The Bell in St Edmundsbury

Thought we were going to have lunch in an old interesting pub. Wrong. It was all closed up & couldn't see a notice to tell us otherwise. Shame.

Booked a ‘Secret Santa’ party for 12 of us who hadn’t seen each other for 2 years. Booked it 2 months prior, then the week before had a call advising “no longer doing festive menu!” Eventually after speaking to the Owner - Richard - they agreed to continue the menu as we had booked it. (Some excuse that ‘the girl had left and taken all the booking information with her’. ??) When we turned up all seemed good and well, then the food came out! I’ll just post the pix I think! Burnt food, undercooked food, items missing. The list goes on! Eventually I was asked for a one to one meeting with the manager Nicki and advised on our situation and the terrible food. She agreed and said we wouldn’t have to pay for the food and that she would get her husband to call me, which he did a few minutes later…. In his call he accused me of ‘ranting at his wife and making her cry!’ (Anyone who knows me would question that). He told us he was ‘coming there now and that it would take him 45 minutes to get there and wanted to see me one on one’ Now I have no problem seeing someone one on one, but as the other 11 people were disgusted too, we all wanted to meet him. Again when he turned up, he accused me - in front of everyone else - of making his wife cry with my apparent ranting. But at the same time refused to ask her to come tell me about it. He said they had problems with previous Chefs being bullied, and he had a new one from Indeed! (Don’t know why we needed to know that) He informed us all that the items were missing from our plates as we had not added them on the spreadsheet we provided!! So even thou the Festive Menu stated ‘Burger with fries, coleslaw and Pigs in Blankets’ we only got burger and fries because we only typed ‘burger’ ??? Admittedly he did offer us all a free meal (which we declined after the way we were treated) Richard also offered to refund our drinks bill, which we also declined as - although the food was terrible - we had drunk the wine etc I personally have been an advocate of The Bell, and and think it’s a great pub to enjoy a drink in, BUT after being treated this way along with these accusations, I’m afraid we will not be going in there again, especially as other places in Clare offer better service with no accusations

We decided to chance having a meal here, they haven’t had a good rep since reopening, but we thought we’ll try anyway! Support local! Perhaps it was just a bad day, but the whole experience was horrendous. We were served by 4 different waiters in 2 hours, there was no coordination between staff me members, our order was taken 3 times by different staff. They clearly weren’t speaking to eachother as we had to keep telling different people that yes we had ordered!! Drinks took 25 minutes to arrive to our table (we were a party of 4, all pints). The Sunday Roast took 50 minutes between the first time we ordered, to arrival. The vegetarian meal had pieces of meat on the plate (can you say slopped), presentation was dire and the food was cold. It looked like it had just been thrown on. The portions are (cold, poorly presented, not what is advertised on the menu) but also ridiculously overpriced. The cuts of meat were tiny slithers, the gravy was watery…the waitress even slipped and poured a load of gravy onto my wife’s lap which was…less than impressive. Only a feeble apology was offered, no compensation. Another thing to add, the staff don’t seem to be provided with uniform. There is no telling staff from customer, and the young girl who presented herself as “manager” seemed to be wearing slippers. The menus were also grammatically incorrect, with more spelling mistakes than I could count. As much as I believe in supporting local, this isn’t an establishment I will ever revisit, as you can receive better service, food and atmosphere at a local burger van, or Wetherspoons.

Superb food and lovely people Couldn’t fault it. Excellent food with very generous portions and great value too Dog friendly and nice management Thank you We will definitely come up again Rich & Joanne

We chose Christmas turkey, a surgeon must have carved and sliced it into 1 mm thick pieces , or maybe it was pre packed ! 3no of us chose cheese and biscuits with a request that one plate consisted of soft cheese only, all came with large a chunk of hard cold cranberry cheddar and slithers of Bree , at this time waitress service became virtually non existent. Had to go to the bar to order to port, coffee and brandy, Port arrived in smallest glasses I’ve ever seen, black coffee in Hugh cups but no milk and sugar offered and best of all, the brandies came in whiskey glasses complete with 3 ice cubes each. When staff are unsupervised , the place goes to pot, as we discovered.

