The Red Lion Pub in York

My wife and myself have eaten here a fair few times. But never have been as wowwed as we were last night. The gentleman at front of house was impeccable. A credit to the pub. After surveying the specials menu we both decided that the shin of beef pie with champ mash and fresh veg sounded too good to be missed. We were not disappointed! We both said, quite possibly the best pub meal we have ever ever had! The beef was cooked perfectly, the short crust pastry was just incredible. My wife Lydia said it was just like her mum's. That's some credit to the chef! The champ mash was delicious and the veg cooked absolutely spot on. Not a second too long. Again, perfect! We were probably too full for dessert but we were never going to resist if the main was anything to go by. My wife chose the Eton mess. I've never seen anyone look so happy eating a dessert. It looked amazing and indeed it was. I chose the apple and blueberry crumble. Simple and delicious. Just how I like it. All washed down with two fine glasses of Primitivo. And all very reasonable too. Top marks to everyone at the pub. We most definitely will be back!

I was so impressed with my main course and pudding. The service was excellent, very attentive and the waitresses were friendly and helpful. I will definitely be back

The village of Knapton is just North of the district of Acomb, in York. A pub with character transformed from being a local pub to a gastropub, which is gaining a reputation for fine dining. A Lovely, varied menu & not your normal options await your pleasure. A range of cask ales, beers, lagers & cider are on the bar & a wine list to suit most palates & budgets.

Delicious, every course was a thrill. I had scallops and Korean pork belly. Really well executed dishes. Having a coffee/small dessert option always pleases me, and the crème brûlée did not disappoint. My aunt had the best sticky toffee pudding of her life and she is 85!

We do love a proper pub: one that takes care of its real ale and serves excellent pub food. My cousin recommended this village pub, that I haven’t been to for many years. It re-opened in November under new management, and they are doing a great job. I hear that the new owners have refurbished the pub - it is very well presented. The service was very friendly and efficient. We drank beautifully kept Timothy Taylor’s Landlord ale and ate some excellent home-made food. (I wish we had a pub like this in our village!) A delightful evening of family, great ale and delicious food. Thank you Knapton Lion! I chose: - Twice Baked Yorkshire Blue Cheese Soufflé: A Light Souffle with Candied Walnuts, Mustard Dressed Leaves & Hendersons Relish Dressing - Landlords Steak & Ale Pie: Slow Braised Beef in Timothy Taylors Landlord Ale, Shortcrust Pastry, Beef Dripping Chips & Buttered vegetables As you can see, it was a proper pie: pastry on the top, sides and base - and it was excellent!

The Red Lion, now renamed under new management as the Knapton Lion has been refurbished to a high standard and is now back up and running completely. The Landlord Tom is doing a fantastic job along with brother Dan who mainly looks after the Lord Nelson in Nether Poppleton. Tom and his brilliant staff at the Knapton Lion always give a brilliant friendly and smiling reception on entering the pub, first impression's mean so much. Good selection of ales and lagers plus great wines on offer, Tom keeps the Timothy Taylors Landlord beer to the only standard acceptable which is excellent. On the food side I opted for my favourite, Steak and Ale Pie which was excellent. The pie being served as a pie and not in a pot with just pastry on top and having to mess around dispensing it onto ones plate. large car park to the rear of the pub, would be a place to book a table prior to visiting as very popular. Fantastic Food, Ales and ambience.

Been a while since last visit excellent standards maintained food all freshly cooked top standard of meat and veg gravy on a different level will be back typing this as I am waiting for my cheese cake 🍰 ps you will enjoy ☺️

Popped in for a pub lunch with a good friend, I did call earlier and Elise the busy busy manager said no need to book and looked forward to seeing us. It was easy to find and it has an outside area and car park. We arrived to a busy pub serving food from hot beef sandwiches which looked fab to burritos and fish and chips .. good tasty pub fare. I plumped for a battered fish sandwich served with chunky chips and a salad my friend fish and chips all served fresh and yummy and all washed down with Timothy Taylor’s landlord beer:) Puds we’re cheesecake - homemade and ice cream all delicious. Special mention for the hard working friendly staff who made our visit even more enjoyable.

Initially seemed promising as bar staff were friendly and we were accommodated on a busy Sunday without a booking. Menu was limited, as was to be expected on a Sunday, but there were a couple of items unavailable, making it even more limited. We found this out after we'd ordered said items. My partner and I ordered the 'sundried tomato linguine', it was very basic and very bitter. There was little to no seasoning or herbs, it genuinely tasted like a tin of tomatoes had been mixed with some linguine. The 'garlic bread' it came with was just baked bread with butter and a sprinkle of dried parsley, it had no garlic flavour at all. My partner ate his, as his sense of taste is limited, I didn't eat mine. Staff did offer to make something else, but as I didn't want Sunday lunch, it wasn't really an option. Thankfully I was refunded as it was £12 and not at all worth it. Our friends ordered Sunday lunch and were very happy with their food, so if that's what you're after then you should be OK. Unfortunately as staff were clearing the table, one of them dropped a dirty spoon onto my friends shirt and its now stained with red cabbage. He was offered some wet tissue to get it off but I think the initial sarcastic reaction of 'oh are you going to bill me for that now?' put him off accepting any help with it. We did see another customer having to return a dessert that was inedible, so it would seem there are a few issues in the kitchen.

