The White Lion Walkern in East Hertfordshire

Went there for a weeknight meal after a walk in the nearby countryside only to be told there is no food being served( despite there website saying otherwise) decided to stay for a drink and wish I hadn't bothered,the beer was awful and smelt strange,the garden is very run down and messy and the landlady was moody,all in all a terrible experience and won't be returning any time soon

Wasn't happy doing food staff and land lady didn't want to serve food for us me my daughter and partner and grandson 3 meals was was nearly £40

We went in to this pub for Sunday lunch. There were two large turds of dog poo on the floor so we walked out again. Filthy dirty place.

A real locals pub. While they have a variety of drinks, lots of space, etc.. anyone that comes across this place doesn't feel welcome. The staff were polite and friendly, but that should just be the case in any establishment.

This pub was previously a lovely, inviting village hub. We enjoyed some great times with friends, mostly from the village. We would occasionally eat, the food was excellent. Sadly, this is in the past. The pub is rotten in every possible way. Badly run, inedible food, screaming feral children, an utter disgrace. Most of the decent people of the village no longer use it. We now use a wonderful little pub in a nearby hamlet. We hear the horror stories from the previous regulars who would rather travel 10 minutes, than go into that dire place. Greene King need to do something and fast! We

Lovely pie and mash at the white lion. Warm welcome from bar staff and the resident pub puppy who tried her hardest not to let us leave.... definitely will return. Thank you for a very enjoyable lunch.

We had a lovely Sunday roast today on Mother’s Day with our mums and stepdads. The service was great and we all felt very welcomed. Lovely pub so thank you all at The White Lion. :-)

Went for lunch with a few friends. The lunch menu was varied and prices were good. There is a section that is 2 for £10 if you want a sandwich etc. If you have any dietary restrictions, it would probably be best to phone ahead.

Well I had a few years ago some pie and mash with liquor in Clacton, it was not nice at all. Had some here, it was delicious. Service was really good, very caring. Really good pub atmosphere, never been there before, but the regulars made me feel welcome as well as the staff did. Really recommend.

Amazing staff good food, new menu is banging

Lovely roast dinner with friends on a Sunday. The staff could not do enough to accommodate our 2 young children. Will be back again soon, many thanks!

If I could rate this place with minus scores I would! Absolutely shocking ! Over an hours wait for a Sunday roast! Menu offered was one of two meats, nothing else! After over a one hour wait we were “served”. I am lost for words! Our table of 8 was served sporadically over a 20 min period. The meat was mostly raw! The server slopped the food over edge of plate and declared he didn’t know which was the lamb and which was the gammon! Avoid at all costs ! To top it off it was overpriced.

Absolutely shocking ! Over an hours wait for a Sunday roast! Menu offered was one of two meats, absolutely nothing else! After over a one hour wait we were “served”. I am lost for words! Our table of 8 was served sporadically over a 20 min period. The meat was mostly raw! The server slopped the food over edge of plate and declared he didn’t know which was the lamb and which was the gammon! Avoid at all costs ! To top it off it was overpriced.

Worst ever pub I have ever been in. Cold, the most rude land lady ever. Children running riot across the pub, one can only presume they are hers by the way she talks to them. I will never ever return. Disgusting place, Disgusting Service and landlady

We had pre-booked lunch for 5 people. On arrival we were told that an anniversary party was also booked and there was only roast beef left. We were made to feel an inconvenience. No table was prepared, we were put in a side area with no heating. The meal arrived an hour later burnt and inedible, the beef was so tough you couldn’t chew it! This was the worst experience I have had in any restaurant.

We had a table booked. When we go there we was told they had booked a 40th ruby party when taking our booking. And so we had only beef roast we said ok. Then sat at a table. It was soooooo cold in there sadly We where told they where waiting on the roast potatoes a hour later our dinners arrived. Every one of hour yorkshires where black I mean black charcoal burnt. We had minimal potatoes one carrot sliced one parsnip sliced the tiniest Brussels I have ever seen. The gravy was full of lumps and the beef we couldn’t chew. Yes we spoke to the manger we got £30 off the £101 bill. Woukd we recommend. Sadly not. The service wasn’t good. A child was helping collect the glasses he said can we have your wine glass it was empty. Because they where running out of glasses.

