Bell Inn in Braintree

Avoid. Was in last night and witnessed the landlord assaulting a young lad for no reason.

Good beer , good food, good company, what more could you wish for in a traditional English village pub, now with even more real ales!

Friday nights ( my only experience) is busy, and Jovial, excellent beer, service and always someone to chat to. We meet at 17.00 but people are coming in all the time. We did not eat but we know those that have and they book again.

A proper pub with a great atmosphere and lovely staff . The Sunday Roast was really Good .Great quality Large portions. The staff were really attentive even though they were very busy 😁

Lovely atmosphere in sleepy village. Garden looks out onto the pretty church. Good food and beers.

I really love this place ! I’ve come here 4 times now for food and it never disappoints ! The menu isn’t massive but every dish on it is amazing , interesting and has yet to fail me not matter what I order ! Today I had the Cajun chicken salad and it so so tasty, I can’t stop talking about it ! The service is always good , the front of house Radu is fantastic ! Please please do not drop your standards cause I want to keep coming back ! I also love that the menu changes throughout the seasons so keeps you wanting more ! Thankyou the bell !

Wonderful Sunday Roast with home made gravy and excellent roast potatoes, friendly service, keenly priced with a nice country Pub atmosphere. Highly recommend

Local to us so always going for drinks and or food. The food is good especially the Sunday roast and the staff are friendly and helpful. There is a nice outdoor area to sit and watch the world go by.

Only visited for the cask ale! Good selection, well kept.

Good selection of beers nice country pub limited parking

Our family had a lovely Sunday roast lunch at the bell excellent quality and served with a smile There’s a wonderful friendly atmosphere in the Bell pub exactly the way a local pub should be nothing was too much trouble great selection on the Sunday menu starters mains and delicious pud’s Try and leave room for the ice cream etc The Bell pub is definitely back on top as it should be very welcome indeed Looking forward to the next Sunday roast !

Great pub, very helpful staff, food was great. Definitely go again.

An excellent evening meal and a great choice of food on the menu. Very nice company within the pub. Look forward to returning sometime.

Had planned to spend the night with work mates for leaving drinks and some grub. I had one drink and left…. Nice pub for locals, but not very welcoming for outsiders it seems. Pint of bitter I ordered (John smiths) was lively (fizzy after taste) so mentioned this to the bar man (owner) and even encouraged him to try it because he didn’t believe me. Got my drink replaced, and heard him mutter under his breath ‘that’s what you get with sh*t beer…..’ whilst playing to his locals audience who were scoffing. Not a positive environment that I’ll place myself in again and to be frank, bloody rude to paying customers.

The best pie I've ever had, chicken & chorizo.

Excellent Timothy Taylor, including a dark mild. A really good pub that made you feel welcome. Great to sit by the fire and warm up eating the steak and onion pie. A place to go back to with its own pub dog .

The Bell was recommended to us, and we were not disappointed. Food was great quality, good value for money and plenty of it. The menu is traditional pub food. With a few specials. The staff were friendly and attentive, even though the pub was busy. Highly recommend, we will be back very soon.

Great place with good food, nice atmosphere and good value.

Wonderful relaxed Pre-Xmas family meal. Particularly excellent starters of French Onion Soup and Pigeon & Black Pudding salad followed by Roast Turkey with all the trimmings and Game Pie. Finished off the meal with our cheese course and a Tawny port. Highly recommend for lunch on a cold winter's day in front of their fire with an accompanying pint of Timothy Taylor or whatever is their guest beer that month.

Great meal good service prices very competitive

Really lovely place with friendly staff. The food was really nice, it was actually home cooked as opposed to just brought-in stuff that has been reheated. Will for sure be coming back.

Village pub , plenty of room, good selection of beverages.Caters for groups & locals alike. Service is very attentive,and chef is proficient, friendly & eager to please. Food is tasty & good value. Parking can be a challenge late afternoons/ early evenings.Very popular ' Sunday Roasts'. The outdoor garden is being redone & should be great for the summer when it catches the afternoon sun.

