Red Lion, Bitterne

As of July 2020 open for food and drink - no booking required

The new Red Lion

The newest reviews are at the bottom. 

The former exterior

A former successful independent pub and local landmark. Now a Wetherspoon after a reported £1.6 million refurbishment. Not a very good one. We've tried three times, and not been satisfied on any visit. Shame, as I like Wetherspoons, and was looking forward to this opening.

The former interior

Though Wetherspoons have made the most of the space, and have opened up the upstairs. the place is usually crowded. Smokers are allowed in the seating area outside the front of the pub, and smoke does drift inside, especially on the balcony upstairs.  Beer selection is not as wide as in the other 'Spoons in town, yet on our last visit both of our selections were sour and had to be replaced.  As, on the same visit, we had to chase up our food order, and it was then delivered so cold that we returned it and had our money refunded, I suspect that the manager was away that day, and the person in charge was not familiar with how to run a pub.  I'll try the place again in a few months time to see how it's developing, but at the moment I like it less than the previous independent pub.

Date: July 2017   Score: 2


I've tried again, as I like Wetherspoons - decent value food, and a decent range of keenly priced beers in a family friendly environment. This is just what is needed in Bitterne. But each time I go (sometimes on my own, or with my family)  there's a problem - either with the beer or the food, and sometimes both. On the last visit there was also problems with pricing up the bill.

It appears to a lottery if you are going to get your food served at your table or if you have to go and chase it up. And it's a lottery if the food will be as ordered. It is unlikely to be served hot.

Complaints are accepted silently - there is little attempt to make up for mistakes, or to offer compensation. On a previous visit we simply asked for our money back because the food was served late and cold. They offered to cook it again, but we'd already waited long enough. On the most recent visit the bill was priced incorrectly, and it took two members of staff five minutes at the till to make the adjustment down, and even then it was still 10p too much. The food had to be chased up, and was wrong. A man at the next table sent his meal back three times, getting increasingly frustrated.

I keep hoping that whatever organisation or management issues they have here will be sorted. I have never known a Wetherpoon to have such a prolonged period of problems, and it has to be resolved at some point!

Beers drunk here include Everards Ascalon,

Date: Feb 2018   Score: 2


OK. I've been here several more times since my last review and things have settled down. Improvements include moving smokers away from the entrance into a lower front area. Meals have been delivered quickly and accurately - though I do avoid the upstairs as that is where problems occur. Beer choice is not large - generally two or three non-regular beers. But they are always served in good condition.  Place is still popular, but seating can usually be found.  Yeah. It's OK.

Date: June 2019   Score: 6

The Lads Who Lunch descend on the Red Lion during lockdown

The Lads Who Lunch, that is me, Myles and Stephen, walked over to the Red Lion for lunch on the hottest day of the year. We had to have outside seats as we are from three different households. Limited but acceptable selection of cask beers.

We chose the Flack Manor Romsey Gold, but it was in tired and slightly too warm condition so wasn't a pleasure to drink. I had a new veg curry which was very tasty, though had selected on the app the simple version which should have come without stodgy bread and crisps, but they were delivered anyway. Indeed, we all felt that the portions were rather over generous on the stodge, but there was no option on the app for requesting no chip or no onion rings, or a healthier option. It's no wonder we are the most obese nation in Europe, and as a result have more deaths from coronavirus. Anyway, yes, very good value meal, but please Mr Wetherspoon, we need healthier options. Seriously.

While the open eating area does have a smoking and non-smoking section, smoke does drift over from the smokers. Please Mr Wetherspoon, and all pub owners, simply ban people from smoking anywhere on your premises. If you weren't aware, 1.2 million people die every year from breathing in other people's cigarette smoke. If people want to kill themselves that's their affair, but their ignorance and selfishness shouldn't be killing over a million people every year. Funny enough, that's more than Covid-19, and look what we've done to stop Covid-19, yet we allow smokers to kill over a million people a year. These are preventable deaths, but we do nothing.  Rant over, we now return to the new normal.

Yes, this is a mostly OK pub. It appears to have got over its early teething problems.


Date: July 2020   Score: 5


448 Bitterne Road
Bitterne
SO18 5EF

Open 8am to Midnight
Food served.
Children welcomed.

* Wetherspoons
* WhatPub
* Trip Advisor
* Bitterne Local History
* Pubs Galore

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Pubs in Bitterne