The Lion Hotel

End of year, work dinner. There were only 4 of us. We had a table in the bistro. It was a hot day and it was uncomfortably hot in there. Possibly just where our table was right in a corner, but it was really sticky. We ordered entrees to share, they were delicious but unfortunately although we were far from finished our mains arrived. That had us met with that awkward moment where the servers are like, my hands are full, can you make room in a table that literally has no room. So despite the fact we were still eating, we had to stack plates and move food from one plate to another to allow space to put down the next course. Perhaps for future reference, order your entrees and have them and then order your mains. After dinner, we went and sat outside, which was cooler and really nice next to the leafy trees. It's not the establishments fault it was so hot, but definitely something to move the air around inside would be great. On the food, it was yummy, the potato cakes were light and not oily. The trio of cheese dip was served with delicious garlic bread. If you get the warm nuts, it's a small serve. Smitzels were good-sized and the coating delicious.

Nice spot on the upmarket side of things. Great service and food. Enjoyed sitting out on the Melbourne St side and watching the world go by.

My wife & I came into town this evening on The Overland Train and are staying at the Majestic Old Lion apartments. Wanted some where close to have dinner. We were both really happy with our food. I had the sweet and sour pork, which was yummy. My wife’s Perri Perri chicken was great too by her account.

This was my first time eating here and I was truly impressed. We had the Curry of the Day which was a Thai Beef Curry, the Curry base was fantastic and the beef was lovely and tender. Warm Chicken Salad was amazing and the chicken was so tender and flavoursome. The cheese dish was lovely and the Bread and Chicken Platter was so delicious as well. Espresso Martini was lovely as well and had a nice strength to it. Very impressed and would go back again.

Pay $22 for a Bayleys at the end of the night. Start to enjoy it and the waiter tells you. Sorry you will have to pour it into a plastic cup. I need your glass and I am staying in the apartments next to the hotel. Not allowed to take to the room. Must be expensive crystal - NOT!!

We went for a chill out Sunday day time lunch and ordered burger specials and calamari. Food tasted good and burger deal is reasonable. However, problem started when we ordered macadamia cake and vanilla ice cream. My wife ordered and paid at the bar and when she went to toilet and the staff member came and requested for the payment as I was told the previous payment did not go through. I paid with my credit card. Later at that day we checked and we were charged twice for the same item. This is not acceptable and bad customer experience. I have raised via email this issue and never heard back from the venue. Only reason I gave them 2 stars because food was good. Otherwise, it would had been zero because of this double charging. The reason I changed the rating because lion hotel contacted and provided refund for overcharged amount.

I have never done a review before, but I really need to do one for the Old Lion. I was with my 90 yo parents today. After ordering we waited one hour for our food, which never came. When we asked what was happening we were told the order had not been passed on and because they had electricians in the kitchen no food was coming. Wow! We're locals but today a line was drawn in the sand (after a string of lack-luster visits to the Old Lion). I hope the standard improves because it's just not good enough at the moment.

I ordered a mojito and honestly it was disappointing; first I can't finish it because of poor quality straw, second it wasn't mixed properly cuz I found all the sugar in the bottom of the glass and last but not less too much peppermint for my taste. Pay 20 Bucks for this drink isn't worth. Other recommendations is that the bar has all the speakers are on the top and it's nearly impossible to order properly because of the noise I reckon that your staff could go deaf in the future.

WHATTA TREAT ! My wife and I lived in North Adelaide, SA from 1998 to 2002. It's considered one of the better suburbs in Adelaide and in fact the world famous Australian cricketer Sir Donald Bradman ( greatest batsman of all time ) lived close by in Kensington. After leaving our digs in nearby Barton Tce 1999 we moved into a cosy townhouse in Dunn St just 2 blocks from The Lion Hotel. It pretty much became our fun hang out on Saturday and Sunday evenings. Great vibe, terrific burgers with curly fries and good beers. Of course back in the day during HAPPY HOUR you could buy the fabulous Lion Burger with Curly Fries for $9.95 and get a free Crown Lager. WHATTA DEAL ! And we would shoot 8 ball at one of the pool tables and catch a live band..they had some good bands too like THE FAB FOUR ( a very good Beatles cover band ). I thought it funny that they called Adelaide THE CITY OF CHURCHES when one day I counted 22 pubs in North Adelaide alone. THE CITY OF PUBS I reckon. Like everything in the new age The Lion Hotel had a big makeover and became gentrified while we still lived nearby. It was alright but not as good as before. SUCH IS LIFE !

