The Red Lion Inn in Wiltshire

I used to go here often as a convenient meeting spot off the A419. Always enjoyed it and looked forward to it. This time the Red Lion burger (which is now £20) was not up to previous visits. Rather dry and slightly gamey in flavour. Dog friendly but apparently they now have to be on leads.

Researched this pub before booking, all seemed good. When we arrived we were all very disappointed. The restaurant was just a pub drinking area with quite load music. Tables were not set out as you’d expect. Clearly the images online were out of date. One waitress serving all eating areas. The menu was very different to what you see on the website. Average range of food, nothing ‘award winning’ as implied on website. Very dull special, just soup or a pie. We were so disappointed we left before ordering food. Probably a lovely pub to sit and have a pint but definitely don’t expect too much from a restaurant/eating perspective.

We were staying near Cricklade for a family reunion. Looking for somewhere to eat mid-week, we checked online reviews, which were quite polarized, but since options were limited anyway we decided to give the place the benefit of the doubt - BIG MISTAKE! We made an online reservation for six for a family dinner including my octagenarian mother who uses a walking stick. On arrival there was no warm welcome (no welcome at all in fact) and there was confusion about our reservation. The staff evicted a lone drinker to seat us at the filthy table he was sat at. Eventually when a waiter showed up we ordered drinks and asked for the table to be cleaned (as other commenters have remarked, prices of soft drinks are extortionate). When the drinks were eventually delivered the waiter casually announced that there was another reservation for the table so we had to finish and vacate in 40 minutes. Incredulous we asked among ourselves why was our business less valuable? Given the attentiveness of the service to this point, we would likely have been served with 5 minutes to spare to eat and leave. When the waiter returned to take our order we said the 35 minutes we now had left was not sufficient so we would not be ordering, and would instead finish our drinks and leave. In response to this they offered to re-seat us in a room upstairs which added insult to injury 1) because if they had a spare table why did they limit us to begin with and 2) because my mother could obviously not manage the stairs. In any case I dread to think what the upstairs would have been like considering the state of the main lounge and having realized the mistake we had made in discounting the negative reviews we were hardly likely to give the benefit of the doubt now. So we paid for our drinks at the bar (extortionate pricing) and were given a non-apology of the form 'I'm sorry you're sorry'. No gesture such as waiving or discounting the drinks bill was offered. If you are reading these reviews and note the polarization that we did, those with adjectives such as 'appalling', 'disgusting' are the ones to trust.

Went in for lunch. The staff really friendly. The food was fantastic. The Chef’s pie of the day was out of this world. Along side triple cooked chips. Home made Gravy and mushy peas. Hands down the best pie I have ever tasted. We will be back.

We have been going to the red lion for a number of years but I’m sorry to say it’s not what it used to be. Young staff were rude, food quality dropped. The scampi was dry and so was the pie which had been reheated so £23 for that with a few chips and a small amount of mushy peas is top end prices.

Disappointed, disgusting food , bad service … London prices and the arrogant ower thinks he won’s entire village . AVOID the Bear and white hart are much more pleasant.

Went here during a hot afternoon during the euros and I must say I was a bit shocked how a pub so busy with eaters and drinkers ran so smoothly considering how busy it was. We decided to have some food sat in the garden before the match and must say the food was of great quality and can see that everybody in the kitchen working hard and nice to hear laughter coming from the kitchen knowing how stressful it can be. We decided to have a few drinks before we went home and must say service at the bar was fantastic considering the queue was out side at one point. The atmosphere just before kick off was amazing so decided to stay. Thank you all for making our afternoon a good one and hope to visit again

Toxic environment, rude staff. Food low quality. Chef mayb should think of alternative career. Miserable bar staff, low morale evident

From what used to be our favourite pub would now be a last resort. Went on the weekend haven’t not been in ages & nothing seems to have improved. Staff were absolutely miserable, manager came to take our starter order & I said we haven’t even had chance to look yet, got an eye roll & he walked away. This is the reason we have stopped coming since the “new management” the staff are rude & just don’t seem like they want to be there. Food ok, but definitely won’t be back as made to feel awkward at the table & took ages clearing dishes.

Shocking! Couldn’t have been in the place 10 minutes before deciding to leave! Came in for lunch - can’t say we were greeted at all - bar staff member (female) looked miserable - had to wait for her attention to be told be just to take any unreserved table. Far from friendly and definitely not smiling! Asked young male member for menus… never came back. Decided to go to bar to order drinks and ask for menu. Staff member just looked so miserable we just decided to leave. What happened to hospitality?!

