The Red Lion in Oxford

Staff are rude, meal was dry and tasteless

Nice food well presented. It's a pub so you have to order at the bar and pay with your order. The staff are busy, so it can take a bit of time to place your order. Some staff are excellent and very friendly others, not quite as good. Generally, I had a very pleasant 3 course lunch, a couple of glasses of wine, and I would go there again.

Went for a Sunday roast (requested by a visitor from overseas). The pub is nicely designed in the modern gastro style (I remember it from many years ago as a cheap and cheerful pub full of students) and the staff were great. The roast beef was too rare for my liking and could have done with some gristle being trimmed off - otherwise would have given it 5 stars - but then again that’s how all the naff cooking shows say it should be served, so a matter of taste. Everything else was good.

The pizza was really good. Rude staff though

Lovely pub in the heart of Oxford. Staff a little slow, but lovely decor and atmopshere. Clean throughout including clean toilets. Would reccomend.

Typically English decor and dishes. To do!

The meal was absolutely delicious which we enjoyed very much. My wife had a large glass of Pinot Grigio which was very expensive at £10.55, so too was a pint of Guinness at £6.00. But the main meal and dessert were excellent.

Lovely environment, friendly staff, good menu, fair prices.

The food is excellent and the staff are friendly.

Loved the homemade Yorkshires definitely the biggest I’ve ever seen! We have eaten with you a couple of times and each visit the menu to table experience has not disappointed. The service is delightful and the prices are not off putting. So thanks to the whole team - We will be back

Nice restaurant with good food and drinks and the service was good also .

A nice evening. Not too many changes to the menu, given it was the new ‘Autumn’ one. The Raclette Fondue was amazing! Really went down well with our group. Wish it was a bit bigger.

Good atmosphere, lovely to see the live music. Staff attentive and did everything to assist another customer in a wheelchair. Our meal was tasty so a nice experience.

Great setting and ambience in the city centre garden whisks you away, lovely building itself with a historic exterior, staff friendly and helpful, food was great!

Service v good. Food v good. Environment clean and comfortable. Price excellent with discount for 40% mains.

It was my 2nd visit in Oct as holidaying in Oxford. Loved this venue wish I could have taken u back to Australia!!! It is an amazing venue just loved the whole package!

When we arrived at 5pm the restaurant was empty. However we were warmly welcomed by your staff member. The food was excellent throughout as was the service.

A step up from average pub grub but not quite gastro pub, if that makes sense. Tasty and decent servings with reasonable choices, friendly staff. Bit of a barn so not much atmosphere on a Monday evening when quiet. Fine for 2 friends chatting.

Server messed up our order by entering in too many items. We called into his attention that we didn’t order 4 servings of scallops. When the bill arrived, we had been charged for his mistakes. By then he had disappeared and a nice young woman helped us to fix the bill.

Might be a bit harsh as the place only had 2 staff on floor/Bar area the lady behind the bar was amazing and really friendly and the guy running food was polite if not a bit rushed off his feet sorting whole restaurant out. This place has so many different nooks and crannies it looked empty but there was quite a lot of people for one person to deal with. My main reason it scores low was the food. My gammon and eggs was actually ok but person I was with had fish cakes which came with a supposed lemon veloute which was the most underwhelming sauce I'd ever tried. I'm an ex chef so know a good sauce this was as far away from this as could be. No seasoning, no depth of flavour and limp in consistency. The fishcakes looked like they had been chucked in a dirty deep fat fryer and were too crunchy. And the poached egg looked as deflated as we were eating this dish.Absolutely no finesse. The red lion is trying to be a gastropub but with food like that costing nearly £16 it was a huge let down. Wetherspoons could do food almost as good and it would be half the price and a pint would cost £3 rather than £6. The place looks lovely and huge amount of space and garden. The staff were 85% good. Food was just annoyingly plain and without skill. Hire a new chef is my advice. I'm happy to come and show chef how to a make a lemon veloute which is a entry level skill sauce!! I did give it a 2nd chance walked in on a quiet Monday. Person behind the bar took an age to make a pot of tea for a customer past me twice and didn't acknowledge me which is a must in any hospitality venue. Then got charged £3.35 for a half of Camden Hells. If you want to charge ridiculously over inflated prices you also need to be the best which on two occasions you have fallen well below what I would a basic service. I won't come here again and if you're reading this I urge you to go somewhere else. Oxford has a lot better to offer than this place. It's not a gastro pub by any stretch of the imagination.

