Red Lion Pub Refurbishment -Welwyn Garden City – Restaurant Review

*We were given a  complimentary meal for two at The Red Lion in exchange
for an honest review. As usual all thoughts and opinions are my own

One of my favourite types of cuisine has always been pub food. There’s something I love about the cozy vibes of a pub and the great hearty food. The Red Lion in Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire closed for just over a week to be refurbished. And I was lucky enough to be invited to their press night ahead of their grand re-opening.

I didn’t actually realise how close Welwyn was to Watford, it only took us about half an hour to drive. And it was nice to go somewhere different that we hadn’t been to before. As soon as we entered it had a really cozy vibe to it, with a fire burning near the bar area and darker colours and lots of crushed velvet. The first thing we did was order a gin (of course) and I was really impressed with the gin station where you could add in your own garnishes. We sat in the bar for a little bit and it was so inviting and comfortable. And I absolutely loved the lamp shades!

The Red Lion in Welwyn Garden City review

Then it was time to head into the restaurant as by this point it was 7.30pm and we were pretty hungry. What we didn’t realise until we sat down with the menu was that it was part of the same chain and therefore had the same menu as two other places we’d been: The Fisheries in Hemel and The Red Lion in Langley. We’d always had such great meals there that we knew we were in for a treat.

Vegan menu at the Red Lion in Welwyn Garden City

Even though we’re massive meat lovers we did appreciate how extensive and full of choice the vegan menu was. I know sometimes places just have a random one or two choices. And most don’t cater for vegans with dessert. But The Red Lion bucked that trend and had plenty of choices. This opens up the choice of going there if you’ve got a friend who is vegan.

We spent quite a long time studying the menu because there was so much choice. And we decided to start of with an artisan bread board just so we then had time to make a decision.

Starters at The Red Lion in Welwyn Garden City

And what a good decision it was. The bed was tasty and warm which I really appreciate, especially on a cold November’s evening. Sadly the olives went to waste on us, but I know if my dad had of been there he’d have eaten them all up.

Our starters arrived very promptly with some calamari for me, and Luke went for Duck Liver & Port Parfait. I’m a huge fan of most types of calamari but this was a great middle ground, part way between the thick crispy batter and the thin dusted kind. And the garlic aoli was absolutely perfect.

We knew Luke would enjoy his as it’s a starter he’s had before. But I was so impressed with the portion size. Not only did you get a big slab of pate but you also got a good amount of bread to go alongside it so he could eat up every last bit.

Main Meal choices at The Red Lion in Welwyn

I was very torn with my main meal choice. In all honesty I not only wanted about 7 of the main meals but I wanted every single side. I finally settled on th breaded chicken milanese which was panko-breaded chicken topped with a tomato sauce, smoked cheddar cheese and crispy proscuitto. And then it was accomanied by chicken gravy and skinny fries. I can’t say a bad word about the meal as it was so tasty.

One thing I noticed when my side of halloumi fries arrived is the Red Lion in Welwyn do not scrimp on their portion sizes. I had about 10 halloumi fries in my portion, much more than I’ve had anywhere else I’ve ordered them. The fries were really tasty although I prefer halloumi done for a little longer so it’s more stringy. But they were still great even if I couldn’t finish the portion.

Luke went for the fillet steak as it’s good way for him to judge a new place. The steak itself was cooked exactly as he liked it, the fries were crispy and the peppercorn sauce was the right balance of pepper. I even nicked a bit of this for my fries.

Considering the fact that it got a little busy by the end of our meal the staff were great and always on hand to make sure we had everything we wanted. I opted for another drink and went for the Mango & Passionfruit Collins as it’s pretty much me in a drink. Like a combination between a Gin Collins and a Pornstar Martini, my two favourite cocktails.

Room for dessert at the Red Lion in Welwyn?

We were pretty full after our mains so had to sit for a few moments, but nothing was going to put me off having some dessert. Because there’s always room for dessert isn’t there?!

In true Luke fashion had a chocolate brownie, and I went for a Hazlenut Chocolate Bomb. Now I’ve had these kinds of things before but this one was so beautiful as it was covered in glitter shimmer. I’m not sure if this was a festive addition or if it looks like that all year. But I’m all for some glitter in my life.

Pouring on the hot cream it bubbled down into a goo of chocolate, mouse, hazlenut and ice-cream. What more could a chocoholic want?! I didn’t quite manage to eat it all, but I gave it a good shout.

We had an absolutely amazing time at The Red Lion, not only enjoying the food but seeing it’s refurbishment. The pub had a very cozy feel to it, great for the Autumn/ Winter. But also a great looking outdoor area for the summer.

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