We popped in on the off chance we could get a meal, been past loads of times but wanted to give it a try. We both had the fish pie which was excellent, only drank soft drinks so can’t comment on the bar, but it was well attended just like the old days when folk used to meet up for an evening drink, very friendly atmosphere.

Nice pub, unfortunately we arrived just after they had finished serving food (approx 3pm). Great outdoor seating area

Excellent food, prompt friendly service and great value for money

Kids wanted ice creams ,paid £12 for 4 small melt ice creams,waiting time 10 minuts.Not happy at all.DONT BUY ICE CREAMS THERE

Had an amazing family meal here today. Best pie I've had in ages! Thank you

Great service great pint what more can you ask for?

Fantastic friendly and local pub. The landlord is lovely and the food menu is great. Really tasty and good value.

In all my time living in the area I don't know why I've never visited this pub ! . Been a few times now and got to say its a nice place , as close to how a pub used to be , and the foods delicious, not had a bad meal yet.

Lovely Sunday roast dinner, definitely recommend. Great atmosphere

When we arrived we was not on the system for booking but they did fit us in There was a 60th birthday party where they managed to put us which was loud The food was amazing just the atmosphere unfortunately ruined it

A proper pub with great ales, friendly atmosphere and some brilliant food too. Regularly attend here midweek with a few friends and love it every time I do.

The staff are lovely and very friendly. And the roast dinners we delicious. Would really recommend this lovely country pub.

First visit since 1988, still a lovely pub .

Village pub that allows dogs in, pool table and selection of lagers. Friendly staff worth a visit for a beer or two after a country walk.

A wonderful place, quiet, stop and relax as much as possible... Lunch: very tasty soup and bread, as well as a baked potato with extras... but when I asked for an extra roll, unfortunately they were like stones 🙄

My wine glass was filthy i had to get it changed & then unfortunately the meals were not acceptable, looked like a lovely old pub but not nice inside very very disappointing & certainly will never go back 😞

We visited here for Sunday lunch and it was AMAZING. A real village pub, with a great atmosphere & friendly people. Plus there's a dart board. What more could you ask for?!

A very English pub, and delicious ale.

Thank you so much for the lovely food . You couldn't do enough for us.we felt very welcome and will be back again.x

We always enjoying going to the Bell Inn. Great selection of ales and a 10/10 roast dinner (and dessert!). Staff are so friendly. It’s also nice that there are events such as live music, May Day barbecues etc from time to time. A brilliant place, we are lucky to have it!

Came for Sunday lunch and was very impressed, nice staff, welcoming atmosphere and the food was lovely and very good portions, will be visiting again

Always fantastic, food, drink and service. A proper old school, friendly village pub - the likes of which are sadly all too rare these days. Would highly recommend a visit to The Bell without delay. Highly recommend the first class Sunday roasts.

Decided to go for a spontaneous Mid week meal and had recently been recommended here. I had the chilli and my friend chose the steak. All in all it was a pleasant experience. Food was delicious and the staff were very welcoming and friendly. Will definitely be returning

My family and I enjoyed a lovely Sunday roast. I had the roast beef, I was asked how I would like my beef served and it came out medium rare and perfect as I had asked for. My wife can only eat from the gluten-free menu and we were pleased by the variety of options for mains and dessert that my wife was able to choose from. We asked for a child’s size roast for our son which although wasn’t advertised anywhere, when we asked it was accommodated and our son ate the lot! The staff were friendly, attentive and very helpful. They made it look like a fun place to work! There were a Selection of ales to choose from. I enjoyed the Colchester number one. Thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon here, we will definitely be returning soon.

We booked for Sunday lunch, not just any Sunday lunch but Easter Sunday. I have previously left rave reviews about this pub, even celebrating with 30 family members for my hubby’s 50th pre lock down. However new owners have seen the menu, service, food and standards drop dramatically. The glasses were dirty, we changed them for not as dirty but still dirty glasses. The Yorkshire pudding were terrible. Burnt, hard and stodgy. The waitress spilt gravy on the table and didn’t bother coming back to clean it up. When we asked for a menu, we were informed it was on the chalk board less than a4 in size already on the table. It consisted of roast with meat or vegetarian option. Other people came in later and ordered salmon (this wasn’t made known to us). The food was edible, just. Sadly we won’t be returning, despite preferring to support local.

