The Red Lion & Sun in Haringey

Covered garden was so lovely and such a great spot if you’re gluten free!! Roasts are 100% gf without the Yorkshire pudding 😍

We have been coming to The Red Lion & Sun for over 16 years. It is rare that a pub can build and maintain that kind of loyalty over that span of time. The Red Lion has featured as part of so many special occasions like holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries but also as a friendly local for a pint after work or on a Saturday afternoon. The staff has always been so welcoming, the food is fantastic, and the ambience is unmatched. Heath, the Owner, is extremely accommodating and always goes the extra mile for us. On this occasion, it was my daughter's 16th birthday, and Heath and the team made our visit a truly memorable one. My daughter (and the whole family) had a wonderful time and can add another Red Lion experience to the family memory box. I highly recommend a visit to The Red Lion & Sun!

Asked for the Wagyu Burger for £25. When it came out looking like a child’s Menu burger (floured bun, mound of frozen chips and no salad, no homemade sauce/relish) it was a bit of a jolt for the price point- barman noticed our shock and asked if everything was ok- made our comments politely and made suggestions of what could be better- he offered to bring out a bit of lettuce and tomatoe… ok, fine. Matt the manager immediately comes marching out asking what the problem is- just gave our feedback and surprise- “No we don’t do that! That’s the way we do it”was his brash reply. We were so shocked with his abrupt rudeness that we said it was fine we won’t have the burger- he snatched it away “thanks for coming” he said. In previous reviews he criticises customers if they don’t bring up issues right away so they can improve, but he’s so fragile both in person (or Heath online) its amazing he hasn’t retreated from facing the customer. If you can’t handle customer service you should just delegate it to your staff. You missed an opportunity to stay out and let your staff deal with it and we would have eaten and left without bothering to leave a review. I eagerly await his reply- they’re always a good laugh.. Update: The replies didn’t disappoint. In Highgate we say ‘you’ve been Heathed’. You want to charge high prices you’ve got to supply high customer service which you evidently still can’t manage.

Not sure what the hype about the Sunday roast is. Pretty bog standard, not bad but not sure worth the price tag (£27/pax, we got the beef for 3 pax). Sticky toffee pudding with ice cream was good.

Arrogant and unfriendly (especially the management/ if / when you have something to complain about .. whether is paying £25 for a burger and all you get in half a kg of dull frozen chips, and 2 stacked burgers 🍔 in cheap white bread 🍞 … sorry 😞 a few uncooked onions 🧅… Try to ask for veg and they take the plate away and tell you to go am eat somewhere else !! 🤯🤯🤯🤔🤔🤔🤔 great stuff ! I am looking forward to come back and paying them to treat me badly again . Ps : cheapest basic wine 🍷 Is 9.3 .. and that is a basic Rioja ?! 🫣🫣🫣😓 ***Update*** I actually think you’re getting mixed up with another dark haired lady as although I have not been there in 10years, I remember fondly some good chats with staff and even with you back then. You used to be quite nice and charming - what happened?. But if that’s how you remember me and how you want to play it that’s fine. I was shocked how things changed. Food used to be really good, so when we were presented with what honestly looked like something out of a corner cafe it really did take me aback. There was no ‘kindly’ in Matt’s communication, he came out all guns blazing. Although your bar tender was pleasant and was dealing with the salad request already. But Matt decided to come over and ascertain his power. Being spoken to like that just because I asked for some salad to balance the excess of frozen chips seemed over the top. Since you looked through all my past reviews (bizarre) I took the time to look through yours - anyone under a 5 star you respond frankly rude and aggressively- Daddy would not be proud Heath... "if nothing nice to say..... Anyway, with all the time you take to offend and attack your customers perhaps you could spend some of that time improving the presentation of your overpriced burgers (not even a homemade sauce/relish). Or maybe a course on Customer Service. The fragile egos of both you and Matt are what truly makes this place stand out. Well, that and the eyesore of the shed and gazebo combination out front (covid restrictions ended years ago). Part of your job is to deal with demanding customers and in that you’ve both failed, if you can’t see that as part of your business then your loss.. I eat out multiple times a week in all kinds of establishments around the world (so just 49 reviews over 11 years is quite low), and I usually only bother writing a review when something is truly outstanding or terrible- and here we are...

