The Red Lion in Norwich

Really disappointed as this place was previously good (a few years back). This is the second visit where it has been just rubbish service . The first time was Father’s day last year and I gave the benefit of the doubt. It’s utter chaos, there appears to be no structure in how to manage the place and whilst we were there we heard members of staff bickering and they thought it was acceptable in front of paying customers . The Sunday lunch was average . The roast potatoes had clearly been sitting around for a few hours and when you are paying £22 for a main , it should be relatively decent. Absolutely won’t be returning . I should have known better after last time, there are many other deserving places than this establishment that attempts to brand itself as reputable !

Not worth one star, the worst set of staff I've ever come across, very unfriendly and rude, the man behind the bar was particularly rude and did not seem to care about the customers. Not attentive, welcoming or good at their jobs, if the chap behind the bar is the role model then that explains it! There are a lot of reviews saying the same as above so why does the owner not care enough to train his staff or better still, employ nice people who care! Would recommend you carry on walking, The Cellar House just up the road welcomed us with open arms and served us gorgeous food on top.. go there if you want a great experience. Furthermore, I wrote a review on google saying the above, I was then sent a message from the Red Lion 'reaching out' to me to ask what the problems were, I went into a lot of detail, they did not reply.

Wasn't impressed with the service

Happened to be visiting family in the area and had heard great things about the food here so thought my partner and I would call in for dinner Having not booked a table Dan advised me that there may be a small wait for food we were seated shortly after and the food was splendid great food and great service will be visiting again when I’m back for sure

Having booked a table for six for an annual reunion was surprised at the very curt greeting followed by quite an aggressive demand for the drinks we might want to order. Tall man behind the bar unsmiling and not at all welcoming service was slow a request for water was grudgingly supplied with a “what for all of you?” And a jug of water and a pile of five glasses was dumped on the table(one of number was in hospital) the food was quite expensive but reasonable apart from the vegan halloumi burger which was unsatisfactory. When mentioned to the waiter(tall man again) he said “Oh” and when asked it he had tried it said no and that was it. . Not at all happy about our visit. This has been is our usual reunion venue and my wife and I visit during the year, but no more.

Wonderful food,service and ambience experienced today. We met with friends for a lovely,leisurely Sunday lunch. Everything was perfect !

Laura was extremely professional and organised our afternoon event perfectly. We had lots of compliments on the buffet which was plentiful and of a high quality. The outdoor patio area is a beautiful oasis of calm. Thank you so much, we had a fabulous time. x

Beautiful food in a beautiful building. Food is always fresh and delicious. It is our go-to restaurant for birthdays and special occasions. Good portion sizes, excellent service from both waiting staff and bar staff. Cannot recommend this place enough!

Avoid the Liver dish at all cost! I was presented with 2 large slabs of liver. Inedible. Chef or cook?

Stayed over for a work trip and decided to try out the food. Easily some of the best food I’ve been servered. High quality healthy and perfectly cooked. Room was lovely too.

Me and 3 mates had a few beers, had dinner, over night stay and breakfast the next morning. Service was great, food was amazing, rooms were clean and tidy and breakfast was filling! Shame they closed at 10, but full credit to the waitress for making sure we had some drinks before paying our bill which was way cheaper than we though!

We stayed at the Red Lion because it was near the Norfolk and Norwich hospital for an early appointment. The food was lovely, found the bed not so comfy.

Sunday lunch,Last time we came here food was expensive but decidedly average and the service was poor. This time was the same. Took staff 20 mins for a drink and an hour to take our food order.I had sausages and mash,3 of the smallest sausages known to man on some mash potato with a yorkshire pud.£17 really??? Others in our party had lamb £21 with rock hard veg,also someone had peas delivered in a pot full of water? Staff paid no attention to us,We wanted another drink but no-one came.After spending 2 hours there for 1 course,we dare not ask for desserts as life is too short! As it is often busy here I think the management have become blasé and think well, we are busy so let's continue to overcharge and give poor service.

I accidentally selected the wrong date when I made the reservation, and the staff were extremely accommodating and generous. It is very clear that the owner and his staff are passionate about looking after their customers, and the food was delicious.

