The Red Lion in Canterbury - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

If your looking for a lovely country pub in the Kent countryside this pub is definitely worth a visit. Always a warm welcome , friendly attentive staff, and excellent food which is reasonably priced. We're definitely be back soon .

Another excellent visit to the Red Lion at Stodmarsh. This time with a friend that has never been. The staff looked after us extremely well, being attentive but not in our face. Drink choices are excellent and a good choice of food available with a great ambience. We sat in the lovely garden and our meals were really tasty, full of flavour and certainly much better than Wetherspoon’s. Freshly cooked with local ingredients and very generous portions, my only complaint is I’m too full! But it was rude not to have a dessert as well surely??

Had a fabulous family meal at The Red Lion in Stodmarsh. Wanted to post it publicly as couldn’t help but hear a horrid older gentleman laying into the owner because the music was too loud! It really wasn’t, it was at an acceptable level for everyone else. He insisted in attempting to speak to several other guests to tell them of his ailments, with his poor wife scurrying along behind him to apologise to everyone for his boring them! We guess he wrote the previous review as it sounded like it would be him. What a horrible thing to do to someone’s business just because you don’t like music

Really disappointed with our visit, going on previous reviews we decided to book for lunch and wish we had gone elsewhere. Food was weather spoons standard. Nothing was fresh and all extremely bland. The salad was out of a packet topped with shop brought cheap salmon and Marie rose sauce complete rip off. No children's menu which was really disappointing when they have a climbing frame in the garden?? For children?? The place was empty music too loud, the staff seemed ok until they decided to start whipping each other with tea towels and discussing how drunk they had been the night before. Quite obviously they're new owners, going on how well the food and service has been reported before now. A real shame as the location is outstanding. We will not be recommending or returning to this pub.

One of our favourite spots, lovely country pub with modern food.

They have a wide range of dishes. Some fairly straightforward pub classics (burgers, dirty fries, ploughman's) as well as fancier dishes. I ate sea bream with roasted tomatoes, peppers, potatoes. Portions were generous - we came away groaning - and prices are fair. There is a large beer garden with some tables in the sun and some under canopies.

Four of us on a Thursday evening had a delicious meal . The staff friendly and helpful.

We visited the pub, we had the most amazing food, I cannot fault any of the dishes: the staff were amazingly accommodating and very friendly! Well worth the visit and will be returning!

Lovely pub, even better staff and the owners are amazing!

This village pub and B&B is an absolute gem. We had a wonderful stay. From the moment we entered the bar, Sarah and her team made us feel very welcome. The food and drinks are very good, we had dinner and breakfast there. And our room (blue room) was very comfortable and comes with a fantastic bathroom. The pub is only 25 minutes from Margate or Ramsgate, which meant we were able to enjoy the galleries, restaurants, bars etc of the seaside towns, as well as the countryside and nature reserve around Stodmarsh. We look forward to going back.

Absolute gem of a pub. Staff couldn’t be more accommodating. Great food and fantastic location.

What a lovely gem of a pub. The landlady and her team could not have been more accommodating... Absolutely above and beyond. Lovely location too!

We love the Red Lion, Stodmarsh. Always service with a smile and great food. The rooms have been tastefully refurbished. If you're looking for a tradional English village pub, this is it.

I have come to this pub numerous times over the years so I thought I’d review it again. The service is still fab, and the team of efficient and friendly ladies coped with our group very well. It was Sunday so we went for the Sunday roast offerings. The vegetarians in the group were celebrating the delicious nut roast. For me the roast was ok, I wouldn’t drive there especially for it. However the variety and the quality of the veg that came with them was superb and my whole group was super happy with their enormous desserts. Again this is a place I will come back and hope they will put a smile on my face as they have always done. Tip bl**^y top Two years ago… Enjoyed an early lunch a couple of weekends ago. My party of four enjoyed every single dish and drink. The service was superb as there is no doubt we will go back again. We went for the first seating and it was rather calm but we could see it was getting busier and noisier for the later round. Booking advisable

Made our first visit here yesterday(bank holiday monday), received a very warm welcome from the staff, was shown to a lovely table straight away. They had a singer on, called Roy, who we have seen before, he was excellent as always. He regonised us and acknowledged us when he introduced a song we requested. We order our drinks and food, the drinks arrived swiftly and the food followed shortly after, we had panko chicken breast with new potatos and salad, ant the Frito Misto, which was deep fried whitebait, clamari and scampi on spinach, a side salad and skin on fries, for dessert we had strawberry and cream bread and butter pudding, the food was all excellent, hot and well presented. So along with the excellent staff, lovely surrounding and outstanding entertainment it made for a lovely bank holiday afternoon out. We will be going back again.

