The Red Lion in South Oxfordshire

Our Christmas meal from work, an opportunity for us all to get those Christmas jerseys out and party. The Red Lion is in the village of Brightwell cum Sotwell just outside of the market town of Wallingford in Oxfordshire. Set Christmas menu, plenty of choice, we could choose 2 or 3 courses. The food was cooked perfectly and presented very well. Lovely atmosphere, it's sort of cosy, just a lovely place to spend a few hours. Thank you.

Really friendly village pub. Very flexible with requests of different accompaniments.

Lovely old pub, with a good selection of ales and bursting with atmosphere. The menu looked great too, definitely trying the food next time.

Had a great Sunday lunch would recommend visiting good quality and value in friendly surroundings

Usually 4 beers on Draft. Friendly welcoming staff and although it's a local, you don't get stared at. The garden out back is recently updated! The seats out front and really do add to the place in Summer. The food is of a good standard and is mostly traditional pub fare. I may be a little biased as I live in the village, but all in all, a good local to have.

Fantastic meal as always Absolutely brilliant staff and service Definitely highly recommended

Sunday lunch and I thought I may never eat again. Warm welcome on arrival, nothing rushed, staff chatty even though they were really busy. Roast beef was amazing, I even managed to just squeeze in the salted caramel cheesecake....addictive. Really look forward to another. Bravo Red Lion Veni, vidi, vici

It's been a while since we have been here but it was worth the drive down from London for Sunday lunch. Food, service & the beer was excellent and we highly recommend a visit. We will be returning very soon.

Absolutely 💯 fabulous, really delicious food, atmosphere great,staff very pleasant and welcoming. We were all had a relaxing evening many thanks to everyone, we will be going again!! 😀👍 Since my first review we have been back so many times and as always food, value, atmosphere, and everything else about the Red Lion is absolutely brilliant. There's a wonderful new seating area outside which looks great. They also have live music where a great time is had by all. Can't wait for our next visit.

Friendly staff, lovely old feel. Food was nice enough but nothing special.

One of the best roast dinners I have ever had! Great atmosphere and staff were friendly! Nothing was too much and they were brilliant with my son. Can’t wait to come back again

Good quality food served by friendly and accommodating staff. We were served quickly and made to feel very welcome

Popped in for a beer as there was live music in the garden. Excellent choice of locally brewed beer ( and Timothy Taylors Landlord) lovely atmosphere , great service. I couldn't ask for a better local!

At the Red Lion in Brightwell, one fine eve, Arrived at ten to eight, you'd hardly believe. The landlady, sharp as a thorny thistle, Ignored us till eight, like we were made of gristle. We hoped for a feast, bellies empty and growling, But our hopes were dashed, left us scowling. “No food,” she declared, with a gleam in her eye, As three were regulars sat, awaiting plates piled high. The website proclaimed, food till half past eight, But our hungry hopes met a cruel fate. Was it our faces, or a cosmic jest? Why were we treated like unwelcome guests? The locals dined, without a care, While we were left, with empty air. Oh, Red Lion, with your quirky charm, Next time we'll bring, a lucky charm. For in your den, the rules are clear, Regulars feast, the rest, grab a beer! ** update ** Dear Pub, we've read your reply with care, But there’s something here we need to share. We’re not in the habit of being unkind, Leaving bad reviews doesn’t often cross our mind. We’ve changed it to three stars, fairer, we think, But denying our experience made our hearts sink. Leaving a review, when things aren’t tight, Is simply the customer’s fair and just right. A defensive tone isn't the best move, When Acknowledging concerns can help one improve. Online for all, your words do stand, But a bit more grace would be more grand. We shared our view, you shared yours too, But next time, perhaps a gentler cue. We’ll book ahead, give it another go, And hope for a warmer welcome, you know. Xxx

Sunday lunch with 7 family members. Food was phenomenal. Really good proper roast meats.Great veg and potatoes. Staff really nice. Surrounding s lovely. We had a brilliant afternoon.

Great little find for a idilic lunch spot. Food was fabulous, service was really good, staff super friendly and location is beautiful. Well worth a visit if you’re in the area.

Had a Sunday roast dinner here, good selection. Limited parking in pub car park but plenty of roadside parking nearby.

Great meal out for 90th birthday celebrations.We all had the roast dinner which was excellent. It's so hard to find a proper roast dinner but this was great! Lovely staff very attentive. Nice old pub . Lovely village.

Had Sunday lunch here for my dad's birthday last weekend and it was fantastic. The food was wonderful and the service was great ☺️

Stopped over for lunch with my son on our way to RIAT and found it to be a pleasant pub sitting outdoors o a sunny day.The for was gòd as was the service

A very ancient pub. Well, that's what it's known for... Loved the low-lying roof. Tasty houlomi fries.

