Ye Olde Red Lion in West Berkshire

Popped in to this pub for a mid afternoon drink when passing. A number of years since I was last here and the immediate impression was that it had gone downhill substantially. The decor was very poor and the place was dirty The worst part was the man behind the bar who was only interested in a small group of obvious locals. He made us feel extremely unwelcome and was very unfriendly and miserable. The ambiance was terrible and the prices he charged for drinks over the top based on the facilities provided. We would never go here again and could not recommend in anyway.

Visited here for a quick drink, barman was uninterested and extremely unfriendly, lots of loud locals that made fun of customers behind their back which were heard. Felt so uncomfortable here and couldn't wait to leave which has never happened to us in many years. Thank god we didn't stay for a meal. Suggest you avoid at all costs.

Lovely food with great vegan options and a delightful Pinot with great service. Very close to M4 so we will return as often travel this route

Firstly I must say that I hope our experience is just a one off, maybe due to extenuating circumstances. Nonetheless...: We rang to check if there was availability for a table for three, shortly after their evening meals had commenced. We were told "yes". We arrived shortly afterwards, and walked in to find only a couple of tables and they were occupied. I approached the bar, and explained that we had called ahead. Rather than greet me, or acknowledge, the surly chap simply turned round and shouted at a young lady, asking if she had spoken to anyone. When she confirmed to him that we had just spoken on the phone his attitude didn't improve. He then obviously realised that we had nowhere to sit, so instructed a lady (presumably a regular) who was sitting alone at a table, to move so we could be seated.! Feeling somewhat awkward, we sat at here vacated table, whilst he barked at another young lady to bring us some menus, which she promptly did. As we were browsing the menu another gentleman came in, and to my astonishment appeared to receive a similar curt reception from that same chap (who was behind the bar by now). Deciding that, even if the food was good, our appetites would likely be tainted by his presence, we reluctantly chose to leave & go elsewhere. The young ladies seemed pleasant & polite (although possibly slightly embarrassed/harassed by the environment) and the place looked as though it could be a rather nice place to spend some time, so hopefully others enjoy a more fulfilling experience.

What a brilliant place I stayed in an excellent room top service, food, drink and hospitality highly recommended thanks to Al the staff

We went out for husband's Birthday Lunch. It wasn't busy but service was slow. The meals arrived and looked good. My husband was enjoying his and so was I until I found a long white hair. I took my meal to the bar and the waitress on duty apologised profusely. She asked if I would like something else and I ordered the Caesar salad. When we asked for the bill my mains was not included but was charged £12.50 for the salad which consisted of mainly lettuce and croutons. When I ordered the salad I was asked if I would like chicken or salmon with it which was included in the price. I don't eat either so declined. I was shocked that I was actually charged for this and vented my displeasure to the same waitress. In the end she halved our drinks order which meant approximately £7.50 was taken off. We have visited the Red Lion for years. The old management had excellent service and food and up.ontil this visit so did the knew. The hair in my meal and the attitude about the bill has put us off returning in the future.

Excellent Sunday lunch, friendly staff, great food and service and lovely food. Lovely village pub, well worth a visit,

An English village pub in a pretty village, serving fresh tasty food, where you can sit outside on a warm summer's evening or enjoy the comfort of the bar and restaurant. Hubby ordered skate, which came with a decent amount of potatoes and veg, I ordered the Rendang beef curry, the meat was tender and the flavour fabulous. Compared with other pubs in the area the food is reasonably priced. We sat at the window table overlooking the front of the pub, where there was an array of interesting books to ponder over while waiting for our food. A nice touch. BBQ food was on offer outside the pub, which was popular and looked good. We would happily go there again.

Came for a birthday and Father’s Day lunch So organised there were 13 of us. All the food was hot and amazing. Everyone happy with their choices and all food arrived together

Went for Easter Lunch with a couple of friends and WOW what a welcome we had, The Management are very understanding and helpful as my partner is in a wheelchair and my friends had a wheelchair too.. so accommodating and caring.. and helpful.. The food was Amazing very well presented and there was enough on the plates.. very tasty .. would Highly recommend Top Marks to the staff to.. certainly made us laugh.. Thank you Everyone for being supportive..

