The Red Lion in Weymouth and Portland

Thanks to all the staff at the Red Lion last Friday evening. They were absolutely rammed, but managed to fit the four of us in. My favourite pub in Weymouth, give it a go.

This pub is a gem, good beers, wines etc. The food is second to none. Good value and great portions, and variety. Excellent.

Haven't eaten here yet but want to. Menu looks really good, dogs allowed outside and in the beach huts for semi alfresco dining

A great pub with great food and nice beer set in scenic historic surroundings 👍

Gorgeous pub, cosy fire and candles...Food really good, personally I would like more veg options ..My hubby would like some chicken options..Staff are fab, really welcoming and friendly...Definitely a pub I will call my local...💞

Always love our visits here. Nice staff, good choice of drinks, lovely interior and little beach huts outside, cosy fire, just really nice. Must return to try the food.

Wished I'd seen previous reviews before visiting. Rude, extremely hostile staff refusing to serve a family at lunch time, outside with young children (sitting quietly). Apparently their license does not allow under 10's, well working for a local authority licensing department I would like to know if such a license exists. Please do not give this establishment your business, they do not deserve it. Plenty more places to go that welcome you in

Wouldn't let us sit outside with the pram because "no under 16s". What's a 5 week old baby going to do on a cold January afternoon. Very strange place that goes out of their way to turn people away.

Great pub, great atmosphere, great staff.. should be on everyone's 'to visit' list

Friendly staff, nice food and a good selection of spirits.

Sweet little pub. Very nice service. Even offered us beer to try before we ordered.

The Red Lion is one of those perfect pub spots. Opened in 1851, it feels like you step in to a hidden spot where time has frozen. Go for a pint and you’ll spend half the time looking at all the history and decoration on the walls. The other half will be having a lovely conversation with the welcoming staff whom don’t even give an ounce of superficiality! The drinks options are exceptional with local pints on draught. We haven’t tried the food yet but from what we have seen, we are very looking forward to when we do. Don’t change at all Red Lion!

Cozy historic pub. Perfectly fine tbf, just not for me. Staff / team do a running commentary on customers

A great meal, and very helpful and pleasant staff. We have visited the Red lion many times over the last few years when in Weymouth. The food and service was as excellent as it always has been. A small delay with the meal was dealt with very well. Will be back in the future.

We had a roast beef dinner. It was extremely tasty and well worth the money. Plenty of food and the staff were friendly and helpful

Unaccomadating, rude, distasteful wouldn’t recommend. If you’re after a beer with friends, head to one of the other establishments.

We visited for lunch and had a nice meal. The steak and caramelised onion panini was fantastic. The outside seating area with its little beach huts was lovley and cozy.

Drenched in olde world charm in both ambience and staff...best Timothy Taylors in Dorset and snacks!!. Perfect place to stop after walking on the beach. Thank u guys!!.

A group of 6 of us looking for food, turned away for having one under 12 with us. Old rooms inn sat us straight away

Fab pub, great staff. Can’t fault this place at all. We had drinks most days whilst down here and ate once. Always very friendly, attentive staff.

Didn't try any food this time, but it has always been really good on previous visits. Good local ale served and plenty of tables (including outside huts). One thing - for anyone considering bringing young children - the Red Lion is restricted (either by licensing or choice) to over 14s only. It is definitely worth a visit for those that qualify.

Open area with gentle music occasionally. Lovely.

Polite staff, attentive to all your needs, great wine amazing steak just melts in your mouth,good atmosphere relaxed and chilled vibes.

Came for the two steaks and a bottle of wine on a Saturday night. Quick service, attentive polite staff. Good choice of wines with the meal. Steak cooked as ordered. Really good peppercorn sauce! Lovely atmosphere, happy customers!

Really friendly and helpful staff Treated like a regular.

