The Bedford Arms Oakley in Bedford

What a delight this evening’s meal was; a spontaneous, unplanned visit which was our first but will not be our last. Good ambience in the bar with friendly staff and regulars. Lovely intimate dining experience with good but not intrusive service. Delicious, well presented, perfectly cooked dishes. Good value for money. Thoroughly enjoyed our visit.

Best Sunday roast I think I have ever had! I had the the trio of meats and it was delicious! Lovely service from the waiters too!

VISIT THIS PUB! What a fantastic welcome, let alone lunch! Connor and his wonderful warm welcome made our visit just so lovely from the moment we walked in until we left. The restaurant wasn’t even open when we arrived and yet Connor invited us in, got us settled with drinks before heading over to a cosy little corner for lunch. The food may look standard Gastro prices on first look, however I can wholeheartedly say - the meal was worth every penny. We had the lamb shank with roasted vegetables and the steak burger. The shank was so full of delicious falling off the bone meat - I couldn’t actually finish it. The steak burger was juice, the chips - out of this world with such a crunchy fluffiness. Seriously guys - we had a lovely time. Thank you Connor and Team. We’ll be back!

Mothers day meal. Lisa and co, the food was lovely, had to take my dessert home!!! Will and bar staff so welcoming, had a lovely meal. Thank you again, always making us so welcome!

First visit here for over 20 years based on recommendation. The atmosphere was relaxed and had a lovely traditional feel. The menu was different, innovative and reassuringly limited. Starter of smoked bacon croustedes was delicious, stuffed quail main was exceptional, my only constructive criticism would be that the slow cooked venison was lacking in flavour and seasoning and the accompanying fondant potatoes were bland. Other than that the service was spot on and the price reasonable.

Fantastic pub serving delicious food and drink and at a very reasonable price. Staff were very friendly and helpful

We had a lovely Sunday lunch. The food was very good and the service was friendly, relaxed and efficient. Puddings were especially good. Would recommend!

Great afternoon entertainment and quality afternoon tea.

Excellent food, always. This time we went for the Sunday lunch which was fab. Including gluten free gravy and cauliflower cheese. The desserts were so very good. Great service. Only drawback is that there isn't an accessible loo.

Very nice place compared to what it used to be, the service was very welcoming and professional, but the food is another story, great menu, very versatile and it simply just tasted amazing!

My Partner took me here for Sunday lunch today. I live local and have not been here for a while. This was the best roast dinner I have had in a long time if not ever!!!! Portion size is massive, quality of roast was amazing. So was the service can highly recommend..... Great job well done guys 👍

Food,drinks,service and atmosphere, all were wonderful and conducive to a long leisurely lunch. The mulled wine was delicious and so was the Sunday lunch. It was not my first visit but the Bedford Arms never disappoints- a truly excellent venue I will visit again and thoroughly recommend.

We live very locally to this pub and booked a table for 3 today at 1600. On taking our order we were told there was a larger group booking and the food may take a little longer. After 50 minutes I asked at the bar how much longer the food was going to be - we had not been kept informed and no waiting stuff were seemingly around whilst we were sat at our table. The manager came over and apologised and said it would be another 8 mins. 10 mins later nothing had arrived. At this point we gave up and left. Whilst we are sympathetic to post Covid dining, our frustration was that the larger group was immediately highlighted as a reason for our delay - why take our booking? Not being kept updated, having to chase and then being offered a complimentary round of drinks isn’t good service. Restaurants are the first to complain when folk don’t turn up, but for us this place was atypical of post pandemic dining - sub standard service, over booked, lack of staff (plenty of uncleared tables). Please don’t accept guests you can’t accommodate either staffing wise or in a timely fashion! To be fair it looks like I have a missed call from them, but I really don’t want to have to spend more of my time dissecting this experience. Larger group bookings clearly take precedence here!

NOT CHEAP!!! Nice location and a very nice layout and the staff are good, but the prices are insane. £3.50 for a small pot of peppercorn sauce to accompany a £34 rib-eye is madness. Went with two other couples and had 4 or 5 drinks, some had starter & dessert, some didn’t but the bill was over £75 per head. This is a rural pub in Bedfordshire not a restaurant with a Bib Gourmand in Soho!