We were away in York for the weekend and googled a pub which we could have a evening meal at, luckily we found this pub and as soon as we walked in we received a very warm welcome and nothing was a problem. We all had the homemade Beef and ale pie which was very tasty and made on site, the beef just melted in the mouth and was the best pie i've had in a while

We visited at 12.30 for Mother’s Day. We were shown to our table straight away and it was a comfortable table by the door for five of us. The staff were so friendly and chatty, my mum and myself were given a free glass of wine to celebrate MD, which we thought was a really nice touch. Once my son arrived we ordered our food,there is plenty of choice of traditional sunday lunches. Three of us ordered the lamb shank and one chicken and one beef. Our food didn’t take too long and they were very busy. There was plenty of choice of veg, roast & mashed potatoes, carrots, cauliflower cheese, cabbage, broccoli, red cabbage, we all had a large Yorkshire pudding with all meals. Everyone said it was one the best sunday lunches they’ve had, my lamb was so tender and my son said his beef was perfectly cooked too and my husband said his was the best chicken he’s ever had in a restaurant and we had an extra jug of gravy. Everything was cooked perfectly and came on really nice. Trendy crockery. Four of us decided to have pudding even though we were full, I had apple & rhubarb crumble with custard and it was a huge home made portion and piping hot it also tasted delicious, my mum & son opted for the cheesecake and they said it was beautiful and one other had the treacle tart with clotted cream, everyone agreed it was all beautiful and we would definitely recommend a visit, we will definitely not be going anywhere else for sunday lunch. The service and food was brilliant, our bill for 4x 2 courses and 1x1 course, three and half pints of Timothy Taylor and a large Sauvignon blanc came to a very reasonable £134.80.

A good friend organised a get together for 4 of us, two couples, about a week before we visited. The site reviews suggested a new management and gastro-pub food. So this was what we expected. There are good points and bad points. Half of us had food that was OK, the other half had to send food back because it was cold and uncooked. The bad points. * Only two people had starters - one starter (from the Christmas Menu) was the soup, which arrived cold. This was sent back to the kitchen and was returned some 5 minutes later but only warm, not piping hot. * Two main courses were from the Christmas menu; vegetable Moussaka. These were both luke-warm, with the aubergine and courgette uncooked. Both were sent back to the kitchen. These were never returned and no-one came to offer anything else as a replacement, (even a sandwich would have done). * The reason given for the cold food was 'there has been a power cut in the kitchen'. No further explanation was offered. * Three people had desserts, which were OK and acceptable (but not a wow!). * Decaffeinated tea or coffee were not available, so we skipped those. * The bill when presented, we were told "has a sight discount", which proved to be the case - very slight, £6 in fact. The Christmas Menu prices are £22 for two courses and £28 for three. We were charged 4x £22. Two meals were OK at £22 but the remaining two were not even realistic. £22 for a starter (cold soup; then warmed) and a dessert, seems excessive; the Main Course having been sent back uncooked and never returned, or replaced. One person was charged £22 for a dessert only, it being the edible part of the meal; the main course having been sent back as uncooked and never returned or replaced. * Three times we had to ask for a jug of water. * When asked for any sauces for the main course, Tabasco was requested and never arrived, no reason was given. * The drinks prices are excessive; £7.50 for a glass of wine and £9 per pint for beer. * The hand dryers in the toilets do not work. * Communication between the front of house and kitchen was not evident. Cold food and missed courses were 'not realised' by the front of house, who then took a defensive manner, over a bill that asked to be paid for something not had. The good points. * The refurbishment is smart and cheery; with a good ambiance. * The car park is newly tarmac covered and is safe and dry to walk across. * The staff were initially attentive but became flustered when a large party arrived late. * Apologies for cold food were offered, often. * A discounted price was offered as "We do not want a bad review. We have a reputation to keep." * Front of house did say they wanted us to return and that it "had been a bad day." This is a fair and representative report on our first visit to the Red Lion. We all understand having a bad day, we have all been there. We may have a second go, we may not. We will watch the reviews and wait until things settle down. There are far better locations around York to eat, drink and be merry.

Had a great late lunch today, nice to be able to take our little dog into the pub after walking from Rufforth. Great that food served all day until 20.30 , all week,friendly helpful service .

