The Red Lion in Stratford-on-Avon

With lockdown easing I was finally able to visit one of my favourite pubs and I was clearly not alone in my enthusiasm to return as the place was buzzing on Friday night. The draught Hook Norton beer is as excellent as ever, the food is superb and remarkablly good value, and the service is fast and efficient, with the relatively young waiting staff doing an amazing job. Highly recommended.

Had a lovely meal here when staying in the local area. Great friendly service and good food in the beautiful village of Ilmington.

It was a cold January night, stuck at home during the pandemic. So six of us (in two different houses) ordered a Red Lion take-away and had a socially-distant dinner together (over Zoom!). The food was excellent and delicious - with amazing attention to detail, generous portions and great value. And, oh yes, all six of us had dietary requirements (mostly plant-based/vegan). The Lion was perfect... there was ample choice on the menu, we all had something different and we were all equally delighted. A real pandemic pick-me-up! Do yourself a favour, give yourself an uplift... run to The Red!

Best fish and chips ever! Great staff amazing food plus brilliant priced! This place really is a must.

Almorcé para llevar desde aquí después de un paseo y quedé muy impresionado. Fue fácil de ordenar y recoger y nuestras 3 comidas estaban calientes, sabrosas y con una buena relación calidad-precio. Un verdadero placer para mí después de quedarme sin ideas para cenar todos los días. Solo vive a 20 minutos, así que espero tener otra noche libre.

Vivo en Londres, pero trato de visitar Ilmington tan a menudo como puedo, principalmente por los pubs. De los dos en el pueblo, este es mi favorito y la elección de los lugareños (¡me quedo en el Howard Arms pero bebo en el Red Lion!). Hay una excelente cerveza de barril (los tres Hookys - Old Hooky es mi número 1), hay una excelente relación calidad-precio y comida deliciosa que satisface todas las necesidades (incluida la vegana) y un maravilloso jardín de cerveza que es un gran lugar para relajarse en verano. No puedo recomendar este lugar lo suficiente.

Con tantos restaurantes de pub caros en la zona, este es un cambio agradable si desea un almuerzo rápido en el pub o una cena menos costosa. La comida es bastante buena y más barata que muchos establecimientos cercanos y el personal es amable. Hemos aparecido para tomar una copa y bocadillos a la hora del almuerzo después de caminar y es perfecto para una parada en boxes.

Lovely Sunday lunch with the trimmings and so nice to have mash potatoe and a jug of gravy with my excellent cooked and plentiful roast beef , Yorkshire pud, crispy roast potatoes , carrots , peas , broccoli and a big bowl of cauliflower cheese, one of the best Sunday roasts I have had ( except for my own ) .The owners are very friendly and the log fires warm and comforting, this is a lovely traditional public house which isn’t pretentious just a good value friendly home cooking establishment.Can not recommend this place enough and look forward to returning

We visited this restaurant at the recommendation of a local. It didn't disappoint! My husband and I both enjoyed the lamb and vegetables. This was one of the best meals we enjoyed on our vacation.

This is the first time I have ever been charged £3 for a pint of Blackcurrant and Soda. How everyone can justify the cost of £3 for a dash of cordial and soda water is amazing.The same sort of response was against the cost of the other soft drinks. People were just amazed and disgusted with the high prices. £3 is the highest price I have ever paid. I have never been charged that amount even in London pubs. The average price is £1.50 with the cheapest being 50 pence.

Visité el Red Lion ayer por primera vez en aproximadamente 3 años. Tenía excelentes excelentes conservas Hook Norton Gold y cervezas amargas. El pub está decorado con muy buen gusto y al mismo tiempo conserva el ambiente local del pueblo. Sin duda volveremos de nuevo, y lo recomiendo encarecidamente.

