Ring O Bells in West Lancashire

Been meaning to call in here for a while and stumbled across it on the way home - glad I did. Dog was welcomed with some biscuits and food and drink was good.

I visited this pub some time ago after it had reopened. The meal was quite good for a pub but we were surprised to find that 10% service charge was automatically added to the bill. Yes we could say we didn't want to give that much, we get 10%added when we eat at a Michelin star venue, but there the service is impeccable. However we called in for drinks recently and had a medium glass of Nero Zealand Sovignion blance, a pint of Inch cider, a pint of Wadworths bitter and a pint of five mile pale ale, For those four drinks we were charged £25!! Was it value for money? No! Needless to say we didn't stay for more!

Went yesterday 2 adults, the warmest of welcomes beautiful dining area looking over the canal.Such a varied menu my partner had a starter then the chicken and beef sizzler, I had 4 tapas dishes beautiful, wine by the glass or bottle is a very reasonable price, they also do lovely cocktails( or mocktails) and no alcohol beer.So something to please everyone if they keep this up they will go from strength to strength.

Turned up on Friday at 8pm, ordered drinks and then went to order food only to be told the kitchen had closed (despite me checking and being told it was open until 9pm beforehand). Absolutely nothing available but crisps. Not only that but they could not permit me to order food from elsewhere to eat. It's almost like they don't want customers. Really wanted to support this place because it's such a beautiful refurb and lovely if remote location. But the management seriously needs to get its act together. Won't be revisiting anytime soon

Steak normally delicious my first bad steak gritty and chewy

Nice place to go along the canal

Brilliant pub. food was really good and the staff were So helpful. Will definitely go again. Plus dog and wheelchair friendly

First of all I’m looking at the 5 star reviews and thinking these are people that have never been here. The 1 star is for the setting and how lovely looking the pub is, the facilities are top notch. All modern and clean . That’s where it ends, the park out back isn’t designed for kids under 5. That’s not a problem as pubs don’t have to have parks. Tbh it was nice out back too. Apart from half the tables near the play area being next to a septic tank, which you can smell. Not ideal. Pubs that are out in the sticks have to have good food it’s the only thing that will bring the punters back. The food is atrocious here honestly atrocious. Got a scotch egg for £8 it wasn’t worth £8. I got a steak and onion baguette that was supposed to have chimmichurri on and a bone marrow gravy. It was all taste less and I could have made something better at home for £3 The steak bits were tough and there was barely any. This cost £14. My partner got chipotle chicken which was tough and tasted nothing like chipotle. Didn’t help they barely put any on. The brioche bun was stale. So bad. Got a kids meal spaghetti and meatballs. Surely you can’t mess that up, no you can it’s was £8 and the sauce was again tasteless and was drenched in olive oil. I can’t belive I paid for all this. £42 for the food, no drinks in that price. Lastly the service was shoddy. Staff just stood around while I’m waiting to be seen too. Lad at the bar was the most uninterested barman I’ve ever met. Just didn’t give a crap. Was on his phone when I came, it was like I bothered him, then his mate came up talking about his business while I waited to be served. Nice one. Shame because this could be an absolute gem. The area is lovely and the setting and building is second to none. But let down by the two most important things the quality of food and service. Dont waste your time, if you go just go for a drink.

Chip shop food at restaurant prices Greesy fish and chips over priced £484.38 Service charge £44.04 ?? Will not be going back

Nice to sit out on a sunny afternoon.

We did not get to eat here as the restaurant was full on bank holiday Monday and the bar menu did not have anything we fancied. But the service was great and the atmosphere was great too. We will go again to try the food in the future

Lovely pub. Decor and surroundings impressive. The food was OK.

Paid £13 for nachos and pulled pork, they came out on a plate no bigger than a saucer!, every other portion size was very small, and food very average, for what we paid it was very bad and we will not be returning.

Called in for lunch today. We had to find our own seat in the restaurant, despite other customers being seated by the waiting staff. There seemed to be some sort of organisation issue as we were asked several times about water for the table and if we were ready to order. At least staff are attentive! The starters were great. We had the scotch egg, cauliflower fritters and the potted crab (although we were charged differently from the advertised price for the crab!) However, we had issues with our steak baguettes, which were our main course. We were advised that they come medium and were asked if this was ok. We asked to have one medium and the other medium rare. When they came, the male server just put them down and when asked which was which, he simply said "they all come medium rare". Which server was correct? In the event, we didn't particularly enjoy the baguettes. One had plenty of meat, whilst the other didn't. One had plenty of onions, the other didn't. The baguettes were a little too doughy for our taste and we would have eaten the coleslaw but we didn't like it with mustard in.

