please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Number 8 in the top 10 in the county, according to this fine resource.
Gastropub. Gravy with your beef sandwich and an automatic 10% tip added to bills.
All laid out with tables for dining - more formal in the restaurant, more casual in the bar.
Food was excellent to be fair. My partner claimed it the best lunch out ever.
Four real ales on but not the most inspiring of choices. I went for a Belhaven Grand Slam - which looked much better than it tasted.
Some photos at my walking blog - http://mappiman.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/200216-going-backwards-on-millennium-way.html
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A large country eatery that was physically well described by willaskin in December 2008. It is certainly more of a place for a bite rather than a BITE but I wouldn't want to mark it down for that reason alone because the food was quite delicious. I enjoyed a black pudding, bacon and pecan salad at �5.95 followed by a swordfish steak at �13.95. Guest ales were Everards' Equinox and Wadworth's Boundary (a tad expensive at �3.50 a pint) and also available were Greene King IPA and Abbot. Strange that they will give you a number of a taxi in Leamington but won't book one for you......fearing that we could end up stranded we decided that we wouldn't leave the car overnight after all and drank sensibly.
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A very up market eating establishment. Not your typical village pub and as such devoid of a little atmoshpere.
Pughy - 10 Oct 2011 20:13 |
I've stopped for Sunday lunch here regularly three times a year for the last couple of years. Very nice location, pleasant to sit outside if the weather allows, quite a lot of seating inside and out, this is very much a "restaurant from a pub". Abbot ale was satisfactorily delivered, service was quick and it has nice touches such as quality newspapers and clean toilets. Food is well presented, but a bit "top end" and "gastro". It's always seemed very busy on Sundays and it's struck me as very family friendly; too much so, for me, since I've never had a meal here without having a toddler or young child sat at the next table. In fact this drove me away on Sunday without my dessert course and leaving a half drunk pint on the table - perhaps that says more about me than the "pub"!
A perfectly decent restaurant, with good, if pricey, food, but rather lacking in character apart from a very nice position beside the river.
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Set in a beautiful location near the riverside this is a pub I was looking froward to find. Unfortunatley it a bit too pretentious. The food although good, was very expensive and if GK is the best beer they can put on im afraid it didnt do much for me. The staff were courteous but it was just a glorified eating establishment!!!
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Liked this place....3 Cask Ales on when I went there, all of which in good nick and perfect temperature. Would call in again soon when passing...
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Can't believe I didn't mention in my last review the food. It's second to none. I could literally eat there everyday. Except I'd grow so large I'd break the doorframe and Sam would have to bar me. For shame!
cls14 - 30 Jun 2010 01:30 |
Best country pub i've been to by a long distance. The food is absolutely fantastic, best I've had anywhere. There is a good (although not massive) selection of beers and a good long wine list. The decor is a mixture of old wooden tables and clean modern walls and floor and the three fireplaces keep the place nice and warm in the winter. In the summer you can use to large garden which is by the River Leam and the village bridge over it. Since first going there about 18 months ago I have been going back again and again and will do into the future. Good for any occasion (mate, family, date) and any size of party.
cls14 - 30 Aug 2009 01:16 |
A bit of a surprise
I have eaten my fair share of dross and drank my weight in warm, flat, unloved beer and disappointing expensive wine in those ridiculously shiny, antipodeans staffed gastro pubs serving �ever so quirky� food that you have to order from that inanely formatted menu with ridiculous food descriptions that tell you every thing down to the last fleck of parsley.
So you can imagine my horror as entering the Red Lion in Hunningham, the hose reel attached to the outside wall caught my eye. Not a normal reel� No� A shiney Porche wheel used as said hose rapper a rounder, Christ not another leather sofa, scatter cushioned ball ache of a place, I thought. What ever happens now it�s going to be intolerable. At best.
BUT wait a moment. On entering the pub we were greeted warmly in a way that suggested they were expecting us. We hadn�t booked but were told that if the tables not laid its ours. So being only three of us we flumped ourselves down on a table for six. Not noticing how cleanly the first two pints of Guinness went down we opted for a bottle of Shiraz. Which was nice... then the starters arrived.
The kidneys were, it has to be said, incredible! Not since my days in places that serve really perfectly cooked offal have I had such perfectly cooked offal and devilled to perfection. Things are looking a lot better now and my attention was drawn to the walls, adorned by comic and graphic novel covers, which I did not clock when I first came in, acceptably novel but without being themed or crap. Another bottle of Shiraz was ordered and then the mains. My pork chop was thick, well seasoned and moist. Crikey!, the accompanying Blacksticks Blue and cider risotto was amazingly just that A perfect risotto, all served with a funny little chutney which was also yumshious.
After such a splendid meal and feeling rather drunk we left, taxi of cause, after splitting the bill, which was more than reasonable. It takes a hell of a lot to win me over but the Red Lion is good. Really quite good, in fact really, really good.
