02 July 2012

Pubs: The Red Lion (Lacock)

28 May 2012 - The Red Lion, Lacock, Wiltshire

Our visit to this pub was part of a Mad Max tour from Bath to Stonehenge, Avebury, Lacock, and Castle Combe.  It's been a lifelong ambition of mine to see Stonehenge and so it was really great to be able to do so, even though the weather was pretty miserable!  Avebury, a lesser known stone circle was also a really interesting site.  The tour stopped in the picturesque village of Lacock for lunch and the Red Lion was one of the suggested pubs.  We initially were going to try to go to The George Inn because it dates back to the 1300s (ridic!) but it was far too packed and we ended up at The Red Lion instead.

The Red Lion

Lacock is unique because it is made to appear as though it is straight out of another time.  You don't see utility wires or other modern innovations on the roadways because the village is often used for films and the film companies paid to have all the wiring put underground.

The Red Lion

Anyhoo, the pub itself was quite busy and we were lucky to get a table when we did.  It ended up getting packed shortly thereafter.  To eat, I had the fried halloumi and chips.  Halloumi is a type of mild cheese that doesn't really melt and is good when fried or sautéed.  I'd never heard of it before moving here, but it's fairly common and can sometimes be found deep fried on menus as "vegetarian fish and chips."  My vegetarian fish and chips were just ok.  I would have to say that this meal might have marked the beginning of my disillusionment with British pub food.  This was back in May.  It is now July, and the disillusionment continues.  It's just a lot of heavy, starchy blandness, and I'm just over it.

The Red Lion


The Red Lion

I had a pint of the Swordfish.  Took a while to get through, so not a fave.