The Bell Hotel Restaurant in Vale of White Horse - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

We booked a special birthday lunch here, having seen some good reviews. We were shown to the ballroom, where the flowers on the table were dead!! We were then given a bar menu of small plates. When we asked for the lunch menu, we were told that they were not running lunch today, as they had a large booking in the evening. We booked in advance and the day before, we had an email asking us to reconfirm our booking, which we did. The restaurant didn’t bother to warn us in advance despite having told them it was a special birthday lunch. Appalling service, so we left and ate elsewhere, at the White Hart in Fyfield, where we had a wonderful meal

Lovely pub but not currently serving food. But that’s ok as there are plenty of drinks to choose from

Cosy atmosphere and friendly staff / owner. Food was of a high standard and delicious. Would definitely visit again if in the area and highly recommend

The ordered Beetroot and Feta Risotto was served as Beetroot and Burrata Risotto but the staff seemed unaware of this even when it was pointed out. Burgers for £14 were basic and inadequate if you're hungry. The vegan burger was the vegetarian burger but with no 'slaw'. Gave up on dessert as confidence in kitchen was gone by then, and there were only three options anyway.

first time coming to the bell and the sunday roast was yummy would highly recommend and the staff was very friendly and was made to feel welcome.

This was our second visit to the Bell , our first was an evening visit and this time we wanted to try the Sunday lunch and I was not disappointed. We arrived 20 minutes after our booked time but Drew made us very welcome and our tardiness was excused. The starters were different but very tasty Terrine tasty and substantial, Battered Gherkins very unusual but superb, Mushroom croquettes very nice but not enough on plate. Roast Lamb, Beef and Chicken very tasty , chicken a mite dry but still very edible. Sea Bass was also a mite dry and overcooked but still plates were emptied. No room for desserts so will have to return again to try these!!!! Thanks again to Drew and staff for an extremely enjoyable experience.

We had a very nice dinner at The Bell. When we opened the door we had to double check if they were open as it wasn't clear from the outside, but once seated we were served well. The menu is small and if you are not a fan of fish there isn't much left to choose from. My partner therefor resorted to the good old-fashioned burger, which was good. Myself had the fish of the day meal and it was really nice. Whoever invented the blueberry honeycomb cheesecake: that is absolutely delicous (albeit very filling)

Made to feel very welcome, offered a fabulous fish “ idea” make up your own dish..lovely idea, superbly presented, tasted gorgeous ( pud was scrumptious as well!) Highly enjoyable evening ..thank you

We popped into the Bell for lunch on Friday and had a fantastic lunch. The new menu is great - the seafood linguine with squid ink shard was fantastic; all topped off with friendly, welcoming service in their sunny courtyard. Perfect and will be returning soon!

A friendly, welcoming pub. Staff are great and quality of food excellent. They are also dog friendly! If you are in Faringdon, it is definitely worth a visit.

The Bell has quickly marked itself as the heart of Faringdon, since it was taken over by new management a couple of years ago. I've gradually become a regular as I've found a warm and welcoming atmosphere, tasty food and a great selection of beers. The new picnic benches out the front have really brought the patrons into the centre of the town square ...Now all we need is the weather!

Always good, friendly staff decent drinks selection. Got take away a few times during lockdown which I can recommend.

Since it was taken over I have used The Bell a few times and always been pleased, it has a nice feel to it and a limited but well kept range of Real Ale. You can tell the management and staff care and work hard to make things appealing, menus are updated, events organised and good service provided. Their enthusiasm deserves success so if you are passing Faringdon, pop in and try them out.

The guys at The Bell always make you feel welcome, and the food is great! We love the Sunday roasts - we even had a few takeaway roasts during lockdown, which were great. The fish pans are also really good. They have a nice courtyard in the back, and seating at the front where you can sit with a drink and some food looking out at the Faringdon's market square. The interior is nice and split into a few different areas, We would recommend The Bell to anyone visiting Faringdon.

Went with friends to celebrate their birthday. I had the steak frites which was absolutely delicious, I highly recommend. Friend had the scotch egg and said it was the best he’d ever had. Lovely to see the moules on the menu, husband very much enjoyed. Later in the evening had one or two of the cocktails that went down very well. Lovely evening and felt very COVID secure.