Indicated to the team upon booking that this was a Xmas day meal with my parents as they live far away. Upon arrival had to find someone to seat us. So not a great start. Ordered food and wine, everything fine so far. Nothing special about the seating. The starters came out and the prawn cocktail was just all thick sauce packed into a glass with soggy lettuce and a few prawns with some stale bread on the side. I couldn’t eat it as it was just pure mayonnaise. I asked the waiter (I think he was the manager actually) if I could change it and he asked bluntly ‘what’s wrong with it’ I just said it’s not to my taste I don’t really like it and he replied ‘well we have other people to serve you know, what do I want’ I asked for another dish and he told me ‘it’ll take too long’ and just stood there and made me feel really uncomfortable so I said don’t worry about it. He just walked off. The mains came out. Cold Yorkshire puddings, hard slabs of Turkey chucked on top off everything. Everyone had cauliflower cheese apart from me. Too nervous to say anything this time. So disappointed. We paid the bill at the bar and left feeling really deflated. I won’t be returning or recommending if you want a special experience. Why even have that option when booking? It’s a shame because the place is lovely

All very pleasant, attentive staff, good menu, fair price, I'll go again. Service a bit slow.

The wonderful Bedford arms pub is Good for a buisness lunch. The staff were kind and catered to a very nice afternoon meal. I will be booking future work extravaganzas here

Lovely food. Lovely atmosphere. Lovely service. All round lovely and would recommend to everyone. Give it a shot if you're in the area.

Visited the Bedford Arms with in a party of four on Thursday evening. We ordered Prawn starters. For main a mix of the Hake, Sea Bass and Fillet Steak. For desert the crumble. The food was of excellent quality as was the wine all topped off with excellent attentive waiter service. Well Done

We enjoyed another lovely meal at the Bedford Arms. We had a pre-dinner drink in the very comfortable bar area, where there is a good selection of beers and ales. There is plenty of seating, including stalls at the bar which we particularly enjoy. The owner and his team are always very welcoming and we enjoy chatting to them before our dinner. The food here is excellent and it is always difficult to choose what we would like from the excellent choice. The service again is faultless with no waiting or having to catch the waiter's eye. Easy online booking system and a lovely walled garden for the summer.

Have been there quite a few times went later in the afternoon meal not as there usual standard seem to have run out of a lot of things meat vegetables crackling not really good at all

I took my grandparents here as a birthday gift. The food took a while to come but I’m always happy to wait for a nice roast. The food was presented beautifully, however it was lukewarm. We sent both of the roast beef dishes back to be heated. They were brought back re-plated differently to before; the plating looked rushed. In addition to this, the parsnip was missing, there was not much beef and it was still not hot. When this was explained to the waiter, he sharply and unapologetically said they do not serve their roast dinners hot. The service was slow and one of the waiters was unfriendly and not very personable. Additionally, the table next to us was not cleared an hour after the people sat next to us had left. This is not the service I’d expect when you’re paying over £30 per person for a lunch. I won’t be coming here again.

The Sunday roast was on the pricy end at around £20 but the portion sizes were very generous. If we're in the area again we'll be sure to stop by.

Visited The Bedford arms for Sunday lunch with 2 small children . Found children menu very limited but ww have very picky eaters. However food was good. Service was great, staff very welcoming ,polite and efficient . Atmosphere is great and the Halloween effort is nice too.

I lived in Oakley for nearly 22 years in total, and in that time I've seen The Bedford Arms go through so many owners and just as many changes of decor (I even remember the smoking tables in the 90s, you never forget the smell as you walked in!). At some point in the mid-2000s, it started to appear less busy and it looked as if it might have been headed for the big pub graveyard in the sky.. At long last, they appear to have hit upon an enduring winning formula, and the patrons have returned in force. My partner and I returned to the old stomping ground two days ago for one of the best meals we've ever had. As soon as we were seated we were given complimentary bread and tzatziki, which was a lovely gesture. We started off with the continental meat platter to share, which we requested to have gluten free as my partner is coeliac, and so they did it with gluten free bread. It was delightful. It comes with parma ham, chorizo, Milano salami, grilled aubergines, mozarella balls and mixed olives with chillies. It's always fun trying to combine all the contrasting flavors and textures in one mouthful! For my main, I chose the fillet of sea bass which came with tomato and mango chutney, a seared lemon wedge and dauphinoise potatoes. The sea bass had a delightfully crisp skin and the fish itself was cooked and seasoned to perfection. My partner chose the Woburn-estate venison, which came with dauphinoise potatoes, pak choi and a port and berry jus. The venison was so rich and yet so tender, and the sweet tartness of the jus complimented the natural earthiness of the meat in a way that neither of us would ever have previously considered. I also would never have thought to pair up pak choi with a traditionally English-style dish like venison, but it works brilliantly. The dauphinoise potatoes were seasoned with mild cheddar and thyme, and they were to die for. For desert, I had the cheesecake (which according to the menu comes gluten free as standard, can we confirm that?), and my partner had the artisan 4 cheese platter, which came with celery, grapes, chutney, toasted GF bread and sliced apple. They covered all the bases there. To top off a wonderful evening, my good friend Mat Roberts serenaded us outside with his inimitable brand of live music. The general manager also wasn't shy to come out and have a dance with the patrons as well, which is always great to see. In conclusion, The Bedford Arms is once again a fully functioning institution in Oakley, and is firing on all cylinders. They have great chefs, wonderful service, a rich and varied selection of wines and spirits, locally brewed ales, great taste in live music and entertainment and they are officially coeliac-friendly. You can bet that we'll be back soon, and we'll be bringing the whole family! 🍻🍲

