The Bell in Braintree

Food carts in the back are brilliant but it's not a cosy pub and seems a bit "old boys"!

My nephew had his wedding reception at the Bell. The young men behind the bar were very friendly. Lovely pub

Great pub. Good beer, friendly service! Also bike friendly.

Great traditional village pub, never eaten here so cant comment, beer and service is great.

Ciaren and Sharon etc. give you a warm and friendly welcome to this quaint and beautiful friendly village pub. A tavern for hundreds of years. The Bell really does the job. Their forays into live music are really enjoyable too. Keep on keeping on!! If your not familiar with Great Bardfield, make this your number 1 visit here for a drink and a chat with locals, artists, and randoms! The only local " proper pub".... fantastic!

We went to The Bell this afternoon after a Christening. What a lovely pub. Great atmosphere and the service was amazing. Sharon was so friendly and attentive. Highly recommended 👌

Stopped in for a quick one: pleasant enough village local.

Called in during the Dunwich Dynamo. Very pleased to see a vegan option.

Great local with friendly helpful staff excellent beer and food

What a wonderfully friendly pub, great history and local arts examples. Fresh and very tasty home cooked food. Highly recommended.

lovely food and evening at the bell in, thankyou team bell x

The Bell is a lovely, welcoming traditional village pub. Great choice of local bitters, premium lager and a wonderful selection of gin. Nice outdoor space with a children's play area, perfect for enjoying an afternoon in the sun. Sharon and her team are great and I'd definitely recommend a visit. P.S - pizzas are amazing!!

What a find! Lovely quaint village pub, great beer (Bishop Nick) and devine pizzas! Was just passing thru, but will definitely be back.

Have recently moved in the area and the owner and her son has made us feel so welcome in the neighbourhood. Simple yet delicious food and drinks served by the warmest and loveliest humans. ❤️

We were greeted by Sharon the owner , she made us feel very welcome . We inquired about food and she politely told us that the pub doesn't normally serve food at the early part of the week, but she would see what she could do. We enjoyed a lovely basket meal with proper home cooked chips. It was very welcome. We will go back soon that's for sure.

Friendly, good beer, comfortable place

Sharon is a star landlady, great ales on tap well kept (Bishop Nick) and a very atmospheric old Inn. Recommended.

Pictures of food are much better than the actual food served up.

Traditional old Essex inn, serving well kept locally brewed ales. (Bishop Nick's Heresy and Ridley's Rite.) A selection of lagers and cider also available.

The Bell in Great Bardfield is one of a rare breed these days but is so special for it. It is a proper drinkers’ pub which prioritises the business of drinking, chatting and laughing and even the occasional impromptu musical performance by random locals including ‘name that tune’ on the pub piano. The Bell, as in it’s historical past, is a meeting place for creative artists, musical artists and choristers, dramatic artists and probably a few piss artistes but most of all it’s the sort of place where everyone knows your name. I suspect it could be the sort of place where heads might turn around and say “Norm!”when someone walks in, or more probably “Ian!”, as everyone seems to be called Ian round these parts. Despite all of this, don’t think that it’s the sort of place that goes quiet if you’re a stranger in town because as an outsider going in there for the first time I can honestly say how lovely it felt to be so warmly welcomed like you’re one of their own. Sharon always welcomes you like an old friend and all of their staff are friendly and polite. It’s cosy in winter with open fires and sofas if that is what takes your fancy. There is a good choice of ales, wines and spirits, the wine being very drinkable and as a red wine drinker, I can particularly recommend the Merlot and the Malbec. As well as all of this the Bell hosts regular events including art festivals in the summer and quiz nights, Pie and Mash nights (with liquor!) and the regular carveries are renowned in the village and you’ll see whole families and groups of friends popping in for their Sunday lunch. My meal was delicious when I ate there recently with slices of tender roast beef which melted in the mouth, dollops of golden topped cauliflower cheese, flavoursome and just nicely al dente vegetables with crispy roast potatoes and a sizeable Yorkshire Pudding. Included in the price of £9.95 was a hearty portion of Peach Crumble and custard, just like your favourite school puddings. We walked out with our tummies full and warm feeling inside. I heartily recommend The Bell for many reasons but above all else it’s for an atmosphere you don’t find so much in these days of gastro pubs, wine bars and chain pubs. Don’t expect meals and menus. Do expect a warm and friendly welcome, fun nights out, friendly staff and locals, laughter, good booze and occasionally a couple of times a month, traditional Pie and Mash or a Sunday carvery.

