What a lovely place ❤️ From the friendly, kind, sympathetic reception (horrendous journey up from Truro! ) to the FANTASTIC FOOD (Arancini balls to die for ❤️) to the wonderful jazz night, if your a jazz fan the relaxed atmosphere, and friendliness of the band with the diners was fab! Will be back at some point in the future.
A8179EGashleyp
We had a really good experience. After a booking system error that was no fault of the owners, they resolved the problem swiftly and went the extra mile to make our stay in Hay a fantastic one. Food was brilliant and the Friday night jazz is second to none. Thanks to James and Jill.
Deborah G
Absolutely fabulous place! Wonderful, friendly, efficient service! Amazing food! Would defo recommend! My husband and I popped in here for a drink and ended up ordering food and I’m so glad we did! We shared a few platters and it was all really really good!
KarenC3892
Warm welcome, lovely old pub. 40 minutes wait in total from time we got to table to main course placed on table... Good choice of ales, little pricey but where isn't nowadays. Pleasant enough Sunday roast and dessert, but not outstanding.!!!
Jasmine38Chichester
Visited as part of a group on a dinner bed and breakfast package. Rooms vary. Our twin room in the annexe was light and comfortable, although bit noisy as window out on to the main road. No bath. Cubicle with electric shower which was adequate. Dinner menu is a bit more upmarket and pricier than other pubs in the area - more gastro pub. The food and service was good. Breakfast was traditional cooked and well prepared. I wouldn't describe it as an especially memorable stay but its a solid option in the centre of the town.
Passenger40738637679
Stayed for one night as part of a group. Dined in the restaurant which was lovely food. Bathroom clean and good shower. Road noise minimal so could open windows. Breakfast good quality. Good choice of bar drinks. Bedroom comfortable and cosy. It is an ancient building and a pub so it is a bit creaky and a bit noisy but you have to accept that if you are staying in a pub. Reasonable rates.
MandP20NJ17
Lovely food and nice rooms in old old pub. Staff really helpful and kind. We had dinner and breakfast which were both excellent. The double room (room 2) is really nice, spacious with a good shower. Its a pub so there is some noise but that is just part of staying in a pub.
Journey59461200919
Beautiful characterful pub with lovely rooms and exceptionally friendly staff could not fault it. The Cromwell suite where we stayed is amazing a real presence seems to help with a peaceful sleep ? Would definitely recommend
alanbush
James, the owner, had organised our party of 14 to be seated in their recently decorated room separate from the main pub and restaurant. we were greeted by friendly and efficient staff, seated and served quickly and efficiently. The room is ideal for a large party with one enormous dining table. The staff knew the menu and the food on it well. We had an excellent meal with no complaints from anyone. Well above average from what I would expect of a pub. The bill for 14 was about average, but we all felt that it was good value. Thank you for a memorable evening. (small improvement point-- quiet background music would have improved the atmosphere a little.) dog friendly in parts of the pub
AlastairT586
I was greeted at the Black Lion by the lovely and welcoming owner. The pub downstairs is fantastic, very olde worlde. My colleagues and I ate here and I must say whilst the menu is slightly limited, the food is of exceptional quality. While some may think the price point of the menu is a little on the expensive side, the quality certainly justifies the price. I do however, need to address the room which I was meant to be staying in. I believe this was number 5 upstairs, but I can’t remember exactly. The room was a single room with a separate bathroom. After enjoying dinner, I had a chance to get up to the room and relax. My colleague had booked the room for me, so I was unaware I was to stay in a room with a separate bathroom before arrival. Whilst due to the age of the property this separate bathroom is understandable, this wouldn’t be something I would book myself. I’m stating this to just be mindful if booking a single room on a booking website. The room itself was extremely small, being only a single room. Whilst the room was reasonably clean, there were cobwebs on the light in the ceiling. The bed was relatively hard although I’m conscious this is subjective. The furniture in the room whilst presentable, seemed a little dated and could be of better quality to reflect the fantastic ambience of the old building downstairs. To add to this disappointment, the curtains were stained, disgusting and should be thrown away. They were in tatters. I have included images in the review to support this. To further elaborate on my stay, I have also included pictures of the inside of the kettle. This was grim, brown stained and had seen better days. The kettle was an inexpensive plastic one. This should also be replaced. Whilst functional, this was not clean. For the price point of the room, I expected better. Can the pub change the fact the room has a separate bathroom? No, it’s an old building. Can the pub change some curtains, a kettle, add a new mattress topper for comfort? Certainly for the money charged. Again, would I come back for food? Certainly. My colleagues stayed in the rooms in an exterior building, which were clearly renovated and said were of good quality. I am aware that I could have expressed my thoughts upon deciding to check out early, but didn’t feel this was appropriate to point out the poor condition in front of other patrons downstairs at the bar. If these simple things are addressed, it would be a brilliant stay for someone. The pub is in a superb location, offering brilliant food by welcoming, attentive and friendly staff. I decided to check out before the first night. The reason being the hard mattress / separate bathroom and unpleasant overall condition of the room (curtains / kettle.) This may seem trivial to some, you don’t sleep on curtains and the kettle worked.. However it didn’t give confidence of a good nights stay. I hope my review is found to be constructive and insightful for both future guests and the owner of the Black lion.
