Chimes Restaurant at the Bell in Chelmsford

Wow that was up there with the worst food I have eaten! Had the hot share plater deep fried slop. Soggy garlic bread, old salad with a dollop of fresh coleslaw on top. The onion rings raw in the middle. My senses told me not to risk the nachos they looked like they had been knocking about for a few weeks 🤮 obviously why the place was empty

Started off very well with new owners but now going down hill again. no real ale been on for a few weeks only green king yuk ,did have Timothy tailor and ghost ship at first not now though, also tables out side the pub are falling apart and dangerous. At least they got rid of the red carpet!!!

Love an old traditional pub and this has charm and character 100%. Thinking of moving to the area, so what better way to find out stuff. Pubs only work if you get warm friendly people inside (staff and punters). Tina is an absolute star! Friendly, funny and extremely helpful. Turns out we used to go to the same pub 30 years ago! Thinking of returning on Thursday for the Quiz Night as this would definitely be my local if I move there. Want to try the food and learn more about the area. I’m useless at quizzes, much better at drinking, but it’s the vibe and staff who make this place worth visiting. See you again soon! Cheers, Matt 🍻

Under new management from June 28, 2024. Now managed by Nathan (who cooks) and Samantha (manages front of house), the Bell is very friendly, with good food and large outdoor seating area. Separate Sports Bar showing Sky Sports and TNT Sports across 3 screens with a pool table. This is totally separate from the main bar, so caters for all tastes. Bell Burger (pictured) was approx £14. 3 baskets from a choice of six for £10 was very good value. My daughter raved about her burger and onion rings: very light crispy batter. My spicy chicken strips (not pictured) were awesome; dirty fries (choice of chilli (pictured) or curry) were also excellent. Will be back soon to sample the fish and chips. Thanks Nathan and Sam!

Had a great Bell burger and beer was lovely. Due to change hands soon. Will see what happens, but for good pub grub and cool real ales you can't go wrong.

Out with a long time friend for lunch and catch-up, i have been here many time over the last 40+ years. My friend chose quiche chips and salad, i had haddock chips and peas. while we were waiting we ordered our drinks, All the staff polite and helpful, the food came out piping hot and well presented, my Haddock was cooked in batter which was crispy and light. my friends quiche looked and tasted excellent. To finish of i had ice cream and sauce. All very enjoyable

Fish was too dry to eat. Staff apologised and only charged us for one meal instead of two. Will not be going back.

myself and 11 others arranged to have drinks and light bites for lunch . despite arriving late our tables were ready, the staff were ready friendly and provided an excellent service. the food was ready and enjoyed by all. So in approx 40 mins 12...

The Bell has been our local for over 40 years. Always a busy, thriving successful pub with excellent pub food. Since changing hands the slide downhill has been rapid and I would think irreversible. I actually felt sorry for the very sweet waitresses having to...

Long wait for food. Food was awful. Overcooked. Seemed like it was pre cooked then reheated. Ploughmans had very cheap products.

We stopped by for a meal on Friday 20th Aug & I have to say in all the years we have been eating at the Bell it was a bad experience & not one I would like to repeat. I ordered the skate which when...

Have not been to this pub for food in a long time as found it was vary care home orientated and over priced.As new management is now in place I took my mum for lunch today and I cannot believe the difference.My mum had the...

A smoked haddock dish I ordered may as well have had smoked haddock flavouring instead of the actual fish as I could see no fish whatsoever in the dish. I explained there appeared to be no fish only flavour so the waitress agreed to change...

Had a family meal here before attending a wedding the next day. The staff were excellent and the food was amazing.

Overpriced, mediocre food, car park looks like a travellers site rubbish, fridges laying around 3 shipping containers and what looks like a portable toilet it looks terrible. Used to be such a lovely country pub

Party of 4, unfortunately only 1 was completely satisfied. A caeser salad consisted of a bowl of lettuce (dark leaves) chicken, 2 bacon strips and sauce! No croutons, no parmigiana or anchovies so not a complete caeser salad. A giant cheeseburger was absolutely NOT giant...