We popped into this pub a week and a half before to see if I could book a table for 9 people for a birthday celebration, the manager was able to take our booking and said we could decorate the table and bring a cake which I personally thought was a nice touch. The night itself was fabulous from Start to finish excellent service from all the waitresses, all 9 of us had different mains off the menu and the large selection of specials board Everyone's meal was faultless and really enjoyable. After they cleared the plates they bought the cake out with candles which again was so thoughtful as potentially lost sales through desserts. Thank you to all at the Red lion for making my Mum's 70th a special quiet celebration. Would highly recommend and we all live locally and will be back. Thanks again.

Came in for food with girlfriends. Food and service was impeccable as always.

Ordered halibut and crab cake , crab cake was all mush not firm and crispy coating as you would expect, partner ordered chicken burger, chunky chips were reheated, horrible taste, over microwaved crab cake , waitresses look stressed, running around, one young lad disinterested !

Went for end of term dinner, was so lovely and the food was delicious!!

Went for an evening meal. Food was spot on, staff were lovely. Will definitely be returning.

Found a live slug whilst eating my food. Admittedly it was from the salad. But they should thoroughly check every salad dish that leaves the kitchen. As if someone was to unknowingly consume it, could be fatal. Thankfully staff took it off of the bill. But we was told by a waiter “this has happened a lot lately “ Surely one incident should be enough to set some rules about thoroughly washing and checking meals before being sent out . Other then that the Meal was lovely although my gammon steak was WAY too salty. I felt as if I was eating something spicy there was so much salt.

Such a lovely bar/restaurant really old and quaint. We were welcomed as we came in and our drinks order taken immediately and brought to our table quickly. It went down hill rapidly after this we were sat for 20 minutes awaiting our order being taken in a restaurant with two other tables one of which came in after us and had there order taken and we were still waiting. Staff were standing behind the bar chatting to one and other anything but serving. One young lady seen us but still ignored us and continued setting up tables. In the end we paid for our drinks and left. The same 2 members of staff were still behind bar and no goodbye given as we left. If it was busy I could understand but it wasn’t. The service should be good for the prices charged especially as 10% service is added to your bill

Abysmal service ! . Came in got seated got drinks and menus . Waited 20 minutes several other tables that came in after us got served and orders taken . The bar man looked like a manager stood around chatting to a waitress rearranging his spirit measures . The waitress after 20 odd minutes then appeared putting out table numbers no hello sorry you been served did several tables said I’ll be with you in a minute and carried on putting out table numbers . 5 mins later she appeared we asked for bill for drinks and left after 30 minutes . The barman was too busy looking at his phone to ask if everything was okay or to simply say goodbye . The waitress was too busy moaning about her London Underground experience to care about the would be customers that were leaving . Service was pretty non existent won’t be returning

Popped to have aome food and it was delicious. We came on a Tuesday lunchtime without booking and it was quiet enough. Teriyaki pork ribs was coming out of the bone and delicious. Quite big portion also. They don't do kids menu but insteas you order anything from menu and they bring half size - pay half. Great service. Would come back.

A lovely meal I had macaroni and cheese lovely. 5 stars

Da wir dort übernachten haben , hatten wir mehrmals. Eine große Auswahl an Essen, Fleisch , Fisch und vegetarisch. Die Qualität war sehr gut und der Service sehr freundlich.

Very good food, generous portion. Attentive staff. Will return again

Food was excellent and a nice range of specials. Decent selection of beers if a little predictable.

Excellent food from a wide choice including specials. Great atmosphere and service.

