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

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.

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.

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

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.

Delicious food and great value!

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.

Good food, helpful, but pushed for staffing

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 and service! Dog friendly!

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

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.

I was in the garden at a wake. Buffet food was good. Garden lovely.

According to Google the kitchen was open until 20.30, but the owners said it was only open until 20.00. I was there at 19.55 but still they would accommodate me.

Everyone really friendly, roast dinner was lovely.

Lovely place, great staff and good service. Really enjoyed my time in the pub.

Food was very good, slight problem with desserts, but overall an enjoyable meal. Good parking and large lovely looking garden.

Really friendly staff, and nice food!

What to say about René and his team other than they are magnifique. We have visited here numerous times, not least over our wedding weekend in the village when we filled the beer garden with guests for several days straight! We arranged for a BBQ here for 70+ and were brilliantly looked after. Great homecooked food and an even better atmosphere. Highly recommend.

Excellent food and beer open on Monday lunch will use again if only every pub was like this, Steak and pud was great

Excellent food, perfect for friends to meet up. Host is second to none! Always made to feel very welcome.

lovely food, friendly and quick service and A DOG! I had the mushroom tagliatelle and it was gorgeous, best pub meal I've had in a while and prices aren't crazy. Nice decor inside and very comfy. But best thing of all, very cute and friendly dogs :)

Rung up on Friday lunch time to check they were serving food and what was on the menu Was told serving food menu is same a website - however we have a wake in so it's busy Arrived and found a table went to the bar to ask for a menu - were not serving food toady ! I explained I had just rung up and told food avalibily I was told that she was the only one answering the phone and wouldn't have said that ? Strange as there was a wake in the garden - put me off returning when the staff can't give out basic information - I would hate to book and turn up withba party to find out there is no food or they don't have our booking

Great pub, lively, good beer, good food.

What a lovely atmosphere and without doubt because of Rene the landlord. Fabulous personality and just wants to please everyone. Recommend one hundred percent. Best fish and chips ever.

My wife and I were visiting Simpsons winery about 10 minutes away so once the visit was over we decided to stop in Bridge for a bit of lunch , the car park at the Red lion was quite full which is always a good sign . There was a very nice menu with a reasonable three course for £18.95 . We started with chicken liver pate and a goats cheese salad , I had a roast beef sandwich served with fries and salad and my wife had creamy chicken supreme for our mains , we finished off with lemon posset for desert . Worth a visit if your passing if just to be waited on by the French speaking owner Renee

We had a wonderful meal at the Red Lion. Rene and his team were amazing. We were a very large group (17) and so pre-ordered our food. All the food was delicious and beautifully presented. The service was excellent and very prompt. Thank you for a lovely evening! Highly recommended.

I took my mum and dad there today, lovely staff, gorgeous dogs, great food, at a good price, plus thank you for having a disabled toilet, that you can get a wheelchair in. Xx

Three nice real ales and ample range of other beers and spirits etc Comfortable and pleasing feel to the pub. Last but not least the person behind the bar was good and happy.

Initially thought it was good, but I don’t like being overcharged, after swiping to pay for first two drinks and then for food on both occasions after checking my account I’d had an extra pound added, so it just made me think do they add a pound to everything you buy? Prices are ridiculous enough these days for drinks etc without being ripped off. Check how much you’re paying folks, don’t get mugged off

Fab English dining with a French twist. Great to see Rene again.

Not to bad , noticed the cleaning should be looked at but other than that, I would visit again.

Lovely pub, great food. Recommended!

Lovely food and beer , great service, barman Oscar was exceptional with banter and customer service 😀

The most welcoming hosts you could ever wish for. The food is delicious and served when others are closed on a Monday & Tuesday.probs to book in advance The Red Lion is pet friendly and they have a beautiful garden.

Friendly staff, good food and a pleasant atmosphere.

Dropped by for a late lunch to find the place still buzzing. The ham and cheese omelette was excellent and came with a nicely dressed salad and great chips.

Visited this pub today with my daughter. Fairly new to the area it was on my list and we had the most fab Sunday lunch. Gorgeous pub, attentive and friendly staff and food to die for. As a non meat eater I chose the nut roast and my daughter had the pork. Cooked to perfection!! Right in the middle of the lovely village of Bridge we recommend this pub to all.

What a wonderful restaurant… I’ve been many times. The proof is the bums on seats… it’s never empty… and run very efficiently. The menu offers excellent food but very affordable. It makes for an enjoyable experience that can be repeated frequently as it doesn’t break the bank. It’s very family and dog friendly but equally good for couples. Rene and Harry are perfect hosts and manage their staff with friendliness. I just love this pub… I hope you do too ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

We were just passing and thought we would give it a try certainly not disappointed it was busy warm a good selection of drinks the food is excellent I mean fantastic

I had a booked and pre ordered lunch with 7 walking friends yesterday at The Red Lion, Bridge. Excellent set lunch menu, my choice was whitebait, followed by the trout. It was all delicious. They were busy, but the service was very good and very...