Was expecting quite a lot from the reviews and online pics... Sorry we found the food just average. I had the steak pie, which if I'm honest was not very good, a bit tough and chewy, the beer gravy was pretty nice, but the pasty lid was a soggy limp piece of pastry plonked on top. Chips tasted a bit greasy, maybe the oil needed a change as well? So £16 for steak pie and chips, the prices that they are charging are very high for a pub meal, it needs to be spot on at those prices really, I don't think the food reflects the price.

We've lived near this pub for 20 years but never been because it was never talked well of. Having heard that it had been taken over we decided to have the short walk for Sunday lunch....m what a fantastic decision. Super Sunday roast! Huge portions of really well cooked food, the veg perfectly cooked with a nice bite and flavour and not soggy like most. The food was matched by the excellent beer and fantastically kept beer. We will definitely be back

Had the most incredible Sunday lunch today at The Red lion Knapton, The pub has a wonderful atmosphere and the service was fantastic, the food was absolutely delicious, best Sunday dinner we’ve had in a long time , high quality produce , great portion sized cooked fresh and super tasty , would highly recommend!

We called into the Red Lion for Sunday Lunch, October 2021 and we weren’t disappointed. There were 5 of us, 4 had the beef and one had the ham. The beef was cooked to perfection and melted in our mouths. The veg that came with it was more than enough for the 5 of us and a good selection. The staff were very efficient in looking after us with drinks and making sure sure everything was ok. We are definitely booking again and would recommend this as a very nice place to go for Sunday lunch

Myself and my partner were really pleased this lovely village pub has opened again , when we arrived we were greeted by lovely helpful friendly staff we both had the roast beef Sunday dinner, there was plenty of vegetables beef and roast potatoes and Yorkshire pudding the beef melted in our mouths cooked beautifully. The new staff introduced themselves to us we will definitely be back great food and great atmosphere 🙌🏼

A spur of the moment lunch decision that really paid off. The staff, service and food were impeccable. I really can’t think of a fault. We will definitely be back again soon.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️The Red Lion has new management as of August 2021 and it is completely transformed. We came for Sunday Lunch and could not have been more impressed. The service was polite, quick and friendly. The food arrived quickly, all together, piping hot and skilfully cooked, with fantastic flavours and obviously a very talented kitchen staff. The drinks were always good here and they remain good. It is a very family friendly place, with good options for kids. All in all, we would highly recommend and we wish them every success in Knapton! Thank you!

Great location and beer garden relaxing in the sunshine Great friendly staff 😊 well looked after worth a visit

We visited our local pub today to try the Sunday lunch and think this is the best Sunday lunch we have had. We chose the two course option and the quality and portion sizes are excellent. The staff offer a friendly welcome and the service is very good and provides a relaxed atmosphere We will be returning very soon.Well done to Steve and the rest of the team.

The pub has been under new management for several months and I can only sing the praises of the staff and food. We have eaten in the pub on several occasions recently and each time, have enjoyed excellent food. The quality, presentation and portions are really good at very reasonable prices. Staff are cheerful and attentive, without being overbearing. 10 out of 10.

Went for Sunday lunch with family and we were expecting the usual carvery that they do, they have changed it to table service now which I think is a lot better.The food was excellent with everything cooked really well. The young lady that served our table was really friendly.Thanks to everyone

Good honest food in a cosy village pub. What else do you need to feel special? Good atmosphere, good service and good food.

There's some delicious freshly prepared food on offer at this comfortable, welcoming village pub. A nice touch though by new(ish) owners Paul and Steve is also to encourage the traditional pub side of the business as well as the restaurant - drinkers after a well kept pint of cask ale or a glass of wine are just as welcome as diners. What's not to like!

Eight of us dined and drank here with a late lunchtime, pre-ordered Christmas dinner. Lovely friendly staff, good beer in an attractive venue. The chef is renowned for his food and made the vegan courses especially for me. Wow, wonderful. Most memorable was how the pastry in main course complemented the filling perfectly in flavour and texture. My starter and dessert were delicious too. They all deserve to be on the main menu. My seven meat eating friends enjoyed their meals as well. The rack of lamb looked particularly good. The staff apologised for the slow service to the table, but we were enjoying a leisurely lunch and in no hurry. It was nice that they recognised this, but unnecessary in our case. We will all eat here again and are making plans to do so.

We visited for an evening meal we turned up at 5:30 but they were not due to start serving until 6. A friendly chap made up feel welcome and provided everything we could ask for. We ordered and were happy to start the cooking early for us. The food was very prompt and of excellent quality. Very enjoyable experience, lovely helpful staff. Traditional English pub with a modern, comfortable decor and a well lit tarmac car park. Highly recommended!