We stayed here when we went to see Tom walker at the uea. It's an amazing place staff are very friendly and happy to help food was fantastic and a lovely room to. Also only a 20 min walk to uea we would stay here again thank you so much

The hotel itself is quaint and oldy worldy. But from a practical stance, it is impractical. The spiral steep staircase up to our room was the first shock 😲. A young lady sprinted ahead of us, leading us, as we struggled with our albeit small but heavy cases. Had we known about the staircase, maybe I would have had a separate bag for that evening. We planned on staying in other hotels over several nights along the coast. The room was pleasant and clean, but the bed was an old-fashioned double. In 2024, King size beds for two guests isn't unreasonable is it ? A double room should mean a room for two people, therefore a bed suitable for two people should be available. Double beds_ 4 foot 6 inch beds, should all be in museums as instruments of torture. 🤣. The shower 🚿 was tragically a dribble as the part of the hose to the taps was broken. We didn't realise until the morning when attempting to have a shower, so it was too late to have it fixed. Even if this room had been cheap, it was still a rip off. We had asked to be moved on seeing the small bed, but we were told they were fully booked.🤨 . The evening meal in the restaurant was nice.

Had the whole lemon sole pan fried meuniere & a coconut frangipane tart for dessert. Would come back again!

Very disappointing for the price, bathroom a mess with toilet seat missing rubber stoppers rust and cracked window, plastic skirting board split and dirty overall in need of TLC noisy rood with what I suspect was the kitchen dish washer running into the night and early morning preventing a nice sleep in this so call Deluxe double room which had the smallest double bed I've ever seen. Food was OK, had better, and had worse, dining area very dark, so menu hard to read until closing time when a member of staff noticed and switched the lights on. Would I stay again.... No.

Fish and chips for £19! Yes, rather overpriced and quality only average. Disabled access to toilets poor. Other restaurants now have dedicated disabled facilities.

On my visit i chose the burger, didnt wait long for food. Burger was dry and the top of the bun very greasy due to onion rings on top, coleslaw a bit grey but tasted okay. Overall and comparing to other experiences in other locations i thought it was over priced for quality. Maybe i chose the wrong meal but it didnt make me feel i would return for more.

This place never fails. Great vibe, always busy. Really good food. Just love it here. Can't wait to try a Sunday roast!

The food here is always good, bit the service is increasingly slow, with the staff looking more and more stressed each time we visit. They could do with hiring a couple more people.

Superb meal at a busy lunch time, got us a table even though we hadn’t had opportunity to book, (booking very much recommended!!) food was excellent as was the service, proper old english pub experience that made mine and my sons day, handily close to the university for visiting parents, Prices really do reflect the food quality, great portion sizes, friendly and helpful staff (all!) 5 stars!

If you're vegetarian, I'd suggest you go elsewhere. Not very veggie friendly.

Had Sunday lunch here, absolutely delicious food, generous portions and served beautifully. Without a doubt well worthy of 5 stars and more! Apart from excellent food the staff were absolutely lovely, very efficient and super friendly. Would highly recommend The Red Lion. Thank you for a lovely Sunday roast

Fabulous meal. Fantastic atmosphere. Great experience all round.

We were a walk in couple in the early evening on a Monday. The bar staff took the time and effort to sort us out and find a table. Specials board was fantastic. Great portions. Tasty food.

Sorry to say it was poor. We hadn't been for a while for exactly the same reasons, the food was tasteless previously and it was the same on this occasion. All those that had a Sunday lunch regardless of whether pork or beef said the same, meat absolutely tasteless, gravy and potatoes very poor standard for £21.00 each, extremely unsatisfied. We were served and greeting well at first, however when our plates were taken away, we waited, and waited, no offer of a desert menu while we sat and watched a bunch of young serving staff standing in a group. Frustratingly they all looked regularly over but basically ignored us. We decided we won't bother with desert and asked for the bill which we were over charged 4 pints of coke. At this point we asked for the service charge to be taken off and agreed never go again.

Got really excited about returning to the Red Lion after 15 years but didn’t really need to bother our starter of Calamari was chewy and my Pork chop was tasteless and dry my partners liver was Okay. However the cheesecake was gorgeous and a generous portion.

Great food, and one of the prettiest beer gardens! I'd skip dessert, though...not their strong suite.

Another lovely meal this lunch time-as usual great food,service and wine!A really nice atmosphere too! Highly recommended!

Never saw such an incompetent staff. Everyone is responsible for their blade-narrow task, when you're expected to guess who does what. The food? Mediocre to say the most. We were tempted by the seabass and the pie but regretted them shortly after they arrived.

Saturday evening meal with a group of 14. Excellent food and service.