Nice array of beers on tap if you like light beers but no ambers or browns. Food menu is so good that we ate here two nights in a row and were still disappointed that we didn't get to try a few other dishes. Order food and drink inside then it's delivered to the table. The restaurant and bar in the hotel should be listed as a separate establishment as we and most patrons probably don't stay at the hotel.

I still remember when this was a big time live music venue, but unfortunately those days are now long, long gone. In fact they had bands such as Nirvana and AC/DC playing here (and surprisingly the bar tended didn't know about the Nirvana fact, though he told me about the AC/DC fact). They still do live music, though it is a lot more mellower than what it used to be (back in the day that is, and I am still kicking myself for completely missing Nirvana playing here - I went and saw a movie with a friend instead, and we could have seen the movie anytime, it's not every day you get to see Nirvana playing in a pub). As for the Lion, it still has it's charm, and I do quite like the beer garden, however times have changed.

Really disappointing. I had high hopes. They under delivered. Big time. Late with my order. Cashier didn't know what she was doing. Waiter spilt food off my plate and into my lap. One person in the party got his sardines delivered on a tin. Since when has this been stylish?

I dined in the casual area for a work lunch where we had pre-ordered. They delivered quickly as we were on a schedule and we're courteous with our requests for condiments and extra cutlery. I ordered the mushroom and grain burger and was pretty underwhelmed. There was a relish and spinach leaves that were tasty but the burger itself was overtaken by a cumin flavour that was so strong. Veggie burgers tend to have cumin which is fine but the mushroom just didn't sit well with it and I ate most of it because I was hungry but didn't finish it. The fries were overcooked and the whole meal felt like it had at under a heat lamp for too long. Other people ordered the Lion burger which seemed to go down well, which was quite large, featuring egg which was favoured by the majority. The venue itself was nice and modern, nice atrium style area which would be good in Summer. The casual dining area is adjacent to the sports bar area and the restaurant. My other gripe was we had a staff member hovering around our table ready to take our plates as soon as we had finished. He even tried to take my friend's plate before she had finished! If we were fine dining I would understand but we were at a pub, on a Thursday which was not busy. It would have been possible to wait until we were ready to leave. All in all, it was a nice atmosphere with a good beer selection (local craft brews on tap) but the food failed to impress. Maybe stick to a few drinks with friends on a Friday night.

The Lion Burger - obviously made by the good people at the Lion Hotel in North Adelaide - is one of my favourite Adelaide meals! It is a winner. Adelaide Zoo may have a crusty old lion who draws a crowd and then sprays them with his horrible lion urine. Brisbane may have and AFL team named after the Lion and CS Lewis may have written about The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe but they all pale into insignificance when compared to the Lion Hotel's LION BURGER! This is the true king of the restaurant jungle. Always served with an accompanying serve of fries, there's a traditional beef Lion Burger, a chicken Lion Burger and there's even an offering for the vegos with the Lion Veggie Burger. You can eat your burger in the café at the Lion, you can grab a table outside and do your burger alfresco style or you can chow down in the bar. You can take it away and you can pre-order. I'm sure if you asked nicely, the good people at The Lion may even let you eat one of their burgers in the high class restaurant area. Eat the Lion Burger but you get full half way through, someone may just walk past and grab your leftovers and it might be me.

The best fine dining restaurant in Adelaide. Others come and go but the restaurant in The Lion Hotel is consistently one of the best. It has the added advantage of being part of Adelaide's best pub. Not pompous and sterile like The Magill Estate and half the price. Fresh local produce, amazing steaks, modern cuisine and fast friendly service paired with a great reasonably price quality wine list.

The Lion is just a very cool place to have drinks, lunch, dinner, or watch live music. It is a hotel/pub, but has a fancy restaurant behind it as well if you're after a "proper" dinner. Situated on the corner of Melbourne St and Jerningham St (opposite The Store), it is convenient and accessible. My favourite meal here would have to be the Vegie Burger! It is the fattest burger (by fat I mean large and filling) ever, with a big vegie patty and generous fillings - not to mention, "fat chips" on the side. Yes, they are called "fat chips" on the menu. The best place to eat these fabulous meals would be in the outdoor back area, out past the live music area. Here, there are comfy chairs and tables sheltered underneath a verandah. There are also seats outside facing the street, which are nice on a summer night. On Friday nights there is live music, which is always enjoyable. In addition, this place often brings out free nibbles and finger food like party pies, hot dogs, and samosas. Brilliant.