Ante una competencia local bastante rígida por la comida y la bebida, el Red Lion golpea considerablemente por encima de su peso. Una cálida bienvenida, excelentes cervezas locales y una fantástica selección de ginebra esperan al cansado rambler, o en mi caso, viajero de negocios.El ambiente del "pub del pueblo" está en el corazón de este pequeño gran lugar, con personajes locales que extienden la bienvenida. El menú de comida es extenso y variado sin ser confuso, es un buen pub que encontrarás, pero ejecutado con aplomo.Creo que la dueña está en servicio de cocina, ¡y ella es simplemente de primera clase en lo que hace! Increíbles tamaños de porciones, y combinaciones que vencen a cualquier comensal "elegante".Finalmente, en lo que se refiere al valor, no busque más. Increíblemente cálido para encontrar un lugar que ofrezca comida adecuada a precios adecuados, especialmente en este rincón del mundo.¡Yo debería volver!

Disfrutamos de la comida tailandesa de Tom en el Red Lion y descubrimos que los diferentes platos eran realmente buenos platos de comida a un precio fantástico. También comimos sándwiches y envoltorios para el almuerzo, de nuevo frescos, sabrosos platos de comida y una excelente relación calidad-precio.

food is freshly cooked large portions you will never go hungry or want more to eat here. Good service and as we were staying at nearby Lodge were given 10% discount both times we visitd

Web site demands a birthday to enter. Why? Warning add a duff one and you get blocked as under age. Lost our business without even visiting.

I’m not sure who the person was that replied to the last terrible review of this pub, but I was with said group and we arrived just after 12pm and not sure how someone who wasn’t there could say we arrived at 11:45.

We have a walking group that’s regularly visits the Cotswolds so decided to try The Red Lion for a Saturday lunch. Arrived after 1200 noon and we entered through the open front door. The pub was empty with no staff behind the bar. After five minutes a man appeared, looked us up and down and ask “how did you lot get in?” After responding through the front door we requested some coffees etc and were greeted with “yeah when I’ve opened up.” That was enough for us so we took are leave and exited the premises. I for one will not be giving this place a second chance because that is possibly the worst piece of customer service I’ve encountered in a very long time.

We stumbled in looking for lunch. The pub is in a quiet location, in the quiet village of Ilmington (that has a Mumming and Morris tradition).

Just dropped in for a quick drink, to find two roaring fires and a lovely atmosphere - perfectly topped-off with a freebie bowl of roasties and melted cheese delivered to our table. Moved to write a review, because we realised how infrequently you get this lovely simple hospitality in so many places. Looking forward to returning.

really impressed with the menu, lots of veggie and vegan options all clearly labelled. i'm neither veggie nor vegan but really enjoyed the vegan burger. have been told that the sunday roast is excellent and most impressively, you get a big jug of gravy! will certainly be back to try it in the new year.

We had a gorgeous Sunday roast at The Red Lion, Ilmington today. First time I’ve eaten there and there were TWO vegetarian options to go with the usual roast dinner and my own jug of veggie gravy with no fuss or “I’ll just see if the chef can do that” . Also had vegan menu options and vegan wines were indicated on the wine list- I’m not vegan but thought this was really impressive for a very rural pub. All very tasty couldn’t fault it, will definitely be going back there again great friendly service as well

8 de nosotros reservamos para ir a ver una película en el Village Hall, así que reservamos para una cena previa a la película. Hubo dos fiestas de tiro en la cena, así que el lugar estaba lleno, pero acordaron dejarnos comer si estábamos contentos de tener lo que estaban teniendo los rodajes, lo cual estaba absolutamente bien. Fue Bangers, Mash, Peas and Gravy, no solo fue una porción muy generosa, sino que también fue absolutamente deliciosa, sencilla, casera, "pub grub".

Hemos llamado cuatro veces para almorzar y hemos disfrutado de las porciones generosas y la variedad de opciones, ¡muy amables y amables con los perros también!

