The Red Lion in Cheshire West and Chester

Greeted by Kate and eli who were lovely and welcoming, enjoyed a lovely coffee to warm up would definitely recommend!!

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

Salmon fish cakes were fabulous! Kate and Karrina were amazing hosts, I can’t recommend enough!

Had a lovely evening at the Red Lion, Kate was very welcoming. Paul was very friendly and made sure our drinks didn't run dry. Ely was very friendly and provided good service. Pricing is very fair on the food.

Hot summers day made even better when visiting the Red Lion. Couldn't have asked for better food and service. Kate, Paul and Eli were fab and couldn't have done more. I'll be back. Thank you.

Wonderful family meal with good service and food :))

I had fish and chips and the fish was over cooked didn't say anything we had a guest with us we go there regularly never had a problem there was six of us

Place looks dirty and dated. Sat out side for a drink the fence is rotten and the grass is not kept well . 10 pound for a beer and a coke woo that's a little to much if you want customers you need to think about your prices

Has been getting steadily worse over the past few years with the pre-cooked food arriving lukewarm or even cold and staff who come across as incompetent and unprofessional. A great shame because the Red Lion itself is a beautiful pub/restaurant in a wonderful location and used to be a lot lot better than it is now in the aforementioned areas. Perhaps something will change before it's too late.

Lovely pub, which has great kerb appeal. Plenty of parking behind the Pub. Inside is all set up beautifully and it gives you a feeling that you are going to be eating something special. We received a warm welcome from the staff and from start to finish they were really attentive throughout. Unfortunately the food was very disappointing, luke warm, underwhelming poor ingredients and insufficient portions…due to this I would say it was overpriced. The overheads are phenomenal and I know the service industry is battling to balance the books. Likewise, I want to feel my money is well spent but on this occasion it did not inspire me to make a return visit It’s a shame as, everything else is just perfect

Sam was polite and attentive, we felt well taken care of. Food was lovely!

Sam was an amazing waiter and very attentive even when our dog decided to bark for no reason!! Thank you for making our visit a great one, happy Easter

Great food and a lovely relaxing atmosphere, a lovely midweek treat , as good as ever, can't go wrong here, Kate and Karnna were brilliant x x x

Lovely staff, fabulous place in a picturesque village& great food would highly recommend

Shocking service with rude staff. Wanted to dine but went somewhere else instead. 🤬

Came for a solo lunch, was amazing, the chef called Bradley was incredible with the food really delicious🫶, always my favourite place to go when wanting abit of a treat, great service as always, passion fruit coolers are always a top tier😂, thank you red lion for the amazing food will be definitely coming back again for the 5th time.

this lunchtime 28th March I visited this establishment . Upon entering and walking to the bar I was given a quizzical look by an elderly man from behind the bar. By that I mean he looked me up and down but didn’t say a word just stood still and looked.I had to say to him and his barmaid “ hello and smile”Usually it’s the reverse .I was asked yes what do you want meaning drink or food . I ordered fish and chips and a small Sauvignon blanc. During and throughout the order process there was no please or thank you or welcoming interaction . Never a smile .I truthfully felt uncomfortable and in the way. My payment wasn’t accepted by swiping my card and was asked to enter my pin . I apologised and when the payment went through I was thanked but not offered the receipt . The food was delivered by the grey haired man and I was asked if I wanted anything else whilst he was here . I said no. He said enjoy your meal .I spent circa £24.75. The fish was very good but the chips were hard and dry . You needed a drink to soften them. No check was given regarding was I enjoying my meal. Two members of staff were laughing and joking .good for them . My point is they can be friendly and pleasant but clearly it’s selective and I didn’t experience a pleasant welcome . It doesn’t take much to be welcoming and a smile goes a long way to make you feel welcome . I take no pleasure from writing this scathing review and I shall be contacting the pub group regarding it . I know many enjoy the Red Lion at Doddleston. It is an attractive food pub and my experience is probably rare or people can’t be bothered to give constructive honest feed back . I hope this help teach both the pub group and staff the importance of what I have pointed out .

Food - precooked. Service - slightly chaotic. Atmosphere - waitress very friendly / manager not at all friendly or welcoming.

Whole experience was superb. Kate, Paul and Karina welcomed us all with big smiles and were all simply fantastic. Jackie, Hope and Sam were quick and efficient at clearing the table whilst Holly was lovely when she came and checked on us to make sure everything was alright! Amelia was patient and understanding when taking our food order (a fair amount of changes were made and yet everybody was very accommodating!) Food was very good all round and nobody left hungry! Brilliant lunch for Mother’s Day with a very pleased Mother and Grandmother!

Have been here a few times as the menu is good and the setting is perfect. Sadly the service tonight was pretty bad. Firstly no one seemed to want to serve us, eventually after nearly an hour of waiting to be served I ordered at the bar with little communication from the bar man and no apologies. From then on we waited for our food with no interaction, eye contact or check in from the waiter who seemed to be ignoring our table. It wasn’t a busy night and we also arrived early.An apology or some kind of acknowledgment would have solved the problem.

Excellent food, lovely venue. Katie was very friendly, approachable and accommodating. She made sure we had everything we needed/wanted and did it with a smile 😊

Been here a few times now. Would absolutely recommend to everyone. My family have one disabled person and an old lady, both are quite particular about the food we at, the service we receive as well as the atmosphere, all of which where Stella (Premium Quality) Our server was Kate and she was brilliant. But the star of the show was Paul. His ability to Host, serve and entertain all while keeping decorum and professionalism to the highest standard is incredibly noteworthy. We will definitely be back and we couldn't speak more highly about this little gem of an establishment.

Very nice meal here, staff friendly, nice pub, recommended.

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

Services was amazing! Kate and Paul were fabulous

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.

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

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!

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

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

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.

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!

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

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!

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 .

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.

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.

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!

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) .

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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. 😐

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

Great staff, good choice and quality of food and relaxing 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 😀

Great food, drinks decor and atmosphere

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

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.

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.

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

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

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 😊

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

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

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.

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

Delicious food and lovely quiet friendly atmosphere.

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

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

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