Five of us had dinner here on Wednesday night and we had an excellent experience. The staff who served us were really friendly and attentive and nothing was too much trouble and they accommodated all our food requests. The food itself was delicious and I'd...

Covid safe, beautiful courtyard, friendly service. We had the pleasure of trying the stunning crisp, yet melt in your mouth, pork belly with fresh salsa verde with the mac and cheese as a side (you must try this when you go, best I've ever had)....

As it was late evening after a long country walk we didn't want a large meal and my partner and myself chose the Moules Mariniere with bread each and also shared the Calimari with tartare sauce. We were not disappointed in the portions or the...

The revivified Bell Inn is a comfortable place run now in a lively friendly manner and the Sunday roast lunch is ample and simply delicious and just the best imaginable

Very welcoming, friendly and laid back. Excellent recommendations for starter of bruschetta and white wine accompaniment. The fish dish of salmon and haddock was excellent. Speaking to manager/owner he stated that this was due to sourcing local produce. This was the highlight of a weekend...

Looks unassuming from the outside but we had two great visits here on our two day stay in Faringdon. Friendly staff, great food, good beers and a nice atmosphere. What's not to like!

Wow. I chose the roast pork belly, and it was so good I forgot to take a photo for this review! Best crackling I’ve ever eaten, wonderfully tender pork, perfectly cooked. Amazing compliment of vegetables, delicious gravy. Absolutely faultless! And the portion size is generous...

Four of us had a wonderful meal here last Saturday. This was our fourth visit and again, we couldn’t fault anything. From the initial friendly welcome in the bar through to leaving, everything was perfect. My party thoroughly enjoyed their meals and my chicken supreme...

We went to The Bell for lunch on Saturday and had the burger. It wasn't the greatest burger but the chips were great. Ketchup portions were tiny! The cheese and bacon (additional £3) unfortunately added nothing to the flavour. We ordered desserts (brownie and cheesecake)...

Evening meal while away on business. It was crazy hot so didn’t spend much time inside although it appeared to be nicely appointed. There wasn’t much choice of beer from the hand pumps- just one bitter and one IPA. I had the bitter which was...

Went for lunch with a friend. Arrived at about 12.20 the bar was totally empty, we were the only customers for over 2 hrs in the bar area. There is a small lunch menu, everything is £10. When we ordered we were told we were...

I was so looking forward to eating at The Bell based on friends' recommendations and was not disappointed when I finally managed to get there for myself. As promised excellent food, presentation and friendly service in a relaxed modern setting. Only sad that we both...

I come here often for business lunches, family occasions and with my other half time to time. It’s a great place for drinks and food. I’ve had mussels in a lot of places and never have I had as good as this place, first class!...

This is the third time we have eaten at The Bell and the standard is consistently high. We have had lunch and dinner and the quality of the food is fabulous. Lovely setting, great friendly accommodating service. Highly recommend.

We really enjoyed a rare dinner out together since having our little baby girl, fab steak, ribs are divine, all lovely, and this is coming from a chef and a well travelled food snob! Thank you, we will be back :-)

Popped in Saturday evening when travelling through Faringdon. Nice warm welcome and served excellent food (land rump with mash and broccoli). Beer could have been a bit more sparkly.

Popped into the newly renovated Bell Hotel for lunch on a Tuesday. Ordered a bottle of sparkling wine ta the bar and were directed to the small room at the front of the building. Reminded me of a school room, with old fashioned table and chairs, one large round table and three or four smaller tables seating four. The lunch menu has various offerings for £10. I opted for the Hebridean mussels mariniere style (though they had cream added so more like mussels a la creme) but they were absolutely delicious, served with a hunk of warm crusty bread. My friend had a burger without the bun and fries which she said was all very tasty.

Tonight we decided to try The Bell, at Faringdon as it had recently been refurbished. The meal of fish and chips plus leek pie and mash was hot, well cooked and very tasty. The staff were very friendly and accommodating, couldn’t do enough for us. . It was a very enjoyable experience and one that our parents will be repeating in the future as they live just up the road. The price was very reasonable 4 main meals, 1 pudding, 3 coffees, and a bottle of white wine and 11/2 pints of beers all for £95.00 which we thought was really good value for money. They are open from 12.00 midday every day except Monday when they are closed.