Restaurante vacío, comida pobre, servicio antipático. El chip de grasa definitivamente necesitaba ser cambiado ya que sabían desagradables! Dos de nosotros dejamos la mayor parte de nuestra comida!

Domingo almuerzo familiar. Una cálida bienvenida, un servicio rápido y una excelente comida, mi pollo era encantador, fabulosos asados ​​y un increíble pud de yorkshire, ¡además de las rondas de una deliciosa salsa! ¡Definitivamente vamos a estar de vuelta! Las porciones fueron muy generosas. ¡La próxima vez tendré que ir para la porción de tamaño "adolescente"! Gracias por animar un domingo muy húmedo a la hora del almuerzo.

No me di cuenta de que el pub estaba allí, pero lo vi mencionado en Facebook. Revisé el menú (otra mitad vegana) y me di cuenta de que tienen un brillante menú de "inglés antiguo" que aún se las arreglaba para atender a todos con varias opciones veganas.

We had previously booked a table as we were advised that it could be very busy, but it was only about half full when we arrived. We were shown to our table by a young waitress who was so eager to tell us about what we couldn't have off the menu because they had run out, she didn't even let us get seated but gave us the rather large list while walking us to our table.We were literally just pulling our chairs out to be seated when she asked us what we wanted to drink...we hadn't even received the drinks menu! They had run out of so much that there wasn't an awful lot to choose from; however what we did have was very nice. The pub has a nice friendly feel to it and it sounded like it was popular with the locals. So in summary the food was nice but the service needs to be improved.

Visited this pub while staying in the area had a couple of drinks in the small bar area lovely flagstones!

Called in with my wife after a Blackberry picking session along the road past Foxcote House. Having worked up a thirst stopped for a drink. Had never been before.First impression? Lovely,proper village pub. What pleasant change to all the "plastic" samey pubs that abound.

Great to have good pub food at reasonable price. Good menu great food friendly staff lovely garden.looking forward to the special Tie food evening.

Visited today and to be honest my wife and I were disappointed.

Popped in for a sandwich at lunch time which was fresh and hearty. Ham off the bone. The garden is impressively large with different areas, including a play area for children. Attentive service, relaxing village atmosphere.

Very friendly pub with great quality food. Prices are sensible and the pub has a good range of beer.

Our walking group stopped here for lunch, pre-ordering our food. Opened the pub door to find a lovely warm bar with a log fire burning in the hearth.

Visited for Breakfast, which is served from 10am, was a good size portion, well attended service and a good price. Will definitely be visiting again. Might try the small breakfast next time....

Lovely log fire, good local beers..... Hooky et al........ splendid sandwiches - ham highly recommened and homecooked - and largely meals, too. Not as foodie as the Howard Arms but pubbier in many ways.

By far one of the best pub restaurants around for many miles, we live 40 miles from this place but still find it well worth the journey.

We visited the Red Lion for a large family meal / birthday celebration. We pre-ordered the food which is required for larger groups and the staff dealt with our numerous dietary requirements well. The Sunday roast was the best that I’ve had in a long time. It’s difficult to get beef right for so many people, but clearly not an issue at the Red Lion. Yorkshire puddings were stunning. Hooky on tap is always welcome. Thanks for a memorable lunch and sorry about our complicated orders!

The menu was interesting and all the food seemed to be prepared freshly. Very reasonably priced as well. Around £10 for the mains. The longish wait for the food was worth it . Friendly place with relaxing atmosphere. Would use again when in the area.

We were lucky enough to try the inaugural Traditional Sunday Lunch at this gorgeous place from the new 'Dee's Kitchen' and my goodness... what a lunch it was! Beautifully home cooked food in an informal atmosphere. Would highly recommend.