Lovely staff and new chef doing great job with food love the homemade pies and fish and chips!

Lovely ‘local village pub’. Owner and staff greet all as friends and support the village. Last night they laid on a buffet and looked after a group of about 25 of us from the local play, Shape of A Cat. This was as well as Karaoke and their usual Fish Friday. Needless to say, it was a great evening. Big thanks to Kerrie, Lisa, Lisa and the Karaoke team👍

Lovely Sunday lunch, was excited to try and the new chef did not disappoint! Will be returning.

A nice Country, public house, great atmosphere, nice food and the staff aways very friendly and welcoming

They agreed to take our booking of 14 people for lunch as long as we were there for 12 o'clock, despite having a party on later the same day, which we were grateful for. The menu was on scrappy pieces of A4 paper, most of which could probably have been thrown away and new ones printed. However, there was a good range of beers etc, so it didn't really matter. Not a big range of food, but sufficient for everyone to find something to eat. We were there at midday, we ordered (in three batches) at about 20 past, and then waited. First order came out (which was the 3rd one we'd placed), about 45 minutes later. The last one came out about an hour after ordering. The White Lion burger was good, but the rest of it what we ordered was just okay. We sent back the very badly burnt halloumi wrap (quite how this left the kitchen is bizarre), and the jacket potato with cheese and beans looked/tasted like a microwave jacket and had literally a dessert spoon of beans and a sprinkling of cheese on. We went outside as they needed the room back, and the garden really was a bit of a mess and needed some basic TLC. So, wouldn't rush to return here although the staff were friendly particularly the young lad (12-14 yrs old) who was bringing out the food, and the toilets clean enough.

Awful awful dirty no atmosphere everywhere a mess beer garden broken down. Animals around food. Wont return. Shame as we used to enjoy it!

500 year pub quiet village huge garden cannot ask for more

Not good Sunday lunchtime, asked about GF menu, told it would be basic roast without gravy, Yorkshire, stuffing etc - other restaurants do all those.. keep up?????

Good selection of beers and plenty of room to sit and relax.

Called in here for lunch,with our dog. Food was just want we needed after our walk. Very dog & family friendly. Clean,tidy & friendly staff.

Thought long and hard about whether to post this, as it is a village pub, but we all feel so let down and wasted money on atrocious food. Such a shame….definetly not what was advertised on their menu. Lion burger, 2 skinny beef patty’s not big enough to fit the huge roll given, bacon that was disgusting and chips that were not a full portion and only just about cooked. The side salad was despicable, a few limp leaves….no tomato etc or even a simple dressing. Such a shame as really wanted to like it here but on this occasion it was a long wait for food and not up to standard and not worth the money paid.

Went down today for lunch with my partner. I had the Lion Burger and chips and have got to say it was amazing will definitely be eating there again. Friendly, welcoming and very kid and dog friendly.

Family friendly dog friends perfect village pub

this place has rapidly gone down hill. tacky tacky tacky. rude staff, bad service and whatever they pass for as entertainment. avoid

Great village pub. The new landlady is lovely as are the staff, always going above and beyond to make sure all the customers are happy. Also doing really top notch weekend entertainment now ❤️

Having just read the past review I couldn’t disagree more. My children and the village children had a bouncy castle over the last at our cost and for the village. If you don’t want to go to a family pub then I suggest you should choose somewhere else. Looking at your past reviews you have nothing but negative things to say anywhere go. If you can’t say nice things I suggest you say nothing at all. Kindness costs nothing and you damaging reputable businesses with your negative and unfair comments. Don’t be a keyboard warrior speak to the owner directly and let them address the issues.

Fabulous atmosphere and the beer is kept to perfection, this little gem of a pub has a wonderful atmosphere and the staff are really friendly, well worth a visit xx

Lovely atmosphere the staff are really friendly great garden area for the children even dog friendly the food was delicious also good selection of beers really enjoyed it

A lovely homely village pub who always welcomes the dogs before the owners 🤣 Friendly staff, they go out of their way to make sure your visit is enjoyable. The food is amazing and the garden sitting is perfect especially for families who have children. Keep up the good work The White Lion xx

Love this pub - kids playing while the adults are enjoying a drink - welcome dogs and families - keep up the good work

Good atmosphere and location. My food was poor however, chicken burger that was soggy with a few cheaps. Didn't taste good and was a long wait.