A nice bar and restaurant just having been taken over. Drinks expensive but served by very enthusiastic bar a manger. Disappointed it was closed on Sunday evening and bank holiday Monday.

Four of us went for dinner. Two omnivores, a vegetarian and a vegan. They had something lovely for all of us to eat. In beautiful surroundings and service with a smile. Really delighted to see this new option open up in faringdon. Good luck to you guys. And thanks for a great evening.

I called here with friends after a mornings walk for a sandwich and a pint. It seems they had just started serving food again after a gap, but besides a good pint, we had BLT sandwiches which turned out to be Ciabattas. As BLT connoisseurs we thought them excellent, as were the accompanying chips. (No reduction if you didn’t need these). Not sure why pubs like wooden platters rather than plates; the latter are rather better at keeping the food off the table!

We heard that this place had been taken over and refurbished. The inside did look a lot better but as it was a sunny day we sat outside. Unfortunately this meant that we ended up on a table next to a group of smokers (any chance of a non-smoking area in the garden?). The lady behind the bar was friendly and welcoming, but at £7.60 for a pint and a soft drink, I'm not sure we would return that frequently. Faringdon is crying out for a decent pub with decent food so we hope that, with a few tweaks, The Bell might become that place.

Great home style cooked food that never fails to please and fill you up. It's all great and we have eaten our way through the entire menu now lol Can't say any one meal is better than the other as it depends on what you fancy on the day, and whatever you order you wont be disappointed. Its pub food at pub food prices, but its top quality pub food in my opinion, and i have been eating my way around pubs, in New Zealand, Australia and now around the UK and Europe - and here, the food is terrific!

We visit the Bell probably once a month. Sunday lunch Is delicious, the staff warm, friendly and helpful. The restaurant has a great atmosphere and if I want to visit somewhere that I want to feel comfortable at it is always The Bell.

Despite a sign outside stating that food was served all day, we were turned away by the chef at 2.30 as being too late. Bit of a diva. Went across the road to the Old Coaching Inn which had no such problem.

We came here for pre footy lunch. The staff were lovely - there was a slight problem with our order (we paid then found out they didn't have it) so my partner ordered something else. I was worried that we would have ended up paying more for the dish but I needn't have worried as the young lad came back with the price difference. The food was nice although I ordered more food than my tummy could cope with - the portions are a healthy size and the food reasonable. Much better than when I visited a few years ago. Would recommend.

Basic food for lunch (adequate at best). This took over 40 minutes (for 2 bagettes and an omelette with warm, undercooked peas!) All staff would say was we should have been told there was a 20 minute delay! Not a great experience

My husband and I stayed here for one night on the 31st March. From the moment we arrived we had friendly attentive service. Our meal was excellent we had chicken liver pate and whitebait for starters both homemade, then we both went for the tuna steak with a medley of vegetables, all cooked to perfection 10 out of 10, compliments to the chef. The room was clean, warm and comfortable, no noise at all, then in the morning we hoped it was the same chef for breakfast, we were not disappointed. I would recommend to everyone and would like to thank everyone at the bell for a great stay.

My daughters and I ate here a few months ago and had a very pleasant meal so we returned. However this was a very different experience. The starters were nice (deep fried camembert and garlic bread). However, the mains were borderline inedible. The steak had a very strange taste, and for one of the first times in my life, I didn't eat it all. The fat chips weren't great either - floury and slightly undercooked. My daughter didn't finish her chicken burger either. It was all compounded by the fact that two of us didn't even get what we initially ordered and paid for, because we were informed they had run out of the special we had wanted. We won't bother going back.

We called in the Bell Inn a few weeks ago for a coffee, when I saw a regular tucking into a full English breakfast, I just had to try it. I wasn't disappointed. It was everything anyone could want in a full English. I was so impressed, I felt compelled to call into the Bell on my next visit to Faringdon, to try another breakfast. It was every bit as good as my last visit. We got a very warm welcome as we walked through the door and the service was excellent. We shall make the Bell a regular call.

