocolate buttons and hardly any fruit. I left the majority of mine. All other food was great though. Will return and would recommend( but not the eton mess)

Great friendly service and good value food with plenty of choice

Good value, good staff. Thanks Sue and Callum

Good foot nice atmosphere service was a bit slow but really enjoyed it.

Lovely pub with friendly staff and delicious, reasonably priced food.

The food was delicious, service was great and it’s a really nice pub

I took two friends to the Red Lion in Dodleston for a Sunday Roast. I had previously eaten there several years ago on a few occasions and so I was really looking forward to a lovely meal. I was left thoroughly disappointed, I ordered the roast beef and the meat was rather tough, admittedly I should have asked for a steak knife but the beef was still tough for the price. Additionally the roast potatoes that arrived on my plate were nothing like the description on the menu. They were not crispy and fluffy, they were flat and more of a cross between boiled new potatoes and part roasted potatoes. The Yorkshire pudding was lovely, the gravy was delicious and so were the roasted vegetables. However for the price which says £18.25 on their website (I seem to remember it being £19.95 on the in pub menu) the meal was awful, and when I paid at the till, I wasn't even asked how the food was by the manager. Overall I would give it 3/10 and won't be going back.

Super menu. Reasonable value for money. Lovely, friendly and helpful staff. Relaxed, comfortable atmosphere.

Absolutely lovely place, amazing food and very friendly and welcoming staff

Overall lovely but one thing I wouldn’t add the extra things on the puddings like pistachios sprinkling and coconut it’s not adding anything I’d rather not have that on my pudding keep it classic!

Lovely staff, lovely food, very nice surroundings. I've eaten here a number of times, and we've never had a bad experience.

Excellent food tonight at The Red Lion. The steaks were amazing and cooked to perfection. Service and atmosphere were great. Thanks a lot for a good experience.

Lovely food great service highly recommend

Gorgeous pub with a cosy, warm atmosphere. The food was delicious and the staff were very welcoming. The manager, Kate, was very attentive and friendly. Will definitely be returning!

Katie, joe and hope and the manager are great, I come in regularly and the pub has become amazing, a real asset to the village and the staff and management have massively improved the pub.

First time visiting this beautiful pub . Such a shame that the staff where unfriendly and unwelcimg and served by a awkward member of staff . Food was nice but did not match the price tag ...£24.30 for a small lamb shank £17 for a burger in a cheap white bun . 50p extra for a spoon of cheap vanilla ice cream not a scoop presentation is everything on a microwaved sticky toffee pudding. £8.50 shocking . For the price of the food you really need to do a lot better . Sadly wouldn't visit again .

Waiter was borderline rude. The food was cold. Some of the food was missing. Won't be returning!

Good food, good atmosphere. Charmian and Karrina provided excellent service - really enjoyed our outing.

Amazing food great service from Paul and team lovely guy with a great personality

We always enjoy our visits to the Red Lion. Good food (the lamb shank today was perfect). Good atmosphere. Friendly and efficient staff (thanks Paul & Mollie) .

We had a lovely meal today. The service was fantastic too.

I came in last night for a meal with my friend, I ordered the hunters schnitzel and she ordered the duck pizza, lovely meals! And the service from charmian was great too x

Great vibe of the place as soon as i walked in, went for a drink with a few friends, and we were served by a lovely girl called Hope, she made us feel very welcome, and was nice to chat to while there!

Myself and my partner came for a meal, it was lovely. The staff were great, especially Hope who was really helpful and polite. I will be returning x

Really enjoyed my meal today, lovely pub and was served by charmian, great service x

Service by Jackie polite but perfunctory, co-worker Paul invisible until bill time. First dish served at an acceptable volcano heat, main course for me lukewarm. Yes I had fish, but there is a restaurant on Wirral which serves good fish, always hot, on a hot plate and still very moist. Yours could have been better. Otherwise, pleasant enough. 😐

I was served by the very pleasant person called Hope who was extremely efficient and helpful.

Enjoyed myself massively at the Red Lion this evening. Delicious food served by Hope who was lovely and friendly, making my evening even better.

Went for food this week at the red lion, food was amazing as always and service was amazing, we were served by a very polite young girl called Hope, will visit again very soon thank you the red lion!

Food and service from Hope very good, scored atmosphere low only because it was a Monday night but place was lovely and warm and welcoming

Great staff, good choice and quality of food and relaxing atmosphere.

Great food, drinks decor and atmosphere

Really pleased with the quality of the New Year's eve dinner. Enjoyed it all and it was lovely to have live music too 😀

Charmaine and Jackie were amazing, nothing too much trouble and great service. Food was delicious x

Prebooked the boxing day set meal for 7 people after checking the menu on line, arrived to be told many items on menu not available, ordered starters from limited menu we were given a teaspoon of pate as starter, a sliver of camenburt on the the camenburt and mushrooms. Table full of starter plates and they bring out the mains ! Then desert not much left, Eaton mess came out, had no meringue just cream !! This place, this meal and this service was an utter joke.

