The Red Lion Inn in Canterbury

We visited The Red Lion looking for a lovely family lunch. We had made a reservation and upon arrival we were placed in a dimly lit room, at a table crammed into other tables. The lady serving was polite. We ordered our starters and mains. After 45 minutes of waiting we got our starters, the starters were amazing, 4/5 for the starters. The plates were cleared after 15 minutes of us being finished and we waited for our main meals. It got to 1.5hrs and we still had not got our mains. Eventually after 1hrs 40 mins the food came, they did apologise. Unfortunately the chicken madras was very below par, no hint of curry flavour and very watery, the rice was also undercooked. Also the omelette we ordered was average. On the flip side, the fish pie and burger were delicious. So mixed opinions of our visit. They need to account for large parties and people arriving at the same time. We don’t all have the luxury of being able to spend a whole afternoon having lunch 🤷 Overall experience: 2/5

Disappointing Sunday Visit – A Generous 2 Stars Visited on Sunday 13th April. The Red Lion was busy, mainly with people watching football on the big screen, which created a lively but slightly chaotic atmosphere. Positives: The weather was lovely. Negatives: We ordered five roast dinners. While the vegetables were quite good, the roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings appeared to be pre-made (Aunt Bessie’s style). Two of our party had the roast beef, which was so tough it was virtually impossible to cut – most of it was left uneaten. Partway through our meal, what seemed to be the owners sat at the table behind us and turned the TV volume up to an uncomfortably high level. They were shouting over it, which made our dining experience unpleasant. We had ordered desserts before they sat down, but after waiting over 40 minutes—with no sign of them—we eventually cancelled and left. Ironically, we saw their mains being served during our wait. The tables were sticky, which didn’t give a great impression of cleanliness. The Doom Bar tasted stale, more reminiscent of a tired Wetherspoons pint than a freshly pulled ale. Overall, it was a frustrating experience. With a bit more care in both food quality and customer service, this place could be much better.

Went for a roast Sunday lunch with my wife and a friend. Service was good, and the food OK for the price (except they do not know how to cook roast potatoes ... ours were not light in the middle with a nice crunchy surface, sadly.) However, our enjoyment of a nice lunch in a country pub was ruined half way through by the staff switching on a huge TV screen as a load of noisy football fans arrived to watch a match. We paid up and got out. I think the landlord needs to think about what he wants the pub to be; a nice gastro pub for civilized dining, or a venue for football louts to shout and scream at a vast TV screen.

Has become my regular Sunday appointment

We dined again today at the Red Lion for Mothers Day. Table by the fire which mum loved and an amazing and delicious wholesome 3 course lunch served to both of us which we thoroughly enjoyed. Lovely interior, fantastic hosts and extremely attentive staff. It’s a wonderful experience dining here. Thank you again Rene and team both behind the bar and in the kitchen! We will be back… again! Ian.

Only place ever been to where a Sunday roast dinner gets served with 1 potato cut into 2. Waiting staff very polite and well Spoken but communication between front of house and kitchen is a failure. Very over priced menu for what you receive, both the roast and traditional fish and chips. Wouldn’t recommend or return. Really disappointed after seeing reviews.

Lovely, set menu, very reasonably priced. Pleasant decor. Friendly and efficient service

I love this pub, lovely decor. Staff very friendly

The food has really gone downhill while the prices have gone up I know all prices have gone up but looking at the menu £30 for a steak £17 for fish and chips is stretching it a bit I have called in many times but I won’t be going back

Great place for a drink and food, very nicely renovated inside recently. Fantastic big screen for sports fans. Nicely done though. Not your typical sports bar. 100% recommend a visit. And if your not a sports fan don't be put off. It's lovely!

Absolutely fabulous pub and restaurant. They do a wonderful 3 course menu for £22.95 and the food is of the highest quality (you can also have just the one or two courses) Sunday roasts are amazing and an la carte menu also available. The staff are very friendly and super attentive. Always busy so advisable to book, which I do via their website. I have visited the Red Lion several times now and it never disappoints. I

Fabulous place! A Sheps pub but without a Sheps food menu. Very impressed, our omelettes were so perfect we sent compliments to the kitchen. Very warm welcome from hosts upon arrival too, would recommend. Just watch out for the wall in car park as you can hit your door when exiting car, as I did

Good fish & chips, and on a Friday

Absolutely brilliant. Stunning food and really friendly service. Very affordable too. A definite recommend.

