On 21-4-2010 undybluebird said :
"I Recently had a surprise 50th Birthday Party at the Golden Lion on Saturday 17th April 2010.
Now considering I use the pub on a regular basis, all the staff and my good friends at the Pub managed not to spill the beans.
This must have been difficult for everyone concerned but it was managed.
Now onto the night! I was taken to the pub saturday evening for what I thought would be a nice Pub or Restaurant meal.
As I have eaten here many times before I knew we would have first class service with excellent food.
However I was asked to pop out into the back beer Garden for a photograph by the Landlord James and his wife Julie.
I was actually taken upstairs to the function room above the pub where to my complete surprise were many ,many old work colleagues ,friends, and of course lots of family members.
James, Julie and the staff worked extremely hard all evening and put on a superb Buffett which was delicious, and everyone that attended thouroughly enjoyed.
I couldnt have wished for a better evening and would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at the pub for making my family and all the guests so welcome.
Finally to my Wife Jayne and Son Rhys thankyou for a fantastic Birthday weekend it couldnt have been any better. "
On 12-4-2010 hildaglass said :
"What a lovely pub and restaurant this is! I'd never been there before but had heard many comments about how much it had improved since the new owners had taken over.
Imagine my delight therefore when my family took me for a birthday meal there and it turned out to be every bit as good as I had been told.
I had a wonderful lamb dish and although everyone else I think had something different, all commented how good it was.
It really is a cosy pub and the staff looked after us extremely well.
I can't wait for my next visit which will be very soon!
Hilda"
On 17-11-2009 mikeandandrea said :
"Having moved into the Magor area in October last year, we undertook the high priority task of checking out our local pub, The Golden Lion. Both keen foodies, we embraced this task with some lip smacking relish!
Under the enthusiastic hand of the new hosts James and Julie Dawson, the menu has undergone a complete overhaul. The bar menu now comprises a wonderful selection from Tapas, good honest homemade shepherds pie to an excellent range of homemade burgers.
Something for all tastes and budgets.
My wife was particularly delighted with the Spare ribs – and declared them without doubt the best she has ever eaten. No small compliment from someone who trained and worked alongside Albert Roux!
The restaurant menu and Specials board are particularly good. With a decent selection of dishes to suit all palates put together with an emphasis on fresh, good quality ingredients. Many of the starters (haggis, tagliatelle, Thai fish cakes to name only a few) are available as a main course – this is good news as we are able to indulge our fondness for the extraordinarily good haggis dish on offer.
We eat here at least once a week, often bringing friends and family and the standard of the food, presentation and service never disappoint.
The emphasis on good quality fresh ingredients, a varied and contemporary menu along with the considerable skill of the new chef ensures that every meal is of the highest standard and a pleasure to devour.
Subtle, tasteful changes to décor (and less subtle improvements to the cleaning!) have created a real country pub which reflects the character and flair of the hosts whilst retaining its village charm and appeal – something which so many pretentious so called “Gastro pubs” fail to achieve.
James and Julie are welcoming, affable hosts. Staff are attentive without being intrusive; each of them will readily try to accommodate any specific requirements.
We have enjoyed the talent of the locals during many of the jamming music sessions and pitted our wits against CJ in the quiz. We saw in our First New Year as Magor residents at a wonderful evening at the Golden Lion complete with sumptuous buffet, live folk band and a piper to see in the New Year – all for under £20!
Our table is already booked for this year.
The exceptionally friendly service, superb food and relaxed surroundings make the whole experience of dining at the Golden Lion a real pleasure.
"
On 04-11-2009 magorite said :
"Well first the good news.
The Golden Lion is physically a very nice place, it feels cosy even though it isn't that small, with real fires in the Winter and comfy chairs. It is in a great setting in the middle of Magor square and has a very pleasant beer garden for the summer. There is also a function room available for private bookings. There is a reasonable choice of real ales and a fairly comprehensive, if pretty expensive, menu.
However, as a place to spend some time it has, in my opinion, been spoiled by the current landlord/landlady, who seem to be slowly but surely alienating most of the locals in Magor.
They had the idea of taking the pub a little more upmarket than it had been, which I have no problem with, but they seem to have forgotten that this is 1 of just 2 local pubs in a small village.
There are many examples I could give, but I wont as any Magor local reading this will probably have their own bad experiences anyway, but suffice to say I have never met a professional team with such an incredibly bad attitude as these two.
If the 'Lion was now some sort of gastropub you could put this down as sour grapes from someone who misses their local drinking hole, but, in my opinion, they've failed miserably on that score as well. The food is by no means bad, but it doesn't justify the prices being charged. I've had better meals locally at not much more than half the cost.
Oh, and watch out for the two small dogs which sometimes run around the lounge. They are a danger, but wo betide you if you accidentally trip on one of them; you'll probably get thrown out. On one occasion one of the dogs left "a present", I think you know what I mean, in the middle of the Lounge. Of course the landlord blamed this on the customers feeding the dog crisps!
Another thing, I've been told several people have been banned, or told that they are no longer welcome, for reasons which make you shake your head in disbelief. For example having visible tatoos, and for criticising food prices when asked for feedback on a meal! Perhaps this will give an idea of the sort of people that you are dealing with.
If you come from outside the area, and are the "right kind of customer", you will possibly not agree with much I've written here. However, if you are a local reading this you'll understand!!
This is my first review of a pub but I felt someone had to say something about the situation here. Hopefully one day someone will rectify the situation, it can't happen too soon for me.
"
On 09-6-2009 valrich said :
"Had a very good all round experience when visiting The Golden Lion in Magor at the weekend. Had a meal in the restaurant on Friday evening which was very enjoyable. A well thought out menu with lots of choice and variation. Enjoyed it so much we went back for Sunday lunch! Highly recommended! "
On 28-3-2004 millwolf said :
"Always seems to be busy - which is a good sign. Good food each time I have eaten there and a very pleasant atmosphere. Well kept pub !!"
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