Just OK, but not great, we've had good meals here before so know they can do a lot better. Most noticeable thing was the lack of service, I put in more legwork than the waiting staff which isn't how restaurants are supposed to work. As for the meal, Rump Steak went down well enough, nothing to report there. The Fish and Chips were disappointing, underdone fish of barely legal size and the mushy peas looked like they'd crashed there; from a great height. The beef and onion pies were the best of the lot, didn't look like a perfectly formed"Brakes Special" so hopefully home made. All in all not a great dining experience, we'd have probably spent more if prompted to do so but couldn't quite get up the enthusiasm to ask for anything again and quit while we were ahead. 4 people for £100 so resaonably cheap for this neck of the woods.

Amazing food, games for kids and some great books. Definitely worth a stop if you are in the area.staff are amazing. ++++

Broke our journey on the M4 for a lunch stop and glad we did. Good home cooked food, generous portions well presented in a reasonable time. Friendly staff who were very welcoming. Good 'old fashioned' pub with some lovely craft ales. Pleased we came here and happy to recommend.

I've just stayed the night at this wonderful little Inn in Chievley. The staff were all friendly, welcoming and nothing was too much trouble. Food was all home made and excellent. The accommodation was a converted thatched cottage, which was warm and extremely comfortable. I highly recommend this to anyone. I travelled from Cornwall and used it to break my trip to Heathrow before I fly to New Zealand. Regards to everyone Jon Schuller.

Came here for lunch last week to meet some business partners. Not been here before but it was in an ideal location, right near the M4 and A34 junction. Bar staff were helpful and cheery, which was nice. Pub was pretty busy and they had sport playing on a screen, so it felt like a good atmosphere and definitely popular with the locals. Food wise, one of my colleagues had the chicken and ham pie which was very nice, however I ordered the cheese and bacon ciabatta and it would have been so much better had it had more filling. There was one small piece of streaky bacon in it, but into about 4 bits, so I had to send it back and ask for more filling. I should really have asked for more of everything as there wasnt a lot of cheese or mushrooms either. It may have just been a one off and I was unlucky, or they were trying to be extremely tight with their fillings, either way it reappeared with more bacon and i was happy! I would come here again as it was nice and friendly, and I am sure I was just unlucky with what I ordered.

Atmosphere good but the lunch a disaster! Dry crab, rewarmed potatoes, boring green salad with no dressing. The excuse given ‘it was hot in the kitchen’!!

Had an excellent Sunday lunch with family, superb roast beef dinner. Also had starters which were great. Good service with friendly staff. I will definitely go back.

Great lunchtime spot. Easy to find and excellent choices especially the specials board. Friendly staff and comfortable surroundings. A

We met friends here for lunch. The food is well cooked and tasty with a good portion size. Parking gets busy so get there early!

Nice food and very good service. We all enjoyed what we ate. Particularly good were theKorean chicken wings.

Very nice village pub with friendly staff and general hubbub of locals, some with dogs, drinking at the bar or watching cricket on TV. Nice variety of food on offer on the menu along with a Specials board. Beautiful whitebait starter was plentiful and the smoked haddock with poached egg was tasty. The delicious rump steaks were two inches thick! All reasonably priced. Will definitely return.

Good venue for a meal with friends. Lovely atmosphere, replete with the regulars with a pleasant buzz of conversation.

We went for a mid week meal and were pleasantly surprised. Having been there a few times under the old ownership we were hoping for a similar quality. We were not disappointed, a good beer (Arkels) selection a decent wine list (plenty of by the glass options) and a small but nice meal selection. The whitebait starters are good, the rump steak was very good, the chickpea burger was a bit dry (I never have this so maybe it's normal) the Thai curry good. The baileys creme brulee very nice. Drinks and dinner for 4 £160 well pleased.

