The Red Lion Whittlesford

My daughter and I stayed two nights at the Red Lion while visiting the air show at Duxford airfield. The location worked really well, and we walked to the airfield on Saturday morning. Staff were friendly and welcoming, and our clean, comfortable room gave me a good night’s sleep. There’s a good choice of food at the Red Lion. The portions are generous, everything was well cooked and tasty, and the full English breakfast was a great start to the day. The breakfast menu also has other options, along with cereal and toast. At the bar there’s a wide range of beers and lagers. I like locally brewed ales, and enjoyed those here. I had a great weekend, would highly recommend the hotel, and will certainly return. Thank you.

I haven’t stayed here, but the food is okay. The lamb I had was tasty and good. What annoyed me was being charged a £3.05 service charge when I ate here for a second time today and only ordered scampi and chips. It was just one plate carried about 15 yards from the kitchen. I didn’t notice the charge until I’d paid and checked the receipt. I’m fine with gratuity when there’s more service or a bigger group, but 12.5% for this didn’t seem justified. It felt like a p*ss take.

My stepdaughter’s wedding day was ruined here. The meal took two hours to serve, with only one waitress for most of it. The soup was cold, the lamb raw, and the crème brûlée burnt. As a sous chef, I could also see that the kitchen looked dirty, and the chef’s whites were filthy. Staff were useless, and people from the public were allowed into the wedding reception. It wasn’t a nice venue at all. I’d avoid having a wedding here and wouldn’t go back.

The Red Lion is a characterful old building, and we had a very pleasant stay. Breakfast was good, and the menu was so good that I’d strongly recommend eating here. The portions were generous and everything was cooked just right. It’s also close to Cambridge.