The Red Lion is a beautiful, old fashioned pub in the heart of Cricklade. My friend and I decided to go for lunch as it was a sunny day and they have a great beer garden. It's such a shame that the guy (I presume the manager) serving behind the bar was a little rude and quite miserable. When working in hospitality in such a customer facing role you have to paint on a smile despite how you're feeling yourself. But having been to the pub several times I've noticed that he is always like this so it wasn't a one off bad day. Why then be in this industry? Fortunately, the food was nice, the garden pretty with wisteria and the female staff member was lovely so our experienced wasn't ruined by his unpleasant demeanor. However, this could put a lot of people off visiting the pub.

Darren and Charlotte were the best hosts! We stayed for the bank holiday weekend, rooms are clean, cosy and make the perfect place to relax. Dog friendly which is a huge bonus. Amazing walks, Charlotte even kindly showed us a walking route from the pub. Food was fabulous, highly recommend the Squid starter and the Sunday roasts to anyone. Atmosphere always great too, super friendly staff! Thanks so much we will be back very soon !! Ben & Lucy

Good food and friendly staff. Venison pie was delicious, although I did find a piece of shot in mine, so they took it off the bill!

Wonderful pub! We went out for our Mum’s birthday dinner (4 x adults, 2 x children). Delicious food - I recommend the prawns starter and the pork main course!! And wonderful service! Really really enjoyed!

Midweek treat, well firstly thank you for two amazing meals, first visit for a while, but the burger and pizza were just FAB

We've been dining out at various pubs and restaurants for over 15 years. It's great to find a new place and add it to our list. Now we've found the Red Lion we'll certainly be doing that. I can see why it's do deserving of some of the awards! We were seated promptly and the menu (and specials) were quickly explained. We both chose the Dover Sole and delicious it was too! The ambience was great, perhaps a bit loud at times but then it is a pub! Overall very good, thanks to all and you are now on the list!

Initially starters were nice and service was very good from assistant manager. Mains were poor, especially the hard sausages which were a special that evening and eaten by two of the party. At the end of the night we tried paying part cash and card, our money was sent back as they don’t accept £50’s, then the bill got messed up by ourselves, but rather than a quiet “you haven’t paid properly” the staff made us feel like we were criminals. We were marched back to our empty table in front of a busy restaurant where the lady went through all the receipts with her calculator while snapping at me when I tried to look at them. We left feeling like we’d paid for food that was inedible (the sausages), tried to pay with a dodgy £50 and then tried to dodge the part of the bill. I emailed them to explain our complaint before writing a review but no one bothered to get back to us. We spent £300 with them that evening and we’ve been completely ignored. This pub is clearly riding on the coat tails of good food reviews and doesn’t feel its necessary to address a customer complaint. Such a same.

Exquisite pie, accompanied by chunky triple cooked chips.(£20 worth every penny) Olives for starters, they're chunky as well. (£6.00) Still retains excellent range of real ales, and, recommend the Shiraz wine as well. Very pleasant, helpful and hard working staff. Noticeable that as soon as persons relinquished their table, it, and every such table was immediately cleared and cleaned, without exception.

Lovely meal in a friendly run pub. Would recommend the steak pie if the day and the ham egg & chips , served fresh & hot . Worth a visit 😀

Dog friendly, serves Korev, has a nice fireplace, great menu, staff were really friendly and attentive. A really nice pub.

Went for a meal here yesterday with family. I must say the food was outstanding. It was very busy which is a good sign that it was popular. The pub was a traditional pub, which was nice. It was a bit noisy but that couldn't be helped as it was busy. My only moan is that I found the waitresses uninterested, when asked one waitress what a particular sauce was she didn't know and another waitress didn't know the full range of j2os, . Otherwise the meal and establishment was lovely . Will go back again.

Lovely food! All had 3 courses and all were really good! BUT staff seemed completely uninterested and at some points just rude ! When my husband asked what lagers were available the lady behind the pointed to the end of the bar and said “they are there”!! The gentleman taking our order and the waitress that served us didn’t have a smile or pleasantry between them…….like they were just a bit bored and unhappy! We felt a little uncomfortable to be honest and really let the whole place down , didn’t leave a tip as the front of house really let the kitchen down!!!! Service with a smile 😊

We really enjoyed our lunch here. Great welcome from the staff. Interesting menu - we shared 4 small plates betwee the two of us, and they were excellent. We don't normally have dessert but we decided to do so this time and enjoyed our choices. My wife drank a very acceptable Sauvignon Blanc and I was able to choose from the large array of beers on tap - 7 of which were brewed on the premises! My pint of C.O.B. (lowest ABV at 3.8%) was lovely.