Visited with another couple we all really enjoyed our meals the food was very tasty and hot. The service was also very good thanks for making it a lovely evening

My son arranged to meet me here as a birthday treat. We went in the evening. Our table was booked for 7.pm. On arrival we approached the bar but no one came to attend to us. After a few minutes one of the staff came and asked if we had a reservation, I said we had and were pointed to a table and handed 4 menus. My partner asked if we could have a drink and were duly served. At 7.30 a waitress came and we ordered. At 8.pm our starters arrived. At 9pm my son asked if the main courses were coming and was told that they were on their way. At 9.10 they arrived. The food was very good but the main courses had no trimmings, for example the sea bass was described as being accompanied by basil chips but these did not appear. I had the chicken tikka with rice, accompanied by naan bread. The tikka was lovely but the naan was so hard I could not eat it. My partner had chicken breast in white wine sauce and that was perfect. I think that if the food had arrived earlier we would have had deserts but by 10.pm we were all felt it was too late. We thought the service was very poor and the staff were not very welcoming. As we left one of the waitresses apologised for the delay but said they only had 1 chef and they had been very busy. We thought this was a very poor reason for the very long delay. Although the food was good, I do not think we would go there again.

Arrived today to a warm pub and a warm welcome. Had rung up shortly before to check they had room for us and were pleasantly surprised to see that it was a carvery lunch.There were four different meats, beef pork, Turkey and ham. We both chose beef and pork. Then got a Yorkshire pudding and helped ourselves to mash and roast potatoes. The veg choice was great with cauliflower cheese, carrots, broccoli, parsnips and carrot and swede mash. Also stuffing balls and table full of different gravies and sauces to choose from.The meats were beautifully cooked and i especially enjoyed the cauliflower cheese.A lovely meal at a reasonable price of £10.95.Have also eaten here in the week and enjoyed it.

Visiting family in York. A pre-arranged evening was booked at the Red Lion. Warmly welcomed. Cosy atmosphere. Attentive staff. Food was excellent, service was fine despite the large number of people eating. Can readily recommend.

Varied menu, inconsistent pricing, some ok, other, expensive. The vegetarian lasagne at £9 was reasonable and tasty, but the accompanying salad was no more than a garnish. My husband had the fish and chips, good quality and portion of fish, but at £11.95, top end price, especially as he had to pay an extra £1.50 for a ramekin of peas. A near empty pub at 8.15 on Saturday night isn’t a good sign. The wine selection was good, but overpriced for a pub. As a matter of interest, the owners run the Black Bull in Wetherby, where prices are between 20 and 40% cheaper. Not sure where the added value is in the Red Lion. Needs more effort to make it a good place to eat and drink.

Enjoyed an excellent meal with friends. Friendly service, quality fresh food , varied menu so something for everyone and good portion sizes. Friendly staff and attentive service. Friendly ambience and will definitely go back. Can recommend the belly pork and knapton mess.

Excellent meal with tasty food and lovely service. The mash potatoes was creamy and the chocolate mousse dessert was divine. Highly recommended and will definitely be back!! Previous 1🌟comment Not a fair representation as the four of us would give 5 🌟.

Fish and chips to die for.Best batter ever.Lovely pub with lovely staff.Def recommend.My friend loved the homemade Steak and Ale.A proper pie.Not just stew with a lid.

Horrible food, lumpy mash, deep fried bacon. Have been going here for years and obviously new owners as the food is now terrible.

This Pub is very nice decorated. The service is nice and the food cooked fresh. Try the Red Lion Burger.

Four of us visited on 19th July. We received excellent attention and service at all times.Busy but peaceful pub where you could hear yourselves talking-no loud noise/music. The main menu was fine and varied and there was a large selection of specials on a separate blackboard. The skate wing was delicious. Good choice of beers and wines. Prices very reasonable.

Once again the quality of food and service were excellent. Steaks and salmon were thoroughly enjoyed by all the group.

Visited on recommendation and left a bit disappointed. Rather overpriced and the food just about ok. Staff could have been a bit more attentive as service was slow.

My gammon meal was the worst in living memory. It was small fatty and grisly. Waited a long time for our first course and even longer for our Main course

We stumbled on this place by accident last year, now we visit almost every week for the Sunday carvery, it is so good, home made Yorkshire puddings, the best crispy roast potatoes, lots of fresh veg, perfectly cooked beef, pork, turkey or gammon, home made gravy and they even do Yorkshire salad, its the highlight of our week, the staff are just brilliant and cant do enough for you.

We went here for Sunday lunch as a family birthday outing. There was a generous portion of roast, a crisp, light Yorkshire pudding and a good selection of perfectly cooked vegetables. The Service was excellent and the delicious surprise birthday cake was an added treat We haven't been here for a while because we live on the other side of York but it certainly won't be long before we come again - maybe next time to try the tempting looking evening menu.

Been in the evening and Sunday Lunch. Lovely meals both times. Staff lovely and friendly and very helpful. Look forward to my next visit.