Came here for a date night and had the most amazing meal! We both had venison pie which we honestly can't stop talking about - it might be the best pie I've ever had, and then a baileys creme brulee which was delicious too. The service was very good, attentive but laid back at the same time. The ambience is nice, we sat next to the fireplace and there are cute fairy lights around/nice decor. Will definitely come back and recommend to anyone who will listen! Thanks for a perfect evening!

We had a lovely family meal here. The staff were great. The pub was clean and very homely. I look forward to to the next visit.

Fab Sunday lunch Visited with friends and had the best roast beef meal we have had in a pub. Staff were friendly and helpful. Would definitely recommend!

A once favourite pub not visited for couple of years. Today’s chicken Caesar salad might suggest pub is not what it was. For many, many years that dish at the Red Lion used to be outstanding with sliced chicken breast and salad with diced bacon,...

Wonderful! Lovely, friendly pub with excellent, attentive staff. Evening meal was delicious and the cooked breakfast was huge! The accommodation is amazing, two/three?cottages that have been converted, we stayed in the upstairs rooms Lochache (I think that’s how it’s spelt, pronounced lochash), large room and...

After eating here before new owners took over,was expecting lovely food....WRONG....service awful no friendliness Definitely crossed off our list.

I have been using the Red Lion for a few years and was interested to see how it would change under new ownership. I have not been disappointed it's had a bit of a spruce up and the menu and the food have improved. Especially...

Having had some good experiences here in the past we had hoped to show a family member visiting from Australia a typical country pub. Sadly we were unimpressed. The approach from the car park showed signs of a now uncaring ownership and the pub /...

Great little find, stayed as B&B for business trip, lovely village, food was amazing both breakfast and evening meal. Great friendly atmosphere and staff where very helpful.

Gorgeous little village pub. Good range of food, home cooked and delicious! Staff were friendly and attentive - would recommend

Recently taken over by a fab foodie family, who all feature somewhere in the pub whether it be behind the bar, in the kitchen, or front of house, this pub is an absolute cracker. Warm, welcoming, friendly feel from the minute you walk in the...

We had a lovely family roast sat in the sunshine at this pub. Some really good beers that I hadn’t tried before not having been to an Arkells pub. The pale ale and the craft lager were good, and tried one of the hand pulled...

Nice decor, very clean, decent sized car park, nice staff. Really limited menu when we went... not sure if that is normal in the new normal, but not too much to complain about, here. The reviews on the loo wall made me smile. Food cooked...

Enjoyed the visit, located just off M4 making it a much better option than a motorway services, enjoyed a good dinner and friendly service. Menu was good and appropriately priced. Wife particularly like the Makerel pate. Overall a good visit and would recommend if passing.

Lovely eating out area and the service was good, convenient location for a pit stop travelling on A34. The food was more mixed hence the score

Luckily it was a beautiful spring day, so that always helps when you have to sit outside. Few staff on duty, but that's understandable, therefore had to wait some time for our meals, again understandable under the conditions. We were distanced from others and felt...

We have had several evening takeaways from here during lockdown, all good quality and value - would recommend.

On a quiet Monday evening four of us met up for a post birthday get together. We picked the pub mostly based on central location between our two homes. We were made to feel very welcome by the friendly landlord and his lovely staff and...

Met with local friends for supper this week, firstly, table next to us had to send back meals as they felt fish was off.We ordered, had to wait over an hour for food to come.Steak was so undercooked,, just sealed and totally raw, had to take it back, rest of us ate.Half an hour later it returned, another steak uncooked and simply sealed by a chef who obviously can’t cook a steak. Sent it back again.No apology, no offer of anything else Rest of the meals were pretty poor.Husband went home without supper.Made to feel we were lucky to have steak taken off bill even though husband didn’t get to eat.Ye Olde Red Lion just can’t cope with numbers of people for eat out to help out scheme.Let’s hope when the scheme finishes, Robin and his team pull their socks up and care about their local clientele.This review might even make the toilet wall like your others!!

We had the fish which was definitely old and off smelling, the next table had to send the steak back twice then gave up - not great. This place has lost its way, no apologies, it's not even close to how it used to be. Sadly we won't be back.

