The Red Lion in Derbyshire Dales

We stayed in Matlock for a long weekend and the Red Lion was a very welcoming pub, a lovely beer garden, great choice of ales and staff very friendly,, had a Sunday carvery and couldn’t fault it, tasted lush!!!

We called in on Wednesday and had the pie special for two, the food and service were outstanding, five stars.

A very warm welcome, the rooms were nicely laid out with a good ensuite. The food in the restaurant was incredible.

Excellent sunday carvery and pint of bass

I am well traveled across the UK and the globe and this pub should not be missed if in Matlock. Great staff and atmosphere and very very good food both during the week and Sunday carvery!

We spent a couple of nights here. It's a warm and welcoming place which is clearly popular with locals as well as tourists.

Great atmosphere, lovely beer, and friendly and attentive staff. Could not recommend more highly!

Beer garden at the front was full, so the back one was just a little haven. Topped off with an excellent ale 👍🏻

Great Sunday carvery here, lots of choice and a good price. Beer was decent too. Staff were friendly and there were lots of patrons but still plenty of space

Awesome selection of great value, well kept ales, including x4 of their own brews (Moot Ales). Lovely, very knowledgeable landlord. Great for cyclists 🚴‍♂️ 👏 🍺

Proper locals pub with excellent local Moot Ales and a good selection of other beers etc. The food is lovely and very well priced. The rump steak was delicious and an absolute bargain. Great beer garden too. Great atmosphere and lovely staff, made to feel very welcome indeed.

Exzellent pub and restaurant. Nice, friendly atmosphere. Good food. Do not miss the excellent beers from the in-House microbrewery.

Excellent, friendly staff, reasonable prices, good beers and good quality pub grub

Love this pub! Really friendly place and we love their food, especially the carvery. We live in Yorkshire, but any time we visit Matlock we always book a table here… Just wish it was our local.

went for a sunday carvery, booked in with no issues and when we came we got seated straight away. the food was fresh, warm and flavoursome (you get a lot of meat!) and the staff were very friendly and helpful, the customers are nice too. the place is dog friendly so you can meet a lot of pups! i will definitely come again.

I hate to do this, honestly the only terrible review I've given. And I'll start with the positives, the serving staff were friendly and the atmosphere and pub location was great. But the food was so awful I've had to down vote the rest of the stars just make the point (sorry). Having come in for a dinner and a drink on a holiday break away we looked up good local pub grub, the reviews and location all seemed appealing. The prices were typical for a main/s. My girlfriend ordered bbq ribs, and I ordered a steak pie, mash and peas. Food took 45mins (not an issue but relivant) when the food turned up the table next to us laught at the serving portion of ribs as it was so large (again this should be a positive) until you tasted it. It was a sour spicy and bbq? sauce, the ribs dripping in it and full of grizzle. We honestly couldn't eat more than a couple of ribs between the two of us. The chips were hard and undercooked. My pie and mash....the gravy was nice? Or nice in comparison? the mash was salty and the pie was stone cold in the center. Unfortunately I only found this out after eating to the center. See the image for reference on the pale pie. Ribs that look fantastic but taste bloody awful. To round it up, £40 without drinks, feeling sick and my partner waiting for domino's pizza at the air bnb. I recommend a new chef or a return of the one who the reviews quoted. Sorry red lion.

Just had dinner and fantastic food, beer and staff - highly recommend

Fantastic pub in Matlock. Super super friendly staff. Lovely place. Food was fantastic. Kids good brilliant and they really enjoyed. The kids mini burger is not mini and plenty! Steak deal is fantastic value and the wine that comes with it is more than acceptable. Will certainly be back if in the area. Lots of cute dogs and a really nice looking beer garden.

A local pub that cares about quality. Friendly staff, a large menu with generous portions. A grand place to catch up with family and friends. Dog friendly!