My latest visit was a real test of Staff Service as I was accompanied by a delightful 4-year old young lady (and her Grandmother), We could not have wished for a more attentive and caring Staff to serve us all with delicious food. Other venues have a lot to learn from The Red Lion.

My mother in law had been saying for ages we need to go to this pub for dinner.....OMG....so wished we had gone sooner!

Had a very pleasant meal with the family.

We really enjoyed our meal here - the steak & red wine pie was excellent and the service was good. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars (or "bubbles") was because the starters were small and therefore quite expensive. Pleasant ambiance and I would definitely go again :)

Just enjoyed a meal here and have to say it was amazing well worth a visit will definitely be going back

Due to TA reviews we called ahead and booked an early table. Arrived and were seated in the pub immediately. Drinks orders were taken and we were invited to the carvery. All very tasty. Service very friendly. Cost very reasonable. Beer very good. What more do you need to say?!

We all arrived last night looking forward to a great meal as we have been before. The website told us it was open at 6pm we arrived at 7pm there were other customers in the car park too. The door was locked and curtains closed we tried to ring but only got their answer machine. We all know that things can happen which mean you are unable to open but at least update your website and answer phone! We were very disappointed and took our business elsewhere!

We had left it a little late to decide to go out for a meal but were very lucky to grab a table here for a meal. The pub has a good atmosphere and we didn't feel rushed even though it was past dinner time a little. While we all sat looking over the menus we noticed some others who came after us had lucked out as they were at capacity for the meals, we felt bad for them but also relieved we managed to get in. What can I say about the food but incredible, delicious, ample portions, and good quality food. We all opted for different dishes which is always good to try each others and we also pigged out on desert after. The meals were delivered swiftly and all came together too so no one had to watch others while they ate. We enjoyed our meals and spending some time together as a family and had some drinks too before we left for home. It is a lovely peaceful looking village the pub is thriving and busy but not oppressively so, and the atmosphere is welcoming. The food is quality and the portions good and its very nice with friendly helpful staff

This was a spur of the moment visit. So glad we went.

We booked a table Sunday morning for lunch. Carvery was excellent, choice of meats & veg. Similarly a great choice of sweets. Staff very friendly & helpful. Enjoyed visit will be coming again in the future.

We visited here today for a family meal after good recommendations. The service was good and the food was tasty, however... Its £14.50 each for a carvery +dessert. The carvery was very average, not much choice and the dessert of chocolate brownie was nice but tiny portions. This is not the problem with this pub, that lays with the drinks prices! Yes, the place is out of the way and so possibly a tad more BUT £4.70 for a pint of lager and unbelievably £4.40 for a pint of LEMONADE is laughable. The places in York City centre are cheaper and most places a £1 a pint cheaper. The red lion was full, but it will be a long time before we return. A let down, sorry.

We booked here for a birthday meal out for my Mum, having never been before. It was local to them and the reviews looked good. We had to change our reservation time and the landlady took the trouble to ring back and confirm from an answerphone message. The bar area is country pub style as you'd want, cosy and welcoming - not the pretentious gastro-pub, nor 70s gloom, but just right. The landlady and her daughter were running the bar and the restaurant and were certainly busy all night, so service wasn't super-speedy, but that wasn't important as we were there to relax and not be hurried anyway.

One of us comes here often so we decided to try it for a family meal out and we’re not disappointed.

Have eaten here many times and never been disappointed.Today everything apart from the roast potatoes was lukewarm and the brocolli and yorkshire pudding cold. As my son was treating us to lunch I didn't complain but I certainly won't be visiting again for the Sunday lunch.We waited 15 mins so there was no excuse for lukewarm food.The place was busy with a few crying babies,which didn't add to the atmosphere.

First visit and will be back. The staff are welcoming and very knowledgeable on the menu. The menu has a good selection to chose from along with a specials board. Very clean with a great relaxed atmosphere.

Went to the pub with a work colleague & friend and her partner. She chose The Red Lion after I requested a typical pub with good food (as I no longer live in the UK). I wasn't disappointed. The food was very good and the servings generous. My guess is that almost everything is "home" made - which I loved.

We have eaten here on innumerable occasions yet Annie continues to tempt us with dishes we have never had - the menu certainly does not go stale here. Fine dining without the unnecessary expensive trimmings, i.e. tablecloths, all in a more casual atmosphere attended by friendly and proficient staff.

This was our first visit to 'The Red Lion' and we all agreed that we will return soon. The menu...

We visited the Red Lion last night for dinner. On entering and going to the bar we were offered drinks...

We enjoyed a very convivial, unhurried lunchtime. There was a choice of three menus' - a Specials Board; Main Menu;...

Great pub, the Sunday carvery was lovely and fresh! They even had Yorkshire/ wet salad the only thing that should...

This is our local pub and the food never disappoints.Great steaks and the Crayfish tail starter is a delight.

