What a cracker of a place. Very lively. We're more into being able to hear each other and to be fair, it was tradie night just before Xmas. A very cool place, so we were happy to go to the restaurant end and have a delicious meal. It was quieter there. Check the carpet in the back entrance, I think it needs a clean. Other than that a very cool place, including a courtyard area, and really nice staff.

Really good food. Dropped in whilst travelling through to Adelaide just to get out of the car and get some good food and quickly so we could get back on the road and this place did not disappoint. Accessible via towing vehicle, great specials and a good price.

We dined in with a party of 14 so that may have had something to do with the following.

Unfortunately my steak, veg and chips were cold, maybe Lukewarm at best. My partner and her sister also had the barramundi which they were both underwhelmed at. Fish was cooked well however, it was served on a bed of cold beans and potatoes.

The scallop special was delicious however, with a great portion size and a good price.

I'd give them another go, it was probably to do with the party size more than the kitchen.

Good atmosphere lots of space for big groups. Cheap and cheerful food. Kids playground small and outside so usually freezing cold, no cameras as I other places so you have to supervise kids constantly there. One time we visited child had wet itself on playground anf whole thing covered in urine.

Good option for a family meal if you're in the area. It is clean and quite modern, has an indoor playground for the kids and reasonable pub menu options.

Service was lacking on the day we were there. It was an early dinner seating on a weekend, not overly busy yet but a couple of the staff seemed uninterested to serve asking us to go from register to register to wait to be seated.

Wait time was a little while, but the food was enjoyable once it arrived. Easy parking outside and would come again to hopefully experience better service.

We waited nearly 2 hours for the meal, after asking 3 times the manager said he will refund us. He refunded us but refused to give us any food. We walked away hungry and it was too late to go anywhere else.
There was no compensation for our time or the fact we got no food.
We got told sorry it's just too bad, your not the only ones this has happened to tonight. Many people have had to be refunded and didn't get their meals.
I have never experienced such bad service.

A humble exterior hides an nice interior with great quality food. We'll set up to handle little kids. Food came quickly. Pub does a good job segregating the rowdy bar drinkers from the nice dining area.

The nachos for a starter were nice but the beef burger was absolutely hideous. Burger was burnt and the bun was extremely soggy. We didn't get asked how our meals were, we didn't finish our meals and left dissappointed.

Pretty standard selection of pub food, but nicely presented. Service was quick, which was appreciated as we had small kids with us. Lots of kid menu options.
There is also an indoor play area so is definitely kid friendly (although the play equipment could do with a bit of a clean as it doesn't look like it's had a clean for a while).

Visiting Ballarat from Perth and decided to try the Red Lion for dinner. Seated in the Leo's Restaurant area, which is a little more formal. Food was excellent, with a wide variety of choices. The wait staff were very friendly and attentive. Ended up going there both nights I was in town. Thanks Kelly and Leah for the friendly chats and good service, plus Leah the debate about which movie to see. Indy worked out! Will gladly go there again when in town. Why mess around when you know you've got good food and service? Plus, the open fireplace in the middle of the Ballarat winter is a huge plus!

Had a friend book us a place for breakfast and a catch up during a quick stay over in Ballarat on the way to Melbourne.
Breakfast didn't disappoint, large tasty meals that all came out together. Service was great too, everyone was quite friendly. I found the prices good too, considering how expensive things are at the moment.
Was a little noisy, but it's a large venue and there were a lot of families there with young children. So that speaks for itself.
Would definitely visit again and recommend.

I've been to the Red Lion a few times now and I have to say, it's quickly becoming one of my favorite spots in town. The atmosphere is cozy and inviting, and the drinks are always on point. I had the pleasure of having Emma as my bartender on my last visit and she was absolutely fantastic. She made me a lemon lime and bitters that was out of this world. I can't thank her enough for her attention to detail and her friendly demeanor. If you're looking for a great spot to grab a drink, you can't go wrong with the Red Lion. And if you're lucky enough to have Emma as your bartender, you're in for a real treat!

We ate here as a family over two days and had two dinners and two breakfasts.
The food and cocktails were excellent. The staff were incredibly professional and very friendly. My kids had an absolute ball in the playground.
Great family atmosphere and very enjoyable time. Thank you.

