The Bear in Bedford - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Great pub with a great atmosphere

Came here to Bedford with my boyfriend it was our Anniversary weekend. So we decided to check out The Bear pub. Great staff shout out to Dom and Loz. They were really nice. Fair priced drinks, and there was a live singer. Had a game or 2 of pool lol from the vague memories, was good night

what a place! Spent this weekend and Bedford concerts and came in here every night for drinks. A great band playing Friday, brilliant music Saturday and fun karaoke Sunday. Facilities were clean, staff were friendly and the landlady was there on every visit, this was refreshing to see. when we next visit Bedford, we will definitely be back here!

This pub used to be full of character and life, alas since new blood have taken over, it's like a Doctors waiting room, so another gem has gone from Bedford.

Cheap drinks. That’s all that matter anyway

Great price.. EXCELLENT SERVICE

Fab place for a few drinks great pool table and large outdoor garden with plenty of seats for this great weather 😎 drinks are cheap too! Thanks to the staff will be coming back very soon! 😊

Came in the other day, had a lovely time. Place was lovely and clean and the staff were incredibly friendly. Loz made us feel very welcome and we will definitely be back!! Also had a great outdoor seating area ☀️

Popped in for a quick pint with friends made to feel very welcome good selection of beers 🥃🥂🥤🍸🍷🍹🍺🍻🍺🍻🍺🍻toilets are clean and the locals were a happy bunch very friendly. The sun was shining which makes for a good day. I'd recommend you to pop in when visiting Bedford if only for a quiet afternoon refreshment. 🧃🧃🧋🧋🥤🥃🥂🍻🍺🍻🍺🍹🍸🍷🍾

Yet another incarnation of The Bear. Not much has changed, really. The prices are still too high for the quality offered. I haven't seen any prices displayed (still) or printed but maybe I wasn't looking properly. It was a busy evening. Spirits undermeasured. Toilet door missing lock (such a basic thing). Still same den atmosphere. Alright but doesn't have anything special or particularly good to offer.

Awesome night last night Friendly syaff

Used to be my favourite pub in town but the atmosphere has been completely stripped from the place, drinks are cheap but worse quality pints. Feels more like a Wetherspoons now and the lack of a jukebox is sacrilege.

Nice place friendly staff all around good! The atmosphere was good too nice vibe!! Overall i would say very good. Just cant work out why i need 100 chatacters??????

This used to be a good place but no more. Its basically a wetherspoons now with bad playground behaviours and the landlady allows it. Used to be safe for a woman to go to, especially if on own but no more. Dreadful beer options as well. Avoid.

This used to be a good place but no more. Its basically a wetherspoons now with bad playground behaviours and the landlady allows it. Used to be safe for a woman to go to, especially if on own but no more. Dreadful beer options as well. Avoid.

Had a refurbishment recently. Went on Jam night (Wednesday) good music and nice feel.

Great venue, great bar staff, great music. Cheap drinks, my new favourite pub for sure!

The lady at the bar was quite selective on who she served and when it was last orders. Quite passive aggressive, spoiled my night with her attitude tonight

Nah man, the new beer selection on tap is poor. 🤦🏻‍♀️ Fosters, Carling, Strongbow and Stella? Get more variety in a Spoons. They previously had Camden Hells and Brewdog on tap. My partner said it was like stepping into a time machine and going back to 2003. 🤣

Really nice place, friendly crowd, great beers.

Shame this live music venue is being refurbished as a themed modern pub

Popped in before the Ferocious Dog gig & had a couple of ales, with my partner enjoying a JD or 2. Played pool 🎱 & offered our condolences to the landlady for the loss of another great live music venue....RIP THE BEAR

The home of alternative culture in Bedford. Live music, dj nights, sensibly priced drinks, pool, great atmosphere. At least until the corporate owners (Admiral/Proper Pubs) turn it into yet another faceless Wetherspoons clone.

Best pub ever. Excellent juke box (rock and heavy), lovely people.