Food was excellent quality and value. However ambience and surroundings didn't match. Manager/bar lady could have been more welcoming and engaging. Waitress was very polite and helpful. Not dog friendly.

Sunday lunch.When my husband phoned early Sunday morning he was told they were very busy and they could only fit us in at 2.15pm as dining on a Sunday finishes at 2.30pm,on our arrival at 2pm the pub was not busy and a choice of tables were available.The meat was very sparse vegetables and potatoes were cold the parsnip and Yorkshire puddings were too crispy and over cooked.Like a previous reviewer stated there is a lot nicer pubs in and around york with better value for money.We found it very expensive for what we class as a basic pub lunch.I did comment that our food was cold and the girl behind the bar said she'd pass my comments onto the kitchen.

We visited today for the first time. Enjoyed a relaxed lunch with my mum on her birthday. The choice from the menu was varied and very reasonably priced. When the food came it was delicious. Kate was an excellent waitress. Highly recommended.

Good attentive service. Very varied menu. Chef patron. Modern English. I live quite nearby. Been many times. Mostly never disappoints. My friend from NYC was very impressed. And she's a vegan. With teeth braces. Praise indeed

Very pleasant pub with plenty of parking. Service was good and efficient. Not a huge menu and being veggie I struggled a bit. However the tagliatelle was very tasty and well presented. I have to admit I'm not a dessert fan, I'm usually too full, but on this occasion I wasn't. The dessert was nice. I enjoyed what I had and would probably re-visit in the future.

had 2 Sundays lunches in a row in December - excellent, tasty ,homecooked ,value and could pile the veg and roasties on! - had lunch recently - very tasty, fresh and nicely presented -again prepped fresh - yum yum

i bought groupon voucher for 4 we had a lovely selection of sandwiches and cakes and unlimited coffee and tea the pub is in beautiful surroundings the waitress was excellent i would have liked more sandwiches instead of lots of sweet cakes as i am diabetic but am sure if i had requested this it would have been honoured, i would reccomend this very pleasant pub for any meal

Have eaten here several times good food but get there early as the special board is finished which is a disappointment last time we did get there early but still the board was nearly finished.Would like to see more fish dishes and fillet steaksveg should not be extra that is to expensive.

Miserable rainy Friday turned into a pure delight, with the delicious lunch served piping hot by lovely cheery staff. The haddock was covered in a fluffy batter encompassing fresh white fish, certainly not frozen. Chunky home made chips with mushy peasy and tartare sauce. Afterwards warm carrot cake and orange sorbet which was equally delicious. Will be back for more from the menu soon!!

We pre-booked a Saturday evening meal and were surprised at how busy they were - popularity being a sure sign of something good.The menu was imaginative and varied and came reasonably quickly considering how busy they were. My starter was black pudding with a coddled egg. The egg was perfectly cooked and fresh and the black pudding was light - not the usual heavy slab that would be fried, so I'm guessing they may have steamed it to perfection. My companions chose salmon in treacle with two types of beetroot and both declared it was excellent. One fellow diner had rib-eye steak and thought it was far and away better than one she'd had at another restaurant recently. I went for a lighter option hake with mussels. The fish was cooked perfectly and came with a delightful sauce along with the mussels (no shells).Service was prompt, attentive and cheerful making this outing one of the best eating experiences we've had recently.

Went with family for Sunday Lunch. I knew they did Carvery but was disappointed to find that there was no other menu available. And no starters either. But when I headed to the Carvery serving table, I was amazed at the choice of meat and vegetables. And it was hot and tasty too!No prices were on show, so we had no idea how much we were going to pay, but when the bill came, it was £14.50 for 2 courses (we all had puddings!!). Good choice of desserts from crumble and custard to chocolate delice (like a thick mousse) and a cheese board.It's a fairly small pub with limited tables for dining, so suggest you book ahead for Sunday Lunch.

Went there on Sunday three weeks ago, had to book, the Carvery is very popular. Unpretentious but good quality food. Will certainly go again.Have been on other days and it is still a good place to eat at lunchtime. Some reckon it is a great gastropub, that’s perhaps pushing it a bit but it is one of the best locally and reasonably priced too.

Along with some of my family we had an early meal in mid week , I had prawn curry only got 5 shrimps in a very weak curry, my wife had a cheese burger with a couple of chips which wasnt worth the price one grand daughter had fish and chips she didnt eat the tiny fish cos it was nearly all batter. the other meals were similar . the menu has only got about 6 choices for the main meals and even less for starters and desserts .wont be rushing back.