My partner was happy with his meal, lamb chop with bubble & squeak. He also rates the ales. However, unfortunately, my meal was very disappointing. I asked for Rump Steak, Medium rare, but my steak was rare verging on blue, it was so rare that the steak was cold & incredibly gristley & chewey. Therefore practically all of it was left on the plate. I did tell the waitress when she came to ask how our meals were & she said she’d tell the supplier ( not sure what they can do & how this appeased me). What would have been more appropriate was a reduction of the bill but nothing was offered. Shame, as we will now continue to eat out of town where we can depend on consistently good food at surrounding village pubs.

Popped in for a drink or two after a winter walk of seven miles or so. It was a Monday afternoon so quiet after the lunchtime service. Beer was reasonable and we had the space to sit and chat in a reasonably warm and comfortable bar. Interesting old wall decoration in the dining area.

We had a really nice meal, all dishes were well presented and of good quality. Well kept beer- becoming rare these days!

Haven't been here for a while and went for a Sunday lunch. The decor has been updated since we visited. Friendly staff and good food. Always nice to see parsnips on the menu :-)

Visited on a Friday evening. We had booked 2 weeks in advance because there were 11 of us. and were the only diners in the rear dining room. Disappointingly it took far too long for the food to arrive. The food was of a good standard but the occasion spoiled because of the delay in service.

Sorry, i don't like to be neggative, but we had two meals on Saturday night and they were only average. Good staff and really friendly place though. Very slow to get served at the bar.

Personnel accueillant service en terrasse dans la cour arrière. Cuisine anglaise typique, tarif très raisonnable. Nourriture un peu grasse, beaucoup...

El wadworth 6x ale siempre es perfecto. Y al asador el domingo es magnífica también marca el propietario no podría ser más servicial y complaciente. Recomiendo el hotel bell en faringdon.

Vine aquí para comer, ya que el otro hotel en el que estuvimos no era muy buena. El personal era amable y servicial. El menú era básico pero bueno y la comida era bastante caro y bien preparado.

Siendo un lunes no parecía ser suficiente pescado, ya que todos elegimos pescado o cangrejo y no había ninguno a la izquierda! Lo que hicimos fue bien preparado y a un precio razonable. El personal es agradable y servicial. Greta variedad de cervezas inglesas. Wadworth Abierto fuego mantenía el lugar cálido y acogedor

Abbiamo mangiato piatti tipici britannici molto appetitosi e ben cucinati. Atmosfera tipica da pub inglese

Buenas torta de carne, y bien cuidado ale. ¿Qué más necesitas saber. No hay chips fritos, sacó tres veces rollos de salchichas de cerdo o huevos escoceses que cuestan un fiver, buena comida bien hecha.

Great hotel, staff friendly and very welcoming, seen a disrespectful review recently and it's unwarranted, yes the hotel is old and crooked but that adds to the charm of the place, the rooms are spotless and the towels and bed linen are lovely and white and clean, breakfast is lovely and the fish finger sandwiches are lovely and the chips ... well what can i say, just delicious just no pleasing some people lol prices are great and we will be back very soon xx

Friday night fish and chips was delicious along with a couple of pints of good beer. The place was packed but managed to grab a table and glad we did. Highly recommended

Well this restaurant is the place to eat. Traditional ' upmarket pub food '.Reasonable prices, good food and gross, and I mean gross, portions.Pie of the week with mash potato and veg and gravy boat. Go on beat me. I could only eat half of this tasty pie.After the first night my wife was smarter than me and only had a starter for a main course.Value for money = 10/10.Brilliant, friendly sevice to.

Think there has been a change of owners, food gone downhill. Fish fingers were brown inside as they were more mashed potato and minced fish.....not proper fish fingers. Inedible.Thought this may be a one off but went back and had a similarly bad experience.Menu has changed as prices seem to have crept up but food has declined in quality.Service is friendly but I won't be rushing back.

I have just had the pork belly and I must say it was the best meal I have ever had. All the flavours and the textures married together perfectly. It is a must have at the Bell Hotel. Yes pop down and have it! Compliments to the chef and all the team. 5* meal

Always tasty, the staff are very friendly and there is a very good, very cheap carvery on a Sunday in the restaurant. The decor is traditional, and there's usually some sports on the TV in the side room.

Not bad but not the best in Faringdon. We had dinner here and the bar area was very noisy. The food was ok but not exceptional. The decor is interesting and quite cosy.