Lovely pub that serves great food

Awesome Gastro pub. Amazing daily menu.

Fantastic bottle of wine, really nice starters, and decent mains

Had a fantastic boozy lunch with friends on Saturday. What a lovely pub! We shared burrata with tomatoes, oysters, beef rib and milk fed lamb. Heath then treated us to a selection of his soft serve ice cream. Washed down with a great selection of wines from their extensive wine list. We will definitely be back. Thanks Heath and team. It was great to meet you. 😊

Fun family pub with the most amazing frozen margaritas and oysters

Amazing food!!! Really enjoyed the burger and fried chicken wings. I would highly recommend it if you’re looking for a delicious meal. The cocktails are also quite good, we really enjoyed the Palomas. The only thing I would improve is the ambiance. Some better and louder background music is needed as the space at the back is quite small. Having 1 or 2 loud tables is enough to disrupt everyone and make it very uncomfortable.

Visited on a Thursday night. The food was very good - everything we had was very well made and tasty. Great service too. Very noisy indoors, a few tables were screaming, which made the atmosphere rather unpleasant.

Great pub, the back garden is a stunning place for lunch and the food is spectacular. I had the Ceasar Salad, one of the best I've tasted.

Sunday roast highly recommended. One of the best I've had. - Update after latest visit August 2024 I've deducted one star as the roast beef portion size was less, the roast potatoes were barely warm and lacked crispyness on the outside, and the gravy lacked depth of flavour. Still enjoyed the desserts though.

Visited for drinks on Sunday afternoon, didn't eat there but had a couple of drinks in the courtyard, table service for drinks was excellent and place had a real buzz

Fantastic food, drink & ambience.

Very interesting wine list although a couple of petit chateau would be a great addition. Food is interesting and good.

What a lovely gastropub, slightly off the beaten path, but well worth the walk if you're in the Highgate area. The service was friendly and attentive, and the food was fantastic (the chicken curry a revelation for a gastro), and the drinks menu far more extensive than you'd expect! We sat outside and enjoyed seating in the lovely canopied suntrap that is their front courtyard, the atmosphere was ambient and warm, and it's a very dog friendly spot, which added to the charm. We'll be back!

Eaten here multiple times including their Sunday roast. Best place the area for food and always great atmosphere and great service. I particular love the thoughtful sourcing of ingredients. I was excited to see an English sparkling on their menu also.

The starter of Korean chicken wings was pleasant and came piping hot. The disappointment was the main. The potatoes weren't crispy and tasted like 2 day old potatoes. The beef was nicely cooked but needed salt and pepper added. The biggest disappointment was the Yorkshire pudding which tasted like paper and were unfortunately burnt.

It’s embarrassing that after enjoying The Red Lion and Sun so often for 15 years that I’ve not previously posted a review but this is hands down the best food in Highgate. In addition Heath and all the team are incredibly friendly, welcoming, efficient and on the ball. Great food, wonderful service and always a super atmosphere. Simply the best and we’re lucky to be able to think of it as our local.

Great place, popular. Have been using for last 5 years. Reliably good.

Sunday Roast ==> Top. Service ==> Top

I was quite disappointed after our last visit. I made a booking for a table of 4 at 5:45pm and I received two emails of confirmation stating that our booking is for 2 hours and we had our table until 7:40pm. Right after we finished our meal at 7:05pm the waitress started to clean up the table and told us she needed the table in the next 10 minutes. I double checked the confirmation email. Then the manager came again and ask us to leave at 7:20pm because the other party had already arrived and needed the table. So we were practically kicked out. Apart from that, the food was really and expensive and nothing out of the ordinary. They even charge us extra for service! I will not be coming to this place again and wouldn't recommend if you intend to have a relaxing dinner with friends.

Nice pub in Highgate not far from the tube. For nice days they have an excellent garden to enjoy drinks and food on. Decent variety of options on the food menu to go with as well. Overall very good spot.

Service on that particular Sunday was bad. New chef in the kitchen. Many left without eating. It took us a good one and half hours before we got our food. We had to ask for the food to be packed.