We were really impressed when we visited for lunch on a Saturday. A great choice of food and able to accommodate dietary requirements with ease (the waiter even double checked with chef). The portions were large, everything was homemade and tasty and the choice was brilliant. We will be back! My only comment would be that the plastic flowers are not a good edition and take away from the otherwise lovely and stylish interior.

Owner/manager needs to work on a lot of areas. Food is ok..just. Staff are poorly trained. If you want your drink spilled on you then this is the place to go. Uncomfortable and awkward. Music in restaurant way too loud and adverts on it. Please!! If it’s Spotify, pay for a subscription or get a license. Extraordinary.. Trying to be up market and sophisticated but falling well short.

Was looking forward to getting back inside The Bell as it has been closed for a long time. The plastic flowers everywhere were not to my taste but the welcome and service was attentive throughout. However, the food did disappoint. The duck starter, although tasty, was cearly not homemade and for £7.95, it realluy should have been. The burger was interesting - on top of the actual burger was another strip of beef! Why? The chips however were not only over cooked, they were soggy and barely warm so these were sent back untouched. This for £15.95 I also feel was way overpriced. We left unimpressed. A real shame because Clare really needs a good restaurant.

Food was good with plenty of choice . we all enjoyed our meals . Breakfast was good with as much tea and coffee and toast as you could want to go along with cereal and cooked breakfast choices

The staff at the Bell put a fantastic spread on for the wake yesterday 16/09/21. A good selection of items,all hand made and freshly cooked. Staff were very helpful,and polite. The premises was lovely and clean. Thankyou.

Visited for the first time in about two years, maybe three! Everything has been decorated and re-curbed. It had a nice bright airy feel to it. Love to the little nooks and crannies for seating areas. Was only a quick lunch so we just had sandwiches that were served with rosemary chips and salad. Couldn’t fault it m, it was all nicely presented, food was good chips were hot and flavoursome. Staff really friendly and helpful met the new owner Nikki invited her to my restaurant in Haverhill 😉

This fine old establishment has had numerous guises in the last 15 years, all of which failed miserably, that could now change. Our family had Sunday roast on the 29th Aug and we all enjoyed our different three course choices,. The service was excellent with attentive staff ( particularly George, the manager). We’ll definitely become patrons if this eatery maintains this standard of food. Not sure about the flower garlands decorations though !

OK this place is open and should stay open. had lunch there today and the food and service was excellent. OK during these difficult times you have to have a mask on when entering or leaving your table but i guess thats the way of the world currently. I have to say at 59 years old (thats me not the pie !) the Steak / Ale pie was the best i have ever had, service fantastic. Covid friendly. Get yourself along...book a table before going.

We went to the Bell Hotel, Clare, for a snack lunch - the sandwiches, salad and chips were all very good indeed. It was slightly chilly and the barman very kindly brought a heater and throughout he looked after us very well indeed. Everything was very good indeed and we wish them luck in this venture -= they deserve to do well.

SLOW SLOW SLOW. No Horsradish sauce for beef..... Told EVEN THE CO-OP Didnt have any ! NO Olive Oil for Salad.... Chef had dropped the only bottle they had. Not good !

Under new temporary management yet again and having several recommendations for its Sunday Carvery, we tried the experience.Pleasantly surprised, at £10.00 per head the quality of the meats was excellent ( lamb,beef and pork ) so were the vegetables. As much as you could eat philosophy with 2nds if necessary.One peculiarity with this establishment is it only accepts CASH, for everything, including accommodation, food and drink, so beware as the cash point across the street is often out of order.

We only visit Clare occasionally but always pop in for lunch at the Bell when we are here. It did not disappoint- the usual cosy welcoming atmosphere, friendly staff, and a good range of hearty pub grub type food which was all excellent.

I would like the staff of the Bell for accommodating our family christmas catchup today, especially the young waiter who with his patience and good humour helped to make our reunion memorable. We wish the manager good luck for the future of The Bell.

We popped in as new owners and were very impressed. The chef came out and talkedTo us about our needs and we were very happy to find both vegan and gluten free dishes clearly marked on the menu. The sticky toffee pudding with vegan ice cream was lovely.

Visited on a Monday evening for supper. Service was very good and they allowed our dog in the bar area. The food was however a little lack lustre - pork belly wasn't crispy as it really should have been. They were however good with gluten free choices.

