Bel & The Dragon Restaurant in Basingstoke and Deane

Excellent stay at this venue, the room we booked for 2 nights (superior double) was very spacious and so comfy. The restaurant food was fantastic (I needed gluten free and the best meals I have had in years), the staff were all brilliant and such a lovely place to spend a relaxing weekend. Only 10 minutes from Highclere castle which was the reason for our visit

Fantastic little old school building where the food inside is impeccable. When we arrived we were greeted straight away by the barman ( I believe his name was Greg ) who offered us a drink at the bar before we were shown to our tables, we asked for some menus to glance at and I couldn’t believe the knowledge the bar staff had off the food, by the time we had sat I knew the origins or my chosen dish and Greg had suggested ways in which we could replicate it at home and could easily explain the more complex looking items on the menu as if he was cooking them himself. Once seated, we were given a wine list and offered a choice of waters, all of which came swiftly and our order taken quickly but certainly not rushed by a waitress who was smart and attentive. The young waitress asked myself and my partner about any allergies we may have, dietary requirements and then went on to give us the days specials. It’s this kind of attention to detail that really makes us feel welcome. We stayed for a good few hours and we were more than happy to pay the optional service charge. Will definitely recommend and be back again.

I was driving around Hampshire looking for a pub that was open, serving food, or not converted to a private dwelling without much luck and then stumbled on The Bell and Dragon in Kingsclere. First, waiting for someone to help me, a young lady approached said hi and at that moment was called to serve. The barman came to the bar 60 seconds later, “hi said i are you still serving” “yes, no problem, take a seat in the restaurant” I did just that, waited a few minutes when young lady came to give me menus etc but asked me to move, the table was reserved, but no sign. I took another seat away from other people, the noise and people watching. I sat alone, had pea ravioli. I was hoping for the fresh, gentle nature of the peas and subtle flavours of the courgette, the quartered tomatoes were a plate filler and didn’t fit. Finally the chef having pan fried the courgette, decided to make the dish a lemon concoction and that all I could taste, ruined. Cider was good, food below average and service bloody awful. £21 for the squeezed lemon dish, I ate it all as I was hungry, afterwards I sat on my own. hidden. away from far more important clientele, I wanted dessert but my inattentive lady friend had hidden herself so I went without. Cider 4/5, Service 2/5, Food 2/5. Never again.

Went to the Bel and dragon and were seated in the private room which was great for our party. Of nine. We had to pre order which was ok. Service was at best mediocre has to ask on two occasions to bring drinks we ordered. Starter were great burt when the mains came remembering we pre ordered there was no vegetables other than potato’s served with the mains nor were we asked if we wanted any during pre order. We ordered 2 cote de beef which wasn’t on the website menu we were told the price onlynot that it came with nothin not even garnish of any decription. 2 of our party had the lamb and felt short changed 3 small mouthfuls for £26 pounds. Overall we felt it was very expensive and not worth the over £65 a head price. It was a shame as it was a lovely local place .

Fabulous find. Lovely room, in a historic English pub. Food & service excellent. Nice beer garden.m & cosy pub interior. Ideal location if visiting Highclere castle Highly recommend.

Le décor est typiquement anglais, la cuisine raffinée avec de bons produits locaux sans oublier un service chaleureux et compétent. Nous avons passé un très bon moment

It was almost very good. The tiger prawn starters were good as was my companion’s linguini. However my chicken arrived without its sauce, and the side dishes arrived one at a time after reminders. The most disappointing part was the wait of 25 minutes between asking for the bill and paying. The waitress wasn’t interested in finding out why I withheld the service charge. Admittedly, the restaurant was busy, but the staff all seemed inexperienced.