Nice family pub, warm atmosphere

Warm friendly and never want to leave food and company totally genuine and lovely always

This is a nice cheap and cheerful Pub, nice armosphere, the best Coors lager in Essex, nice wines, Landlady and staff friendly and welcoming.

Nice place to meet up with friends

Great beer, wonderful fire and a warm welcome

Friendly staff, always made to feel welcome.

A lovely traditional local. Always has an interesting selection of beers And importantly service with a smile.

Very friendly staff, who are always happy and make you feel welcome. A lovely place to sit down and have a drink while feeling relaxed. The food is tasty.

Visiting friends for a baptism the reception was held here. We were made to feel extremely welcome by the landlady and her family. Lovely outside space, shame it was raining so didn't really get to use it much. The buffet provided was more than enough with good quality food and was presented so carefully! Good range of drinks on offer. I spent going on 11 hours at this watering hole and would be happy to spend much more!

Six of us visited on August Bank Holiday Monday. They don't usually serve food on a Monday evening but when a friend phoned to book the table, the Landlady said she would be happy to make an exception for us. The menu is limited but the food is freshly cooked and wholesome. The place is a delightful old inn dating back to the 16th century and is bright and cheerful inside. The Landlady is very friendly and welcoming and we would be happy to return to try the lunchtime menu. Thank you for an enjoyable evening.

This is a lovely old pub which has been beautifully looked after. We both had the cheese ploughmans which was excellent as was my beer.

The dead plant by the door had me on red alert. So much potential in this beamed hostelry but needed an injection of cash and enthusiasm.

Went here with a friend and what a warm and welcoming place! Sharon was amazing and served us food even though they weren't cooking that night. Sharon took it over a year ago and is doing a splendid job. Worth a visit for home cooked food that's family friendly and you can even take your dog too! Nice garden out the back worth a visit or two. Definitely going to go back to support her and will be recommending to friends too.

A group of seven of us had lunch so different meals, which all arrived together, all good value and enjoyed by all. Sharon the new(ish) landlady is very friendly, Well worth a visit, particularly if you want to see the pub where the Gt. Bardfield artists enjoyed a pint. Very good choice of English beers. We'll return when we're in the area again.

Was passing through and decided to stop for a quick drink such a lovely country pub with a really nice atmosphere the pub is in keeping with it's surroundings the way a pub should be the bar staff where welcoming and lovely to have a chat with a lot of small local pubs tend to snub outsiders but here we where made to feel very welcome overall a lovely little place to stop and lose a couple of hours with a chat and a drink

Stopped here looking for some food and drinks on a Saturday evening. Sharon told us all the food was freshly prepared - and could adapt the meals to suit preferences. Beautifully cooked, served piping hot and with a smile. Couldn't resist having pudding which was equally great. Pub is very friendly and customers can choose the music on the iPad that gets passed around which is a nice touch. Will definitely return :)

We came for lunch today and we're extremely well cared for by Sharon and her team. The pub was quiet, so it was great to have a chat. The staff were attentive without being overbearing, and the food was all home made and nicely presented. Would definitely recommend it, ignore the older reviews from the previous management!

Stumbled across The Bell whilst out for a a walk with friends . Sharon , the landlady is a real character and told us all about the pub and village's history , recommending delicious pies she had made with her chef that morning . The pub dates back to the 16th century and was frequented by the artist Edward Bawden who lived in the village and documented the village including drawing the pub's interior . Well worth a visit . Plenty of parking in the village street outside .

A favourite pub of mine. Archaic pub - dates back to 1500s - with a nice cosy feel. There are always great ales on tap and landlady knows her stuff and is very welcoming. Some lovely grub, with the recent addition of some gorgeous pies. I also love the authentic log fire on a dreary night. Hours can just slip away in here...

Fab owner ...proper pub great landlady made us feel so welcome beers on tap are great can't wait to come back and eat

We reached the Bell Inn after a 4 mile ramble and asked if we'd be allowed to bring in two dogs if we sat in the garden. The lovely Landlady wouldn't hear of us sitting in the garden on this blustery day and instead gave us pole position in the main bar. Fortunately our dogs were well-behaved and quiet. The Sunday lunch was excellent and our five plates were sent back to the kitchen totally empty much to the disgust of the dogs who had none. There is no car park for the pub but plenty of parking on the road.

Really lovely country pub. Such a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Seating very comfortable. Really lovely with the open fire. So much care and attention to detail in the decor - a real feeling of a traditional country pub. Food was really great. Very generous portions and very fresh. Locally sourced produce and home cooked. Landlady and staff really friendly and welcoming and extremely helpful. Definitely recommend.