The staff were truly delightful and the charming Caitlin warrants a special mention as she made breakfast most enjoyable. Public rooms are well-appointed and the food we ate on Saturday night was delicious, BUT no meals are served on Sunday evening and the rest of Clare seems similarly bereft. Broken and missing window stays, the hand-basin lacking an attached plug plus an almost completely limescale encrusted shower head were off putting.

Me and my wife went to the bell one evening last week about 8pm .there was only a couple of people in there ,so we sat down and ordered our food when the server came over ,we both ordered the chicken and ham pie with mush and greens ,we had to wait about 30 minutes for our meal which wasn't very good with only a couple of other people there .our meal came up and it tasted ok but we both thought for the money it costed it wasn't anything special so we was disappointed when we left.

Went here with friends for lunch. The set menu had a reasonable choice and we all enjoyed three delicious courses. The food was well cooked, well presented and the staff were attentive and friendly. Will definitely return to this lovely old village and this pub.

Another lovely meal at Latitude 52. I'd seen the new evening menu changes, but hadn't been able to get here before tonight. We shared a starter from the bar menu. For the main, I don't normally think of monkfish as an ingredient in Thai green curry, but this changed my mind. It was excellent -- a nice mixture of vegetables in the curry (including samphire) and the rice on the side. As always, dessert (lemon posset) was lovely.

Rang to book a table for dinner at 7pm. Staff member said ‘service will be poor then, can you book for 4.30 instead’.

Excellent meal on Saturday, delicious food, very attentive staff and great atmosphere. Highly recommend.

We had our mothering Sunday lunch there and it was brilliant service and the food was excellent. Great selection to choice from and the staff waz very professional. Great value for money i would differently recommend this resturant.

After or first visit, not impressed but on a visit last week can report a great improvement, just had the bar menu but we have booked a family into the restaurant to see how this shapes up but we all think it will be fine.

Stayed here for 4 nights as I was attending a course nearby. This isn’t somewhere I’d have been happy to pay to stay. The rooms are adequate but with very soft beds, I know this is down to personal preference, just not to my taste. The others in my group all felt as if the staff aren’t really bothered if you have a good experience or not. On returning to my room one day the door had been left unlocked, luckily nothing had been taken. On the last morning no one could get into the hotel to get to the restaurant and we were waiting outside for 30 minutes and when we could get someone’s attention we were that someone obviously forgot to open it. My overriding view of the whole experience is ‘must do better ‘ which is a shame as the place could be very good.

Went for a drink mid-week evening, looked at the menus and thought we will give this try next time we were in Clare, went along 2 of us mid-week evening had a drink whilst browsing the menu, first table we sat at was wobbly so usual trick put beermat under leg but right next to a hot radiator so moved, table again wobbled, you would think this would be checked with the large refit.

we had the table d'hote - in the bar area near the woodburner. greatsetting and the moules and calves liver were really delicious. very attentive service and breakfasthe next day was good too.

Have visited this establishment on many occasions over the last 5 years. It has had many new landlords and lady’s.

We have been here a couple of times and always had an excellent meal. We have been twice both times for Sunday lunch. It is dog friendly in an area near the bar but we did not feel like we were sitting in the bar.

My husband, two teenage daughters and myself thought we'd try the food at The Bell having been recommended by a friend. We were not disappointed - in fact we loved it! From when we arrived to when we left we received excellent service and the food was delicious. Portions were good and well priced. The bar area is really relaxing - we didn't visit the restaurant but will try that next time. Overall a lovely evening and would highly recommend. I wish it was closer to us - if The Bell was our local I'd be very happy!

Have wanted to try Latitude 52 in The Bell since it opened last year. For a Saturday night the restaurant wasn’t busy and we were looked after well. The food was delicious, I had the scotch egg followed by the squid ink linguine with mussels and langoustine. My son had the pigeon, perfectly cooked followed by the venison. We didn’t have room for desserts. We had a lovely evening and both said we would happily go again. We are fortunate it’s in walking distance and it’s nice to have a high end, but not overpriced restaurant nearby.

When arriving the bar was busy ‘ish’ and seemed short staffed as only one person on the bar. Sat down but no menus on tables. Had to wait a while at the bar to get some. When seeing the menu there was only three main options in total and a £20 two course roast. (Didn’t say on the menu if you could just have roast on it’s own??) Only one vegetarian option, no vegetarian roast option and a very expensive scampi and chips (£15). Decided we was leaving but the bar staff didn’t seemed bothered.