Good well cooked food, attentive but not intrusive service, good selection of beers and wine. Pleasant decor.

We visit this pub several times a year and it's always a great experience. Today was no exception but in addition to the fab Sunday lunch and great staff the place looked just looked super cosy and Christmassy. Always popular it was half full when we got there at 12.45 and busy when we left a couple of hours later. We had the nut roast and the roast beef. Gorgeous! See the photos.

No problem with the food or service. But the menus are ambiguous as to whether a service charge will be asked for and what rate. This is an increasing issue, which cafes/restaurants will need to figure out. The British public don't like hidden costs. Particularly with groups, people will happily pay a SC if they know about it in advance. For anyone organising a group meal - the organiser needs to inform everyone beforehand what price to expect, otherwise it will cause discontent.

As far as I'm concerned, a wonderful Gastro Pub as they should be. Welcoming welcome and friendly service. The food was excellent, a total experience, with an excellent price-quality ratio. We had a 2 course lunch for the fair price of 16.95 Pounds.

Precisely what you hope for in a pub meal.

We. Had a long wait for our 8 main course. No one had starters. We ordered from the set menu. 4 of us had turkey dinner. Very small portions. Two slices of turkey would have made a huge difference. Everyone commented on the ONE sprout. - What's that about?

Good pub that seems to mostly serve locals, food is good quality but there isn't loads for the price that you pay. The staff are nice and welcoming and enjoyed the real fire. Next to where we sat.

Delicious food and great value!

Lovely pub, really good food and very well priced but you get what you pay for and that isn’t a great deal. I would rather pay more and get enough to fill me up. There was 16 or us and we pre ordered. No problems with the food at all but we all left still feeling hungry. Would definitely go back but only if the portions were better and if that means we pay more then that’s fine. Decent food for decent money.

Great food and service, buzzy pub love it!

The room turned out smaller than I thought but more than good enough. The service in the bar was excellent. Very nice people. Top experience.

Great pub with a good choice of beer. Warm friendly atmosphere. Excellent food , good choices, and service. The staff are always welcoming. Clean tables, never sticky! And clean toilets, a rare find these days ! Pretty large garden with plenty of tables to sit out in the sun. Small children enclosed play area. Great stop after a long walk.

Nice for a beer, but the food wasn’t great at all … the pizza in particular was probably the worst “restaurant“ pizza I ever had, with (what tasted like) a shop bought crust, totally devoid of any seasoning, and a somewhat stale aftertaste. Have a drink and save your appetite for somewhere else!

Great Sunday roast at very reasonable prices. Make sure you book as very popular.

Made to feel welcome ,hope to eat it restaurant next time.

Lovely Sunday lunch with friends! Great service, given the pub was full with diners. Good value for money set menu, 3 courses only £20. Only criticism would be perhaps an extra roast potato and little more veg on the main course. Having said that we didn’t ask for extra so may have been given if we’d asked. Will definitely recommend and be returning.

Staying at a nearby AirBnB which was only 100m away from the pub. The food was so good we ate here twice in the space of four days. Excellent food and staff were very friendly and efficient. Also very dog friendly which suited our requirements too. Landlord and locals were very chatty and felt at home immediately. Couldn't fault it.

Lovely al fresco lunch after a beautiful country walk. Good beer too 😎

Fabulous meal and excellent value for money

Lovely pub, we go here most Tuesday evenings. Very friendly staff, great food and a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Ideal for watching sports on the big screen but in a quieter setting. Nice garden too.

As always The Red Lion never disappoints, superb Roast Beef,lots of fresh veg great staff and friendly host in Renee,thanks so much to you all x

Excellent food and great value. Will go again.

Thoroughly enjoyed our night out meeting up with friends. The food was excellent, very tasty and service was great. We will definitely be back.

Had a lovely lunch today in the beautiful garden. We had the 3 course set lunch menu. The food was lovely, good quality and good portions. We really enjoyed it very good value for money.

