The Red Lion Inn, Penderyn Reviews Summary

Atmosphere & Setting

Pros:

• "The pub had a lovely atmosphere, roaring fire and nice selection of beers."
• "Enjoyed a fabulous lunch yesterday with friends. The pub itself is absolutely charming and spotless."
• "The atmosphere is what a Welsh pub should feel like; the beer is good; the staff are chatty."
• "Nice atmosphere, good beer, lovely little pub."
• "The atmosphere was great. It was toasty warm as the log fire was going strong."
• "The atmosphere is amazing. Comfortable and relaxed."
• "This charming, centuries-old country pub is nestled on a quaint country road, offering a warm and inviting atmosphere."

Cons:

• "The drive in road was small and the pub car park is knackered so not great for small cars in my opinion."
• "Very narrow lanes to access and in the middle of nowhere so must be able to drive."
• "The only seats available were in the pub garden which was chilly in the shade."
• "Wouldn't fancy those lanes in winter though!"
• "The restaurant is very small and crammed."
• "Unfortunately we left as it was a ridiculous and dangerous place to expect someone sit and eat lunch."

Food Quality

Pros:

• "Simple but lovely lunch menu and the roast lamb was excellent."
• "Delicious food!"
• "Even the carrot and asparagus.. I HATE carrots and asparagus.. and yet they were delicious!!"
• "The food was outstanding."
• "The food tasted so fresh and full of flavour."
• "Fantastic food which was very well cooked and not frivolous in its presentation."
• "The food was a really high standard."

Cons:

• "The vegetarian 'Sunday Lunch' was just a Beetroot & Goat's Cheese Tart with a small ramekin of sad, dry veg which looked like it had been microwaved in a bag."
• "The coffee was of a rather low quality, but it's often the case in pubs."
• "Lamb lovely and tender but only came with ONE roast potato."
• "The beef wasn't cooked it was undercooked an mostly fat my children chicken was extremely dry an coated with pepper corns an there was no gravy."
• "The duck main was tough and inedible and the venison haunch that was supposed to be served medium rare arrived at the table well done."
• "The sea bass was in a bowl on top of some vegetable which I couldn’t make out and leeks which was extremely crunchy."
• "The plaice main course was miniscule, the fish itself was barely two mouthfuls and not the freshest either."

Service

Pros:

• "Arrived without a reservation, however the staff were very accommodating and allowed us to eat in the bar area."
• "The owners and patrons are so friendly you always feel at home."
• "Both times we were greeted by both bar staff and the manager."
• "The staff who served us were amazingly lovely."
• "Staff were friendly and helpful."
• "The staff were very nice and helpful, very attentive even though they said they were busy today."
• "The friendly staff served us with a smile, and we savored every bite of our meal."

Cons:

• "Didn't give me correct change and when challenged I was met with attitude and a dirty look."
• "Okay, so the food was great but the service wasn’t so good."
• "One star off for service as we did order an additional item that was never brought to us."
• "It's a shame to see the landlady hasn't changed in twenty years - still rude and never failing to openly display her contempt for those she takes a dislike to."
• "In summary, food pretty good but service was unorganised and impolite. Won’t be going back."
• "However, one complaint that tainted our experience was the lady at the bar. She was uninterested/dismissive when I approached the bar to pay."
• "Very disappointed when my sister phoned up to arrange a family birthday meal... we were told i won't cater for large groups and we don't cater for children."

Value

Pros:

• "They do also have a pizza oven in the beer garden so people can turn up if there is a table free."
• "Some of the food options may be deemed a little pricey by some, but personally I don't mind paying a bit more for good quality food."
• "High running costs mean it's not cheap but it's definitely worth it - by far the best place locally in my opinion."
• "Portion size was spot on, pricing was fair considering the epic quality of the food you get."
• "The food is the best ive ever had.. by a large margin."
• "Soft drinks are very reasonable."
• "Stopped after a long Sunday walk and were cheerily served some very reasonably priced drinks."

Cons:

• "Also quite pricey but great place to impress and friend or loved one."
• "Food expensive(sandwich, crisps and plain salad cost £11)."
• "Very overpriced 25£ for a 8£ bottle of wine the restaurant is very small and crammed the food is not what you would expect for the price."
• "This place is seriously expensive."
• "Wouldn't go back, food's really overpriced."
• "The food was okay and we all felt that it was overpriced."
• "TOTAL WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY my response please find attached photo for proof of price for the wine which is good but very over priced."

Accessibility

Pros:

• "Beer garden is small but very nice."
• "Nice and tucked away in the country, with loads of parking!"
• "A bit off the beaten track, but well worth negotiating the narrow lanes."
• "Stunning grounds, ease of parking and such a cosy bar area to wait in front of a roaring log fire."
• "Small 'cwtch' bar with roaring fire, great for a warming pint after a walk."
• "Great staff and really helpful with a really cosy atmosphere."
• "Absolute gem of a pub..... variety of real ales and mulled wines and ciders......great atmosphere and accommodating staff."

Cons:

• "Sorry we don't have high chairs and you can't bring your pram in either!"
• "We were told i won't cater for large groups and we don't cater for children' also have no high chairs."
• "The only downside really was popping back the following evening for a post-hike drink - we don't tend to carry cash on us so we came back here remembering they took card payments, but it turns out there is a £10 minimum charge, so it was a bit of a palava trying to make that up."
• "Just make sure you have plenty of cash on you."
• "I could smell delicious as soon as I walked in, unfortunately the kitchen was closed after the lunch service and not open for dinner service yet, so it was a bit disappointing."
• "Staff unhelpful-asked to change table in an empty room and told they were booked up-yet when we left 1 hour later still no one at other tables."
• "Wish they cut the grass at church graveyard, sad to see though worth a look to walk the lunch off."