The White Lion At St.leonard's in Chiltern

Exceptionally good food sadly let down by the abysmal service - so disappointing as it could be excellent!

Great food (Spanish) and service in a lovely pub.

Outstanding food service and ambience. Thanks Mandy and ABI. Great views and atmosphere at night Just great food Well done David.

What a wonderful pub this is the food is amazing. We had the tapas and it was so authentic. The service was excellent will be going back soon 😃

Friday 25th April 2025 - Lunch There were 12 of us for lunch, our entire experience was simply outstanding. The food was superbly cooked and presented and the front of house team were knowledgeable, pleasant and efficient, in short everything you could hope for. Faultless in every respect, fine dining at pub prices, in a beautiful rural setting.

Review on behalf of Andy Nix Friday 25th April 2025 - Lunch There were 12 of us for lunch, our entire experience was simply outstanding. The food was superbly cooked and presented and the front of house team were knowledgeable, pleasant and efficient, in short everything you could hope for. Faultless in every respect, fine dining at pub prices, in a beautiful rural setting.

Great Spanish themed food. Very tasty and authentic. We went at lunchtime and pre-booked as it can sometimes get full.

Very attentive and kind staff. The food was fresh, tasty and presented well. Four hungry cyclists were made to feel very welcome. Happy Easter white lion staff

We came here for a spring evening drink outdoors. Seating to suit all group sizes, good lighting outside after dark. A lot of people earing decicious looking Tapas which we will have next time! Good parking

This is a lovely country pup with beautiful Spanish inspired food The pup manager is a friendly likable lady with an attention to detail , Definitely worth a visit any time of the year but especially when the sun is shining and you can sit in a lovely garden with beautiful views or the area.👍😊

What a super place, exceeded my expectations. Lovely venue, and the food was (surprisingly) good. Not often you find authentic Spanish cooking the chiltern hills. Highly recommended.

Great food, the chorizo with orange and onion is amazing. Only shame is that when ordering 20+ tapas dishes they always seem to forget 1 or 2, but it kind of makes sense. Other than that it’s 5/5

Had a lovely lunch here yesterday, friendly staff and delicious food The standard menu gives a good variety of choices and there was an interesting selection of specials too. We choose tapas (plus desserts!) but the mains all looked good too. Will definitely be coming back, thank you

Yummy and beautiful Spanish food here (one of the prettiest presentations I’ve seen in a pub)! Wonderful sunny beer garden too

Amazing Spanish food , very authentic flavours and great setting . We can’t wait to be back !

Fantastic pub and so good that we’re already planning a return visit. We had the Paella Negro, which was delicious, and very generous size. Paired well with the excellent selection of beers, and so nice to be at pub that has such a range outside of the standard ones. Kids enjoyed a great burger and pasta dish, and the Patas Bravas were better than most we’ve had in Spain. Paired with a beautiful walk in the countryside, a visit to the white lion has the makings of an exceptional day

Great pub, delicious Spanish food and friendly staff. Nice location. Highly recommended.

We loved it our first time so will be going back.

A great pub, worth travelling a little distance to. The food is decent, and the paella looked particularly good. Excellent Irish stout. Friendly service. A nicely refurbished listed building, well set out and with a nice atmos.

Great surprise to have such aa creative an interesting menu. We were expecting standard Sunday lunch menu and instead it was very definitely Spanish influenced with spoilt for choice options such as ox kidneys, fish stew, flambeed chorizo, venison and much more. All delicious and served with a smile. Thoroughly recommend this place.

We have just spent New Years Eve in this lovely pub, it was fantastic. We were a party of 10, booked by Gardners, the food was lovely service excellent, lovely young people serving, a particular shout out to Nadia. Thank you all of the staff, and a Happy New Year!

We were 2 couples and had a mix of tapas, mains and desserts. All beautifully presented and delicious. Great atmosphere too. The waiting staff were all friendly and helpful. Thank you to the chefs and the staff for a lovely evening

Second or third visit this year, on account of previous visits. Menu is Spanish but not too far from British so no concerns about choice. Food is well prepared and presented, quite delicious and satisfying and the staff are attentive, knowledgeable and efficient, not pressing or tardy. The atmosphere was convivial , promoting expectations of a lovely evening which were fully delivered. Certainly a repeat go-to venue.