Stopped here for Sunday lunch, very welcoming staff and nice atmosphere. Not the best food but definitely not the worst. I understand this pub is under new management so things should improve with time.

Lovely old building, everyone very friendly and wecoming, the food was all home cooked excellent and good value. Nice choice of beers one of which was very local. Highly recommended we will definitely be returning.

I highly recommend The Bell in Great Bardfield. Yummy food and very reasonably priced. Knowledgeable, friendly and professional staff and landlady. If your looking for home cooked food, this is the place to go.

Good local with great atmosphere

The Bell has recently changed hands and is not a pub I have visited often. You can get a weekday 2 course lunch here for £7.95. Chicken Pesto with pasta and ham, eggs (3 of them!) and chips were our selections. They are priced at £5.95 so you get your desert for a couple of quid. I would describe what we had as really good for the price. A bonus is that the real ale here is from local brewers so you will not find a national brewers product on the pump. And they know how to present it too! If this place does not find it's way into the Good Beer Guide soon I'll eat my beer mat!!

We visited the Bell on Wednesday for lunch.Good choice of pub favourites,I chose Shepherds pie and my husband had Ham egg and proper chips.We waited quite a while,but we knew it was all freshly cooked.We had good drinks while we waited from attentive and friendly barman.There were three other couples eating too.The food was great,lovely gammon and 3 eggs with great chips properly cooked.My shepherds pie was lovely with good lamb and cheesy mash and fresh veg.I had syrup sponge and custard for pudding.It is great value at £7.95 for 2 courses and you can just have a main course for £5.95.Please go and support the Bell as it is great to have 2 pubs in the. village again.

Firstly, what a beautiful old building! So full of character and steeped in history. Offering a lunchtime menu at £7.95 for 2 courses, you certainly won't leave hungry or light of pocket. A lovely beer garden which is a sun trap, so great for you sun worshippers, although there is plenty of shade if you require it. Great entertainment in the evening/weekends and also a great selection of Real Ales! The Bell Inn is everything a country pub should be! Well deserved of its 5* rating

A beautiful pub,punching above its weight,with freshly prepared food(the wait is worthwhile)in a relaxed atmosphere-No brake brothers preprepared food here,all locally sourced and you can tell the difference.Liam the chef was more than happy to chat and let slip he has a new menu for autumn/winter whilst retaining customers favourites.A good selection of beers and chilled wines to accompany any dish this is a worthwhile indulgence at any time.

We called early to reserve a large table for a late sitting. The manageress was very helpful and remembered our call when we arrived, this sort of this is excellent and makes you feel special. The food was good and just what we wanted, not so sure about slates instead of plates but no real harm. I was going to score 4 but on reflection there is no reason for this not to be 5.

Have just returned from a very nice evening out at this venue. Staff exceptionally friendly, lovely atmosphere with a simple menu but cooked and presented extremely well. Well worth another visit.

A country pub with a London feel. I walked in a stranger last Saturday and immediately struck up conversation with one of the guests and the landlady. I felt completely at ease and went on to have a couple of good beers and a nice meal prepared by the chef. A wonderful location and atmosphere.

Once I had waited for my food of the rather boring menu I felt that the food delivered was rather plain and the taste was simple, honestly just pub grub.

Generally fairly sound - portions are too big, but food is OK - decent pub food. Menu doesn't vary much. Certainly the better of the village pubs.

Very popular with local and visitors alike. A good food menu. The fish dishes are usually excellent.Good choice of beers and wines. The landlord, Del, is a friendly, jolly host, just as pub landlord's should be.

We quite often go for a Sunday morning walk, ending with a pub lunch. Sometimes the food or service is disappointing but The Bell was excellent value, with three courses for £12. Easy parking, a pretty village surrounded by lovely countryside, and pleasant and efficient service. Couldn't ask for more.

The Bell hotel is a pub with restaurant and guest rooms in the centre of Great Bardfield, a pretty village every bit as attractive as its better-known neighbour, Finchingfield.We arrived for Sunday lunch on the dot of opening time (noon) and were a bit surprised to find the chef wrestling with the window blinds. being a bit short of time, we asked if they could serve us the 3-course set lunch (£12) quickly - and they did. Good (but not over-elaborate) food, well presented and served, with locally sourced meat/veg. All served in the restaurant, with old beams and Tudor brickwork. Good selection of real ale, the one we had in really tip-top condition.Thoroughly recommended.

Genuine free house with varying range of beer usually at least one from a micro.