Had a great stay at the Bel and dragon We were going to the races so a great spot not to far away Quaint setting Rooms were perfect Good was outstanding Service was good a lovely touche --- complimentary slo gin in Ur room toiletries and milk teabags etc Drawing room/snug -- games and complimentary drink great touch and great room if weather lets you down somewhere to go have a drink away from the bar and would be great with friends to play few board games that were available to use 3 couples we had a great stay here and will definitely return

We have eaten well here before, but this time it was frankly poor. Many things were missing from the menu,and although the waiting staff were friendly and efficient enough, they had very little knowledge of the menu at all. I had English pea ravioli which was dry, very small for a main course and tasted of very little. The chocolate mousse was good but a tiny portion. The crab linguini and the trout were good. It was expensive for what we had.

A must for anyone who enjoys excellent food and great service in a cosy setting. Would highly recommend.

Really enjoyed our sumptuous breakfasts and Monday night’s cod loin. Wish I’d taken a picture. Keep up the fantastic standard. Regards Vince

I walked my dogs over the downs and after 9 miles I was really looking forward to getting a pint and some food at this pub that I noticed as I drove to my dog walk. I popped in around 4.45pm and straight away got the impression that this is a locals local.. There was one guy at the bar serving drinks but you couldn’t get to the bar as it was full with locals (I assume) drinking/sitting at bar so you couldn’t get close. I waited for around 5 minutes and the barman didn’t look up at me once so I wandered into the restaurant. A lady was checking in guests I assume that were staying at the girl arranging the flowers, I assume was staff, continued to arrange flowers and totally ignored me. A waiter walked straight past and didn’t acknowledge me, greet me or ask if I wanted/needed anything. The lady checking in the guests disappeared, the flower arranging girl walked off and so I walked into the restaurant to see if I could find someone that recognised what a customer looked like. The waiter came back and so I asked if I could get food, but was told not until 6pm… but I didn’t know what the time was and no offer of a drink, table or any kind of service was offered so I left and went to the Vyne in Hannington where I was warmly greeted, had 3 courses of lovely food and wrote a really positive review as I was extremely impressed and looked after. The Bel & Dragon have a great name and normally do lovely food, but my last two B&D experiences have just made me not want to ever return… Poor service, nobody around that recognised what a customer looked like and or offered any kind of service in any way. I left.. no drink.. obviously no food… and another Bel & Dragon bad experience… Disappointed and won’t hurry to return

Disappointing visit, the nut roast Sunday lunch was revolting. The nut roast was a basic stuffing mix with nuts in, it was undercooked and very wet on the inside and rock solid and black on the outside . The Yorkshire pudding was raw in the middle and sodden with fat. The chef decided not to put cauliflower cheese on my plate and when I ask the waitress I was told I don’t get cauliflower cheese, yet it was stated on the menu. She came back 10 minutes later and told me they had forgotten and did I want it even though my plate had been cleared from the table. Terrible service by inexperienced waiting staff and the ‘cooks’ in the kitchen really need to look at the food they are sending out as I didn’t expect overcooked hard and raw wet food. Obviously, we will not be a returning customer here.

Warm welcome from Katie, Rosie and their team. Food excellent: an experience longing to be repeated.

We visited The Bel and the Dragon for a friend's anniversary lunch. In addition to the lunch we stayed overnight. As we were guests for the lunch it would be inappropriate to go into details, suffice it to say that several aspects of the meal were unsatisfactory, some dangerously so. All businesses encounter problems; the way in which problems are dealt with makes the difference between a well-run operation and a poor one. Unfortunately The Bel and the Dragon is a poor one. On pointing out some issues with the lunch, the girl we were dealing with (let’s call her the manageress) would not accept the validity of our comments and adopted a rude and defensive manner which exacerbated the situation. As we were staying overnight I took the opportunity to stroll around Kingsclere in the evening, visiting the other 2 pubs in the process. Both were enjoyably busy with the pleasant buzz of conversation. On returning to Bel and the Dragon, the bar was very quiet except for one table of young people whose noisy behaviour and loud, foul language was being tolerated by the 'management'. The breakfast service was good. In conclusion, this place disappointed on several fronts, it could be so much better.