Edward was our waiter. He was fantastic!!!! The food was delicious!!!

Came for a meal with the wifes family and her mum insisted i mention how great her fish and chips was, she has fish and chips every Friday and in her 87 years the red lion tops the list. Service and food was phenomenal

Came in on sunday and got served by Sophie, the food and service was amazing would definitely recommend to anyone

Great food the roast chicken was cooked to perfection very tender and juicy the quality of service from polite staff members Grace the server in particular.

Food and drink were spot on. Deffo be back again

Brilliant food and service, team go above and beyond, definitely recommend !! we will be back :)

Excellent staff. Really accommodating and made my family dinner a lovely experience.

We were served by Ed, not only was he polite and knowledgeable he was also super cute

We didn’t book but the Manager Camron helped us get a table, he was very professional and helpful. Our service from Edward was incredible, his product knowledge and attention to detail was second to none!

Came with my family for a meal and the manager found us a lovely table despite it being busy, Ed and Nia did great helping us get everything we needed and made our evening special 10/10 service and the food was delicious

Fantastic atmosphere and really good service. Enjoyed the Cod & Chorizo Fishcakes but the poached pears were outstanding.

On Sunday 13th October (the day of the half marathon) we visited the Red Lion for Sunday roast after running the half marathon. When we arrived we were told our table wasn’t ready and to get a drink and take a seat whilst we were waiting. After not being told how long roughly we were going to be waiting for, 45 minutes later we were finally seated. Whilst we were sat waiting for our table we could clearly see the staff were overloaded with work and couldn’t keep up. We were warned there would also be a wait for our food. After 2.5 hours of being at the restaurant we finally had our food. The food was lovely and couldn’t really fault it. We all wanted to try a desert but wasn’t risking waiting even longer for them, so gave it a miss. To be told that the manager was on holiday and to see the staff so overworked, exhausted and the one amazing waitress said she hadn’t even had her well deserved break is appalling. We were more frustrated at the system and the greediness of the manager/ whoever booked so many customers in for more money. Thank you to the lovely waitress (you know who you are) that was clearly embarrassed with the service that was provided that day and for your very hard work, you were very appreciated by many customers around our table as well as ours💗 I hope you are having a lovely day off! We hope to come back in the future on a not so busy weekend as we believe this isn’t the standard you usually provide

Lost a star because we got a salad with a veggie burger and everyone else got chips with meat burgers which is very weird, had to order a separate side of chips. But server was amazing and food was great.

Had an amazing roast here! Alison was incredibly friendly and made our lunch more enjoyable.

My friend and myself were totally ignored when we went in. We stood by the bar waiting to be served for 10 mins. Inthe end we left. I think they were understaffed. I think they could have made more of an effort though.

Having drunk in the pub for years as a lads night stop it was nice to go in since the upgrade and what a great afternoon!! We were looked after well by the staff who were friendly and really looked after us. The food although a burger was bloody lovely Would highly recommend for a afternoon kick back with friends and relax with good food and great atmosphere Will definitely go there again

I recently visited to the red lion and I was so impressed! From the moment we walked in we were greeted by Stephen and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. The menu has a variety of dishes that were cooked perfectly. The service was prompt and the team were very knowledgeable and offered great recommendations. It was a great experience and I highly recommend for anyone looking for a great meal in Oxford.

When Charly paraphrased my order it really impressed me because, in Oxford almost nobody does that while taking orders in such a friendly way. The food was delicious and the beer as well. The decoration and music of the place is very inviting. I wanted to come since months ago, but it was always full. Now I know the reason why. Thank you Charly! You rock! And I hope that the manager and company appreciates to have people like him. Totally recommended. I will come back.

Unfortunately the food was poor, the service was inconsistent, we had to ask for things a number of times, and the restaurant was freezing. We had to ask 4 members of staff to turn on the heating, and we were repeatedly told the manager was too busy to speak to us. Extremely disappointing. Our son has recently started studying at university in Oxford, and we were looking for a good place to visit regularly as we came to visit our son, that was in walking distance of his accommodation. Unfortunately this will not be it.