Delicious food in homely atmostphere best Sunday carvery around 😋

I'd highly recommend any visitors to Matlock to go to The Red Lion for their Sunday carvery/food out. It seems the locals already know what a gem this place is. The food quality was top notch and the service from Lee, his daughter and the rest of the team were exceptional. We'll be returning happy customers

Wonderful food earlier tonight. Made to feel very welcome. Steak was superb. Child burger was very very generous. Will be back again. Many thanks

Fantastic food, great service warm and welcoming, will definitely be going back

Such a quaint little Inn , beautiful food an amazing service . Such a hidden gem .

We was welcomed on arrival by the smell of Sunday carvery which was very good and I would recommend booking a table as it was very busy and we were lucky to get a table. The Wi-Fi is good and doesn’t drop out. Even though the rooms are above a busy pub it doesn’t feel that way. The room was clean and well presented with a gorgeous 4 poster bed that was so comfortable. I had the best nights sleep I’ve had in ages waking up without the usual just woke up sore back feeling. The red lion is well situated for the village and all Matlock has to offer. Breakfast was a good start to the day and was hot it was served by a lovely lady with a smile just what you need on a wet Monday morning. On checking out the gentleman was cheerful and easy to chat to he is knowledgeable about the area and what’s on and when

The food was brilliant. We had our dog with us so we sat in the “smoke room” where dogs are welcome and honestly, you wouldn’t have noticed a difference. The staff were super attentive, the food was really nice, and the dripping gravy was well amazing. Fast, nice, happy! We recommend this place to all dog owners and just general local pub enjoyers!

Great atmosphere, food and service with a micro-brewery attached. What’s not to love!

First time visiting this pub in matlock today and had sunday lunch (carvery) and it was absolutely lovely. Definately 5 star and would recommend to everyone.

Sunday carvery top class. Delicious food and plenty of it. Great staff. Lovely place. Been before and will go again. Best carvery around in my opinion. Thank you for Delicious Sunday dinner.

Can’t comment on rooms but a lovely pub and restaurant and the food was amazing .

Had an excellent weekend at Christmas Markets. Staff really helpful & welcoming. Ate in pub and food was amazing, big portions. Would definitely recommend

Great pub good beers ect ,accommodation good food , relaxing atmosphere what more could you ask for .

Friendly staff and locals, good selection of beers and spirits, excellent food short walk from Matlock Town centre

We discovered our second best host ever, Lee. We went for carvery and he made our whole experience that much better. Sound lad. Great atmosphere and service overall.

Just returned from a lovely stay up in Matlock for a friend’s wedding. The Red Lion staff and hospitality were flawless. Cosy room, delicious food, and good reasonably priced beer. Thank you for the walking recommendations!

Excellent Sunday carvery and great beer

Had to park in Manchester and walk from there but that’s down to the pub being so loved and used. And a great Sunday dinner ! Well worth the walk x

The Red Lion is a popular place. Lee and his staff always make us feel welcome. The food served in the restaurant is excellent. The onsite Moot Ales microbrewery is also popular.

Had a lovely experience Lindsey the bar staff was very smiley and bubble and made you feel really welcome. Will be coming here more often.

Had a wonderful stay here this weekend. Situated just a short walk from the town centre this place is definitely worth a visit. Made to feel welcome the moment we checked in right through to when we checked out & had out suitcase carried out to the car. The staff really do go that extra mile to make you feel welcome & comfortable. Such a cosy pub with a fabulous atmosphere. The breakfast is super, made with quality ingredients & cooked to perfection by the amazing, friendly/cheeky chefs. The room was clean & tidy with everything you need for a short stay. Will return again in the future.

A great family run business for many years grate prices and a pool table and a slot machine highly recommended.

Best pub in Matlock !!! Always feel welcome and brilliant beers Thanks

Great ale from their own brewery, good friendly atmosphere have their own restaurant, but didn't eat on our visits

Second time visiting for a Sunday carvery. Fantastic carvery and a good price. One of the best we have had. Bar staff really friendly. Highly recommended.

Fantastic Sunday carvery, and a lovely pint.

