Lion and Lamb, Newcastle

My wife and I used to visit The Lion and the Lamb regularly, but on the last two occasions - now late 2009 - we have been very disappointed. First of all, the Manager, Mr Tony Milne, has little, nay no, charisma, and can be surly at the best of times. Should you transgress, as I did, by accidentally spilling some of my beer on a very wobbly table he became extremely grumpy and pointedly moved us to another table and while mopping-up exaggerated and made an issue the inconvenience we had caused, embarrassing us greatly. Whilst I did not expect it, I had noted that in other pubs when customers accidentally spilt some beer, even without a wobbly table, the bar staff would replenish that drink as a measure of goodwill. Not a bit of it with our Mr Milne; I had to buy another drink.

We got over that and did go back again. This time, our last visit, with guests from USA, we found the food standard to have deteriorated even more than on our previous visit and the cost far too high for what we got.

We have now renamed The Lion and the Lamb as "The Arm and the Leg" in recognition of its over-priced food served under the gimlet eye of a charisma-lacking, unfriendly Manager. Why on earth did he ever wish to run a pub/restaurant?

Like a previous poster, we now go to The Battlesteads Hotel in Wark or slightly farther afield, The Bay Horse Inn in West Woodburn where we are made to feel most welcome and the food is excellent at a reasonable price.

The Lion and the Lamb will, I predict lose more and more of its diners!

8 Mar 2010 17:19

Lion and Lamb, Newcastle

My wife and I used to visit The Lion and the Lamb regularly, but on the last two occasions - now late 2009 - we have been very disappointed. First of all, the Manager, Mr Tony Milne, has little, nay no, charisma, and can be surly at the best of times. Should you transgress, as I did, by accidentally spilling some of my beer on a very wobbly table he became extremely grumpy and pointedly moved us to another table and while mopping-up exaggerated and made an issue the inconvenience we had caused, embarrassing us greatly. Whilst I did not expect it, I had noted that in other pubs when customers accidentally spilt some beer, even without a wobbly table, the bar staff would replenish that drink as a measure of goodwill. Not a bit of it with our Mr Milne; I had to buy another drink.

We got over that and did go back again. This time, our last visit, with guests from USA, we found the food standard to have deteriorated even more than on our previous visit and the cost far too high for what we got.

We have now renamed The Lion and the Lamb as "The Arm and the Leg" in recognition of its over-priced food served under the gimlet eye of a charisma-lacking, unfriendly Manager. Why on earth did he ever wish to run a pub/restaurant?

Like a previous poster, we now go The Battlesheads Hotel in Wark or slightly farther afield, The Bay Horse Inn in West Woodburn where we are made to feel most welcome and the food is excellent at a reasonable price.

The Lion and the Lamb will, I predict lose more and more of its diners!

8 Mar 2010 17:15