Loved this pub...a halfway meet for a family gathering. We sat outside as it was such a warm day & we had our table for four hours without feeling uncomfortable. I believe there has just been a refurbishment. The interior was tastefully decorated & spacious. The food was lush. The waiter worked like a trojan. Will be revisiting for sure.
Loved this place. Found it from the top 10 in the telegraph. Staff are so friendly and helpful. We had dinner, stayed over in a superior double (albeit upstairs was very warm and could do with a fan) and ate breakfast with them the following morning. There's a really cute drinks hut salvaged from a horse a box in the garden. Will be back!
Fantastic 2 night stay at the lion, very well situated not far off M40 and 5 minutes from Bicester,. Rooms were well appointed with comfortable furniture we chose a deluxe room with addition of a sofa. Everything was spotlessly clean.
We chose to eat in the Restaurant both evenings. A limited menu selection due to current restrictions but both meals were lovely. Arrived at the table pipping hot also. The breakfast was equally delicious and definitely value for money. Staff were. Very welcoming; polite and professional
Have had better service and food at this establishment! Make your own mind up.
Very disappointed as a neighbour to be turned away as no availability for lunch have never had to book to sit in the bar for food before
They redid the pub, and we really enjoy the atmosphere and the menu
Unexpectedly great find with fresh, tasty local food all at a reasonable price. Staff were very accommodating. Recommended!
Had a lovely meal here and used the 10 off per person which made it quite good value service was good food was lovely and is a very smart and clean place to eat out will be back again
Fantastic place to eat. This was our second visit and it didn't disappoint. Would recommend all to visit.
Very nice food. Great atmosphere. I would give five stars if the staff were more helpful and friendly.
Arrived at seven thirty, beautiful surroundings and lovely atmosphere .. ten minutes later we were given menus forty minutes later we still had not been asked for our order .. we left!!! It was not busy and there appeared to be two chefs in the kitchen .. appalled at the service and the lak of concern when we left .the witness did not care! What a shame
Long wait, staff seemed disorganised - we were told to wait for a table for 30 min, after which time nobody came to call us. We had to ask and it appeared that the restaurant was actually more than half empty, but they didn't have communication between the team members. Food was average, I liked the chicken terrine and the leeks and courgette soup, sunday roast was below the expectations set for the price. There are some renovation works and the restaurant part is quite new, but on a cold day of 8 degrees it was freezing inside.
What a wonderful place, a must if passing or stay in Bicester. Food and service were faultless A++++
Fabulous place, friendly and helpful staff and great food. Its not my first stay at the Lion, but it was the first since they reopened after the lock down restrictions have been relaxed. Unlike some other pubs, the Lion has managed to maintain the feeling a quality country pub, but has systems and new practices in place designed to keep guests and staff safe. I love this place and can highly recommend for a short stop over or a lovely meal with friends or family.
Beautiful pub with lovely outdoor seating need to book first for food. Can get busy
Rooms very nice , spacious shower , friendly staff, good breakfast and good evening meal
Amazing food as always. Sunday roast was fantastic.
Fairly disappointed with the overall experience. Took my parents for Sunday lunch. Food was OK -reasonably priced for the area. The roast beef was lovely, chicken a bit dry, Yorkshire pudding under-seasoned, roast potatoes had gone soft. Several menu options not available which was disappointing for a 12:30 lunch booking at the weekend. We ordered our starters and the waitress returned to tell us 2 of the 3 items weren t available, so we just had some bread. The service was very slow. We were offered 1 drink in 2 hours. Dessert menu given but it took 25 minutes to return to take our order, by which time we decided to get the bill. Staff seemed put out by this & told us to go and pay ourselves at the bar - not very professional. Pub full of families with young children which would ve been nice in the right company, but unfortunately so noisy we couldn t comfortably hold a conversation. We were seated at the bottom of the stairs which is a cut-through area, regularly interrupted by people cutting past, walking up & down from the mezzanine. We asked to move but it wasn t possible. As a first impression I m afraid it wasn t great.
Lovely location, excellent staff but let down by mediocre food. We had Sunday lunch, the meat was overcooked, the roast potatoes were dried out, and we had to ask for gravy because there was so little on the plate; disappointing.
Met a friend for lunch in this lovely pub. Has recently become a Brakspear pub so the beer was great. The venison scotch egg starter was perfect with a runny egg and the fish cake special was very generous portion wise and excellent. One of the best lunches I've had for a long time and quite reasonable. Beware that outside you can hear the M40 clearly so not an outdoor venue
Lovely atmosphere and great food, totally recommended.
