The Red Lion — Hotel in Babergh

Firstly, I have to say that I really like the Lion. There’s just a good feel about it, good staff and excellent food. Myself and the lady ate there last night with some great friends. I again had mussels that was shared as I also had the baked scallops, both great. I would say the moules that I’ve had both times I’ve been there is as good as I’ve had anywhere.

A slight disappointment was that I’d asked if I could have the lobster just cooked with garlic butter as I am not a fan of Thermidor sauce (why cover a truly superb shell fish with sickly cheese sauce 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️). Unfortunately that could not be done but I was told if I preordered in the future it could be.

So I opted for the duck which was great, really great. Other meals were the stuffed chicken leg, very good and from the specials our friends had the dingle dell (I think that’s right) pork.

As usual the Morretti was great, plenty of wine as well, although running out of excellent Italian Gavi was a shame and a little surprising as the wine list is compact which should ensure plenty of stock.

A big plus though was the Chef came out and had a chat and explained the lobster issue. What a really nice lad and a very professional approach that impressed me.

I have to say though I believe taking down the Sail Tent is a massive ‘own goal’. It’s a great place to eat and with all the sides rolled up will be perfect in the sunny hots days ahead, when a bit of sun protection will be needed.

Saying all that, this is a great place to meet, eat and drink; it’s going to see...

In July 20221 my husband and I were looking for a venue to host our guests the day after our wedding in a countryside location with a relaxed atmosphere, some delicious food and drink so we could create some more ever lasting memories with our nearest and dearest. Whilst in the area for wedding prep, we across the The Red Lion and stayed for lunch one day and fell in love with the setting, pizzas and the team there. When we sat down with James, the front of house manager, he immediately understood our brief, our ideas, budget and set to work with the head chef on creating a special day for us. He was extremely attentive to our requests and very communicative in the lead up to our event, nothing was too much for him or the team (even all our GF and nut free requests of the menu!) And boy did they deliver. As you can see from the photos, the food looked (and tasted) amazing and many guests complimented us on such a wonderful lazy post wedding occasion. I'd really like to thank James and the team as they delivered way beyond our expectations and this place will forever hold a special place in our hearts. 100% recommend The Red Lion for any occasion, an Al Fresco lunch with a glass of vino and one of their woodfire pizzas, a cosy sunday roast or a special venue hire occasion...

Fantastic Anniversary Evening Dinner Thank you to the front-of-house and kitchen teams for making our 1st Anniversary evening dinner meal one to remember! The newly refurbished Lion Brasserie has a lovely feel and the staff were attentive and professional. They very kindly even had an Anniversary card waiting for us on the table when we arrived. The food was EXCEPTIONAL... the steaks, for our mains, cooked to perfection and the best I can personally recall having in a long time. I also recommend the Mussels! The kitchen team catered very well for my wife's dietary requirements. Our only small grievance was that despite having an early evening booking (5.30pm), the next and only other table to come in during our first two courses was placed right next to us... despite there being the rest of the restaurant floor available. This felt a little mis-managed but did not take too much away from the enjoyment of our evening Despite that we had a lovely time and will definitely be back... I have already recommend the venue to several friends. It has a huge garden area and it would be great to sit outside in warmer weather. I was told the garden is dog friendly so we will probably drop by for a drink when walking to dog in the area. Thanks again for looking...