We had an excellent Christmas day lunch in the Tudor room great service and atmosphere very good quality food good.Would recommend the restaurant.

I stayed at this Hotel for a night away, as I was attending a Christmas Party in a nearby pub. As I was checking in I asked how to get in if I return late. I was told I needed to be back for 10:30, as the pub shuts at that time on a Friday. When I questioned this they moved me to one of the outside rooms, which I could get into any time. However the pub was open when I returned about 11:30, so was not sure where the 10:30 curfew came from. One of my colleagues was concerned during the Christmas Meal that she would not be able to get back to her room.

Nice atmosphere, comfy seats, good quality lagers but no proper real ale, just Greene king.

The key for this hotel/pub is its location. Plenty of places to see and walk in the local and surrounding area. Prices a bit on the high side within the pub but at least it keeps out the riff raff! Maintenance in the bedrooms could be better. Nice staff for this level of facility.

We've eaten at Latitude 52 and also in the lounge at the Bell several times since it opened with the new owners, so we were already expecting very good food, but I had the best pork belly I've had anywhere. We started with the generous, shared charcuterie board, and then my husband had the waygu burger (which he loves) and I had the pork belly (new on the menu since we were last in the restaurant). It came with crisped kale, chard, roasted potato jus and some perfect applesauce (I like unsweetened applesauce). It looked great. It tasted great. The service was excellent. I love the direction the Bell is taking. They are also adding vegetarian and vegan options.

I can truly say this was one of the most awful sandy dinners I’ve ever had the service was so rude it was shocking the manager for one of the rudest people I have ever had the misfortune to meet God knows how these people make a living quite frankly appalling

I had a great evening visiting here with my girlfriend, and I throughly recommend it. The atmosphere is great and the food was delicious. The Pork belly was exquisite!

The first visit for us since the revamp. The interior is stunning. Fires blazing lovely and warm after a 3 mile walk to get there. Lovely bar staff. Fantastic that you can take dogs into such a smart place. Good choice of drinks and crisps. But then, our food arrived. 2 had the Charcuterie board although it is described as ‘to share’ fortunately or unfortunately they chose to have one each for their main course at £12 each. I’m not disputing the quality but it was an absolute joke ! It was tiny. 3 small pieces of bread, 4 olives and a couple of piece of ham. We were all laughing for the rest of the afternoon. Had I not been with friends I would of complained. 2 others had the burger at £16 each again small and expensive although again I’m not disputing the quality. I asked for some mayo and vinegar. Who serves vinegar in a Tiny one inch pouring pot. You have to pour it so slowly so as not to drench your chips but then it pours all down the side of the pot on to the table ! The mayo was no more than a tea spoon again in a ridiculous pot !!!! We ordered 2 brownies because the description said it came with a peanut brittle. When they came the chef had forgotten the brittle !! We did point this out, it was sent out in a separate pot. The brownie and it’s sauce was not very nice though. We had a great afternoon because of the company but I’d stick to just drinks and crisps in future !

We went for Sunday lunch, a mixed group of adults and two children. We had five starters and seven main courses.

We have lived in the area for over 6 years and always thought The Bell was a little “basic”. However after reading in the press about the new management and makeover we were keen to give The Bell a try and we were certainly not disappointed.

Nicely refurbished. Having looked at the menu prior to my visit i did struggle to understand what they are trying to achieve with the choices. I found the food very disappointing & very small portions not good value for money. The menu has no prices on which i find a little strange, some people may have a budget & would have no idea what they would be paying, i would not feel comfortable asking all the time. Side orders Veg & chips extra which is quite common, however if you order vegetables i would have expected more than one, cabbage in this case if it is only one vegetable it should state this. Ice cream sandwich 2 balls of ice cream & a small shard of something not quite sure what it was & the price for this alone was £7.00. Overall not very pleasing.

This was our second visit to the newly refurbished Bell Hotel. New management. Standards are high. Atmosphere relaxed. Staff attentive and friendly. A good selection menu on offer for all dietary needs. Prices in line with standards. Both occasions around £45 per head excluding service charge. Another visit planned shortly.

The newly refurbished restaurant at the Bell opened nearly three weeks ago.

