The Bell Hotel Dining in Aylesbury Vale

First visit. I love pies and had wanted to visit this pub for ages. I would love to have given more stars but was so disappointed that even though it was early evening my choice of pies were out of stock. Only about 6 pies available from a wonderful menu. For starter we had the vegetable soup and prawn cocktail - both very good. My husband had the fillet steak for his main course which he thoroughly enjoyed and I had my fourth pie choice option Chicken and Mushroom Pie. Unfortunately I felt the pie was overbaked as the top pastry was extremely hard and I could not cut through it or eat it. The chicken and sauce was delicious but could not see much evidence of mushroom. The vegetables and chips were cooked to perfection. Service was fantastic. The place itself looked as though it needed updating but definitely had character. The pub car park was a nightmare getting in and out. It did not help that someone had parked in the Exit so we had to leave by the Entrance! Would give it another try in the future.

Lovely food, nice relaxed atmosphere. The service was brilliant. Clean and tidy, great place to just sit and relax. Definitely recommend the pies.

The Bell never ceases to amaze me how good the food is and the price can not be beaten for value for money we go for carvery every 4/6 weeks and had lunch yesterday fantastic

We go to the Bell on a regular basis and will enjoy the atmosphere and the food which is got to be the best value for money for miles we went on Sunday the 7th of April for a carvery which the family it the first time for the stepson and his wife and she said it the best meat she had had for a long time see you there soon

Town very quiet but a lot of music blasting out around this junction. Not an unpleasant old inn for a couple of drinks but midweek mid evening definitely a sparse time in the bar.

2 course carvery for £21ish, reasonable priced drinks, what’s not to love. Food is excellent, choice of three meats and all the trimmings. Also cater nicely for gluten free (e.g. gravy). Old school pub, lovely food.

It’s very hard to fault the Bell. In fact I really can’t. There’s excellent food from the menu, black board or the fabulous Sunday carvery. The service is always great, friendly and well organised. It’s a big place so there’s always seating and no need to book. Proper real ale, well looked after and a good stocked bar. A mention that deserves its own paragraph are The Bell’s award winning pies. I defy you to find better anywhere. I can’t even recommend one type as they are all so good and I’ve tried them all. I regularly buy a few at a time for home freezing. This is a must visit.

First time having the roast carvery dinner was amazing the meat cooked well roast potatoes are nice and soft and crispy veg is cooked well staff are friendly

The Bell is a great place to eat offering bar meals and at weekends the restaurant is open for Sunday roast. The meat served there is very tender. They also have an outside space with tables for those who have called in for a drink. I'm not sure if they serve food outside. Their award winning pies are large and full of good quality locally sourced meat. I love steak and kidney pies, but I find the ones here a little too salty for my taste. Others I have been with don't share my view I must add. I prefer their chicken pies.

Following the Kings correlation. We went and had a coronation pie and a pint, it was fantastic. The staff are friendly and very helpful. Keep up the great work.

We have just visited the bell for dinner. It was amazing. The starter of roasted pepper, sweet potatoe and parsnip soup set the tone. It was delicious. We both chose the carvery and it was honestly one of the best I've had. Choice of 3 meats, and you get a lot of it! The Yorkshires are proper homemade ones and delicious Well done the Bell, 10 out of 10

I went with a group of friends to celebrate a birthday. Excellent service and value for money. Wonderful food large portions.

Tried only their Carvery. Top marks on quantity as you will not leave the place hungry, guaranteed. Quality was a little hit and miss though as the turkey was rather dry, but beef was perfect. Good Garvey, vegs, sauces and trimmings too. Staff are welcoming and kind. The huge indoor dining area is a little dated, but if you’re there just for the food, then it’ll be hard not to give a solid 7/10.

Have a fantastic steak and Stilton pie with a nice pint of abbots. Thanks you team bell for all your hard work you do. Looking forward to seeing you all soon.