Great selection of cask beers, staff cheerful and polite

Wow! Simple as that. Beer is fabulous, especially the export lager. Staff absolutely brilliant. Breakfast terrific. Rooms comfortable and clean. Couldn't find a fault if I tried.

Great staff, lovely friendly atmosphere -

Highly recommend. We booked for two nights and had a great stay. Check-in was easy with friendly and welcoming staff. Lovely room with comfortable beds and a much needed powerful shower after mighty hike! We had both dinner and breakfast and the food was excellent. Bar had an excellent selection of ales on (some lovely ones brewed in-house) and with a pool table available, what more could you want?!

My girlfriend and I visited the other week, staying 2 nights. The place was quiet and well-looked after. The hospitality was excellent: we thoroughly enjoyed the food - and the beer! - and we really enjoyed our stay. An especial mention goes to Lee, who had some great recommendations on what to do in the local area - all his tips worked out and the holiday flowed seemingly. Would happily return!

After a day touring the lovely peak district in the rain on my motorcycle (still wonderful place even when damp), I stopped for a well earned beer at the Red Lion. The staff and locals in this pub are brilliant. It is a perfect example of what an English pub should be. Thanks to Bumble, Vincent and their mob for making me feel like a local from the off and raising my dampened spirits. I will definitely be stopping over here next time up. 24 carat proper !!!!!

Lovely food and amazing service

We came here for Sunday dinner, the food was very nice and the man at the carvery station was lovely and friendly.

Just had two meals. Stuffed chicken.and 8oz gammon. Very nice. Booked for tomorrow carvery. Waitress was very charming.

An absolute gem of a place, the food is exceptional. We booked as a wedding party and Lee, Liam and Lyndsey could not do enough to ensure that the whole evening ran as smoothly as possible. A massive thank you to everyone involved. We cannot recommend this place enough.

Lovely food and amazing beers would rate them more stars if I could.

Only visited here whilst on holiday but kept going back. Everything adds up to make a really good pub. Decor - modern enough without being overkill, size of pub is good and views from garden can be great. Also there is a whole selection of beers that are brewed onsite and very good (Moot Ales). Wish this was my local.

Get yourself down there , super awesome food, really enjoyed the place

The food and beer is really good but despite being a large place the area where dogs are allowed is very small. Unfortunately when we visited there was a large group of noisy customers which made conversation very difficult, but as we had our dog we could not be moved to a quieter table, despite asking and explaining that my elderly grandparents could not hear our conversation. I think there could have been some flexibility and empathy shown from the gentleman I spoke to. It's a shame as it is my grandfather's 85th birthday but we had to cut short our meal.

Great place, friendly staff ,great choice of beers,

Fantastic! unfortunately, that's not enough to describe how welcoming this place is to stay or eat. The beers great too.

Lovely pub, although I didn’t go for the hotel, I can say that this is a great place for those who enjoy ales and alcohol in general. They had a wide range of beverages to choose from and as an ale drinker the 7 choices did stand out to me! Do suggest.

Tried 2 of their beers they were very tasty and well kept. Landlord was chatty and friendly. Pub was very clean and well looked after

Beautiful pub very clean rooms freindly staff would definitely stay again

Can't comment on Rooms.Service very good great barstaff get service good and efficient nice beers,not tasted food yet

Stayed nearby on an extended B/H weekend. Booked the carvery on the Sunday, very busy book in advance is recommended. Great value. Visited a few times, well it was on our way home lol. Great beer, the blonde bitter being my favourite. Fabulous staff. Appears to have a good local following. Highly recommended. Seating areas front and rear. Good food, beer and staff what more can you ask for. Thanks all

A very nice pub which was very busy on my visit. The bar itself was busy and vibrant with very friendly staff. The beers were very good. I had a Matlock Best and their own Porter, both very well kept. (Has to be really, as it is a brewery too). The breakfast was very good, nicely cooked. The only downside was the evening meal, which unfortunately was very dry and overcooked. (Stuffed chicken fillet).

