Red Lion - Grantchester

Red Lion - Grantchester reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Review summary

1. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Cambridge1 review

   2.0

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 2

   Sadly a very disappointing visit to The Red Lion. I have been visiting for over 15 years, but it had been over a year since our last visit. I don't expect we will be back for food. Despite booking a table in the garden and being advised through Open Table that we could order from the Prix Fixe menu, when we arrived I asked for the relevant menu and a female member of staff said from behind the bar- 'they can't order from that if they are eating outside.' She explained it was because they can have people outside that need a lot of service. The young man who welcomed us apologized and we discussed if there was a free table inside. We chose to sit outside anyway as it was such a beautiful evening. We weren't shown to our table so had no idea which was reserved for us. It transpired that ALL of the outside tables had reserved signs on them but barely anybody came to sit at them throughout the evening. It seemed a tactic to avoid customers sitting outside. Very weird considering it was 22 degrees! We sat down and I saw that there were Prix Fixe menus left on other tables. After 20 minutes of being ignored by staff, I asked the same female from earlier, whether we should order inside. She told me 'I'll be there in a minute.' The young man from earlier came to take our order. I queried about the Prix Fixe menus being on the other tables and he said we could order if we ordered our desserts at the same time. No problem for us. The food itself was fine. Sadly the service was such a let down. Such a huge disappointment to be treated with rudeness and not a hint of a smile or to check if we needed drinks or whether our food was ok. The added insult was when went to the bar to pay (no one came to clear our plates) and saw a hefty service charge had been automatically included. As I say, we may come back in the summer for a quick drink but it is not somewhere we will return to eat. So sad that it has gone so down hill.
   

   Red Lion - GrantchesterResponded today

   Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback, and we're truly sorry to hear that your recent visit to was such a disappointment, especially after so many years. We sincerely regret the confusion regarding the Prix Fixe menu—this clearly fell short of the standard we aim to uphold. Your experience with the service, from the lack of a proper welcome to the delays and lack of attentiveness, is particularly concerning and not at all in keeping with the warm, attentive environment we strive to provide. Please be assured that your comments have been shared with both the front of house and management teams, and we are addressing the issues raised. We genuinely appreciate your loyalty over the years and are sorry to have let you down on this occasion
   

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2. J

   Jenny

   Cambridge1 review

   3.0

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 4

   It was a beautiful day in the pub garden which was a lovely setting although it did feel our table for 2 was in the middle of a thoroughfare. The food was flavourful. The roast chicken was rather chewy but the rest of the meal was delicious. We arrived at 3pm but waited until after 4pm to receive our food after asking how long it would be . The staff were very pleasant and helpful. Altogether it was a good experience which would have been improved by quicker service.
   

   Red Lion - GrantchesterResponded today

   Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re so pleased to hear you enjoyed the setting of our pub garden and found the food flavourful, and it’s lovely to know our team left a positive impression with their helpfulness and pleasant service. That said, we’re sorry that the placement of your table and the wait for food affected your overall experience. We completely understand how frustrating a long delay can be, especially when you’ve arrived hungry and looking forward to a relaxing meal. We’ve shared your comments with the team so we can work on improving our service speed during busy periods and look more carefully at table placements to ensure all guests feel comfortable. We hope to welcome you back again soon for a smoother and even more enjoyable visit.
   

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3. Z

   Zara

   London1 review

   3.0

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 4

   Lamb overcooked and generally poor presentation and taste.
   

   Red Lion - GrantchesterResponded today

   Thank you for your feedback. We’re very sorry to hear that the lamb was overcooked and that the presentation and overall taste didn’t meet your expectations. We take pride in the quality of our dishes, so it’s disappointing to learn that we fell short during your visit. Your comments have been shared with our kitchen team so we can address the issues and ensure improvements are made. We do hope you’ll consider giving us another chance in the future, so we can provide the experience we strive for.
   

