I have to admit that despite being able to since the first lockdown I have been hesitant to go out to eat at restaurants and have only just started to venture out again. So, for my 1 year anniversary with my boyfriend, I booked a table at a local pub and restaurant, The Lion.
The Lion has been a popular spot in Farningham since the 16th Century when it was the entertainment centre of the village. In the 18th Century the then named Black Lyon was the venue for all the important village meetings and The Lion was even once visited by Charles Dickens whilst on a trout fishing trip!
My family and I have been visiting it for as long as I can remember. When I was a child it was a Harvester and we used to go there for any and all celebrations from birthdays to mother’s and father’s days to name a few. We visit less these days but it’s still a great local eatery.
The Lion, now owned by Vintage Inns, offers hearty favourites and country pub classics, as well as our seasonal dishes. It also boasts a well-stocked bar, including cask ales, fine wines and British gin to suit all tastes. The Lion has a gorgeous interior with exposed beams and a litany of interesting art and knickknacks on the walls which is charming. There is also a lovely open wood burning fire which makes the place particularly cosy on a cold evening.
The Lion offers a few vegan options although the menu could be expanded! My boyfriend and I are both vegan so were limited a little to our options, however, we both decided to go for the “squashsage” and mushroom roll – a plant-based take on the classic sausage roll, freshly baked and served with beetroot relish, to start. I enjoyed the starter which had a flaky pastry and a satisfying mushroom filling. I really liked the beetroot relish and could have had several pots of it!
For my main, I went for the Moving Mountains Burger (one of my favourite plant-based burgers) which is served with tomato, red onion, lettuce and burger relish. I also ordered a dressed side salad as extra as unfortunately, the chips are not vegan. Steve ordered the candied vegetable roast, which is topped with sesame & pumpkin seeds and served with green beans, tomato sauce, vegan roast potatoes, carrots, broccoli, roasted courgette, red onions & peppers. He definitely seemed to enjoy his meal whereas I was left wishing I could have some chips!
There are a few vegan pudding options, however, at this point, we were fairly stuffed! We decided to split the coconut milk and strawberry sorbet which was a nice sweet end to the meal.
Overall, we had a good time at the Lion pub. The food was good quality and tasty, the atmosphere was lovely and the service was great. I am a little sad that they don’t have more on offer for plant-based eaters (especially no chips!), so I will award it 4 out of 5 stars.