Dinner was really good value, breakfast was not good, egg was liquid , no fried Eggs sausages tasted strange, like all bread no meat , beans mushy , bacon in a casserole dish and soggy, Hash browns had been hanging around and tough,

Fantastic carvery very well cooked and plenty of it, friendly staff and good value for money ,took some lemon drizzle cake home which was also lovely ,will return very soon!

Great British Breakfast cooked and served by the owner. Exclusive flavours and very reasonable price at below £10 which included tea and coffee.

We went and had a bell buffet breakfast today wow it was fantastic. The staff are very friendly and nothing is too much trouble. Many thanks team Bell. Keep up the great work and see you again soon.

This review refers to a visit pre Covid but due to the updated app, I appear to have found many older reviews suddenly becoming incomplete drafts. The visit to the Bull by a group of friends left a bad taste in our mouths and it was nothing to do with food. Using vouchers which claimed we would get free starters when eating off the menu, we suddenly discovered only a limited range of starters were involved (nothing indicating this on either menu or voucher). When the waiter came for the drinks order, a few of us decided to share a bottle of wine and so we ordered the house white. Waiter took the order and mentioned the name however, one of our party asked to see the menu which was hesitantly handed over. Now in every restaurant I have ever been in, the house wine is at the bottom of the price range however, the one we had just ordered was at the top, some £10 more expensive - needless to say we changed to a non-house Pinot. Being less than satisfied with the disappointing practices we were seeing, it was no surprise to find that the 'free' starters had been added to the bill. They were removed without any problem but the effect was an instant decision to drop this establishment from our monthly outing - 8 diners in total all because of what we felt was 'sharp practice'.

Nice place to stay, looking a little tired and shower cubicle very small Stayed the week for business and was recommended the pies by the very friendly bar staff - absolutely fantastic

Ordered a takeaway meal this evening. We had Steak and Stilton pie. Highland chicken and Vegetarian lasagne. The cod was in sealed treats and was piping hot when i got home. Tasted great. I would highly recommend

During lockdown and over the summer months I have had many delicious meals at The Bell, some were eat in , others were takeaway. The meals range from Sunday roasts, vegetable lasagne, award winning pies and their fabulous BBQ food. I highly recommend the Cajun chicken fillet in a bun with salad and fries. They also do amazing breakfasts eat in or takeaway. They operate with strict covid measures adhered to. There is plenty of seating inside and outside. The staff are amazing always helpful and smiling even through these difficult times.

Lovely Full English with proper butcher's sausages and bacon. Good size - even for me!! Well supported with tea toast and marmalade etc.

It is amazing to be back dining with family and friends at this lovely friendly venue.And they are so well organised with the new covid rules.Food is tantastic, from the oh so tasty home made pies, to the fabulous Sunday Carvery, which is available to take away too, everything is nicely cooked and presented.Service is always wirh a smile, friendly and accommodating.Thank you to all the team at The Bell, its nice to have you back! Cheers

Great first meal and pint out after lockdown, the staff was very friendly. Keep up the great work and looking forward to going again 👍🏻

We try and go once a week and always find the staff very helpful and the food is always Great. Definitely recommend

Really enjoyed our meals this evening. My wife had the salmon which was in her words yummy.. I went for an award winning pie to put it to the test. Really good, a definite must if you come here. Chilled atmosphere aswell made for a lovely evening.

We stayed in a local B&B, we were recommended this place to eat. It didn't disappoint. We had a lovely meal. What we call great traditional pub grub.It took us longer than normal to choose as there was so many tempting meals on there. The staff were friendly. This pub has everything you want in a traditional pub.

Plenty of choice from the menu, food was good, only criticism was service was a bit slow which didnt matter on the day as we were with friends and had a lot of catching up to do.

Walked past many times and had a few drinks, but finally ate lunch in here last Saturday. Can fully recommend the carvery sandwich with halloumi fries and the veggie burger. Fresh ingredients and generous portions. Nice quality overall. Will be back soon.

A nice combination of local folks and visitors... A great selection of beers, lagers and cider (£4.30 for a pint of Peroni - Result!) First time here (Cannot understand for the life of me, why I have not been before) everybody made to feel extremely welcome. Great Service! We ate.. Beef & Guinness and Steak and Stilton pie (main courses...)Two words.. ‘Top Draw!’.A proper community pub and restaurant!Leave your ego at home and enjoy!