I and three friends had a very enjoyable lunch. The steak, ale and mushroom pie, thrice cooked chips, mushy peas and gravy were all delicious. Best pie I’ve had in a long time. The fish and chips were also very good. The staff were really lovely. Very friendly and with the right amount of attentiveness.

We had dinner yesterday evening with the whole family. Three generations from one year to 71. The staff were great and looked after all of us very well. The food was really nice, my steak was cooked just as I asked. The staff really cannot do enough for you at this restaurant, they are always so nice and accommodating. We have eaten here before and will definitely return.

We stayed in Cricklade for 5 days,we found The Red Kion on the first night just for a drink. The wife was in heaven, she's a coeliac, lot's of ales brewed on site, 8 on at the time, 3 of which were gluten free. It's aproper pub that does fabulous food and serves excellent beers.

Had a nice lunch with family. Food was nice and we enjoyed ourselves, but the price of the food and drinks have been hiked considerably and the service was awful. More staff training needed at all levels (including management) and please drop the prices. There are now plenty of other options in the locality.

I went to this pub restaurant last week with my husband and 3 year old daughter, whilst we were on holiday in the area. The food and service were excellent - food arrived quickly and was absolutely delicious. I remember there being a varied choice of meals on the menu. There wasn’t a childrens menu, so I was apprehensive about taking my 3 year old to this place, but the staff made her feel so welcome and there were meals that she was happy to eat i.e pizza! We were lucky enough to meet the owners of The Red Lion; they were very friendly and genuinely cared about the experience we had there. I cannot fault this wonderful pub and wish it was my local!Keep up the good work Darren, Charlotte and Ernie (and Elsie the dog, of course!) :-)

The pub looked lovely, however unfortunately we weren’t able to keep our 8.30pm booking on a Saturday night as when we arrived a few minutes early we were asked if we knew the kitchen closed at 8.30 on the dot, and they couldn’t seat us any earlier… This isn’t mentioned in the booking process, or in the confirmation or reminder emails. It is at the very bottom of the website in black against a grey background. Needs to be more prominent. Left hungry!

Outstanding meal for 4, on the first evening post lockdown. Great surroundings, great menu, great beers and attentive staff made for a thoroughly memorable evening. Mussels to die for, fish and steaks - amazing portions. Thoroughly recommended

The outdoor area was spacious and pretty; I chose from the sandwich and melt lunch menu and was rewarded with chunks of fish in a perfectly cooked batter all wrapped up in fresh bloomer bread and some slivers of pickled courgette. Service was quick. Couldn't fault the place

This used to be a lovely classy independent pub but sadly our first visit in a year was awful and not to be repeated. I booked a covered table for late afternoon and all ok there except it was under a speaker which was on so loud we couldn’t hear ourselves speak and we asked if we could move, there were other empty covered tables away from the speaker but several groups from the top of the garden moved down and took them while we waited ages for the waitress to come back, when she did she shrugged and said we could move up to the garden, which we did.It just went downhill from there, the waitress came to take our order and didn’t know what draught beers were available apart from one, she did say she was quite new but a simple list on the back of her pad would help. The bar stock is very different now it’s owned by St Austell and the prices are eye watering, £5.75 for a pint of San Miguel and unbelievably £3.50 for a bottle of San Miguel zero.BUT the worst thing of all was the two young lads playing football in the garden the whole time we were there, kicking the ball really hard twice hitting a guy drinking with his friend, hitting the dog at the table behind us and our table three times. It’s a beer garden not a park but it quickly became clear one of the boys was the landlords son so I guess it’s his back garden.In summary this is now a locals drinking, brewery run pub, great for the locals and the landlords who were drinking at the covered tables but not the offering it used to be.The kitchen was closed, which they informed us about prior to visiting so good communication, so we haven’t tried the food.Avoid if you liked it for the classy independent feel but you’ll love it if clicky local family group drinking and brewery mandated prices and bar stock are your thing.

With not having many places for the younger generation to go in Cricklade it’s so lovely to have a pub that accommodates us! Darren and Charlotte work hard to keep customers coming back by making people feel welcome time and time again. It use to be a pub for the older generation but now it seems it’s changed - for the better I’d say! Music is fantastic and the atmosphere is so different and less ‘stuffy’. I go back to this pub week in week out because of the feeling I get when I get there. A pub is meant to be for locals, family, friends - the young or old and this place definitely ticks all the boxes. Foods pretty damn good too! thank you for bringing some life back into Cricklade after a pretty awful year or so.