After scattering, a beloveds ashes at Newton’s cove we 15 of us, went to have a drink, we had a large round of drinks, and sat at a table to reminisce, laugh , cry and joke, a server appeared and plonked down a reserved sign on our table and informed us we had 10 minutes as it was a steak night !!!! We were already at a table with no sign, to add insult to injury, on trying to purchase more drinks, we were declined service unless we were going outside, on a cold evening with an elderly mother of the deceased, disgusting, we all left , I hope the 2 people at the table compensated 15 people drink, oh and none of us will return.

A regular haunt now when in Weymouth, but our first Sunday lunch. One of best Sunday lunches we have enjoyed and fantastic value. Just cosy, great service, so friendly and welcoming. Many more winter nights and lunches to look forward to.

Possibly better known to regular tourists than locals, this is a regular haunt for us and our three dogs. Good selection of beers, cheerful staff and quite possibly the best 'sit down' fish and chips in Weymouth. My wife (a steak connoisseur) always says a Red Lion steak is one of her favourite food experiences anywhere and I always have a dilemma choosing between the aforementioned fish, a delicious pie or the seafood chowder. Looking forward to the return of the cozy winter huts (a rare thank you to Covid) and having our dogs fussed over by the lovely staff.

This place has no sense of humour . It was my fathers 50th birthday and we wanted to stop by and have fun. We were wearing really basic fancy dress to celebrate and were not causing a fuss. This establishment was not accommodating and we would have provided plenty of income. I would highly not recommend if you are expecting to have a good time. Taking the piss. Do not come here. Piss take

Kiz and the team were very friendly and ensured we were comfortable outside with our dog. The food was fresh and delicious and the doggy dinner was enjoyed by my boy! Would definitely recommend.

Loverly lunches good range of gins and rums and local ales on tap great service

Didn't eat, but menu looked good. Great location, nice staff, fabulous beer garden

Really enjoyed the food , atmosphere and service was excellent too

Dead moth in my Pie. Rude staff. Nice location.

Food smelled good, but we just grabbed a pint. Excellent ambiance, cold beer, fabulous outdoor seating. GO!

Fantastic welcoming public house

A particular ambience, in the square with singer

Me and my partner both loved our visit to the Red Lion this Monday. We had the best mussels super fresh and amazing value. Plus the staff were friendly and attentive. Plus the beer was incredible 🥰 We loved it so much that went back Tuesday for another cheeky pint 🤌❤️

Great food and atmosphere made our holiday.

Been to this pub twice now, only had drinks but always welcoming and a very nice relaxing pub. Our favourite pub in Weymouth

Watched a great band here, food really great and staff even better

Super pub away from the harbour crowds.... great outdoor seating area... didn't have time to try the food but the menu looked good.

No kids allowed. Terrible policy.

After already visiting the pub earlier in the day, by chance we got talking to some locals who advised that if we wanted a good meal you wouldn't be disappointed with the Red Lion. We arrived after venturing on a bit of a pub crawl at 5 to 9 and asked if they were still serving. The young lady who greeted us checked with the kitchen after a bit of cheery banter and told us "not a problem" for 4 of us - including a vegan to order what we wanted. Exceptionally great service and extremely friendly, and to top it off one of the staff overheard our conversation regarding a taxi back to our hotel and ordered one on our behalf. The food was really good, the staff brilliant! Will DEFINATELY go back

Great food, super drinks, friendly atmosphere and lovely staff. Recommend scampi, meat pie, prawns and salad. Top notch Gin and Tonic. We look forward to returning next year.

Great pub, service has dropped since management has changed. Food is still great!

Nothing wrong with the staff . JUST EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED with the lager never have I ever smelt such a vile stench. Since when is fosters SOUR. LEARN YOUR TRADE. Cider in a bitter glass???? Really kill a drink kill your trade. No wonder you are empty...... Certainly won't be coming back.