Restaurantji Recommends
Happytravellerus4
We were recommended this place for a meal ( it was my sisters 60th birthday ) we were not disappointed, food was excellent , the best steak I’ve had in a long time! Fast efficient friendly service . Worth a visit
APL36
I love the Black Lion& Hay on Wye in general. Was taking my car to the Land Rover dealer for an assessment & went into Hay for a mooch with the obligatory lunch stop. Felt very relaxed there eating alone, food& wine absolutely delicious as always! Remember to take cash if like me you like to leave a tip for excellent service tho- they don’t add it to the bill automatically nor can they add it on if you pay by card afterwards so it’s cash only!
JudithC1961
We found the pub by chance wandering away from the main centre of Hay. Excellent attentive staff, very welcoming and very apologetic when there was a small delay to taking our order when a large group of people came inside to avoid the rain. We both chose the burger, not what we’d usually chose but I didn’t want to risk being disappointed by the main courses which sounded delicious but were very pricy. The burgers were good, if a little unevenly cooked - parts were pretty dry, parts were still pink. Burger could be improved with a gherkin and more cheese! Great chips. I had strawberry parfait desert and husband had the Thai rice pudding. Both were excellent and delicious. All in all a positive experience. We happily gave a good tip in cash, hopefully it will go straight to the staff.
clmwrites
We booked a table using the website and were very impressed with the speedy and helpful response. The service on the day was also very good, and the dining room had a lovely atmosphere. My husband's steak was perfectly cooked (not always the case when you ask for it to be blue) and my chicken was equally delicious. Great location in a popular town, we'd definitely eat here again.
Y1838SHdavide
Very old pub on outskirts of Hay town centre, popular with locals and visitors alike. Friendly atmosphere with pleasant staff. Beer garden outside. Food menu is varied with good wine list. Well-stocked bar with local beers etc. Highly recommended.
What a lovely place ❤️ From the friendly, kind, sympathetic reception (horrendous journey up from Truro! ) to the FANTASTIC FOOD (Arancini balls to die for ❤️) to the wonderful jazz night, if your a jazz fan the relaxed atmosphere, and friendliness of the band with the diners was fab! Will be back at some point in the future.
We had a really good experience. After a booking system error that was no fault of the owners, they resolved the problem swiftly and went the extra mile to make our stay in Hay a fantastic one. Food was brilliant and the Friday night jazz is second to none. Thanks to James and Jill.
Absolutely fabulous place! Wonderful, friendly, efficient service! Amazing food! Would defo recommend! My husband and I popped in here for a drink and ended up ordering food and I’m so glad we did! We shared a few platters and it was all really really good!
Warm welcome, lovely old pub. 40 minutes wait in total from time we got to table to main course placed on table... Good choice of ales, little pricey but where isn't nowadays. Pleasant enough Sunday roast and dessert, but not outstanding.!!!
Visited as part of a group on a dinner bed and breakfast package. Rooms vary. Our twin room in the annexe was light and comfortable, although bit noisy as window out on to the main road. No bath. Cubicle with electric shower which was adequate. Dinner menu is a bit more upmarket and pricier than other pubs in the area - more gastro pub. The food and service was good. Breakfast was traditional cooked and well prepared. I wouldn't describe it as an especially memorable stay but its a solid option in the centre of the town.
Stayed for one night as part of a group. Dined in the restaurant which was lovely food. Bathroom clean and good shower. Road noise minimal so could open windows. Breakfast good quality. Good choice of bar drinks. Bedroom comfortable and cosy. It is an ancient building and a pub so it is a bit creaky and a bit noisy but you have to accept that if you are staying in a pub. Reasonable rates.
Lovely food and nice rooms in old old pub. Staff really helpful and kind. We had dinner and breakfast which were both excellent. The double room (room 2) is really nice, spacious with a good shower. Its a pub so there is some noise but that is just part of staying in a pub.