Amazing food and great environment. The outside area is brilliant for families and groups with the large garden and covered, heated area for when it gets chilly. Really reassuring that all hygiene standards are in place to comply with covid-19 and social distance is well established. Very friendly staff and a lovely place to visit. Definitely recommend for people wanting a chilled get together! The muscles are amazing with a side of halloumi fries!

Beautiful freshly made pizza and a gorgeous chicken burger. Outside table (as is he norm as we come out of COVID) well spaced out. Just wish I had the room for a pudding!

Absolutely incredible takeaway. Chicken and chorizo gumbo was so authentic and flavourful and really good value. Look forward to future fake-away specials.

The Red Lion has been our saviour during Covid. The poor (but lovely!) new landlords took it on the week lockdown was declared and have really made their mark despite the circumstances. Both their normal menus and their lockdown takeaways are lovely and really, really tasty and the pub is welcoming and comfortable. They absolutely saved our xmas day by fitting us in after we had to change our plans and it was stunning. I’d really recommend this pub and I hope they’re able to open again soon.

My wife and myself went there for a meal, the menu looked exciting, however, the food was hideous. Their service was even worse, we raised a few concerns with the manageress in a very polite and constructive manner, and her response was vile..

Called the Red Lion for a quiet meal and drinks, we decided to try the ribeye steak and hotpot. The meal was average at most, but would have to say overpriced for what you get and we also thought that the drinks were expensive. If you are not a great fan of gin but enjoy a spirit you are going to struggle as there isn't much to choose from other than gin..The pub is cosy and lovely, the service is prompt but sadly done with 'an attitude', and wouldn't go as far as to leave a tip for the staff. If you ask for anything it seems to be a hassle or chore for them to do which has put me off revisiting any time soon.I also think that the managers need to review their COVID-19 regulations as witnessing that these were not been adhered to was a bit worrying, especially that the staff were the main offenders.

We've been going to the Red Lion for the past 19 years and have seen many changes, one of the best is the new landlords Darren and Charlotte who took over just as we went into lockdown last year! In a difficult period they've done wonders with the place and have really taken the pub up a level.With a family Christmas trip to Cornwall cancelled we decided to have our Christmas dinner at the pub, the first time we've ever eaten out on Christmas Day, and what a fabulous experience it was. The food was exceptional as was the atmosphere and the care and attention put in to make the day feel special. First class.One of the best pubs you could ever visit, great food, great beer, good value with warm welcoming friendly people. The end of this current lockdown can't come soon enough!

The review regarding the land lord fighting with customers is very untrue as a witness that night. He handled it unbelievably! Lovely pub with a great garden and really nice food. Also dog friendly which is 5 stars! Looking forward to re-opening and Summer 2021!

Since the new Landlords came moved into Cricklade, the pub has become a hub of the town. Holding funerals/wakes of big characters in the town. They’ve added a little something different with there fish menu. They have a nice range of beers/lagers and ciders. The Pizza menu is a great success. They’ve managed to do all this during a global pandemic. Bravo.

Been to the Red Lion several times under previous ownership/management and whilst nice, there was always something missing for me. Be it atmosphere, service, quality of the food or the selection of beers.First time I've tried it under St Austell's new ownership and it's absolutely spot on. The new landlords have got it just right for me. The service is superb, the food was exceptional and the atmosphere fantastic. I absolutely love the way it's been refreshed as it always seemed a tad tired and in need of some TLC to me. It's so nice that somebody has come in and realised it's potential.Even with the dreaded Covid cloud hanging over it the management have handled it superbly and everybody was following the rules.So credit to the new ownership/management, I shall be frequenting a lot more. Honestly can't wait for summer as the beer garden is second to none anywhere near here. I can certainly understand why the Red Lion is so obviously the locals favourite.Bravo St Austell. Somebody is finally doing the Red Lion some justice.

My partner and I regularly visit the Red Lion as local customers with our family and other locals. We have been coming here for about 8 years, and it’s the best it’s ever been. The new landlord and landlady took on the pub at a really difficult and unfortunate time, but have managed to transform it! The food is fantastic (The Lancaster Bomber pizza is a personal favourite!), the service is brilliant and the pub itself is a typical cosy, English country pub!The landlord and landlady could not be more accommodating and have an excellent team that make us feel welcome every time.