It's the Bear. If you want rock music pumping out till the end of the night, this place is for you. Friendly staff and customers.

Still the classic awesome pub it has always been, I love the place, wish I could visit more

Great pub to meet up with friends good rock nights they have done well to keep it the same as it used to be since it got took over

We were doing a stag night. My view it was probably the best pub we crawled to around the high street. Great music.

Nice pub, decent beers and a nice beer garden.

Don't have a pay-to-use jukebox then police the music 👎🏻

Staff are great and very friendly xx

Bit of a strange entrance to this pub, but once inside it’s friendly enough and for rock music fans a must visit. There’s loads of seating at the bar and it’s nice admiring the decorations surrounding the bottles on display! Staff are friendly, there’s a pool table and jukebox with a pleasant communal feel throughout. It might not be the cosiest of pubs in the area but it’s well worth checking out.

Bit of a strange entrance to this pub, but once inside it’s friendly enough and for rock music fans a must visit. There’s loads of seating at the bar and it’s nice admiring the decorations surrounding the bottles on display! Staff are friendly, there’s a pool table and jukebox with a pleasant communal feel throughout. It might not be the cosiest of pubs in the area but it’s well worth checking out.

Good choice of beers at good quality despite being a fairly quiet Monday afternoon. Efficient service. Two rooms inside, plus an outdoor space at the back.

Beautiful little alternative music pub in the heart of Bedford, would definitely recommend 💕

Good selection of beers good staff

Stand offish environment and music so quiet might ad well be deaf

Always a haven for the proper drinker . Busy when the excellent live music is on, cheerful even when quiet. Proper boozer with quality drinks, service and welcome.

Great proper pub. Friendly and good atmosphere

Interesting gothic pub with nice staff and a good pint of Guinness.

Great pub with a great atmosphere. Bar staff are excellent

Great atmosphere, friendly staff. As designated driver, good range of non-alcoholic options. Loved the beer garden and excellent live music.

Good local boozer. Friendly staff.

The bear, the bear the maiden fair. Awesome pub, lots of entertainment, bar staff are amazing and drinks are a good price and tasty! Was on a pub crawl and came back 3 times!

best pub in bedford; indie rock and metal music. go here for a proper pub & a good time with good people :)

Nice local pub, I've been here a couple of times and really enjoyed the rock/metal/alt vibe. Toilets are a little bit dingy, but that's okay.

Great team running the bear very friendly staff Great place to go for alternative music and a game of pool

Great pub, just my kind of music and my kind of people!!

I went the first time stopping by with my family due to the weather. Enjoyed our time Went there a second time after remembrance parade and one of their 'regular customers' accused me of lying about my service. I ignored him initially and he kept making remarks. I eventually asked him what his problem was and the staff started sticking up for him. I went to leave and I wa sfollowed out by 3 or 4 of them including 2 staff members. Whilst walking away I said I didn't want any trouble and the guy who started the argument with me kept coming towards me being aggressive. This was by the bus stop about 150 meters away. Eventually I had to defend myself aswell as I was outnumbered. Since then I was barred. I asked why and making all the points of being antagonised by the customers and staff themselves and the bartender had nothing left to say aside from "he's a regular and you hurt him quite bad". Well sorry but that was an unprovoked situation AND the staff and customers proceeded to follow me down the road. STILL they will refuse to give me a reasonable explanation as to why it is me that is barred and not their 'regular customer'. It shows the kind of morales that they have.

Had a cracking night here. Hope to visit again soon

Good mix of folk in here. Jukebox is good. Staff are great.

Honestly the best play I can think of to go and get a drin, play pool, chill out and listen to music, the actual bear of the pub is gorgeous!!

Never changed and is the point Bedford revolves around. Punk, metal, alternative, goth, and indie payed loud.

Great staff, great tunes, great peoples...

Haven't been here for a while, but still a great pub with a great jukebox.

My first time in this pub and I received very friendly service and smiles from a young woman. She made me feel welcome and I wish we had stayed longer

Lovely welcoming place with a huge array of drinks.