Tasty food and a pleasant atmosphere

Great evening! Excellent service the entire night. Alison was a star, super kind and helpful :))

Food was delicious and service was amazing. Special shoutout in particular to Alison for great service!

We chose this place because it was close to the new theatre. As we were there on a Sunday we expected Sunday lunch but were disappointed to find they had run out by 4pm even though we were told it would be fine when we booked. A busy place with a good atmosphere. The burger I had was good. Staff were too busy so we had to wait ages for the bill and eventually had to go to the bar as we needed to leave. Would probably look for somewhere different next time.

Visited the Red Lion as guests from America fancied a pub meal. Everyone was delighted with the venue and all the staff we encountered. One of our guests fancied a traditional apple crumble and custard which was not on the menu but when mentioned to our Waitress Gracie and Stephen, they kindly checked with the kitchend and made it happen. We were amazed by the service and are expremely appreciative.

Alison was lovely and the food was wonderful! Thanks for a great experience.

My family and I arrived hungry and eager for a pub lunch and we left satiated, replete and utterly happy. The atmosphere was great, food was fantastic and the service impeccable. Alison kept a close watch over us and made sure we had everything we needed and she did a fabulous job with great humour and personality. I had a Dirty Burger which was 'ooohhhh' and 'mmmmm' at every bite. My wife had the King Prawn and Crab Linguine and our murmurs of appreciation were a stereo performance through lunch. My daughter has a nut allergy and Alison made sure to go through everything with her to ensure our holiday wasn't spoiled by epipens, visits to the hospital and whatnots. Daughter's partner and my sister both had pies and my son had a different burger. I can't tell you which (are there more than 2 burgers?) because he is lying fast asleep near me as I type this the next morning, probably dreaming of the lunch he had yesterday. All in all, a wonderful lunch (mine lubricated with a delectable Neck Oil) and if we were not just passing through on our holiday road trip, we would surely drop by again for more laughs, great food and a wonderful time. Highly recommended.

Alison our server was great!! Super helpful

Awesome atmosphere!!! Please note, you must order on an application, it offers a QR code which redirects us to the application to pay and order

Food was very nice as were the staff, but service time between courses was unacceptably slow. And the tech in terms of taking orders and payments was abysmal.

This place offers an exceptional dining experience. The food is outstanding with a diverse selection of drinks to complement the meal. The atmosphere is inviting, and the service is top-notch. What truly sets it apart is the attentive and kind staff, making the visit unforgettable. Highly recommend!

Red Lion Oxford - Review I visited the Red Lion in Oxford with my family and overall the experience was positive. I ordered a burger, which was well cooked and tasty. The meat was good quality, although I can't say it's the best pub in England. The atmosphere was welcoming and the service adequate. A good place for a family meal, although not great.

Excellent Sunday roasts, in a great location and very good value for money. Staff were excellent. Very accommodating for kids. Couldn’t fault anything

My group ate here on a sunday for some roast dinners, and as all “first timers” this is the place to go for a proper sunday roast in Oxford. The food was absolutely delicious, and the beer was cold!

One of the great evening spots in Oxford if you are NOT a student. Nice atmosphere & the staff are bubbly & helpful. We were served by the main man Edward & the beautiful Katie, these guys made our night special.

The food and service were lovely and I really appreciate the hospitality of the restaurant. The pork belly was delightful and the garden area was very nice

Just had a pint, staff were very helpful clean with a modern decor and a great variety of drinks and food

After ordering and paying via a website, you get your drinks.

Very close to the crowded center, this large restaurant with inside and outside seating offers a larger choice of Sunday roasts that we took. They are really good for a fair price. Extra drinks were offered as we had to wait a little longer than expected. Friendly staff too. I can recommend

Food was great. But service was awful. Waitresses were very friendly but we think hadn't been trained. We had to chase up every drink order. When wine was delivered no glasses were brought, so gave up waiting and grabbed from next table. We ended up clearing our own old glasses from the pre lunch drinks to make room. As well as starter side plates. As service was so slow we didn’t have time for pudding or coffee. We had allowed 2 1/2 hours. One point the manager gave the waitress a telling for not taking our order. Surely this shouldn’t be done in front of the customers. Despite having 2 bottles only once was our wine poured. We were on a table hidden away and to be honest just left. As I said food was great. Was a shame as was a celebration lunch. Get better service at Pizza Express!

