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Red Lion Hotel, Clovelly

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user reviews of the Red Lion Hotel, Clovelly

please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.

Paid £7 to walk down to a pub with one bar closed and the other staffed by one person. The queue was 12 customers long. Didn't hang around for a pint
triumph - 5 Jan 2017 18:18
Well worth the walk down to the bottom of Clovelly as it's a decent pub in a great location.
ignoring the ubiquitous Doom Bar we had the Clovelly ale which was decent.
bromsgrovebeerboy - 27 Oct 2013 13:48
I was pleased to see beer from the local Country Life brewery available. The barman offered me a sample which I accepted.
Yuk!
One sniff warned me it was off, one sip confirmed it. I suggested the barman try it for himself. He looked at me blankly and gave me a sample of the other beer they had on, Sharps Doom Bar. That was OK so I ordered a pint, although it was disappointing to be contributing to the profits of Molson Coors instead of a genuine local concern.
A few minutes later someone else came into the pub and went through the same steps as I had…he turned his nose up at the Country Life and opted for the Sharps instead, but still the barman didn’t get the message that sometime real ale goes off and you have to change the barrel!
Despite all that, the pub was OK. Touristy, obviously, but it wasn’t particularly busy when I was there on a Friday afternoon in June. Food wasn’t bad value but sadly the barman needs to learn his trade, or return to the delights of London where he so obviously came from.

Doob - 17 Jul 2013 17:41
Tired boozer, as it should be i suppose. 6/10.
roselily - 22 Sep 2012 21:20
Unbeatable location by the quay at Clovelly. Lots of interesting sepia photographs of Clovelly in bygone days. Strange to think that people live here all year round. That hill in the rain and snow cant be much fun. Local Clovelly ale not bad either
fiveleaves41 - 11 Jul 2012 20:33
I have been to Clovelly more times over the years than I can possibly remember but never get bored so went again today. Popped in the Red Lion as I always do and was suitably satisfied as I always have been. Lots of lovely old pictures and knick knacks to look at while supping a nice pint of Clovelly Cobbler and munching on a fresh Crab Sandwich. ( I may also have had scones with cream and Jam but couldn't possibly say in case Mrs Gaffer reads this). My next objective is to visit Clovelly after dark when the tourists are gone and see what the pub is like at night!
thegaffer - 21 Oct 2011 17:45
This is way, way the better of the two pubs in Clovelly and attracts a much more local crowd than I would have expected despite the omnipresent tourists. A really traditional pub with several differing areas to choose from including one with a pool table. Bar food is pretty standard pub fare but pretty well cooked and the prices didn't give me too much of a shock. Beer choice is a little limited but I found the Doom Bar in good fettle
Campanologist - 26 Sep 2011 23:40
A lovely setting for this pub. Food is pricey but you are paying for freshness and the ambience of the place. Don't pay to go into Clovelly,there are free routes into the village which locals use!
out4tea - 4 Jan 2009 21:48
Ah! So they have a public holiday the day before the rest of us - I see.
Still wouldn't go back. Looks wondeful - but rubbish service
JohnnyCrow - 6 Nov 2008 13:25
Hot September day and sat outside. Nice pint of cider and the pasties are great
blatters2001 - 28 Sep 2008 09:21
This place is a barony. Research the web to see that its owned and controlled by one estate family. To their credit their grip is so firm it is unspoiled and preserved in a time wrap, but the attitude to making money is to their discredit. This pub is a gem architecturally. The snug and bar date from another era. But on a Thursday evening we found that much of the bar menu was "sold out". The beer prices were OK, but take a look at the wine list and the half board rate. Amazingly expensive! We stayed at a BB on the quay and the owner couldn't be bothered to make us a sandwich to take as a packed lunch - we were walking the coastal path. He told us to get one at the post office - which of course did not sell sandwiches. It's worth visiting Clovelly to see an unspoiled place, but don't stay or eat there.
GrahamH - 20 Apr 2008 22:43
Visited the pub last year and can�t wait until my next time in Clovelly. Will book into the Hotel and see what the village is like when the day visitors have left. Old fashioned bar, with decent beer (according to my Husband) Shandy was nice as well.
Had a pleasent meal in the small bar.
ShandyChica - 14 Apr 2008 16:17
Visited in October 07. Fantastic setting. Nice pint and good lunch time food. The snug is wonderful with the locals mixing well with the countless visitors.

See Mr Crow visited on new years eve. What a surprise that he found the service slow and food not the top of the range. Perhaps this day is a local holiday in those parts.
captaineric - 7 Apr 2008 16:33
Could be so much better. Wonderful location.
Visited on 31st Dec 07.
Of the two bars, only the snug bar was serving. (if you're only going to use one bar, why use the smallest?)
Long Q to get served. poor selection of beers.
Small measures. The childrens glasses were 3 inches tall!
2 thirds of the snug, reserved for a party of 10. Leaving those that were lucky enough to get food, to have to stand and eat.
Most of the menu sold out very quickley.
Shame really, because, it really is a lovely setting.


JohnnyCrow - 2 Jan 2008 11:11
After being fleeced for �5 just to walk down into the village, this place is a welcome stop off! The food and beers were great, we had some fine pasties. The snug is unspoilt and comfortable. Cracking view of the little harbour, and a good place to recharge your batteries before the slog back up the hill to the car.
oxenhillshaw - 22 Aug 2007 10:14
Clearly the better pub of the two in Clovelly. As mentioned by a previous reviewer the snug bar is very atmospheric. They had good fires going the two evenings we were in, and the pub was more lively than the other pub up the hill. The pub had more interesting clientele and better service.
anonymous - 13 Dec 2006 11:52
The owners (presumably the same people that actually own the whole village) have converted the majority of the pub into a 21st century hotel-cum-restaurant-cum-pub... but here's the good bit; Acknowledging that Clovelly is still very much a working harbour, they've left the snug more or less untouched, with flagstone floors and the original rickety ambience intact. There's some old boy who's more or less a pemanent fixture there, greeting and being greeted by the locals as they nip in for a break during the course of their day. Hard to think of a more pleasing setting, either. Right on the quay. A gem of a pub.
Albert_Campion - 16 Mar 2006 11:41
Interesting pub to sit outside on the 14th century quay in the totally unique village
mada - 25 Feb 2006 10:39

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