The Red Lion, Fareham

Official site of The Red Lion - www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk

Official site of The Red Lion - www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk

Visited twice in the past two weeks. The first was a curry promotion night on a Thursday, with a curry and a drink for a combined price. Charged as two separate items, and not as a promotion. Raised this at the time, but told it was deducted automatically at the till - it wasn't. Second visit, meal included a jacket potato which had been reheated and inedible. Offered a desert, but declined. Full of people drinking and good for an after work get-together. However, not for food.

Despite its pleasant, next to the church and overlooking the Village Green, The Red Lion is a fairly bland 1960s-style building which seems a bit out of place with the rest of the area. Currently a GK house, it has garish decor, G-Plan furniture and staff in cliched uniform polo shirts. The food was unimaginative, the clientele normal and the ambiance subdued. There were 3 ales and one cider on - I had a pint of Golden Speckled Hen which was overgassed, much too cold and tasted insipid. It's not a bad place, but I don't see my going out of my way to come back until the potential of its location is realised.