Unfortunately got up and walked out as couldn’t get served shame it’s a very nice pub and we’d heard good things about the food but the staff leave a lot to be desired it seemed most of the bar customers were waiting for drinks whilst the young girl , who seemed very inexperienced, served in the Restaurant , no sign of management at any point , 2 lads came behind the bar we thought great finally but no just kept their heads down and poured their own drinks and left ! Pretty much everyone was moaning which made for an unpleasant atmosphere the staff should at least acknowledge people waiting and maybe explain the delay but we were just ignored very annoying we weren’t the only people to walk out and unfortunately won’t be back

We visited The Red Lion yesterday for Sunday lunch, and while the food was lovely, our experience was marred by some significant issues. Before making a reservation, I called to inform the staff that my daughter has a severe nut allergy to peanuts and cashews, and asked if they could accommodate her. I was assured they could, so we proceeded to book. Upon arriving, I requested an allergen list, only to be told they didn’t have one. Instead, they asked me to specify the allergies so they could check with the kitchen. They returned with the news that anything deep-fried was off-limits due to potential cross-contamination from a function the previous night, significantly limiting her meal options. My daughter ended up with a burger—without chips, yet we were still charged the full price. When it came time for dessert, we were informed that none were safe for her to eat. By this point, our frustration had grown. It was disappointing to discover that despite calling ahead and being reassured they could cater to her needs, they clearly couldn’t. I strongly recommend the pub reviews its allergy protocols and provides accurate information to customers who inquire. Honesty is essential when dealing with such serious matters.

We visited The Red Lion yesterday for Sunday lunch, and while the food was lovely, our experience was marred by some significant issues. Before making a reservation, I called to inform the staff that my daughter has a severe nut allergy to peanuts and cashews, and asked if they could accommodate her. I was assured they could, so we proceeded to book. Upon arriving, I requested an allergen list, only to be told they didn’t have one. Instead, they asked me to specify the allergies so they could check with the kitchen. They returned with the news that anything deep-fried was off-limits due to potential cross-contamination from a function the previous night, significantly limiting her meal options. My daughter ended up with a burger—without chips, yet we were still charged the full price. When it came time for dessert, we were informed that none were safe for her to eat. By this point, our frustration had grown. It was disappointing to discover that despite calling ahead and being reassured they could cater to her needs, they clearly couldn’t. I strongly recommend the pub reviews its allergy protocols and provides accurate information to customers who inquire. Honesty is essential when dealing with such serious matters.

Top place. Probably the best pub hosts in the area.

I didn't go inside the pub but the garden is beautiful, so colourful.

I was with a ramblers group today and we visited this beautiful and friendly pub it was my first visit most impressed we sat in the garden and I admired all the rose bushes and lovely layout of the entire pub and garden thanks the church close by was wonderful too

We’ve eaten here quite a few times before but this was our first experience of Sunday lunch. Absolutely delicious and service was excellent. We had goats cheese salad, roast beef and banoffee waffle and chocolate mousse. Will definitely be back with our family when they come to visit. Thank you very much.

I was at the start quite liking this pub has a lovely garden and great sun trap well thats the good bit now the very bad the pub had to many dogs off there leads barking and begging at tables for food that we were trying to eat in peace then came the worst myself and my friends watched to large dogs 1 black 1 brown pissing up the furniture people were sitting in I then learnt these 2 dogs belonged to the owners never again so if you

Amazing home cooked food, reasonably priced and portioned, great atmosphere pretty pub garden, lovely staff A+ Would recommend!

Amazing home cooked food, reasonably priced and portioned, great atmosphere pretty pub garden, lovely staff A+

Lovely place, great staff and good service. Really enjoyed my time in the pub. Edit: One year on and it's still the great atmosphere and service I remember!

Fantastic service, fantastic food, fantastic atmosphere. You're better off booking a table beforehand, as is extremely popular, especially at weekends. You will not be disappointed, as for Maximus and Oscar are just simply gorgeous.

Sadly could only give this lovely place a two star rating. The food, drinks and service is fantastic, as is the staff. The decor is great and there's a lovely garden area with water feature and also a small play area for children to play. The only issue is the horrid owner, who we found extremely rude and obnoxious. Thankfully he isn't about all the time and at them times I would give the atmosphere a 5 star.

Liv provided outstanding service, creating a welcoming and wholesome atmosphere. The 2-course meal for under £20 was not only a great value, but also featured incredibly fresh and delicious food. This experience has definitely made it my new favorite spot for a roast dinner. A big thank you to the hardworking team for their exceptional service on such a busy day! - Mia new regular of the red :)

Lovely staff lovely food, nice atmosphere. Don't be fooled by the outside.

