The Red Lion, Grantchester

My partner and I took advantage of the torrential downpours yesterday by stopping for a bite to eat in The Red Lion.

The pub itself is beautiful; nicely located in the idyllic Grantchester, large and spacious, with a traditional looking interior of wooden beams and fireplaces. There's plenty of space in the beer garden, both at the front and back of the pub as well as patio and function areas. I think it would make a great place for large social gatherings. But, on to the most important thing, the food.

We ordered a Sunday roast, which was priced at £9.75 per head with an offering of chicken, beef, lamb or pork. At that kind of cost, I would expect a pretty decent meal, however, it was decidely average. The gravy was instant, the roasties were soggy, the yorkshire pudding was tough and chewy and the vegetable selection was both limited and probably microwaved. My boyfriend also said that the lamb was 'a bit rough'. It is hard to find a well cooked roast in pubs because obviously they have to cater for large numbers and I wouldn't mind this if the meal was priced at somewhere between £5-7.

The pudding was also £4.75 a pop, but again was a rather unimaginative selection of items that could be kept in the fridge or microwaved. In short, a very bog standard meal at not very bog standard prices. Their menu had a good selection of seafood dishes, which would perhaps be better, however, I'd be disinclined to eat anything other than chips or bar snacks if I visited again.

So, my verdict rating is 2 out of 5. A tad overpriced for the quality of the food served. It's a shame, because it's well located and has a good ambience.