My wife and I popped in here today as we are locals and were hoping to find a good lunch. The bar was virtually empty when we arrived and the greeting from the staff was certainly not the warmest.The menu on the blackboard looked enticing and we both chose steak sandwiches, particularly because they were described as being made with "doorstop crusty bread". The end result was very disappointing because the bread used would have been better described as "steamed, mass produced, doorstep". I made a comment to the waitress who came back later and said that the chef would "try to get crusty bread next time".Maybe this all sounds picky but we both came away disappointed that at £6.95 each, the chef uses cheap bread. And by the way, all the sauce bottles on the table were dirty.

Travelled all the way from Wantage for a Sunday carvery. Sat ourselves down as every member of staff who saw us ignored us. Sat at a table for 20 minutes being ignored. Looked at the dried piece of beef on the carvery getting dryer and dryer so decided to leave.

I believe the accommodation to be good though we've not used it. The carvery is excellent, the bar food is correct. The building is interesting as it's an old staging inn. The staff are friendly and efficient.

Family visit 4 of us do not know the area but this hotel looked very inviting. Olde Worlde welcoming, not very busy for a Friday night. Two of the party were delighted with their meal but the other 2 (myself included) chose the same meal but could not eat it as it was too spicy. We chose the green thai curry as this is not normally very hot but after a few mouthfuls our tongues and cheeks were tingling, so left it. Waitress asked if everything was OK so we said no and she promptly gave us a free pudding. I had the fruit crumble which I must say was delicious, one of the best crumbles I have ever tasted, so compliments to Chef on that one. Also, very reasonably priced..

We stayed a very comfortable night here and had a satisfactory breakfast. Although our bedroom was at the front of the hotel, it was very hot so the windows were open but the noise did not affect us at all. Very pleasant staff.

Popped in for a quick drink and can only assume there is new management as the place felt energised which has not happened for a long time. Will definitely be back to enjoy further

I visited for a meal this week. I ordered the traditional bangers and mash and I must say I have had a lot better. Nothing wrong with the sausages but the mashed potato was lumpy and not creamy at all. It was over swamped with peas which offset the balance. Would not try this again but may choose something else

A party of 3 arrived on a Friday night for drinks and pub grub. I had the sausage and mash with peas and gravy. The sausages were very good, lots of mash and peas with a lovely home made beefy gravy. Others had the thai curry and the beetroot risotto which were not as good.

Visited with family and friends for a Sunday carvery. Excellent value for money at under £8 per head.Good choice of meat and vegetables and delicious desserts.Recommend booking in advance.

It doesn't look great shakes but the staff are lovely and we were delighted with our food but a shame they stopped serving at 9 on a Saturday

Went for lunch with.partner, my daughter and her husband. Pub was fairly quite. Good menu selection and my partner decided on the Bell Burger for the 'senior' section, the other 3 meals were from the main menu.when the meals arrived.it was obvious that Bell Burger was read as if from the main menu. This was pointed out to management and cost adjustment made (chef error). The food itself was good.

Visited this pub with friends this weekend. Really nice quiet pub. Food was excellent value for money would definitely return!

We were staying at the Old Coaching Inn across the road but didn't fancy eating there. Our meal at the Bell was very tasty and good value

lovely went back the following week for one. highly recommend. was lovely and fresh and the staff were very helpful and friendly.v

Food was exceptional, really good value and in served in lovely olde worlde pub with roaring wood fire!

Had a couple of meals here recently, one in the evening with my wife and one at lunchtime with a colleague. Both were good with good value traditional style pub food. The evening meal was served quickly and the quality of the food was great, menu not extensive but what they do is very good. The lunchtime snack of choice was Chicken and chilli sauce sandwiches and chips which were delicious. The only criticism was there were not really enough chips and we had to order an additional portion. Nice room on the right as you enter from the market place and the price is good too.

I ordered a fish and chips with a good old ale beer... It could not be better, the restaurant environment is really good and staff very friendly.

I went there last week for a meal twice and both times I went there i was happy with my meals . A very nice place to have a drink and meal aldo they served illy coffe worth a visit a

On a bit of a tour with some mates around Dodge (Faringdon) and dropped in having been previously been impressed. Happy to say the team there have kept up the good work and the place is turning into a great place to visit. A lick of paint and better lighting would enhance the interior but worth the 5 stars for what they have achieved so far.