Arranging the pre-orders was difficult enough for 11 people then having to do it all again because the menu changed should have given me pause. One would think that from when it was booked they would have known when their own menu changed. Cocktails on the Saturday night were hit and miss. Watery ice. One of which i sent back but i believe i was still charged for. A table of 11 for the Sunday lunch. All the roasts were strange to say the least. The gravy that accompanied 3 different roasts was the same over sweet ghastly brown stuff. I had the roast beef which had a soapy taste and horrible texture. It was supposed to be rare but was grey. The Yorkshire pudding had a chemical taint. The roast potatoes were both raw in the middle and over cooked on the outside. The roasted carrot and parsnip had the same vile taste as the beef. I suspect the fat that all these roasted items were cooked in was rancid. Though my guests were wary of complaining, the roasts were so bad they felt they had to speak up. One of whom complained of burning to her throat. Later went to A&E to get checked up. Though her condition had improved by this time. We asked that the Chef explain himself but he remained in the kitchen. The manageress was defensive, argumentative and not at all sympathetic. At the end of this disastrous meal a waitress brought a worn out chopping board which from the photo's is normally used to serve steak. On it was some fudge/brownie with 'Happy Birthday' written in chocolate. It wasn't a birthday ! After this the other manager deducted £140 from the Bill without argument. Then followed more attitude at the Bar with another customer making rude comments when a further complaint was made to the manageress. At this point i was feeling ill and retired to my room. I became cold and started shaking. Obviously my blood sugar levels had crashed through lack of food. A friend went to the shop and brought me a protein rich sugary drink that resembled vanilla yogurt but after an hour it did the trick and i settled back to normal. Noisy people in the courtyard stopped me from getting to sleep. The rooms are nice. The bed comfortable. The pillows too soft. Watch out for your neck as they give no support. The majority of staff were polite and very nice. Probably local as all the people i met on my walks were just as polite and charming. Two nights. Two rooms. 11 for lunch. £983. After the £140 discount. I will not be returning.

On Friday 25th March 5 of us arrived to celebrate my wife’s 80th Birthday. We were warmly greeted by Mark & I think, Barry. Our Son and his girlfriend had come over from Canada for this occasion. They loved the ambiance of the place. Following drinks we went to our table. The waitress was very knowledgeable. Service was excellent. The food perfect and nice and hot. My wife was thrilled with the dessert board chef prepared including a lovely Birthday message in Caramel and candles ( just 2) !!🙄. In all a fabulous evening. Thanks to all the team with a special mention to Ellie who took our booking. It was our first time here and she had a great customer service manner. We will return.

Visit this pub for food 5-6 times a year. Noticeably declined in the last 6-12months. Past 3 visits have been disappointing. Dishes are generally overpriced for the quality of the food, which has become rather ‘cut and paste’ which this chain restaurant had previously avoided. It is now more akin to a Green King restaurant but with smaller sized portions and higher prices, rather than the upmarket brand Fuller, Smith & Turner promote. Overall the food isn’t bad, but not great either and certainly not worth the prices. It lets down what is otherwise a very pleasant pub / restaurant.

Four of us went to Bel and the dragon Kingsclere last night. They had a steak special on which was amazing. Chateaubriand cooked medium rare to perfection. Nick, Kate and team were brilliant as usual. This is truly the best pub in the village.

Very disappointing visit poor service from the start! Wrong food served and then told no pudding were available as the kitchen was closed at 2145! We spent over £60 a head (without puddings) and yet service of £26 was automatically included and when we left not one member of staff was there to thank us or say goodnight! Poor all round!

Firstly Don’t be put off by Edward J’s rambling review. The decor is great the staff are superb and the food is excellent Well cooked good presentation and the taste was excellent. We ate there both nights we stayed in the hotel and on both...