Moved to the area a year ago but this was our first time visit to the pub. We didn’t realise that it was steak night at the pub so most of the tables had been booked out. The barman (sorry I didn’t get his name) was very accommodating and managed to squeeze us in which we were really pleased with. Luckily it was national burger day so we weren’t worried that they had sold out of the very popular steaks

Buena comida, personal amable, gran relación calidad-precio, con todos los principales incluyendo especiales a 10 libras - ¿qué más quieres de un almuerzo en un pub. . Visitamos con mis padres. para un día de retraso de regalos padres. . Todos nosotros 4 tenía diferentes...

Te dan una cálida bienvenida en este pub en el centro del encantador pueblo de Ilmington y se sentía como un lugar donde se puede conocer gente muy fácilmente, como es el ambiente. La cerveza - Hook Norton - estaba muy bien cuidado y eminentemente...

What is great about this pub ? The fantastic landlords, the great atmosphere, the beautiful garden, the amazingly delicious burgers...

Tuvimos una comida fabulosa. Anfitriones amables, gente amable, añadido recientemente un gran menú de comida. Vale la pena visitar si estás cerca

Había mucha gente en el bar (así que debe de ser popular) y la comida era excelente y el menú tenía algunas cosas menos habituales.

First time we have visited the Red Lion since the new owners took it over. Vast improvement without losing character.

Great pub for a few beers in the garden in the summer but we visited recently & were rather underwhelmed with the food served. A tapas menus which looks okay but little thought seemed to go into the quality - the quantity was also lacking. No specials available despite the menu suggestion of asking at the bar. Landlord pleasant & helpful.

There's not a heck of a lot to do in Illmington, which means going for a meal at the local pub is THAT extra special. The Red Lion is a quaint and cosy traditional pub with a very friendly owner and a simple yet sufficient menu. I went there with an old friend - and by old, I mean, a senior citizen - and he knew the owner and they chatted away whilst I drank a local pint and ate some bangers and mash. There's definitely better pubs in other places - but if you're not spoilt for choice - The Red Lion trumps the others in Illmington.

Called in last Sunday afternoon for a couple of drinks, sat in the garden with the sun shining.......very relaxed and enjoyable, friendly lady behind the bar, would visit again next time we are in the area

We were out walking and stopped here for lunch one day. We had the pulled pork sandwich with fries and it was very good. We chatted with the owner who had apparently just bought the place. The service was good and the price was decent. We would definitely go again.

We visited on a Saturday night and received a very warm welcome from the owners. We enjoyed a tasty variety of Tappas, lovely gin with blueberries and a fabulous band playing. A great Night!

found ourselves lost in the cotswolds,stopped at red lion, Ilmingtongreeted by landlords Gary n Vicky and superdog Jack..a proper boozer[battle cruiser]...amazing English style Tapas nosh......great local aleslovely wine...and then we found the speciality Gins,.,...wow!! wowzer!couldnt bring ourselves to leave...log fires and such amazing hosts.....wana move here!

Nice long walk and hair of the dog! Really couldn't fault anything, nice friendly welcome, cosy surroundings and excellent country tapas and pulled pork panini. We got the impression the landlord had not been here long, but we wish him all the very best, and not being too far away in Ettington, we shall definitely be back. Would certainly recommend

We had a lovely lunch after a long country walk. Very good food and friendly patrons, would definitely stop by again if we are in the area.

The red lion in ilmington is a great friendly pub . The meals are to die for .a must visit for all . And jack is a cute little dog that loves cuddles. . Well cone gary vikki and kimmi

Newly taken over so tried the place out for a drink. Sat by a warm, open fire on comfy chairs during the busy run-up to Christmas. A lager and small red (on offer) was £7.40 although the smell of diesel was apparently free of charge. Can't wait to see what 'British tapas' is when the kitchen is in order!Tip of the day: don't keep calling regulars sir and madam; use their proper names.

Happened to arrive on a Sunday, and enjoyed the chicken Sunday roast served in this local pub. Good choice of local brews. Also, Sunday evening trivia contest well attended by locals.