Pub at the top Original and delicious cuisine

Very basic. It is too bad this lovely historic pub has been strip of all its previous charm and character. It has not been replaced by anything better. Sad😕

Food not given a rating, as we were on liquids only 🤣. Still, a great village asset.

Great pub, superb ales, lovely friendly staff, great atmosphere & people.

Last minute decision to pop in for dinner. So glad we did. Superb food. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Welcoming and warm atmosphere. Definitely recommend.

Always great to return to a village I grew up in but so sad to see the Euro flags in Brightwell. I wonder what the men who built your million pound houses would think?

A thatched gem. You can believe you are in a bygone age. Food is excellent as is the welcome. 5 star++

Very nice Pub and Lunch. Great menu choices and lovely ambience. Will certainly return again. New outdoor seating area for when the nice weather artives. Reasonably priced too.

Edit a further year later, on my next annual visit to the village, and a warm welcome and tasty food greeted me as usual, alongside bar staff who treat you like family. Wonderful country pub for the locals and visitors alike. Warm welcome, attentive service, superb variety on the menu and food was so delicious I ended up having three courses and totally overeat. Will be back everytime I visit Edited a year later to say: been back, just as warm and lovely service, and totally delicous food. The fact it was basically filled on a normal weekday shows how great it is!

We were warmly welcomed in this cozy restaurant that gives us a family vibe. No other words can describe the food but delicious amongst all its other translation. We ordered a variety of dishes and the beef toast is just the winner. The meat is presented with right amount of tenderness. The chicken ham and leak pie is just amazing. Guess something i will always look forward to order! Overall, the vibe and the jive is just perfect!

Really great place, would go again!

Lovely pub for locals in a quaint village. Average menu choices and a bit tired. Worth trying the Bear in North Moreton, for choice and hospitality.

Very busy and joyful. Friendly staff and customers. Nice ale well kept. Not sure I like the layout of the restaurant tables too much, but to be fair space is a bit constricted. Door to the conveniences is off the restaurant and can be a bit draughty and the door to the kitchen is at the end of the line of tables so lots of tooing and froing. But it’s great to have a nice pub in a small village.

Lovely old-fasioned village pub. When I was there it was hosting the annual wassailing event complete with flaming torches being brandished by Morris dancers in the street outside and local folk bands performing inside.

The Red Lion is situated in Brightwell Oxfordshire it is a wonderful pub and even having a thatched roof proper English pub very much a village country pub in a lovely little Village with a warm cozy atmosphere a real country feel to this pub great selection of beers the food is fantastic polite and very welcoming staff and the locals are very friendly indeed cool cool place cheers Vince 🤠

Love this pub. Definitely one of my favourites, great choice of drinks and food is ALWAYS amazing! Staff are lovely ❤️

The fish and chips are excellent!

Absolutely delicious Sunday roast! (and excellent roast potatoes!) Would highly recommend! We were a party of 10 from Reading and all had such a lovely relaxed afternoon. Corinne was super helpful and so lovely, as were the rest of the staff on the day, nothing was too much trouble. We shall most definitely return!

Fantastic food, always had a beautiful meal here. Service is friendly and welcoming. Beautiful pub. One of my favourites.

Lovely Sunday lunch in the bar area. We hadn’t booked and were lucky to get a table. Great roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Really good service and we will be back with the family. We will make a booking next time too!

Love the red lion, never disappointed with the food, always accommodating. Very freindy land lady and staff.

We went for a last minute dinner. What a great find. Service was excellent and the food was delicious. A lovely village pub/restaurant. With a great Atmosphere. Definitely be eating there again.

The service from all the staff at the Red Lion made our Sunday lunch all the better. You know when you try to catch someone's eye and they are always busy and diverting attention, here the opposite, you only had to turn a head and some one was there to take a drinks order or bring more gravy - everything that makes a meal enjoyable and less stressful - especially for the organiser when you are a table of 12 with 2 birthdays. I don't want to take away from the food and drink aspect, all delicious in everyway. Even custard with apple tart when ice cream was on the menu. Thank you Red Lion, we shall be back, I only wish I lived closer. Ade Sussex

We had a wonderful Sunday Roast dinner. Atmosphere wonderful, service brilliant and lovely owners and staff. We would highly recommend. The vegan and vegetarian roasts were delicious. They cater for everyone. Dog friendly too. We will be visiting again soon. Thank you all we had a wonderful family lunch.

Amazing Sunday roast! Great quality meat with a good range of vegetables. It was a huge plateful and all of it was delicious. Service was quick and friendly. Cannot fault it!