Very sad that this pub is going down hill very quickly. Over half of the the local customers don't go into this red lion pub due to the new landlords. Very rude people and staff that have stayed with the new owners are also becoming unfriendly just like the owners. This is very sad as this pub use to be a very friendly local pub. Prices have gone up massively.Top top this off there was a fight over the Christmas period which was as of a result of the landlord fighting with customers!! and the way he handled a situation of selling more beer to people that was already out of control. wont be going back. such a shame. come on St Austell sort this out your brand is on the line

Great place to eat, been there few times over the years and will continue to do so. Wonderful staff, very polite and helpful.

Wonderful meal today with the family. Plenty of beer and wine choices. The food was very nice, well presented and very tasty. The staff were kind and all covid rules followed making it a safe and great environment to eat and drink in. The puddings were delicious I tried each of the kids sticky toffee puddings. I would highly recommend a meal out here.

We stayed three nights in a top floor room. We ate in the restaurant on two nights. The room was clean, quiet, warm and with plenty of hot water. The restaurant is great with good food and service. We would not hesitate to stay again.

What a great all round place to be. The Sunday roast was insanely delicious and the bread and butter pudding desert as the taxi driver who took us there said "will be the best thing you shove in your face all year", Len, you were not wrong.The room was great, spacious, had everything you needed. The pub had a good selection of drinks and was cosy, the garden was huge and would be great in summer no doubt. More options for the breakfast than I can recall anywhere. All round great place. Only advice I would have is to sell yourselves better. The pics on the booking site didn't do the room justice and don't recall you bigging up how good the food is. The website just doesn't work which almost put us off booking so would advise getting that sorted. Sheldon's service was a also highlight, don't let him go

This is as near to a Michele star as you can get without having to get a mortgage. Absolutely superb food. The venison was so good I was drooling...not a good picture but it was all very very good and reasonably priced.

Food was below average. Most of it was undercooked. Restaurant had children running around unsupervised. Wine overpriced. Not a nice experience.

Our meal today with close friends (6 to ensure 100% compliance) was truly exceptional.It is evident we all find ourselves in exceptional circumstances, albeit the food, atmosphere & feeling of the utmost valued customer experience was clear.It was however disappointing to be sat by other customers we witnessed who was rude to staff (unnecessarily) and who’s only approach was to be derogatory about everything. I forgot to mention my son who just literally lost his grandad did go to the garden to get a stone in memory and placed on our table...equally very distressing for this table... It speaks for itself.Quite frankly, there are no words in the English diction to describe what an absolute gem this pub is.Any negative comments are unfounded, unjustified and simply inaccurate. I’m not on the payroll...but yes I was the one with a 6year old who brought a stone from the garden. X

Just returned from a lovely 2 night stay. Great dog friendly room and bar. Delicious us food, good beer, breakfast especially good. Staff couldn't do enough to help, very Covid 19 safe. Highly recommended.

Very pleased that they could fit us in for a last minute Sunday lunch and they were happy for us to bring our puppy (dogs allowed in bar and garden).We were very pleased to observe their careful Covid precautions. We all chose roast beef with trimmings. The beef could have been more tender and Yorkshire pudding fresher but, that said, it beat cooking at home.Thank you to the staff for their excellent service.

Excellent quality food. The steak pie was absolutely packed with tasty, lean meat. Lovely mash and vegetables. Best pie I have had in years.

Amazing room. Fabulous staff and service. Neither of us eat meat or dairy and the menu wasn’t covering that - they adapted and gave us a five star meal totally.

Had a night there last week and was delighted with the whole experience. The rooms are classy and comfortable and spotlessly clean. Dinner was amazing as was the service. Breakfast next morning didn’t disappoint either it was excellent. Will definitely be visiting again in the near future. !

The new owners have made fantastic in roads in bringing the Red Lion back to what it should be. A first class experience , great beers, wines and food. The whiskey apricot marmalade bread and butter pudding is a must! The steak and Ale pie is just magnificent. Some lovely touches too ,like proper linen style napkins rather than those awful paper tissues. Looking forward to our next meal.

We popped in to this lovely pub for food , we were not disappointed!! Service was spot on, food was amazing. And the pub was gorgeous. Will definitely be back 😊

Absolutely adore this place and never disappointed. We go here regularly with friends and family and always welcome with open arms. Perfect

We were in Cricklade for one night and although we were staying elsewhere, we eat lunch and dinner at the Red Lion. The food was excellent and Charlotte, the one in charge, was very friendly while also working extremely hard.

