The Red Lion in Norwich

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

Fantastic food , great atmosphere . 👌

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.

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.

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.

Fabulous meal, drinks and service.

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

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.

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.

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...

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...

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

Traditional pub with great pub food. Staff quick and friendly. We had lamb and fish pie and both were great! Big portions but finished them up as were delicious. Will visit again

Updated review , came here with the wife , both had the double burger , was generously portioned with fries and coleslaw , service was good , food was good 👍 but when paying I noticed the service charge had already been added to the bill , when did we become American !! , I don't agree with the tip automatically being added to you're bill , I know it says service charge is optional but you shouldn't have to ask for it to be removed 🤷‍♂️ , if I've had good service I'll leave a tip , then at least the server gets all the money and not a percentage if it !! 👎 I have eaten here many times and the food is normally good quality . The menu has a good variety to choose from (couldn't see a vegetarian option but I'm not a vegetarian so doesn't bother me). On this occasion I choose the steak and mushroom suet pudding , when it came to ordering this was not available as steak and mushroom but was changed to kidney . So had to rethink what I fancied . I choose meatballs and crispy squid (both are starters but I had them as a main meal) the meatballs were almost cold and not much taste , the crispy squid was excellent. After clearing the table the waitress left a dessert menu . It was a further 30 minutes before our order was taken but when they eventually arrived all 4 desserts were generously portioned .

Poor customer service! Popped in for a quiet drink but ended up being sprayed with cleaning products by “Rupert “ who was more interested in discussing his trip to Glastonbury and his forthcoming trip to Spain than listening to what the customer needed. Maybe more...

The food here is DELICIOUS! Oh! Thinking about it now makes me drool!!!!!! The desserts are great! The steak I had was so yummy!

The Red Lion is very convenient for us and it’s a very lovely treat for the family to enjoy. With ample seating inside and out you can enjoy the long summer days whilst having some beautifully prepared food and a decent pint in the sun. We chose an array of starters which are a great selection for even the fussy eaters. The deserts are spectacular and very generous portions. The staff are super friendly and helpful. We look forward to many more visits to come Thank you

I found the whole experience to be disappointing, the mood here is of complacent obnoxiousness with no consideration for the customer. Politely asked if blind in the window could be lowered as the sun was glaring into our eyes only to be told we should...

Great quality food, good portion size, lovely staff.

Very Clean reasonably priced accommodation. Don’t look for food when it’s busy. Waiting 1 hour just to have my order taken.

Absolutely stunning our lunch was, staff were very attentive and the food was delicious. 5*, definitely coming back. 😋🩷

Lovely griddled chicken breast with chanterelle mushroom and creme fresh….

Went for a meal. Food and beer were excellent :)

I booked a table for 8 people and everyone was happy. We all had a roast on a Sunday. The food and the service is good. I will come again.

Best thing was the food was really lovely, menu had some good choices and local produce as well. Service was ok not the best or worst I have had, just not stand out.

Arrived in evening without booking table. We were quickly seated and chose a Squid starter and Plaice from the specials menu. Starter arrived within minutes, plateful of squid with fresh salad. The main course came with excellent skinny fries and was served efficiently and courteously....

Always a decent feed at the Red. As an Aussie the beer selection is quite poor. Why are the beers flat? Cosy place to have a nice feed and a flat beer. Recommend.

Excellent food. I had asparagus with poached eggs and chips - it was exquisite!

Had a one night stay in the converted stables. Very comfortable. Nice area. Friendly staff. Good value for money.

Great pub, good service & A1 food.

Used as a base to see a concert at the university

What an absolute gem! I booked a room for two nights, as I was delivering a 2-day training course nearby. On arrival I was greeted by friendly staff and shown to a pristinely clean (if a tad old-fashioned) double room. There was a kettle with...

Sisters sharing lunch. As we were out for supper, we had soup, pea and asparagus and delicious. Served with crusty bread. Waiter was excellent and took a photo of us. Thank you.

We went to the Red Lion on Mothers Day and although it’s a great pub the food fell short of what I was expecting. For starters I had Squid and it was horrid. Basically overcooked squid in batter. Next I had liver with crispy onions...

Lovely warm welcome excellent food and s friendly staff. This place is a beautiful 18th century building a perfect place to dine with family and friends.

You won't be disappointed if you stop here for a meal, absolutely fantastic 👌 👏 😀 😉 😄 ✨️

This was a recommendation from others. We went for Sunday Lunch, which is always very popular it seems. There was a huge menu to choose from, and we had the roast pork and the roast lamb. Big bonus is you get a Yorkshire pudding with...

Lovely Sunday roast pork loin with all the usual accompaniments. The roast beef was delicious too. Lovely menu in general, friendly staff.

Lovely food, big portions and great value for money!

I had a lovely meal here today with my sister. The Caesar salad was delicious the homemade cheesecake was amazing. It was also great to find low alcohol beer on tap. I will definitely visit again.