Whatever this restaurant once was, it isn't any more. The website brags of the owner's past associations with Michel Roux and fine dining, but that must be well in the past. They are we will admit attractive premises, but it falls down first of all on slow service for both drinks and food ordering.My cold ham and hand cut chips with a side order of mushy peas fell down on the overcooked very chunky chips and extremely watery pureed peas. My wife's beer battered haddock looked like a slab of frozen fish and was grossly undercooked to the extent it had the consistency and appearance of cod. The side order of "mushy peas" was pureed and watery, and the home made tartare sauce was nothing like it.The hand cut chips were like mine, obviously hand cut means cut very thick. Words were politely said to the waiter, who brought our comments about the fish to the chef who apparently insisted it was cooked properly. To be fair we did get two icecreams on the house as compensation, but this was a spoilt special occasion lunch. We will NOT be back.

A year ago I had told my friends they must try this pub, I went on about the amazing food etc. I hope they didn't take my recommendation.The service was dismal. The woman needs sacking. She was unable to smile, barely polite, unable to make eye contact, poor understanding of customer service.The food was mediocre at best.What the hell has happened to this place. It used to be sooooooo good.Really disappointed

We recently visited the Red Lion for an evening meal with some friends who live in the next village. The pub is in an easy to find location, well lit and has ample car parking to the rear. As well as a varied set menu there are a good selection of specials on offer, a limited selection of real ales, some good continental largess on draft and a fridges full of various bottles.I had the pie of the day, which on this occasion was steak and ale. It was a proper pie with a pastry top, bottom and sides and was filled with large pieces of meat and a rich sauce. The pie was served with chunky chips and veg. Such was the pull of the pie that 3 out of 4 of us had it with the other person having lamb shank. This also received glowing reports.The pies were a little over £10 and the lamb shank a little more but the quality of the food was well worth the price. The pub has good clean facilities and the serving staff who was also running the bar had things well under control.The pub is well worth 5/5 and also worth another visit should we be in the area again.

This place has a good reputation for food. When I went with three friends I chose the pate as a starter. It came with four small dried out pieces of very brittle, cold toast. My request for more bread was met with a look of incredulous contempt. After thirty-five minutes, when my friends had long since finished their starters I was still waiting for the toast. I asked again of a more obliging waiter and suddenly had six beautifully warm, moist pieces of toast. Perfect. But thirty-five minutes? Why not first time round? My main was the turkey burger. A disaster. Luke warm, the bun toasted but cold - a real stodgy mess. My friends told me they enjoyed their food - the venison scored particularly highly - but were disappointed with the service. I will never eat here again.

Ham and leek pie!!! A prefabricated case made of I know not what, then ham and leek stew put in, and a loose lid thrown on top, again made of I know not what.

Eleven of our family members recently visited for a 80th birthday celebration one saturday lunchtime. We had a lovely meal, the food was great, fresh, hot and very tasty. Even the fussy family members commented on how nice their meal was. The staff were very helpful and didn't show any concern with being kept behind after closing time when our celebrations ran over.

Inattentive staff left us waiting ages to order and, at the end of the meal, to pay the bill. Our server made no eye contact, never smiled and mumbled unintelligibly, which left us all feeling unwelcome. This contrasted with a previous visit when service had been spot on and came with a smile. (Maybe good weekend staff are hard to find?) We were served our food after being at the table for an hour and a half. The food was fine - quite tasty, pink lamb rump - but not special enough for such a long wait. Staff chatted and did not give enough attention to customers abandoned after a server left to go home - without saying anything to those still waiting for desserts, coffees or their bills.

The Specials Board gave such a wide selection that choosing a dish was a delightful task! We chose Venison and Pork Filets - both were excellently presented and very tasty. Service was friendly and timely.

Staff not very attentive. Atmosphere decidedly cool. Meal was pretty good to average, but a very long wait in between courses. It didn't appear to be exceptionally busy so we couldn't see a reason for delay.

Went for Sunday lunch today to celebrate Grandma's birthday. Smashing atmosphere, friendly, efficient service and excellent food. Good helpings and fair vfm. Great for families. Recommended.

Me n my wife we went yesterday afternoon have a bite to eat.We order starters I've had cray fish tails with awesome souse n my wife she had chicken pate what a delicious starters.Main course was lamb shank with mint souse and mash potatoes n my wife she had chicken suet pudding with home chips n vegetables with a nice delicious cream souse.we enjoyed our meal very very much.Compliment to CHEF what a amazing Meal.Price was decent.Service was decent.We can highly recommend this place to any body.Thank u all guys hopefully c u Again soooonnnnnnn.YORKISH BARBER SHOP

I booked a table for Sunday lunch (30/10/16) for my wife, adult daughter and myself.The menu was a choice of 'traditional Sunday Roasts'; Beef, Lamb Shank and Pork Loin.On placing our order we were informed by the waitress that 'unfortunately there were no new potatoes left to have with the lamb but we could choose from either mash or extra roast potatoes. We all settled for extra roast potatoes and the Lamb Shank.After a short wait our drinks arrived and sadly my daughters 'coke' tasted disgusting and after a brief complaint to staff it was changed without an explanation.Some 15-20 minutes later we were served our 'roast dinners' which comprised Lamb Shank (the kind you'd buy in a supermarket and cook in microwave), four small roast potatoes each and a spoon of very lumpy mash which we never asked for, NO extra roast potatoes, and a Yorkshire pudding. In addition we were served small dish of vegetable (enough for one person) to share between the 3 of us, although when I requested more veg we did receive another portion.At a cost of almost £15 per head the meal fell far short of any expectations.There are plenty of 'family pub chain' eating places around the York area where we have enjoyed superior meals for less than half the price paid here.Will definitely not be vising again!