The carvery sunday lunch is great value for money and the food is very well cooked. There is plenty of different vegetables to chose from and there is always 3 types of meat to chose. We have always had a good meal at the bell. The syrup sponge for dessert is always a favourite.

I've always enjoyed eating Sunday roasts at the Bell & never really disappointment. Home made, seasonal, good portion sizes. Downside, perhaps not enough dining space due to the old building, however I've always felt they've been very accommodating

Held a baby shower here for a friend on Thursday. Very welcomed and given a private room which was decorated superbly. Ordered off of the menu and given the right amount of attention and space - which is what we wanted for the event.We all sampled something different on the menu and between us had 3 cheesy garlic breads, 2 rump steaks, 1 sirloin steak, 2 peppercorn sauces, 1 hunters chicken, 1 quiche and 1 gammon. The small gripe we had was for £3.50 it seemed we were given half a baguette which can be picked up for as little as 34p. And that one portion had barely any cheese on top. I think we'd have enjoyed 2 ciabbata slices with garlic butter as would go with the feel of location and menu - which all seemed to be made from scratch and not hungry horse standard. The apple and cinnamon crumble and custard was divine and portion was extremely generous for the price. The cheesecake was lovely too but we wish the chocolate fudge cake had been served warm. 3 portions of it and everybody said the same. Still well worthy of 5 stars though as the small alterations we'd have enjoyed to make it perfect were minor. Will definitely be visiting again, maybe to try the carvery and hopefully enjoy another group dinner!

Stopped here ad hoc, en route to Northamptonshire from Bath for dinner with my dad and my kids. Very nice looking building from the outside, and homely and clean on the inside. Extremely welcoming staff. Bar on the left as you go in, dining room on the right. The dining room has a large TV in it. Menu was varied with pub classics, and a unique Build-A-Burger addition. The kids menu was good too. Prices were perfectly acceptable. You seat yourself and then order at the bar - they are happy to set up a tab. My daughter (7) was getting very tired, so I asked if they would mind changing the channel on the TV to a kids channel, and because we were the only ones in the dining room, they were very obliging and turned the sound up too. When the food arrived, I was astounded by how good it was - the best Hunters Chicken I've ever had, with fabulously crunchy, flavoursome chips, a fresh salad and some gorgeous homemade coleslaw. Yum!

Just been for dinner and the food was excellent, had steak and ale pie and it was cooked fresh and was very tasty. Good puddings as well. Will definitely go again.

We have been to the bell before and was really good so went back again for a family gathering this time. There was 16 of us for a family meal and we had a table in the restaurant. The staff were really friendly and the food was excellent. We all had 3 courses and the food came quickly, hot and was fantastic as before. Highly recommend and will be going back again x keep up the good work :)

Great venue for lunch on a weekend afternoon as it has a proper old pub feel about the place. The food was good and between the 5 members of my family that visited, we all went away happy. The only downfall is you get the feeling that somethings missing from this place... Maybe it needs a little restoration here and there or a facelift. It's such a nice building on the outside but just needs a bit of tlc inside. Would have been 4 out of 5 otherwise.

We had a very nice Carvery on Sunday lunchtime and were so full that we only wanted a snack in the evening. Unfortunately the sandwich menu finished a 3pm but the lady behind the bar explained to the chef and he kindly made us some lovely Bacon and Brie sandwiches.The next day we went again for an evening meal and again it was perfect. Can't fault the service or the food.

My husband and I stopped here for lunch as we were on our way to Oxford. We looked in a few other pubs which didn't look to good to us but we liked the look of this place. The lady behind the bar was ultra helpful and friendly and the food was beautiful! Fresh and homemade. I'd definitely eat there again!