Friendly staff. Nice atmosphere. Parking tricky.

Nice little pub. Very friendly staff.

What a great pub/restaurant! Fabulous food, lovely atmosphere, 1st class service. Highly recommended 👌

This is my idea of the ideal pub lunch - a wide choice (I havered between asparagus with hollandaise sauce and a roast beef and horseradish sandwich - which was delicious ), pleasant service and very reasonable prices.

Update May 2024: Still excellent, really good food, very welcoming staff and landlady. Worth going out of your way for. Just back from an excellent meal. A couple of years ago this place had really lost its way BUT the Red Lion is back. A proper pub with good beer and food. Time to return, it deserves your support. Good beer incl London Pride and also good to see GK IPA back on tap too.

Thursday afternoon lunch. Charcuterie Board - amazing.

Had a shared lunch ploughman’s platter. Excellent value for money. Warm welcome great choice of food.

Lovely Roast, quick & brilliant service. faultless!

What a fantastic pub meal , Wayne the Chef excelled himself . Fillet steak Stroganoff was sublime as was the Lamb rump. And the Rhubarb Crumble and custard was just what topped it all off. I just wish we lived closer (Birmingham now ) , we will come back soon to this delightful pub

Possibly the best steak I've ever had ❤️ Great service too, we loved it 😃

Came for a sunday roast ,and must say it is as good as it gets staff amazing and so friendly

Great atmosphere and really fantastic food!! Came here for a family Sunday lunch and was impressed, great food friendly staff.

The Sunday Roast at Red Lion Stodmarsh is definitely worth the trip out! I had a lovely dining experience there, and the food was absolutely delicious. The unique atmosphere added to the overall enjoyment of the meal. The service, especially from Jade, was exceptional and top-notch. The availability of Guinness Zero was also a pleasant surprise. I can't wait to return for the scallops, and my partner is already looking forward to the puddings. Overall, I highly recommend Red Lion Stodmarsh for its fantastic food, charming atmosphere, and exceptional service.

Very good waitress. Think she was called Laura

Great food and lovely staff, a lovely spot!

Such a lovely location, fantastic service and all the staff were super friendly and attentive. Would highly recommend and would definitely return.

One of the cosiest pubs we have been to in kent. Ran by a lovely family who look after the staff as if they knew them. Food was lovely and the atmosphere made it difficult for us to leave. Very excited to come back soon, thanks Sarah you’re brilliant x

Lovely location with a generous garden. Good friendly service. Stopped for drinks on our cycle tour. Will return for food.

Great village pub, excellent food and service. Everyone is made to feel at home. Ignore the fake reviews from a disgruntled pot-washer and his mates. It’s sad that sacking a member of staff who doesn’t turn up for work results in a raft of fake reviews and shame on Google for providing a platform that facilitates unverified reviews which can unfairly damage a business without providing an effective way for for business owners to have them removed. Fake reviews should be illegal and those that post them made liable for the damage they cause.

Terrible staff hated the food bad service and saw the manager shouting at a teenage boy who worked there and he didn’t get payed for all his hard work and hours there. Would not recommend going unless you want to visit hell.

The Pub smelt awful and put me off my food - also the toilets were flooded and the water could be seen outside the toilets.

if i could give 0 stars i would, awful experience

I only came to this place because I was wondering what that awful smell was at the end of my road. The bad reviews I read didn’t disappoint, was not a pleasant experience. Do not recommend

Manager was rude, service was appalling and found a hair in my food and was bland wouldn’t recommend.

We had a fantastic Sunday lunch at this lovely pub after a muddy walk from Canterbury. Such a warm welcome and delicious roast dinner, with possibly the best cauliflower cheese ever! Highly recommend for a great atmosphere and lovely food.

