Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Golden Lion

    4.0 (2 reviews)
    ModeratePubs

    Golden Lion Photos

    Recommended Reviews - Golden Lion

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Pubs 156 times last month within 10 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    The Rat Inn - Come on, how cosy is this?

    The Rat Inn

    4.4(8 reviews)
    2.4 mi
    ££

    We are regular customers at The Rat because it is such a great place with great food…read more Last night's visit was for my wife's birthday and except for one minor thing it was as good as usual. The Rat is the very definition of an English country pub. Open fires and a cosy atmosphere are exactly what you want from a pub, add in the great food and it is hard to beat. We shared a starter of smoked haddock fritters which was delicious if a little parsimonious for £7. Main courses were superb; slow cooked belly pork and 3 cuts of lamb; delicious, deep savoury flavours that are so hard to accomplish at home. My wife's warm gingerbread dessert wasn't warm which was a disappointment in an otherwise delicious meal.

    Love, love, love this place! Have taken four or five different groups of friends or family there…read morefor dinner and Sunday lunch, not one person has come away disappointed or feeling hungry! This is a real gem of a pub, tucked away up the hill just a few miles from Hexham. Have heard this is walkable from Hexham on a nice day but most will need a car - one thing to bear in mind is parking can be a bit limited and a bit of a free-for-all at busiest times, but you should usually get a space somewhere. Alternatively, taking a taxi is a good option, should only cost about £6-£8 from the centre of Hexham itself. First of all, the location and setting is simply stunning. If you park across the road, the views over the Tyne Valley are fantastic. You then go into the pub itself via a lovely garden area with a pergola. Inside is a proper Northumbrian country pub, great traditional decor, roaring fires, with some unusual wall and ceiling decorations (will leave that for you to discover!) Each time we've visited to eat, we've been welcomed by the friendly staff who offer the right level of service, i.e. keeping your table clear, everything in check without being overly attentive. The bar offers a good range of real ales, usually with a local brewery on offer, all of which are very well kept. They have an excellent range of wines and spirits as well, so you could easily go here for a relaxing drink, although the bar area is relatively small. However, if you are here, you really must try the food. Honestly, the Rat Inn has served up some of the best food I've ever eaten, nothing fussy or complicated, just locally sourced ingredients cooked to perfection. What is encouraging is that there are no menus on the tables, instead you'll find the day's menu on a chalkboard, which indicates freshness and illustrates how much they care about what ends up on your plate. In fact, you can find out where the meats and veg have come from as the suppliers are also chalked up on the wall. As the menu changes fairly regularly, it is not really worth recommending any particular dish on here for fear of it not being on next time, but the Sunday roast dinners are superb and the Sticky Toffee Pudding is top notch! Bear in mind you do get hearty Northumbrian-sized portions here, it is difficult to leave here without feeling a tad on the full side... As this place features in the top 50 UK gastropubs, it can get popular and they don't have an abundance of space, which adds to its charm but is also a slight disadvantage - definitely worth booking in advance to avoid missing out. In summary, the Rat Inn really is a wonderful place and one to which I can't wait to have an opportunity to go back soon.

    Photos
    The Rat Inn

    See all

    Tap & Spile

    Tap & Spile

    4.0(1 review)
    3.4 mi
    £

    Situated on Hexham's main street, the Tap & Spile (aka 'The Tap') is one of the nicest pubs in…read moretown. Incidentally, it also doubles up as a B&B, but having never stayed there I don't think it right to comment on anything other than it's main public house functionality! So, The Tap is one of those traditional, unfussy pubs that doesn't try to pretend to be anything but, which is very pleasing in this era of identikit gastropub-cum-nightclub efforts springing up everywhere. There is always a good selection of beers on offer (cannot really comment on anything else wine or spirit-related) including a couple of guest ales which are different each time I go, each well kept. One little moan is that the prices are creeping up into London territory - £3.80 for a pint seems a little steep. The bar is smallish but centrally located to the main seating areas, of which there is a fair amount. It can get a little cosy at the usual busy times but never had trouble getting a seat after too long. Am usually in there every other Monday evening and it's a nice place to have a quiet pint or two and catch up with people. Not had a chance to try their food yet, but am reliably informed it is rather good indeed - clearly need to find an excuse to back up this source of information. What is nice about The Tap is that whilst more of a traditional establishment, there is a good age range of people in there, so it doesn't feel like you're in one of those locals pubs, where you may not be as welcome as you first thought... Various events are also put on during the week: Quiz & Curry on a Monday, Pies on a Tuesday and Thursday, plus a regular Sunday tea-time live music offered up by local artists and bands. A nice mix of activities, but doesn't detract from the fact that this is still a great pub - worth checking out if you're ever in Hexham and need your thirst quenching!

    Golden Lion - pubs - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...