Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Disappointment of the week with Bucking Fastard
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
Red Lion, Stratford Central, Stratford-Upon-Avon
Stratford-Upon-Avon
CV37 6YW
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about Red Lion
The Red Lion is a food led pub from the Table Table chain and the split-level left side of the pub is designated as a restaurant. During my recent Tuesday afternoon visit an aged couple came in to try and make a reservation for the evening but were told it was fully booked. A reduced menu is available in the bar area which is in the smaller right side of the pub. The bar counter on the rear wall facing the entrance supports standard keg alongside Birra Moretti, Madri and three handpumps. These were drawing Doom Bar, Wainwright and Black Sheep. A small chalkboard on the end of the bar instructs visitors to queue for drinks at the other end of the bar where there is a retractable barrier, much like in an airport. A shiver went down my spine as I imagined what sort of hellish place this is during periods. Opposite the bar along the front windows is seating and a couple of steps to the right lead up to a larger seating area and the rear exit to the large canal side beer garden that consists of a covered patio area and lawn strewn with picnics. There are also a few picnic tables and high tables out the front and to the left of the pub is a small private car park that is also used by the Premier Inn over the road. To avoid a parking fine don’t forget to register your car in the pub. I found the service to be polite, but the pub itself is a bland food chain pub that won’t make it onto my list of pubs to revisit in the area.
On 21st October 2022
- rating: 5
[User has posted 5229 recommendations about 5197 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Thuck Phat left this review about The Red Lion
An identikit chain with the twin advantages of an attractive exterior and good location.
The Red Lion is central to Stratford, has a decent sized garden and overlooks the canal and river.
I have eaten here in recent years and the food was neither awful nor memorable. Standard food service delivered I'd guess.
Our recent visit found Sharp's Atlantic and Pedigree on and I have never found anything other than nationals or large regionals here which has tended to lead to Stella on warm days.
Fine to sit outside with the family on a nice day but that's as far as it goes.
On 10th May 2016
- rating: 4
[User has posted 679 recommendations about 678 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Red Lion
A rather lifeless Table-Table chain pub ,with a full gastro makeover inside and few original features.There is a decent sized beer garden which backs onto the towpath of the Stratford Canal ,but the busy one way road system dominates the view meaning it is neither relaxing nor quiet.
Just two real ales on during my trip Pedigree and Sharp's Atlantic,which didn't excite either.
On 6th May 2016
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Peter Rydings left this review about The Red Lion
Our second pub on our visit to Stratford been in here before and never disappointed had a good pint of old Hooky 4.6 sat out side in a very big beer garden well kept it was busy and the staff were rushed off their feet well worth a visit
On 19th June 2014
- rating: 10
[User has posted 948 recommendations about 917 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Red Lion
This pub was very busy both inside and out on our Saturday afternoon visit. The beer garden on the side of the pub was also big and being a hot day it was full. There was an oak bar facing you as you enter the main door, with two handpumps serving up a London Pride and Old Hooky. The short picket fence around the perimeter, gave it that country pub feel.
On 17th June 2014
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Soup Dragon left this review about The Red Lion
A large detached Whitbread ‘Table Table’ pub and eatery in white with that olivey green paint work, with patio and beer garden next to the canal. Does a 2 for £10 offer weekdays.
The interior in just an open plan sprawl with little areas, in that modern food factory Ember Inns, Sizzling, Table Table et al kind of way. The décor is white, plum, red, salmon, wood panel, with a white ceiling, with some arty pictures and a wine display. I would have had a look around and described it better, had I cared. We ate and the food was better than the functional stuff I expected. The service was very good here, the one chap that served us was friendly and the kind of person you hope to have behind any bar. The clientele were mixed, all eating. There was general background music at a decent level and no TV that I saw.
Beer: tap stuff with London Pride and a pretty flat Wadsworth 6X on handpull.
A bog standard, tediously generic, pub/eatery, which is pretty soulless and yet so many like. It was made a lot better by the service we received.
On 17th September 2010
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3067 recommendations about 3062 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about The Red Lion
The Red Lion is a largish pub that loked fairly nice from the outside,once inside the pub had been opened out into one room which was carpeted and fairly smart.
A lot of the tables were laid out for diners but as a drinker i was made just as welcome,this pub was a Whitbread tied house and there was only one real ale on here this was Boddingtons bittter which was drinkable but not that good.
The pub was very quiet as i got in here before the dinner time rush.
Pub visited 23/6/2001
On 23rd June 2001
- rating: 6
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]