Lovelly staff but a bit over priced

Totally Overpriced drinks. 12 quid for 2 bottles of beer one of which is Alcohol free. Place completely dead on a saturday night when we dropped in for a drink. probably because its overpriced.

Nice walk along the canal, a few drinks then a great meal 🙂

Disappointedly no sandwich menu offered on a Sunday. Ended up having kids meals as there was no age restriction. Plenty of seating inside and out. Just been refurbished to a very high standard

Geat place to take the kids, park was ideal , with climbing stuff in the park

Everything about this pub/eatery was excellent. I would gladly recommend it to everyone.

Really over priced for what it was. I ordered the starter scallops, thinking in any other restaurant you would probably get. 2 may be 3 . Yes, it came out in a shell pleat one off! I have never ordered scallops before and got one at the price off almost £8 shocked. All the food was just warm, not enjoyable at all. We spent over 230 pounds for this it was awful, to say the least We had friends come from Scotland, and I thought it would be great for the kids. I was so embarrassed WILL NOT BE GOING BACK And will be telling people that ask me

Really standard pub food at a high price. When I saw the prices prior to attending, I was exciting thinking I was in for a treat. I left feeling like I’d been ripped off. Never again.

Very disappointing! Table booked early evening for a family birthday meal, including two young children. Food took over 2 hours from ordering to arriving at the table. Children's meals were dismal at best, frozen to fryer to plate chicken strips x 2 with a dried out excuse for a wrap, small strips of raw carrot and a burnt piece of corn on the cob! Adults starters were acceptable but definitely not worth the price tag. Mains meals arrived, luke warm, poorly presented and again not worth the price point. One member of our party ordered the Pichanha steak which was sold out so swapped for the Bavette, this was sold out too so was offered the Rump for the same price, was ordered rare but came at best medium (although was a nice piece of steak) again not worth the £29 price tag. Waitresses had to be asked for additional drinks, cutlery and condiments. When complained, we were offered a 50% reduction on the food bill but this was reduced to 30% but when the bill arrived this wasnt reflected and again we had to ask for it to be reviewed. The front of house staff who had offered this discount had left for the night and not communicated this to the waitress and subsequent phone calls had to be made to confirm. We werent offered desserts and although we brought in a cake, we had to ask for it to be brought to the table, we werent offered any plates or cutlery for said cake. Overall a very disappointing evening, such a shame because lots of thought and effort has been made into the refurbishment, the aesthetics of the place was spot on and has so much potentional, just a shame the same amount of care hasnt been invested into the staff training and customer service. There was a distinct lack of leadership and communication and lots of young members of staff just hanging around chatting and looking bored!

The environment is lovely, I really like the refurbishment. The food was really tasty and fresh. The only downside was the service; although each individual member of staff was pleasant enough, no one came near us for an hour and a half after we had dessert to see if we wanted more drinks etc. They could have made so much more money from us! When the time came to leave, I had to go in search of a member of staff to ask for the bill. It is a shame so much money has been spent on everything else, but none on staff training.

Lovely location alongside the canal and a great place to start/end a walk

Disappointed overall. Food was very expensive and not great. For example £3.50 for a tiny pot of chimmichuri sauce to go with steak that was made with dried herbs and was therefore flavourless. Prices comparable with some of the more upmarket pubs without the quality or service to justify it. Drinks were also very expensive and service was slow. Was shown to our table 15 minutes after our booking time.

Lovely pub, great decor, nice outdoor seating. However the food portions are ridiculous. Paid £10 for nachos, came in a tiny bowl with about 10 nachos, literally a small bag of Doritos. They were nice but for £10 they can surely give you a few more. Chips were £4 and came in a ramekin. Probably the tightest portions I have ever been served. Drinks were also very expensive.

