Eat My Words: We review the Red Lion at Caythorpe

When it comes to eating out, I’m a simple creature. I like my food to be tasty but hearty and filling, with a nice glass of my favourite wine and in a nice, cosy pub restaurant setting.

I took my children Isla and Rory for an after-school treat to the Red Lion at Caythorpe. Some restaurants this nice might have been a little hesitant to allow children to dine there, but the staff couldn’t have been more accommodating and we were all treated like royalty by our waiter Michael.

After settling down in the bar dining area, we placed our drinks order (a lemonade for Isla, a blackcurrant squash for Rory, and a Coke for me as I was driving) and then set about studying the food menu.

This is where I was utterly stumped as there was so much choice for someone like me who, as I say, loves proper hearty food. Fish and chips, scampi, steak, a lovely-sounding goat cheese tartlet, salmon fillet, lamb shank, a seafood curry….oh my!

In the end, I plumped for the Italian style chicken breast topped with pesto, peppers, and mozzarella, which came with a sizeable portion of roasted potatoes in a vine tomato sauce. And oh my goodness, it was delicious.

Every bite was so good I didn’t want to stop eating! The chicken was cooked to perfection and the cheese and tomato sauce complimented each other perfectly.

The Red Lion doesn’t have a set children’s menu per se, rather offering smaller portions of the adult mains, so the kids both chose the fish and chips. Their completely empty plates and the fact that they were too full for dessert will tell you how good it was.

Isla announced to Michael that the fish was better than what she’d had from the chip shop, and she wasn’t wrong, it was as close to perfect as you’d expect haddock to be.

Then the dessert menu was brought out. There were two different types of cheesecake, a chocolate brownie, sticky toffee pudding, two sponge puddings, and ice creams and sorbets to boot and honestly, everything sounded so good I was gutted I was simply too full to pick one.

Next time we go, I’ll definitely choose a lighter main course so I can sample a pudding.

Three full bellies and three very satisfied customers. We’ll definitely be back to the Red Lion, and I recommend that anyone who enjoys their food to do the same.

Out of five:

Food: One word: wow. Our food was simply outstanding. Filling, good sized portions, perfectly cooked, and full of flavour. If even my picky six-year-old gobbled up a meal then you know you’re onto a winner, and watching Rory trough down his fish and chips should be a good indication of how brilliant the food was. *****

Drinks: A sign of a good eatery is the wine list in my opinion, and there was such an extensive list I’m almost glad I couldn’t drink as I honestly couldn’t have chosen which to go for. And then there’s the wide range of gins and other spirits, beers on tap, and plenty of non-alcoholic options. *****

Decor: In the winter, their open fires are roaring but in the warmer weather, the place is just as bright and airy with the sunny windows. I love the cosy yet upmarket feel of the place, and the Wall of Fame with all the regular’s dogs is a lovely touch. *****

Staff: The staff were all absolutely lovely and made us all feel very welcome, and I was especially touched by the special attention they paid to my children, who loved being treated like royalty. A huge thank you to Simon, Mischa, and all of the team at the Red Lion for being so accommodating and friendly — and especially to Michael who is a credit to the restaurant. *****

Price: My main course was £19, which wasn’t bad considering the quality of the food, and the children’s portions were £7.50 each which was very reasonable given the size of the portions they had. ****

Have you had a great meal? Share your own Eat My Words reviews or tell us where to try by emailing: news@newarkadvertiser.co.uk