A Good place to have a burger whilst you catch up with a group of friends. It has a corner bar/pub type feel to it - so It can get busy and loud. They serve all kinds of alcoholic beverages and hot drinks, sandwiches, pastries as well as a breakfast/ brunch menu.

I recently went to the Lion for a Christmas Dinner for my husbands work place. And I would have to say I was a little dissapointed. I find the Lion to be a mish mash of styles - there is a beer garden area out the back - and the interior has been done up - but in my opinon it doesnt fit with the lovely old exterior of this pub. The food was also quite slow - and in my opinion, very ordinary! I get what they are trying to do with this hotel - but I think they have missed the mark. Wont be getting my patronage back again in a hurry.

I've come to The Lion so many times over the years, I've lost count!!! I've come here for a quick meal on a Monday night but I've also been here for a number of functions - in the Jerningham room and other areas. At these functions the food has always been divine and the staff have been lovely. I've been to large celebrations and small work parties, all of which have been fun and well put together! I love the new beer garden which has a huge screen for watching sports and the outdoor area is sunny and bright! On my most recent visit - a Sunday, I ordered a Lion Burger. The burger was nice - big in size and the patty was tasty with lots of flavour! The fries however weren't great - they were small and tasted too much like oil - perhaps they should do big chunky chips with some great seasoning to help bring it up to the next level. The $15 jugs of cider on a Sunday though were a true winner! The general venue is very good, however the ladies bathrooms, which were only done up a year ago have not stood the test of time - aging very quickly and already looking like they need a re-vamp.

Maxing Christmas Eve experience. Tables decorated appropriate to the season -the quality Christmas crackers were well received with trinkets that could be used. The Special Menu provided something for any taste. My Coorong Black Angus steak cooked to perfection - served on a potato purée. The green garden salad was a great accompaniment. None of our large party could make use of the tasty selections of the dessert menu. The waitress assigned to the table was friendly and highly skilled.

I have been a patron of the Old Lion for many years, for both gigs and a quiet afternoon beer and chat, or a summer lunch. Those halcyon days of yore are long gone, as I discovered this morning. The decor within the Old Lion is lovely, I'll give them that. But overpriced, unappetizing-sounding baguettes do not a brunch make, and the cake display was woefully understocked... and didn't appear to contain fresh goods. I do not know for sure on that, though, I hasten to add; I didn't try any. To my critical (and hungry!) eye, nothing looked fresh and nothing looked appealing. It had been my intention to buy brunch here, but I decided against it. $4.50 for a Coke-coloured glass of ice, which is to say less Coke, more ice, and thus, Cokey-water, and $3.80 for a skinny cappucino that was a cup with half coffee and half froth. The cappucino was described as being very small, too strong, and overall low in flavour. Service was very laisez-faire, in that it took so long to get the cappucino, I had to go up and ask about it. Clientel seems to skewed in the direction of North Adelaide hipster or workers having a break. It's also not designed for the disabled--the chairs ad stools are too close together, crowding punters no doubt, but more, making it near impossible for anyone using a mobility aid to navigate the very narrow path between the furniture to get to the counter. Frankly, the lack of disabled friendly furniture layout put me off more than anything else.

I had a fantastic meal at The Lion restaurant. Delicious steak that melted in your mouth. The desserts were really nice and high quality and all less than $15.00 which I was impressed by. The service was slow but the waiter acknowledged that, so it didn't bother me so much. Somewhere I would recommend for a fancy occasion.

The most effective heating in an outdoor area of anywhere I have been. This is definitely a good thing. Pleasantly surprised with the food here. I took a gamble and ordered a curry from the specials menu, it was a ginger chicken. Surprisingly it was really quite nice. The remainder of our group ordered a range of schnitzels, burgers and salt and pepper squid. The chips were very salty but we all enjoyed our meals. The biggest challenge of this place is people trying to squeeze between the tables while you eat which resulted in a spilt drink on one of the seated people. The other challenge is after using the bathroom is trying to wash your hands between all the girls trying to take pictures of themselves in the mirrors.