Expensive…. 2 wines and a pint of Guinness £28 Ordered food waited approximately 45 mins by which time our friends had received and finished their meals. When we enquired as to what had happened to our meals we were told someone else had claimed them as theirs. Staff had our table number against our order so why would they give our food to another customer!? Also if the other customers really had been waiting for the exact same order as us wouldn’t that have quickly followed ?! The apology really didn’t help. Wouldn’t return.

I had a nightmare that I paid 20 pounds Stirling for a chicken Caesar salad.. that was 1/3 of a chicken breast 3 gem lettuce leaves and an anchovy.. plot twist.. it wasn’t a nightmare.

This is up there with one of my favourite pubs ever! I've been to Ring O'Bells three times now and every time I've been wowed by how brilliant the food is. The staff are always lovely and the decor is beautiful! I'd highly recommend!

The portion sizes for the kids menu is tiny for the amount you pay.. £8 for a spoon full of meatball spaghetti with 2 meatballs, you’d need at least 3 of them to fill a child up… £33 for 2 chicken burgers with the smallest amount of chips was a rip off… we left after paying and the kids were still hungry that we ended up going Tesco for food… I won’t go again!

We were seated about 20 mins later than expected... And then had to wait about a 40 mins for food. Quite expensive too. I am going to give another try though.

Staff were rude and didnt take out order for 30 minutes so we left. We already got drinks from the bar which were ridiculously expensive. wont be returning.

Food, building, toilets, location all great. But what's going on with the staff. It would difficult to find less motivation, enthusiasm and organisation anywhere in any pub on the whole of the Leeds to Liverpool canal. Couldn't wait to leave. Drained of energy. It appeared no-one was managing the team. on a specific point why insist on table numbers with the order and then wander round with our meals asking other guests if they'd ordered our food. Also bars were closed and tills out of use . Getting yo place an order was something of a workout. Something missing here. Rant over. . . I have tbf and give 3 stars as food was well prepared and my partner appreciated all the gluten free options.

Beautiful place with out door dining Lovely play area for kids, very popular but very expensive £10 for a large red wine wow

Amazing food, service and atmosphere. Welcomed as soon as we walked in and shown to our seats in the dining area. Cocktails and beers were right up our street. The food was stylish and yummy. Enjoyed every bite. The staff were lovely and very attentive. Would definitely recommend and visit again if we're in the area.

Good food, nice drinks, friendly staff. Sausage melt and a steak and onion baguettes were nice, proper sausages 😋

Fantastic location and well designed but the food and beer quality let it down.

The toilet is so clean and pretty there food tastes amazing my daughter loved it.

It's been beautifully refurbished, very modern, and the food is presented very pleasingly. Unfortunately this is all offset by the fact that the food is quite bland despite appearances and that both food and drinks are overpriced for what they are. Coupled with friendly but lacklustre service it's simply not worth going out of your way for. One saving grace is the children's play area so for some it may be worth visiting just for the peace...

Service is a joke. Staff don’t care. More staff on that customers and waited 10 mins at the bar whilst a manager dried forks in the other bar. Left without bothering to order. Not one smile, no ‘Be with you in a minute,’ nothing. All that money spent on the refurb to have staff who don’t care.

Lovely contemporary pub, with a nod to its past. Restaurant was gorgeous and the food delicious. The staff were welcoming and friendly. Definitely going to be dining there again. 😊

What a transformation a great country pub on the canal

We found this place during our bike ride down the canal. Great food, friendly staff and a lovely beer garden, don't need any more than that :)

Not sure what happened on Sunday. They had advertised a big screen, music and street food for the england game. I arrived at 6pm and the big screen area was deserted bar 2 people. The screen is amazing but nothing else was going on. I asked at the bar about the street food, there wasnt any. No apology just " the food we have is on the standard menu". Its like the staff didnt know or worse didnt care. I had a veggie burger which at £16 is pricey and was served lukewarm.

Only had a drink as restaurant was fully booked but food looked nice

We were really looking forward to the menu and dining experience. Met at the door by a very unwelcoming, impolite young lady who did not improve as the evening progressed. Starters were really good. Well presented and served by a very pleasant young lady who was attentive and very good at her job. Main meals were not as impressive. A wine and soda was returned as it was vile and also warm. The replacement wine & soda now with ice was dumped in front of me by the impolite young lady.The gentleman who took our payment was polite and professional. My advice don’t enter a customer service industry if you do not wish to serve customers.