Had superb meal in the newly opened Latitude 52 restaurant . I had the most exquisite and delicately cooked fish dish, whilst my friend enjoyed an excellent steak. Really wonderful service and attention to detail, and the uniquely sourced cheese selection was to die for. Under new management, would definitely recommend .

a party of 6 of us ate at Latitude 52 opening night on friday, what a transformation for the Bell. food beautifully presented, very tasty. friendly staff, would recommend and we will definitely be back.

Visited the new restaurant on the opening night. The refurbishments are very well done and have transformed the place. We had a lovely evening with excellent food which was beautifully presented. The staff were very pleasant and attentive throughout the evening. We will be going back and I would definitely recommend a visit

stayed here for two nights , had a lovey time staying a couple of nights in the Bell , Clare is a Beautiful county village and the Bell is a great place to stay, food great service great and the room was very comfortable .

So happy we have another choice for a steak night on Thursday evenings,excellent choice of steaks including a cote de boeuf,absolutely beautiful,also the rumps cooked perfectly,already booked for next week.

Me and my boyfriend came here for their steak night and it was amazing! We were greeted as soon as we walked in and had a drink at the bar before we ate, they had a lovely wide range of Gins and some good Ales too.

Initial welcome from Jason, the new manager, was impressive. However, two steaks were ordered medium and were brought to the table over cooked, dry, and with burnt onion rings and a general lack of care in the presentation. The other two meals of turkey and ham pies were very very salty. Upon complaining, and I must point out the meals were eaten as we were very hungry, (driven straight from the airport after a long haul flight), the very unprofessional excuses started. "The chef was finding her feet". The 'compensation' of not paying for the wine, after requesting a jesture of apology, did little to help the feeling of what a waste of £100+ and time this pub/restaurant offered. Don't bother. There are plenty of other places to eat.

Room was clean, nice size, comfortable and WiFi excellent. Other than that was pretty average. .....

My husband booked a table for the family at the Bell on Mother’s Day. We were greeted by welcoming bar staff and waitresses. They seated us on a lovely table in one of there three restaurants and easily accommodate the 10 of us. It was lovely too see the carvery unit as soon as we walked in, and the smell was delicious. I was struggling to choose between the gammon and the turkey. But the waitress was very accommodating and said I could have a slice of each at only a small surplus. All my family was very impressed by the meal, and the service we received from all the staff. Also, the free deserts for mums was a added bonus ( the chocolate pot I had was amazing! ) We will defiantly be visiting again.

Room very good. Service excellent Breakfast not so clever. Did a late night meal. Much appreciated. Great service. Food good.

This is my first review ever. I actually don't believe in TripAdvisor but after talking with my friends and family about how disappointing we all were I thought I would give it a go. So we all decided to gather at our old drinking hole The Bell in Clare after many years away

Location wise all good and the room was s family room so large

As a family, we decided on an impromptu day in Clare as I'm originally from a nearby village and like to go back now and again.

My husband and I had a superb Sunday Carvery here. Not only were the staff attentive, friendly and helpful, the food was delicious. Large portions with a good array of side dishes to go with the meat. Very reasonable prices. I would 100% recommend coming here, I know I will be back again!

In the past few months, we have had a Christmas meal and an ordinary lunch. The Christmas meal was not as hot as it should have been although there was quite a lot of food. The ordinary lunch was not as good as it has been. Some of the people who used to work there seem to have moved on. That might explain matters but it is disappointing that food and service seem to be less than they have been. It is the centre piece of Clare and the current management should recognise that. We hope they will.

Had lunch here, very quiet, early lunch time, midweek. Staff nice and friendly, very chatty. Food very good, only spoiled because we had to leave in a hurry due to family problem. Will definately return. Comfortable setting, real historic building

We arrived late after a long day working to friendly staff. They cooked us a meal after the kitchen closed and showed us to a clean warm room with everything you need. In the morning we were greeted by a polite breakfast chef who got us exactly what we wanted fast. No problems would recommend.

After a bad visit to the Cock in Ckare, we ended up at the Bell Hotel where the surroundings looked quite nice although we had to ask for some form of heating in the room as it was very cold. The lady lit a fire and took our orders. My son ordered nachos which turned out to be a dish of Dotitis with a bit of melted cheese. It was awful and wS sent back. My husband ordered lamb curry which the hostess said was "hot" it wasn't even a curry and my lasagne was lacking any pasta. Altogether not a good experience and we felt awful for taking our children to two disastrous places. Shall stick to home cooking in future.

