IT makes such a refreshing change to walk into a pub and not feel the need to reach for a gas mask.
The sooner smoking is banned in all hostelries the better in my book. I find it particularly offensive when I am out for a meal. I can cope with a beer in a smoky atmosphere but find eating and breathing in someone else's regurgitated exhaust fumes difficult to swallow.
So the Red Lion has been a breath of fresh air since smoking was banned more than a year ago.
The quirky village pub is split into a bar area, accessed by a side door down an alley, and a small restaurant at the front of the building.
Food is served in either and the menu reflects this dual role. Chicken Rossini (diced chicken and king prawns in lobster sauce)sits alongside the more traditional pub fare, sirloin steak and chips.
But the quality of the food is quite clearly above standard pub grub.
I treated my wife Karen to a meal in the cosy surroundings of the restaurant.
The choice of dishes was generous for the size of venue. Apart from an extensive menu, the specials board was bursting at the seams – hardly another word could be crammed on.
The prices appeared reasonable as well, with starters ranging from homemade soup (£2.95) to moules mariniere with freshly baked bread (£4.95), and main courses from home-made steak and ale pie (£7.45) to honey roast duck with orange and cointreau jus (£12.95).
The wine list was lively with a good selection of popular reds and whites, ranging in price from a £9.50 South African white to a £14.50 Spanish Rioja. I side-stepped the wine on this occasion because I couldn't resist a Black Sheep ale at the bar on the way in.
My starter was to die for, especially on a chilly winter's evening. I opted for the grilled haggis on a layer of swede and mash, draped in the smoothest whisky sauce (£3.95). This is as traditional a dish as it gets – haggis and neeps – but by golly it was tasty! The way the dish was presented with that perfectly complementary sauce was a combination to drool over.
I could have stopped there and gone home happy, if not entirely satiated.
While I was enjoying my haggis, Karen was tucking into a plate of potato skins with garlic mayonnaise – a meal in itself, with a substantial salad.
I have a passion for seafood, so I couldn't resist the glazed garlic king prawns with saffron rice for my main course (at £12.50, one of the most expensive on the menu), and I wasn't disappointed.
The king-size crustaceans were steeped in a creamy sweet chilli and white wine sauce, which was just hot enough to leave your tongue tingling but not too overpowering to bring you out in a sweat and completely mask the taste of the prawns.
The portions were just right, too. I prefer not to be faced with a mountain of food but to have finely cooked flavours to savour.
Karen went for the home-made steak and ale pie and enjoyed its rustic, wholesome combination.
After such fine cooking for both our first two courses, the sweet menu seemed a little incongruous. The commonplace Mövenpick plastic-coated menu did not fit in well with the emphasis on sumptuous home cooking and local produce experienced thus far. The choice of ready-made Swiss ice cream creations was disappointing, although my sticky toffee pudding and Karen's chocolate pudding (£3.95 each) defied our expectations – both tasted more prepared than packaged.
The service was friendly without being intrusive throughout and the atmosphere warming once a few people had joined us.
Our bill came to just over £40, pretty reasonable we thought.
The Red Lion offers a classy blend of traditional pub and relaxed upmarket restaurant, ideal for a romantic night out or for a group of friends at prices that aren't greedy.
STAR RATINGS (out of five)Quality of food: 4
Choice: 4
Value for money: 4
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 4
Children catered for: 4
Overall experience: 4
Verdict: A gem – well worth a visit.
Meal times: Winter/Out of Season: Tuesday to Saturday, noon to 3pm & 5.30pm to 8.30pm.
Summer: Monday to Saturday, noon to 3pm & 5pm to 9pm.
Dining room bookings are recommended.
Contact details: The Red Lion Inn, 22 Northumberland Street, Alnmouth, Northumberland NE66 2RJ. Tel: 01665 830584
Click here for an A4 printable version of this review.
(Published in Northumberland Gazette, Thursday, January 11, 2007)