Bon rapport qualité prix, service rapide, bon choix de bières, bonne ambiance et très bon service ! Idéal en famille, je recommande !

This is one of the nicest bars in Oxford. The decor is updated and chic, the music is perfectly curated, the toilets are clean and stylish and there is a very nice smell throughout the entire place. We had the Sunday roast which was delicious. 10/10 would visit again.

This place is amazing, the food is great and the atmosphere is great too. My girlfriend and I had the ribeye steak and it was easily one of the better steaks each of us have had. Definitely will be coming back 👍🏻

The restaurant terrace is very pleasant and friendly. We chose the 2 course formula which we paid in advance. The salad was good but £4 extra for 5 small prawns is overpriced. We found the service very slow to receive the dessert, even though we wanted to continue visiting this pretty city. We went to the counter and then realized we had been forgotten. It's not very serious but unpleasant.

We visited on a sunny Friday lunchtime, as a party of four—my husband, our two teenage children, and myself. I had been to the pub before and chose it again because I remembered the fantastic beer garden. It was just as I recalled: generous seating, a real suntrap, and the perfect place to relax. We ordered food via the app. When our food arrived, it seemed to have been left under a heat lamp for a bit too long, which was a minor issue. Given how much we were enjoying ourselves, we didn’t raise the concern at the time. After our visit, I decided to send feedback directly to the manager. To my pleasant surprise, he called me right away. He was incredibly polite, listened carefully to my concerns, and reassured me that this was not their usual standard and that it would not happen again. His response went above and beyond my expectations, and I was truly impressed with how professionally and thoughtfully he handled the situation. Despite the minor issue with the food, our experience was very positive, and the exceptional customer service from the manager really stood out. We’ll definitely be back to enjoy the beautiful garden again!

Tasty food, lovely atmosphere, beautiful setting. Thank you for all your help Nia!

A friend recommended us whilst we was enjoying our trip myself and my husband looked at the reviews so decided to give it a try. We walked in and immediately we were given a very warm welcome we we seated and given menus food arrived promptly and was delicious. Very well presented we went to the bar and got a round of drinks the lady who served us Alison her name was extremely helpful offering to bring our drinks over. Once the food arrived within a few minutes she came over and asked each and everyone of us if our food was ok another thing was she was very prompt asking if any of us had an allergies. Something we never get asked. We will definitely be returning pat on the back to your amazing server Alison she is a real asset to your team and will be telling all friends and family. Thankyou Alison for you outstanding service.

We visit the u.k quite often we were in the town centre so thought we would try the red lion. Extremely quirky establishment with a very warm friendly atmosphere. We were greeted as soon as we walked through the door. I ordered the fish and chips at the bar side i believe a cheery friendly lady called Alison took our order we wanted something traditional so she recommended the fish and chips. Another thing is she took enormous care by checking if we have any sort of allergies or dietary requirements something that does not happen back home. The food came out efficiently and was piping hot the fish was delicious after a few minutes she came over and asked us how our fish and chips was. When our plates was cleared she took the time to talk to us and we were so overwhelmed how well she had taken care of us it felt like being at home. Your chefs delivered the most beautiful food and the presentation was top notch. I visited the toilets and it felt like i was in a beauty salon how stunning are they? And exceptionally clean. Thankyou to the chefs for the perfect meal but most of all thankyou to Alison who really made us feel welcome and taking the time to talk to us we are definitely going to be coming back and would love to see Alison again I have recommended this place to all friends and family in the u.k

Perfect, good taste, accept dogs outside. Very clean toilets, luxuous interior, sympathic team.