Great ale pub with an on-site micro brewery, tasted all their own ales & very nice they were, didn’t eat, but food being served looked very nice & well presented, there is also a lovely large beer garden out the back, dealing with the COVID issues very well too

Excellent service, Excellent food. Pizzas looked really nice. Also the Burger was amazing. Plenty of choice and ideal for vegetarians. Good choice of beers and ciders.

It was our wedding anniversary tonight so we decided to go to the Red Lion in Cricklade. Being one of those ‘V’ words, i.e meat is murder, bring out the moon cups, tie die and burn your bra, we were really pleased. We arrived and Darren (without notice) was able to produce a fabulous vegan starter and main course, neither being listed on the main menu. For the one who’s not vegan, (shame on him), both of his dishes were delightful although would have been better if the poor little crabs hadn’t died. I’d also like to say that the service was particularly good, thank you Charlotte and team. Fab value for money, we’ll definitely come again.BTW, not a moon cup lover.

We really like the red lion as a pub but would not recommend the food if you you have any special dietary needs (eg vegan/veggie/dairy free). I was hoping the food would have improved with the new owners but was very disappointed with the choices on the menu and quality of the food. And the kiddies menu does not offer any healthy or veggie choices.It’s very pricey and the quality of the food does not match the price tag. None of us finished our meals.

If you are visiting Cricklade I would highly recommend the Red Lion as the pub to visit and also stay. Charlotte & Darren the new landlords who took over at the start of lockdown are very welcoming and from reading older reviews before they took over, have brought the pub back up to the standard it should be. The accommodation was really nice and comfortable. It has a nice big garden so plenty of space to keep apart if need be! Really enjoyed our stay there.

What a lovely pub, we felt very safe and welcome, staff went out of their way to accommodate us, our daughter had a lovely time celebrating her 18th thank you all so much. We will definitely be back.

The food was good and very tasty. Cooked perfectly. However we were plonked down stairs and forgotten about. The service was slow. I should have had to ask for them to take out order. But as I say food was good.

This is my local pub so I am not writing about a particular experience but every time I go, it is always 5 stars. The landlord and landlady are so welcoming, friendly and accommodating and the decor is superb. The whole place looks beautiful now thanks to their hard work during lockdown and they have really good signage about COVID restrictions and all that you would expect dining or drinking out in the current climate. The wine menu is FANTASTIC and they still have a superb selection of ales, beers and gins. They really have hit the nail on the head with luxury food and drink but without compromising the small town pub feel. They catered my friends wake and I can not express how much work they put in to make such a sad occasion a perfect day in the circumstances. Well worth a visit - you just will want to keep coming back!

Just got home from the Red Lion, had burgers from their BBQ and the burgers were cold inside they clearly attempted to cook them inside and give them a quick flip on the coals... no way near £10 worth which is a bitty.

I have been a local of this pub for around 5 years and attend around 3 times a week, I have seen many changes in that time good and bad, And I have to say I was unsure of how the new landlord and landlady would manage it or the changes they planned on making during the take over in lockdown. I have to say I have been utterly delighted how they have managed to turn the pub into a very trendy welcoming pub without taking away the local feel it has,.The landlord is a top bloke who caters for all and is an excellent chef having sampled lunch menu, evening menu and the outstanding Sunday roast lamb. he works closely with his wife who is the most welcoming host you could ever wish to meet, you are greeted with a huge friendly smile and advised on the Covid rules without feeling like you cant relax. All the staff follow the management approach and can't do enough for you. Dressed all in the same and look very smart. The garden has been transformed with a very quirky outdoor bar which on a sunny day makes you feel like you are on holiday. I am all for feedback whether it's good or bad but if you find yourself reading reviews and stumble across and negative ones regarding this pub I would be keen to try and understand that person mindset as this pub is perfect!! It's safe to say I feel very lucky that I am able to walk to such a fantastic lovely family pub! Ps - Try the Element

THE place to stay if you are doing the Thames walk or kayak.. Or If you want stellar accommodation.....and a great bar!

Excellent stay, nothing was to much trouble, the food and beer was superb as was the room, definitely coming back, thank you guys

We had a wonderful dinner tonight at the Red Lion, the food was fabulous! Highly recommend the Camembert starter, Crab risotto and make sure to leave room for a pudding - the bread and butter pudding was to die for! I stopped going to the Red when the previous landlords took over but the new landlords have brought it back to the local it used to be with the bonus of an updated decor! - great food, much improved wine list and the same warm welcome, I will definitely be back!

