The Red Lion — Restaurant in Braintree

DO NOT GO TO THIS PUB You can see other people's reviews and the lady's responses to see for yourself, bit detailed but here is my experience: 6th May - Popped in for couple bank holiday beers with friends, parked in car park and put my reg in at the bar (as the signs say) *See attached bank statements showing transactions 1st June - Receive a PCN from Smart Parking, saying I didn't put my reg in etc... pay £60 now or £100 if I ignore 1st June - Appealed the charge via company but also called pub to discuss and see what they could do (since I put my reg in). Was asked to drop the PCN into them 3rd June - Dropped PCN into pub after work, left my number and name 6th June - Called to ask for any update as I hadn't heard back from 'manager'. Told she would call me back by lady who answered phone 10th June - Called to ask for any update as I was told the 'manager' was in but still hadn't called to chat. Was told sorry her daughter is having a baby so she's busy. Thought I would give her bit more time as appeal hasn't responded yet anyway. 19th June - Email received from Smart Parking as expected saying appeal rejected. Called pub, lady on phone said to call back next evening. 20th June - Called back as instructed, lady said her 'manager' had a go at her for not taking my details AGAIN! So I gave my details and said when is the 'manager' back in. Lady says Saturday from 11am so I said is it better if I pop in and sort in person, she says yes. 22nd June (today) - Thought it's best I call first to make sure the 'manager' is in before I set off. To my surprise the 'manager' answers the phone and is immediately rude to me. She says things like, "are you the one that keeps ringing" and keeps talking over me when I try to explain. She starts saying how much trouble it is for her when people don't put their reg in, showing me that she hadn't got any of the details passed over properly as I said from the start, I did put my reg in. I said I have only called a few times because she hadn't called me once to chat it through. She starts trying to make me feel guilty, saying her daughter has had a baby, short staffed, trying to run a bar and other personal things I won't put here. I said I appreciated that but I also have two small children and £60 is a weekly food shop to feed them. She says to me not to pay the £60 and it will just go away and keeps just saying "I've done it". I asked what she had done and if I could get any proof if I need it for the parking company coming after me again and she wouldn't tell me. She told me she has loads of these going on, even one person who's fine is now in the thousands but just "if you pay it you are then liable". I asked how I could just go on her word and trust her with something like this and the fact she hadn't called me back or won't tell me what she had done, she just replied with, "don't trust me then, go through the company" and HUNG UP THE PHONE! I tried to call back to ask if I could collect my PCN, which has my personal details on it including my address and she now won't answer the phone. There also isn't an email you can contact on.

I know this is long, but thought it's best way to show just how bad and stressful this experience has been. She will probably respond saying that I was rude or whatever else like her other responses on reviews but that will 100% be a lie. I have been polite throughout, only having to raise my voice and back myself a bit on the phone this morning to try and get her to listen to me.

What on earth do I do now?? I'm not comfortable with just not paying it and hoping for the best, given what she has told me. So I now lose £60 on top of the money that I spent in the pub that evening, even though I followed the rules and put in my reg??? I also don't like the fact that she has my details on that PCN and evidently won't be able to get that back, unless I go in and demand it but imagine that she will just shout at me in person or god knows what.

Pub itself is fine as a local, pool table and jukebox but this has just really upset and...

very poor customer service skills from the owner. I visited 3 times in the last 2 months, and each time the owner has been absolutely rude and obnoxious. The 3 times I've been with my mum and dad spending a lot each time. All my family picked up on the tension and the unpleasantness this woman presents, she dislikes me for no apparent reason. Delayed table service, no eye contact, rude comments, body language suggests she wants us to leave, rude facial expressions. On my final visit we felt so unwelcome, I confronted her about her attitude, and rather than apologising she proceeded to have a go at us for being 10 mins late, the pub was almost empty! And it was nowhere near closing time. We walked out and dined elsewhere. I will not visit this pub again, and I will warn my friends and family. I look forward to a...

What a lovely pub. We were in the area for a meeting and whilst waiting we thought to have a quick meal there in order to be near the place we had to be. We had no expectations. The staff were so warm and welcoming from the moment we opened the door, the regulars who were there having their cheeky pint at lunchtime were also very welcoming. The meal was delicious and very inexpensive but the best surprise was the desert. No one of the top restaurants we go to in London does their crumple as delicious as the one we had at The Red Lion. If we ever happened to be back that way, we will be going there for a meal again... We went in with no expectations and...