Colchester Gazette
My first impressions of the Langenhoe Lion were good. The attractive pub, set on the main road between Colchester and Mersea Island, was relaxed and friendly. There were a reassuringly small number of options on the menu – often a sign there will be a few high-quality dishes rather than endless options to cater for the fussy. And I liked the name…the Langenhoe Lion. It has an almost medieval ring to it. The starters were suitably rustic. I had a deep, piping hot and tasty bowl of carrot and coriander soup with half a baguette. My wife had a pint of prawns with a chilli mayo dip. You can’t get much more no-frills than 20-plus fresh prawns with their shells on, served in a pint glass. They were a delight. For the main course, I had black bream – one of the fish lauded in Channel 4’s Big Fish Fight as an alternative to overfished cod, salmon and haddock. It was deliciously sweet and tastier than its more expensive and more popular alternatives. It was served with potatoes, peas and green beans. My wife had slow-cooked pork belly with mash, greens and a cider gravy. The meat was a little dry, but the dish was enjoyable nonetheless although she was left wondering if the slow- roasted lamb, which had the diners at the adjacent table in raptures, would have been a better choice. For desert I had a generously-sized creme brulee, which I gleefully devoured. My wife had a similarly hefty portion of chocolate brownie with clotted cream and chocolate sauce, a rich treat for desert lovers. The food was served impressively quickly and the prawns and black bream – fresh from Mersea Island – were a highlight.
What we ate Carrot and coriander soup £4.50 Pint of prawns £4.95 Black bream £11.95 Pork belly £10.95 Creme brulee £4.95 Chocolate brownie £4.95
Our verdict(Out of Five) Atmosphere 4; Food 4; Decor 4; Value 4; Service 5
Reader Reviews
A little Gem the food is superb, slow cooked Lamb rump is excellent! I tried the Lion on recommendation from a friend and we were not disappointed, great selection of Ales Pride of England On Saturday was first class!!!
Beer In Evening
Called in on a hot day - couldn't fault the place, people or the beer
The Langenhoe Lion seems to have changed hands again! I was shocked to see the difference in Ale offering, woodforde sundew, mersea yo boy which I had never seen off the island on cask and piddle express (They also had piddle batter which is a brow raiser) Also they have an ale or two cant remember from the tap room. I thought that the Lion was a GK pub but I was told it is now free of beer tie although there was a IPA tag on top of the bar. As it was a hot day I tried the sundew which was lovely I had sticky ribs from the bar menu which were sticky and also lovely.
•The Langenhoe Lion is an excellent venue easy to get to and the food is lush I went for one of thier themed evenings "taste of France" and I was amazed, I have a place in France and was a little unsure of what we would get but there was 8 of us 2 from france and we all loved it, cassoulet, Pot au feu, boulibaisse, we will be back to sample some more delights. I am also a big ale fan (one draw back of having a place in france) and the Wherry was wonderful, a good selection of wines to complment the meals. The Chef/Landlord does table talks and is charming and funny!
Lucy Dagger - 19th Sep 2011
My first impressions of the Langenhoe Lion were good. The attractive pub, set on the main road between Colchester and Mersea Island, was relaxed and friendly. There were a reassuringly small number of options on the menu – often a sign there will be a few high-quality dishes rather than endless options to cater for the fussy. And I liked the name…the Langenhoe Lion. It has an almost medieval ring to it. The starters were suitably rustic. I had a deep, piping hot and tasty bowl of carrot and coriander soup with half a baguette. My wife had a pint of prawns with a chilli mayo dip. You can’t get much more no-frills than 20-plus fresh prawns with their shells on, served in a pint glass. They were a delight. For the main course, I had black bream – one of the fish lauded in Channel 4’s Big Fish Fight as an alternative to overfished cod, salmon and haddock. It was deliciously sweet and tastier than its more expensive and more popular alternatives. It was served with potatoes, peas and green beans. My wife had slow-cooked pork belly with mash, greens and a cider gravy. The meat was a little dry, but the dish was enjoyable nonetheless although she was left wondering if the slow- roasted lamb, which had the diners at the adjacent table in raptures, would have been a better choice. For desert I had a generously-sized creme brulee, which I gleefully devoured. My wife had a similarly hefty portion of chocolate brownie with clotted cream and chocolate sauce, a rich treat for desert lovers. The food was served impressively quickly and the prawns and black bream – fresh from Mersea Island – were a highlight.
What we ate Carrot and coriander soup £4.50 Pint of prawns £4.95 Black bream £11.95 Pork belly £10.95 Creme brulee £4.95 Chocolate brownie £4.95
Our verdict(Out of Five) Atmosphere 4; Food 4; Decor 4; Value 4; Service 5
Reader Reviews
A little Gem the food is superb, slow cooked Lamb rump is excellent! I tried the Lion on recommendation from a friend and we were not disappointed, great selection of Ales Pride of England On Saturday was first class!!!
Beer In Evening
Called in on a hot day - couldn't fault the place, people or the beer
The Langenhoe Lion seems to have changed hands again! I was shocked to see the difference in Ale offering, woodforde sundew, mersea yo boy which I had never seen off the island on cask and piddle express (They also had piddle batter which is a brow raiser) Also they have an ale or two cant remember from the tap room. I thought that the Lion was a GK pub but I was told it is now free of beer tie although there was a IPA tag on top of the bar. As it was a hot day I tried the sundew which was lovely I had sticky ribs from the bar menu which were sticky and also lovely.
•The Langenhoe Lion is an excellent venue easy to get to and the food is lush I went for one of thier themed evenings "taste of France" and I was amazed, I have a place in France and was a little unsure of what we would get but there was 8 of us 2 from france and we all loved it, cassoulet, Pot au feu, boulibaisse, we will be back to sample some more delights. I am also a big ale fan (one draw back of having a place in france) and the Wherry was wonderful, a good selection of wines to complment the meals. The Chef/Landlord does table talks and is charming and funny!
Lucy Dagger - 19th Sep 2011