The Red Lion is now open and under new management. It had been a super pub and restaurant but then went downhill quite dramatically. I am pleased to say that with a new team, the Red Lion is once more on the 'up and up'. I had a super light lunch, nothing was too much trouble, good wine and cider and although we ate in the garden,the inside has been refurbished to a high standard. Super to have the Red Lion meeting it's good reputation once again.

Visited today to check out the Red lion after being told it’s reopened by new landlords. I was greeted by a husband & wife duo who made me & my accomplice (me ol’ man) feel safe & welcome. My first thoughts were towards the decor. Such a fresh feel. Nice one guys!! The service informal, relaxed & friendly. Couldn’t ask for more...even tho a bit awkward getting use to the new regs in place, signing in. Yet made my Dad feel confident in dining out! Top marks! After being seated safely, cosy & happy, obviously with drinks, we were presented with the menu. Basically a refreshing food offering from gastro dishes (perfect for ‘me ol’ Man) and some great fusion dishes that I think must be down to the new chef showing off!!...haha! All delicious, as we worked our way around the menu! Over all, very welcoming & friendly, great food, ales & wine list. The refurbishment showed off the level of direction of which these guys are heading in...I really hope it continues through to our return (Which will be soon!!)THE RED LION IS BACK IN THE GAME

A few months ago, St Austell took over the pub and so guest ales and bottled beers are no longer available (except by agreement three beers from Hop Kettle brewery). The food has also changed and it is now much less of a destination place for dining as it was in the past. Don't get me wrong , the food was really well cooked but the offering has been reduced and its more pub food than restaurant. Another couple (who left without eating) did mention this to the waitress who said that the menus were undergoing a change.

We had a lovely afternoon here. Our positive experience started with our booking. We were a large group and all travelling a distance to meet here for a birthday celebration and being from out of the area, we didn’t know the pub. Donna was extremely friendly and welcoming and managed our booking, including the pre ordering of our main meals. We were various ages from 5 to 78, with various tastes and dietary requirements and we had flexibility to adapt the menu choices as needed. We were made to feel very welcome on arrival and well looked after throughout the afternoon. Our main courses were perfectly cooked, tasty and good size portions. Those triple cooked chips went down particularly well! Everyone enjoyed their food and cleared their plates! The pub served our birthday cake (which we provided) with drinks. Next time we hope to return and have one of the puddings off the menu as they sounded amazing. There are some mixed reviews on here, but in our experience we couldn’t fault it in anyway. We also brought 2 dogs along in our party and both were made welcome. Thanks to Donna and the rest of the staff for a lovely afternoon. We hope to visit on a future get together!

My daughter stayed here on two occasions recently with ‘Harry Chance’ her border collie. It was during a particularly difficult time, a bereavement, and the hospitality, the welcome and the comfortable ‘home from home’ feel of the rooms and the bar meant there was a sense of relief at the end of each difficult day! Great attention to detail in the rooms, wonderfully cosy, yummy cookies and just a real feeling they wanted you to stay, less business, more friends!Harry and Natalie loved it, we enjoyed a fab meal there where the chips were ‘proper’!Thank you!

I came here a year ago so thought we would try here again tonight as it used to be lovely food. I’m not sure if it’s a new chef or under new management but the food was terrible very disappointing. The service was very poor, slow service unfriendly staff and long wait for food. The restaurant was empty it was only us. It used to be very busy such a shame. Definitely won’t be coming again - what was once my favourite place to dine is now a place I would avoid. We couldn’t wait to pay the bill and get out if there.

Not been impressed with the red lion recently, poor wine, beer, grumpy staff and untidy. I was pleasantly surprised to see a smiley familiar face recently who knows how to serve customers and clears away dirty glasses from the tables . The thing I didn’t like this evening was having very young children in the pub till after eight thirty. I love children but I don’t want to spend an evening in the pub when they are crying to go home. They should be at home in bed. The management have a sign up asking for no children after eight o’clock but this is clearly never enforced. It’s such a shame as it used to be a really good pub.

Great friendly pub local beer and great food definitely recommend if your visiting the area not far from Swindon or Cirencester and easy reach from M4 or M5 definitely work a stay

Me my husband and two children love coming to the red lion. Always feel very welcome and looked after. Food we have had has always been delicious. Bar staff have always been polite and helpful.

Absolutely brilliant one of the best Sunday lunches ever new to area not knowing where best to get a Sunday roast wandered in to be greeted by an excellent waitress Rhea who asked me to find a table and she would bring the drink I ordered over with a menu which she did, ordered nothing was too much trouble I started to look at phone looked around the food was there beautifully presented everything cooked to perfection asked if I required anything else I asked for some mint sauce which was quickly brought everything tasted amazing and I quickly finished it all. After a short while Rhea returned inquiring if all was ok and did I require a desert I hesitated but said could she bring it anyway what a delight I was about to receive I ordered sticky toffee pudding with candied walnuts and toffee pudding ice cream tasted amazing I just had to thank the chef Dan all in all a fantastic Sunday experience I will be going back just for the food and of course I left a tip well done all.

