please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Brilliant, great ales and REAL cider. Ask for strongbow or magners and the locals would probably beat you to death. Very welcomeing with some great regulars, a pub you could go to everyday.
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The infamous Hook Eagles have just completed the Folk Festival here and can thoroughly recommend this pub. 3 regular ales available plus another 4 ever changing 'guests' Had excellent pints of Summer Lightning, Otter, Cocky Hop and others which due to the volume consumed I have forgotten. The other half matched me pint for pint with their excellent selection of draught cider with the inevitable consequenses! Very good Sunday lunch
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My local. Excellant place. I spend far to much time in here.
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Our party thought it was the best real ale pub in Swanage by a good margin. 4 well kept ales plus lots of cider and perry if that's your thing. There's a fair sized garden at the back. The bar was small and cosy, and there was a dart board if you fancied spearing the unlucky drinkers sitting underneath.
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Decent pub. A couple of very good pints of Deuchars Ipa were had here,barman/landlord had a good giggle when I asked for a "Ducksarse". Friends had Badger which went without adverse comment also. Those who had scoff were satisfied. Arranged the beer for the Swanage Diesel Gala beer festival it seems. Yeah worth a visit.
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The beer is excellent, the cider and perries make a welcome change from the usual fizz, and I really liked the place. It is a place that caters for the locals, whilst accepting the tourist trade, and I thought that they had the balance right. The garden was really nice, and the staff very friendly. Not too impressed by the curry, but it was not expensive, and it soaked up the beer and cider nicely. A real pub!
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Stayed here last year. Fantastic. Some interesting beers were on offer from Cottage, Archers and ringwood stable. My good lady likes a proper cider and she was in her element. A couple of very nice whiskeys at the end of the night from a small but very interesting collect. The accomadation top notch. I recommend the full english breakfast in the morning. This is a pub worth being in the top 40!
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I have to reply to the last posting, to be honest its so way off of base its laughable.
A few examples of prices.
Weds night is curry night £6.95 for a good curry AND a pint, friday night £19.95 for TWO 8oz sirloins plus all the trimming and a BOTTLE of good house red, last fridays special included a fresh local caught seabass plus veg etc for £12.95. sunday roasts (see virtual swanage website for comments) £6.95
Ringwood best £2.60 timmy taylors and cal IPA both premium ales £2.70 a great quality cider at £3.00 (7.3%) guest ales @ £2.80 so if thats expensive for a tied house god only knows what you think of places like poole and bournemouth. And if you have the gnonads to come in and speak to the landlady well all well and good to say its not properly run is boardering on libelous please be carefull.
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A decent town pub that promises from the adverts "up to 6 real ales & 18 ciders". In fact, rarely are there more than 3 real ales (Ringwood Best & Deuchars are usually on). Unfortunately, the place built up a great reputation in '05, but the place has gone downhill since. Food & beer is pricey, and the quality isn't what it used to be. It's a shame that the place isn't managed properly.
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Excellent,friendly pub serving range of ales served from the cask.
Floyd - 10 Mar 2008 16:19 |
A great pub with an excellent selection of beer and cider. It also has a superb garden which is great in the summer. The Red Lion and the White Horse are the best pubs in Swanage.
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Have not been there since Saturday Night.
Great beer, food was excellent and reasonably priced. Try the wednedsay curry night and the Sunday roast..you can't go wrong..
Friendly staff, always pleased to see you.
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Good all round pub, and great beer
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Liked this place very much, (found it on holiday in Swanage 2005) Friendly, comfortable atmosphere, and the staff were always pleasant. Excellent range of ales (Timmy Taylors/Ringwood),and ciders in particular. Hope to return there one day.
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Excellent food responsibly priced, great beer garden. Nice pub.
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Having read the good reviews on here, we decided to try the food on our recent trip to Swanage, and we were not disappointed! Fantastic tasting and very reasonably priced, you couldn't ask for more from a pub. The place itself is an interesting old building with a large beer garden out the back for sunnier days. The best pub in Swanage in my opinion.
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I've just been in the Red Lion in Swanage and I have to say the decor was very smart! They seem to have opened up the pub which now has a larger restaurant area. Food was fantastic - way above par for pub fare. Ale was wonderful - I tried the guest ales served straight from the cask - now I know why they won the CAMRA awards!
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Having enjoyed indifferent pints of Ringwood at various pubs in Swanage recently I was both pleased and anoyed to find the best beer and the best pub at the end of my tour. If I had started there then I would not have bothered with the others. The Ringwood was sublime and the cheapest in town. Great pub, great atmos. Dont bother going anywhere else in Swanage, you will find it all here.
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has got 4 real ales on timmy taylors in great condition, now a staggering 18 ciders, food was good as well, good old fashioned 2 bar pub no juke box thank goodness.
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My first visit to Swanage was an eye-opener.
This beverage establishment is very friendy, even towards a shaven-headed, sleeveless-shirt wearing thug-look-a-like person.
I drank several pints of apple-based liquids within these portals and then my memory started to fade.
I can really reccommend the "Special press" cider @ 7.3%
'Nuff said!
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THIS PUB HAS WON THE BEST OF SEASON PUB FOR CAMRA MANY TIMES ALSO HAS RANGE OF CIDERS ,GREAT FOOD,MUSIC SOMETIMES,BEER GARDEN , DARTS,POOL TABLE,PARKING,B&B,A GREAT PUB EVEN IN THE WINTER,300+ YEARS OLD
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well the red lion has jusr won east dorset camra pub of the year so it must be pretty good ehhhh 4 real ales 11 ciders but what do i see ohhh poor decor well u drink the decoration i will drink the fantastic real ale B&Q is worth a visit
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how come the red lion has just won east dorset camra pub of the summer 2005 and is now in the good beer guide???? is the Anchor? best ringwood in the area also about 10 ciders, decor is not everything GOOD beer is
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I was recommended this pub by a friend who went there about 8 years ago. Well, thats abouth the last time it was re decorated! Dirty, shabby and over priced. Staff looked as miserable as the building. Try the Anchor just down the road, much much better.
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