We live locally and have eaten here 20 or 30 times over the past 10 years and whilst sometimes it's been good, more often than not, it hasn't. The reason we keep going back is because it's a charming, pretty pub with a little garden...

A date night for 2, the food and service were great. I would certainly recommend the duck breast! Tom who I believe was one of the managers was great from the moment we walked in and really made us feel welcome. I didn’t catch the...

We went for dinner, group of 6. The staff were great, with a good Covid process. The food was wonderful, mussels starter was lovely and fresh. 2 steaks, chicken and fish mains, sticky toffee, sorbet and strawberries for dessert. Thank you to all the team...

My partner and I came to stay for a long weekend. The room was beautiful. It's a terrifically old building so had loads of character but did need the windows to be propped open with books. The staff were very polite and attentive. The reduced...

It was fitting that with the premier of the new Downton Abbey film last Friday that I was due at Highclere Castle on the Sunday with clients lucky enough to secure tickets to one of their exclusive tour packages. As there have been a few...

Great to stay inCannon. Immediately above the bar. Lovely room and comfortable bed large bathroom with roll top bath and separate shower. Food was excellent we ate there both nights. Very friendly staff. Thank you all.

Came as part of a birthday celebration for 11 of us. Haven’t written a review on Tripadvisor before but have just spent a week in Barcelona with some fantastic food and had just increased my irritation with Bel and the Dragon trip the day before...

Called in on our way home - no reservation but managed to get a table. Had squid and 'torched' mackeral for starters, follwed by rib eye steak and hake. All the food was very good and well presented. Staff were quick and efficient. Prices typical...

We went on a Sunday evening. There was a reasonably good choice as well as the roasts. I had a rib-eye steak; my companion had the lobster linguini. Both were well cooked, tasty and well presented. Prices fairly typical of local gastropub. The service was...

While the interior of Bel & The Dragon is reminiscent of a traditional pub, the back patio and the menu are hidden delights. Tucked away behind the building is a delightful patio with a gravel floor, small trees, stringed lights, a fire pit and lively...

Stopped in Kingsclere for the night as I was running the Hampshire Hoppit the following day. Popped into the Bel & Dragon at half 8 on a Saturday evening and was found a table without a reservation. Enjoyed the duck with maple glaze and the...

Consistently good pub fare , pleasant heritage building with great fireplace and friendly staff , worth a visit

Visited Bel & dragon and stayed at the hotel. Very charming place in an old English house. Very nice rooms (but a bit cold) super nice bathrooms. Very friendly staff, good breakfast with a lot of choices to a reasonable prize. Nice environment and a...

Very Friendly and welcoming staff, very accommodating. Food to a very high standard and service very officiant! High recommend

Popped in for lunch. Excellent choice of ales, very well kept. Nice menu and well cooked food. Friendly staff. You do need to book though as it was very busy, a good sign even on a Monday lunchtime!

Had an amazing Sunday lunch with my family, all of the staff were super accommodating especially grace who served us the whole of lunch! Would definitely recommend!

Celebrated my Birthday with a family Sunday Lunch. I can't fault the food or the service, it was an absolute delight from start to finish. We couldn't have asked for any better service as Katie made sure everything was perfect. Thank you!

We were served by the lovely Emily at the bel and dragon, very quick and efficient service with a lovely smiley face! :) lovely food and great atmosphere.

Had a lovely Sunday roast, tasty beef, took my Dad and Stepmum and food was excellent and the waitress Katy J was lovely to us and very helpful. And a sticky toffee pudding capped off a great lunch. Keith

A group of us went for dinner. The table for 6 was too large making conversation difficult, and the table top was revolting and sticky.

We love the food which is top quality and the roasts are cooked to perfection. Where else are you asked how you like your beef cooked? We can visit without a reservation at 8pm on a Sunday & receive an awesome roast and great service. Nothing is too much trouble! Small changes/extra milk/extra gravy etc. Food cooked fresh to order. We will return!

