The Red Lion, Fernhurst

The Red Lion in Fernhurst, just south of Haslemere, Surrey, is set in a wonderful position right on the village green surrounded by a handful of very expensive characterful properties.  The pub from the outside is just as quaint.

Step inside and you get the feeling that its a little bit shabby and could do with a bit of a revamp.  There's still plenty of character though which includes a big open fire and wood beams.  

Out the back, there's a lovely garden with a covered area to one side and plenty of outside seating.

Food wise, the menu seems to be full of typical pub staples - a pie, fish and chips, a steak and a chicken offering among others.  There are specials on a board which seem to change daily.  A sandwich menu is offered at lunch times.

We opted for a chicken and ham pie with chips and peas and a fish and chips with peas.  Service was friendly and once our order was taken, our table was laid with placemats and cutlery.

Food arrived after about 10 minutes.  My pie had a puff pastry top and alot of filling but was quite salty and both our fries were uninspiring presumably bought in from a large supplier.  The fish and chips again wasn't very inspiring and the best I can say was that it filled a gap in hubby's stomach.  The portions were fairly large and we would both be hard pressed to eat 2 let alone 3 courses.  It was also quite expensive, an average main meal being around £12, starters approx £6-£7 and puss around £6, which might not sound too bad to some, but for me the quality was lacking for the price.

There is a separate restaurant area for those that don't want to eat in the bar section.

I think overall, this would be a nice pub in which to sit outside and have a drink on the way back from somewhere like Goodwood, or to enjoy the open fire on a winters evening but aside from that, there are much better pubs within a short drive.

The Red Lion, Fernhurst