The Red Lion — Restaurant in Rushmoor

A Disastrous Experience at The Red Lion

This was supposed to be a Christmas meal for very close friends and family after the loss of both my parents, and it turned into the most disappointing dining experience we’ve ever had. Despite providing a detailed list of everyone’s names and their chosen dishes beforehand, the staff seemed utterly unprepared and disorganized.

When the starters arrived, the staff had no idea what they were serving and couldn’t tell us who each dish belonged to. To make matters worse, two starters were missing, and the quality of the food was abysmal. The mushroom and arancini were rock solid, the garnish was cheap and unappealing and the duck balls were inedible and dry and burnt,

The main courses were even worse. The roast dinners were described by everyone as the worst they’ve ever had. The beef tasted strange, looked grey, and was entirely unappetizing. The carrots were unpeeled and raw , the roast potatoes if you can call them roast potatoes there were gray inside and cold , Yorkshire puddings and stuffing, were missing from the plates. My meal, in particular, felt incomplete and cold. One of our party members even felt sick after eating.

The seating arrangement added to the misery. The table near the gents was so cramped that those seated there couldn’t even pull their chairs out properly. It was uncomfortable for everyone.

On top of the food fiasco, the service was equally chaotic. We were told to download an app to play music on the jukebox, but the volume was constantly adjusted. Half the songs were barely audible because the staff kept turning the volume down. When the football match started, the sound was blasted over the music, making the atmosphere even worse, staff couldn't walk in between the two tables was passing plates of food open people's heads after standing for five minutes trying to find out who ordered what,

To add insult to injury, we were initially told that deposits from three absent guests could be applied to our bill. However, when the time came, we were told the deposits were non-refundable. This was contrary to what we’d been told earlier, and both my wife and I heard the staff member clearly state otherwise beforehand.

The only redeeming part of the meal was the dessert, and that’s because it was bought-in rather than prepared by the kitchen. Even then, some of our party missed out on their desserts.

Overall, the experience was embarrassing, and every person in our group left disappointed. The disappointment even led to arguments among our group, as some felt the meal was so poor they shouldn’t have to pay, leaving me to cover the costs. This will be going on TripAdvisor depending on The Red Lion’s reply. Three-quarters of the attendees were from Aldershot, and I doubt they will ever return after such an appalling experience. Poor food quality, terrible service, and cramped seating made this a disaster from start to finish. I cannot recommend The Red Lion to anyone and strongly advise against dining here you have plenty of notice to organise and you were...

Best place for a sunday dinner in Aldershot!! Lived here for 8 years and its the first time ive visited this place. The portions - was huge even the childrens portion was huge. Very good price for the amount you get. The food - Tasted amazing compliments to the chef. The mains and desserts we had was beautiful. The staff - fantastic service, very friendly, polite, catered for all our needs and nothing was ever to much trouble for them. One of the most amazing things about this place is they provide children cutlery for toddlers. This is the only food place ive ever been to which do toddler cutlery. BRILLIANT! Provided the children with colouring books which they was thrilled about. The atmosphere was very nice, relaxing and very homely. Would highly recomend to anyone! Will not be going anywhere else for my...

Booked a Sunday roast. We ate inside even though they have added some attractive booths to the garden.Service was slow but I did notice several deliveries go out of the door. This maybe puts a strain on the kitchen and waiting staff. I was surprised at how little the roast cost, especially with the size of the portion. However, it wasn't very good cookng. I had the 3 meat option. Beef, pork and gammon. The gammon was nice but the beef and pork were both tough and overcooked. The pork burnt my mouth. Not because it was straight out of the oven but because it was straight out of a microwave. The veg, bar the broccoli, was super cooked and mushy, Perfect for those with no teeth. The potatoes were really disappointing, just not crispy at all. Yorkshire pudding was damp and soggy. Good price but...