Wonderful staff and very accommodating for a last minute pop in on a Saturday lunch.

We often go to the Bel and Dragon in Kingsclere and have an enjoyable evening, the restaurant was busy but the service was still very good, food on the whole was good, one friend had the muscles which were very small and disappointing. The menu is changed occasionally but as we are frequent diners we are now getting to the point of going elsewhere ! Please change the menu more frequently and we'll stay!mthe house red and white wine is very acceptable, portion sizes are fine for us. Overall we had an enjoyable evening.

Lovely staff at the bar and waiting. Tasty beautifully cooked food, not over massive portions. Vegan bourguignon could have been enhanced with some crusty bread. Lovely real wood fire much appreciated. Furnishings could do with an update, armchairs look like they have been attacked by a tiger! But overall a very pleasant venue for a tasty lunch.

Table prebooked Waited, arrived on time, 35 mins before I had to request waiting, before being told sold out of roasts. --AVOID.

Saturday lunch 19th January. Opted for the Bel Burger, what a let down. Can only describe it as being made of a finely ground & highly compacted meat substance. The type you may find in a cheap butchers & not a freshly made burger made from fresh minced beef. Way overpriced at £14.00.

We had lovely lunch lovely staff nice ambiance celebrating our wedding anniversary which staff were aware of

Had a great team lunch here. 6 of us with a mixture of tastes. Everybody was able find a great meal. Great house wine and nice ambiance.

We had a lovely experience yesterday! The breakfast was delicious, service very good and on top of it our 2 years old was loving the scribble tables. Will be visiting again for sure!

Excellent food and a very reasonably priced set mid-week lunch menu. My only gripe is the temperature in the main dining area as it was a little cold despite there being a couple of portable heaters.

Incredibly helpful staff (given the complexity of our needs (allergies, special diets and general fussiness of children) and excellent service. The food was good and tasty although a little off here are there (e.g. the winter vegetable bourguignon (while tasty) didn't appear to have had much to do with red wine and the chickpeas were peripheral despite being billed as centre stage). but overall this was an excellent place to stop for lunch on our way home on a long drive and we left very well fed and happy.

Nice friendly staff, pleasant ambiance but incredibly small portions. Great if you are on a diet! Otherwise not.

Food was lovely and service good, we ate in the bar, big mistake as it was cold! They do have a fire but it wasn't lit!

The guy that served us was very pleasant. But they’ve just got too few staff to cope with the volume so the service is appalling.

Very pleased with the quality, price and service.

Having caused a few hiccups on our part by booking less people in than arrived for our work Christmas lunch I cannot compliment the Bel & Dragon Kingsclere team enough for the way they handled the situation , tables were made up in no time , food menus re arranged swiftly , they could not have done more to accommodate us and and ensure we had a very nice experience. This was even with an already busy restaurant . Special thank you to the waitress service , second to none and very attentive and to the kitchen staff whom produced a spectacular meal . Great customer service and will very much return, thank you for kick starting my teams Christmas festivities in such a great way !

Lovely menu and food, service was very good as was the beer and drinks. It is pretty pricey for the area but the quality is high.

We eat here quite often on a Sunday night as they do a great roast dinner. Expensive for a 'roast' but great quality

Very cosy pub with great food and drinks. Food seasonal and lots to choose from.

We live locally and have in the passed enjoyed some good meals here but they haven’t changed the menu in several years (apart from the odd ‘seasonal’ dish) and it’s boring, uninspiring menu. For an evening pub supper it is very £££ with very little atmosphere or service. We won’t be returning for food, but maybe a drink in the bar, possibly.

Room temperature was cold unless you were lucky enough to have a table in the room with the fire. Very very expensive wine list. The food was ok but you have to pay £4.50 for vegetables that should be with the food at the cost it is. I would not recommend this venue unless you have lots of money to throw away on very ordinary food.

Visited after seeing a piece written in the independent about cosy pubs.. this place definitely delivered! We didn't stop referring to it the next day.

