The Golden Lion Rainford — Restaurant in St Helens

I've never been to Rainford before, so yesterday, I took a trip and realised just what I've been missing. And now I'm kicking myself for not going there a long, long time ago. Boy oh boy have I missed out. You see, six months ago I had to go see a Consultant at the Fairfield Hospital in Crank, So I drove past Rainford to get there, and I drove past Rainford coming home. It was as simple as that, I had no need to ever call in. Until the Consultant told me that he often drives all the way from Lytham to go visit this top little eaterie in Rainford: "it's called The Golden Lion, Mr Jones. You should go and check it out" he muttered. Well, my eyes were fixed on the Motivational Poster he had on his wall. "Once a year, go someplace that you've never been before" I wish I'd paid attention and driven back through Rainford then, but oh no, I zipped along the M58 and headed out towards the safety of Southport. But it's niggled away inside of me ever since. "Why oh why would a world renowned Consultant drive all the way from Lytham, just to go eat lunch in a gastro pub in Rainford?" It still didn't jerk me out of my lethargy until yesterday, when I saw another motivational poster that reminded me of the one I'd stared at in the Consultants room 😮 "Never put off until tomorrow those things you could be doing today". Hence my trip from Ainsdale to Rainford as the gales of Storm Jocelyn ebbed away. Turned out to be the best decision I've made this year. And now I bitterly regret putting it off, and I'm trying to find a reason to go spoil myself there on a regular weekly basis (God help the poor staff) 🤦‍♂️ But you know, they're the best part about The Golden Lion. Every one of them had that warm, inviting personality. Really genuine and kind. And I want to adopt my young server, Liv. She went so far out of her way to make the whole 'Golden Lion Experience' really special for me. Nothing was a problem. Yes, her smile, her warmth, her kindness and her very genuine interest made the whole experience worthwhile. So instead of being a food critic, I actually sat back and relaxed, and OMG I enjoyed it so much. Yes, the food is every bit as good as my Consultant said it would be, but I really need to go back and try something more substantial, because as gorgeous as the steak ciabatta was (and those caramelised onions Chef Lenny blessed it with, were 'to die for' on their own), but I'd blundered in at an awkward time (schoolboy error 87c) which was 'too early for my dinner', and a tad 'too late for my lunch'. But it didn't ruffle The Golden Lion staff at all, and I've been to lesser restaurants where they simply won't serve between 2pm or 5 o'clock. Which brings me back to the gorgeous Liv, who helped me decide on "a little something to go with my delicious Ciabatta" (I secretly thought she'd be sorry she asked 🤣) but she was an absolute dream, who brought me a pot of tea, a delicious raspberry cheesecake, a much needed fresh OJ and that speciality Malbec which has got me still smiling and raving about it 24 hours later. I can't wait to go back next week and try out the main course menu. But instead of rushing off, I actually sat and savoured the moment this time. And staying there an extra ten minutes gave me the chance to chat with Chef Lenny to quiz him on "how his steak was so tender" and what his secret was to getting those caramelised onions so sweet and delicious? Turns out he treats every customer exactly the same. And it works. His Steak Ciabatta knocks the Miller & Carter Ciabatta off Number One Spot, so well done young Lenny. And thank you young Liv (I told her to tell her mum she should be really proud of her, and she should, she really is that special). The food is top class but the staff know how to make you feel really welcome, and the next time I pop in, it will simply be to enjoy the whole experience again, it really is that good. A hidden gem that Consultants travel all the way from Lytham to hang out in. What a find. I simply must go back. In a taxi. For a little more of that Malbec. Five Star...

Updated 2023 - visited yesterday. The prices for beer were astronomical, £6 a pint. The food also remains really over priced for modest portions. Speaking of the food, I'm now left looking after my nephew as everyone who had ciabatta is now bed ridden with food poisoning.

For all the negatives however, the staff were lovely and attentive, the decor is gorgeous and the games on offer to play in the garden were great.

Was desperate to upgrade this review for the positives, but it's just not good enough there for the premium price you pay!

Original 2022 - Second time we've ate here in the last few months and I'm reluctant to consider a third. Each time we have ate here we have been in a group of 8-12 people and have pre-ordered our mains, as requested. The first meal we had here two of us ordered the game pudding. As tasty as it was, pulling a label out of my teeth, stating that the pudding was out of date for consumption, was rather off putting. A free alternative meal was offered that evening, and was quite nice. This second time we attended for my grandfathers birthday. We had pre-ordered mains and asked if we needed to for starters. We were advised we did not need to pre-order starters and this was confirmed when we got here. When we asked again for the starter menu we were advised that our mains had just been plated and would be served imminently. The food was decent, nothing to write home about, but at least it was in date this time! We had to collect our own cutlery from their cutlery station and fetch our own salt and vinegar. No other condiments were offered or found. At no point did any member of staff attend to ask how our food was. Empty drinks accumulated on our tables until we took them back ourselves. They did bring the birthday cake out for us but only lit one of the two candles and, as earlier in the meal, we had to collect our own cutlery to share the cake.

In summary, the food is good but no better than any other budget chain pub I eat at regularly when travelling for work. The customer service is close to non existent. The internal decor however is tidy and well looked after, a drastic improvement on how it used to look in there and pulls the review up! The ales on offer are also very nice. A good focus would be for the staff to be trained to offer a service that matches the...

Family meal for nine people, four of whom were very unhappy wit their meal content. Two are vegetarian and the meal was distinctly meagre and uninspiring. The Caesar salad was paltry, only worthy of being a starter. My son often orders a Caesar salad and knows the difference between a good one & one that is below standard.The price as expected post-covid, is high, but as long as the meal is of a good standard, we’re fine with that. We are not local, we travelled from West lancs for a get together locally, we have friends close by, we had played golf earlier. The staff seemed inexperienced ( not their fault). We paid dearly for a disappointing experience which spoilt our day. The restaurant itself is lovely, we were pleased when we arrived, first impressions were good. The children’s burgers were ok & my meal the sea bass was fine........well you can’t really mess that up. We just wanted a nice meal in a pleasant surrounding, these days one out of two is the best we can hope for. We have since learnt from a local source, that there have been several complaints about the. Golden Lion, so at least we’re not alone in our disappointment. Maybe the very young owners should take note that a professional attitude Is vital & people do not appreciate off handedness or being charged main meal prices for...