Great place! Best music in town, great juke box, great staff and great pool table. You always feel welcome and everyone gets on really well, doesn't matter from where you came from.

Great songs from the jukebox, friendly staff, and a warm welcome from the bear himself! I'll be back 🍻

Classic pub. Great atmosphere and amazing staff that always make you feel welcome. Must visit in Bedford

No nonsense pub if you like your rock music

Great place for a pint with great music. Landlady is GORGEOUS! X

great pub, has a nice garden (sorry got it confused with the barley mow, this pub is great!)

Nice Pub with good beer and great staff

Great pub, with pool table and juke box. Great table service, and fantastic staff. Also no top 40 rubbish playing, which makes a nice change. Nice outdoor seating as well, perfect pub for a pint (or several)

Alternative pub with great rock music and community

Need to bring a cushion for the picnic table seating. Down market experience

Always a warm welcome and smiley face ,beers spot on to and staff work as hard as they can during these uncertain times ,best pub in Bedford in my view

This is one of the loveliest place and the staff are beyond welcoming to this pub was in here on Saturday night and what a brilliant night it was thank you tony and you lovely other half xx

About the best fun I have had in ages

Nice bar and back yard with friendly staff and clientele.

A decent size outside drinking area. Friendly efficient staff and the London Pride and Pedigree were in good condition 🍺🙂

Very welcoming place to go for a drink

Love this place. Like a second home. Lisa and Stuart are FANTASTIC and the team work sooo hard to make sure there is a heckin’ fun time had by all. Forever a fan of The Bear.

Brilliant service and drinks 10 out of 10 would recommend all day long

Not bad not to much out door space

Tasty burger and chips, excellent beer, great staff!

Nice Town, lovely People and nice restaurants and pubs.

Teenage angst..Rock music..Grew up in this place...Always in my heart

Great experience. The manager of The Bear made sure for everyones happiness ensuring all were happy. Drinks were superb and staff as pleasant and friendly as could be expected. I look forward to coming back to The Bear in Bedford.

Brilliant place & Simon runs a fantastic comedy night there. Did a gig for him tonight & absolutely loved it, good audience, friendly atmosphere, all round pleasure!

New owners have made a stylistic choice that really brings out a special singularity for a Bedford high street pub. Try the Bear.

It's okay. The exterior is a real pleasure, I've always admired the shop front as it does a real service to it's area and looks very classy. However, the interior is pretty contrary; it feels like a pretty 'locals' pub when you enter (not that there's anything wrong with that, truly). That said, the outside area is pretty nice and had a live musician - and the staff were absolutely lovely! To summarise, it's okay but I wouldn't come here on a date or if you were wanting to show someone the town.

Really well set up in these strange times.

Local alternative/rock pub. A Bedford staple run by great people who care about the pub. Jukebox and pool table with a wide selection of beers and ales.

Good for live music and a warm atmosphere.

Lovely pub, dog friendly, good drinks

Bedford at it's best. You will never kill the bear!

Drinks are quite expensive. Good music on the weekends

Freindly staff good beer lovley atmosphere

Finally back to its old self. Long live The Bear !

Great pub. Great staff. Glad it is now in professional hands.

Great ambience, family friendly, pet friendly, friendly staff. Has a pool table, nice garden area and a good lounge to relax and enjoy your beverages. Definitely a pit stop in Bedford if you're passing through.

Not what it used to be, but friendly staff, good music and beer.

A little alternative gem on the High Street. My fave place to come and chill for a couple of hours on a Friday after work. Every town should have a Bear! A proper boozer with (the right) attitude. Fab juke and no Heart radio rubbish. Oh and the staff are fab 😊

Beer and service were good. But the state of the toilets was unexceptable.

used to be a rock pub today i was listenning justin bieber there today

Cool place. They have live rock bands on Saturday.

Great bar staff. Nice large area. Nice outside area. Fair prices. Can't complain

Lovely owners, good prices, good music