Rang to book a table for good. The guy who answered the phone sounded surprised. When we arrived it appeared to be s local village pub not known for food as no one was eating just a few around the bar area Ordered homemade steak and ale pie with mash and veg snd a trio of sausages with mash and veg. Received a tasteless pie with hard pastry. Standard veg of carrots snd peas snd lumpy mash which looked grey. Cook apologised saying she added too much butter to the mash that was the least if the problem. My husband received vegetarian sausages by mistake. Waited for replacement and was told the sausages are not good so chose fish snd chips with peas. By now I had nearly finished my meal. My husbands meal arrived. The fish was overcooked snd dry and the peas like bullets. Could hear the ding if the microwave so as a guess this is why overcooked. Don’t order food

Lovely pub, very welcoming and great atmosphere 😀

I came here for a Sunday lunch and it was lovely! Good sized portions, well cooked food. I would definitely come back here again and I'd recommend it to anyone.

Great welcome, they are dog friendly and delishous food

Had a beef roast dinner today and it was delicious, come here often, staff are lovely and always a good atmosphere

Out for dinner with friends. The staff were very welcoming, the open fire and Christmas lights were twinkling and we had the most delicious chicken pies. Will go again.

Had an excellent Sunday lunchtime roast dinner here today! Great friendly service, tasty plentiful food and a nice ambience! Not been here before but will go again if the rest of the menu is as good as the Sunday roast was! Nothing was too much trouble for the staff!

Very nice clean place very nice staff very pleased to help you and the food was all nice definitely recommend this place

Only was in Colchester for one night and came acrossed this lovely pub with friendly staff and customers. Was only stopping for a few but had something to eat and was there til the death. Great local pub and well worth a visit.

old worldy pub with great beer 👏 👏 👏

Excellent lunch - food was really good, catered brilliantly for gluten free. Very tasty and enjoyable lunch - highly recommend

We all really enjoyed my birthday meal together in June . I had spoken to Caroline beforehand about food allergies which she gladly accommodated. Everyone tucked into delicious home cooked food, with generous helpings for us all.

Really nice food and great service

Great food (Roast is amazing) and service with a smile 😃.

Had a lovely Sunday roast at the Bell Inn today. The staff are really welcoming and the gravy flowed freely! We had friends visiting us for the day and it was so nice to be able to take them to a decent local! The portions are great, it is certainly a roast ‘with all the trimmings’ - I particularly like the cauliflower cheese...and the stuffing...and the Yorkshire pudding....and the roast potatoes! The desserts are pretty good too! The salted caramel cheesecake was delicious! We will definitely be back and I recommend the Bell Inn wholeheartedly!

Great food again. Grateful that you have learned my families likes and dislikes and once again provide a fantastic meal. Many thanks. (Love the Chick/Chorizo pie!)

Just had the fish and chips with mushy peas takeaway and we absolutely loved it, really tasty fish and fantastic chips, well done Keith and Caroline best takeaway we have had in a long time and looking forward to coming for a meal when we can

During lockdown collecting my takeaway. Yummy

Absolutely the best roast dinners had delivery the last 2 weeks amazing service thanks from mary xxx

Having lived in Kelvedon for a number of years and visited all the local pubs and restaurants, we had always overlooked going to the Bell Inn. We booked a table and gave it a try. The pub was clean and tidy and in this rancid time of multiple and unnecessary COVID rules and restrictions, the pub was fully adequate in adhering to the regulations and felt comfortable and relaxed. There were only 2 staff working the floor, both were attentive and were regulary asking if we needed any more drinks or food etc. There was a suitable selection of drinks. The foods the real winner here, simply delicious. I can not fault it in any way. My wife had breaded mushrooms as a starter and a steak as her main, both were cooked to perfection, incredibly tasty and suitably filling. I had the battered fish and chips, i can't think of a better tasting fish and chips that i have had recently, so tasty, and the chunky chips were some of the best chips i have tasted followed by a belgian waffle for dessert. Credit must go to Caroline for her wonderful kitchen skills. In summary, a lovely location, warm and welcoming staff and food that is some of the best around locally. Thumbs up from us, we will make another visit soon.