Brilliant lunch at The Red Lion on a quiet Tuesday in August. We opted for the set menu and were delighted with the choice but especially with the quality and presentation of the food. The chef delivers fantastic dishes. Wait staff is friendly, competent and knowledgeable, especially our server Alison. Good selection of English and foreign beers on tap, including a no-alcohol draft beer. It's a big place with several different types of indoor seating (high tables with stools; comfy chairs at tables; upholstered bench seats and large tables, and more) plus a large outdoor garden area. Plenty of room for families, couples, groups of friends, etc. Oh, and did I mention dessert? We were going to be good and not have any, but the first two courses of our lunch were so good, we couldn't resist! Highly recommended.

My first experience here in 2019 was great... not so much this time around, today. Not enough staff behind the bar to take orders. After finally being served, and placing an order for a pint of Guinness and a portion of halloumi fries, I was still waiting for the fries an hour later. Don't come here if you're already hungry because you'll wait a while for your food. The halloumi fries are just as good as the last time I was here in 2019, but I'd personally rather get the same elsewhere where the service is better. More staff did appear behind the bar not long before I was about to leave, so perhaps the service will improve...?

Seemed nice. Haven't been here for years.

very calm reserved seats and staff were quite relaxed

Good selection of beers and helpful staff bar couple of ladies who are always moody.

We joined as a large group for dinner, unfortunately our food left a lot to be desired. Whole tables steaks overcooked amongst many other issues. I'd really like to praise and thank Tyrell who dealt with the situation so well. He was empathetic, apologetic and really turned our visit around. He is an absolute asset to the business - please pass on our biggest thanks 🙏🏼

Had lunch with a friend and the company was the best part of the experience. Best that can be said is that the food was fine and not particularly pricey. Nothing special, but fine. The service, on the other hand, was atrocious. The staff were indifferent at best and mildly contemptuous at worst - to say nothing of incompetent. The hostess told us the dining room was full but that we could sit in the bar area, and completely ignored us. Our bartender ignored us for 10min before finally taking our drink orders. It would have been nice if he's told us it would take him another 10min to put the drinks and that we'd have to come up to get them, but we figured that out 20min later after noticing the now-warm beers sitting in the bar. Once our friend arrived, we went up to the bar to order food. After describing our order twice, he finally told us he had to check if one of the items was available. 5min later he meandered back to tell us it was off. Then he had to get an iPad with details of their allergy policy because my friend was allergic to seafood (she'd ordered a burger). She was told to review a 10 page document, but the iPad died before she made it to page 3. He apologized and disappeared for another 10min, only to come back with an updated menu on his phone which excluded all items containing seafood. As the burger was on that menu, we continued to place our order. My friend (who has mobility issues due to cancer) paid with a card and went back to our table - only to be called back again as the barman had somehow screwed up the authorization and payment hadn't gone through. She hobbled back and our order was finally in after 25min. Of course, that wasn't the end of it. They said they'd bring food out, but I had to go back up to remind them about one drink the barman had forgotten. That at least he apologized for and brought to the table, but the rest of our food came out after a long wait and unevenly. Two of us were served, but had no cutlery or serviettes. The waiter grudgingly brought over two knives and two forks, prompting the rest of our party to wonder if they were to eat with their hands. Upon reminding, they eventually came back with some a few serviettes which they dumped on one corner of the table before disappearing. After another 10min a different waiter came by to serve fish and chips to our one vegetarian. Fortunately, looked closer because it turned out to be the deep fried banana leaves rather than fish and chips, but the waiter obviously couldn't care less. Additional silverware showed up after yet another 10min. We needed salt, but there was none on the table (of course). Unwilling to wait another bloody 10min, I got up and searched other tables for it. The first two I found were empty and I finally snagged one off the end of the bar. The incurious staff completely ignored me as I did this. But they did come to our table 4 more time over the next hour trying to bring us orders for other tables. Each time we told them it wasn't ours, they frowned at us as if it was our fault and departed without a word. Overall, our lunch ended up taking almost two and a half hours. Nice because we caught up with an old friend, but otherwise infuriating. Not only will we not be back, we will recommend others so not dine here. I'd complain to the management, but it's obvious they don't give a damn. Avoid.

