please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Wow! Don't know why I hadn't been here before, but what a find.. firstly, feels like stepping back in time to a more celubrious era... Stunning bar to the right, with massive windows looking over the Pier and endless panoramas of the North Sea..Restaurant to left, both dog friendly... At least 10 real ales, Moongazer, Lacons, woodfords, Adnams, Oakham etc etc.. heaven... We sat in bar and hand an amazing, well priced curry... the opulent staircase to the hotel rooms looked spectacular, and we'll be looking at staying... give this place a visit!!!
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Enjoyed a nice pint of Buffy's Mucky Duck on Saturday evening while sitting in a window seat and watching the world go by. Can be a bit busy with pre-dinner drinkers but does get quieter later.
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We found this to be the best pub overall in Cromer during our few days there earlier this month. 5 handpulls with a rotating choice of ales all priced around £3.60 a pint (Woodforde's Boudicca's Revolt, Grain 3.1.6, Buffy's Mild, Lacons Falcon and Green Jack's Gone Fishing on one visit). Many original features including a flint-walled restaurant (imaginative menu there but food and service perhaps lacked the extra finesse to make it really top-class) and beautifully patinated wooden floor in the bar. With its views of the pier and the sea, no wonder it was always busy when we were there.
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Called in for take on beer in flagon. Cannot remember what I had but it was good enough. Atmosphere good enough, staff good enough, given where it is it is good enough. 6/10
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As soon as I walked into the bar it was like stepping back in time.
One or two of the locals looked at me a bit sideways but you would have thought they were used to tourists in Cromer by now!
I had a pint of Legacy from Suffolk ( £3-60) , and a pint of Edith Cavell ( £3-50) from Norfolk (surprise, surprise) Both rather jolly.
Bar staff very friendly (as bar staff should be)
All in all, when in Cromer first stop Red Lion Hotel.
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Still a good range of ales, but quite a few were the same I saw two years ago.
Food choice was poor and very expensive.
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6, constantly changing local ales on, all kept to a high standard. Spent a very pleasant few hours in here, enjoying the sea views. Staff were generally ok but there was one exceptional lad who was really friendly and helpful to everyone. Gets very busy in the evening with people eating so probably best to book in advance.
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Best beer in Cromer. 6 ever-changng local ales, all in good nick at £3.70. A good thoughtful touch is that they have a little jar of each ale by the pump so you can see the colour.
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An excellent location high up on the cliffs with wonderful sea views. I ate here last year after it was refurbished and the food and service was excellent. Sadly, like so many places they could not maintain this standard long-term. The bar service was so slow and off-hand that we decided to enjoy the view for a while, drink up and eat elsewhere. Another deciding factor was £4.40p for a pint of Guinness; you can pay less than that in a central London hotel. No wonder the place was almost empty.
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An excellent location high up on the cliffs with wonderful sea views. I ate here last year after it was refurbished and the food and service was excellent. Sadly, like so many places they could not maintain this standard long-term. The bar service was so slow and off-hand that we decided to enjoy the view for a while, drink up and eat elsewhere. Another deciding factor was £4.40p for a pint of Guinness; you can pay less than that in a central London hotel. No wonder the place was almost empty.
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Agree with the comment about the service recently, definitely needs seeing to. Beer prices are all the same £3.40, so I ended up paying the same for mild as I would have for a strong ale - weird. Also, the staff appear to charge considerably different higher prices for halves??
The beer is usually excellent, but this is a place now trading on past reputation, it appears.
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Probably one of the best places in Cromer for a decent choice of real ale.
Beers I tried were from: Beeston, Grain and Winters.
Future beers can be viewed on 'twitter'.
There are lots of past pump clips above the bar.
It can get very busy at the bar, they need more than the two bar staff that were on duty.
Food is in the higher price bracket.
I did wait over ten minutes at the bar to order some food only to be told that food orders were only taken at the table.
So I waited another ten minutes at my table and with no sign of a waitress to take my order I walked out.
Staff in general are quite pleasant - but more needed please.
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I really dislike drinking in Hotel bars, this one lived up to the worst of its kind,sterile service,a fairly poor pint. Sea views and a few pleasant customers with dogs made our visit bearable. 3/10.
