Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Can't log in on Chromium with Tris39
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Red Lion (JD Wetherspoon), Doncaster
Doncaster
DN1 1NH
Pub Type
J D WetherspoonReviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about The Red Lion (JD Wetherspoon)
A very large spoons with a counter down the left hand side, usual seating arrangements and upstairs long distance hike to toilets. Rammed on a race day, so couldn’t see much not even the garden room down the side, fortunately I got behind a fat lass so was able to follow her to the counter with her clearing the way.
On 6th March 2023
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3269 recommendations about 2978 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Red Lion (JD Wetherspoon)
Refurbished since my previous visit. The bar is now "to the back and to the left". Some horse racing memorabilia dotted about.
On 21st October 2016
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Red Lion (JD Wetherspoon)
This is one of JDW's hotels but on my arrival here on a Saturday afternoon it seemed like any other rammed town JDW. It was converted to one of their hotels in 2015 and greatly extended.
It was long, narrow and hopelessly busy. I noticed the twelve hand pumps had the IPA version of the JDW Trio Of Doom, an Old Mill beer, Springhead Roaring Meg, a couple available soon and North Cotswold Spring OSM. I went for the Roaring Meg (£2.25) which was excellent.
I was put off by the fact that it was so busy but I suspect it's normally OK.
On 27th July 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Red Lion (JD Wetherspoon)
A much-larger-than-it-initially-looks 'spoons on the southern edge of the Market Place, with a single-storey modern extension at the back of historic inn frontage. A mix of furniture and decor in a variety of styles in the various seating / dining areas. Also has a substantial side and rear patio beer garden divided into separate areas for smokers and non-gaspers. Not a bad selection of real ales from ten of 12 handpumps, including five festival beers and the 6.6 % Exmoor Beast at a remarkable £1.59 as a manager's special, but I opted for the more-local Dukeries Mining Stout (£2.09).
On 20th March 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Red Lion (JD Wetherspoon)
An existing pub taken over by wetherspoons. Horseshoe shaped bar serves usual wetherspoons selection and deals. Horseracing memorabilia on the walls. One of three wetherspoons within walking distance of each other in central Doncaster.
On 27th June 2014
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Red Lion (JD Wetherspoon)
The Red Lion is a Wetherspoons’ pub with the usual cheap prices including drink and meal deals. What I took to be a Northern roast dinner of half a roast chicken, peas, chips and gravy was the deal of the day for £3.99 on my recent Saturday afternoon visit. Standard draught products are available and I counted eight hand pumps that were spread around the bar.
To the right of the entrance is a raised seating area with a dartboard and to the left is another seating area with a plasma screen that was showing muted rolling Sky News. The main body of seating is located down the left hand side of the bar and stretches back to the rear.
Being a Spoons’ pub there is no music or live sports.
As JDWs go this place is perfectly acceptable.
On 18th December 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5251 recommendations about 5219 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Red Lion (JD Wetherspoon)
A pub called the Red Lion has graced this market square location for over 250 years, with its latest incarnation being one of Doncaster’s three Wetherspoons pubs. The use of a pre-existing pub means that this place has a bit more character than your average ‘Spoons and it seems that plenty of bits and bobs have been retained since the conversion. The place has a fairly simple layout, with a sizeable seating area either side of the front door offering lounge style furniture in a space broken up by coloured dividing screens and livened up by attractive stained glass windows. The right hand side has a raised platform with some nice dark wood panelling and a fireplace with a small stove sat in it. The horseshoe shaped servery lies beyond this area and boasts some decent stained glass itself, set into the canopy above. The pub extends beyond the servery to the left into a carpeted area with bare brick and wood panelled walls and a whole load of horse racing memorabilia. I noted, among other things, paintings of horses and famous jockeys, a small model racetrack, a series of boards listing every winner of the St Ledger and a plaque explaining that the aforementioned race was conceived of in this very room. A TV screen was advertising upcoming racing whilst further sets to the front of the pub were showing muted news coverage. I noticed another plaque commemorating the pub’s involvement as the first meeting place of the town’s freemasons.
I believe there are eight hand pumps here, but it’s a bit tricky counting as they are not arranged in banks, which means you need to walk around the semi circular bar counter to check them all. Thankfully, a handy board has been placed between the front door and bar, allowing you to make your choice before you reach the servery. I opted for a pint of Thornbridge Pollards (£2.15), which went down nicely for a 5% ale.
I liked the feel of this place and it didn’t really seem like I was in a Wetherspoons. The staff were very friendly, especially the waitresses who had a kind word for all of their customers, and the place seemed very popular on a Saturday lunchtime. Well worth adding to a crawl around town.
On 27th September 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
peter ashworth left this review about The Red Lion (JD Wetherspoon)
The Red Lion is situated on the market square and is the smallest of the 3 Wetherspoons pubs in doncaster.As Hondo says it has a horseshoe bar which takes a lot of the pubs space,but with having a low ceiling and plenty of dark wood around seems to give a more pubby feel to it.Had an excellent pint of stout from a Scottish Brewery but the name eludes me as i was slightly befuddled with drink after a heavy session at Doncaster races.
On 15th September 2012
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2318 recommendations about 2275 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Red Lion (JD Wetherspoon)
When is a Wetherspoons not a Wetherspoons? When it is the Red Lion, a conversion from what was a long-standing pub. Bar the exterior signage and some promotional posters you could almost miss it. A good number of guest ales are dotted out along a large and attractive semi-circular bar so they make you work for your reward. Both my Saltaire Olympic-themed beer and York brewery half were in good form. Plenty of equine prints on the walls and there’s a St Leger winners board, plus old pump clips above the bar. The stained glass red lion I spotted was a nice retention. Less cavernous than some Wetherspoons, this one is worth a visit in Donny or if you are a student of the Mullet’s business empire.
On 31st August 2012
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5099 recommendations about 5082 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Peter Earley left this review about The Red Lion (JD Wetherspoon)
A Wetherspoopns house with the usual beers plus otheres. Rooster Cheers, Thornbrodge Jaipur, Phoenix Arizona. All well kept as I expect from Wetherspoons.
On 18th October 2011
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 12 recommendations about 12 pubs]