We came to this pub for a quick family meal, expecting the same pub grub experience you can find at thousands of places across Yorkshire. Little did we know that we'd come across one of the nicest eating experiences in the North of England.The food was quite pricey, well presented, and exquisitely flavoured. The staff were incredibly polite, with the waitress politely laughing at our terrible jokes.If you have to stop at any pub in the Poppleton/Outer York area, I'd highly recommend this one.Major highlight of this meal; I asked if they could make me a blue cheese sauce with my steak, which was otherwise not on the menu. Amazingly, not only did the chef prepare one for me, but it was absolutely sublime. An amazing effort that justifies the five star rating all by itself.

I have reviewed this pub as excellent on more than one occasion but lunch yesterday was very disappointing. Most of the food was good, but the service left much to be desired. On arrival I asked for a glass of red wine. No choice of size or variety was offered. Meals proceeded reasonably well - my wife mentioned that the crisps were soft and was told that they were home made, as if that was an answer. She asked for plenty of gravy with her "hot beef baguette with gravy" , and found an extra 50p on the bill for a small jug. Then came the biggest surprise - a Bread & Butter pudding with sliced white bread and no fruit (I found 4 raisins,) I resolved to take this up when I paid the bill but was not asked if everything was ok and the staff were clearly in no mood for feedback, being rather more anxious to attend to the needs of a minor local celebrity who was clearly a regular.To add to everything, when I looked at the bill at home I saw that I had been overcharged for two starters instead of one. As it would have cost more in petrol to return I emailed the landlady and invited her to put the sum in question in a charity box. I have had no response.Anyone can have a bad day, but we felt undervalued as customers with the pub relying on it's past reputation. I'm afraid we will not be rushing back.,

Family and I had a lovely birthday meal here Steaks were fabulous onion rings to die for and nice friendly atmosphere Can not wait to go again .

I visited this lovely quiet pub, with my brother and his girlfriend at lunch time where i had a burger and so did my brother the buns were gorgeous but not only the ones on the plate, then the lady had haddock and chips. We stayed for pudding which were mouth watering!! Highly recommend this place.

Went here on Sunday after been told time and time again how good it was.Carvery was one of the worst I've hadThe meat was dry and I mean really dry, the veg overcooked, the roast potatoes were tasteless and the gravy watery and uninspiring, wasn't to impressed we paid the bill and left before desert was ordered

Made a last minute decision to walk down to knapton despite the awful wet weather. It was busier than we expected and the bar staff informed us that there was a long wait on food . This wasn't an issue as we wanted a drink or two before we ate . We got our drinks and headed to a table checking out the specials board as we passed. We both liked the sound of the pie of the day - steak & ale with chips/potatoes . A member is staff came over and took our order and we grabbed again drink as we knew we had a wait . However 15 mins later we were pleasantly surprised as our meals arrived!!! We were alittle disappointed by the pies crust ( see photo ) it was a very thin crust and looked more like a biscuit laid on top. The pie was also created using this thin pastry into a square shape , which looked good but we both missed that classic pie pasty .Overall a good meal and it hasn't put us off calling again jay alittle weary of the pastry choices!!!

So good we are loathe to go elsewhere. Thoroughly recommend the home made meat pie - but you had better be hungry. A great place for us to take our veggie friends to.Ian

The Red Lion Pub is a lovely, welcoming place to eat. All the food is home cooked and as well as the dishes on the main menu there are also 'specials'.We had a delightful drink of home-made Elderflower Cordial whilst we looked at the menu. We both decided on the Wild Sea Trout with Crushed New Potatoes, Green Vegetables and a Watercress sauce.Considering we did not order starters our food appeared fairly quickly. It was beautifully presented on large white plates and we happily tucked in.The fish was cooked to perfection and the sauce complemented it from the first mouthful. The green vegetables comprised a mixture of kale, broccoli, courgettes and peashoots. I'm never sure if I prefer my new potatoes whole or crushed but they were enjoyable anyway.We were too full to try a dessert but next time I'm sure we will be tempted.The Red Lion Pub also have a Carvery on a Sunday lunchtime that I have heard very good reports about but haven't yet tried.The front of house staff are young, cheerful girls who create a nice ambience.