Not sure what’s happened to this pub. On a late Friday afternoon, entry was past a food-van selling slushy margaritas and a bouncer with a clipboard gruffly showing us where we were allowed to sit, in a sparsely occupied marquee outside the actual pub all set up for meals. Inside, a poor selection of beers and an empty bar. Seems to be a victim of its success with food and the clientele. A pub in name only. Left after one pint.

Lovely pub, great atmosphere but the food was underwhelming. Other than the beef the roast was average at best, the £20 burger wasn't special at all and the rest was just fine.

I got a Sunday table three weeks ago but even then it’s only an outdoor market table. The pub is a popular institution and has been crowned multiple times as the best pub of London (and this year as the 6th best in the UK), which they deserve to really savour. The food is phenomenal. The roast beef is really delicious, but the entrees and dessert shattered me with its interplay of subtlety and boldness, its elevation of simple menu prepared to the apex of its potentials. The things that made me shudder in delight and finish the food until the plates were squeaky clean are: Korean Fried Cauliflowers Perfectly battered nutty cauliflower which retains its crunch without tasting raw. It was blanketed by a mellow gochujang sauce that tastes dreamy. Mussels with Wine Sauce Mussels perfectly cooked with a white wine garlic and onion cream that tastes subtle and takes your palate little by little to a sacred place. There were no taste of fishiness or grit that usually are problematic with mussels. Me and my mum were fighting to get more mussels. Blood Orange Panna Cotta We were so full, but decided to try out a dessert. My mum, who in general, hates sweets, was duelling me for more scoops of the silky pudding that is infused with orange rinds. The two syrupy blood orange on the top bring a needed texture to it. The sweetness, bitterness, and acidity swirled inside the mouth. It was heavenly. The frozen margarita is really strong, we were so woozy and blissful by the end of the meal. I ran to Waterlow Park and the world was spinning in jollity alongside me. Words in Russian flowed like a river from my mouth and I haven’t spoken it in a few years. Thank you for my beautiful last Sunday roast in London this time around!

As great as always. Pub food that’s just better. Lovely relaxed service. The burger and fish n chips are great. The chicken, cauliflower wings and lamb cutlets are even better.

Popped in to this pub in Highgate after a visit to the cemetery, and having read about it a Corman Strike book . It was a pleasure good service, excellent food and a nice atmosphere, a warm welcome and excellent service from all the staff a credit to the pub, the food was good and a fair price and the beer was spot on well worth the visit. Thank you

1st visit & will definatly come again . Great everything ❤️

The Red Lion and Sun in Highgate is a quintessential British pub that stands out for its charming atmosphere and excellent cuisine. Nestled in a picturesque area, this pub offers a cozy retreat with its warm, inviting interiors and a delightful outdoor garden that's perfect for sunny days. The menu at the Red Lion and Sun is a blend of traditional British pub fare with a touch of sophistication. The dishes are well-crafted, featuring high-quality, locally sourced ingredients. Standouts include the succulent Sunday roast and the fish and chips, which are arguably some of the best in the area. The dessert menu also deserves a mention, especially the sticky toffee pudding, which is a crowd-pleaser. What really sets this pub apart is its impressive selection of wines and ales. Whether you're a wine aficionado or an ale enthusiast, you'll find something to suit your palate. The staff are knowledgeable and friendly, adding to the welcoming vibe of the place. The Red Lion and Sun not only provides great food and drink but also embodies the community spirit of Highgate. It's a great spot for both casual diners and those looking to celebrate a special occasion. This establishment successfully combines the comfort of a traditional pub with a hint of luxury, making it a must-visit.

Smooth service. Food is more than what I expected. Especially wine lists are excellent.

We had such a lovely and unexpected meal here. From the outside, the pub didn’t look like much. But once we stepped inside and took a look and the menu, especially the wine menu, we knew there was more than meets the eye. The Dover sole was perfectly cooked and seasoned, with broccoli that had a delicious depth of flavour along with potatoes that were tender but not squishy, seasoned but not swimming in butter/oil. We had a great time poring over the wine menu and drinking what was poured. It’s an excellently crafted wine menu, with real knowledge and consideration apparent in its design. Our Brazilian host was friendly and attentive. One critique: the Bakewell tart needs to hold up more, I.e. a firmer consistency. Ours was borderline mushy today. Will definitely come back. Please give a “bravo” to the kitchen staff.