Great hotel really nice food and great staff but not a person in sight when I left at 7:45am left door unlocked and key on the bed
Wanted a local place to crash at. Absolutely lovely, staff were very welcoming. Was served immediately - and even catered for non-alcoholic drinkers by making custom made mocktails (Which were delicious!)
Food was awesome, highly recommend and would love to come again. Great atmosphere and food, don t even think twice.
Had my birthday party here with the family. All was booked well in advance but on arrival the staff didn't know anything about it apparently the manager had left. The new manager did make room for us all and went out of his way to make up but the service was dreadful and the food was cold and had to be sent back also they had run out of lots of meals on the menu . They did deduct the price of the main meals from the bill but the evening was spoilt.
We will not be returning and would not recommend. Shame really because we have eaten here in the past and it had been good.
What a fabulous place to relax by an open fire and share lovely bottle of wine with a friend. The Lion really is a beautiful venue. A traditional English pub, serving a great selection of food, their menu really does cater for all tastes, vegetarian and vegan options are plentiful. The staff working were all bubbly and helpful, its a lovely atmosphere. We will definitely be returning very soon.
Great food, great atmosphere. Really worth a visit.
Real shame today as usually so good. Today there was a large party whilst we were dining. The food took a very long time to come out. The waiter was so good and entertained our 3 year old very well, but by the time her food came, she'd gone past it. Could have done with some more staff today. Usually LOVE this place as it's halfway between us and our friends...really hope our next visit is better as it's such a great pub and usually wonderful food and service.
Lovely surroundings. Nice staff. But frozen chips?
Fabulous village hostelery; does everything extremely well, from super breakfasts to great evening food, and fine choice of wines and beers. Very friendly and efficient staff too.
Highly recommended; look out for evening specials (e.g. pie nights, etc.).
Looks like a village pub, but it is much more - good quality accommodation available in new bldgs along with a large dining area at the rear give it an almost small hotel vibe, but remains quintessentially a village pub from
We had a wonderful roast dinner here tonight. Beautiful food and excellent service. Not rushed at all and they are taking excellent care in these difficult times. Can't fault them and would thoroughly recommend.
Great pub, full of character and charming staff. Didn't eat so can't comment on the food, but restaurant was full so good sign if course.
Lovely pub not far from Bicester and just off the A41. Good food, nice atmosphere and staff.
Amazing refurbished pub with a great menu, fab service and good selection of wines, beers and soft drinks. The staff were really helpful in organising a mass family gathering of 36 people and everybody had a great experience and loved the food.
We will be back - thanks for all your hard work in making our family reunion go so well.
Fantastic outdoor area and lovely menu. Have been multiple times and it was so nice that we decided to have our post-wedding brunch here. On a warm, sunny day, the outdoor area is unbeatable. Even when rainy and cold the inside is warm and extremely welcoming. Menu has lots of delightful choices and they seem to have lots of themed nights and specialty menus. Worth the visit and will be back.
We had a very short break for our anniversary.
What a lovely place!
The room was spacious, clean and the bed very comfortable.
Very friendly and helpful staff, fantastic food and wine.
What more can I say - a great stay and we will be back.
We ve been here a number of times and most recently for our wedding anniversary a few months ago. The beds are super comfy and the rooms are stunning. Alex (I think that was his name!) was very attentive and was able to sort out some nibbles for us even when the kitchen was shut. We were looked after beautifully throughout our dinner and were given a special desert for our celebrations. We will definitely be returning for this years anniversary!
There was a very comfortable feel to this pub and the food and service was excellent
No great but not bad. Lovely building and great food, staff could be a little friendlier!
Great find, excellent good and very willing to do what ever is necessary to make your visit memorable
Food was good but had to wait a long time had some good real ale.
Absolutely stunning, really enjoyed my stay. Lots of attention to detail in the rooms. Dinner was incredible. Thoroughly enjoyed and will return.
Good food, good service, a popular place for my family to eat!!
Positives: delicious sticky toffee pudding, lovely cosy interior with fireplaces in the pub, were allowed to check out late with no issue. Solid breakfast options included. Very near to Bicester if that interests you.
Negatives: rooms didn't seem especially clean - old stains on the carpet and we had to ask for toiletries as they were missing from the room
Cute village with cute village cat called Billy who's very friendly!
