Review of Fakenham’s Red Lion Lounge: Tasty food and staff who work their socks off at sophisticated bistro-style restaurant

If you’re looking for brilliant customer service to accompany drinks and food in a sophisticated setting, then why not try Red Lion Lounge in Fakenham?

That’s what my parents and I experienced for ourselves when we visited the bistro-style restaurant housed in the Grade II* listed building on Market Place on Saturday evening.

It was clearly a popular destination as there was a decent crowd downstairs in the lounge and bistro, and upstairs in the restaurant – where we had booked a table for 7pm.

A friendly member of staff showed us upstairs to our table, in a room which was decorated stylishly with art and lion-themed ornaments.

Most of the other tables were occupied with friends, couples and families enjoying their Saturday evening – and at one point, every table was taken, which goes to show the restaurant’s popularity.

This did mean the two members of staff that we encountered worked their socks off to keep everything running smoothly, and there were times where there was a little wait, which we didn’t mind as we were not in a rush.

To drink, I ordered an apple juice (£3) as I was driving, Mum chose a pint of diet coke (£3) and Dad opted for a pint of bitter (£5).

My only gripe was that it would have been helpful to have had a drinks menu – we only had a cocktail menu on our table (although this did have a decent choice).

As for food, I had decided to try the butternut squash arancini with squash purée and toasted pecans (£7) as a starter as – besides sorbet – there did not appear to be any vegan desserts.

These were a highlight for me – crispy on the outside and the rice inside providing a soft filling, accompanied by the delicious purée.

I was pleased to see three vegan options on the menu – broken up into mains, burgers and steaks – that each sounded delicious.

After some deliberations, I opted for the vegan cauliflower burger, consisting of roasted cauliflower, crispy dauphinoise potatoes, truffle mayonnaise, pan-roasted onion, cauliflower purée and mixed herb dressing (£12.50).

Mum chose the nacho chicken burger, which comprised fried chicken thigh, streaky bacon, American cheese, andalouse sauce, crispy tortillas, nacho cheese sauce and sliced gherkins (£12).

Any sides to accompany these burgers had to be ordered separately, so we decided to share skin on fries (£3), onion rings (£3.50) and a side salad (£3.50).

Dad went for the beer battered fillet of cod with hand cut chips, tartar sauce and fresh summer peas (£15.50).

He was full of praise for his main, describing the fish as “very succulent and tasty” and of a large portion which was very filling. “I thoroughly enjoyed it,” he said.

I was also left full by my main and the sides – with the onion rings among some of the biggest I’ve ever seen, but these and the fries were very tasty, well-seasoned and well-cooked. It was slightly too much food though, and so we didn’t manage to finish them all.

The cauliflower burger was tasty but was not entirely my cup of tea. I had been enticed by the dauphinoise potatoes, but I think I would choose one of the other vegan options on a return visit. However, I have to give the restaurant points for originality and creativity as this was unlike anything I had had before.

Mum said her nacho burger featured an unusual combination of ingredients.

She described the chicken as being “very tasty” but said it included the chicken skin which she wouldn’t usually eat, although it tasted like crackling which was not a bad thing.

Both my parents found room for dessert, with Mum choosing the vanilla crème brûlée with blackberries and shortbread (£7).

She said it was a huge portion but was “nevertheless quite delicious, very creamy and did not have too much sugar on the top”.

Dad wanted a lighter dessert and so went for two scoops of homemade ice cream (chocolate and strawberry) for £5, which he said he really enjoyed.

Overall, our bill came to £80, working out to £26 each for two courses, which we felt was decent value for money, considering the portion sizes and quality.

It is definitely somewhere I would visit again to experience more of the menu.

Ratings out of five:

Food: A good number of options, which were presented well and the menu definitely deserves praise for creativity. ****

Drink: I would have liked a menu, but there was a good choice. ****

Staff: The staff that we encountered were friendly and helpful, all while being rushed off their feet. ****

Décor: The whole building had a sophisticated feel with lovely decorations. ****

Price: We felt it was a fair price for what we got. ****