Excellent pub with great food and very friendly attentive service. Note: Don’t park on the narrow bit of road; you might block the milk tanker!

Fantastic roast dinner, good portion size delicious sticky toffee pudding and the staff were really great 👌

Such a nice surprise to find this local pub . We had a delicious salmon some wine and a lemon posset for dessert. Food , drinks and service was all perfect !

Was dissapointed as looked at the menu online, and was looking forward to the trio of pork, although it and a few other things not on the menu...would not recomend the cheeseburger as my partner said it was not tasty at all, but enjoyed the garlic prawns, pate dish, and battered prawn dish...

Lovely service, great menu, fab food in a beautiful village!! Particularly recommend their sandwich lunches - perfect. They have a lot of entertainment in there also, very envious that this pub is not in our village.

Great classic British pub. This is an excellent pub food with friendly and efficient service. They have a great value and beautifully cooked traditional menu. My wife had steak and ale pie which she said was about the best she'd had, I had fish and chips... light crispy batter and well cooked fish.

Took a friend for Sunday Lunch, his first visit to this little gem of a village pub We both had the beef, which was cooked to perfection and we shared a Pina Colada Cheesecake, (as we were both full from the main) which was so amazing I bought a slice to takeaway,! Corrine and her team were their usual welcoming selves, it’s always a pleasure to visit! See you again soon 😊

This is a truly exceptional pub in a beautiful village setting. The food is delightful and the staff are so friendly and attentive. We thoroughly enjoyed our recent Sunday lunch and look forward to returning very soon!

Loved this pub excellent food brilliant service

Lovely lunch today. Fish was best I has had in a long time food was hot

Lovely food and service, would recommend and visit again!

Birthday dinner for 2 Saturday night Nice welcome nice table good choice of food some specials all gone Pleasant service throughout food lovely and hot custard available as an option 1x starter 2 mains 2 desserts no alcohol , a very reasonable £50 Going back soon

Lovely, friendly pub used mainly by locals but very welcoming. Food very good. Sunday lunch excellent 👌 😋.

Friendly, historic pub in the heart of St. James - ideal for a weekend pint when it is quiet.

Stopped for lunch on our walk of the beautiful local countryside to find a picturesque pub in a village setting. Once through the front door met by a generous bar surrounded by spacious tables. Four cask ales on offer and the THREE sampled were all in excellent condition and well served by friendly staff. We both had fish, albeit different and both were fresh and very tasty. A great find ... Will try to get back.

Excellent village pub including real ales

Such a lovely little village pub. Staff genuinely happy and locals friendly too. Nice atmosphere with quite large indoor and outdoor dining. The Sunday lunch was excellent. Was the first person to try the creme egg scotch egg brownie which was worth trying, very chocolatey and tasty, the pecan pie was delicious. Thanks to Corrine and all staff for a lovely Easter meal.

I have been visiting this pub on occasions since the 1970s and have seen its ups and downs in that time. Today my wife and I decided to bring children and grandchildren for Sunday lunch. As it was Easter I thought it best to liaise early with the venue and dealt with Corinne by email. She was most helpful. The larger part of my group was coming from Hampshire. The remainder, more locally. Pleasingly, everyone managed to arrive almost on time, where we were greeted by Corinne. She took great care to settle us all in, young grandchildren included. Drinks were brought, as were menus, very quickly. Orders were taken as soon as we were ready and Corinne made an especial effort with the young ones. We had a mix of mains from a very good menu. Everyone was very happy with the quality and quantity of the food, which was delivered remarkably quickly. I did not have the roast but those who did were delighted. There was a fine selection of desserts and they were promptly delivered. The restaurant was very busy, as one might expect on Easter Sunday, and seemed to be staffed by very few at front of house. Service was excellent, attentive and very pleasant. Each of my group was complimentary about every aspect of the meal (and the fact the grandad was picking up the tab). So thank you to Corinne and staff for providing a truly excellent experience. Highly recommended.

Lovely pub with great food, service and atmosphere. Absolutely recommend and best to book before coming.

Had a lovely lunch here with friends yesterday - the food was excellent quality, plentiful and unusually absolutely home cooked! Top tip - steak pie - better than your Mum used to make! 😉

Superb supper at the Red Lion in BcS. The steak was cooked to perfection, and the Pina Colada cheesecake was to die for. We will definitely be back - and often. Corinne is a fabulous host, and our compliments also go to the chef 👏🏻

Great atmosphere, service, and food. Top notch!

Really nice food, very welcoming will definitely be going back.

Great Sunday Roast! Great service and very friendly.

Stopped for lunch after a muddy walk. Warm welcome, including for our large dog. Amazingly quick service, great food and, for me, an excellent first pint of 2023.