Great evening with girls. Loved the food and the atmosphere was friendly

It's a pub...it has beet and the bar staff are genuine and friendly...a good local.

Great atmosphere. Delicious food. Friendly staff. Very reasonably priced. And Rene, the host is charming and welcoming

Had the 3 course lunch here and the food quality was very good and price quite reasonable . All served by an amiable French couple . Would be happy to come back again

Lunch menu is limited. I chose the Sea Bass which ranks highly on the best I have had. Vegetables were fresh and crisp and very tasty

At least it was open on a Monday

I had a beautiful meal with my friend who I hadn't seen for a few years. The food was wonderful and the staff helpful and friendly. Lovely ambience.

Very busy, even on an ordinary Wednesday so service was leisurely but it was busy for a reason - great food at a fair price. The pork belly was particularly good.

A nice and cozy pub with good food and a great crew. Invites to spend long evenings there. Also dogs aren't just tolerated but welcome and that's wonderful. René your're lovely guy :) Thanks for tonights great dinner and some laughter. Greetings from Jessica, Sascha and Lex the Ridgeback

This was a return visit after a year and despite the revamp it wasn’t the place we enjoyed last year, the service was lacklustre and then faded away when the football started only one choice of beer with no local options and the food wasn’t as ordered and came back no better. Sad as we had enjoyed our previous visits.

Lovely meal, on our way home from Lydden.

We recently dropped into the Red Lion for a drink and something to eat. The food was very tasty, however, I felt the sandwich could have been presented better.

Great food, well presented. Good choice of dishes available on the menu. Friendly service. Will definitely be back.

Great atmosphere, beautiful pub and food.

Brilliant staff and service . Food good and resonable prices. Cant wait to come back

Probably the best pub in the area. The Sunday Roast is to die for and if you like your sports then you will be pleased to watch your favourite team play on the 90" tv whilst relaxing in the leather couches..

Not in Canterbury, but in the village of Bridge, some distance to the south. Great pub, with a decent selection of beers and wines. We hadn't booked a table, but there was room for us. The menu was not the most comprehensive in the world, but it amply covered all the bases and the food was very well cooked and presented. Prices were eminently reasonable. The service (from the young woman running the bar and table service, in an unflappable and charming manner) was excellent. Given the local competition apparently ranging from sublime to ridiculous, the Red Lion seems to have decided on its niche, and fills it admirably. Ample, well lit, parking.

Excellent food, reasonable prices.

The pub has just been refurbished and looks lovely. The new menu looks superb, The pub is a bistro setting, plus it has kept its reputation as a football pub, too, with the Red Lion team.

As locals to Bridge, we visited following the recent refurbishment for some Sunday lunch. The pub was lively and good to see plenty of people supporting local business. The interior has been nicely done, the staff were warm and welcoming and the food was very good indeed - best value Sunday lunch we have had to date! Worth a visit.

Lovely pub in bridge feels like the beating heart of the area. Very popular with the locals and the owner has a great rapport with the customers. His charisma is infectious. Has been recently renovated and it is a fantastic place to watch sports with good atmosphere and fantastic options on tap. Very reasonable price would highly recommend.

Thanks so much for once again an amazing Sunday lunch,great atmosphere, fabulous staff fabulous food,what more can u want xxx

Spent my New Years eve celebrating in this wonderful pub! A true sense of community. A warm and inviting atmosphere, great gin selection and a generally lovely place to be.

Slow service, brought meals in wrong order, coarse atmosphere due to a small group who insisted on watching racing all day instead of football, regardless of others’ preferences.

Very friendly community pub, with good value restaurant.

Had a lovely lunch today will recomend to friends👌👌👌

What a lovely pub to visit! We met for a catch up and meal, as our usual pub stopped serving food. Absolutely delicious food, great choice of drink and very friendly staff! I had the cauliflower soup followed by the steak and kidney pudding. It was all very tasty and plentiful. Even better, it was part of their set menu for a fantastic 20 quid! Can't wait for our Christmas catch up. We've booked our table already and the Christmas menu sounds fabulous!

Great beer, well kept, really good, but lukewarm service. Felt like we were an inconvenience. Food was ok, but service with a snarl.