Very nice pub with a good selection of drinks and friendly staff. Quite pricey though

Jason was very very helpful and pleasant. Thank you for the amazing service

Jason was a great host , kept us up to date with our order and couldn’t have been more helpful , however couldn’t leave a tip as card machine didn’t show option . Will definitely be back

Jason was the best! Give that guy a raise

Very bery bad 👎 don't come to this restaurant

Friendly staff great atmosphere

Get off the Main Street and eat here. Our food was amazing, hot hearty pie with beautiful pastry, fish dish super tasty. Really overwhelmed at such a great lunch…don’t need dinner now. Staff lovely, service quick and really comfortable seating without loud music pop music pumping out

A big thank you to Jason who made our visit so special So attentive - engaging and a lovely personality and asset to the team

Alison was fab at serving us. We had the best time. Thank you!

Really friendly and competent staff. Always served with a smile. Was served by Shannon and her professional service.

It was my mums first time in the UK so brought her to Oxford for a nice day out, and of course I wanted her to try some proper traditional Sunday roast. So glad we came to Red Lion. The food was delicious and the portions are huge as seen in the picture. I got the chorizo pasta and that was amazing as well. Really good service and food. Would definitely recommend 👌🏼🤗🍝 P.S. : The toilets in this place are to die for 😱😍

Had a great Sunday lunch. We were served by Edward & Jason both very friendly, polite & helpful. Would definitely come back

We came in as a huge group of ill-mannered tourists. Jason and his crew took care of us professionally. Food was amazing. Drinks fast and expertly created. We left very happy. We’ll be back again next week :)

From the very beginning the attitude of the bar staff and manager were superior and very rude, there was also discrimination based on nationality.

Erin was AMAZING. Bottomless drinks. Our glasses were never empty. Thank you!!!

Great night at The Red Lion thanks to Jason! He was really friendly and super efficient. Cheers Jason!

Most best good crazy nice pub we have been to in the past year for sure! Excellent food, outdoor space, toilets, atmosphere, and people. Anytime! Great service by Jason. Hands down beat experience in a pub. Easily beats London star cuisine restaurants.

Very happy with the experience and service. Jason serviced us and it was perfect from start to finish.

Red Lion Oxford offers a fantastic dining experience. The restaurant is beautifully decorated, and the atmosphere is perfect for a relaxing meal. I ordered the vegetarian lasagna, and it was the best I’ve ever had. The service was impeccable, with friendly and attentive staff. I’ll definitely be returning to try more dishes from their amazing menu.

I had an incredible dining experience at Red Lion Oxford. The atmosphere was cozy and inviting, perfect for a relaxing evening out. The food was exquisite, with every dish beautifully presented and bursting with flavor. The service was impeccable, with the staff attentive and friendly. I highly recommend the steak, it was cooked to perfection. I can’t wait to return!

Our table of 5 received 2 of the 5 meals - before we had even returned from the bar, meals were out of the kitchen!! Super fast. The remaining three of us then had to enquire after a 15 minute wait, where the rest of our food was. It arrived half an hour after the first two (who had finished). The waitress was rude slammed our cutlery down. My daughter’s meal was incorrect and then she had to wait another ten minutes. My cod was rubbery and the chorizo overcooked. The other waiter apologised. But nothing else. No offer of a complimentary drink, or pudding. Poor service. I won’t be returning as the food was not worth the very long wait.

Greta garden and atmosphere. Service was fab

It was my husband's birthday lunch. A very good meal with excellent staff. I am gluten free and there were plenty of options.

To give this place one star is being nice! Arrived and asked if they were still serving food with which the replied yes for another hour and handed us menus. I ordered food and drinks for the table, only two drinks arrived… they failed to bring us the other two and the food. 30 minutes after ordering the food hadn’t arrived so I asked where it was only to be told the kitchen closed 15 minutes ago without making our order. So correct me if I’m wrong, why was our order taken if the kitchen was closing and secondly why did I have to ask where our non existent food was? It took the manager 15 minutes to deal with us and that was after I walked up to the bar to him. He did not come to our table and apologise, he almost made out it was my fault. The place was not busy and it was filthy, glasses everywhere. Will not be going back and will not recommend , these guys need a serious amount of hospitality training and at least customer service training. If this person is a manager, there must be very low requirements to be a manager as they were definitely not fit for purpose.

Great place to drink a pint or two. The food was just OK but the atmosphere of the bar was great and the service was good.