Terrible staff. A group of 8 of us (in our 50's & 60's) were in the process of sitting down outside when immediately a furious female member of staff told us groups of 8 or above are forbidden. We told her we only want drinks and she said "that's still not allowed, I only work here". So we said we'd split into two groups of four only to be told again "that's still not allowed, I only work here". She then threw and slammed down on tables the menus on clip boards she was carrying. Whatever her problem was she obviously was in the wrong job. Other customers were laughing at her so at least it was free entertainment for them. Well, congratulations to you. If you're making so much money that you can throw away business even at quiet times like this then fair play to you. I would highly recommend the Old Rooms Inn by the way.

Came here a week ago with friends, there were 10 of us and we were not youngsters by any means. Went to sit outside and a couple of us went inside to order drinks before ordering food. The lady behind the bar said we do not allow tables of 10, the owner stipulates maximum 8 only. We mentioned that two tables were together that hold 10 persons and she said they had no time to separate from the night before! We then asked could we separate the tables so they are not together and she said No because it wasn't fair on other customers us shouting across each other! She was rude and unpleasant with not an ounce of niceness about her. The joke is I looked up the owner and on their website there are pics of all the Team and the Owner's dislikes are "rude ignorant people". I think he seriously needs to look closer to home, I hope he gets to read this review. I would never ever use this place again and am speaking on behalf of all of us. Terrible way to be treated with her attitude! Just a nasty woman who should not be behind a bar.

Had a really lovely lunch today reasonably priced. Service good staff were attentive and friendly will definitely be returning. Only downside drinks were a tad expensive

Rudely told children were not welcome by I assume the landlady, some nonsense about their license not allowing kids. So sad we have always rated this pub in the past.

Turned up with 10 friends the 3/8 all over 60 yrs of age. All we wanted was a nice lunch and drinks. The Pub was empty yet they refused to serve groups of over 8 people. Asking the manager if we could sit at separate divided tables, this was denied. Staff were in-polite, rude, insulting, and non-accommodating. Never will I return again!

Very nice place to eat outside under the trees when it is warm.

Never again first and last time. We were 10 adults sitting outside, (by no means youngsters) and went in to order drinks to follow up with food. Was told by such a rude woman behind the bar (have tried to look up 'The Team' for that pub, she may have been the Deputy manager but not 100%?) that maximum allowed is 8. Never heard anything like it! The joke is on the pics on website shows the owner his dislikes are 'Rude Ignorant people'! - hello I think the owner needs to look within. Does he realise what this woman is like who he employs! I hope he reads this review. I said to her there are tables placed together that hold 10, she said that was from the night before and they hadn't had time yet to separate the tables! Just ridiculous! So I said can we move the tables apart, that was not allowed either as "we would be shouting across each other and disturbing the other people". Her attitude was unbelievable. She didn't even attempt to be pleasant.

Turned up with 10 friends the 3/8 all over 60 yrs of age. All we wanted was a nice lunch and drinks. The Pub was empty yet they refused to serve groups of over 8 people. Asking the manager if we could sit at separate divided tables, this was denied. Staff were in-polite, rude, insulting, and non-accommodating. Never will I return again!

Went here today 3/8/2024 for lunch with friends and family 10 of us all over 60 and were refused to be served as they don’t serve over groups of 8 . Very rude staff , never been so insulted in my life absolutely ridiculous, never ever will I return here again shame was a regular when on holiday,

After a great day out on the Weymouth land train, we stopped off here for a bite to eat as a singer was playing lovely music outside. We managed to get a table that had broken seats and whilst my husband went inside to order food, I decided to go to the toilet and could not believe the stench as there was a foul smell coming from the drain which lingered outside and had me gagging! Upon returning back to the table, I told my husband about my experience and he said that he didn’t order food anyway as someone had just been in complaining that they had found a plaster in their meal!!

A cosy pub with lovely staff. The real ale pint I had wasn't great but likely bad luck as been before and had no complaints. Would still go again. Lovely outdoor seating too.

