The Old Black Lion Reviews Summary

Staff and Service

Pros:

• "The staff were personable and helpful."
• "Staff friendly and polite."
• "The service second to none."
• "Service staff, Jodi and Jasmin were professional and friendly and made every effort to ensure we had an amazing fine dining experience."
• "The staff is so friendly and helpful."
• "Staff always Amazing, so helpful and friendly."
• "The service was excellent, lovely conversation and very attentive staff for the entire visit."

Cons:

• "Throughout our time there she was incredibly rude, confrontational, and hostile."
• "Service was slow, had to ask for menus, pudding and the bill."
• "45 mins to take an order."
• "However food and service took very long..."
• "10 minutes after receiving the bill no-one came back..."
• "I phoned and booked a table for Sunday lunch after seeing all the great reviews. Unfortunately on arrival my reservation couldn't be found."
• "The blond waitress massively ruined our time there."

Food Quality

Pros:

• "Dinner and breakfast was amazing. The quality of the food was fantastic, small menu but everything cooked to perfection."
• "The food we had was excellent with a really tasty and well cooked steak for the main course."
• "The food was incredible - they really do deserve all the awards they get!"
• "Great, tasty menu that's better than the usual pub grub."
• "The food was out of this world and award worthy, a complete taste sensation..."
• "Absolutely delicious dinner."
• "The food in the restaurant was amazing - some of the best food I have ever eaten."

Cons:

• "Overpriced, abysmal customer service. I ordered the cod. What I was presented with was a half cooked gelatinous slab of fish that was so raw it couldn’t be cut with my knife."
• "Menu limited and noteworthy for complete absence of vegan main courses and only one vegetarian option."
• "Christmas pudding looked and tasted like a store bought mini one and the brandy sauce had very little flavour."
• "The beef was not only cold, but it was extremely rare and also quite fatty."
• "Fridge cold mash potatoes, mussels were mixed hot and cold served in what appeared to be unseasoned cream."
• "Other issues with the food, such as the overcooked lamb and undercooked chips, take on a whole new dimension of disappointment."
• "Burgers were a bit dry as if over done."

Ambiance and Atmosphere

Pros:

• "Jazz night - v skilled quartet."
• "The old charm of the building was made better by the incredible kindness of the staff."
• "Beautiful building, steeped in history. Great atmosphere and welcoming staff."
• "Lovely pub in the heart of Hay on Wye."
• "The pub itself is a delight, with oak timber beams throughout and genuine authenticity."
• "The garden at night is lit to romantic standards and lovely to sit out and digest."
• "Lovely atmosphere staying in an old inn and the staff could not have been friendlier."

Cons:

• "No background music, no fire going. No atmosphere."
• "The atmosphere was stale and we felt unwelcome when we walked in early."
• "I think the atmosphere here would be great but we were seated in the 'den' which was very quiet and a bit soulless."
• "The only small thing to mention is that blue laundry bags were left on the landing of the rooms which slightly took away from the overall atmosphere of the place but could be easily fixed by putting elsewhere."
• "Shuffled into the characterless Den."
• "Very unwelcoming. Walked in with our dog not knowing we were in the main area not for dogs."
• "The inside smells like sweat."

Accommodation and Facilities

Pros:

• "Great food, lovely Inn, comfortable rooms..."
• "One of the best hotels/inns I've ever stayed in."
• "Nice rooms..."
• "Our rooms were adorable and cozy, the location was prime."
• "The room was great, tidy and very comfortable."
• "Stayed for one night in a superior room, spacious, clean, comfy bed and quiet."
• "The room we stayed in was lovely, very clean. Comfortable beds and beautifully clean and modern en-suite."

Cons:

• "I stopped in a single room as I was travelling alone. I thought the room overall was a little tired / dated, and the toilet waste macerator did produce some smell in the shower room which detracted from the experience."
• "Most uncomfortable bed, certainly not suitable for two persons, stale and dated rooms, poor amenities."
• "The only downside is that the bathroom is a little bit on the small side."
• "There was a minor issue with both my showers leaking, which I suspect is down to limescale damaging the rubber seals."
• "Unfortunately went the day the chef went home early. So lunchtime menu only, which there are no healthy choices."
• "This is not a dog friendly establishment and I would encourage dog owners to avoid it."
• "It can be quite damp inside."

Value for Money

Pros:

• "Definitely worth a visit!"
• "Good solid value rural inn."
• "Chef is excellent - the food was so good and so reasonable for the quality."
• "All up with drinks our meal was just under £60."
• "Lovely food, good price."
• "Food was really excellent and the breakfast was very nice and I think excellent value."
• "The wine list most reasonably priced."

Cons:

• "Though it was quite expensive (let's blame it on COVID)"
• "All in all OK food but expensive for what it was..."
• "At £12 per person, per day it's a little pricey for what you get."
• "London prices demand a proper napkin vs a serviette (paper), and a cheeseboard that at £9 shouldn't leave you breathless from the audacity of the price compared to the weight / size / portion of the cheese."
• "Huge disappointment. Expensive overall."
• "Thought it was expensive."
• "Drinks very expensive £18 for 3 pints of lime and soda and one pint of lemonade."