Just enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Red Lion, Stodmarsh. From the moment we walked in, not having booked a table in advance, we were looked after as if we were a ‘local’ and made to feel extremely welcome. Service was superb and equally matched by the standard of food. Had the chorizo and black pudding scotch egg and the pot roast chicken….and couldn’t resist the apple and vanilla crumble. Overall, a great Friday lunchtime experience and happy to recommend this very friendly country pub.

Was a great day 🍺 festival. singer's,were very good, BBQ

The most delicious Sunday lunch at the Red Lion. Perfect meat and many fresh vegetables, served by lively smiley staff We will definitely be back!

Great food, nice staff, good refit, recommend, dogs allowed

Great country pub - visited on many occasions and each time staff have been welcoming and it has a lovely atmosphere. Food is always delicious and very reasonably priced!

Food is absolutely amazing, staff & owner really friendly and dog friendly we'll definitely be back thank you

Thank you RedLion for a lovely meal, 5 stars for you. Warm and welcoming, highly recommended .

Very nice refurbishment , food alway excellent and thank you for a nice new years day

Wonderful country pub. Attentive and welcoming staff. Awesome food. Highly recommend

Wonderful meal , great atmosphere, beautiful service , wonderful staff . Thank you , looking forward to coming again 😊

I felt obligated to negate the last review. 1⭐️ do yourself a favour & get back in there. Okay; we met friends & had the most AMAZING PUB MEAL. A great chef obviously as my scallop starter was gorgeous I then had a perfectly presented steak n fresh made sauce was delicious. so much so on the visit I'd not left room for a sweet. Your missing out on a truly great old pub. Great atmosphere open 🔥 fire is a lovely touch. If only we lived in the next village however I guarantee to return asap and look forward to the summer on our stop over to enjoy the vast walks & nature reserve. Dogs welcome and doggy treats also makes a nice welcome for our muttley too. We wish you well

Had a lovely time at this smashing country pub after walking in the surrounding countryside. Friendly and welcoming staff. Will definitely be visiting again.

A great welcome, dog friendly, lovely staff, fantastic food, thanks so much 😊

Proper country pub serving great food at good prices and always provides a warm welcome.

Look on their website to check if they were open for lunch. Didn't get beyond their car park! Website is wrong!

Fantastic Sunday roast great value

The best food, Sunday roast to die for, fresh everything, delighted NOT to see frozen veg, potatoes Yorkshire puds! GREAT FOOD AND LOADS OF IT THANK YOU

Amazing food and great service. Lovely pub and restaurant. Thanks!

Its our first visit in 10 years and heard it had changed hands. What a lovely pub Sarah has! The staff were attentive and welcoming. The food was delicious and tasty, with a great selection. Recommend the Chicken Pot with vegetables & sauce was delicious! I had to scrap the sauce for more. The Pigeon Starter is recommended and the bacon was crispy and nice touch! Felt right at home and was lovely seeing it busy!

The food is incredible, the company even better. A beautiful little gem tucked away in Stodmarsh, will definitely be frequent visitors :)

Another very good meal at The Red Lion Stodmarsh for our anniversary, the scallops & bacon were really good and the fillet steaks really well cooked and presented, tbh all the food we saw coming out the kitchen looked fantastic. Thankyou so much to Sarah and her super friendly team who made our first anniversary a memorable one. Highly recommended no wonder the pub is becoming so popular again.

We went for a walk and want a good pint and a snack lunch. This was excellent. My wife had a cider and fish finger sandwich, which came up with salad and chips. I had a real ale and Chowder which was really good. Very good price too. Wish we lived nearer, but will come back.

The food was lovely and the staff were great.

Had a delicious evening meal at the Red Lion. The bar attendant was funny and friendly. Thoroughly enjoyed the food, I had the pot roast chicken and a brownie for dessert. Great selection of gins too.

We Had a great meal with family at the Red lion at Stodmarsh, the food is out of this world! Everyone in our party commented on how good it was. Nice welcoming atmosphere. This is local to us and we are happy its back open and will always support local but the good food makes it easier to support!

Fabulous dinner last night in a very friendly, cosy pub… lovely, relaxed atmosphere, terrific home made dishes, great wine list and very reasonably priced !