Great pub. Good location. Huge garden, good ale and food. Spectacular views next to the canal and great play area for kids (and adults)

I haven't taken any food I want to see one of my friend.

Beautiful restaurant, very well laid out fantastic food a must to visit. I'm definitely going to visit here again!

First and last time here, all our party of four said the food was awful, tough beef, wet soggy fish and the beet wellington was inedible. No aubergine in it as advertised, really overpriced and not nice!

We really enjoyed our visit tonight, great service and speedy compared to early days when they first re-opened. It's worth a visit.

Fantastic experience at Ring o Bells. We were a large party for a birthday and I found the communication was fantastic prior to arrival to make it as easy as possible on the night. The staff and food were great. Lovely time had by all. Would highly recommend and we will definitely be back. Thank you

Went in this reopened venue today after I found out that it had been taken over. It was superb. I ordered a ribeye steak and superfood salad which was amazing along with a béarnaise sauce (my favourite with a good steak). I would strongly recommend you give it a visit if you’re in the Lathom area.

Good food, but service was a bit slow. Maybe not enough staff.

Food was terrible! The bar menu seemed promising but it turned out a huge disappointment considering how expensive it was for what you got. I had to return the superfood salad as it had been rendered inedible by the amount of mint leaves in it. Every mouthful was like eating a hedge. The fish and chips and separate chips portions were teeny tiny. The chocolate brownie was the size of a stamp. The service was okay. The ordering took a long time although the waiting staff were polite. There was no vinegar provided for the chips and limited cash and carry sauces. Would not go back.

£16.50 for the worst fish and chips I’ve ever eaten!!! - the smallest piece of fish, assuming it was a sprat, which was soggy and swimming in grease. Left most of it and the service was non existent- how difficult is it to do our national dish justice? I will never eat there again, I imagine they serve better food at the local kennels for stray dogs.

Very limited menu. Food was ok service was a bit abrupt. Nothing bad. Nice place.

Called in today after visiting Taylor's Farm and as it was a nice day thought we'd have some lunch. Plenty of outside space which is great on a sunny day. As we walked in we must've walked past half a dozen staff who didn't even acknowledge us so we walked through the dining area to the outside bit...no idea if that was the correct route but hey-ho, we got there. Went to the bar to order a drink...ordered a small bottle of coke zero and a zero alcohol Guinness, which came to almost £10! The girl serving opened my can of Guinness (fine) and then proceeded to just decant it into a pint glass in about 4 seconds. Needless to say this resulted in an awful drop of the black stuff (see pictures). When asked about food we were told that there was only a tiny menu if sitting outside. All in all decided it wasn't worth it and we went elsewhere for lunch. The service in regards to pouring the drink, the price and the very limited menu if sitting outside means I doubt we'd be back in a hurry.

Very nice. Stop off after a nice family walk along the Leeds- Liverpool canal. Friendly staff and great atmosphere.

The food is a complete rip off, and is poor. Sorry, really wanted this pub to succeed but no way will I be going back. Drinks are expensive aswell. Nice place, but horrifically overpriced!!!!

Lovely place to eat or just have a drink ,inside or outside areas,gets very busy on sunny weekend days

Unable to rate as the part where the event I was attending is not wheelchair accessible. I was told at the reception that ‘we don’t have a ramp, unfortunately’

Really nice food. One server on duty run off her feet but still gave excellent service in a very busy restaurant. Excellent pub highly recommended

Went for afew drinks. Great play area for kids. Excellent staff. Been done out to an extremely high standard. Can't wait to go back for food

Great place for families. Had a family gathering here for daughters christening for 30 people, pre ordered all the food and adding extras was no problem on the day. Nothing was too much trouble for the staff. It was a bank holiday and sun was shining so it was really busy too. Great facilities for children and families especially in the nice weather. Food was lovely and enjoyed by all. Highly recommend.

Better than when it reopened. Good outside area with separated children's play area.

Lovely pub/restaurant.. recently refurbished to a high standard..located just off the canal, large beer garden which backs onto a field (great for the kids to play football or run riot, outdoor bar area and fire pit, will be very busy when the sun is out..