We had the most amazing roast dinner at The Bell and whenever we come back to Aylesbury now we make sure we come in for a roast. My eyes are definitely bigger than my belly though because I couldn’t move after eating.

Had a carvery and have to say it was pretty bland.Cabbage undercooked, it was like eating lettuce. Potatoes not crispy at all and this is the 2nd time I have been there and no improvement. They tasted like they may have been old and reheated. Roast Potatoes are meant to be crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. These were neither. Same with the Parsnips. Prawn cocktail was lovely however would not return for a roast again.

Good roast, service not great, the young girls are pleasant enough but a bit slow, the meats are tasty but the plates aren’t big enough, you have to eat all the veggies to get to the meat, not a bad price for a 3 course Sunday meal though

I was invited to a large lunchtime party to celebrate the 90th birthday of my wife's Aunt.The party was for about 35 relatives and friends - some of whom were also in their 90s ! The lunch was in the form of a reception followed by a Carvery Lunch. The form was part served and just the main course carvery style.The service and attention we received was second to none from delightful staff. The whole meal was also first class with some of the best cooked beef I have eaten for some time ! I can throughly recommend this restaurant...

The Bell is a fantastic traditional British pub with a lovely relaxed atmosphere and some interesting corners to explore. I particularly recommend the Pies which are excellent and at a very affordable price. The steak and Guinness pie is a personal favourite!

Favourite place for a Sunday roast. Wonderful meat and great selection of vegetables. Desserts to die for.

The best pie that I have ever eaten - absolute perfection. Also the carvery is superb; meat cooked to perfection, and a great choice of veg. Very good value all round

Waitress helpful but tired from event in hotel the night before. Breakfast consisted of basic pretty much dried up unreplenished cooked food sat under heat lamp for sometime. No vegetarian option on hot display but told to wait for 20 mins if I wanted. Cereal limited. No croissant, no Danish pastries. No rye bread. Etc The continental bread option is made up of sliced bread for toasting.

We called here recently for a light lunch as we returning from a visit to Bletchley Park. It hit the spot perfectly.

We heard people raving about the range and quality of pies on offer at The Bell, so we decided to call in one evening and sample them for ourselves and we weren't disappointed.

I’ve been around and about the area for about a year but had not visited the Bell until last week due to having car trouble so visited 3 times as public transport is infrequent to The villages.

Went for a meal after work with colleagues and enjoyed an excellent mixed grill on steak night that included a drink and I still had change from a tenner.

We have eaten here in the past, although the last couple of times, we have been slightly disappointed, Hoping things had improved, we thought we would try again . The bread roll with the starter was slightly stale, but thought it was just my roll, the pate however was quite good. The main course however was not so good. The roast potatoes (always a good indicator for a good Sunday lunch) seemed like they had been warmed up, the carrots were bland, the beef had as much fat as meat, the turkey looked pink the further the slices went into the joint and most of the vegetables were only lukewarm. We were on the first sitting, and would have hoped that the food was freshly cooked and hotter. It's a pity because I have been going to the Bell for a about 45 years, probably won't be going back for a long while.

Never have been let down by the carvery. The beef is melt in your mouth.i suppose my on,y criticism is the seething is a little dated but to be honest who cares the beef is just so nice. Will definitely return!

Feels like the kind of welcoming and unpretentious pub you find in Yorkshire but sadly not too often down south. Excellent award-winning pies and a good choice of beers. Very friendly bar and food service staff. Some of the pies run out quickly, but as the choices chalked up on the blackboard change frequently, it's just a sign that they are cooked fresh, not mass-produced - and are very tasty and popular.

A very busy place to go on a Sunday afternoon but well managed by the staff and the owner. If you enjoy a carvery then you'll love the Sunday lunch. Plenty of choice, lots of it and well prepared. Good value for money. A nice friendly atmosphere both at the bars and in the restaurant.

