Red Lion, Welwyn, Herts

Tuesday 6th November 2012: with a few minutes thought, we suddenly found ourselves heading out to dinner in the Welwyn area. Having not tried the Red Lion (just south of the village) for a couple of years, we decided to give it a try and, from a possible 5 stars, it rated a decent 4.

Arriving at 8.20pm, there was ample parking and, on entry, a welcoming atmosphere. Recently decorated and nicely furnished. Possibly understaffed as we tried for 3 or 4 minutes to find someone to ask if we could have a table for two.

It was about half-full and we had a choice of tables. The waitress was pleasant and friendly, the menu looked good with a variety of food and a range of prices. Because we didn't have a starter, there was a bit of a wait for the main course, enough time to finish the first drinks and replenish as the main course was served.

We chose a mushroom tagliatelle - excellent - and organic sausage with crispy bacon, pureed potatoes and butterbeans - also good. For pudding, one of us had frozen yogurt with fresh berries and the other one chose cappuccino which, unfortunately, did not arrive by 9.40pm when we had to leave.

Summary: atmosphere, decor, food and drink all good, maybe slightly understaffed but the staff we encountered were good. Website: www.theredlionwelwyn.co.uk