Fabulous food, excellent staff. A lovely cozy place for a meal.

Family Sunday lunch with different roasts & one of our party had the fish and chips. The pork was cooked to perfection with delicious crunchy crackling. Locally sourced. The FnChps were also excellent. V friendly family run freehold. Couldn’t recommend it more.

Food excellent, nicely presented. Waitress efficient but lacking in charm!

The food as really gone down hill in this pub Our 4 meals were all dreadful Cold tasteless bland and over priced The meat was over cooked and dry The vegetable were under cooked and cold The waitress got the order wrong the meals and side dishes all came out separately The waitress was just bringing one little thing out at a time . Very disappointing Not any where near worth the price . Fancy names on the menu Did not live up to what You actually received We would nt go again Would not recommend

Still trying to find the Supreme in the Roast Chicken dinner, Roast potatoes were so hard you could not get your fork into them, Couldn't make up my mind if the chicken was still bloody or it came from the red cabbage, further investigation chicken was not cooked. Apple Creme Brûlée sugar was burn on the top Waitress could have been a bit more cheerful - its Christmas

Been coming here 41 year's & seen many changes won't be coming back for more! Booked a table for our family Christmas meal for 7pm, arrived just before and said we were here, while at the bar we ordered drinks and were told "oh your tables over there" pointing in the direction of the old bar area before the pub became mostly restaurant based. While busy no one took us over, so on getting our drinks went over ourselves at 7.10pm. Starters arrived about 15 mins later broke into my camembert to find rock hard dried up cheese. I returned this however on return the woman after making apologies previously snipes it's basically my fault they have been in the oven to long as we didn't sit down at exactly 7.00! Who books a table for 7 to eat as you walk in the door! We continued with the meal which to be honest I found nothing special for the price, loads of pastry little meat, others had turkey left alot saying dry. No water on table, cheapest crackers I've ever seen nothing to feel special at all about. The way the staff serving behaved replacing cutlery like we are supposed to know we should only use the bread to dip cheese and not a fork to remove the onion from the pots or take the prawns off the skewers to mix and eat the salad with a fork !! The way they told us off like children leaning over us all to replace the cutlery like it was some major inconvenience was ridiculous. Missing drink left on bar not severed to table "is that ours" "Yes"...no oh sorry forgot that one. Barman left on after others left was rude, abrupt. I have never in my life not left a tip but I refused the £48 10% tip! Absolutely disgraceful service and prices for the food,service & atmosphere. Needs a serious change of attitude in staff and owners or ownership that know how to treat people.

My sister booked what she thought was Xmas lunch. It doesn’t state you have to book several days in advance for the festive lunch. We got there and were told we couldn’t have it. My sister ordered lamb it came with sprouts, potatoes and peas. She enjoyed it very much. I on the other hand did not enjoy the food I ordered. I had lasagna and a large salad. With a portion of chips on the side. The salad consisted of mostly red onion, possibly half a tomato and very soft past its best lettuce. The lasagna was not to the standard I expected either. I have this at cafe Rosa in King’s Lynn on a regular basis. It knocks spots off the Red Lions. Very disappointed particularly as you can have Sunday lunch which consists of roast Turkey. We had our meal on Thursday 21 December. I fail to se why if Sunday it can be served but not on the week days. They need to be more clear on the website.

Fantastic food , great atmosphere . 👌

Another excellent Christmas lunch at the Red Lion. We were there with a large group of friends and both the food and service were great. Tasty and plentiful portions with accompanying vegetables. Just wish coffee had been included as it used to be. However, a good time was had by all.

Really great traditional pub good amazing portions and really delicious.

Excellent meal on a very busy week day evening. Several large groups made the room a bit noisy but we had a quiet corner and very good service. All the food I saw looked good and we enjoyed our meal. The ice cream was particularly delicious.

Plenty of parking. Good atmosphere and friendly, prompt service. A great table by the fire. Interesting menu, delicious puds.

First visit after recommendation from a number of folk. What a great experience. Although we had pre-ordered as it was the run up to the Christmas holidays, the food and service were excellent. The place was full with both large parties and smaller groups. The staff were exceptional and our food choices were hot and plentiful. We will certainly return in the New Year. Thank you.

