Gloria and Peter (25 September 2007)

I saw a review of the Lion's new chef in a Derbyshire magazine and thought it was worth a try as we were in Belper on a Sunday evening for the super cinema. Oh dear, not a good experience. The restaurant was empty when we arrived and we were met by a very pleasant waitress and given a choice of tables. It was 6.30 p.m. but we were given the lunch menu, which we queried but it was the only option. It was really limited with only a few choices for each course. We had ordered our drinks and when they arrived, they brought the first of the problems - the red wine was great but the pint of London Pride arrived as a pale, flat drink - paler than lager. Definitely not bitter, didn't need to try it so another beer was chosen and that was okay. Something was wrong with the cellarage if they were serving whatever the first pint was, as bitter. London Pride is a nationally available bitter, which we are very familiar with. The second beer was a local one and okay but not brilliant, so we asked for mineral water. We both had smoked salmon to start with, which was fine, decent portions and good fish. We were also given fresh bread to nibble on before and with our starters. I had roast beef, which was tough but okay. The roast potatoes were leathery and dry; the Yorkshire pudding was the frozen variety, carrots fine, but cauliflower burnt and the broccoli raw. Peter's risotto was overcooked, stodgy and just not worth eating. We skipped dessert, paid and left. The restaurant was still empty when we left and again when we went past it after the show. We walked over to George's where Pete (still starving) had fish and peas standing in the fine rain and it was loads better, fresher and flavoursome than the dreary, inept meal we'd tried to eat in The Lion. So, no atmosphere, very dodgy beer, no decent food and, not surprisingly, no customers.