Restaurant Review: The Red Lion – Family Pub & Dining in Leek*

The past few weeks, England and especially Staffordshire, although sheltered has been battered with lots of rain, wind, sleet and snow. It was on one of these lazy Sunday mornings that I decided that I was not going to cook but we, as a family were going to head to the newly refurbished The Red Lion in Leek, Staffordshire to try their Sunday Roast Dinner.  We met up with Chef Anthony Hollinshead who has recently taken over the kitchen at The Red Lion and is in the process of changing their menu to showcase more gastro, modern, hearty and flavourful food but still keeping it pub-style. He also explained that the pub has undergone some renovation but more will be done over the year. Keep on reading to learn more about their Sunday Roast Dinners and read what we thought of it.

Walking in we immediately noticed the new pool table, the fireplace which was roaring away, the large screen TV which was playing a live football game and the new cake bar. The pub has been there for many years now, my husband who studied in Leek college many years ago remembers it well but over the years has changed management and ownership. Located in the heart of Market Street, there was plenty of parking spots outside the pub and being a Sunday, parking was free. My kids felt immediately welcomed, sat down and kept themselves busy with the activities listed on the kid’s menu while we ordered our food.

My husband and I picked the 3-course Sunday Roast Dinner meal which comes with a starter, main course and dessert. For our first starter, we picked the Salmon and Dill Fishcakes. The salad was refreshing with the balsamic vinegar dressing and the fishcakes tasted perfect with the right combination of fish and potatoes. The outer breaded layer of the fishcake was crispy while the inside soft, light and flavourful with the right amount of herbs.

For our second starter, we picked the Soup of the Day which was vegetable soup. The soup tasted creamy and warming on the cold and wet day and came with plenty of bread. It was lovely to get the starters first as our kids shared a little of our starters while they waited for their mains to arrive.

The kid’s meal cost £4.50 each and our daughter picked Cheesy Pizza with toppings of her choice which was pineapple and ham. This came with fries (we forgot to ask about her peas) and my son ordered fish fingers with fries and baked beans. Their meals were well cooked and they ate almost all the food as they were starving. The pizza dough was soft and fluffy and you could tell that this was homemade as well.

Our 3-course Sunday Roast meal cost £12.95 per person, if you just want just the mains that would cost you only £8.95 each. The meal itself was delicious with the potatoes cooked to perfection, the meat was sourced locally and was of good quality. The addition of cheesy cauliflower was not what I expected but it was a great idea as it was so moreish and yummy! Every mouthful was so delish. The stuffing and Yorkshire pudding was well made, but the vegetables were slightly overcooked to my liking as the broccoli did not have a bite to it and looked a little yellow. Otherwise, the Sunday Roast lunch meal set as a whole was really warming especially since there was blustering wind outside.  Another note to add, by looking at our photos, you can see that our meals were proper pub-style meals which were not only substantial but hearty and value for money (for the price that you pay).

For desserts, my son ordered the Jelly and Ice-cream while my daughter ordered the Kickerbocker Glory, the dessert cost an extra £1.49 each and was well worth it. Both of them totally loved it and cleaned their bowls.  For us adults we ordered the Apple Crumble with Custard and the Cheesecake. My coffee and walnut cheesecake had lovely flavour to it but unfortunately, it was dry and very hard to cut through.  The apple crumble tasted nice with the oats topping which is more healthy than the traditional flour-based crumble. The cake was made by one of the pub’s staff while the crumble was made by Chef Anthony himself.  We have reviewed their Sunday Roast Dinner Menu, but do check out their new daily menu served daily or their themed speciality menu ie Curry Night on Monday, Burgers on Tuesday, Steak on Wednesday and Chicken in a Bucket on Thursdays. If you live in Leek or are passing through, do stop by The Red Lion as it is a nice and cosy pub to relax and refuel with the family.

Where is The Red Lion in Leek?
7 Market Pl
Leek
ST13 5HH
01538 809900 (If you are unable to get them on the phone, just turn up, as they can seat up to 6o-pax at one go)

What are their opening hours?

Mon to Wed – 9.30am until 10.30pm
Thu – 9.30am until 11pm
Fri & Sat – 9.30am until 2am
Sun – 11.30am until 10pm

About The Red Lion

Dating back to the 18th century, THE RED LION, a central landmark to the Market Place in Leek, has held a prominent position as a social hub for historical events, meetings and a whole host of entertainment and going’s on for centuries.  Included in these times-gone-by are the famous Bostock and Wombwell Dynasty, famed for their presentation of travelling menageries exhibiting new and exotic animals from around the world. Today, the Red Lion is the place to be with our very own menagerie of drinks, live music, sports and SPECTACULAR food.

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*We were invited to review the food at The Red Lion, all opinions are our own.