Also a nice atmosphere, friendly staff and great a good selection of beera

Excellent Sunday lunch. Great value

A beautiful country pub in the middle of a very small and gorgeous village

A warm friendly Pub with great atmosphere and food. Great theme nights!

Lovely old pub deep in the Kent countryside. A bit off the beaten track but well worth the trip (watch those satnav instructions they'll take you up cart tracks) . We were a party of 7 to celebrate my mother's 92nd birthday. Staff were friendly and attentive without being intrusive. The food was excellent, 4 of us had a trio of lamb which was both generous and tasty. The two vegetarians enjoyed heir pea and mint risotto very much. I is good to see a number of vegetarian options on the menu as well as excellent meats. Pudding were good too, with sticky toffee pudding the star.

Great food, lovely atmosphere and fantastic staff. Highly recommend!

Would 100% recommend. Lovely food and catered for vegetarians and different requirement. They were so friendly and it was like being in someone’s home. Went above and beyond. The lady who owns it was so nice and really really helpful and helped us get home to our Glamp site after realising the taxis were sparse! Thank you very much.

Just enjoyed a really great Sunday Lunch !!! Roast Turkey with pigs in blankets and every possible veg including cauliflower cheese , veg dishes bought to the table thick gravy and cranberry sauce . Perfect !!! Anyone reading this who liked the Fordwich Arms when Sean and Sue ran it would love this pub !!!!! It’s a proper 3 pints of Guinness great roast dinner bottle of heavy red and back for the 4 30 kick off . We have definitely found our great local Sunday lunch pub . The well spoken brunette is charm personified. !!

An authentic local pub, with a strong local clientele, deep in the countryside - the approach is along narrow roads with occasional passing places, but the signposts are unusually helpful. The staff are outstandingly hospitable and tolerant; the menu is varied, the range of beer and wine wide. A place to lift the heart. We did not have time to visit the Stodmarsh Nature Reserve, but if ever we have the chance we'll be back.

Found this charming country pub whilst touring Kent on our road trip from Ireland. Very warm welcome from staff. Delicious food and very reasonably priced. Spent a relaxing afternoon enjoying several drinks in the beer garden. Highly recommend a visit to this village pub and will definitely go for another meal there before our return to Ireland.

A little drive out we found this country inn tucked away in Stodmarsh. I was treated to fathersday dinner. Service & food superb. Will be back ASAP. Charming country Inn. Well worth a visit Beautiful Gardens too for a summer ☀️ drink.

Stopped in for some lunch with a colleague, amazing food, friendly staff, good bit of banter, I could have stayed all afternoon. Next time I'm in the area I'll definately be stopping by again.

Seriously great atmosphere, food and best host ever - NINA

After a delightful circuit walk around the reserve, it was a real pleasure to be able to visit the Red Lion once again for lunch. We were given a very friendly welcome and the food was superb, the Tuna Melt being especially fine after the walk. Very well kept beer also! We often visit the reserve, so it is highly likely we will be back. Dennis and Liz Jenkins

Really nice, friendly staff, the menu had a good choice of meat, fish and vegetarian options as well as nice children's menu, between the family we tried most of the dishes and all the puds all really good, the food was so fresh and cooked to perfection. The real ales where in excellent condition and at a fair price. The food prices are reasonable for the quality, the pub is full of character in a lovely area. Without a doubt we shall return. Thank you to the whole team.

Excellent food, drinks, and service. The owner, Sarah, was warm and welcoming upon arrival with 4 friends and 2 dogs. We'd booked at the last minute and Sarah managed to rearrange the tables to fit us in Very accommodating! The food was truly amazing. We had a full Sunday roast (the beef was to die for) and had extra side dish of cauliflower cheese... a definite must have! The desert of the day was an unbelievable home made Pavlova with tia Maria double cream... yummy! Left feeling very 'overly' filled and content... diet book is definitely out again!! Thanks again for a lovely time... food, staff, wines were amazing. Thank you

We stayed in this pub with our daughter and 3 month old baby for a night and had dinner there. We had a good welcome on our arrival. The rooms were above expectations - interesting, not bland. The bed was so comfortable and the linen good quality. We enjoyed dinner, food was delicious, breakfast was good the next day with tasty sausages and bacon. We felt well looked after in a relaxed setting and would love to return.