Was taken to the pub unexpectedly today. Was a very welcoming reception, very friendly staff, great atmosphere. Looking forward to sampling more of the menu.

The best and only pub in the village we have to keep it going the landlady is doing us proud

This is the second time we have been in the last couple of weeks. Much more friendly than it was pre covid BUT the tables are so sticky that your sleeves make a noise when you lift your arms off the tables.....lots of cobwebs too. I think they need a new cleaner

Really friendly bar staff nice village pub food is very well presented

Fabulous food And excellent service

The only pub in the village and my local. Great beer quality and the scotch egg today was amazing.

After a long walk called in expecting a nice Sunday lunch very disappointed no food empty pub with no atmosphere. Hope it picks up as in such a good location for walkers,

Nice young girl serving and taking pre orders for a group of walkers ..really old pub .good toastie.

Poor communication and service. If your guests book a table for 6 people for a Sunday roast, but you don't have the food to make it with, please let us know so we can make other plans. You really wasted our time and didn't leave us with any confidence that it will be worth going back.

Nice pub. Plenty of drinks available

Nice inside, beer garden large but “industrial” layout. Friendly staff, no food (other than crisps).

Lovely pub,friendly staff lovely big pub garden would definately go again.

polite staff, nice place, free parking.

Clearly from the majority of reviews on this website, we picked a wrong day to eat here. Bank Holiday lunch time. Both me and my husband ordered lunch of cheese & ham toasties which were shown in the menu to come with fries and slaw. Despite being one of the first customers to arrive for the lunch sitting, we had to wait over 45 minutes for this straightforward lunch. We had to ask, or was it remind, the bar staff about this order after about half an hour. When it came it was fairly average and arrived without the slaw as we were told they had “run out”, although this wasn’t mentioned at the time of the order and no money off or substitute was offered for this - surely an offer of a side salad would have been reasonable. Overall very poor service on the food. On the plus side, drinks good, pub nicely done out (assume recent refurbishment) and welcome atmosphere with excellent choice of Northern soul music.

Although not mentioned on the menu, a Gluten-free alternative may be available. For example, I saw the Lion burger on the menu and, on asking, was told I could have it in a GF bun:-) Be aware of the low ceiling rafters. The White Lion has its history on the one of the five village history information boards outside, apparently it's only had this name since 1794.

Fantastic pub since take over great food get staff proper family pub

Great priced food, nice surprise to have the kids eat for free

Oldie worldie pub very nice, very welcoming, would recommend a visit

Lovely lunch, one of the best roast dinners I've had in a long time, and a warm cozy atmosphere. We will be back.

Great place to stop while on a walk in the Walkern and Benington area. Good gluten free tapas type options on the lunch menu.

Brilliant Sunday roast with very helpful and friendly staff with a cosy atmosphere. Really nice village pub

A lovely pub with very friendly staff, the food was delicious and will be definitely visiting again soon great variety on menu!

Most amazing night - bonfire fireworks drinks food and to finish the night with karaoke - friendly atmosphere amazing staff - best night ever

My husband and I have just returned from The White Lion. We found the White Lion while driving to another pub but it looked nice from the outside and decided to try our luck there instead. The bar staff were very friendly and happy to suggest things from the menu. We sat in a little side room, the pub itself was rather quite due to it being a week night, with only regulars. The lady on the bar did say that they rarely got out of towners. We had a lovely chat. The food arrived in good time. Hubby had a pie due to Wednesday being Pie Night and I had 3 small plates. The food was presented beautifully and tasted great. Towards the end of the meal, the bar lady came in and gave us a free bottle of prosecco because we are on honeymoon, and congratulated us, followed swiftly by the landlord. We were rather shocked and pleasantly surprised!! Upon leaving we had another lovely chat with the staff. I can't stress how kind, polite, and attentive they were. If we were more local to the area we would definitely be back!

This is such a great pub! Simon, Claire and their staff all do such an amazing job and are so welcoming. The food is great, the service is amazing and the events they run are also brilliant! Would highly recommend a trip here!

Defo order the nan bread pizzas (meat and veg options) and the burgers (recommend the smash burger) plus fries are good decent pub food (not v big menu) and not expensive with lovely staff plus there is a huge pub garden to enjoy outside

Thank you to Lisa & Megan for a fab dinner at the white lion. We went on Tuesday burger night and the Smash Lion Burger was delicious, great service and lovely atmosphere. We live local and will definitely be going back again for another burger...