It was lovely food, very nice friendly first time I've been but my brother visits regular, won't hesitate to go again

Wow, I have just had the haddock and chips and I can honestly say it was the best I have had in years, I would highly recommend this establishment for a nice quiet quality lunch or dinner. Another visit will most definitely be on the cards. Thank you the bell inn.

We have been enjoying the most fabulous takeaways at The Bell during Lockdown. Caroline is such a good cook and produces delicious freshly prepared food. The fish and chips are always amazing, with skinny or chunky chips, or you can ask for sweet potato fries instead. As a non meat eater, I also love her creamy vegetable pie and homemade quiches. My hubby usually goes for one of the many meat based puddings or pies, which he says are delicious. This is real home-cooked tasty pub food, prepared with care.We are looking forward to visiting for real soon and know that Caroline and Keith will have thought of every detail when it comes to keeping their customers safe.We are so lucky to have such a welcoming local pub and can thoroughly recommend it.

After months of enjoying the Bell's takeaway Sunday lunch service (they are still doing this and would highly recommend!) we booked for a Sunday lunch which we had in the garden. We were apprehensive, as one of our party was particularly vulnerable, but the landlady was so understanding and located us so that we were completely isolated from the other tables outside. All of the tables were spaced out really well (there is a small marquee in case of a shower) and the organisation and safety was excellent. We had a lovely leisurely lunch and highly recommend. We are back again this week for a normal restaurant menu !

Absolutely fantastic pub, I visited this pub for the first ever time on Friday evening which was also my first pub visit since they were able to open again, I was a little hesitant about visiting a pub again, however, their were clear markings throughout and the staff were so helpful and friendly.Once we had ordered a drink and sat down in the garden (which was lovely) we were clearly advised about giving our details and were waited on for the whole evening with the friendly staff getting our drinks when needed.In summary, I would highly recommend this pub, it was excellent customer service, lovely surroundings and super well organised for the post COVID world.

Been here on multiple occasions, lovely atmosphere, lovely locals and lovely staff always feel welcome, the food has always been very nice as well not had a bad meal there yet

This is what I call an old-style pub, offering a range of food and drink for all tastes and appetites. Not exactly fine dining, but personally I prefer it this way.

Fab night, great food (I recommend the prawn cocktail and a ‘build a burger’ from the burger menu!) very good value for money. Visited on a night when the in house band was playing. Flyblow76 were brilliant and really made our evening. We’ll be back soon!

My family and I visited for Sunday lunch having been recommended by a friend. We were not disappointed. This little village pub was bustling and the dining room was full. The staff were friendly, accommodating and efficient. We each had a roast, I opted for the trio of meats. The portion sizes are generous and the Yorkshire puddings were huge! We were asked how we wanted our beef to be cooked, which was lovely, my medium rare beef was perfect. I would highly recommend the cherry crumble for dessert. We will definitely be returning very soon. A lovely find!

My young friends and I go at least once a month The food is great and the staff fantastic they help you in any way nothing is to much trouble I'm thrilled to be able to recommend this little treasure. BERYL ASHWELL

Very cosy friendly gastro pub. Definitely go again. Very tasty food and lovely bar staff. Often live music and games and pool. Worth a visit.

Excellent home made food. Very good value for money. Run by very nice people. Veg chilli excellent. Will return soon.

Excellent Sunday roast lovely quality and great price . Highly recommend great selection of ales and wines !

This is a typical country pub, with great food, great beer, and friendly staff. Was in Essex visiting family and this pub was recommended to us, and it did not disappoint. Jan the landlady was very friendly and welcoming, even though the pub was very busy at sunday lunch, she made us feel like locals. The roast dinner was excellent and the potatoes were fabulous, crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Would definatley recommend this pub. Thank you for a great lunch, Jan.

