The Red Lion Coleshill

My opinion of this pub changed completely after what happened to my boyfriend and me. I'd been coming for years, often in summer and for the Sunday quiz, and had always enjoyed it. On our last visit, we were quietly in the smoking area when a staff member's boyfriend started on my partner for no reason. He was extremely rude and claimed he was a police officer with “authority”. My boyfriend was banned because he knew staff, and somehow I was banned too, although I'd done nothing. Months later we came back without knowing the ban was still active. We ordered at the bar, spoke with staff and had three drinks over nearly two hours without an issue. Then that same staff member and her boyfriend arrived, pointed us out and told the staff we were “banned”. We were approached even though we hadn't caused any trouble. It felt unfair, unprofessional and very badly handled. I wouldn't recommend the pub because of the behaviour of certain staff and how customers are treated.

We come here most Sundays for quiz night. It's a great pub, and booking is a good idea if you want to take part. There's no food, though you can get snacks like crisps and nuts. The staff are friendly and welcoming.

The room was very clean, and so were the facilities. Breakfast was good and reasonably priced, and there is parking at the rear. The woman who checked me in was polite and helpful, and the booking process was straightforward. I later saw her cleaning a room and then serving breakfast, so it seems she handles everything herself. My main issue was the cold. The radiator barely warmed up, and I had to leave a small fan heater on all night to make the room bearable. They should improve the central heating and add secondary glazing. More than two tea bags would also help. The shower was okay, but the water flow made it take a long time.

The food was fantastic, and it's a step beyond the usual pub grub. Everything was put together with care, and it felt like we'd spent twice what we actually did. The staff were all incredibly nice, there's a very good range of beer on tap, and I can't fault the place.