Met Sheena and Lisa tonight and what lovely friendly gals they are ! Very welcoming, served drinks at the table, and suggested the delicious two for one price burgers which are on special price Tuesday evenings. Alex n Jen were really impressed “the best home...

Wow the food was outstanding!! The marinated chicken was fab...thanks to the resident chef for another tasty meal

Great pub, staff and owners friendly and always look after us. Shout out to Lisa. Thanks to you all 😁. Nothings ever to much. 😁👌

Visited the pub on Saturday for the Football and for some food. Great atmosphere, well organised, great staff, really quick service. Will be back Wednesday! We had the Lion burgers and they were delicious especially the pretzel bun something a bit different.

Decided to have a Sunday off cooking so treated ourselves to a takeaway roast dinner from The White Lion. It was really tasty with great portion sizes, would definitely recommend and will be having again very soon.

Have eaten before and food always nice not expensive and fresh esp like the white lion also now doing take away menus plus fish and chip Friday so tasty!!

Great pub Met another family there for Sunday dinner and couldn’t fault any of the food or staff Sunday roast great food and value Kids loved the pizzas Great traditional pub with very helpful friendly staff and huge beer garden fitted out really well with...

It’s the second review I’ve left for this place. We started going here just after lock down and have been happy every time but we decided to try some of tapas menu today and can say it is great quality food at a very fair...

This is the 2nd time I've visited the white lion in walkern since the lockdown has been relaxed & on the 1st occasion I was on my own & had a fabulous time with the new management Clare & her partner simon & staff very...

Brilliant couple of hours at the White Lion in Walkern huge garden with childrens area. Football posts plus footballs. Dogs welcome on a lease. Lovely to catch up with Connor and Chloe good luck all of you on your new adventure

We visited today for a quick lunch and found the pub to be under new management. We didn’t have any negative review under the last owners but what a change. The new owners took the time to introduce themselves and the staff were excellent. The...

We received a warm welcome at this dog friendly pub which had a real fire burning. However the pub is tired looking and in need of refurbishment. There are many areas with missing paint and the upholstery was dusty and a bit ragged. It also...

Fantastic choice of food, owners are very friendly and welcoming and I would highly recommend to anyone or family’s looking for somewhere to eat

Today my family and me attended the pub for a roast dinner to have an amazing time - all our meals were outstanding and all the staff were so friendly and could not do enough for us - definitely will be returning

This is our local pub and we have been going here for over 30 years but with each landlord change it goes downhill just that little bit more. What was once a great country pub serving wonderful food has degenerated into something decidely second rate. We booked to take my brother-in-law and wife, up from Dorset, for a Saturday lunch but boy did we regret it. The landlady hadn't bothered to write down our booking and relied on memory so the bar girl didn't know about us. LL then jumped in to tell her that we did have a booking - but got the name wrong. We sat down and ordered our food, only to have the landlady rush out with apologies to say she had wrongly typed the menu and we couldn't have what we had ordered. Eventually sorted out with second choices but had to wait a long time for the food. When it arrived we were disappointed yet again. Whilst the roast turkey was at best acceptable,the roast beef was nothing of the kind. We had to ask for steak knives to cut it and even then had a problem since the meat was not of a quality for roasting and was full of thin fibrous membranes. The vegetables were grossly undercooked to the extent that no one could get a fork into the basically raw carrots. The frozen peas were hard and the cheap white cabbage was also undercooked. Never going back.

Visited midweek lunchtime (after visiting the Christmas shop in Walkern) with a large group of mums all with babies under a year. We couldn't have had a friendlier more helpful welcome. One mum has a double buggy and they found an easier access point for her. All the babies were able to sit around the table with us and they even made some hot toast for the babies to munch on whilst we had lunch. One of our party is gluten free and they took the time to explain all the options on the menu and how they were cooked so she could make an informed decision. Food was tasty and generous (we had pizzas). The landlady and her daughter were lovely and just made it such an enjoyable visit, so much so that we stayed and had a perfect relaxed coffee whilst the babies slept!