Interesting old pub, with plenty of nooks and crannies, with well spaced tables. Sadly the chicken pie did not live up to expectations, being dry and the pastry rather solid and not accompanied by chicken gravy. Salmon rather dry and overcooked.

10 of us sat down to an incredible lunch. Ordered in advance, great flavours ENORMOUS portions (sadly I could not finish my dinner and had to forego dessert, waaaah). A good time was had by all. My beef burger was superb and sourced locally in Nash. Only problem was that there was rather a lot of it. Very tasty nonetheless.

We called in for lunch and were given a friendly welcome. We ate in the bar, enjoying soup, then pasta and gammon. The portions were huge and it was piping hot. Service was quick and efficient.

Excellent Steak pie! Full of flavor and very meaty! Fresh garden peas and crispy fries! What more could you want. Service was very friendly and the hotel/pub quaint and quirky. Give them a try if you are in the area.

The lack of customer care really let this restaurant down. Terrible waitressing. Cleared our own starter plates to the side of the table when finished. Ordered a bottle of white wine, it was left on the table when we were getting our food, no wine cooler, not poured out. No festive music, just played ABBA all evening. Witnessed other tables getting the same service. No excuse, not even busy. Was not impressed at all. Really think some training needs to be in place. When paying the bill it was incorrect for what we had ordered. When we mentioned the poor customer service of the restaurant waitressing staff the bar staff agreed.

Like being in a time warp but that’s not a bad thing. The traditional feel works well and the staff are helpful and friendly. Breakfast and lunch in here is good but handy p,ace to pop in for a tea or coffee. Big car park is a plus.

Three of us enjoyed a reunion lunch at The Bell. My two colleagues had not previously visited Winslow. A great British Lunch was enjoyed by all having ordered Steak & Kidney pies. Great atmosphere, wonderful hospitality and very traditionally British. A location recommended if in the area.

When you step into the Toby Restaurant at the Bell you are stepping back in time. The Tudor decor and layout of the tables is redolent of the 1950s. However the food is excellent and the services is friendly and efficient.

We visited for dinner due to our original venue having no power and a fair amount of smoke .... another story.

We usually like this venue so thought we would try their buffet night of Chinese on a Thursday night. £15 set price.

We were staying in a nearby cottage and called in for a bite to eat and a few drinks. The pub is a typical country pub with plenty of character. They served a good range of quality ales. We ate from the bar menu. Service was excellent and the staff very friendly.

My wife and I have eaten here several times and have never had a bad meal. The staff are always very friendly and helpful. The Sunday roast is definitely one of the best roasts I have ever been to. Lots of different vegetables and will give you as much meat as you would like. Will definitely be back soon.

The carvery is superb. Great quality food and plenty of it. The service was good; the staff were efficient and friendly. The prices were very reasonable for the quality of food on offer. This is a must visit Restaurant.

Went last night as a last minute decision as it was pie night - chose simple chicken pie

We visited my wife's mum and stepfather last Sunday 29-04-18. Took them to the Bell for lunch. We have been before. The ladies had a carvery and the men had steak and Guinness pies with chips, peas and gravy. The roasts had lots of meat and were great. Their home made pies are large and taste excellent. The best I have ever tasted. My problem is I wish they were near where we lived as they are 70 miles from our home!!!! The service is also excellent. Well done!!!

Great meals , good choice of food, served by very friendly staff. Large choice of meats in the Toby carvery .

Passed through on a bike trip and decided to stop in for lunch. Was told the carvery was full but bar menu available (fine for us).

we stopped at this hotel as it was the only place that was opened on a sunday,we just had tea and shared an apple pie and custard,it was very nice.

The Section of the Bell now dedicated to Toby's food is a completely new experience for the Bell but the same as the old Toby's. Same Chef, same standard of food, same happy waiting staff, not quite the same ambience, but worth it for the quality of food, and the prices are lower for the same quality.

The food has really improved here, I’m sure it will only get better once Toby’s has moved here too. Plenty of seating and families welcome too.