Stayed here overnight for work. Very nice pub with great food and very friendly staff. Felt very welcome and the accommodation is comfortable and very reasonably priced. Ignore any bad reviews, this is a lovely place to stay and eat.

We went for evening meal with my cousin who was over from Australia. The food was amazing. I am gluten intolerant and had Norfolk flat field mushrooms and halloumi burger with chunky chips homemade coleslaw and chilli jam. This dish was delicious and enormous. The starters all looked amazing but I knew I wouldn’t eat my main course if I had a starter. But the rest of the table of 7 all enjoyed them. Nobody could fit a dessert in! All in all, amazing food lovely staff, atmosphere and plenty of parking.

Went with the family, had the festive menu, it was disgusting, turkey was dry, roasts were so hard couldn't cut them, ginger dessert was dry, a complete waste of £30 and it was so cold in there, barman was not friendly in fact I would say quite rude

Great place to eat- good honest pub food

My son and I booked this traditional and historic establishment for an overnight stay and breakfast. We also had lunch there on the day we arrived. It was good quality, well-cooked and well presented pub fare. (Fish and chips). The smallish rooms at the rear of the main building (converted stables) are perfectly serviceable, clean, warm, comfortable beds with a good-sized and well fitted bathroom and wardrobe space. Well-stocked tea and coffee-making facilities were a welcome bonus. Our breakfast the following morning, served by the fireside in an elevated section of the lounge/bar, was excellent - the full 'residents' breakfast costs £12 and was of first class quality. All the staff we met were friendly, polite, obliging and welcoming. Julia and Laura stand out as excellent hostesses. Julia describes herself as 'The Grumpy One' - I think that's the word she used! Nothing could be further from the truth. She is delightful. Have a look at the history of the place before you visit. It's very interesting. The Red Lion is a great find. We would definitely stay there again on a future visit. Thanks to all.

The staff are so welcoming and hardworking.The food is always really good and beautifully presented. We had fish and chips yesterday— exemplary!!

A comfortable and welcoming place to meet but staff with loud voices and an even louder coffee machine (why oh why are these kept in the public area?) marred the experience.

Food was amazing, and the wine list is to die for.

It's not the first time eating in this pub for us as a family. Everything is delirious. Food is fresh and really good portions. Recommended!

Excellent food. Pity it was cold little heating and the 10% service charge. Medium merlo £8.50p plus service charge.

Family had a really nice meal there.

We visited here to celebrate a friends birthday, the atmosphere was great , food was amazing and the staff were lovely. Thankyou 😊

Arrived 9.15 pm and had a pint! Went to order a second at 9.55 and told we close at 10.00 ! No notification of last orders and I’m not a regular ! It would have been helpful when I ordered to be told we close...

I recently stayed at the Red Lion as my husband was having an operation at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital nearby. Such a good choice !! This a lovely community pub with fabulous rooms and food. The staff were sooo lovely to me and made...

Regulars for dinner and they don't disappoint - great selection of great tasting food and decent portions

Didn't stay in room so can't comment. Popped in for an impromptu day off together lunch but definitely great food in a very old pub setting. Didn't have to wait long, very well presented, tasted wonderful, staff friendly and welcoming, knowledgeable regarding their menu. Missed the specials board, though. £17 for chicken and bacon ceaser, so bit on the pricey side but fresh, well cooked large portion. Highly recommended.

Fabulous meal, drinks and service.

Went for a joint birthday meal, table for 12 which accommodated well as 4 of our party where late as watching the local football but the staff managed this so well as pre ordered and then there meals where brought out with no fuss once they arrived. Brilliant atmosphere and staff where so attentive, food was good value for money and quality was brilliant. We will be back, thanks again.

Proper traditional pub, friendly, good people, nice atmosphere, great food

Always lovely food , great atmosphere . All staff are fantastic , they always look & help to accommodate all customers needs

Food is always really good with big portions, but they can be quite slow to serve.