I chanced upon this pub and had lunch with my 2 yr old..The menu was Spanish which is a welcome variation on the normal pub fayre. I had a beef stew which is exactly what I want this time of year but nobody seems to do it any more. Loved it.

Busy Saturday lunchtime made for a great atmosphere - as usual, great food and excellent staff

Possibly the best food I’ve ever had at a pub. Large menu, lots of choice, good veggie options. Service was fast and attentive.

We visited the White Lion to celebrate a family members birthday. There were six adults and 3 children in our party. The staff were very accomodating catering for our every needs (especially those of our 3 young guests!) The menu is varied offering many Spanish style dishes that you would not expect to find on a typical pub/restaurant menu. We all had 3 courses, you couldn't fault any dish. The presentation and quality of the food really is excellent and reasonably priced. Thank you to The White Lion and their staff for making our visit special. We will definitely pay a return visit.

Just drinks on Wednesday evening after a muddy bike ride, but the guys were very accommodating, hope we weren't too messy! Great pub!

The food was very good, but unfortunately, the service was extremely poor. It took at least 20 minutes for our drinks order to be taken and to be given a menu. We then waited another 10 minutes for our drinks, only to be told that the 'signature sangria' was not available - in a Spanish theme restaurant?? Would not visit again.

We found this pub because the pub we normally go to was closed for a wedding. It did us a favour. We only had drinks but the smell of the food was absolutely amazing. We will definitely be going there for food.

Fantastic paella to share with a friend

What a lovely evening. There were 8 of us, all eager to try the mouth watering menu of Spanish food. It was a busy night (Thursday). We were looked after and well fed. The staff couldn’t do enough for us and the food was so delicious. We will be back. Thank you !

The chef is amazing, the most delicious authentic paella and so friendly, can't wait to go back

Saw this pub and checked reviews - went for lunch - excellent - the staff were really helpful knowledgable and polite - sat outside as it was a nice day - had tapas - really good - The garden - tables , chairs etc are all in good condition and the whole pub is very tidy - there’s a walk cross country from here to another pub ! Couldn’t fault this and would go again

Fabulous lunch sat outside highly recommended

Fab food, tapas or main meals. Three of us chose 10 tapas dishes to share, all were delicious. Service by Keiran was fun and friendly. Beautiful pub, tastefully decorated.

Beautiful food, staff and just the place to be. Thank you for a lovely experience

Writing to update my March review as I've eaten here a few times with the family since then. The food is excellent and the atmosphere very friendly. While we usually have main plates, on Wednesday (07.08.24) we had a large array of tapas and really enjoyed it. We've had great service from Sally and some chats with the French chef, David. He's clearly skilled and knowledgeable. My young daughter enjoys playing with the owner's dogs and looking at the horses in the field beyond. And I remain a huge fan of the Rosa Blanca lager, which slips down very easily on warm days. We'll keep visiting The White Lion.

Visited with friends for dinner. Superb location. Wonderful atmosphere, delicious food, fast and efficient service with a smile

Better than decent pub that has loads and loads of lovely outside space and great food. A lot to commend the White Lion. Many nice touches like bike parking, horse parking and great views. Food is excellent. Beer good. Worth a visit.

Good food, service was patchy but given the volume of summer customers somewhat understandable. My only comment is that the venue needs to better control smoking in the garden. The pub has a very clear smoking area to avoid the food service but some customers ignored this and smoked in the garden around our food

Fantastic quality Spanish food with lovely views, perfect for a summer evening. Tapas was lovely and clearly a lot of effort had gone into each dish without any inflated prices. Good quick service.

I had a great birthday lunchtime meal here today - the food was superb (the chorizo with chilli and orange was to die for!), the wine list good and the choice of beers was excellent and very different to the “norm”. It’s a lovely county pub in a great spot, I look forward to returning again very soon.