On the way home to Essex we pulled in here for lunch. Very close to the M4 so easy to add as a stop and a great alternative to the nearby service station. Currently operating under Covid-19 guidelines and we found they were adhering to the requirements for pubs very well. It was a quiet day when we visited so we had the outside tent to ourselves, which was handy with our two year old. The food was great, my husband really enjoyed the chicken and bacon salad he had and the staff were able to accommodate a smaller portion for the aforementioned two year old. Two and a half mains and soft drinks came to less then £30 so we felt it was good value. If you are visiting with children it is worth noting they don’t have a children’s menu and I couldn’t find a baby change. Would visit again if we are traveling this way in the future.

Excellent stay at a real country pub.... warm fire welcome, lovely staff and a very cosy ( but spacious room )... i would definitely recommend and i am not easily pleased... well done, i would go out of my way to stay here rather than the sterile hotel chains

Excellent well priced Sunday lunch plenty of choice pleasant staff thoroughly recommend we will definitely return.

On the 30th Dec I celebrated my 60th with 15 family members at the Red Lion. . Some of us had pre ordered our mains others had to decide on the night. The atmosphere was good. lights were set out along the length of the table . Three people had a starter which were enjoyed. Everyone's mains came out together. All were hot and everyone cleaned their plates. Puds were ordered. The whole evening was a success. Staff were friendly and attentive.

Have often eaten at Ye Olde Red Lion and always found it delightful so on this occasion decided to stay overnight.

My wife and I stayed at the pub last night to attend a club Christmas dinner and had booked a night stay in one of the adjoining cottages.I want to thank the staff for making us welcome and the food (dinner and breakfast) and accommodation was first class.

Nice pub but very average. Four of us met for lunch which I have to say did not excite.The granary baguette I ordered was claggy and there was a noticeable lack of Stilton but a plentiful amount of chutney. The salad equated to about two mouthfuls.

We have just spent a leisurely afternoon next to a warm fire in this lovely pub.Perfect location just off the M4 and A34.Steady trade throughout the afternoon with a few locals.We had Hot Baguettes and soup for lunch. Good value Pub grub served hot and fresh. Very good quality beer.We look forward to returning.

Situated very close to Junction 13 on the M4 motorway this is a very convenient place to meet up. Good pub grub, pleasant staff and reasonable dining area. Small choice of wines but pleasantly not over-priced. Much nicer than a motorway rest area!!

This is a real gem of a place and well worth visiting. The pub is very friendly filled mainly with locals. Beers are good and well priced. Food is freshly cooked and very nice. The owners are very friendly as are the staffThe bedroom was wonderful....roomy, excellent en-suite, good TV and very comfy bed.Breakfast 10/10I went on a motorbike and there was plenty of parking.

Had a nice meal, clean place and friendly staff. Good parking and everywhere clean and tidy. Fair prices anD a good choice of wholesome food.

Met up with friends and all agreed worst lunch experience - my husband and I had a Thai curry which was akin to soup and rice with very little flavour or substance. Men followed with treacle tart, one with custard and one with ice-cream, the tart was very hard and served with about two teaspoons of custard! Waitress from Moldova very pleasant but she was he only good thing about this pub in my opinion. Perhaps it was an 'off' day but how this pub has Trip Adviser Excellent Award is beyond all of us.

Food is great as are the rooms, friendly staff. Rooms good size, clean and quiet. Only downside late check in and early departure times. Would definitely return if in the area

Chose here as a midway point to meet up with my parents. We were a group of 6 including 2 children - staff were friendly and efficient and food was good. Lovely little beer garden to sit in for a drink after we'd eaten. It was the perfect location just off the motorway and I would happily visit again.

We popped in for a bit of lunch on our day out. I had a lovely prawn and Marie rose sandwich for £7.95. My partner had a ploughmans lunch, minus the ham for £9.95. It was very disappointing. None of the usual things you expect with a ploughmans. The picture below shows how little you got.