Food was excellent, staff were friendly and attentive. Only slight criticism is the 50 minute wait for steak and ale pie but I enjoyed the company.

Friendly landlord, landlady and locals, nice to see a village pub that's not been "commercially vandalised".

A bit quiet at lunchtime during the week, but the food is all right and the portions generous.The inside is really typical and nice to see for foreign visitors like us spending a holi day in the Cotswolds.

Really friendly and efficient waiting staff. Food was ordinary, nothing to remember. Now again, this website refuses to accept pithy reviews. it want more characters, so here we go again.

We visited The red Lion while staying nearby for the weekend. It is an "old-style" lived in village pub, well supported by locals and visitors alike. My husband had the mixed grill which was obviously only for those with a big appetite. In his opinion, this was the best meal of this type he had ever had. The meat was of the highest quality and cooked to perfection. I had Moussaka and salad which was also extremely tasty and filling. My husband tried "Old Hookey " for the first time and wasn't disappointed, in fact, he found it difficult to resist drinking several pints. If you find your self in Ilmington, do take time to visit this lovely pub.

Whilst staying in Ilmington over the Easter holiday we ate at The Red Lion twice. Both times the meals were very good; generous portions and well presented. The steak and kidney suet pudding is absolutely excellent and the tasty gravy the perfect finishing touch. Would recommended it if you're in the area and hungry, it's a down to earth proper village pub.

The Red Lion is a great pub that serves unpretentious satisfying food in a friendly relaxed atmosphere. Being a short walk from our accommodation we were looking for a bite to eat with a few beers and weren't disappointed. The Landlord was friendly and welcoming and we spent an enjoyable evening soaking up the heat from a fabulous open fire while listening to good music which was selected from the Landlords own iPod, brilliant. Having eaten at another establishment locally the previous evening which was equally very good, we much preferred the Red Lion for its informality and homely atmosphere. This pub is a rarity in that it appears to be well supported by the locals and visitors alike. Our food was promptly served and good value for money. All in all a very pleasant experience and we wouldn't hesitate to return in the future. When pubs are closing left right and centre it was reassuring to discover that there are thriving village inns still in business and providing good service. Thank you all at the Red Lion.

Good value and tasty food...my wife had the steak and ale pie and I had the chicken and leek suet pudding...came with lots of chips and a good veg. selection. We were full by the time we'd finished so no room for pud. Good Hooky beer, a friendly landlord, a nice log fire so all in all a thumbs up from us !!

This pub in a pretty village was full of promise of good pub grub in reality just a reheat of frozen pre prepared stuff. Big portions lots of chips and uninspiring atmosphere. Howard arms had a much finer menu but more expensive.

A short stroll from our 'hotel', this pub is an old fashioned, homely style of pub, with a huge varied menu at very affordable prices. Our bottle of wine was only around £10 and nicely chilled. The food was tasty ( moussaka ) and hot, the salad was fresh & interesting. A shame the place was empty except for one other couple. If you're hungry & need some good honest food - eat here !

After a full day out geocaching we went back to b&b to freshen up and had the ten minute walk to the pub. Food was what we call good pub grub. Surprised to find us the only ones eating but service was quick and the food went down well with the well kept local ale.

We walked through the public walkway from our excellent B&B to this pub on a Saturday night. There were numerous other couples, and the atmosphere was that quiet one for which the British are famous. Good food, good service, good price. Beautiful Cotswold village tucked away from the main roads. We were very pleased.

This was a great find yesterday. Come here to eat if you are truly hungry! The staff were welcoming and the mixed grill HUGE! I had a steak with peppercorn sauce...yummy. Thanks so much have recommended it already!

We walked here from Charingworth Manor. Delicious local brew, delightful atmosphere. Shame we weren't hungry enough for food as it looked, and smelt, really good.