Beautiful characterful pub with lovely rooms and exceptionally friendly staff could not fault it. The Cromwell suite where we stayed is amazing a real presence seems to help with a peaceful sleep ? Would definitely recommend
James, the owner, had organised our party of 14 to be seated in their recently decorated room separate from the main pub and restaurant. we were greeted by friendly and efficient staff, seated and served quickly and efficiently. The room is ideal for a large party with one enormous dining table. The staff knew the menu and the food on it well. We had an excellent meal with no complaints from anyone. Well above average from what I would expect of a pub. The bill for 14 was about average, but we all felt that it was good value. Thank you for a memorable evening. (small improvement point-- quiet background music would have improved the atmosphere a little.) dog friendly in parts of the pub
I was greeted at the Black Lion by the lovely and welcoming owner. The pub downstairs is fantastic, very olde worlde. My colleagues and I ate here and I must say whilst the menu is slightly limited, the food is of exceptional quality. While some may think the price point of the menu is a little on the expensive side, the quality certainly justifies the price. I do however, need to address the room which I was meant to be staying in. I believe this was number 5 upstairs, but I can’t remember exactly. The room was a single room with a separate bathroom. After enjoying dinner, I had a chance to get up to the room and relax. My colleague had booked the room for me, so I was unaware I was to stay in a room with a separate bathroom before arrival. Whilst due to the age of the property this separate bathroom is understandable, this wouldn’t be something I would book myself. I’m stating this to just be mindful if booking a single room on a booking website. The room itself was extremely small, being only a single room. Whilst the room was reasonably clean, there were cobwebs on the light in the ceiling. The bed was relatively hard although I’m conscious this is subjective. The furniture in the room whilst presentable, seemed a little dated and could be of better quality to reflect the fantastic ambience of the old building downstairs. To add to this disappointment, the curtains were stained, disgusting and should be thrown away. They were in tatters. I have included images in the review to support this. To further elaborate on my stay, I have also included pictures of the inside of the kettle. This was grim, brown stained and had seen better days. The kettle was an inexpensive plastic one. This should also be replaced. Whilst functional, this was not clean. For the price point of the room, I expected better. Can the pub change the fact the room has a separate bathroom? No, it’s an old building. Can the pub change some curtains, a kettle, add a new mattress topper for comfort? Certainly for the money charged. Again, would I come back for food? Certainly. My colleagues stayed in the rooms in an exterior building, which were clearly renovated and said were of good quality. I am aware that I could have expressed my thoughts upon deciding to check out early, but didn’t feel this was appropriate to point out the poor condition in front of other patrons downstairs at the bar. If these simple things are addressed, it would be a brilliant stay for someone. The pub is in a superb location, offering brilliant food by welcoming, attentive and friendly staff. I decided to check out before the first night. The reason being the hard mattress / separate bathroom and unpleasant overall condition of the room (curtains / kettle.) This may seem trivial to some, you don’t sleep on curtains and the kettle worked.. However it didn’t give confidence of a good nights stay. I hope my review is found to be constructive and insightful for both future guests and the owner of the Black lion.
Restaurantji Recommends
We were recommended this place for a meal ( it was my sisters 60th birthday ) we were not disappointed, food was excellent , the best steak I’ve had in a long time! Fast efficient friendly service . Worth a visit
I love the Black Lion& Hay on Wye in general. Was taking my car to the Land Rover dealer for an assessment & went into Hay for a mooch with the obligatory lunch stop. Felt very relaxed there eating alone, food& wine absolutely delicious as always! Remember to take cash if like me you like to leave a tip for excellent service tho- they don’t add it to the bill automatically nor can they add it on if you pay by card afterwards so it’s cash only!
We found the pub by chance wandering away from the main centre of Hay. Excellent attentive staff, very welcoming and very apologetic when there was a small delay to taking our order when a large group of people came inside to avoid the rain. We both chose the burger, not what we’d usually chose but I didn’t want to risk being disappointed by the main courses which sounded delicious but were very pricy. The burgers were good, if a little unevenly cooked - parts were pretty dry, parts were still pink. Burger could be improved with a gherkin and more cheese! Great chips. I had strawberry parfait desert and husband had the Thai rice pudding. Both were excellent and delicious. All in all a positive experience. We happily gave a good tip in cash, hopefully it will go straight to the staff.
We booked a table using the website and were very impressed with the speedy and helpful response. The service on the day was also very good, and the dining room had a lovely atmosphere. My husband's steak was perfectly cooked (not always the case when you ask for it to be blue) and my chicken was equally delicious. Great location in a popular town, we'd definitely eat here again.
Very old pub on outskirts of Hay town centre, popular with locals and visitors alike. Friendly atmosphere with pleasant staff. Beer garden outside. Food menu is varied with good wine list. Well-stocked bar with local beers etc. Highly recommended.