Over expensive for average food. Had cassoulet, no sausage and beans undercooked

Food was excellent and generally pub was great. Service was good but server with the tattoo on his face made us feel very unwelcome. Was rude and short with us. Wouldn’t mind if it was only one person in our party thought this but we all thought it. I get people have bad days etc but he made us feel he wanted us out of the pub ASAP and didn’t want us there. However, female servers made up for this and were nice, courteous and very helpful.

We ate here today after a few days in London where we visited several Gastropubs and this was by far our favourite. Good food, wine and beer but the best was the service. Very professional and service minded. You noticed that they had a focus on the details. Highly recommend this place.

Best gastropub in London! Fantastic food and great wine list.

Fantastic Sunday lunch. Great menu, superb staff and atmosphere. Happy to take dogs. Loved the place.

Fabulous lunch. The coq au vin pie was great and the wine excellent. Lovely service too. Great idea to have half and full portion sizes for fish & chips as well.

Good service. Decent beer. Good food.

Had a delicious meal tonight. The Red Lion really is a gastropods these days!

What an amazing place.. I can see why it's won numerous awards.. Everything was top class.. Starters, mains, drinks and best of all, the service. They literally could not have done more... Just a shame we had no room for desserts as they all sounded wonderful... Something to look forward to when we go back (which we 100% will do in the VERY near future). Thank you to everyone for a very special night.

The beer is good, but the food is a bit underwhelming and not as good as expected and a bit expensive

Have been there many times before and the main reason that we keep going back is the frozen margaritas and Korean Fried Cauliflower 🤤

Great food. Lots of great doggos.

Warm and cosy pub. Good beer good chips.

Amazing place and the food is fantastic!!!

Service was very good and the staff was super nice! Good choice of vegetarian food

Enjoyed a nice lunch here with a friend. Food was good for a pub menu. I had the chicken Schnitzel which was very tasty and big, perfect potato garlic mash but could have done with some veg. I personally would take a slightly smaller schnitzel if it came with veg,broccoli maybe? I actually really wanted to try the pie but mistimed the 45 minute wait. I imagine the experience would be better on a Sunday rather than a Monday afternoon but the place had a warm atmosphere and lots of customers which is always a good sign. Good pub in Highgate.

Excellent location. Need some attention to details. The bread came cold as was the Yorkshire pudding. Gravy for the roast was also quite cold. The owner came back and offered an explanation as below but i think they confused us with another customer.

15 pounds for a burger and 12 for a single portion gyn is a bit too much....

This will be our new local. Great food, friendly staff and a lovely atmosphere

A bit less than impressed with this place. Visited on New Year’s Eve for lunch. Yes, it was busy. Service was brisk but acceptable. Roasts were decent- but the Yorkshires were stone cold. And roast potatoes were also cold and hard. Considering the price and hype - was expecting better attention to detail.

Popped in here for a quick frozen marg on a pretty grotty night. It was full inside, but we were offered seats out in the tent which was generously heated and very warm despite being cold and windy out. The frozen margs were overflowing from the glass and sufficiently strong, it was nice to have a non paper straw too that didn’t disintegrate or dampen the taste. The food looked good too, but we only stopped for a flyer so didn’t indulge. The lady was very friendly too who brought our drinks to us. Not sure where the free drinks thing came from in the media recently - some people can’t be helped! £12 for the frozen margs was pretty good value given they had some kick to them. A very good visit all in all.

Sat in the covered outdoor heated front patio. Warm it you are under the lowered roof area. Wind battered if you are on the pavement end as the flimsy sheet billows on your back. Maybe too many tables fitted. Food and service exceptionally swift.

Very pleasant, boeuf bourgignon a little over cooked. Expensive for what it was, but nice atmosphere and good service

Best Sunday Roast in North London!

I came here for a family dinner on a Monday night. We thought it might be a little quiet but the pub was bustling and there was a lovely atmosphere with a roaring open fire. The food was excellent with very generous portions. I’d highly recommend!