Ate here with my friend today and expected a decent meal as on previous occasions have had good fare.

Enjoyed a lovely meal with family. The Sunday Carvery was very good with a good choice of meats and vegetables. The staff were very friendly and welcoming.

Excellent food, great staff, good prices. What more do you want? Highly recommend the carvery on a Sunday.

My wife and I went in for the over 60s lunch. It was marvellous value, I had whitebait followed by toad in the hole, red cabbage and mash whilst my better half had the chicken skewers then fish and chips. The food was excellent and the portions large (loads of whitebait and 3 sausages in the toad in the hole) for £9.95 each.

I came here recently with my Parents for a spot of lunch. I had been once before but it was a long time ago. The building is amazing, it's an original 16th century inn. The history in this place must be fascinating.

Breakfast on both days was lovely...windowsills next to breakfast tables filthy ...

Really enjoyed the food there when I stayed for 3 nights , breakfast also is lovely I will definitely return when I'm in the area

This pub happens to be one of our locals, the food used to be very good along with the service. However the last 3 times we visited for dinner it's be average. Food portions have got smaller & you always feel with both the male bar attendants that what your asking them is too much trouble. Chocolate brownie a definite miss. With the right team this could be a very successful business. The Swan has just been reopened & hopefully they'll do great good & service.

Room as clean and nice, good wifi. Pleasant bar and beer garden Very friendly staff professional and kind to me and my son. I felt at home here and would visit again

Stayed here one night. Room dated but clean and tidy. Nice beer garden. Excellent breakfast. Value for money and the staff are very friendly.

The whole family visited for an 80th Birthday celebration and the Bell Hotel did us proud. The rooms were comfortable, spacious and clean and the breakfasts superb.

We stayed for 5 nights in June, this is a busy little hotel but manages to be friendly and efficient as well. The menu is good, with a special mention to the vegetarian option which is well thought out and very nice.

Friendly staff when we walked in. Plenty of places to choose from in bar or restaurant. Ordered tea and food. Tea came very quickly, why can't all cafes /restaurants be like this. The food was quite quick also delicious and really good value.

Stayed as a party of 9 from 19th March. 2017 for 3 nights.On 1st night 6 of our 9 meals were atrocious! I had a roast.The Turkey was like leather, the roast potatoes were almost raw you couldn't cut them,the vegetables were obviously from lunch time and tasteless,the gravy was so salty it was inedible!Breakfasts were a farce!not enough cereal bowls,no hot water to make your own tea,on booking we said 1 of our 9 was a celiac, no provision made for her breakfast the staff kept going across the road to buy fruit!The manager Becky gave us half price off our Sunday meals, WOW a whole 9 pounds! She said chef was temporary .NO excuse! We stayed here 7 years ago and were impressed, not now.Cost was 95 pounds per night, not good value, rooms dated need money spending on them.Would NOT recommend to anyone. Should have checked TripAdvisor in first place ,there is better out there. The Bell gets very mixed reviews.After talking to the manager Becky I see why, she really knows nothing about customer care, service, satisfaction! Needless to say will NEVER return to the Bell!

I was recently on this place on 20-3-2017,my self is a chef so I cnow about the quality of food the mussels is was of and stinks the staff was roods manager is was awful and stinks from cigarette never go back and hope is get very soon health inspection because I think need id

We stayed as a couple at this pub/hotel for one night. The room was spacious and comfortable and despite being next to the pub was really quiet at night. Beds were small - we had a twin room and they were definitely single beds. The room had been re-decorated but there were paint chips on the floor and the TV table was sticky to touch. Breakfast was very good but marred by having to sit in the restaurant area which had not been cleaned from the night before and food debris and left over party streamers were still on the floor which we had to walk over. It was not cheap and I would have expected a little more care to be taken for hotel guests.

Visited here for a meal with my wife a month ago. Had been here several times over the years but this was the first time under the current management, and we also heard that they had a new chef.