Lovely little pub with a garden. Food was really nice ,staff were all polite and working hard ,will defo go back there .next time I will try there spanish food 😋

Perfect pub! Lovely setting, Great Food

Such a special place, delicious tapas, great wine, friendly hard-working staff, beautiful views. I just love going there, a touch of Spain in the Chilterns Gail

Wonderful country pub with great views and horses roaming around in the field. The food was great a Spanish menu at a British pub was unexpected although the food was great. Highly recommend it if you're in the area. They also have children's menu.

A refurbished pub in the middle of nowhere with a Spanish restaurant Sounds interesting so we gave it a try Absolutely magnificent food The tapas were amazing The menu varied and caters for meat fish and veggies Desserts are a must The staff are brilliant The chef even came and said hello This place is the real deal please give it a go

Thanks to the amazing Abi we were able to book an outdoor space for over 20 of us for my birthday. The food was incredible and the service was amazing. The setting is such a beautiful place you really can’t beat it. Some of my friends hadn’t been before and can’t wait to go back. Thanks for a wonderful day!

Haiku review: Dimly lit tavern Laughter spills from ancient wood Pints of stories poured​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

A really beautiful pub with a lovely atmosphere- outside garden was a treat to sit in, in the sunshine 🌞

Stunning tapas lunch! Amazing tasty food and fantastic friendly team. Highly recommend!

This place is fantastic, amazing food, lovely staff, best Tapas around. Outside has a lovely relaxing garden. The food is prepared with care and love... tastes amazing. 10/10

We popped in this evening, for a drink. As we aren’t locals we hoped we wouldn’t feel awkward, as can happen. However we couldn’t have more happily surprised. The welcome was warm and so obviously genuine, and the atmosphere was excellent. Also offered a taster of their cheese and onion pastry, it was very tasty! So friendly, definitely returning for a meal. Thank you!

Fantastic as usual, can't fault this pub. Food fantastic and service brilliant. We'll be back!

What a lovely pub! Food was so good, they serve a Mediterranean menu here and it is delicious! Highly recommend booking a table, it was very busy when I went.

We visited the establishment for the first time since the refurbishment and wow what a great improvement. The place was heaving. I was glad I had used the easy to use booking system. The staff were very attentive and the atmosphere was very welcoming. The food was the best we have had for some time (and that’s saying something, if you look at my other recent reviews) the presentation of the food was eye catching and the taste! The mixture of flavours used in creating the sauces etc were pleasant on senses. The smells and taste were amazing. The drink selection was different to the usual Spanish beers and very nice. We will be returning hopefully to sit in the well appointed garden. It’s a very welcoming place. Just one more thing, Did it work (Private experience on the day, photo related)

Visited for mid-walk lunch. Bar area is dog friendly. Lovely garden outside overlooking fields, which must be wonderful in warmer weather. Staff were very friendly. We had a selection of tapas dishes, which were nicely presented and tasty.

Great food - we had the tapas, but other main courses available. Friendly and welcoming staff. Highly recommended.

We’ve been to the White Castle Lion several times in the last few months and it never disappoints. The menu is varied with great service, without being in your face and the atmosphere is great!!!

Excellent authentic Spanish food Friendly staff quick service and a relaxed setting in the restaurant. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal.

Food was excellently prepared and presented. Extensive menu. Very friendly, attentive waiting staff & the pub itself was beautifully decorated Delicious lunch & will visit again.

Lovely location , great ambience , food very average ! The staff could not have been more helpful but the dishes coming from the kitchen were not great - well overcooked venison and other not great meals

If I could leave no stars I would. Overpriced sub standard food. Slow service if any at all. Supposedly dog friendly but would appear to be only if you are a local. Owner/manager woman very rude again unless you are a local. And to top it off we all got food poisoning. AVOID. When we left the dogs also got very interested in what were clearly rat/mouse traps. DO NOT LET YOUR DOGS IN THE GARDEN IT WILL KILL THEM. I have reported them. But please be aware.