As far as carverys go in Faringdon there is a choice of three but the bell is by far the best!! The meat was cooked to perfection and the veg was cooked well not overcooked. The gravy was homemade and not sure why previous reviews stated otherwise as was both tasty and the right consistency. The homemade pudding was also great! The restaurant was packed showing how good the food was so one word of warning is book in advance as is normally really busy!! Very good food for a great price

We had low expectations of this restaurant (perhaps the best of a limited choice on a Sunday in this small market town, apart from the high end Sudbury House), and I'm afraid they were confirmed. The staff were charming, but the food was terrible. We had the Sunday lunch carvery menu, and although we couldn't complain about the price (£7.95 for the carvery, plus about £5 for the desserts), the food was pretty terrible: joints of pork, beef and lamb very overcooked; generic gravy to accompany them all; tinned apple sauce. There was a large choice of vegetables, but only the roast parsnips were really worth eating. The dining room is a bit shabby. Altogether a forgettable experience.

After walking White Horse hill my young friend and I decided to pop into Faringdon for some lunch after finding the place we intended to eat had was closed on Sunday we called a friend and asked where we should eat and she suggested the Bell House Hotel on the Market square. We were greeted warmly and asked what was on the menu to be told it was a Sunday Carvery which we accepted. We paid and were taken through to the restaurant and given the choice to sit there or back in the bar. We chose to eat in the restaurant and very traditional beamed ceiling room with a large fireplace at one end and the kitchen and carvery the other. There we three roasts beef, gammon and pork proper roast potatoes (not deep fried) fresh vegetables carrots, parsnips, broccoli in white sauce, mashed swede, large Yorkshires and stuffing, All piping hot and cooked not hard or mushy just right. And great tasting gravy all the £7.95 Best Sunday lunch for a very good price for a long time well done. There was also a selection of home made deserts and we chose to have waffles with chocolate and ice cream to share. Certainly we will be back with friends so hopefully they will keep this standard. All the staff were friendly and helpful without being pushy

We were 5 siblings and partners visiting from a local B&B. Our reception was very friendly and continued to be throughout even after a complaint about the food. In addition one of the party brought two dogs with them (spaniels), and they were very well looked after - drinks and titbits brought to them free.There were a whole range of orders from us and probably 60% were happy with the food offered. The stand-out offering was gammon steak which proved to be both large and tasty. On the other end of the scale however was the sea bass (one of the dearest items on offer), which turned out to be minute on arrival - some 120mm x 50mm x 3mm thick (including skin). This has to have been a complete fillet from an undersized and illegal fish. We did complain and an additional fillet arrived which was about 10% larger. The deserts were generally very nice but again let down by one or two - notably an apple crumble which was more juice than anything (we actually poured a significant amount into a glass). It was tasty though, if a bit oversweet and, of course, runny.Prices though were very reasonable. Would we go back? Probably, but we would be very careful about what we ordered.

I used to be a regular for food at the Bell a few years ago but then moved away from the area. The food was good then. When I came back on the odd occasion I found that, following a management change, the quality of food and service had plummeted. With another management change, the food has improved in quality again and is now well worth a look if you are in the area. In addition to their main menu, which is typical pub grub type food, they offer a specials board with items such as sea bass, beef hotpot and pork steak. The first time I went under its current guise I had cottage pie and green beans (which was fine). The second time a simple ham, cheese and pickle baguette which was served with home-made chips and a dressed salad. The baguette was warm and crispy. Just what was needed at lunch. Although I only visit Faringdon a couple of times a year now, I will definitely call in the Bell again.

Cycled to the Bell from Oxford and was looking forward to a tasty meal. I wasn't disappointed. The Carvery (which is the only option at Sunday lunchtime), was reasonably priced, with a choice of three meats which they serve. Great selection of vegetables - which you serve. Tasty well cooked meat. Excellent value for a tasty well cooked meal in a pleasant environment in a lovely unspoilt old hotel, near the centre of Faringdon. Almost no traffic in the centre. Let's visit again soon, http://www.thebellhotelonline.co.uk/

Had chicken goujons for starter which was very good and came on a bed of fresh crisp salad and a choice of dips. We also had a side order of bread and butter which was good to see that it was home it crusty loaf, not presliced bread from the supermarket. We then had gammon, which was huge and came with pineapple and egg, normally you have to pick. I didn't want egg and so asked mark if I could have mushrooms instead and this was no problem at all. Keep up the good work.

Proper chef specials down to earth food we had the pie of the moment fresh and cooked to perection plus a beautiful fresh seabass so good we booked a family Sunday Carvery every thing fresh hot with a chefs home made desert loved it!