We dropped in to the Bedford Arms at Oakley as an unplanned visit with no booking for a table and we're given a warm welcome. The atmosphere was very relaxed,calm and peaceful which we like. The staff were very friendly and attentive without being intrusive and the service was excellent. The food was lovely. My wife has a wheat allergy and requires a gluten free diet. While this seems to be a dying trend these days in favour of vegan food, there was a good choice of meals for her to choose from. The whole evening turned out to be a relaxed unhurried experience and i would like to thank the staff for an evening that was thoroughly enjoyable. We will return.

Another cracking meal. Excellent service, food was beautiful, just cant fault the place. Will be back again for sure!!

Great restaurant/pub. Lovely setting, great food. Staff were amazing. We will be back.

Staff are lovely, food is delicious (we had a perfect Sunday Roast), atmosphere amazing. Best pub in the area by miles, thank you!

The food choice was really good. Presentation and taste of food to a high standard.

Another fantastic Sunday lunch. Staff and service excellent. Honestly can’t praise this place enough. Well done guys.

Excellent evening meal with friends.Prompt service,lovely conservatory dining area.Delicious food ,the sea bass fillet outstanding.Two courses with drinks £125 , very good high quality food.

We had dear friends visiting from Australia.Decided to have an evening meal at the Bedford Arms.Had not been here for a long time ,it was excellent.We were seated in the conservatory.We had great service,First class food and a wonderful evening.Our friends from Australia where also...

Our friends from Australia were visiting so we went here for dinner. Lovely English pub/restaurant. Great service. The food was delicious. We recommend and will definitely be back.

Excellent Sunday lunch. I chose the non Sunday lunch (sea bass) menu which was beautifully cooked. My extended family did have the Sunday roast and said that the portions were huge but the quality was the best Sunday lunch in ages. Service was excellent, very...

Great Sunday lunch with friends. The food was delicious, hot and the service was great. The staff were very attentive. The pub/restaurant is well laid out, so you have good space between tables. The garden is large and enclosed, so great for children. We would...

Had a Sunday roast. 3 x beef and 1 x pork. Meat was perfect, great size portions, loads of veg and all very tasty! Service was also excellent. We sat outside as we had a dog with us who they also brought water and biscuits...

Sunday lunch - wow! Really delicious. Good helpings of excellent vegetables, meat or nut roast, and a huge Yorkshire pud. Pleasant staff and surroundings.

Meal out with family, great food, quick service, reasonable prices, staff friendly and very helpfull will be back

I really liked everything about this place. It’s a lovely setting, great interior and warm atmosphere and delicious food. What more could you ask for? Had Sunday roast, pudding and coffee and everything was devine.

Quiet night which is unusual for this place apparently. First visit. Nice surroundings. Menu a little fancy on first read but something for most people visiting.

I went in on a Sunday at 3ish. Should I be surprised that the focus was food? Probably not. But I was surprised that the idea of having a beer was almost frowned upon. Just a pint and a chair, and yet we were informed ' you'll have to go outside, all the seats indoors are booked'. After returning my ale for a new glass (the original was dirty with food residue, somewhat concerning for glassware) we sat on the clearly COVID outdoor seating and then left. Not sure we'll be back, the vibe felt somewhat snobby and not good for a passing drinker.

Not that I use g My party of 11 ravy on my roast, but none of my 10 guests had any either! My party of 11 booked here for sunday lunch and were akllocated a dark dingy room where we could not even open the...

Met for birthday drinks. Atmosphere was good, clean and tiday and nice decor, polite patrons. Will be revisiting to perhaps eat next time !!

Lovely greeting on arrival, shown to our table which was lovely. We ordered the roast dinner which was absolutely Devine. Can’t praise this place enough. Would definitely recommend.