The white lion is a lovely local pub that really adds to our village community. Not only do they offer bi-weekly open mic nights and comedy events but every year organise the amazing Magnafest and this one has to be the best yet. This annual weekend brings everyone together, there is something for everyone and we left having thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The music bands were varied, covering many genres but all brilliant....if you love live music this really is the event for you. But it doesn’t stop there, in between sets there was a DJ ensuring there wasn’t a minute we weren’t on our feet. They had a trampoline area for children (maybe adults too) and a very talented lady adding facial glitter / gems to those wanting a little extra sparkle, everyone looked in the festival spirit. The ‘hook a duck’ carnival game had children & adults becoming very competitive trying to win a variety of items. There was a waffle stall which were amazing and another food stall which I was informed was delicious but we didn’t have the opportunity to try out. The staging was really professional and it withstood all 4 seasons we saw during the 2 days. The rain might have come down but that didn’t put us off, the staff acted quickly to get each table parasols so the party could continue. Entry to the event to listen to these amazing bands is FREE, ensuring everyone can enjoy themselves. Thanks to everyone at The White Lion for putting on such an amazing weekend. Can’t wait for next year

Over the last 2 weekends the ipa has been off and needed to be pointed out to the landlord. I cannot say it was met with efficency to sort it out rather the opposite. The pub is dirty and generally not kept, and having dogs wandering around and to witness the owners own dogs walk into the kitchen is not a sight I want to see.Another observation bar staff cuddling a dog and not washing there hands afterwards is very concerning. It does question food safety and environmental health regulations as bar staff serve food.The garden is untidy and not pleasant anymore, the pub has lost its country feel.

The White Lion was a random find for my husband & I but what a lucky find it was. We were travelling with our daschund & wanted somewhere to stop for lunch that was dog friendly. Many establishments claim to be dog friendly but on arrival you find that's not always the case, not so with The White Lion. The welcome was warm & welcoming to both humans & hound! The owners Gary, Jackie & Sophie were without exception, super hosts. We started with drinks in the vast garden, beautifully maintained, complete with a prosecco truck, which I later learnt was used for the many events they hold in the marquee at the end of the garden, they hold comedy nights & musical events which I am sure are very popular.The bar is extremely well stocked & has a vast array of specialist gins. Very tempting!They had two menus on offer on the day we visited, one being daily specials the other containing popular pub classics & interestingly a section of traditional pie, mash & liquor which the landlady sources from the East End of London. There was plenty of choice, including vegetarian options & a comprehensive children's menu.Something for everyone for sure.We opted to eat inside & our dog Maisie, was allowed to stay with us while we dined. Food was cooked to order but there was no delay & it was hot, fresh & delicious.The ambience in The White Lion is lovely, largely due to the hosts but also the building itself. It is a traditional village pub with original features that the owners are restoring & updating while retaining the pubs chararacter & authenticity. Such a fabulous find, highly recommend a visit, with or without pooch! You can be confident of excellent food, comprehensive range of drinks & a very warm welcome.

Found this pub by luck! Incredibly warm welcome. Good solid pub fare at a reasonable price. Service was excellent and added to our enjoyment of the meal. Will be back when next in the area.

We love this pub! The owners make a huge amount of effort, putting on great entertainment and the food is lovely! Always a pleasure to visit

Today I took my Nan and her friend to the White Lion pub in Walkern. My brother told me that they had pie and mash + liqour on the menu which is my nan and her friends absolute favourite. Over the years I've taken my Nan to different pie and mash shops/resturant's but she has always been dissapointed and said 'its not proper London pie and mash'. However, today was the day that we found that traditional 'proper' pie and mash. My Nan loved it so much she ordered another meal to take home with her for dinner.Pie and mash isn't my cup of tea but they had such a great variety on their menu. Today I had the burger and it was gorgeous! I can't wait to come back and try the other food on your menu. The waitresses were so lovely and kept checking on us and the chef (owner) also came out to check on us and asked how we were enjoying the food. Thank you for being so accommodating and lovely. Thank you again.

I have visited the White Lion frequently and its always a lovely place to relax with the dogs.Jackie, Gary, Sophie and the dogs make you feel very welcome and with a good selection of food and drinks its worth a visit. Theres large beer garden ideal for the long summer evening and frequent events including open mic nights and comedy evenings.