We chose a night out at the Bell Hotel on one of their Jazz nights. It was a family evening and we took our two children, looking forward to a nice meal, at a pre booked table in this beautiful Suffolk village. However, the welcome by the barman was anything but welcome. Rudeness and charmless were his best qualities and after waiting 10 minutes at the bar being singularly ignored whilst he served the regulars we were ready to leave. When he did deign to answer a simple question, it was with total distain, aimed at embarrassing us. The manageress , Erica, did her best to rescue the evening and the Jazz was excellent, but the damage was done. We certainly won't be going back to the Bell and will recommend that our friends and family take a course in "responding to indolence and insults", before they consider crossing the threshold.

Went with friends as haven't eaten here for a while, place has been changed around a bit and was quite pleasant, had drink 1st then sat and ordered and were fussing to get our order, when food arrived had to ask for napkins! then asked for vinegar, "I know we have got some I will go and find it" it never arrived, After finishing main course I mentioned vinegar, pointless.

We booked for Christmas Day lunch and were not disappointed. The Bell was full, all rooms and tables fully occupied. Service was good, food very tasty and well laid out on the plate. The turkey was delicious and the sorbet was the best I have ever tasted, anywhere. We booked again for New Year's Day. Once more, the place was full. The food was just as good but the roast potatoes seemed a little overdone. Even so, it deserves 9 out of 10, not 4 out of 5.

Visiting a mate the other day we walked into the village for a pint and something to eat. The Bell is on the market square and central to the village. Its one of those pubs where everyone knows each other but strangers still feel welcome. The food is great. from snacks to full meals. worth a visit if your passing through.

I came in for mid week lunch and had the haddock Florentine (smoked haddock with spinach, poached egg and cheese sauce) this dish had a twist crushed horseradish potatoes which worked very well. I would definitely recommend giving the bell a try.

We had a family room for the night, whilst the room was clean enough (a lot of cobwebs) it was very basic. It was fine for us as we literally used the room to sleep in and spent very little time in there. We were provided with 2 small electric heaters which was a godsend in the morning.

Walking in at lunch time on a busy Sunday we were greeted with a warm, friendly and genuine welcome by an attractive young lady, menus were requested and no pressure to decide or to drink was made. Deciding we liked the look of food we were shown to a table by another young lady and asked what drinks we would like - a selection of real ales were available, Abbot & IPA as house beers plus guests including Timothy Taylor, between us, mum, dad and daughter, we sampled them all, pleased to say all were in perfect condition.

We were here for dinner on Sunday evening. Not many places are open on Sunday evening so we were here by default. The restaurant was quiet but we were still well looked after. I had ribeye steak which was cooked exactly as I wanted it. We had a very good meal with generous portions. The Natchos are excellent. It's a pity they don't have decaf coffee which was a surprise. Overall, good enough for us to return if back in Clare.

We went to this establishment for a drink ,though had wondered about staying here ,thank God we decided to go else where the seats were filthy the arm rest warn and sticky the decor appalling ,there was a very stale smell of dampness I could be a good place to go but needs great deal of upgrading A wonderful facade so disappointing on the interior .I hope they can turn it round

Lovely atmosphere and the staff are very friendly and helpful. The food is amazing and very reasonably priced. The rooms are lovely and clean. Very family friendly!

Went with visiting friends for a Sunday evening meal. There is little other choice in Clare at that time but we were pleased we did as the food and service were good and I was particularly impressed to see that there was a good selection of vegetarian dishes on the menu. The food was reasonably priced and the atmosphere was fine apart from some noise from the bar area which was quickly dealt with. Will visit again.

Another fantastic meal at the Bell. Great service, very polite. Looking forward to Lesley's 60th birthday party at this fabulous venue

We ate here 3 evenings. Good menu - large portions. Very good burgers, Goats cheese and med. veg, lasagne.

We hadn't been back here for some weeks following a bad experience over Sunday lunch. On that occasion the food was reasonable, well cooked, although 5 vegetables and an enormous Yorkshire pudding was a bit overwhelming - great if you're back to work on the farm but not for normal people. However we can cope with that but the hour between first course and main was intolerable. Wasn't very busy either.

The evening meal was very good, freshly prepared, reasonably priced with plenty of choice. Full English breakfast was great too.

We stayed two nights at The Bell and it was good to stay in this fine old building which retains a lot of its history but has been brought up to modern standards. As you enter you have a the traditional bar with a range of areas to sit in, well used by locals for the excellent beer or just a coffee. There is a separate dining area if you prefer.