We regularly visit local pubs for a meal, but the Red Lion at Brightwell Cum Sotwell really stood out. A lovely atmosphere in a beautiful old building, a very warm welcome by all staff, and amazing food. We'll be back very soon!

The food and service was excellent, highly recommended booking in advance too.

Food was fantastic, great service and a lot of fun.

Impromptu meal last night. Called in on the off chance of getting a table as we hadn't pre-booked. Food was wonderful really tasty freshly cooked. We both had king prawns in garlic butter with bread to start and then I had chicken breast in marsala wine with mash and veg and Jeff had steak and ale pie with mash and veg. Beautifully cooked delicious but couldn't manage a dessert. Happy to go back time and time again staff really friendly service quick and atmosphere great.

Amazing 3 course Sunday roast. Couldn't fault the food or service. Would highly recommend.

Very nice old thatched pub. Lovely baguettes on the lunch menu.

From the moment we walked in the service was excellent. Food was fantastic and the place was so clean! Many thanks, and we will be back! 😀

It's worth booking simply for best food you ever tried my sister and niece recommended the pub they best food I have ever tasted and allow dogs in to .

What a find! A little nervous looking for a new place to eat out after our regular pub changed hands!! We have been made most welcome the food is top notch with specials on the menu which are amazing and the homemade cheesecakes .....oh wow!!!!! I don't want to shout to loudly about the wonderful Red Lion so not being able to get a table.... but it's a must to visit for a drink or meal. Highly recommended 👌

Off the beaten track, this is a good, traditional family pub. Parking on the little roads. Lost a little charm after the fire and refit 20 years ago.

Good food lovely helpful staff will be back

We stumbled across this pub on our way back from the Cotswolds and we are so pleased we did. It was the perfect country pub with exceptional landlady and staff. The food was great, lots of interesting drinks on offer and the staff welcoming and friendly. Felt like a local pub which is great in the height of summer. Well worth a visit!

I have used the Red Lion for over 30 years and can confirm that the current Landlady and Landlord Corrine and Mouse have created the best ambiance I have known and with their Chef Zak are serving food which is of a very high standard

We had an awesome meal in the red lion. Food was really high quality and portion sizes were extremely generous! We felt that it was great value for money too. The standout thing for us was the service though, the waitresses were so attentive despite the pub being really busy. We were so impressed and would definitely recommend if you’re in the area.

Delicious food, very friendly and great vibes in this lovely village pub!

A lovely village pub with very welcoming people in a beautiful setting. There is plenty of choice on the menu, and lots of varied beers on tap, and the garden has plenty of tables for sitting outside.

We popped in for lunch. The staff were very friendly and helpful without being pushy. The food was excellent and freshly prepared. The prices were reasonable and the choices available should satisfy most visitors. The overall ambience was excellent and most customers were clearly regular from the banter with the staff. We visited after going to Didcot railway centre and we will definitely visit again next time we are in the area. Highly recommended

Amazing staff, fantastic food and drink, and a cracking meat draw every week. Love it.

We came with a large group and the service for so many people was excellent. The staff are friendly and attentive and the food delicious. A great country pub.

Had a lovely meal - vegetarian chilli was wholesome, full of fresh vegetables, spiced just right, rice was perfectly cooked and the garlic bread was to die for. Burger was tasty, fresh and presented well. Serving staff were just right. The whole evening was delightful. Would highly recomment.

We are lucky enough to have this amazing pub as our local! Always great drinks and great atmosphere! The food is lovely, fresh and well cooked. Corinne and her team go out of their way to reassure our daughter who is coeliac. There are always...

Environment, staff and food are all spot on

Came here with the e fam after a long overdue visit after pandemic. The place, ambiance and food are absolutely excellent. The service was also outstanding. This has to be the best place in the area on every level! Highly recommend sharing Camembert, steak and...

Lovely family meal, food was very tasty. Corrine and all the staff were very friendly, nice relaxed atmosphere.

Very disappointed that my local pub is so unfriendly and unwelcoming to the younger generation. Multiple times now that my friends and I have been greeted with rudeness. This last time, yet again, we were made to feel very uncomfortable. We didn’t even get the...

The red lion is always good great beer and good food.

Had another great meal at the red lion . Corrine was a wonderful host as usual and staff couldn't do enough for us . Food was excellent would highly recommend a visit .

Sunday lunch is excellent - all perfectly done - tender but crunchy green veg, Yorkshire pudding, cauliflower cheese, roasties, roasted carrot and parsnip and the veggie and vegan nut roast options are delicious - surprisingly hard to get good vegan / veggie options in rural oxfordshire but not here. Really love this pub.

Fabulous village pub with great food on most days. Very welcoming for us visiting on holiday.