Lovely atmosphere, great food and such a great team of staff xx
Casual, comfortable and friendly.
We came across this pub and hotel by accident. We're very glad we did. Very friendly service and fine food., generously portioned. People and families of all ages relaxed in converted barn surroundings. We will come back again.
Lovely place, great food. Had all vegan stuff and it was all spot on, especially the vegan Wellington
Nice location... Really good burger... Friendly staff. We will definitely come back!
Great place to stay, lovely room, restaurant and bar. Atmosphere was fabulous. Food was fabulous. Fully recommended a visit and a stay.
Stopped off for food on the way back from a weekend away at about 7 o'clock on a Sunday evening, first impression was that The Lion looked like a well presented "up market" place so didn't mind too much when we saw the price of the food. I More
Clean and tidy, the staff are very obliging and the food is great
A hidden gem. Beautiful pub with a lovely atmosphere. Food was outstanding. All the staff are really helpful and friendly. Will definitely be returning.
Gorgeous place, lovely food. Perfect place for a weekend or day off treat.
Our first visit to The Lion in Wendlebury. We had a lovely meal, within a fabulous setting. We were pleasantly surprised at the size of the place, quality of the food and service was excellent.
The staff were very friendly and engaging throughout the evening.
Will certainly return very soon.
Thank you to all. Compliments to the chef's.
Amazing food and service - Alex and Sharne do a wonderful job!
Disappointed. We booked a Sunday lunch for 3pm. The meat was OK but a bit dry. The roast potatoes were rubbery instead of crispy. Seemed like they had been cooked earlier and kept warm. Two of the desserts were off the menu as they had run out. I feel we had second rate meal because we booked for a late sitting. This shouldn't be the case.
Great pub/hotel. Food is absolutely amazing. Staff are very friendly and helpful.
Brunch is really good but staff aren't always the friendliest. Relaxed atmosphere and yummy food
Lovely building, friendly staff and reasonable prices! Well worth a visit!
Expensive for what it is. Awaiting new management. Same lovely serving staff. Go back late May when they are sorted.
Really nice looking pub, food is reasonably priced (but not amazing), beer selection a little thin as well
Excellent service, friendly atmosphere. Beautiful dining experience and the food was excellent. The perfect venue for any occasion.
Highly recommended. Rooms are great value for money. Nesspreso coffee machine in rooms. Comfy bed. Powerful showers.
Food is exceptional. Steak and ale pie so good I have had it twice now! Burger first rate. Rarely have room for dessert.
Really nice pub in a great setting, the village is nice to walk around also.
Food was nice but overall experience wasn t great, slow service, errors, light bulbs out and sticky tables. Shame
Arrived at this very friendly pub, our room was fantastic, clean, bright, modern, bed and pillows so soft and comfortable. Shower large, all done very tastefully and in keeping with the old pub.
Had a lovely meal in the evening, staff were lovely. I would thoroughly recommend this place. Beautiful little village.
Nice place, good service, good food. Definitely will go back.
Lovely location. Seemed like only 2 members of staff working. Unfortunately myself, my daughters and my elderly Mum arrived 30 minutes late. The other 2 members in our party arrived on time and placed their order as they were unable to contact us to advise on whether we would be arriving or not. When I (daughters and Mum) finally arrived, it wasn't until the orders arrived for our friends we were acknowledged - this was approximately 10 minutes after we arrived. We were advised they couldn't take our order at that time, due to the kitchen making up meals for a group of 15. Fair enough. I asked if we could order drinks and we were told we had to wait until the other staff member was free. One of our friends meal was cold (sweet potato gonnuchi). Our order was eventually taken and my daughters burgers were incorrect. At no point was our table asked if everything was OK, and we struggled to find a member of staff to order dessert and then eventually the bill. I took the bill to pay it and there were no staff around. I waited 5 minutes before one of the 2 staff members walked past and said I had to go to the main bar to pay. The lady who (eventually) took payment was so disinterested in what she was doing, that she took 3 goes to match our receipt to our order on a screen, no apologies, no "Thank you". Basically borderline rude.
This is a great pub. It has the skeleton of its original character but has been completely modernised. The many little rooms make it great for larger groups (if you prebook) and the food is classic pub grub and delicious.
Very calm and friendly - food was delicious - still not able to move having eaten so much x
thelionwendlebury.co.uk
