The Red Lion in North Dorset - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Great local pub with very friendly barmaid

Good old fashioned english pub 👌

149 / 5 000 Atmospheric local pub. You can drink, eat, watch the match, play billiards, play slot machines. The big advantage is the large garden and the spacious interior.

Been for a drink in this place a few times, like a lot happy chatty people .

No food at Red Lion, only drink. However we had a party in their function room and therefore brought our own food.

Huge thank you to David for your hospitality. We had a lovely function and your staff were on hand and very helpful. Nice beer too. Shall be using your pub more often.

Always friendly. Beers good. Pub has a good atmosphere.

Full of kids, teenage underaged kids getting served at the bar, this place has gone down dramatically with new owners.

No food any more. Hardly anywhere in Gillingham to eat

My wife and I have frequented the red lion since moving to Gillingham Dorset last year. After completing renovation of our house late last year we found the red lion and joined the others who enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and banter with other Patrons. Bar staff are friendly and eager to please. Beer for me is superb, and those we have got to know since going there are fun easy to get along with. Dog friendly which is always a bonus, clean and tidy. But the most attractive for us is the monthly pub quiz which is well attended, extremely well put together and we look forward to joining every month.

Lovely friendly place and they always play good music

Great pub. After I had issues with the train getting back to London, I found this pub that is closest to Gillingham station, John looked after me massively while waiting I was waiting for a family member to collect me, he was more than accommodating, and very friendly. The pub itself is very good, old school feel to it and has great beer and wine, and great background music too, brilliant pub atmosphere. Would highly recommend to anyone in the area or who is passing through!

Landlord and wife are lovely, food excellent. Went for a 2pm booking and left after 2.5 hrs.

Staff unfriendly... coffee choice limited. Lovely garden though...

A 'proper' no frills pub, there are only a few places like this left so enjoy it while you can.

Nice pub very friendly atmosphere

Great pub for meetings. Friendly team, plenty of parking, including an EV charger nearby.

Seems to have improved since I was last here. Had an enjoyable time in the beer garden.

Popped for a quick drink the smell coming from the kitchen made us stay for lunch.. Excellent meal just booked for Sunday lunch hoping that’s as good. Very nice and helpful lady behind the bar

Great food and very friendly staff.

Very glad we found the Red Lion - the food wasn’t expensive and was actually home cooked rather than out of a packet (we had lasagne and the beef and ale casserole) David behind the bar was a nice chap - very friendly. We’ll definitely be going back to sit in the garden on another nice day but I can imagine it’s nice and cosy inside on a cold day, too!

Great friendly pub. Very nice staff.

Friendly local with friendly locals

Great food,nice and friendly staff,great service really enjoyed.

Great food, pies all the way for me.

Great pub. Beautiful place. Nice drink. Nice atmosphere

Good covid secure table service. All seemed great!

Service and food was excellent this pub is has a lovely garden outdoor space and friendly service.

Didn't know The Red Lion in Gillingham did food. So glad I found out they did. Absolutely great meal from a wide ranging menu. Friendly service, as always. Recommend you come and experience a superb meal in a lovely atmosphere.

Great playlist on this occasion.

Hugely dissapointed to be served my Guinness in a plastic glass, apparently because they'd had trouble with youths a few nights before. This place has the potential to be a top family pub, serving excellent food, and the number one choice for 12000 people across Gillingham (and beyond), but the management needs to see that opportunity and start by dealing with the youths and the reputation of being the drug centre of Gillingham (I'm not substantiating that in any way - it's what the majority of people have said to me since we moved here in April 2019). Until things pick up I'm sticking with the Phoenix.

Good selection of lunch time food

Fajny bar z bilardem i mała sala do tańca ale jest ok polecam

Another amazing pub. Nice garden, cozy and warm inside and good selection of beer

Excellent food, prompt and friendly service and a nice atmosphere. We stopped here on a random road trip through Dorset. We had a good meal and a drink each (2 adults and 2 children) for a very reasonable price. Friendly service with decent home cooked food. Parking outside as well, although I think we were lucky there was a space but hey ho. Highly recommended.

Lovely place..plenty of parking.. Nice staff

Bar stall could do with some training.

Lovely lady with a gorgeous pair!

Lovely atmosphere, food superb.

Went there for a pint with my wife but the pub smelt of old deep fried food. The beer was pretty bad too, and the staff not very happy. Have been there in the past and it was ok.

Very nice place to go for a drink and chill out and very good service from bar staff and manger

Not as cheap as you'd expect, generally attracts the worst people. But it is basically the pub in Gillingham

Friendly and welcoming but menu a bit limited. We ate outside , nice shady tables but outlook nothing special.

Dark and dirty very bad language in the bar not a nice atmosphere

We found the service was good, friendly, and with a smile. The food was tasty, not restaurant quality, but ok.

A bit grubby,managers not really dressed properly,jeans and trainers not very manager like.

Needs lighting,ABit rough and ready ,not for family or a light hearted drink..no food.

Very warm welcoming pub. With music and pool tables. Which has outside garden .

Nice bit of sunshine out in the beer garden enjoying a cider.

Good place to drink with friends

Good old fashioned pub. Great for a quiet drink, meeting friends, and music.

Poor whiskey selection, Thatchera on tap which made up for. Only seen one decent band there, folky rock band, State Of Undress. Great atmosphere that night. Niche clientele. Good for locals!

Just a local pub. Clean enough, but not a place to go with the family for food.

Used to be a Really Nice Pub but now the town has changed shape it is off the main route

Red lion Place to be when your out in Gillingham

Its a pub. Others may think it smells or 'locals' look at you, but we travelled 150 miles to visit Gillingham and its fine. Staff are friendly. locals were similar. The pints were fine (and yes i would whinge if they were not). The spirits were served well with a large open glassed fridge. The smokers have a sun trap, so they will get a tan either way. Recommended.

Myself and two friends popped in to have a quick drink (and I mean quick) after a meal at a different venue. First impressions... dark, dirty, feels like your being watched by what I presume where the 'locals' and there was a strong smell of cannabis in the smoking area. The staff were quite rude and I don't think they actually knew what they were doing. One female member of staff was sat at the end of the bar and made it pretty obvious she had been drinking herself. Definitely not a family pub, or somewhere to go for a girls night out. We most certainly will not be going back here again !

The broadband signal went during a storm and interrupted the first half but the pub has a few screens for premiership football . Main attraction for me . Been a few times . People are friendly enough

After the so called referb it still smells stale . there where obviously people openly on drugs . the staff (short manager guy ) was very rude and loud I would not return here such a shame when it has so much potential ! It may be cheap but definitely not cheerful . also The smoking area is illegally !!!!!

My family and I have eaten at the Red Lion twice this month as we eat our way across Dorset, England. The sauces used with fish and ham offerings are unequaled. And, the ambience is just amazing.

Went in for a couple of drinks with friends. Nice comfy outdoor seating area. A bit too sporty for my liking. There was a black jack table and multiple sports screensm overall ok.