As I only live down the road I have visited the pub for dinner regularly over the last year and really want to enjoy my dinner (don't we all?). Unfortunately between my friends and I we've covered the majority of the menu in the hope that the chef has put as much effort into the other items as they do the pies. Sadly it has largely been tasteless and unimaginative. I will certainly have a takeaway pie from here (haven't always been hot in the middle when we eat in) but other than that I will go a little further out of town where the standard seems to be higher. It's a shame as it is so convenient and the style of the pub is cosier than the others in Winslow but the food department is somewhat lacking.

It’s worth going here just for the pies!! The perfect pub lunch, in a typical country village pub setting, with great beers on draught. Couldn’t get any better value or taste!

Had a nice pub lunch with a group of friends. Plenty of space to sit. Car park at the rear....

We eat here 23/09/17 4 of us (my in laws). In the restaurant they do a carvery but we eat...

Quaint hotel with bundles of character and the food was excellent. I have liver and bacon with mash and peas,...

Went here the other evening and had a good carvery. If its good straight forward grub you're after then this will do the job nicely.

go there on a regular basis always pleasant staff, clean surroundings. a historic coaching inn with loads of character bar snacks, carvery and amazing pies could not finish mine

En el último par de semanas hemos visitado el timbre y nos quedamos impresionados con la calidad de la comida. Una vez fuimos un domingo para un asador, los aperitivos eran no a nuestro gusto particular pero el asado era realmente fantástico, carne tierna, patatas crujiente asado, budines Yorkshire enorme y una variedad de verduras. También hemos estado en la semana para la cena en el bar principal, pedimos una hamburguesa y una lasaña, y ambos acordaron la comida era sabrosa, abundante y a un buen precio. La lasaña de aspecto y sabor casero, y prometieron volver pronto!

Siguiendo la recomendación de un amigo, nos llevó a mi hija Hannah para el almuerzo. Reservamos una mesa el día antes y llegó a tiempo a las 13:00. El aparcamiento es esencial, ya que aparcar en la zona es muy limitado. Encantadora bienvenida del personal y nos dirigieron a una preciosa mesa en la ventana panorámica con vistas a la plaza del mercado. Todos nos decidimos por el galardonado que eran asombrosamente buena tartas con amplio porciones de patatas y guisantes. El personal era muy amable y atento y la comida y las bebidas eran muy buena relación calidad-precio. Muy impresionado y sin duda reservaremos de nuevo.

Sunday lunch carvery very good, loads to eat and very well cooked, staff incredibly friendly couldn't really fault it ,will defiantly go again very soon .

Four of us stopped off for lunch. Three of us had the pies, which we all agreed were fantastic. I chose chips, which were frozen and seemed to have been sitting around for a while as they were on the dry side. Others had mash and were happy. One of us had all day breakfast which was favourably received.Bar staff are very friendly and welcoming. The size of the pub is deceiving lots of nooks and crannies.We were particularly impressed with the quaint pie shop at the rear. Takeaway pies from £4! Will be back!

Sunday carvery is fantastic. Warm welcome, really great food and lots of it, its busy which creates a great atmosphere. It's a great traditional pub environment as well so nice to sit and relax after you have eaten. We have used the carvery a few times for family gatherings and everyone has been impressed and keen to come again.

We often go here for a drink. We take the kids and as long as they behave themselves, which they do, they are more than welcomed. The staff are always friendly and when he is about the owner always takes time to say hello.The atmosphere is always relaxed, regulars in the bar are welcoming and there are lots of rooms off the main bar to sit. There is a second bar that also opens when its busy.We have used the function rooms in the past for a christening and we were well looked after with a great buffet provided. We have used the Carvery on a sunday and it is fantastic - three courses are about £15 - it is great food and ample - my advice would be have a very light breakfast! We have always booked on a Sunday as its very busy which tells you all you need to know.We have had lunch a number of times as well and have always been really happy with the service and standard of food.Being local we have never seen the hotel rooms so can't speak for this side of the place but in all ways I can speak for I would recommend it.