Lovely potential but waited ages for food and drinks. Lovely server helping us but generally the team didn't feel like a team and didn't feel able to cope. Got the feeling this could be really good or really bad experience randomly.

Only popped in on a walk along the tow path with my two well behaved and tired dogs the lovely staff got water for the dogs before serving me wonderful touch, if you are a dog family put this place on your radar

Let's just say we won't be going back !!!!

I hope the brewery haven’t paid the re-furb contractor, it’s shocking/dangerous. The staff were happy/efficient but that didn’t compensate for the extortionate prices. Our first and last visit. Reply to owner comment; Holes in the floor (50-75mm)where timber/stone join at table 40. Urinals fitted out of vertical. Customer had cut his hand on faulty pipe work hardware in the gents. Exterior grade steel (designed to form rust barrier) should not be used indoors unless boxed in/painted. This is what I noticed in the time taken to drink one overpriced pint.

Fabulous renovation works inside and out . Outside there is so much space for families , dogs and kids play area away from seating and a great grassed area as well . Lovely views next to the canal. Inside has a great layout and feels cosy as well as spacious. Food was really quite good , we sat near to the open kitchen . Although the staff were very friendly , we felt that the majority were lacking in professionalism. Half of them looked like they had just rolled out of bed , with dirty uniform and non ironed aprons. Lots of chatting and not so much eye to detail . Management and training issues may be the problem . Overall we will return and would recommend.

Lovely Sunday lunch. It's totally recommended.

Stopped for a pint, rude staff, enough of them to be more attentive, ‘can’t be bothered’ attitude. Definite ‘no’

Not had chance to stop an dine but looks like there done a really good refurb

What a change from the old Ring O Bells! Popped in for an early dinner and was amazed at the change inside. It is a great spot right by the canal but the new interior was a major plus. Friendly service and great burgers, reminded us of our many American diner experiences. It’s not Michelin Star or even pretending to be but if you want a tasty meal, I can recommend the Pork & Chorizo burger and the Signature Beefburger. Fries are well cooked from frozen - no complaints. Would definitely return when we’re in the mood for some fun tasty dining in a nice place.

Rude staff. Food took ages. Wouldn’t go back. My mum visited and she also said they were rude to her.

Walked down with family, staff was rude and ignored us at the bar. One or two were relatively friendly, in fairness. The food was average at best and took far too long to arrive. There was a 45 minute wait, but was overall at least a hour with how long we waited at the bar. Wasn’t very busy as well.Definitely overpriced. Not a very nice atmosphere, wouldn’t go back. The new decorations are nice though, very aesthetically pleasing.

Lovely canalside bar with great outdoor space and kids play area

Average food, slightly overpriced, mediocre at best service. Adding the service charge on is not great, I wouldn't have tipped the amount charged but no way I'd ask to have it removed.

Wow this is the most expensive place in Lancashire. Lovely refurbished but not worth the journey £16 for a real Ale and a wine walked from the Ship same drunks £11

We were very excited to visit the Ring o Bells after it had been closed for so long. Really impressed with the layout of the venue both in & out! Beautiful setting and very tastefully refurbished. Service was very good, sadly the food didn’t match the sharp interior and ambiance that this place oozes. Had the scallop nibble (one scallop in a sea shell £7:50) goats cheese tartlet, lots of very poorly cooked pastry with a small potion of goats cheese, beef burger was ok £21, quiche £12, sadly not home made and clearly heated up leaving over cooked pastry, this is served with salad but basically only lettuice leaves covered in vingerette, fries extra cost @ £4 (fries were hot), 2 x glass of wine, total £70 +. Sorry but the food is way over priced for the quality and if you’re going to have an open kitchen the chefs should at least seem like they’re enjoying their job. However this is a lovely place, lots of indoor & outdoor seating, beautiful fire pit in the beer garden, great children’s play area with lots of surrounding space, car parking and of course the canal. We will return for a drink but the catering side let’s this wonderful venue down!

Only had a drink, felt comfortable, the renovation was really nice and the staff really nice

Average at best food that is just way, way overpriced. Drinks are wildly expensive even for a pint. Staff are hit and miss, server was lovely but others were surly or abrupt. Tried it just after opening and it was poor but put it down to teething problems, second visit was worse and won’t be returning.