I don’t normally write reviews, but I had to in this case. A group of us had a lovely meal here yesterday and we all really enjoyed the happy atmosphere. Our server, Alicia was so friendly, polite and efficient and I wanted to give credit...

Beautifully cooked fresh food and welcoming staff made for a lovely lunchtime meal. Extremely pleased with the whole experience Would highly recommend.

Great pub, very nice food for a lunch menu. I didn't have the fish and chips stiretgfvofvthr menu, I went for the more restaurant type menu. Very nice indeed and very recommended. I will go back there again, it's well worth a visit.

Really surprised to have such a lovely meal in what is a pub. Seemed to be a real locals place and the welcome could not be warmer.

Excellent experience food, drink, friendly service, value for money. P.s only give 5 stars for extraordinary so 4 is really good

Very busy and noisy. Probably because the fa cup was on. Food was tasty and celebrated quickly considering. Pint of beer tasted grand as well

Another great evening at the Red Lion catching up with family over a delicious meal. We come here often, René, Harry and their team are always so welcoming and friendly, there is something for everyone wether it be my elderly in-laws who they looked after...

I really love this pub and it's the best in Bridge by some distance. The one down the road can't decide what it wants to be, the one across the street doesn't want outsiders. The landlords and Their dogs are great and they make you (and your pets) feel so welcome, like old friends. The food is what you'd expect from a pub and there is always a great atmosphere at peak times and when live sport is on. Add a pool table and a jukebox and it would be the perfect pub.

Wanted to hold my Nanas wake here. 1st staff member was professional and helpful, I had to ring for more details. 2nd member of staff knew nothing so i had to repeat the info. 3rd member of staff, see above + less than empathic.

Wanted to hold my Nanas wake here. 1st staff member was professional and helpful, I had to ring for more details. 2nd member of staff knew nothing so i had to repeat the info. 3rd member of staff (Rene) didn't know I'd phoned or know anything abt my previous call and that i wanted to book the function room for 35 people. I told him the week had been hard as Nan had died only a few days ago and organising this was difficult - this guy genuinely couldn't care less. He told me there as no function room and the wake would have to be at the back of the pub, then he told me I wouldn't need a buffet because 'everyone would've eaten at lunch time' and suggested cake instead. I am not proud of my response or the colourful language I used in anger. I told him I was disgusted with his attitude and complete lack of empathy. I would make a formal complaint to the manager, except he WAS THE MANAGER. Rene the manager, no doubt is nice to some people and must have people who love him and he would be sad if he'd lost a dear person in his life, unfortunately I found him to be an unfeeling, dismissive, disrespectful, arrogant human being. Avoid this place if you want to hold a wake for someone you love.

Very welcoming staff and owners great to see pheasant on the menu.

Welcoming local pub with friendly staff and a solid pub grub menu. We had a good value lunch whilst walking between villages.

9 of us for a Twixtmas meal and we all agreed that not only was the food excellent (and there were a few foodies amongst us)but also great value at £19.95 for 2 courses. We have been going to this pub for 20 years and...

Met for a drink with friends. No food, had 2 pints of Harveys...very good.

A real shame, This pub has all the makings of a great Pub. But.. Service was not knowledgeable and at times what was served up required more effort. ( you do not serve up coffee with the alloted sugar swimming in the saucer the servers just spilt...) The person who plated up the meal must know you never serve up hot food on cold plates, The meal was spoilt partly by this and the quality and quantity of the pork belly strip served up. The starter garlic mushrooms I had did not have enough bread so I ended up with lots of ju left. Sadly disappointed.

Early family Christmas get together meal today fantastic staff fantastic food all round wonderful friendly place to eat so glad it's our local. Everyone was served together and Renee was amazing with our fussy grandson. Highly recommend this pub even just for a drink ,see you all on 25th of December for our Christmas Dinner. Thankyou all for making our family get together a special one.

Great food, I had a stake pud brilliant

Visited The Red Lion twice in 2 days, first for an evening meal with my cousins second for a wake for the funeral we were all attending. The food and service at both our visits were exceptional, the colleagues were helpful, attentive and friendly, the selection of sandwiches and cakes at the wake were plentiful and really nice quality, the best was giant schnauzer Maximus (I myself have 2 mini schnauzer) and his pal Poodledoodle Oscar the best colleagues in the place 🤣