This is a very nice place to have a drink in Kingsclere. The food is a bit over priced for what you get though.

Food was fantastic and friendly staff. The only thing that let it down was the temperature -the restaurant was very cold.

Service was not great. Took 20 minutes to get a jug of water and take our drinks order even though there was only 2 other tables in the restuarant area. You are then charged a 12.5% service fee. There was only 1 vegetarian main course on the menu so very limited for vegetarians. It was my partners birthday and the restaurant didn't offer any kind of birthday gift or even acknowledge his birthday. Other places we have been too offer a free shot or glass of wine or bring out a small desert cake for example. I would reccommend the restuarant for a normal evening meal but wouldnt reccommend it for special occasions or vegetarians.

We ate here in a Sunday night and they were still producing excellent roasts. Amazing! Good value. Staff really friendly. Not very warm in the restaurant. They had one fireplace working

This was our second visit to Bel and the Dragon. The first time was before the Fullers take-over, and it wasn't a great experience, but we thought we would give them another chance. We were warned in advance that Fullers pubs could be expensive for beer, but this turned out not to be the case. A pint of London Pride and a Coke came to £5.10 at the bar, which seemed about right. Unfortunately the restaurant was nearly empty and was uncomfortably cool. The starters were fine. I enjoyed my scallops, but they were quite small and so quickly devoured. The white bait was enjoyed by both my wife and my brother's partner. My brother chose the chipolatas off the nibbles menu. There were plenty, perhaps too many for a one person starter and we thought maybe they were meant to be shared. There was some confusion with the main meal menu. It stated that vegetables were extra, so we ordered a few extra dishes between us, but I had roast spuds with my pork and so didn't need the mash I ordered. My wife ordered spinach and expected it to be cooked, but it was a salad. Her choice of vegetable goulash wasn't very tasty and had too many lentils for her taste. She described it as "gloopy". My suckling pig wasn't very tender and my brother said his duck was only just warm and also not very tender. My passion fruit tart was tasty, but the topping on my brother's crumble was dry and dusty. The ice creams were fine. The drinks at the table consisted of one pint of London Pride and one pint of Good Old Boy. The bill came to around £180 - which seemed rather expensive for four people. We all thought that we would have enjoyed our own home cooking considerably more. I doubt we will go again.

We've eaten in the restaurant a few times over the years and we've never been disappointed. The food is good quality. We ate here on Sunday night and they were still offering good quality roast dinners. It's worth paying just that little bit extra for such great food. We will be visiting again!

We always enjoying eating in the restaurant. The food is such good quality with plenty of options to select from

We all enjoyed the food which was excellent, however we waited 30 minutes before someone took our order.

My Partner loved his food, I found mine ok but the lamb was very tough. Considering sides were extra and portion sizes on the small size I thought value for money was very poor. The waitresses were lovely.

Very expensive, run out of roasts by 5 .. yes it's later in the day but didn't mention when booked. £180 for 4 people with average food and and an entry bottle of wine is not great

A tad expensive, but we knew that before we went. Wondered whether cost put others off....it was very quiet but we are not complaining. Service was very good and the young man who appeared to be in charge will go far in the industry. He was ably supported by the other waiting staff. We did not like the 10% service charge. OK, it was optional but it is not a preferred way of remunerating staff. All in all, we paid a total of £80 approximately. We normally pay £50 or less for comparable fayre on a Sunday. The food and experience was not £30 better than other gastropubs that we frequent for Sunday lunch. All in all, pleasant enough and we will probably call by again in the future. However, the costs are too high, particularly when you have travelled 20 miles to get there. This gastropub needs to be significantly more competitive to warrant the prices it charges.

lovely meal well served enjoyed relaxed atmosphere

Staff very nice, good menu but food doesn’t meet expectations.