Very poor value for money. £5 for a shandy. £12.50 for a 'caesar salad' - which was lettuce, some parmesan shavings and 6 croutons. Missing main ingredients with no explanation or offer to replace until plate rejected. They had a bash at remedying it, bless them, by offering chicken after delivering the half missing plate when it was pointed out. Replaced for an alternative dish and a lady appeared to say it would take 15 minutes. No apology, pretty bolshy in approach. Was testing out to request a private booking for a large engagement party but sadly missed the mark. On the positive side the venue is beautiful, such a shame service and value are poor.

Fantastic refurb to the pub. Really hope it does well and people go to it. Only had light bites so cannot judge the food. The scotch egg was really nice.

Just popped in for a drink with a friend Lovely pub, really like how it's been re-fitted out Great staff, great atmosphere

Went for the first time with friends, it was a Wednesday evening and there was no one in. Place is too big and no atmosphere. The food was not good enough for the price they charge and the menu choice was very poor especially for a vegetarians. Went again with my husband on the Saturday alter the Grand National cause it was the only place available, which should say why was it not booked up. We was both very disappointed with our food it was thrown out and was very dry unfortunately probably will not be visiting again which is a shame cause we want All our local businesses to do well. They need to read the reviews and change and then we will be back.

We've had a drink a few times and eaten here 4 times, a couple with friends or family, and each time we've eaten it has been delicious. We live down the road so would have eaten more often, only for the limited vegetarian options. Love the refurb and the open kitchen. Waiting service always good, but bar service does need sorting. A lovely space to have a drink but wine options not great. They seem to be sourcing value (for them), rather than quality. Bar staff not particularly efficient or polite and drinks are pricey, which is fine if the service matched the surrounds, but that's not the case so this needs addressing.

Great park for the kids to play. Adults Food was good. Had to wait 2.30hrs for food to actually come which was a bit over what I expected hence the 2 star service but the waiter we had was very apologetic. Kids food want great and was left.

First time here and really enjoyed it. Great service from lovely friendly staff. Food good and comprehensive drinks menu. Even had my favourite wine, a Portuguese vinho Verde. We had the pork Sunday roast with plenty of fresh vegetables. Followed by two amazing desserts. Almond and raspberry tart and a winter berry pavlova. Carole, our waitress was brilliant. Have already booked again!

Booked for Saturday lunch at 12.45 and strangely it was very quiet but an hour later it was packed. Food was very good, if a little pricier than some but the recently upgrade is a fantastic success. There's something for everyone, attentive staff, a traditional pub side, a very large restaurant, an outdoor seating area, a kids play ground and a big car park. My advice go earlier, not as packed.

Nice atmosphere, renovated to a high standard. Will get a little warm in the summer, large window with no blinds could be a problem. Food good, friendly service.

Only called in for a quick drink after walk along canal on Easter Sunday. Obviously very busy inside and out. Outdoor food was finishing but managed to get 2 baked potato with cheese. Very good and well cooked. Plenty of room outside for children to run around and play safely.

Walked down with the dogs for an early evening drink. Tried to get served for 10 minutes by standing at one of the bars and three times walking through to the other bar for service , only to be told that the bar I was stood at is closed. No signage, no offer of service anywhere else when this was mentioned. When you are asking higher prices for drinks than other local pubs you have to justify it with service. Two locals who go will not be returning!

Had a bratwurst on a roll and the bratwurst was half the size of the roll, no salad or anything £6.50 ,not good value and poorly presented.

Good food and great service. Staff are friendly and helpful.

3 ⭐s is for the building it's self, no expense spared in the refurbishment, now onto the food, burger, fish & chips, hotpot, greasy bland and generally not very good, this is not cheap pub food this is gastro pricing, drinks, room temperature bottles asked for a glass, both of which were water marked, this appeared to be an effort judging by the length of time to action anything.. The bill arrived at £200 for 4 people, £18 service charge, this we asked to be removed and explained why, no apologies no reduction in the bill..🤷🏾‍♂️ I hope this review will be read by management as I would like nothing better than to see this place be successful, at this rate they have work to do. Lots of it..

Lovely location. Pricey at £20+ for a beer and large glass of NZ Sauvignon. Over an hour wait for a hot dog from the outdoor barbecue and its not even busy. Lots of complaints. Could do much better.