We were disgusted this evening to be turned away from the pub when we went in at 6:30pm with our 3 year old son for a quick drink. Apparently they have an over 5 years policy, how ridiculous and unlike any other pub in West Berks. This policy is not outlined on their website. Please don't waste your time if you have kids, we will not be returning.

Visited while on an overnight stay at the nearby Travelodge.

We stopped for a late evening meal after a long drive, we chose this place after reading the reviews.

I like this place, its a great location just off the A34 and the menu is extensive. It is also quiet and a good place to meet for business, however I was left a little under whelmed on this occasion.

Came here with two children me and my partner young foreign waitress was lovely the rest of staff rude and stuck up felt didn’t want us there as for the owner full of him self and couldn’t be bothered with us we went and sat outside as felt we was just a bother him and inside was freezing no warmth or heart in the place such a shame as beautiful building would never go again food was ok over priced and forget one of are kids meals awful! Better services in an harvester

The dining room is quite large so you should get a table but it was busy on the Saturday night we ate there. The food was well cooked and tasty, efficiently served so no complaints.

I needed a traditional English pub for a Sunday lunch and Ye Olde Red Lion seemed to check the boxes.

The staff where professional and attentive to any requests. The rooms where very good. The evening meal was of good quality and the same goes for the breakfast. I would be very happy to eat and stay here again.

This country pub welcomes the Reading Lightweight Ride each year and provides welcome hospitality to over 50 riders. The bar service is very efficient and food comes reasonably quickly. The hot baguettes were good and there’s a good choice of beers.

My husband and I stayed at one of the beautiful cottages for one night ,the landlord called Robin was such a nice man ,made us feel very welcome,we had afternoon drinks then later had a lovely meal in the pub ,just minutes away from our cottage,the food was fantastic,then in the morning we had a fabulous breakfast. I would highly recommend this place .

Delightfully bonkers place courtesy of the landlord who has clearly forgotten he’s in the hospitality trade. The food is good, nothing special but better than ok. However, the service is terrible. Basil Fawlty had a breakdown and after years of counselling just about got it together to run The Red Lion in Chieveley

Had a delicious lunch, four of us chose different meals. No complaints whatsoever. Have also been on three recent Fridays with large groups and all enjoyed our food. Friendly welcome from landlord Robin and staff.

Nice pub. Steak with peppercorn sauce was lovely. Open fire roaring away. The restaurant was quite busy but service still quick.

I went with my family on saturday for lunch. The food was average pub food, the sandwiches very basic, curry and other mains basic. The pork cheek was delicious and would recommend.

Met friends here on a very busy Sunday evening, luckily we had booked. Despite being busy the service was very good and we were well looked after. The food is also good in both quality and quantity so we all enjoyed our meals. They serve a good pint of real ale too

lovely pub, nice food menu, food was great & reasonably priced but there was a wait for the food. The staff apologised but it would have been nice to be told there would be a delay at the point of ordering.

Just off the M4, up from the Chievely services.

I have visited Ye Olde Red Lion in October every year since 2001 when I am in the area to attend an annual local business event. It has everything a visitor requires, good location, friendly staff, selection of draft beers and a fine lunchtime menu. I visited recently and although I am only there for two hours each year, I almost feel like a regular ordering my drink and a meal from the chalkboard menu and sitting in my favourite seated table. I shall look forward to my visits for many years to come. Excellent.

Enjoyed a 1-night stay. Great real Ale in the pub. Very friendly staff. Accommodation was extremely clean, huge breakfast. What more could you want! Highly recommended and will definitely stay again when working in that area.

A early evening meal after golf and experienced excellent service with a good menu with old favourites and also specials. Cost was £52 for two with each having a large glass of wine.

A Sunday night in August, the cricket season in full swing and the local cricket team talking through the days match. If thats your game then the evening would have been splendid. If not then it depends on how you deal with a largish crowd.