Popped in here for something to eat whilst waiting for my passenger who was dining in another Inn locally.This is quite a sprawling old building with lots of rooms so not too obvious to a stranger where to go to eat. An enquiry at the bar was met with a real example of hospitality when the lady 'took me under her wing', escorted me to the restaurant which was serving a carvery.Soon 3 staff were looking after me in what was a buzzing restaurant- busy apparently due to a classic car show the next day.For my starter I had prawn cocktail- served with a decent salad and very soft brown buttered bread. The prawns were really fresh but the Marie sauce put everything else in the shade. Excellent!Carvery had 3 meats - beef, gammon and turkey. I settled for beef/turkey and 2 slices of each (more if I wanted) were put on my plate. This led to my only complaint - Veg galore (about 9 different types), all looked absolutely wonderful but I couldn't get them on the plate!!!!!!A real cornucopia of fabulous food which will almost certainly tempt me back.A lovely, friendly place which is a great example of UK Hospitality. I will test them next time - will be taking the largest plate I can find to make sure I correctly check out ALL the veg.Really can recommend this restaurant - brill!

I went there for the first time last week and what a suprise that carvery was, venison, wild boar and turkey, plus a choice of starter and dessert, as well as a fantastic cheese board, all served by delightful friendly staff.

We were walking from Buckingham to Winslow and decided to stop off at The Bell for a quick bite. It was quite quiet and we managed to get a table by the window so we could watch the world go by. We ordered tea for two and roast beef cibatta/sandwich. Very friendly, prompt service and good quality food and drinks. May have to try the evening menu next time!!

There is an old worldly feel to the building but the food and the atmosphere is lovely. Visit this place overtime I am in Winslow

You will find it hard to get past the completely random mix of furniture that looks like it came from various car-boot sales, there is NO charm to the decor or layout of the bar area or elsewhere in this establishment, just poor decisions and a distinct lack of taste, none of which you would expect to find in a bar/ pub, let alone a place that is a hotel.Cleanliness is clearly an issue, as tables are left dirty after they have been cleared, we never once saw a member of staff cleaning tables after they were cleared, neither did any of them clear up dropped food from the floor, they seemingly preferred to just step over it.Service, if you have the patience to wait for someone to actually be behind the bar to serve you, is somewhat lacking in personality. You feel like more of an inconvenience, interrupting their cigarette breaks, which by the way are taken in full view of customers, and laughably right in an area that has signs clearly stating that it is a NO SMOKING AREA.The management/ owner(s) of this establishment really do need to focus their efforts to realise how great this place could be, and with just a few changes it really could be a great place. Such a shame..

This is a lovely pub to have a drink but the couple of times I've eaten here the food has been quite poor.

Very reasonably priced at 9 quid for the pie off the specials board. Choice of starters was a little limited but again reasonably priced. Can't knock it for the money. Pub grub but home cooked and not the usual microwave fayre. Well worth a visit

The Ox and Beef nights are something to sample, perfectly cooked - beef as it should be, If you like Burnt to a crisp lumps of carbon then stay away , If you like Tender, pink and tasty then this is somewhere to book asap!.Make sure you are hungry as the portions are as much as a plate can carry..well done to everyone at the Bell for making eating out a first class experience.

Breakfast here was the best part of our stay at this awful hotel! Would not recommend it even though the food was ok!

Went out for a family meal, great food loved the pie and a pint. Staff are friendly and can't do enough for you. Thank to team Bell

This is a lovely old traditional town center inn with a very genial landlord. There are several separate rooms in which you can eat. The bonus is a "full Sunday lunch" style carvery that is available 6-days per week, This was really excellent with a choice of 3 meats and you help yourself to a great selection of vegetables, sauces and gravy together with huge Yorkshire puddings.generous quantity of meat and the turkey was moist and superb.There are oak beams throughout to add to the atmosphere, but the decor is a bit tired, hence 4* rather than 5* rating.

A light lunch with very reasonable prices.Menu unsurprising but well presented and staff very accommodating.Popular and a lot of tables taken, plenty of parking ...worth a visit for lunch.