Had a lovely Saturday lunch meal here with 3 other friends and had a great time. Food was very tasty and reasonably priced. The paella for 2 was generously portioned and cooked very well. Cosy atmosphere alwith attentive staff who weren't too pushy and meant we had a really relaxed meal. I would highly recommend and cannot wait to go back

Popped in to our favourite place late lunch. Didn’t plan to eat but both had the Venison chestnut mushroom pate from exciting looking Christmas Specials. What a beautifully presented and flavoursome combination! Superb all around. Comforting greeting and service. Fabulous ambience. Has to be visited.

THE BEST without fail Staff, food, ambiance ….. you won’t beat it

Absolutely love coming to the White Lion. The food is on the more expensive side for a pub but compared to restaurant prices for similar cuisine it's incredibly good value. We always have the paella, and this is 10/10. The food is immaculate, the venue is smallish so definitely pre-book but a great wholesome homely atmosphere inside.

Bad lighting made it hard to read the menus, Servings were so small it was unbelievable, prices were scandalous ,And to top it off two of us had bad stomachs, What a joyous Sunday I don't think. We will not be frequenting the white lion again,

I chose to stopover here on a solo bike ride through the Chiltern Hills. I'm not from the area so not familiar with what is and isn't good around here – I was looking for a lunch break stop that was a certain distance into the ride. This was a little off the route but it looked good online, so I went for it. On approach, it looks like the picture-perfect English country pub. I was welcomed by a cheery young lady and sat outside in their beautiful beer garden; they had a cycle parking area too which I was very impressed with. I was then quite surprised to see that this is actually a Spanish Tapas restaurant, I wasn't expecting that! I was looking for a light lunch and I did feel the menu didn't really fit that profile, but the food people were being served looked and smelled delicious. I went for a starter for the food choice of tomato bread with serrano ham. It wasn't a massive amount of food, but I didn't feel like I could eat a larger meal (and I didn't want to pay too much, as I did feel prices were on the high side). It was a very hot summer day, so a cold beer was also very welcome. Nice place for a quick visit on a lovely day, thank you.

5 of us ate here on Sunday 15th October. The service was excellent and very attentive with a smile, especially the blonde lady. We all had starters which were delicious, I had the cod croquettes and they were super tasty! All of us had different mains and every single one of us said how lovely the food was. We will definitely return.

A really fab county pub with a lovely garden def worth a visit, we missed the Sunday Roast tho.

Superb meal, we went for a selection of 8 different tapas which included sautéed frogs legs, Iberico ham and baguette with chorizo pate off of the specials menu. All the food was beautifully presented with the most amazing flavours, we will definitely be returning. This really is a hidden gem.

Lovely pub in beautiful location. Definitely more like a Spanish restaurant than a traditional country pub, but if that is what you want then the food and service were very good.

Food is unreal. Lovely garden and the service was amazing.

The pub ,restaurant and garden are a perfect setting. The staff are polite and friendly. Unfortunately the food let’s it down , way down , right to the bottom ! Only tried the tapas and was very disappointed with 9 out of 10 of the dishes . The flavours and portions were just so poor . It’s a real shame because when you walk into the garden and surrounds it’s quite stunning and the pub itself is very nice with a good atmosphere. So overall I’ll have to call it a ‘bull - - - - restaurant ‘ with a nice location .

Visited with my husband, daughter and our dog on a sunny Saturday afternoon. This place is stunning, the surroundings are beautiful, like being on holiday. The garden is lovely, large wooden clean tables overlooking the countryside with horses roaming in them. There are also rattan type seating areas which really look lovely and can be reserved in advance. The staff are all extremely polite, welcoming, professional and friendly. The tapas menu is great and something different for a country pub in this area. The dishes we tried were delicious, and reasonably priced too. Our Guinness and prosseco’s were perfectly served, crisp and cold. Inside is just as nice, and very welcoming with a well stocked bar. Large car park & horse parking too! Definitely worth a visit to this beautiful pub.

We had their fabulous Paella in the Garden on a sunny Bank Holiday Monday. The Spanish beer was very good as well.

Lovely country pub with excellent tapas. Good garden and friendly staff.