..dessert kortet kom aldrig ind til bordet.Hvorefter vi valgte at betale. Men ellers er stedet meget hyggeligt og maden som vi fik var god. Prisen er absolut god vi spiste 1 ret, fik 2 pint og en cola, som beløb sig til 374 danske kroner det er "toms up"

Visited this evening at 6.50pm with my young family and some friends to find that children under 5 are not allowed in the pub restaurant after 6pm. There was an option to sit outside but this wasn't really suitable due to people smoking alongside us. Regrettably, we left without ordering. Take note families with young children, not suitable after 6pm.

Friendly place, great selection of Wiltshire beers, and very good home cooked food. Decor is a little old fashioned, but that rather adds to the charm of the place.

Having seen a recommendation on Tripadvisor, my wife and I thought we would try this place out for a meal. First impressions was that it seemed a bit of a locals pub, however the staff were very welcoming.

My friend and I stayed here on our return from Gloucestershire and I was very impressed indeed.

We stumbled across this lovely pub during a trip home on the back road from Newbury showground and what a find it was.

A real breath of fresh air to find a pub run by a landlord and landlady who know their business inside out. So many pubs these days are run by 'children', who haven't got a clue.

My wife and I stopped at this lovely village pub which had been blitzed by the villagers and others watching the England v Sweden World Cup Match. There were a few stragglers, all in exultant form, but a lovely vibrant and friendly atmosphere purvaded. I had the rib-eye steak in a lovely mushroom sauce and my wife had the homemade curry flavoured fish cakes followed by a vegetarian burger. An excellent meal complimented by fine Arkells bitter and some exquisite wine. Great value for money. Great company. Great service. Well worth a visit.

My wife and I popped out for an early evening meal and having been recommended to try the Red Lion a few times we decided to give it a go.

We decided to join friends who were staying here for an evening meal. Lovely village pub that serves very good food and great beers.

My Husband and I had a surprise party to go to near Ye Olde Red Lion, we stayed for one night bed and breakfast. Robin even made our room available earlier so that we could freshen up before the party.The room was great comfortable, roomy and very clean. The breakfast and staff were excellent and would stay again!!

This restaurant has got amazing food...But they never change the menu. I would recommend if your only going once.

What a convenient pub to have a pit stop at. Lunchtime on a nice summers day in some very pleasant surroundings, close to both the A34 and M4 highways. We were greeted with the smiling faces of two young ladies who quickly showed us a table and the lunch menus. Great food at very reasonable prices, served in a timely fashion and not quickly thrown at you like some places. Would highly recommend and if we are in that vicinity at anytime in the future we will make a point to return....kudos ladies.

Handy country pub, not far off the motor way-M4 ,pleasant surroundings, friendly staff ,enjoyed the evening meal. Parking ,and interior spacious, prices mrdium range. Warm atmosphere.

Went here to have a meal as it didn't open till 6pm we where looking forward to having a nice meal as we where staying nearby at Travelodge, we read the reviews before we went there but as we went in the man who was serving people he kept looking at my son who has Asperger's syndrome which made him feel very uncomfortable, then he asked my husband to tell that young man to remove his cap as they have standards and don't allow it,,, then we where told they don't start cooking until after 6.30 at which point we finished our drinks and left. Never again

It’s a traditional English pub you would expect in the countryside. There is a solid variety of beers on tap and a good selection of liquor. The food in my opinion is the best. The pub has a list of traditional English dishes and a few dishes from around the world. Everything is made to order and the taste/flavoring is exquisite. The pub does a good job with providing a warm welcoming English pub with delicious cuisine. A must if you are in the area!

I just stopped here with the family on our way back from a weekend in France. It's sited just off the M4 at the Newbury junction. As we arrived at the pub it looked lovely for the outside. However, this did not compensate for the bland and tasteless food within and its use of cheap ingredients.

Conveniently located just off the M4/A34 this is a great please to meet for business.

Nice place to stop off for a few drinks - the atmosphere is pleasant and the locals were nice enough. Landlord clearly likes cricket - some amusing memorabilia on the wall if you like the sport.

Unexpected dated interior but everything else about this village pub was positive. Very friendly and attentive staff, good service and good food.

We chose Ye Old Red Lion as being such a convenient place for our group travelling from several different directions, close to the M4 & A34 but feels like a quaint village setting.