We needed to have a meal during the interval of Winslow Hall Opera. It was a rather cool evening so it was a delight to be welcomed warmly, shown quickly to our table and then we were shown to the carvery. It was just what we needed! Really good meat, thickly sliced, fresh vegetables and all very tasty. It was quick service but not rushed, it worked really well for what we wanted but other diners were obviously there for the evening. Good atmosphere, the bar serving bar meals or just drinks seemed buzzing.Highly recommend!

We watched semi final of Euros after sampling their fantastic selection of pies. Pity the accompanying chips and peas were below par. Eating area with TV is in need of a general clean up and the bar area itself are ok . Staff were good and helpful and all in all it was good value. Trouble is it could be great !

Sorry but the carvery we had on Friday evening was not of a high standard at all. I had beef which was very chewy and ham which was lovely. The Yorkshire puds were nice but the rest of the veg had clearly been stood on the hot plates a very long time with potatoes and parsnips so hard they were bullet like. Tasteless leeks in cheese sauce and thin gravy. All this in a cold restaurant that had absolutely no atmosphere and one member of staff that seemed to be serving in every room so attracting her attention to possibly get another drink was impossible. Not a good experience sorry

A typically average pub. The food is bearable most of the time but occasionally very poor. That said, it's not particularly expensive and one can't expect much more. A good selection of beers, but poor for anything else. The atmosphere is non existing and can be made uncomfortable by the regulars who gorp at newcomers suspiciously. What would you expect in a pub with a giant 'Vote Leave' banner across its front door?! 'Take back control' and go somewhere else.

Last weekend 4/5 June I went to a charity event at the Bell Hotel, Being a hotel snob, 4* at least I was to say the least a little apprehensive about staying at this 2* star establishment. The meal on the evening at the event was a Carvery. We were given a choice of starters, which were bought to our table, I had the mushroom soup, which I have to say was probably the best I have ever tasted! The Carvery itself was amazing, I am tired of going to carvery's and the meat is cut wafer thin! Not the case at the Bell it was certainly cut to taste, everything else was also piping hot. Something else you don't always find at carvery's!There was a choice of Dessert which again was served to you at your table.. I was so impressed with the service and how well the meal was served no long waits amazing considering the number of guests there.Breakfast was equally impressive, cereal, toast and a cooked English breakfast with nice thick slices of bacon which you could actually taste, instead of this thin tasteless stuff that is often served.I could not find a fault with either the service or the food and would have no hesitation in recommending to anyone who I knew was travelling to this area..The staff were all without exception friendly and helpful, and a special mention to Helen and Christine who were at the event but who I found out worked at the hotel. Such lovely ladies.Everyone without exception was friendly and helpful. If you are in this area and need accommodation I would highly recommend the Bell. Everyone from the Manager to cleaners were friendly and a nothing to much trouble attitude. I will definitely stay here again. Well done to everyone for great food and excellent service especially taking into account the number of people at the event.

Visited with family who live in the village for Sunday Lunch. For those like myself who do not eat a roast the menu is very limited, especially if you don't want chips! I opted for the liver which was quite tasty but the accompanying mash had a crust on top and had clearly been re-heated. The cheese selection for desert offered 3 different cheeses, sadly the cheddar was tasteless and some of the grapes were past their best and inedible. The 3 who had the set lunch were more than happy with the main meal, especially the quality of the meats on offer and the selection of vegetables, although the starters offered were noted as being nothing special. However, they thoroughly enjoyed the home made trifle and rhubarb crumble for desert. We were sat in the main dining room at the rear of the building which was very cold and much like a school dining room in appearance which is a shame in such an old building. Service was good and attentive throughout To be fair if the option were available I would rate this visit as "good" but have marked as average as it certainly doesn't warrant a "very good" rating!

Stopped here for dinner last Sunday night. Friendly bar staff, a great lamb shank and pork casserole, two drinks, all for under £30.

We stopped at this restaurant on Tuesday for lunch, the food was very good and the staff very alert and efficient. A good selection of wines and beers was available, the establishment was very clean and the toilets clean and smelled clean. They have a good a la carte menu and also a carvery, both reasonably priced.