Really enjoyed our meal & drinks. Fair pricing, given that everything costs more these days, and our friends from overseas really did find it to be a good British inn.

Spent Christmas day here yesterday.Food cold, atmosphere cold and unwelcoming for Christmas day! Staff were unfriendly and rude when our menu choices were wrong, no decorations, atmosphere and staff member stood over my father asking had he finished his meal when he was still eating. Definitely not worth over £80 per head, never eating here again. Much improvement required in terms of staff training hospitality and food standards.

Lovely Christmas menu served by Charmain and Kate, they provided excellent service and friendly and helpful when we requested different foods. We had our dog with us and he enjoyed the treats provided. We didn't feel rushed at any time during our visit. Thank you, we will visit again soon.

Last minute stop off lunch amazing service from Kate & Hollie

A last minute decision had us googling popular restaurants. We phoned and Paul answered - 5 people incl a wheelchair was no problem. The welcoming atmosphere started with the phone call, and continued throughout the meal. All the staff were great - checking on us, but not intrusive. Food was excellent - portions were generous protip: leave some on the plate so you've room for dessert. I had the mushrooms with cheese fondue - lovely followed by the Belly Pork - yum, and substantial. which is why I didn't get the cheese board I was looking forward to. Next time.......... Oh, coffee was good

We were so disappointed with our trip to the Red Lion. As a family we decided to visit the Red Lion to have a celebratory Christmas meal. The atmosphere in the pub was lacking in Christmas spirit. It was cold, no Christmas music, the member of staff told us they would feel so fed up listening to that type of music for any length of time. There were no Christmas decorations on the table and we had to ask for menus and then we had to ask again for the Christmas special menu. The vegetarian food on the Christmas special was very disappointing. For some reason there was half a large carrot across the plate which was hard and tasteless. There roast potatoes were hard and tasteless. There was no evidence of any ruffled garlic and the seasonal vegetables were bland and watery. The waiting staff were very helpful. I cannot recommend this pub for the food or the atmosphere

We called on a Wednesday lunch time on entering a mainly empty pub with no reservation notices on any table was met by a stern lady who seemed to consider us as something she found on the sole of her shoe and was told: they had no table free even though as she said “it doesn’t look like”. I have never been to a pub that has made less effort to accommodate as this, in summary if you are looking for a country pub with a warm welcome don’t expect it at the Red Lion.

a wonderful find. hidden in a sleepy village this gem offers excellent food at surprisingly good value. the services is impossible to fault and the ambience is comforting and grown up. little features like " muddy boots and muddy dogs welcome" are charming... and it's so nice to sit in a beautiful country pub while the staff fuss over a real fire. I won't forget this place and I will return. 10/10... 2 dining 5 courses 2 rounds of drinks £45 ok we went back today. prices have increased. 2 adults 1 infant 2 soft drinks 2 coffees. 3 starters 3 mains 2 deserts. £108 But that's entirely reasonable ... here is the most important thing to know ... the food has improved. higher quality more creative.. the garlic mushrooms was actually a fondue with grilled brie.. and it had a pesto dressing. this was better food than we had at our wedding and a heck of a lot cheaper. this place is a gem. loved it.

Lovely meal and a great atmosphere as always, Great service by Charmian, Karrina, and Paul.

Really nice place. Great service from the staff. Really can’t suggest a nicer venue. Great food and drinks.

Lovely country pub and great service from the team, thank you so much

Olivia b was great , food was amazing , service was impeccable on bar and floor . Will definitely be returning again . Lovely cosy pub

Lovely cozy dog friendly pub, food was great and our server couldn’t be more helpful! Will definitely return

It was such a lovely afternoon in the Red Lion . I went with a friend and my daughter. It has improved a lot since my last visit. Kate was very friendly the atmosphere was lovely and the fire was lit which was very welcomed 😊

Amazing service from Paul and Brad in kitchen helping with my plate

Excellent food and service here. Good prices too 👍 I recommend the signature burger and the Reason Mess

Had a lovely meal today. We were originally meant to go somewhere else but had to change plans last minute, and we were so lucky to get a table and had a beautiful roast dinner. The best roast dinner I've had in years from a pub! They were able to do everything dairy free except the Yorkshire pudding which is much better than a lot of pubs in / around Chester. Lovely staff as well. The whole place had a really cosy vibe and we will definitely be back 🌟

The pub was very quiet last week when we arrived for a last minute dinner booking with family. We want to support our local pub but once again we had a very poor experience. Our first & second meal choices were unavailable, service was unwelcoming & surly, no atmosphere & we were the last ones there at 815! We got the feeling thepub just wasn’t bothered about us being there which was sad 😢

My family and I had an incredible experience at Red Lion in Doddleston. The food was absolutely fantastic—full of flavor and beautifully presented. The staff went above and beyond to make our birthday visit special, and a special shoutout to Olivia, who was exceptionally friendly and attentive. Her warm personality and genuine care made our meal even more enjoyable. Highly recommend this place for both the delicious food and the outstanding service! Thank you ☺️

Great food, great atmosphere, Kate was super welcoming and friendly

Its almost a home run that the food is going to be good now, much improved over last few years. Plus dog friendly.