Food was ok but rather bland and my bubble and squeak was dry

We tried this restaurant based on previous review, but was very dissapointed. Dispite making a reservation, We were seated at a very awkward table for start. It took ages for someone to take our order, we went for Sunday roast as we were too tired to cook after a long week. I am not the worlds best cook but I can make a better roast at home. We didnt even stay for desert as the atnmosphere was cold and we didnt feel welcome.

We have been to this restaurant before but not for some time as we had been away. We wanted a small meal nothing fancy just didn’t want to cook at home. Small chipolatas with a maple syrup, 1 portion was plenty to nibble on before our meal arrived, they were delicious. I ordered the special, Salmon with spinach and a cream and white wine sauce. My husband had the chilli crab linguine, both were excellent and filling. Our waitress was delightful, water provided and replenished, the wine perfect. Very relaxed atmosphere, we ate early so just a few people there, but it gradually filled up so a nice atmosphere.

Very good food and service. Excellent evening - we would all return

There was clearly not enough waiting staff on duty on our midweek evening. Those on duty worked really hard but were pressurized and understandably a tad grumpy. Although we ordered a "nibble" it was a bit late - it would have been nice to have it (squid) as we were choosing our mains. Admittedly we were not in a hurry but even so the gaps between courses was too long. Food quality was generally good although the duck was slightly on the tough side but its accompanying vegetables were excellent . All factors considered prices were high-ish and for me not good value for money - the £18 pasta with crab tasted great but was overpriced, ditto the lemon tart at £7 . The in-built 12.5% service charge for me was a problem. Yes I know it's discretionary but I'm English not American; I shrank with embarrassment at the thought of challenging the charge and in any case the service did not warrant my usual maximum of 10% in cash. I am working on my assertiveness but I suspect the wording on the menu - "We are very grateful for any feedback. If we have not lived up to expectations, the Service Charge will be removed and every effort will be made to redeem ourselves" - would in any case, make a challenge an uphill struggle. So for the most part good but pricey food, hard pressed staff and a killer service charge.

Came from a recommendation from the staff at Sanford Springs but a pleasant 20-minute walk from the golf course. Nice atmosphere, real friendly staff, great food, good value for money & well portioned

We were recently celebrating our silver wedding anniversary, having married in Kingsclere and spent the night at The Swan on our wedding night in 1993. I booked an evening meal, bed and breakfast for a Monday to Tuesday stay and we were not disappointed. We moved away from the area many years ago but very little has changed and The Swan is a still a beautiful building with lots of character, the restaurant is very cosy and welcoming and the bedroom beautifully furnished. There was complimentary sloe gin, whiskey and coffee in the room and adjoining lounge and the staff were very friendly and helpful. Both the evening meal and breakfast were exceptional. We would certainly return and would recommend to anyone seeking a romantic break with excellent cuisine.

Excellent service and food contributed to a special family get together

Generally very good. There are three things that could be improved upon. A sign to the restaurant rather than entering the bar. Clean your glasses properly, every glass we had was heavliy watermarked, it’s a big thumbs down for me at any bar/restaurant. I thought the ribeye steak was expensive for what it was.

Fabulous food, amazing desserts and delicious gin sling cocktail! Great place to spend an evening with friends!

popped by for a quick bite and drink, served my chips in a rusty plant pot.... rank.... cant imagine how dirty the rest of the kitchen is.

We always enjoy eating in the restaurant and last night was really enjoyable. The staff are very friendly and the menu is always excellent. Lots to choose from and such good quality.

Relaxing evening with good food and great service. Always enjoy eating here there’s a varied menu and some nice wines. Pleasant rooms and you don’t feel you’re sitting on top of each other.

We loved the Bel and Dragon when it first opened then the service and food went so far down hill we stopped going.