We went with friends for Sunday lunch a few weeks ago . On booking we were told there were two sittings for lunch . One at 12 pm And at 1.45 pm . We arrived promptly at 12 to be told once again by a charmless manageress / owner that they needed the table at 1.45 pm . Drinks had to be ordered at the bar , which took time as they the pub was busy . ( we only want to order a bottle of wine with our meal . ) We then had to order our food which took more time but once again told we had to vacate before 1.45 pm !! I cannot fault the roast dinner . It was served “home style “ with food placed in the middle of the table for helping ourselves . We bolted down our food as the clock was ticking for us to vacate . My friends ordered dessert and we were told yet again twice more by the two cowered looking young waitresses that we had to vacate the table by 1.45 pm At 1.30 pm the manageress came to out table and told us we could finish our desserts outside … We left and I got into my car at 1.40 pm feeling un relaxed and frazzled - not the lovely relaxed lunch we would have hoped for . It was lovely to see The Red Lion open again but with this really charmless experience, I won’t be hurrying back .

Always a very warm welcome the best service excellent choice of beers wines food do check out the cheese board( other deserts available) altogether a beautiful place to be.

Fancied a couple of nights away with my partner, near Canterbury and other towns. Stumbled across the Red Lion on Google and decided to book. Lovely stay, Sarah and the team were very welcoming and hospitable. We stayed in the 'Blue room', nice soft bed, big open bathroom with walk in shower and bath tub. The food downstairs was amazing, all made fresh and took into account my partner's dietary requirements easily as everything is made fresh to order!! Wonderful stay!

We have visited The Red Lion a number of times since it opened under the management of Sarah.The food is exceptionally good and our particular favourite is the Pea and Mint risotto which is cooked to perfection by Head Chef Rob. The homemade soups taste wonderful and our favourite so far is the roasted butternut squash......amazing. The staff are always very welcoming and friendly. It's a real pleasure to visit. We will be back!

It is great to see The Red Lion thriving again. We enjoyed a generous and well presented Sunday roast lunch at a very fair price.

A lovely little place tucked out of the way. They serve a lovely selection of food at a very reasonable price. The main staff are very friendly and enjoy a little banter, such a nice change these days. And if you are an ale drinker, you wont be disappointed. Well done ladies 😁

We recently walked the Augustine Camino and finished our days walk in Stodmarsh Sarah, the proprietor was very helpful in giving us a lift to Upstreet, she would not take any money from us so the following day we called back for dinner, the food was delicious with a friendly service and atmosphere, can highly recommend the place and staff including Sarah are fantastic, thank you.

Wonderful food and great people

A delightful, traditional village pub in the most idyllic Kent setting. The location, decor,food, drinks and accommodation are all to the highest standards and a welcome change from chain pubs and restaurants. Sarah has created something really special and given the village it's heart back. Well worth a visit and sure to delight anyone searching for the authentic and real Kent.

Had lunch last week, nice menu, enough choice without being too much. Had pot roast chicken, and a friend had sea bass. Food was excellent as was the service. Friendly and welcoming.

Popped in for lunch and enjoyed the main courses of Pot Roasted Chicken and the Pan Fried Sea Bass, both presented superbly and tasted as good as they looked. And had to indulge in desserts of course. So great to have the Red Lion open again, restored and improved.

Lovely traditional country with a welcoming and cosy interior and a large garden.

A lovely Kentish pub with good food, very reasonable priced; take the circular walk along the river Stour and back - about 4 miles with frequent benches and bird hides for a very interesting morning's walk, and then enjoy lunch at the pub... a great day out.

Me and my family had a wonderful Sunday lunch here . The food was delicious and the food portions are on the large size so beware. The staff are so friendly and welcoming, just how a traditional country pub so be. We will most definitely be returning.

Eaten here two Fridays in a row. Lovely new menu with lots to choose from. New staff that have taken over are 10/10 too. Very dog friendly . Thank you 😊

It was a random pop in on a Monday evening. Quite pleasant. Has been a while since I had been there. Last time Robert was the landlord. Met the new owners, very pleasant, too quiet, so I can't comment on the atmosphere. Will go again for food as only had drinks. Looking forward to it. But quick service a nice ale.

Lovely pub, friendly staff, enjoyed the live band. Great selection of games for the kids.