Had a lovely meal here on Saturday! Special thanks to Charmian and Paul!!! Food was delicious as always!

4 awkward “mature” ladies out for a meal celebrating birthdays.We were served by Charmian who was excellent. Very friendly,helpful and very patient when we came to pay the bill !! Would definitely visit again.

Great atmosphere great staff felt very welcomed by Paul Emma and hope

Very nice country pub and friendly staff. The food is very nice indeed.

Charming was a very pleasant host and the food was lovely.

Delicious food and lovely quiet friendly atmosphere.

For those of you who have read my previous reviews will know that I say it as it is when it comes to food. I ordered the slow cooked pork belly roast as did two others in our group. This was supposed to be served with crackling and apple which none of us received, the roast potatoes were very overdone to the point where some were black and impossible to cut. The pork itself was well cooked as were the vegetables, which consisted of approximately 1/4 to 1/2 a serving spoon of cabbage, one small Florette of broccoli , three small pieces of roasted parsnip and 1/2 a roasted carrot, accompanied by a small gravy boat of gravy (which was very nice). All in all very disappointing not only for the missing items and the potatoes but also the portion size of vegetables which to be honest was less than the recommended child’s size.

Nice pub with good pub food. Nice traditional pub feel

Charmain & Paul, Monday 14th A brilliant 2 course meal, great efficient service with a smile. Busy and lovely, everything was perfect

As we live in East Sussex and only visit North Wales once a year, we don't get to the Red Lion anything like as often as we would wish. However, whenever we do come up, we ALWAYS have an evening meal with you. Our keenness to call is based on the quality of food, prices, the loveliness of the building - both inside and out - and, far from least, the great service and welcome we receive from the staff. Sorry it'll be a while, but see you next year, Red Lion!

Lunch out for 2. We found it good value for money, served by Kate who was attentive without being intrusive. Good choice on the menu, the beetroot and pumpkin arancini was delicious as was the chicken, bacon and avocado salad. Tomato soup was flavoursome, and the fish cakes were so nice. All in all a really enjoyable lunch out ☺️Added bonus was the use of the blue light discount 👍🏻

Absolutely delicious meal. Managed to book a romantic meal for two. We had the Sunday dinner and it was perfect. The beef was pink and succulent and the meals were so big. Then we had to treat ourselves to desert, as we could not resist. Sticky toffee pudding and Crème Brule….wow! Will definitely be back, thanks to all the team, especially Emma.

Emma and Paul was fantastic tonight! So friendly and made sure we were well attended to!

Emma and Paul were so polite and friendly, very welcoming atmosphere. Paul you are fabulous

Great service and great food as always, wouldn't go elsewhere for Sunday dinner

Amazing food and great customer service from Paul, Emma and the rest of the team. Will be returning.

Roast was delicious - service so good particularly Paul!:) xxxx

We had a lovely Sunday lunch served by Emma, who was fantastic, will definitely visit again

Lovely Christmas meal in a vintage village gastro pub . Friendly staff, reasonable prices , Christmas pudding sauce could be improved upon but otherwise great Edit : having just tried the signature burger , which has to be the worst burger in the world , with nothing taken off the bill and no apology from the staff, I'd rate this place 2 star and steer clear , Just tried this place again, 30/09/2024 Had the lamb , over cooked , tough as boots with mushy tender stem broccoli, waited after being served to the point of having to ask to get our drink order taken . Awful staff, food just going down hill

Very lovely food and very Plessentials staff paul was amazing

The food and the atmosphere in the pub were both excellent; service was a little slow (for the kids!) but the pub has such a nice ambience about it that it was just nice to sit and chat for a while...plus it was Sunday Lunchtime so it was busy anyway!

All round great experience food staff atmosphere well done guys thank you.

Fantastic meal with super friendly staff. Service was superb!

Jad a Sunday dinner potatoes were hard and burnt not the best for the money

Food is absolutely gorgeous chef is spot on with his food. Staff were lovely and made us feel welcome. We had 4 starters and every single plate was cooked to perfection. Steak and lamb for mains and again both meats we delicious. Will definitely be returning

Great place to go especially if you have your dog.

Beautiful food, very friendly staff and lovely atmosphere.

Enjoyed food, service and atmosphere.

Today went for lunch. My aubergine gratin had no cheese on it and my friends found their food was not very hot.

Service was poor, got order wrong, food average, got the bill wrong. Won’t be back !

Went with friends to celebrate a birthday. Despite the pub being very quiet the service was poor. Waited ages for someone to take our order then waited 25-30 minutes for the food to come. Got the order wrong. When the food did come the food was very average. Got the bill and was over charged. Not impressed at all. Won’t be rushing back if not at all !