Grate classic pub style n feel,pleasant polite staff and good prices,

We booked a table for 12 for a pre-Christmas family meal. The meals were pre-booked and (luckily) a copy of the choices was provided on the day.The food was homely, well-prepared and delicious. The staff were warm and friendly and clearly well-drilled and nimble, negotiating some tight turns while carrying hot food!There’s plenty of places to dine in the area but we fancied a ‘proper pub’ for a change and this one ticks that particular box brilliantly.Best beer to keep you sound of mind-Draught Horse. A tasty session beer.

We had a wonderful time here. We were a large party and were very pleased with the standard of service and food. We had a few drinks at the bar after dinner and the staff were very engaging with us all.

Excellent food. Homemade Pies superb. Staff and service top class. Lunch out for two friends very enjoyable. Would recommend and will return. Thank you.

Haven’t been for a while but will be back soon! Really good Sunday lunch. Catered extremely well for gluten free - extra effort with GF gravy, Yorkshire puds and even made crumble topping for deserts - thank you. Would really recommend for food

Nice old character pub and great food and friendly staff

Went for Sunday lunch lovely home cooked meal and apple crumble was the best we have ever had lovely staff we will definetly go back

Came in to The Bell for the first time for dinner and drinks in the evening with my sister and my two 11 year old boys. The atmosphere was cosy and the welcome was warm and friendly.

Visited on a lunchtime, only one other table occupied so not busy. All our mains were just average, my steak was lacking taste, two of us had ploughmans, which were very basic and could have been so more special, and the quiche was very dry. On the plus side the meals weren't expensive, but I wouldn't visit for a special occasion.

It was a glorious day when I and a friend pulled into the car park. It was just past midday so it was hardly surprising that we were the only ones there. There were several menus, all of which looked tempting -especially the steak and onion pudding on the 'specials' board!!!- but we eventually settled for prawn cocktails followed by scampi with thick chips and took our seats -and drinks- into the restaurant which was cozy and overlooked some delightful, typically village cottages with pretty gardens. Prawn cocktails, unusually presented on a plate, were served by a friendly, smiley waitress. They were exactly right. Enough prawns, and salad which was in pieces small enough to eat comfortably. There was a bit of a wait between courses but was entirely worth it. The scampi was perfectly -and clearly, very freshly cooked. They were beautifully crisp on the outside with no sticky, not quite properly 'cookedness' between the coating and the flesh. The thick chips were a joy. Obviously, we were far too full to order puddings..................but we did. Our beautiful sundaes were a delight. There simply wasn't room for the spotted dick and custard!!! It was hardly surprising to find that, when we left, the bar was heaving. This lovely pud and it's delightful staff are within easy walking distance of anywhere in the village who clearly support it. I noticed that they also have evening entertainment and a separate evening menu. I'm looking forward to my next visit.

What a wonderful find this place was! Charming and quaint with fabulous food and even better staff! Bar manager and owner were delightful, couldn't do enough for us. No hesitation in recommending this little jewel of a place!

Brilliant excellent service and food

Marvelous place, full of brexiteers seems their policy is no remainers allowed, only true believers, and also nobody with beards either, which is great.

This is a lovely traditional pub, the staff are always so kind and want to please the customers. The steak meal on a Tuesday and Thursday is such good value at nearly £30 for 2 steaks and a bottle of nice wine. What we love is how nothing is too much the food is cooked to our liking. They also do great vegeterian options here and daily specials. Excellent !!!

Having read the reviews were really looking forward to our evening meal. We arrived at 8.00pm and ordered quite quickly, two dishes from the daily specials.

Beautifully cooked steak and an excellent glass of Malbec in a lovely village style pub

I’m sure I speak for a number people who feel so let down when going out for lunch/dinner at the quality being dished up by so many restaurants out there and the price you pay!!

As always great food excellent service

Decent pub food, reasonably priced and friendly service. Pub could probably do with a lick of paint, a typical local Gray's pub from the 70's era.