Such a great village pub. Being local to the village I regulalry visit here with friends, family, and the dog for drinks and food. The food is fantastic with plenty of choice. Gary and Jackie are very welcoming and this pub provides a great community feel with the events they put on throughout the year.

We stopped at white lion for some Sunday lunch they had no kids menus and the most basic food menu on a a4 piece of paper so I went in to order food as I was ordering there was a guy complaining about the wait we was told 25 mins was an hour till our food arrived my steak was cold and anemic it wasn’t med rare like I asked the chips tasted fishy like they were cooked in manky oil or something my wife’s burger had no sauce and some wilted lettuce in it we all left our food and left still hungry I will never be returning I’m not a fussy eater and would tolerate a few mishaps but this food was awful and at least 2 other tables where clearly in happy with there food aswell

This is a great family run pub that quite clearly had seen some problems with their chef and hopefully are now sorted .It welcomes dogs and children and has a multitude of things going on, from comedy nights ,music nights,to football in the bubble and fundraisers which they held for my own charity.

The car park has craters in it that you could lose a family car. The men’s toilets have water on the floor from the urinals and it’s been like it for several weeks. The bar smells of dog, as people are feeding their dogs on the carpet in the lounge bar. The food is very inconsistent. It’s a shame as the new owners were making progress.

This pub is exactly what a county pub should be, hearty food, welcoming atmosphere, dog and family friendly, large beer garden and a good drink served by polite staff. There is a great choice of hearty British food (the beef pie and mash is fabulous) that has been served quickly and with a smile on every occasion that I have visited. So far I've never managed a dessert as the portions are very generous. The staff are knowledgeable and happy to advise on the best mixers for the extensive range of gins and the landlord and lady are always there with a smile and ensure that the pub runs like clockwork. A variety of regular events including music, comedy nights and karaoke bingo (yes..karaoke bingo!) all make a fun night out. Great pub! Highly recommend a visit.

Very good atmosphere and just a great pub. Great service every time I have visited worth the visit I nightly recommend

Beautiful pub and lovely food, amazing staff who are very welcoming. Dog friendly and would highly recommend. Landlady and manager are really friendly and can tell they are running an excellent pub!

This used to be my local pub although I've not lived in the village for a while. Took my work colleagues for a lunch treat there as we like to try new places. Booked a table and arrived at 12.15. Seated quickly and menus delivered, drinks ordered and delivered nice and quickly. We ordered our food at 12.30, and then waited.... and waited..... Ominously there was a smell of burning and a cool draft (obviously windows being opened). Food finally arrived at 13.35 after we asked a few times where it was (as we had to be back at work by 2pm). The wait would have been ok if the food was up to standard but it really wasn't. In fairness, the halloumi and chips was lovely, the ham egg and chips was ok (except the eggs were cold), but the sandwiches were a disgrace - what looked like Tesco own bread with cheap ham, no salad and no cheese. However, the cod and chips was the worst meal any of us have seen for a long time. There was literally no meat on the cod - it was like the skin of a fish deep fried and served! Completely inedible. The young waitress was very apologetic and offered to speak to the manager. The drinks were removed form the bill, and after further complaints they also removed the cod and one sandwich. Apparently the chef is new and this was the first day he had been left on his own. I would suggest he either isn't up to the job or needs a LOT more training/support before he is left again. There were only 2 other tables in the restaurant, one of which (a young couple) left before they got theirs as they had had enough of waiting too. Very sad to have such a bad experience in my old local.

Awful nearly an hour and a half wait for food. Sandwiches not fit to be served up cheap bread and processed square ham and fish that was unrecognisable. Only thing that was nice was the barstaff. Very polite and friendly.

Great food and atmosphere. Very good at hosting events including comedy nights! Would definitely recommend to anyone.

visited this country pub few weeks ago and instantly felt uncomfortable.

Was disappointed with welcome and customer service. I believe it was land lady and her daughter have no respect or descression when dealing with customers. A man, who I think was a local, was screamed at in a very abusive manner, threatened and foul language was used, in front of whole pub. Extremely uncomfortable, no apology offered. Will not be returning. If you want a nice, Quiet drink in country, look elsewhere, avoid this place at all costs, be very aware, owners are a extremely RUDE!!!!

We had a good Sunday lunch although it was very quiet but the staff were very good the meal came and we enjoyed it, yes we would go again.