Absolutely amazing place; great food. Great atmosphere highly recommend ! Best food I’ve had in a long time ☺️ x

Best roast I've ever had at a restaurant and a fabulous portion.

Once again, a very enjoyable lunch with friends. My salmon was cooked to perfection, and everyone else enjoyed the dishes they chose. The visit was made perfect thanks to the excellent service and attention from Debbie, Sam, and Connor, for which I thank them most...

I only stayed 1 night but would have enjoyed staying longer. The bed was very comfortable and the room large. Unfortunately the phone between rooms didn’t work properly The breakfast was lovely

Had the lamb for Sunday lunch and it was perfect 😋 excellent bottle of Malbec and trio of cheeses to finish off absolutely spot on! Highly recommended 👌

Attentive service and really nice, high quality food!

Been to Bedford Arms. A few times ,, just. Love it there’s,, x. Restaurant great ,, staff. Lovely x. Can’t wait to go back

This place came highly recommended by a friend and did not disappoint. Excellent service excellent food beautifully served and lovely surroundings could not ask for more. We will certainly be going back.

Cannot fault this place, fabulous staff, excellent food and a beautiful setting xxx

Pleasant garden with comfy chairs and sun shades, but take some ear plugs because the kitchen extractor sounds like a Saturn 5 rocket 🚀 permanently trying to take off.

It was my 80th Birthday and I wanted to invite 28 friends and family for a Sunday Roast on the 21st of May. I had tried 3 other location but this was the first Pub near to my location which welcomed me and discussed professionally...

Came here as the reviews were amazing. The gentleman who served us was not very happy and I felt a little uncomfortable. We felt rushed and when we had not made a choice of what to drink as we had literally just sat down, again...

If you're a gardener you will appreciate the wonderful boarders in the garden. Lovely staff, great service. Food very good, really lovely Sunday dinner. Just knocked a star as decor a little tired, which is tolerable.

Best Sunday lunch we've had out.

Fantastic meal in the conservatory dining area. The knowledgeable people there were happy to explain the wide variety of gluten free options available

Good place for lunch. Food tasty and very good service. Numbers kept to what they can handle efficiently Reasonably priced. Easy parking. I would visit again

We chose this pub for lunch during a journey to Bedford because of the good Tripadvisor reviews. Whilst the service was good and the food OK it was not in any way special. So wouldn't go out of my way to visit it.

This is an excellent pub. Had a lovely evening meal

Excellent atmosphere - relaxed vibe with really lovely food and very attentive staff - thanks so much

Great food and service, would recommend 👌

I had the chicken burger & chips. The chicken burger was very nice but the chips were so amazing I had to get a 2nd portion. The wine menu is expensive but I enjoyed a glass of 'Malbec'. My partner had the chicken supreme &...

My wife and I visited the Bedford Arms on a recent trip. We found the staff to be very friendly and welcoming. We had midmorning coffee and decided to stay for lunch The service was first class and the food was excellent. I would recommend the Bedford Arms to anyone

Had a roast dinner on Sunday, food was good but pricey, was shocked to find out when paying, that 2 small orange juice drinks cost £4 each, would of had a pint of lager instead, hence only 2 star rating.

Once again we had a very enjoyable lunch. They seem to change the menu regularly, so most times that we have been, it has been a new culinary experience, which we like. The food, drinks and service were great, so thank you to the chefs,...

Great Sunday roast and atmosphere.

The biggest Sunday lunch day in the UK calendar and always difficult to find a great place that upholds its regular quality and service standards. The Bedford Arms is a local gem and we were lucky enough to book in for 12 of us and...

Fantastic food and not a wide choice to choose from on the menu which I love but just enough. Great service with a lovely view of the garden what’s not to like and inexpensive for the quality.

Sunday lunch. I had roast beef which was tasty but slightly hard around the edges. Lovely plateful of Yorkshire Pud, roast potatoes, veggies and cauli cheese. I had the dark chocolate cheesecake for dessert, which was excellent. Staff were some of the nicest I've come...

4 adults and 1 child. Sunday dinner. Share platter starter of camembert, cheese was left as not enough bread to dip in. Sunday dinner- all piled up on top of each other with way too much cabbage.meat was supposed to be trio, only made out 4 but fatty. Roasts were barely cooked through and not crispy. Dry so had to ask for extra gravy for us all. Pudding list was short. All food took ages to come. Then we were asked for the table to be vacated. If our food had been delivered more quickly we would have had time to digest before leaving. We will not return.