The Old Lion is getting older and yet remaining as trendy and chic as it ever was. I have to get one thing off my chest. I went there a while ago on a Sunday evening and I really felt that the bar staff needed some whipping into shape. This one particular bartender wouldn't let anyone pay for their drinks, which is great, it just killed me to see this guy pouring out shots and spilling half a bottle of vodka on the bar every time he did so. Where is your manager son?? That aside, its a great night spot for dinner or drinks or both. If you don't like the live music they have playing then you can happily escape out into the beer garden and chill there amongst the die-hard smokers. Function rooms are also available and you can check out the pricing and set menu's on their website, I can tell you that the food and service is pretty outstanding. There is a standard 4 hour drinks package available which includes beer wine and softies, but generally you can tailor a drinks package as you like. But as I said, Sunday nights are probably the best nights if you're after beer and music and little else.

My family and I went to the Lion, and because I had heard so much about it, I had to try the famous 'Lion Burger'. I wasn't disappointed. The burger comes in 2 varieties, beef and chicken. I had the beef version. The patty itself had a delicious flavour. The Lion had obviously used premium quality mince and had flavoured the meat with hints of garlic and other delicious herbs and spices. The burger had all the other usual staples, lettuce, cheese, egg (still slightly gooey inside) and onion, all served on a fresh damper style bun. Definitely worth trying if you are a burger fan. The side of shoestring fries, however were lukewarm at best and slightly undercooked. By the time the waiter had retrieved a small serve of tomato sauce from the kitchen, they were virtually cold. Address this Lion and you will be on your way to five stars for sure. The best thing, however is that the lion are one of the few pokie hotels that still hosts live bands. And the band we saw on Friday 2/11/12 were extraordinary. 'Audiobox' put on a show that far exceeded the expectations of the crowd. Powerful vocal performances from Rebecca and Craig, paired with rock solid instrumentation from Rennie, Craig, John, Nick and Joe made for a show that filled the venue like a flood. There was also an impressive lighting display to back it up that really set the ambience of a high energy rock show. Would definitely seek these guys out to see again. 10/10.

Champagne brunch this morning was delightful in the most spectacular morning sun, could have made it a better morning. Food was great.

Dined in the restaurant last night and it was amazing. I had the Beef with Miso Mushroom and Jerusalem Artichokes and it was divine. The White Chocolate Panna Cotta was also nice, although quite rich and hubby had to finish it. Portions were generous and the service was very good.

Awesome place to go if you like drunk people. The Lion is a popular hang for middle aged alcoholics and chronic gamblers, so there's never a dull moment in this particular pub. Also a popular hang for needy men, and women who are too desperate to hide their desperation. I've seen some sad sad people wandering around this joint on a Saturday night, and I've found that if I hang around too long I'll become one of them. Great place for hanging morosely over the same beer for three hours, and thinking about not leaving the house again. If sad old people and drunk yobbos watching sport are your kind of a night out, this is the perfect venue for you. Which is not to say you can't go in for a meal on a week day/ night and have a great time: you really can! The food is pretty good! But weekends are just too darn maudlin for me.

My review of The Lion focuses on one of the event spaces that have available for hire that I became very familiar with during my time residing at one of the University college's located in North Adelaide. The Cellar and Tunnels is exactly what it sounds like, it's a series of underground tunnels and cellars which double as a cool, and albeit pretty dark, party space. The entrance is around the corner from the Melbourne St doors and if I had not attended regular pub nights there, I wouldn't have even given it a second look. As it is quite a cramped space the capacity is only at 100 or so and it is about $900 to hire including a deposit. However, if you want somewhere cool (literally) and different for your next function it is definitely worth a thought. There is a full bar down there with a very small stage located in the adjoining room if you wanted to have entertainment. There is also plenty of seating along the walls of the tunnels because standing room is minimal once it gets crowded. There is also nice toilets located towards the front so you don't have to duck back up and into The Lion when nature calls. Give it a go, the nocturnal animal inside all of us will thank you.

Buzzing Restaurant with an open kitchen, French Rotisserie with slabs of Angus beef slowly rotating, glimmering with fat....paradise. Awesome bar menu is also on offer, options, options, options. On a sunny day...loud bands, loud beer, club, pumping function rooms and private rooms, hot bar chicks.... And did I mention the most important thing of all, the Coorong Angus Beef patted with a thick dry spice mix and cooked on one of the many giant rotisseries, taken off as a whole loin, sliced thick steaming then finished on the flaming char girl. Heaven. And yes I worked here and yes the steaks are as good as I have described.