Jay and I have lived in the Cotswolds for over 20 years and we've seen many changes during the period. Many country pubs are struggling to survive especially at the moment with some having changed hands many times. However, one that has survived and continues to provide a real country atmosphere with, good wholesome pub fayre at very reasonable prices is, the Red Lion in Ilmington, Warwickshire. The menu is quite extensive with sandwiches, baguettes, salads and hot food with prices from £8.00 upwards for the main meals, this is cheap for the area. The pub is Hook Norton house and the beers are always in good condition and the service is excellent. In winter the two bars both have open fires which make it all the more endearing. The extensive sheltered garden at the rear is a great place to take the kids and whilst you're there have a game of Aunt Sally. There are also many nice walks in the area and from the top of Ilmington hill you can see for miles, so if you're looking for somewhere to eat in the north Cotswolds without paying a fortune then try the Red Lion.

Dined here a couple of times Aug '13 whilst staying elsewhere in the village.The Red Lion, Ilmington, is a friendly, family run village pub serving good value, down to earth meals. Range of enjoyable Hook Norton ales too. Appears to be popular with locals and has a garden with tables to the rear.One for another visit.A note of caution - some of the reviews relate to a different establishment in Stratford-upon-Avon and should not be confused with The Red Lion, Ilmington!

The Red Lion in Ilmington is a traditional English village pub that is well supported by the locals with good, tasty, unpretentious food at reasonable prices. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and will return without hesitation next time we are in the Cotswolds.

Some of your reviews are totally wrong they refer to the red lion stratford upon avon. the lion in ilmington is very well run.Please read with care.

. Then trying to get served was a nightmare as there was only one person serving and it took over thirty minutes to get served . Give this pub a miss

Tables overlooking the water in a lovely garden setting but those tables chock full with empty plates and glasses. we had hoped for a pre theatre meal but after clearing one table ourselves my partner discovered only one person behind the bar, one rushing around delivering food and a lengthy queue. Obviously extremely short staffed so we walked away.

Convenient location within walking distance of where we were staying. Lovely welcome from friendly staff. Service was good. We booked a meal in the evening and we were seated on time and our food arrived hot. There was plenty of choice. My one criticism was too much salt in the mashed potatoes for me, but that's personal taste, if I go again I will as for no added salt. I am a dessert person and there was plenty to choose from.Would go again if in the area. My dog loved the pigs ears we brought home for him which we were able to buy at the pub. Both the men in our party loved the pub with it's real ale and visited it on more than one occasion.

Looks lovely and a lovely setting it has a lovely big garden for a sunny day, but the food was disappointing. Ok for a drink, always busy.

Just across the road from the hotel we were staying at.The food was good as well as the welcome we had

Very nice friendly pub with excellent food. Not a lot to dislike . Would recommend booking first to avoid a little waiting time.

After walking in the area we found the Red Lion in Ilmington and what a pleasant surprise.It was a beautiful sunny day, so we were able to dine outside in the lovely garden. I had a Brie, courgette and almond crumble which was excellent. My colleague had stuffed peppers and a salad. The stuffed peppers were delicious and very nicely presented. The salad was a work of art and included some fruit and a strawberry on top.I would recommend this pub , it is a real gem and the staff are also very welcoming.

It was a nice place to stop for a break and lunch and had very nice fire going which was welcomed after our walk! Food was pub food really, nothing special but served its purpose!

An unpretentious old-fashioned pub in a pretty village, it is ideal for lunch and a pint after a good walk around Ilmington Down. No fancy chef just a lady in the kitchen cooking good wholesome food. Bangers & Mash excellent. A good pint of Hooky (Hook Norton Brewery) too & a roaring wood fire in the bar where you can take dogs.

We use this pub for the occasional lunches during the working week as its not too far from the office. I also know of quite a few others who do the same. This is a proper pub with an open fire, dartboard and locals at the bar, no pretence here! The food is spot on and I recommend the chicken and leek suit pudding but then again I'd recommend quite a bit from their menu! We shall continue to use the place and I suggest you try it to!