Our daughter just joined at UEA and we were looking for a place to have lunch - luckily we stumbled on the Red Lion - good food lots of choice and a welcoming feel. Don’t go past 2 on a weekday for lunch though or you’ll be disappointed all day food Sunday only.

Beautiful location by the River. We booked an inside table but ended up sitting outside as it was so mild. I was eating with friends and we all had Sunday roast. Great vegan and veggie options as well as traditional roasts followed by fantastic puddings...

Booked a table for 16 people, had to pre order food which you expect with a table that large on a Saturday evening. As we had 4 people coming later post football and a couple of children they managed the whole timings of our group...

Now our place of choice for a high quality meal with courteous professional service. Manager/owner is very helpful and knows how to treat customers. Extensive menu. A good place to take guests and know they will be well catered for. Casual and lovely historic surroundings but in no way pretentious. A visit is a must and my guess is you will return time and time again. First class establishment.

We booked for two as was our wedding anniversary - what a mistake ! Took ages to be shown to our table and eventually given menu after a long wait. Choose Beef Dinners at £21 each After another long wait ordering a medium glass of...

sorry but the most awful eating experience for a long time. longish wait to get to table long wait for waitress the food arrived quickly but the overprised beef dinner at £21 was a culinary disaster - little of the meat could be eaten and roast potatoes awful. Glass of wine cost £10 and service charge automatically added to bill

Nice friendly pub with good food

Not great for us, screaming at us for ordering 14 drinks? Not normal for British pubs. Real shame because I usually like this pub when I come with family.

Really enjoyed our celebratory dinner here. It was exceptionally hard to choose what to order since all the dishes sound so appetising. I chose the sesame crusted salmon which was beautifully done, as water the other dishes ordered by my friends. Only slip up was with someone’s order whereby they misunderstood the order of an item on the specials board and instead brought a similar dish from the main menu, but regardless it was still delicious. So maybe just being more careful and repeating the orders back to customers to avoid this happening could be helpful. Slightly on the pricey side, but for the originality of the dishes I didn’t mind for a treat every once in a while.

I had a really nice experience at The Red Lion, the food was amazing and it is well worth a visit with a large car park to the rear. The only slight issue, was that it took a long time to get table service, such as order food, get the bill, pay the bill etc. It was very busy and for other people it may be fine, however, it something that I noticed, but it's not put me off, I would definitely visit again.

Birthday lunch wife's birthday. Chicken Caesar with chunky chips, delicious,salad and a chicken supreme skillet with cream and mushroom sauce. Great service all freshly cooked and served well. The restaurant was busy indicating a good place to eat. Will return soon

Excellent pub food was had by our group.

What can I say about The Red Lion? The food here is delicious, I've never had a bad meal here. The menu is really varied, but the fish offerings are excellent. It is one of the best places to eat if you love sea food. There is an excellent selection of drinks available. They have a great wine list. I would say you definitely need to book in order to avoid not getting a table as it is very popular. Lovely pub to pop into just for a drink. The staff are all very friendly and the service is brilliant. Big bonus points for always having Campari!

I popped in for a spot of lunch. I chose the sausage and mash with a side of veg. When it came out I tucked in and to my disappointment the veg was soft (boiled too long) the sausages were bland (which is a purchasing...

People rave about these places, but for the money I've had way better. The chunky chips were mediocre. It wasn't terrible food, but you can get much better for not much more at places like Blue Joanna, The Ingham Swan, The Gin Trap Inn and Dhaba at fifteen to name a few.

The Red Lion just never lets us down! The menu is extensive, (plus a specials board), food and drinks very reasonably priced and the staff are all very jolly. It's always busy so you can be sure of a good atmosphere even on a Monday...

Had a wonderful lunch here with family. The landlord is so friendly and welcoming. My parents go regularly and always speak highly of the place, so it was lovely to experience it first hand. Will definitely return when I'm next in Norwich visiting

Went for Sunday lunch to this lovely wood panelled pub, started with a pint and banter with the manager, then sat down to the hake main which was thick but flaky, beautifully cooked. Had the strawberry and cream cheesecake for dessert which was decadently divine. 5/5 had everything going for it, recommended to everyone.

Amazing selection of food and a fantastic price. There really is something for everyone