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Detail Pages
The Red Lion, Arundel
Arundel
BN18 9AG
Pub Type
Punch TavernsReviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Cask Fan left this review about The Red Lion
One large main bar and beer garden at the rear, 4 beers 1 cider, (Timothy Taylor, Gloom Bar, Hophead, Cwtch Gold), good selection of malts, dog friendly, food always available, prices for cask are very reasonable for a tourist town. WiFi, cutesy table numbers on old vinyl records, interesting quirky décor in bar. Paved area with seating at the rear.
Customers at the bar formed an orderly queue! not something you often see.
On 13th October 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 43 recommendations about 35 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
paulof horsham left this review about The Red Lion
The Red Lion offered a comfortable room on a hot afternoon, with my seat looking out on to the High Street. I found 3 ales & 1 cider coming through the pumps - Doom Bar & Landlord fortunately supplemented with "Chaff" (4.7% & definitely hazy!) from Farmyard Brewing, so the commitment to local breweries has certainly diminished since my last visit.
The pub was attracting all sorts of groups on a Saturday afternoon recently, with some tables marked as "reserved" for later.
It's a reasonable enough stop-off, though I'd not classify it as essential these days.
On 9th August 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 453 recommendations about 425 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
BRUMMIE STEVE left this review about The Red Lion
Really good pub in the centre of Arundel which always seems to have a good crowd in.
I often go to Arundel for a drink when there's a live band playing here, some really good
bands and always a good atmosphere. Decent selection of real ales how'ever I always go for the Thatchers Gold which is my favourite cider.
On 13th August 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 39 recommendations about 39 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Red Lion
The main fairly square front area has the bar along one side, a carpeted space with mixed seating and abstract artwork on the walls, much of which was for sale. Beyond, to the rear, a narrower boarded area with seating down one side seemed to be the preferred dining area with a number of groups tucking in. A mixture of pub grub and fancily described stuff such as Brighton Plaice in garlic butter with ratatouille and new potatoes (£12.95). Sandwiches were mostly £5.50 unless you wanted steak. This rear area leads in turn to a garden.
A pretty reasonable beer range, Greyhound Brewery Amber Eyes, Doom Bar, Sharp's Atlantic, Arundel Brewery Sussex Gold with Old Rosie cider being reverse clipped. A decent range of whiskies are available from the "Malt Shelf" behind the bar.
The TV was off while a jazzy soundtrack played which then morphed into a Bryan Ferry anthology, live music is advertised. The pub is quite clearly dog friendly, three were in and I spotted a bowl on the floor in a corner for water.
A reasonable town pub, no features of any interest really inside but comfortable and lifted a notch by the presence of a "different" beer and a bit of choice.
On 13th October 2015
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Red Lion
My pint of Sussex Arundel Gold came up looking like sludge, but was readily exchanged for a decent pint of Sharp’s Doom Bar. The other ale on was Spitfire, with another pump unused during my visit last Friday. Draft cider (Pickler’s Passion) was also available. I spotted a Cask Marque sign on the outside wall. This pub is set in the heart of Arundel, and is popular with diners if the smell of food when I visited is anything to go by. But I was in there in early afternoon, so I guess I just missed the lunchtime rush. The pub itself is clearly an ancient affair, but there’s nothing of character inside. There are mainly standard tables and chairs, but with a couple of sofas. It’s clearly been extended to the rear at some stage, and this extension in turn leads out to a reasonably sized beer gardeb at the back.
I didn’t find anything particularly interesting, or bad, about this pub. It fits neatly into the “OK” category.
On 27th August 2013
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
paulof horsham left this review about The Red Lion
Showing some signs of refurbishment in recent years, with plenty of bare-board floors and wooden furniture, the Red Lion seems to be trying to cater for all tastes. There's a strong emphasis on food, although it seemed to me (and, it would appear, a few of the diners) that putting a local band on was an unwelcome and unexpected aural intrusion. Commendably, the pub puts a number of Sussex ales on the bar, with Hammerpot, Dark Star and Arundel among the breweries I've seen (and enjoyed, I should emphasise).
The Red Lion attracts a strong and good-natured crowd on a Saturday night, and we're happy to include it on our Arundel crawls.
On 18th October 2012
- rating: 7
[User has posted 453 recommendations about 425 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Red Lion
After walking around Arundel on Tuesday a couple of weeks ago during their annual festival my family and I decided to stop off at the Red Lion for some dinner before making our way back home. This was between 17:00 and 18:00 when there were a couple of locals propping up the bar and a couple enjoying some food. The bar is located on the right hand wall at the front of the pub and the seating stretches up the left to a rear door the leads to a paved beer garden. There is a plasma screen that was turned off and some low background music was playing. I didn’t see any Sky Sports advertisements, but there is live music at the weekends, an acoustic jam session the first Thursday of the month and poker every Monday.
The bar is stocked with standard draught and the four hand pumps were drawing London pride, Landlord, Arundel Brewery’s Sussex Gold and Dark Star’s Festival.
The food is priced around £10 for a main and I had a decent burger with chips. The onion rings were very greasy and my request for a sausage sandwich with no onions turned up burnt and with onions. We would have sent it back, but we were short of time. I walked away a little disappointed with the food and wouldn’t eat here again.
This place is ok for a quick pint, but I suspect that there are better pubs in Arundel.
On 7th September 2012
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5249 recommendations about 5217 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Nick Davies left this review about The Red Lion
Routine pub in town centre on the way up to the castle. Slightly gastrified, bare boards, pine tables and so on but friendly enough considering the legions of tourists passing through. Chain pub beer range, St Austell Tribute in poor form when we called in.
On 29th July 2010
- rating: 6
[User has posted 567 recommendations about 559 pubs]