Go there if you want or don�t... No, go!
tripe - 20 Dec 2008 20:01 |
Tried The Red Lion last week and will now probably be trying it every week. The kind of place you could go with either your friends or your family for a big meal or small lunch and feel really comfortable. In fantastic setting with a great interior having a modern feel but with all the comfort of a cosy traditional pub. The staff were extremely friendly and the food was absolutely gorgeous. The best food I have tasted in a very long time, cooked to absolute perfection. Went home having been suitably stuffed and watered thinking my Christmas had come early . You really should try it as you won't be going anywhere else after.
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Hello,
I visited the Red Lion yesterday for the first time, and can truly say that i have found "my local" i have longed for since moving to the area 12 months ago. On arrival, the setting is simply picture post card, the flooded Lem may have added slightly to the atmosphere, but still i was captivated by the setting. On entering the pub, i was met with a warm, happy, bustling atmosphere, and taken aback by the contrast between the quarry and oak floors, delightful original beams, log fires and the rather modern "comic" decorations.....it worked superbly. I sat at the bar with the sunday papers, recieved friendly banter from the jovial barstaff, and what was only supposed to be a pint with my dog before lunch with the in laws, turned into a six hour sitting which included the most impecably cooked steak i have ever had. Even Stig, my dog, was perfectly contented as he took over the space in front of the fire and was provided with the landlords own dogs water bowl. I can honestly conclude that this pub has the entire package.......it is an absolute 'honey pot', to which i will be returning on a regular basis.
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Still doing very well, tipped for greatness by many! I love this pubs food and cheeriness.
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Excellent pub in a picturesque location. The Red Lion has really benefited from its refurb last year. It is bright, clean and well presented. The menu has something to suit everyone and is refreshingly different- the vegetarian choices are excellent. Friendly staff who always try and accommodate you. Really nice place- well worth a visit.
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Very nice pub, smart, clean and friendly. A bit remote but dont give up the search it is worth the effort!
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Complete turn around, a very tasteful refurbishment, will be great in the summer!
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first visit since the refurb after the floods, really impressed with the new style of the place(love the comic books!) had fantastic fish pie and stole some of my girlfriends battered haloumi and chips, different but devine! bloke with curly hair and glasses recommended a drop of chardonnay which went well with the meal. look forward to going in the summer and relaxing in the garden by the river, which i hope will not flood anytime soon! well done turning the place around!
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A fantastic pub, food spot on, well kept Greene king IPA. The new owner is a great host, If your in that neck of the woods well worth a stop off
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The Red Lion was flooded on July 21st 2007 and was closed for some months. It has now re opened no longer a managed house and with quite a refit. Gone is the carvery and food is locally sourced and cooked from fresh. The climbing frame has also gone and young children are allowed only until 7pm
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Decent countryside foody-boozer with an idyllic setting for the beer garden next to the old bridge and river. As its a Greene King gaff you know what to expect on the pumps but surprisingly the place is rammed with diners so the grub must be good. My Abbot Ale looked a little flat and didn't taste the best either, last time I was in, but my mate has told me he's had a good pint of the stuff here before so I will definitely give this place another chance when I find myself in Leamington's 'wilds'.
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Isolated this pub lies 4 miles to the back of Long Itchington and the superior ales of the Buck et al, however, the nearest pub to here is the Bull in Weston Under Wetherley which is a food pub (although does have good abbott). The Red Lion at Hunningham is a Green King Pub and usually serves a decent Abbott or IPA. Very popular on a Sunday for food. Beware, this pub is close to a river which often bursts its banks and cuts off your approach from weston.
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Had an OK sunday lunch here recently - portions on the large side. The only cask beer on was Greene King IPA which was kept well enough. River-side location is stunning and ideal for families.