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Agree with the last comment - and they seem to have the ambition to being a spartan london-esque gastropub, and have lost some of its charm in the process of ripping out the booths/compartments. They wish to charge London prices, but really the service didn't merit it - it took half an hour to take my order despite going to the bar, and being assured they'd be there momentarily - twice. Aggravated by a couple arriving 15 minutes after me, and having their order taken within a few minutes. Again, when I attracted the waiters attention, told my waiter would be along momentarily.
That said, the bream I had was excellent, but will probably try somewhere else on my next visit. Ale selection was reasonable, but the choice of whiskeys or bourbons risible.
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Excellent food & drink served efficiently by attractive young staff at Xmas time. But what have they done to the place?
The discrete panelled booths in the bar have gone: the intimate dining compartments have vanished and any opportunity of lounging on a comfy banquette has been withdrawn.
Oh lordy, the puritans have arrived!
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Wonderful old brick built hotel with commanding views of the sea, its enjoying a new lease of life having been refurbished to 4 star standards. That said, however, they have left the beautiful old maghogany bar, open fires and interior of the bar well alone. 6 handpumps dispense local brews and a few from further afield, Roosters liquorice stout on the occasion of my visit last week. Good bar food too.
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all norfolk ales on yesterday,good selection in good condition.
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Probably the best pub in Cromer, nicely done out and has good views. Food not that great and it can get very hot in the summer
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Best pub we found in Cromer. 6 ales, mainly local. Very good food and friendly staff. Over heard the landlord chatting and he really seemed to know his stuff and have priorities right
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food has ALWAYS been very good here, 2nd best only to the courtyard.
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Recommended before going to Cromer - and lived up to its reputation. Food excellent, and beer extremely good. Friendly, clean and welcoming - no wonder was in almost every day when on holiday.
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Echo earlier positive comments. On my visit there were three cask ales plus a real cider. The Wherry I had was excellent. A beer festival begins today in connection with the Cromer Carnival. Friendly and efficient staff. Interesting offer is six real ale tasters for �3.30.
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If you find yourself in Cromer then the bar of the old Red Lion Hotel is worth a visit. Wood paneled snugs, open fires. Real ale that is well kept and the the view of the sea this high up on the cliff is to die for. Not many bars can boast such a dramatic vista as this. Here you can witness a bit of the real Cromer together with friendly, locals who will gladly talk nonsensense with you over a beer or ten.
Indeed, as mentioned by others there are far worse places to drink in Cromer.
Enjoy.
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I'm gladyou enjoyed the crab sandwiches blue I must have gone at the wrong time of the year..
And the same goes for the beer..
I will try my luck again sometime when I'm in Cromer.
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Yes, one of the best in Cromer (it does have some grotty pubs). This one is very �faded splendour�! A lovely location, near the pier, at the top of the cliffs, with sea views and the entertainment of cars ignoring the �dead end� sign and having to reverse out.
Menu seemed reasonably priced, nothing exotic but interesting enough. Bar snacks or full meals. When we visited, we DID have the crab sandwiches and they were good.
Staff were pleasant and efficient.
Selection of 3 real ales (along with all the usual drinks). The 2 pints I had were nice beer.
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Have to agree with ixion, one of the better Cromer pubs.
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Spent some time in Cromer recently and drank here exclusively. We went into the other pubs but just didn't find them welcoming enough to stay. The beer at the Red Lion is well kept and there are a number of good ales available. The music is not too loud and overall it seems quite civilised.
ixion - 19 Jun 2008 11:42 |
Went there for a pint and had Hogoblin which was warm and tasteless.I ordered a crab sanwich this being crabby Cromer and the assistant manageress behind the bar said we havent had crab for weeks this despite just outside there is a shed selling them on the beach.I had smoked haddock which was rubbery and tasteless.
Why do British people put up with such bad service.
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Very pleasant pub overall. It was good to see some Norfolk ales available; Nelson's Revenge is particularly memorable with a strong hoppy taste. AS it is in a hotel the surroundings are fairly swish and there is an excellent view towards the sea. If Cromer is a one-horse town, this is that horse.
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Great pub! Has fantastic views over the pier and beaches. Spent a lot of time in there over Easter and was always very welcoming and friendly. Bets a bit too busy during the tourist season though
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