We stopped on the off chance of lunch was looked after really well and the food was great.

Very pleasant restaurant and staff. My wifes meal was a bit disappointing as the vegetables were cold, which the staff were very apologetic for. My meal of venison was very tasty and enjoyable.

we decided to book here for a sunday lunch which was our 1st visit to this pub, we were not disappointed . the food was lovely and the service was good without being overbearing. we would definitely visit again but probably skip the desert menu...

Excellent sunday lunch, great service

Nice village restaurant and pub..

Came here to celebrate one of the groups birthday. Set in a quaint picturesque village, plenty of parking for groups with numerous cars. We were seated quickly in a lovely cosy setting by the fire by friendly staff who cared about us having a good...

Thought we would treat ourselves to a sunday lunch and headed to the Beds Arms, which we haven't eaten in years. The welcome was warm and the pub was nice and busy, all the staff were very welcoming and we were sat and served very...

Another very enjoyable lunch with friends. As always, the food was good, and the service was excellent. I would not hesitate to recommend.

The Bedford Arms is my favourite place to eat, but I like to reserve it for more special occasions because I know I`ll enjoy it. I don`t know how they do it, but this visit was even better than the last. The service was faultless...

Went here to celebrate my friends big birthday. The food was great.. We had fish & chips and the venison.. And the brownie to share.. All delicious. Staff were also great and extremely helpful in bringing balloons and cake out that I had brought with me... They even sang, as did others on tables around us. Really made my friends experience feel special. Only improvement to suggest is that they could check on drinks consumption more often.. Had to go to the bar.. Which wasn't an issue but would boost drinks sales 😉.. This didn't affect our experience tho so still 5 staes.. Would definitely go back!

The atmosphere here is charming; the staff are completely professional and very courteous and the food is great. It may be a tad more expensive than other local hostelries but it is well worth the extra for the attention to detail and care of the...

Went here for my husbands 70th birthday. We had Sunday lunch. Absolutely 💯 amazing. Will definitely return.

Overcooked vedge, fishy flavour, overall its quantity not quality. Staff was friendly and attentive.

We have been here a few times recently and I have to say that all the dishes have been great, a quality food experience altogether. The Christmas menu seemed a little smaller in options but we all enjoyed our food immensely. We will definitely visit...

This is the ideal location for a family gathering. The quality of the food is superb and the portions are extremely generous. The staff were very attentive, without being overbearing. We will definately be visiting again.

My first visit for many years, and all our food was delicious. (And healthy portions!) The desserts were superb too. Will not be long before we're eating here again. Great service, nice village pub and superb food, what's not to like!?!

I love coming here - the food was delightful, cannot fault it - the sea bass is amazing - definitely will be visiting again

Had a lovely lunch here with family, staff were extremely helpful and friendly, the food was amazing and a great choice of drinks for all, we will definitely be back again thank you

I was disappointed with my recent visit to the Bedford Arms. This place has traditionally sold good food but having been for lunch recently I paid nearly ten pounds for a tomato soup served with the sort of bread you buy part cooked from a shop. For main we both had chicken and bacon pie that tasted like fish pie and came with a watery sauce that made me feel ill. The place has the feel of somewhere that is heading in the wrong direction I’m afraid

This place is local to us so we go from time to time as we know the food is always on point. Tonight definitely didn’t disappoint. From the moment we arrived the staff were very friendly. We both had 3 courses, the food was absolutely...

Lovely food and a great environment. They made a couple of errors on the order but were quick to correct them. Would happily go back again.

Lively and friendly atmosphere full of good generous portions of food; lovely Team members and nice nooks and crannies to lose yourself in.

There were 15 of us, placed ina dedicated private alcove. The staff were attentive and respectful- loved the 'sir/madam' instead of 'mate'. Food was superb and a good time was had by all. Thank you. Thoroughly recommend.

Not much to say really. Excellent, welcoming staff, super menu. Food beautifully cooked and presented with an exceptional attention to detail. The little touches put the Beds Arms above other establishments. Treat yourself; book a table, you will not be disappointed!

Fantastic Christmas lunch, so many fresh vegetables! Plenty of turkey and all the trimmings. Staff very attentive. Christmas decor was lovely with Xmas cushions and blanket throws. Car park well laid out. Went with friends and will definitely be going back again. Consistently good in...

I haven’t actually had the pleasure of visiting The Bedford Arms yet, but I have been really impressed with the customer service I received from the lady who took the two calls I have had with them over the past week. The first was to...