This is a review of the restaurant, not the pub or function rooms. We stopped in here because it was on the Entertainment Book gold card. Every now and then you have a meal so surprising, so interesting, and so damn good that you mark it down as a benchmark. This was one of those meals. I'm actually hesitant to go back now, because they'll have to work hard to equal it. Food: - choice: not huge in variety, maybe 4 mains I think - steak, pork, duck and vegetarian, plus Fish of the Day and two pasta dishes. - price: between $30 and $40 per main. -quality: Su-fricken-purb. I had "Pan Seared Duck Breast with Coffee, Olive and Liquorice, Beetroot,Mustard Gelée and Barley Milk". I chose it thinking I could just avoid the accompaniments if they weren't very nice. When the meal arrived, the extras were all in their own little piles and so I got to try each of them before trying different combinations with the duck meat. I think this is what really sold the meal for me - each of the accompaniments had a different flavour, look and texture and the whole meal was a wonderful gastronomic adventure. - time between ordering and arrival: slow, but the kitchen (which you can see from the table) was extremely busy. They are by no means understaffed and were churning out meals to the other bars and function rooms as well. Which makes the quality of the meal even more outstanding. The food arrived hot. - Wine list: Wine list was reasonable but not extensive. A little pricey - bottles of red wine started in the high $30's. Surroundings: Very comfortable. Service: Very professional. They offered to take our coats, came over and re-folded the napkins if we left the table, were attentive with wine and water and very courteous and knowledgeable. Summary: Food is sensational, ambience is wonderful, and service is frindly, welcoming and at the same time still very professional.

Great restaurant for a night out. It offers very finely decorated dishes. I guess that what you are paying for. Price is slightly more expensive, but the quality of their produce is very high as well. Very nice and friendly owner, I like him. :) . Their have wide range of wine and beers, you will find something goes perfectly with you meal. I went there last week with friends, friendly staff as usual. However, my steak was slightly under cooked. I ordered rare, but it kinda came out as a blue eye fillet. I did not ask for replacement as I don't mind blue in a nice piece of steak, but the sauce was a little be over powering for me. Our side dish- green beans came out late. Must be too busy and forgot about it. We had to remind them and it finally came out half way through out meal. One last thing, I think they might need a bit of dusting. their nice glass balls were covered in dust above out head, not sure it is a good idea.

The food is decent. Atmosphere was cool on a Sunday early. Then, it get's a bit more crowded as the night progresses. Good people watching. Drinks reasonably priced as well.

Went for lunch with colleagues. After a big weekend needed something light & chip-free! The Prawn Summer Salad hit the spot, faultless! Great deal with beer for under $20. Newly refurbed beergarden perfect place to hang out over summer

We were here recently in the restaurant and had a fantastic night. Food was great as always but the service was exceptional. We couldn't make up our mind as to which wine to choose as I was having steak and my wife was having fish so our delightful waiter bought us no less than 6 different wines to try so we could narrow down our choice. Food was fantastic and we will definitely be back

Excellent 'fresh' food and the hotel has a relaxed atmosphere. Great 'mod-cons', and great bar selection. Wonderful!

What a top pub. Sydney pubs could lean a lot from this joint. Great food and service

Have lunch at The Lion Hotel about once or twice a week. Food is ALWAYS freshly made and staff are vey friendly and can't do enough for you. The Lion is one of the great hotels in Adelaide. I've also eaten in the restaurant a few times and been totally blown away with the food and service. There is a reason this place wins awards. They have entertainment Most week nights to suit most people . Thursday is the great Clearway Night with one of Adelaide's original bands. Sunday night is another big night at the Lion Hotel. Tuesday night Is Zkye and Damo and this has a very relaxed vibe. I think the Lion Hotel is a must visit.

Sunday night is my fave one at The Lion - it's a real mixed bag of lollies. First there's the people: just legal local footy lads interspersed with proud cougars, to glampusses, to that 60 year old italian stallion clad in leather and eyeing you from the barstool he's perched on. The band Wintercherry play all your fave rock/pop covers, then there's a switch to DJ Reelax really just phoning it in with great dance music selections but some not so elegant mixes. One moment you're bopping to a classic like 'Sweet Home Alabama', the next you're jumping around to the latest Calvin Harris track. This game of switcheroo continues throughout the night and though it may be a bit schizophrenic for some I appreciate variety so it suits me. The icing on the cake is an excellent drinks list but the real winner for me is the icy cider on tap, Hills for the apple conneiseurs and Bulmers pear for the partridges. Just a tip, the hours above are for the restaurant, the bar is open until late which means it depends on how busy it is. In a nutshell - summer here we come!