Booked 3 evenings here as I was down on business at a cost of £105 per night room only (superior suite). The room backed on to the beer garden, it has been hot so this area is well used. If you are hoping for a good nights sleep forget it, the noise of the kitchen extract and visitors went on well into 23:30 and beyond. This is fine if you are on holiday and are eating / drinking here but not if you have to get up at 6am; as mentioned it was very hot, it was only possible to open the windows around 6 inches or so - presumably for health and safety reasons. Unfortunately no fan was provided or offered, I got one from where I was working. If you are in the suite I was in as a couple then make sure it’s a romantic stay, the bath is in the bedroom and there is no shower. Additionally the room forms part of the means of escape in the case of fire, so there is a green break glass point next to the door that releases the lock mechanism for the door. Unfortunately this mechanism was disabled so anyone could push the door at any time and open it, finally there was no coffee / tea provided in the room, it was available separately in a shared lounge area, if you want to use the coffee machine then ask how it operates - alas I was not clever enough. The food is supposed to be good but I am afraid expenses would not cover those prices; a nice touch was a bottle of sloe gin free to drink and the staff I met were good. If the the bel and dragon want repeat business this is not the way to go about it, the nearby Sandford Springs hotel is far superior and that is where i will be going next time. If there is a reply to this please try and avoid your cut and paste efforts that have clearly happened before - thanks.

The food was very good, the restaurant was a bit noisy, tho’ not full. The staff were all very attentive. It was reasonably priced, though the wine £27 for a run of the mill Merlot was a little expensive. We would go again and have recommended to family.

it was a hot day and fortunately we were brought an umbrella which improved our meal enormously. Nice touch a bottle of water before we ordered our drinks.

We book last minute and was surpassed to get a table, but very happy as we've been meaning to go for a while as we live in the village. I love the feel to the place and the atmosphere is lovely but had to frown when told that they would be back with a menu as they'd ran out!!!! (the restaurant wasn't full). Ordered the last 2 steaks in the kitchen which comes with fries and NO sides which the waitress failed to tell us on ordering, also a tad disappointed when my fillet came covered in mixed herbs... which we don't like. Mussels to start which where lovely but again over priced. Our bill at the end of the evening was £148 which my husband felt was a tad steep. Oh and Pinot by the glass is £8 so best go for a bottle ladies..

Great food!! Lots of options, nothing was too much hassle. Service was fab the team kept checking we were ok but not over the top.

We visited this restaurant a couple of weeks ago with 2 young children. Plenty of toys/colouring to keep them entertained which always helps! I had the steak sandwich which was cooked to perfection and just melted in your mouth. Children had chicken nuggets and chips and my 5 year old even said she enjoyed her broccoli!!.. which is a first. Service was attentive, very accommodating, especially with 2 young (noisy) children. The presence of the manager (I think.. South African?) was really nice to see as you don’t get this in many restaurants. After a short conversation he even offered to give us a tour of the hotel rooms! Which were absolutely stunning, and the kids felt like VIPs with the secret (or so they thought) your. Will we be back? Definitely. But hopefully without children next time!

What an earth is going on here. Absolutely shocking. Arrived and asked for Sauvignon Blanc wine. Wine was at room temperature so was told the would put it in the fridge. Might be ok for tomorrow!! Ordered Chicken Milanese. 15 minutes later told it wasn't available so ordered lamb! 15 minutes later was told lamb not available!! So ordered beef! 40 minutes later we were a bit aggrieved and said we would go if food not available in 10 minutes. Not surprising we left and went for an Indian takeaway. Which was lovely! Shocking service, like Fawlty Towers. Never again.

One word. Shocking. Staff were untrained. Ended up leaving without ANY food. Ordered 2 meals that we were told 15 minutes after each order that those meals were now not available. Ordered 3rd meal, waited ages and meal did not appear so we gave up. Never again! Understand restaurant in process of being sold to Fullers. Looks like this restaurant has given up already!

Have visited here before and it was excellent, a little disappointed this time. Bit expensive for what we had. Waitress was lovely but food not up to the standard of our previous visit.

Second visit as like the place although service is dire!