Made an impromptu visit on the way home from Chelmsford this afternoon. Service from two waitresses was perfect - friendly, polite and prompt. Food (two paninis and chips) was very tasty. Plenty of off road parking. Blankets provided if needed. Well worth a visit!

Don’t bother, complete waste of time. Arrived here after being told on the phone they were serving food / drinks, get there and they’re no longer serving food.. fine we will just have some drinks. Sit down for about 20 minutes trying to get their...

Ordered and collected the Roast on the Road for our Sunday dinner and it was delicious! Always quality food and service! Thanks again!

We went recently for an evening meal and three of us were very happy with the food and service. It felt very safe inside and was a good experience.

good service with a smile - well kept guiness - great location for sitting outside and watching cars roar past

Have had lunch in this pub quite often over the years but we booked for an inside table for today only to be shown a table that was 1 metre away from the next one. When we complained t was, presumably the manager ,who came...

I visited yesterday for the first time with a friend and have to say this is a lovely pub. The staff were very friendly and helpful. They had all the correct procedures in place for Covid and felt very safe and comfortable in there. Plus...

Been in here a few times and find staff friendly and reasonable prices, but just came a third time and ordered a pint of Doombar. Was looking at my phone, and then when I looked up I noticed the barwoman pouring beer from the drip...

A very welcoming pub, good choice of pub grub at usual prices, busy for a school night . Ladies beware of the step into the toilets. Quite a cosy pub and local all very chatty, lovely staff.

Had a lovely meal. The Brie and mushroom wellington was fantastic . Very good food. Well worth dropping in if your passing . Its a lovely pub with some good chefs . Well done to all the staff

Such a lovely pub, great atmosphere and charming staff but totally let down by the food. Extensive menu and we chose the ‘fresh daily’ fish. The batter on my piece of fish was so rubbery it was totally inedible and the inside actually fish was...

A busy Saturday so difficult to park. Friendly, welcoming service. A broad, extensive menu. All dishes delivered promptly and enjoyed by us all. A very pleasant experience that we will repeat.

Had a late Saturday lunch here after going to Hyde Hall. Service and food was very good. Ate late, about 3.30pm and there were several other people in there eating, as well.

Service was very good, food was nice lots of choice, we finished our meal and went through to the bar for after dinner drinks, all very pleasant

Whenever we decide to visit The Bell we are always confident that we will get good food, good service, comfortable surroundings, pleasant staff and atmosphere. Food is available throughout the day and evening, freshly cooked, generous portions and delicious. Never tire of visiting The Bell,...

I am a fencing contractor and often carry out work at Hanningfield reservoir which is only a few miles from the rettendon bell pub . On several occasions when finishing work , myself and a work colleague have visited the bell for a quick pint...

This is like going round to your Nan’s for dinner. I mean that in the nicest possible way - my Nan was a great cook! Fresh ingredients, no fancy ‘jus’ or fruit in salads! Good wholesome food, cooked to perfection, really large portions and friendly...

This is an old style pub not a chain which makes a welcoming change. The food was well cooked and tasted fresh unlike the hawk just down the road where everything is cooked in the microwave. There was a nice cosy atmosphere with friendly staff....

If you wish to have a meal at this hostelry, then you must either book or get there early, as it is a very popular venue, they can provide you with some good wines & spirits as well as beer & cider. They can also...

We have been meaning to try this place for a long time as it is always advertising in The Standard paper. Went for Sunday lunch but we were very disappointed and will not be going again. The starters we had were okay but the roast...

Thought we’d try this pub for a family dinner, we walked in, ordered a drink and then left. Horrible atmosphere when we walked in, felt really unwelcome, signs up about children having to behave (mine are but this sign made me feel uncomfortable), and the...

Old world pub . Nice pub grub and staff very accomadating as I am on a carb free diet . Had gammon pineapple dish and they offered mushroom instead of chips. made me happy . Initial welcome very warm and friendly all around . We will be back soon .