No better place to sit out on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Share a Trawlermans board 🐟🦐🦀 and listen to a live band, punters dancing in the street, all sorts. Quintessential British summertime vibes.

Brilliant pub, brilliant restaurant. I have never seen or tasted such big and juicy whitebait. For mains I had the rib eye and with the scampi and it was all excellent. The ale selection wasn't overly brilliant but the pints were well served and conditioned well.

Sat down for lunch outside only to be turned away for having a 7 month old baby with us, another family were turned away at the same time. I can’t imagine how much business this place must lose if they don’t allow families with children under 10 years old. We went somewhere else where our custom was welcomed.

Food, beer and service are excellent. Very nice inside but quite small - lots of room and tables outside. The food especially is fabulous.

Two premier steaks and a bottle of decent red for £35! How can you go wrong? We upgraded this time from the rump to the ribeye for an extra £10 so £35 all in for two tasty steaks and a decent bottle of plonk.

As a party of middle-aged professional hikers, we were taken aback by the unexpectedly poor service at this establishment. Despite the venue being only about one-third full, the staff exhibited a surprisingly unwelcoming attitude. Our request for a quick drink and possibly some food was met with refusal, which was particularly distressing given the hot weather and our group's dehydration after a long hike. The staff's demeanour came across as hostile and unnecessarily aggressive, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere not only for us but also for other patrons present. The lack of accommodation for a group of respectful, mature customers was both surprising and embarrassing. This experience unfortunately does not align with the venue's potential to serve as a welcoming rest stop for hikers and walkers in the area. We hope that this feedback might encourage the establishment to reconsider their approach to customer service, especially for weary travellers seeking refreshment."

Booking for large group cancelled 1 day before.

As a largish group, we had booked this venue months in advance. The trip organiser had been there three times to eat, drink and ensure all was well. Three days before our booking date they asked for all menu choices in advance. Not unreasonable, and that was duly provided. 24 hours before our visit they cancelled everyone, leaving us desperately trying to find somewhere that actually appreciates our custom. Their reason for doing so was that they are only serving drinking customers. In the absence of any other explanation, I would say that is a really clueless, unprofessional way to treat customers. No wonder businesses are struggling if this is how they behave. 1 star, because I couldn't leave 0

It’s not just under 10s that are banned from this pub… the pub refused to serve a group of 14 of us (all adults) who visited recently hoping to order drinks and dinner. There was a sign - not clearly visible on entry - banning groups of 8 or more. My group consisted of middle aged, well behaved adults who were very happy to be seated at different tables to accommodate the numbers. We probably would have spent a few hundred quid between us in ordering food and drinks, so I’m glad that this pub is clearly doing so well that it can afford to turn away so many potential customers.

Great, super food, friendly service

Lively square to sit and have a beer or to eat away from the main street. Live music in the square when I was there.

Give the place a miss the under 10 year old police are in force found a seat with my family going to order lunch was told no under 10s allowed and had leave found a nice pub round the corner got warm welcome spent our money there.

Got a seat outside to then be refused by rude staff stating that children under 10 cannot be on the premises. Having a few signs up might help, happy for my 6 year old to come up with a design for them!

My hubs and I ate here on Tuesday evening when on a holiday date night (kids with the grandparents whoop!). The weather was lovely enough to sit outside which was nicely presented and very clean. Food and drinks really reasonably priced. I have a burger with no bun and chips and my husband had the mussels. both very yummy indeed, service was quick and friendly and the atmosphere peaceful - it is nice that the location is around the corner from the main harbour so was quieter and we loved it. Thank you :)

Lovely place. We sat outside for a drink. The lady in the bar was friendly and welcoming. We would visit here again

First visited on a Friday afternoon, sat outside and was entertained by an excellent pianist. Terrific beer. Had to take the second two pints back as cloudy due to end of barrel. No hassle, two different pints and the barrel changed. Stayed for a third pint, loaded nachos and came back the next day for a full meal. A customer who had slightly over indulged and become somewhat loud and begun swearing was asked immediately to moderate or leave. Well run, friendly staff, well kept good range of beers, good food at a reasonable price. One of, it not the, best pub in Weymouth.