A firm staple of ours for years. Great wine list and delicious food. Staff are friendly and attentive. Ticks all the boxes. Many Thanks

Great atmosphere and service. Very nice food but it's on the pricey side compared to some of the other gastro pubs in the area.

Sunday roast was good. Decent beef and best cauliflower cheese. Potatoes could have been better though

I just saw the ridiculous story on GB news about the lady who thought the Margarita tent was free and then wrote a bad review. I just wanted to provide my support and tell people don't let this put you off. This pub is a great establishment on a street with other great pubs-it certainly doesn't need bad press. The food and cocktails are lovely (summertime Elderflower Spritzes!) If you're ever in Highgate make sure to stop by and support a good local business. Cheers!

The food was a bit cold but it got rewarmed quickly. The dinner plate cld be larger but delicious roast beef

Delicious food at an unassuming gastropub. Really good service, good cocktails and good food.

I am a big fan of The Red Lion and Sun - We booked for an early dinner and we were welcomed and taken to our table.The Baquire Grand Reserve Corbieres 2019 was a scrumptious well chosen House Wine at £28 , soft and easy drinking with light tannins.We had the squid and Mushrooms to start followed by Coq au Vin with Mash and classic Fish and Chips for mains - All tasty and delicious. The service was exceptional and our waitress was attentive and chatty . The bill was £121.50 for two people.Nice to see Dogs welcome at the tables !

Great food, cooked to perfection with fresh ingredients. We had the sole fillet and the rib eye steak - divine! Also loved the friendly environment and dogs welcomed. We had too in the room while we had our dinner, so well behaved! Well done, guys! Absolutely loved it. We will surely be back.

I LOVE The Red Lion & Sun, the food is always just wonderful, amazing wines & fabulous staff. What I love most is that you know where all the produce come from, it’s on the menu. I dream about the coq au vin pie & the chips cooked I’d beef fat. Just SO GOOD!

Lovely pub with decent service and good atmosphere however we went there as it was award winning roast dinner and while the roast perfectly nice to be fair when you see award winning you expect a level up . The potatoes were average not at all really crispy on the outside or piping hot on the inside just okay the vegetables again just ok nothing wow unfortunately. The beef was really good though and just a small bug bare they squeezed it all on a plate not big enough in my opinion.

Good choices of food, cocktails and other drinks. Friendly and helpful service. I enjoyed the 'winter salad' especially.

Really great roast! Think the beef is the best and the sticky toffee pudding was delicious! The pub is really nice and the staff were all super friendly! Love the local feel

Went on a Sunday evening with my son and it was one of the best meals I had in London in years. Cote de Beauf was spectacular -even the son was happy. Big portions too ..the burrata is very very good …..and I can be difficult about this Excellent wine list by the glass and there is a truly happy, creative vibe to the place that included all ages from kids to retirees. It’s just a great gastro-experience

I’ve wanted to go here after seeing it listed in the top 50 Gastropubs, so after a romp over Hampstead we wandered over. Firstly the Frozen margies from their vintage style slushy waggon are awesome, the beer was good and a very nice negroni but we were here for the food: It’s hard to fail at a Korean chicken wing and these were not great but fine. Some slow cooked pork rib which was ok except for the half which hadn’t been submerged in the sauce and was dry and chewy. We had some overly salty chips. Some underwhelming mussels and what was supposed to be crab on toast but was in fact largely mayonnaise on toast. It’s a shame, I wanted the food to be good but there was no finesse to be found in any dish. Standard pub food not top rated in any sense.

Stunning roast dinner - I highly recommend a visit. Or two.

Opp our daughters school. Good food

Beautiful garden setting we went looking for fish and chips but went on a Sunday so we actually lucked out because the had Sunday roast. Had the roast which was cooking perfectly and so tender and the Yorkshire pudding( or as we call it this side of the pond POPOVERS) were huge and fluffy! The beer selection is great also .

This pub serves outstanding food, but be prepared for pricey drinks.

Beautiful garden with well kept vines. Excellent food and week kept beers and wines.

Diverse menu, nice garden and attentive service.

