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Disappointment of the week with Bucking Fastard on the Pub Forum

The Red Lion, York

Merchant Gate
York
YO1 9TU

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Brainy Pool left this review about The Red Lion

this was a decent rambling traditional pub with a down to earth atmosphere. A couple of real ales on, Dizzy Blonde and a pretty good Rudgate Ruby Mild. Young friendly staff and basically a proper olde worlde style pub.

On 29th August 2020 - rating: 7
[User has posted 1058 recommendations about 1023 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Gill Smith left this review about The Red Lion

Called into this pub last month and found an ale range that was very standard. Pleasant enough interior seating areas and some seating outside too. Chose Taylor's Golden Best which was fine.

On 12th August 2019 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]


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Graham Coombs left this review about The Red Lion

A rather nice and very old half-timbered building and the interior does not disappoint, with lots of black-painted beams around a random assortment of rooms with some nice features including stained glass partitions and a splendid fireplace in a side room. A large terrace is available outside, including a covered area. Perhaps being on the edge of town, wedged in a corner opposite the Merchantgate bus stops with an awkward entrance, deters the tourists but it felt more like a locals' pub. An excellent range of beers included Rudgate Ruby Mild, Timothy Taylor's Golden Best, Black Sheep Holy Grail, Purity Mad Goose, Robinson's Dizzy Blonde and Bombardier.

On 13th May 2019 - rating: 8
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Alex Conway left this review about The Red Lion

From the outside this place looks like a real gem but inside it is let down purely by bad management. the interior is fine but there is a very lackluster approach to the place although the roaring fire is very impressive.
The bar staff are not the friendliest of people which is another let down as this really could a a fantastic pub if some of these issues were sorted.
I have not been in here for a few yesrs since my last visits beer was terrible but i decided to give it another try. six hand pulls were available but only four were in use, these were moorehouse ruby witch, rudgate ruby mild, thwaites wainwright and purity mad goose. the ruby mild was really nice but very overpriced at £3.50.

A nice place to have a beer but some tlc in here could really go a long way and help showcase some of the great features it has, at times not the comfiest place to be if you cant get a seat in the side room with the fire.

On 25th October 2015 - rating: 7
[User has posted 456 recommendations about 456 pubs]


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Rex Rattus left this review about The Red Lion

We went in this pub as something of a lucky dip, as we were looking for a sandwich for lunch. And I reckon we struck lucky with this one. The front bar as you enter is fairly small, is carpeted and as you walk past the counter on the left you come into a larger area with a tiled floor and more traditional seating. There's another separate room to the left of the counter, with more traditional furnishings, and which appeared to be a bit less elegant than the room on the right in which we sat.

The sandwiches certainly were of a high standard - or more accurately the sausage and fried onion sandwiches we had were. They cost somewhere between £6 and £7 as I recall. I saw some other customers eating pork, apple sauce and gravy sandwiches. I thought including gravy in a sandwich was quite bizarre, but our companion thought that this was a reasonable accompaniment and should be encouraged.

As already stated, there were half a dozen ales on. The Rooster's Azacca I had was in fine form. This is another pub well deserving of our custom.

On 7th April 2015 - rating: 8
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]


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Malden man left this review about The Red Lion

Obviously a very old building with wonky walls and a low beamed ceiling, I'd guess a traditional Tudor exterior rather than the 20th century fad, lovely stained glass windows, the rear area had a working Aga. Three separate areas, real fires around, white panelled boarded ceiling. Regular seating, some divided by screens, various mixed stuff framed on the walls. Exposed brick walls with copper pans over, the interior steps up and down a bit with the local terrain.
Beers on were Rudgate Ruby Mild, Robinson's Dizzy Blonde, Rooster's Azacca, Hobgoblin, Purity Mad Goose, plus Little Brew Porter.
Food is served, my colleagues had tremendous looking hot sandwiches with chips. A fine old pub.

On 2nd April 2015 - rating: 8
[User has posted 1707 recommendations about 1681 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Real Ale Ray left this review about The Red Lion

We received a good welcome from the manager, who was friendly and chatty. He gave us great info about the pub and told us about the hidden priest hole in the chimney breast in the front room. The old cast iron cooker in the dining area was also of interest. Six ales in operation, we went for the Ossett Silver King which was well kept.

On 14th August 2013 - rating: 8
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]


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hondo . left this review about The Red Lion

6 real ale taps 3 on when I visited.

On 22nd May 2013 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


ROB Camra left this review about The Red Lion

No visible cleavages on the two male bar staff on our visit. The last time I visited here was a good number of years ago. On that occasion I liked the look of the pub, but the beer selection was very poor and we hadn't been in since. However, Ouse Boozer and OB have both said that it had improved, so we called in. The pub has been well described by others, so I won't bother. Six handpumps on the bar with four beers available. The turned round clips both had Urban Hopwork Orange badges on. The others were Hobgoblin, and 3 from Rudgate. I had a pint of Rudgate Blonde which was in good nick and we started chatting to the friendly bar staff. It's now a pub that we will definitely call in again. Good turnaround guys, please keep it going.

On 1st February 2013 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3223 recommendations about 3134 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Old Boots left this review about The Red Lion

Looks and location make this something of a tourist destination, it's old and not too messed about. Removal of internal walls means it's a flow of different spaces, although a room to the left side (from Walmgate) , all too close to the Gents, is a comfortable if cramped mix of the mediaeval, Georgian, Victorian and maybe some 20th Century bunkum. For the rest blackened beams, grizzled studs marking the site of old walls and a bit of olde world charm. The right hand room is as Soup Dragon describes. Three handpumps on each on the two counter faces with some decent local ales in addition to some national brands and kegs. Full of middle aged, tourist, diners on the lunchtime I called in. There seemed to be a cleavage of the month competition going on between the two barmaids so that's all good then.

On 2nd September 2012 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 3230 recommendations about 2939 pubs]

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