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4. P

   Paul

   Norfolk/Suffolk1 review

   2.0

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 3

   Attractive decor and well situated but poor service and expensive food for what it was. We waited 25 mins for someone to take our order - it would have been longer if I hadn’t interrupted three staff members having a good chat. The food was OK - nothing to write home about and quite pricey ( £3 extra for two strips of bacon to go into an £18 burger). Deserts were good quality. I had to chase down the bill which when it arrived was wrong and included a mandatory 12.5% service charge which, given the service, was excessive. I wouldn’t go back in a hurry.
   

   Red Lion - GrantchesterResponded today

   Thank you for sharing your feedback. We're pleased you appreciated our décor and location, we're genuinely sorry to hear that the service/value did not meet your expectations. We also appreciate your comments regarding the food and pricing. We strive to offer high-quality ingredients and dishes that reflect both value and flavour, so we’re disappointed that this wasn’t your impression. That said, we're glad you enjoyed the desserts. We understand how frustrating billing issues can be. While the service charge is discretionary and can always be amended, we clearly missed the opportunity to make that clear and ensure you felt comfortable raising any concerns. Thank you again for your honesty. Feedback like yours helps us to improve.
   

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5. C

   Carol

   Cambridge1 review

   4.0

   Dined on April 19, 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   I ordered a side salad, a bowl of lettuce arrived with dressing, that is not a salad and not worth £5!!!! My husband ordered fish pie, nice but no prawns as stated and served with cabbage not very inspiring
   

   Red Lion - GrantchesterResponded on April 22, 2025

   Good morning Carol I hope you are well and thank you for your review. We appreciate the feedback. Many thanks
   

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6. R

   Richard

   Cambridge6 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on April 17, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Lovely setting for a nice lunch out. Very much enjoyed the chicken club sandwich with fries, a very good amount of food for a reasonable price. Waiting staff were all friendly and helpful. Will be coming back to try the evening set menu very soon!
   

   Red Lion - GrantchesterResponded on April 22, 2025

   Good morning Richard I hope you are well and thank you for the feedback.
   

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7. B

   Bristi

   Cambridge5 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on April 16, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We had a party of 14 including dogs just after work and I was able to pre-order a mix of starters and sharing plates before we arrived so service was super speedy when we all sat down. Delicious and large portions! The pub staff were also friendly and clearly like dogs! I really recommend this place for all sizes of groups.
   

   Red Lion - GrantchesterResponded on April 17, 2025

   Good morning Bristi Thank you for your kind words. It was a pleasure to host your party and we look forward to welcoming you back soon! Have a great day.
   

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8. A

   Anita

   Buckinghamshire2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on April 16, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The young girl (21) that served us was so friendly and nothing was too much trouble. I’m sorry I can’t remember your name. You were lovely with my little nephew and our little Black and Tan jack russell. The service was friendly, & prompt, the food lovely, and the setting lovely for a walk. Thank you
   

   Red Lion - GrantchesterResponded on April 18, 2025

   Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re so glad to hear you enjoyed your visit, and we’ll make sure to pass your kind words on to the team—especially the young lady who looked after you. She’ll be thrilled to hear she made such a great impression! It’s always a pleasure to welcome little ones (and four-legged friends too!). Hope to see you all again soon.
   

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9. d

   dane

   Cambridge1 review

   2.0

   Dined on April 13, 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 4

   Food was decent for my girlfriend and dad but my chicken roast was inedible. Dry chicken. Roast potatoes were inedible.
   

   Red Lion - GrantchesterResponded on April 15, 2025

   Thank you for your feedback. Sorry to hear your meal wasn't as good as your dad's or girlfriend's, this is not typical of our Sunday roasts. Please do come back another time and give us a chance to make it right. We look forward to your next visit.
   

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10. E

    Elena

    London3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 12, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    Great service and good , really enjoyed it! Also available parking helped during busy time
    

    Red Lion - GrantchesterResponded on April 19, 2025

    Hi Elena, so happy to hear you had a lovely time with us at the weekend. I will pass your comments on to the team and we very much look forward to welcoming you back again soon.
    

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