Had 2 pints of fosters and 2 tonic waters cost £16.50 I wouldn't have minded but the fosters were served with hardly any head and went flat straight away. I drink fosters regularly and without a doubt it was the worst pint of it I have ever had

Food naff and beer not the best

Brilliant place had a great meal

Really lovely pub, great food. Every time we walk past it is always busy with both locals and tourists. Our food was freshly cooked, and the pub has a really lovely atmosphere inside and out. You can't go wrong here.

Perfect spot at brewers quay for a few drinks. Their rum selection is the best I've ever seen behind the jump.

Seafood Board (platter) was excellent and really good value for two hungry customers. Will definitely return soon

My husband and I had a lovely meal in this wonderful friendly pub. My husband had a fillet steak which cooked to perfection with an add on of scampi. I had the haddock and chips with mushy peas, which was also cooked to perfection, a lovely crispy batter and chopped mint in the mushy peas, with samphire on top of the fish as a garnish. I would definitely recommend to anyone as is was delicious and at a very reasonable price. Thank you Red lion.

What a disappointment the lady kept coming around trying to get your glasses of us and move u on wouldn’t let a young couple come in with there push chair get in the 24th century

Turned up at 1230 on a Friday to sit outside, grab lunch and a couple of beers. Told no children allowed. To sit outside. With a single 10 month old in a pram. Congratulations on turning away 4 covers when there were 5 people at your pub - excellent business model.

Good beers and good atmosphere, didn't have any food so can't say.

Really friendly place to have a drink.

Fab food at the Red Lion in Weymouth - excellent value for money, good service and friendly staff. Friends had the mixed seafood starter (in photo) and hubby & I shared calamari, prawns in chilli, 10oz fillet & scampi with a side salad which was beautifully fresh. Steak perfectly cooked medium rare and was lovely and tender Wish we were staying longer as would definitely go again! Update: Came back in May 24 and was not disappointed. Excellent food and friendly staff again! And nice wine too!

I like the Red Lion its is nice and cozy inside, outside in the good weather great place for a drink and chill and people watch. Not eaten there yet but the menu looked very appealing.Have now eaten there food very good like every where things are now getting expensive.

No children allowed. Outside! How can this be legal? How can this place even exist? Children are our future.

Great place hidden away in Hope Square. Had the fish of the day, which was Sea Bass, and it was excellent with new potatoes in butter sauce and salad. Staff who served were friendly, and very welcoming. Definitely will revisit when next down in the area.

Traditional pub, nice welcome feeling. Good quality beer.

No dogs allowed inside. Hardly dog friendly!!

Really cozy pub, great atmosphere, nice service and delicious food/drinks

What a fantastic place to eat , fillet steak was amazing as was the pan fried prawns. It was only topped with the service

Great pub with brilliant food. Sea food trawler board is a must. I can personally recommend it. Share with someone you love or at least can have a good conversation with. Then sit outside to enjoy the atmosphere of hope square. I dont think there's anything on the menu that I didnt enjoy and the staff are amazing!!

This pub is a gem for Sunday Roasts. This was my third visit and could not fault the service and food.

The best pub in Weymouth, great food, great beer and a great atmosphere. Staff are always helpful and friendly.

Not hated it but most of it was shut down run down such a shame as last time I visited it was buzzing

Wouldn’t let us in for a drink because our family had more than 8 people.. the pub was empty as were the outside tables. We were looking to stop for one drink, no food. It was mid afternoon on a Saturday! Can’t be doing too badly if you’re happy to turn away the business

Lovely little pub, good beer, nice surroundings and friendly staff.

Pub looked lovely and welcoming but contrary to listing does not allow dogs inside.