Such a great roast, pork is especially amazing (I've had it every time we've been there) but the beef looked great too. The team are so friendly and welcoming, it's a really cosy pub. Had focaccia and olives to start too which makes you feel like you're in a cute Italian place 👌

Delicious Sunday roast (lamb shank that falls off the bone, and an incredible mint sauce), and lovely staff who were particularly attentive to my young daughter. Will be back!

Excellent food, steak is a must try, nicely charred and served, generous portions of sides too

We booked a table in the back garden, in advance by calling the pub, as we wanted a nicer seating area for my husbands birthday, and on the phone we were assured that they reserved a table for us in the back garden. When we arrived on the day, they told us that there were no tables available in the back garden. Since it was a special occasion for us, we were very disappointed, especially since we called in advance and were assured that we will get that table, and later we realised that the back garden was half empty, with a few free tables. This unfortunately has made the whole experience not as pleasant as we had hoped, especially since we were there to celebrate a special occasion. Further to the below response, I think they got me confused with some other customer, as I most definitely called to ask for the back garden, and definitely did not ask if the table was inside or outside since I booked outside online initially, this must have been some other conversion they are remembering. Just shame that I did book in advance but I guess the person I was talking to on the phone forgot to mark it in the reservation.

Great menu, generous portions, tasty food and lovely ambiance. Kids menu available. Will definitely be back.

Service and atmosphere were excellent however I found the food was pricey for what we got. Would not mind the prices if the roast was nicer.

Great pub for a relaxed Sunday lunch. Homely, casual vibes indoors with two outdoor spaces at the front and back. We enjoyed the roasts, the Korean wings and the pudding.

This is one of our all time favorite place for excellent food and drinks. Also for Texans one of the few places with a margarita machine!! You can’t go wrong with any of the food. The Sunday roast portions are big and delicious. Book before coming. Highly recommend this gastro pub!

Great pub. Good grub for a pub too, would reccomend the chips and the crab. Kids meals are huuuuge aswell. It's pricey as its a gastro and not a spoons type pub but it's worth it. They have frozen margaritas too!?! The staff are really nice and had good banter especially for a pub in Highgate.

Excellent pub. We managed to get an outside table for 7 of us with a pre booking. The weather was great and the outside seating area is perfect for this. It is covered so even a little rain won’t bother. I started off with a Bloody Mary that was absolutely delicious, nice and spicy, just the way I like it. Moved onto gluten free Peroni’s and Frozen Margaritas there after. For starters we shared the Burrata salad and Oysters. Both were great, especially the tomatoes in the salad. The salad was my favourite, simple but yet so delicious with some of the best tomatoes. Mains was of course the roast, some of us had the beef rib while others had the lamb. I can easily say this was the best Sunday roast I have had to date. Everything about it was delicious. I ordered the beef while my wife ordered the lamb, and I think the lamb shank was better. The lady’s got sticky toffee and Eton mess desert while the boys had Irish Coffee. Overall it was a great experience, great food, good service, and we can’t wait to go back.

Just popped in for a couple drinks after looking for a place with a beer garden. Gorgeous outdoor areas at the back and front. Drink were good and we sampled the focaccia which was delicious!

Great food, wonderful service, thank you!

We had lunch here yesterday. We sat outside in the front garden. Really delicious food. Cornish sardines, ribs, girolles, chicken, lemon sole, brownies. Portions are generous. Warm friendly efficient service. Excellent well priced wine list including many wines from small producers. Bus stops right outside too so very convenient and easy to get to wherever you are coming from. We will be back. Recommended.

Food not bad good service nice location.

Excellent service and food in a calm environment. Wonderful hospitality. Thank you

The food was delicious and the staff were friendly and helpful.

Great all round experience. No wonder it's one of the best rated pubs in England!

Lovely location and nice atmosphere. Big space and very nice Sunday Roasts. Recommend 👍

Lovely gastro pub in a nice neighbourhood. Great food and friendly service. Semi-covered outdoor area is nice too (although there is bound to be smokers, that’s just the risk you will have take in this country). Focaccia was pillowy and fluffy. Korean fried cauliflower was great! Sweet and spicy. Veggie roast was good - the sausage-y looking substance in the middle looked very unappetising but it tasted deceptively good. I was very happy with my choice.

Lovely staff patient helpfull good choice of tea good pasta good afters Lovely flowers