If you're visiting the local sites ( sovereign hill ) and the rest Ballarat has to offer, then I'd recommend this venue, Ive been here several times. Lunch and dinner...
It does get very busy during dining hours for dinner, if your wanting a more quiet scene then lunch is a better option....dinner does get a little loud with family's and patrons of all ages and the staff are welcoming, cant do enough really.....
I ordered the Chicken Kiev, it came out with chips, salad and bacon ( don't ask me why, this is new to me ) with a side pot of gravy, I believe it was 32.00 but I could be mistaken, but it was worth the price...
My daughter had the 300gram steak to which I was informed it was great, best steak she's ever had, although we couldn't fit in dessert, Ive had the browny there during lunch and it was yummy and very gooey...my daughter had the bowl of chips that was 10.00 that came with two dips.
It has a play area for the little ones, a bar, pokies and the rest....great little pub. Well worth the visit.

It's the second time we have been here, the food is great and the service is friendly and fast. We have dined in and also had room service for breakfast and dinner, nothing negative to say. You will be very happy eating here, portion sizes are great. Well done to the staff!

We are travelling from interstate and had dinner here last night. We couldn't fault the food, service, ambience or cleanliness of this pub. All staff, both bar and food, that we dealt with were very friendly and efficient. Food arrived promptly and was very nice. If you're contemplating this pub we'd definitely suggest you give it a go.

In Ballarat for the day to meet some friends up from Melbourne. This was 450m from where they were staying and what a find!

Has absolutely everything and more; TAB sports bar area, x2 outdoor smoking areas and a lovely outdoor eating area, x2 dining section that we saw and a kids playground with easy access from one of the separate dining areas. All adjoining the stunning bar where you first enter.

The place has beautiful furnishings and a very warm and welcoming feel, the staff were professional and lovely too!

To top it all off the food was absolutely amazing and the menu has loaaaads of options. Overall a top visit, will definitely recommend and is more than deserving of the 5 🌟s

Nachos and iced chocolate were amazing. Risotto wasn't bad. Good service.

Nachos and iced chocolate were amazing. Risotto wasn't bad. Good service.

Immaculate hotel! Amazing selection of drinks and food. Great ambience. Sophisticated sports bar with wonderful books and memorabilia

Wow!!!!!

As a place for a drink it looks good, but I went with the family for food and the food was no good. Kids meals are a bit silly, in general kids eat chips and they cost hardly anything but there was lucky to be 10 chips on the plate. The wife had risotto, good flavour but was a puddle of oil. I had a Parma, now that's hard to screw up but it was so over cooked it had gotten chewy.

I went with my 4 year old son. Meal variety was good with a really good selection for kids. Main reason for visiting was the playground and a meal. Playground is a very good set up and the facilities were great. Atmosphere was very inviting. Even the pricing was very reasonable, I would saying that the Parma was medium sized compared to the monsters that some places offer but this was juicy and had a very good taste. Overall very much enjoyed and will come back.

We visited for dinner one night, and breakfast a couple of days later. The menu is really extensive but not overly expensive. The servings are very generous. Staff are friendly and very attentive. There is also a good segregation between the Restaurant, the Lounge Bar and the Public Bar. The fresh Carton on tap is highly recommended! Probably one of the best pubs I have visited in a long-time.

The food was great, nice modern place.Very relaxing with a nice fire place in one lounge and TVs with sports playing in other areas and it also has an enclosed playground for the younger kids to play in.I would definitely go back here again.

Only started going to Red lion about 2 months ago, and have already visited this awesome place about 8 times! My absolute favorite place to dine in Ballarat. The food is superb! The atmosphere is elegant and relaxing. The prices are extremely reasonable. The Chicken Parma is simply the best Ive ever had!Can not recommend this place highly enough!

Visited here for a family dinner, service was good, food was better than average pub quality and a very broad range of menu options. It should be noted that this place is also a poker machine venue. Fine for a work function or a family gathering, you would not call it a romantic place or a foodie dining experience but it does a good job of providing tasty meals to a broad range of people. Tip: this is a busy road and dangerous at night, park in the large carpark on the northern side Overall 7/10

We've visited The Red Lion for breakfast and lunch now and very happy with the service and menu. Nice modern cozy setup with various sections and obviously a popular venue for families. Food was very good. Highly recommended.

The staff at the Red Lion went above and beyond to accommodate myself and 99yr old nan for dinner. Our meals, we both had salmon, were superb, and all staff ensured nan was able to move through the restaurant without issue.Nan said it was the best meal she has had in a long time....thank you!

Great food and lovely service. They allowed my pup to join us in the undercover deck area and even welcomed her with her own bowl of water. The food was delicious! We all travelled from the South East and am contemplating the drive again just for the food 🤣 yum! Thanks for a wonderful lunch experience 🥰