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Visited this wonderful country pub on Sunday with my partner. We'd never been there before and hadn't made a reservation so knew we were running a risk of not being able to get a table. Upon arriving we were greeted by a young man, dressed smartly in a shirt and tie, i assume he's the manager (heard a member of staff call him Mike and ask him a question about the bar so i assume he's the boss). We asked him if a table was free and he informed us he had one table that had just become free but it needed to be re-set as the previous diners had just paid and left. He asked us if we'd like a drink and while he was pouring them asked one of his staff to prepare the table the ready for us. We sat down, drinks in hand and Mike came over to us, he showed us the menu, explained the carvery and then let us know about the daily specials. We asked for a few minutes to look over the MANY OPTIONS on the extremely large menu and half expected to be forgotten about amid the chaos of a busy day. This was not the case however, as within 5 minutes a young lady came over and took our order. She was very polite and when we decided to go for the roast carvery she told us warm plates would be with us within a couple of minutes....low and behold they were there even sooner. We went up to the carvery section where we were greeted by the chef, a jolly Australian man judging by his accent, who sliced our meat of choice (the roast beef) and invited us to help ourselves to the many fresh vegetables on offer. The meat, the vegetables, the entire meal, was absolutely delicous and well worth the �8 we both paid for it. While tucking into our feast we were greeted by a lady with an Australian accent who asked us how our meals were and topped up our drinks, which was thoughtful of her as the bar was very busy at the time. Upon finishing our meals Mike came over to us and offered us a choice of hot drinks or desserts, even light heartedly explaining that if we had a big coffee we'd get a chocolate truffle when i asked if they had any other chocolate dishes on the dessert menu as i'm a self confessed choco fiend. In the end we decided to forgo sweets and drinks as we had a phone call to meet a friend but promised to take him up on his offer next time we come..which i'm sure wont be long. Wonderful food, wonderful service. Thank you to Mike, the chef and the team who served us this Sunday. I ask you all to give this pub a whirl, i know for sure we'll visit again shortly.
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This is a lovely pub in a rural area. Food is fairly good, however the service is a bit to be desired. How would you feel if you entrered a pub and ordered a pint, only to receive a 3/4 full glass. On questioning this further be told that a full pint is for beer and lime and since you did not want any lime then it is a measured amount of beer. Then to ask for a top up and told to pay for the top up... Well this is what happed when I ordered a large glass of Cola. On the menu it stated Glass of Coke. I ordered this without ice or lemon. On receipt of this the glass was 3/4 full. I queried this and was told that this is a measured amount and had I asked for ice and lemon the glass would have been full. I made the point that it is around 2 degrees outside in December and is pouring with rain, why would I want Ice, and was told that if I would like the glass to be full, then there will be a topup fee. I was absolutely gobsmacked. I queried this and asked where does it state this anywhere, I was given an axcuse that it had fallen off the wall some months ago and the landlord came down and demanded I leave. Outside was very agressively confrantational and made some 'remarks' and said to never come there again. Also said would make sure I can never get into another pub in the area as he is a member of PubWatch. and all this .......... for a glass of coke?????!!! This is one Pub I would make the effort not to go into again.
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Arrived on a very warm August evening on a Saturday night.Me and the wife had lasagne and after waiting around 30 mintues it arrived with chips and salad. The meal was freshly cooked and hot. The lasagne had a lovely cheese topping and melt in the mouth pasta. The meat and sause was lovely with no gristle at all. Beautiful location by the River Leam and a great way to spend an sunny evening. Does get very busy in the summer and getting a drink at the crowded bar can take some time
Andrew - 8 Aug 2004 12:16 |
To whom it may concern,
We called yesterday (Mon 24th May) at the Red Lion Hunningham as it is famed for its� good food.
I ordered early. The steak pie from the �specials� board, about 10 past 12. At one o�clock my very unspecial meal arrived.
It consisted of a pile of luke warm steak with a puff pastry �hat� on. The concept of �baked in a pie� having escaped them.
There was no gravy and the dry carrots and beans were cold. I can only imagine that it had been left on the side until someone had the time to bring it out.
No one had the time to ask if the meal was OK and anyway I tend not to send food back as I don�t trust chefs not to �interfere� with it.
Very disappointing. Perhaps the owners Mr and Mrs Hillier were away on holiday, it seemed to be being run by a few youngsters.
I did not phone as the message probably would not get through to them. Perhaps this feedback may reach them. They should know.
Regards,
Ian Johnston
Ian Johnston - 25 May 2004 12:34 |
It was Mother's Day on our last visit, but we had booked a table for 4pm. We eventually sat down at 5.20pm. Food took an eternity to arrive. Main course was the carvery. A huge quantity, but quality left a lot to be desired. Veg was bland and overcooked. Meat was well done to say the least. Having said that, it was Mother's day.
Main problem with the pub is that there is nowhere to sit and relax inside - it's just full of eating tables. Very awkward when you take the kids. It is lovely on a summer's evening but again gets very busy. Shan't bother again.
Andy - 21 Mar 2004 20:59 |
fantastic place, wonderful location, friendly staff superb food. A very relaxing atmosphere in a very relaxing environment...
Well done, I will be back!
Martha - 20 Jan 2004 11:34 |
This is the obvious family friendly pub in these parts (and thus very useful when you need that sort of thing), with a mini adventure playground and the river at the edge of the pub garden. As you would expect it is packed with small children in summer. The food is, however, entirely reasonable and the beer (Abbot etc) in good condition. Try a week day summer evening.
tim - 19 Dec 2003 12:17 |
A very smart country dining pub where one can eat traditional pub grub as well as traditional ales. Very nice but quite rural so you cant drive there. Worth a visit
Richard - 14 Jan 2003 11:32 |