Always reliable for friendly welcome, superb food and excellent service. Fabulous gardens with sunshade umbrellas on each table - amazing views over countryside. Dogs and children more than welcome. Relaxed atmosphere. If weather bad inside just as welcoming- lovely country decor with touches of Spain. Fusion med/British/Spanish food with ample choice for all tastes/pockets. Somewhere to return to again and again. Enjoy!

Nice surroundings outside but we found the food very overpriced for what you get (very small portions and overpriced tapas) and lacking in taste. The seafood linguine had no sauce or taste to it, very plain

Came for lunch with 2 friends on Saturday 19th Aug, prior to a long-ish walk. Lovely location and a great service, and while the food (two of the fish and chips, and one carne con papas) was delicious, the portions were rather small.. not enough for sustain us before our walk. As the location is great for walkers/cyclists, perhaps a few 'big portion' dishes could be added to the menu ?

Popped in here to eat after visiting for a drink when I was out carriage driving. Mandy has built horse pens in the car park that make it so easy to park your horse up whilst you visit. Food was excellent, with so many pub grub generic establishments around- this place really is a welcome and refreshing change. Was brilliant to try a different menu. Spanish theme but very accessible for fussy tastes. Staff were attentive, polite, and bizarrely appeared to actually want to be there. Well done! Will definitely be back.

Amazing Spanish food in an idyllic rural location! We decided to walk here from Wendover via The Hale. It took nearly an hour and a half but it’s a really picturesque walk up a single track lane and for some reason makes the pub feel even more special when you find it in what feels like another land - and of course it’s a good way to earn your tapas! The pub has a large garden with countryside views and even a pony in the field next to it. Service was very friendly and you can book online. The food is Spanish and they offer tapas, paella and main meals. Everything was absolutely delicious and authentic. They do also offer a small children’s menu. We can’t wait to go back and it’s so lovely to see a pub that was shut for a long time making a success of itself.

So lovely to have tapas on a Sunday, my second time and can not wait to go again

Great pub with Spanish flavour.

Our first visit to this perfect location which will certainly not be the last. We sat in the lovely restaurant but the garden and outdoor seating area was lovely. The staff were very welcoming, professional and attentive. A special mention to Maddie who was new to the role. The tapas was extremely tasty and beautifully presented. Well done chef! 👏🏼👏🏼

Gorgeous setting, delicious fresh home cooked food and wonderful hospitality. You truly couldn’t ask for more. Thanks to Mandy and her team xx Best wishes

Lovely setting. Friendly staff. Lots of outdoor seating. Three ales to choose from all of which were a bit lively when being poured.

Great food. Nice views. Big garden with sun shade at every table. There are nice large relaxed outdoor sofa areas but all those were booked up. They also welcoming of cyclists

Great Spanish tapases! Nice outside area! Service is good too. But only complain is - bottle of bubbly was barely cold, so not the best really … we would come back anyways! For the food 😍

Food was good. Service was spasmodic, slow and forgetful. Not busy so no real atmosphere.

What a diamond pub , beautiful place wonderful food professional attentive staff a manager and an owner who both obviously take pride in the business. Father's day lunch was superb a credit to their kitchen staff. We started with small plates of tapas consisting of...

A lovely pub to stop at for a nice cold beer and sit in the garden looking the view across the valley.

Incredible food. Great service. Absolutely beautiful location.

We hadn't been to the White Lion for about 15 years (as we don't live in the area), and of course during that time its future looked bleak and at one point looked like it might disappear for good. So it was so lovely to...

Been there several times. Great place to eat or just go for a drink - totally relaxing. Lovely, well furnished garden with countryside views. Warm and friendly inside (with a welcome fire in winter) and spacious seating. Excellent menu - both tapas and traditional served - and tasty, beautifully presented, good value cuisine. Friendly staff and first class service. Thoroughly recommend.

Spanish themed food. Excellent service. Pretty setting.

Gorgeous garden, gorgeous food, excellent service 👌

Very nice , staff very friendly without being intrusive. We only had tapas but was excellent for our needs and will visit again .