We came here today to enjoy a Sunday roast at this Superb Gastro Pub. Renee and Harry were on top form as hosts in this fully booked eaterie, with silenced Sunday football on in the snug var for those who wanted to keep up to date with the match. The 4 of us picked beef and/or lamb for our roast dinners, and they came without a wait. The meals were excellent, as were the Doom bars and a lovely afternoon was had by all. Many thanks to the staff, especially the chef, for his hard work.

We all had a fab time last night! 11 to Celebrate my Husbands 60th Thanks Rene & his team. Everyone enjoyed their food. The place was packed with Diners & people watching football & then Kareoke! The only problem was we all had to shout so we could hear!!😁We will be coming back for Christmas. Jane & Adrian from Bekesbourne. xx

Lovely food. Great price. Can't recommend highly enough.

Lovely food and service! Dog friendly!

Great local place with lovely food and great service!!! Games were fun too :)

excellant value for money we were a party of 16 english and french would recomend highly what an exxcellant host the owner is

Of all the wonderful pubs in the area this is the one we return to the most. Guaranteed a fab meal served by lovely friendly staff in a gorgeous pub with the most stunning garden. Yesterday my friend (this was her first visit and she said she'll be back) had the chicken schnitzel and apparently it was the best ever. I had fish of the day which was sea bass and it was divine. It was just about warm enough to take coffee outside so we sat and admired the flowers for a while!! Honestly, if you can, pay this pub a visit, you won't be disappointed.

We were passing and stopped for a drink lovely beer garden friendly staff, we decided to order some food it was getting late but menu brought out to the table ordered and it was lovely, Salmon dish was beautiful and so was the chicken dish..........

Very good, having not eaten here before, good menu. Barman/waiter excellent. However NOT keen on having 2 big dogs wandering around the dining tables. Most off putting

Very nice pub, near my old school house, polite staff

So today we had a wonderful lunch for 8 before attending my mother's funeral. The mussels were the best I think we have ever had. We returned at 4pm for the wake or as the pub calls it a buffet for the celebration of a love ones life. It certainly was a celebration and was enjoyed in the stunning garden. The beautiful flowers made me feel we were celebrating a wedding rather than morning a loss. They catered for 45 of us and our lovely waitress continually served us. The food was lovely and the atmosphere special. I can't recommend the pub enough and we definitely be back. Thank you staff.

We had an excellent funeral tea here, the weather was good so we were able to use the beautiful garden. The garden is beautifully planted and the water feature adds to the tranquillity. The sandwiches were fresh and well filled, the sausage rolls were warm (a nice touch) and the scones, jam and cream were popular. Tea and coffee were plentiful and hot. Service was friendly and efficient, and the atmosphere was relaxed in the warm sunshine. The children enjoyed letting off steam in the play area. Thank you to Rene, Harry and staff, and to the dogs Oscar and Maximus.

We had a great buffet tea here after a Celebration of Life at Barham Crematorium. We were lucky with the weather and were able to have tea in the beautiful garden, but the rooms inside would have been fine too. It was good to have a play area so the children could let off steam. The sandwiches were fresh and well filled, the sausage rolls were warm, which was a nice touch. The scones with jam and cream were popular, and tea and coffee were hot and plentiful. It was a very relaxed occasion in the warm sunshine. We would like to thank Rene, Harry, all staff involved, and the dogs Maximus and Harry for making us al, feel welcome and putting on a good tea for us.

Good service, good beer, great ambience. It's a fine pub.

Lovely happy place to relax and enjoy good food.

Lovely lunch for 12 and friendly attentive service.

Dropped in for drink and use the toilet on way to funeral having just driven for 5 hours Good service and even better having not been there for 8 years was remembered by the landlord that’s what I call good service

Really delicious home cooked food here. It was a rainy day on our camping trip and too wet for Howletts so we decided to have lunch somewhere. The owner is French and clearly cares a great deal about the quality of the food and the service was quick and really efficient. My 8 yr old and I shared smoked salmon salad (gorgeous dressing with fresh horseradish) then sausages and mash. Not your average pub food - good quality sausages and lovely red wine gravy with a proper glossy mash. We were so full but still wanted pudding as it all looked amazing. Highly recommend! Great value 3 course lunch.

I popped into the Red Lion, Bridge with my friend Jenni for lunch. I must say from the time I walked in, until the time I walked out, the atmosphere was great, Rene and Harry were very attentive. I had the goats cheese salad, sausages, mash and peas and spotted dick with custard. All the food was tasty and well presented. Thank you Rene and Harry. I shall be back.