Had Sunday lunch today. First time here. Everything absolutely excellent. Food delicious and the staff displayed genuine warmth and the atmosphere great. Will eat here again. Lovely lovely pub. Thank you.

Great traditional pub with a fantastic Sunday carvery. Very good customer service and great atmosphere.

Decent pub, meet some nice characters. Staff friendly. Food good, not just dog friendly as we took our maincoon cat in :)

Owner cannot handle any criticism. Cusses out people who do not give good ratings and overall arrogant. Absolutely shocking that a business communicates like this publically, the owner should be ashamed and man up and take criticism professionally.

Fantastic food , friendly staff, lovely atmosphere, great choice of beers.

Absolutely a fantastic place , the staff , the food and then I can’t forget the beer . Brewed out the back and a great taste on all that I sampled. I was lucky to be stopping there and will return, our room was comfortable and the bathroom looked new .

Good range of beers & food was exceptional

We singled out this microbrewery, which had all the charm of a care home. The beers were mediocre too. Disappointing all round really.

Vegan ales and Brewed on the premises very good choice I like the Porter one of the best I have tasted a real nice pub

Fabulous friendly pub and lovely hotel. Great food and ales . highly recommend

Absolutely amazing, really friendly and welcoming. The food is amazing and the staff are fantastic nothing is too much trouble would definitely recommend.

After searching ' the best carvery in Matlock' The Red Lion was top of the list and I have to say we wern't dissapointed. Food is outstanding and the staff we're so welcoming. Will def be visiting again soon. Good job all!

Having been several times for Sunday Carvery, very good as usual we'll be back.

Great room, great staff, great place. Food was excellent as was the service.

2nd time I 've visited and still as good as ever. Wonderfully inviting decor and attractive open fire. Excellent choice of drinks and very friendly staff.

Went with a party of 9 , food and service were excellent and could not have been better. Bar staff are very friendly and kept our drinks filled throughout the meal. Represents great value for money, will definitely be back.

Had a fabulous stay here, great pub, so friendly, rooms very comfortable and clean. Breakfast superb. Great location, lovely setting 😍

Such a lovely place to have a few beers

Excellent ale and food. Micro brewery next door helps with delivery times. Staff were great

Wide menu choice, excellent value, and skilled, friendly staff.

Myself and my wife stayed here recently. Good range of real ales as they have a micro brewery on site. Delicious range of food available . Great location for exploring the Derbyshire Dales. Accommodation was spacious as was the shower room. Would definitely stay here again. Lee and the rest of the team are very friendly and welcoming.

A well run pub serving good food and beer with friendly staff

Excellent food, excellent beer. Good service, will definitely return

Extremely friendly and helpful staff and a very relaxing atmosphere. The food was exceptional and competitively price and a great selection of beers. Really clean and the rooms have everything you'd expect at a great hotel. Highly recommended. ☆☆☆☆☆ Many thanks Lee.

Great pub. Lovely food . Very nice atmosphere. Warm welcoming staff

Great Beer, Great Food, Friendly staff and a nice atmosphere. Recommended.

Good place to have a rest, drinking beer and taste specially delicious food !! The chef team is the best ! Joe and Olle are professionals ! Lovely place! Thank you guys !

The Red Lion, Matlock. A lovely place, close to the victorian park and off the main busy road. Very friendly and spacious and quite grand. A really nice sitoutery at the back where we could park our bicycles. The wine was excellent, a good smoothflow John Smiths aswell as craft beers. I had probably the best beef and pork lasagne ever.

Nice food and serving staff but let down after booking week in advance it seems no table available. No apology eventually tables found in beer garden left standing wondering what on earth was going on.

Lovely pub with restaurant and beer garden

Delicious food! We loved the calamari, ribs, and Brie especially. Chicken was a little dry and needed more sauce but was still really tasty and great portions of everything. Friendly staff and cosy atmosphere. Dog friendly too !

Clean friendly pub good range of real ales Pleasant beer garden

Excellent home brewed beer, served by staff . A jewel in the crown of Matlock