Where do I start! I can’t believe that on Christmas Day only one member of staff was working! The bar was packed and a few regulars decided to give the poor guy a hand collecting glasses. The Red Lion used to be a fantastic pub with good beer and good food. It is such a shame that over the last few months (since the new tenants took over) it has gone down the pan! The new landlord is a total mess and walks around in scruffy work clothes. Security cameras were installed a few weeks ago and it took 3 days before the brick dust was cleared up. Kids! I’m not adverse to kids being allowed in the pub BUT not all night. They should behave and sit down and not run around screaming. It is just an accident waiting to happen. I hope St Austell read comments on here and sort it out before the pub is run into the ground.

How can anyone turn out two puddles of green liquid that was supposed to be "mushy peas" ? There was no peas- just a weird coloured liquid ! All the food was mediocre at best, inedible at worst. Could be so much better with a change of ownership i.e. someone who cares about providing a great service.

Popped in with family Christmas lunchtime. Place full. Only one person behind the bar. Guests were helping to clear glasses and washing up. When our wine was finally served it was nothing short of undrinkable.We paid a lot of money for our wine and family beers. Very poor standard and disgraceful quality. We will not be back to this very poor pub.

This used to be a great place to eat and drink, however it is now going rapidly downhill. Undrinkable wine, poor choice for beers, lack off staff and kids running round till all hours.

We went on Christmas Day, there was a queue when we walked through the door, which is expected on such a busy day, what we didn’t expect was to see so many customers having to clear their tables and actually put glasses in the dish washer.

My second sub-standard meal in the past two months.

The burger is ridiculously over priced and it was more like a children's meal from a fast food restaurant! Disappointing since change over ownership. Service is sometimes slow and bar staff not the most friendly. The beer is more and more expensive each time.

Had the Somerset Brie to start very nice followed by lamb rump very well presented and tasty. Around 8 real ales on the bar nice country pub atmosphere . All prices ok not to expensive. Will go back.

no bottom to soggy Goulash pie that had 4 x 20p sized bits of pork for £15, all 4 paltes that had triple cooked chips were stil hard and not even cooked once, Haddock fish bater overcooked, mushy peas dried out and looked a week old, burger flash fried and then microwaved, for a birthday meal it was shocking

Oh dear where do I begin, badly trained staff that dont understand basic service levels who stand around talking when there is a huge queue at the bar. Served supermarket frozen chips which were described as triple cooked, sandwiches that were served on a platter that fell off and were hasterly scraped back onto platter in the hope that nobody would notice. Rude management.

Love the red lion when we have visited in the past, but left disappointed at the roast dinner. Roasties overdone, hardly any veg with your roast but nice large Yorkshire. If your hungry maybe order two portions, but for £14.95 I would expect more.

Waited about a hour for our meals. Used to provide bread while waiting but no more. Wife ordered sausages with bubble and squeak. Arrived with 2 sausages and over burnt halved potatoes with burnt veg. Was not bubble & sq. I ordered sea-bass which was tasty enough but the fish was only a small fillet and not a whole fish or even 2 fillets as expected. Overall service was atrocious and food worse than average and expensive. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone now!

Good looking pub and lovely atmosphere. Food was excellent and serving staff were fun and efficient.

It's often quite difficult these days to find a pub where you can get a decent sandwich for lunch rather than having to fight your way through a full menu. The Red Lion was therefore a pleasant surprise - a nice pub with an excellent selection of beers, a number of which are brewed on the premises, a very extensive beer garden, and a great selection of interesting and very generously filled sandwiches served with salad/accompaniments. Definitely worth a visit.

We have eaten here around 10 times as we moved to Cricklade last Nov. Initally we were well impressed with the food. Large tasty portions but the last 5 times over 3 months it has not been so great the taste and quality of ingredients is not as good and the pies in particular are too salty. Having said that its a nice place, friendly staff and maybe it is a temporary thing so still worth a visit

Taxidermy is just wierd and the many examples of this wierdness adorn the walls of this very English of country pubs. It makes for an intriguing tourist attraction as it drags you back in time but don't be distracted too much because this is a proper, proper Pub and it servers proper, proper beer - and food.