The Bell Inn in Chichester

The wonderful staff fitted us in, even though we didnt have a reservation. Very busy. I was nosey looking at everyone's food. It all looked amazing.

We booked to have lunch before going to see Oliver at the Festival Theatre as it was nearby. We were shown to seats etc and presented with menus which was typical pub food. We were six and were immediately offered individual bills which most eateries don’t even if you ask. When the food came I can say that the plates were hot, the portions were generous and well cooked. Fresh vegetables were served separately, the chips were crispy and soft inside. Who needs a Michelin chef with well cooked pub food. Recommend the ginger sponge for pudding if you have room. Service was good and the staff were helpful and cheerful. Give it a try!

Lovely venue, lovely staff however food a big let down. Only 5pm and they had run out of the tomato and mozzarella salad. Mozzarella sticks x2 starter ok. Chicken leak and ham pie was burnt, mashed potato was really lumpy. Scampi and chips was ok, just frozen stuff fried . With two cokes £50. Would drink there if local however won't eat there again. I think there are better options in Chichester and this thrives on its closeness to the theatre.

We came from over 150 miles away to the Chichester Festival, and chose this pub to eat at based in it's reviews. Not going to lie, when we pulled up outside we wondered what we had done, but upon walking in everything changed. We were greeted with a jolly chap asking whether we had come from or were going to the theatre, so he could prioritise our order, the choice of food was good so there was something for everyone. I am not a vegetarian but I opted for the Butternut squash and chickpea curry on recommendation from the waitress, and she was sooooo right, it was absolutely delicious and very obviously home made, and I managed somehow to squeeze in a bread & butter pudding for dessert. My friends had the Burger and said it was the best they had ever had, and the homemade slaw was super tasty and fresh. There is not really any parking at the venue but it is directly opposite a massive reasonably priced huge carpark. I would 100% recommend eating here.

Fab pub, great for an after show tipple!

Fish and chips ( Friday) for two was epic all for the bargain of £21. Great pub with laid back vibe and brilliant food. Will defo be back for tue sausage rolls too !

Attended the Saturday steak night great value for money.

One of the best pubs I have been in anywhere. Good honest pub grub, not expensive, a good selection of wines and ales and such a friendly welcoming place. I was in the area for work over the weekend, and popped in on Sunday night for a drink on the way back to my digs. Not knowing there was a quiz on, I found a table and sat alone to watch the action, I was then asked by the landlady if I wanted to join a team and had a great night. Highly recommended

I go for the poker nights, at only £5 and no buy-in, a very enjoyable night was had with friendly players and lovely bar staff😀

Great place for a meet up with friends. Dog friendly which makes a difference to our choosing where to go. Good buzz and nice atmosphere. Excellent selection of drinks. On this occasion we did not eat but food on other tables looked appealing. Bar staff were busy but always acknowledged customers. Will be making it a regular watering hole.

This is a pub at the very heart and soul of Chichester. One of only two pubs to survive the slum clearances after world war 2. The other is The Rainbow, if you are a first time visiting to Chichester go to both. history is fleeting don’t miss these places. A good service from friends the first time you meet and need them. They have games and a patio. Can I say again , this is a classic public house . Go to it before it is gone

Great scampi and chips dinner before the theatre. Good menu. Service was really friendly and prompt and the food was great value. Fabulous posters of past theatre productions all round the walls. Will definitely go again.

Four of us ate here before the theatre. We had the belly pork special, pie, and curry. The food was hot and tasty, and all the staff very friendly, a nice pub.

Brilliant Pub! Lovely staff, great atmosphere and delicious food!

We booked The Bell inn for a pre-theatre Dinner and was delighted with the experience. I must firstly praise the welcome, the two ladies covering the arrivals and food service were so friendly, attentive and professional we felt at home straight away. The menu is fairly simple but very well thought out so all tastes covered. There is an art to getting this right and The Bell has it spot on. Not having so many options meant the food was prompt, well cooked, hot, plentiful and very tasty. Add to this their very fair pricing, we left having had our faith put back into a British pub meal out (which has been lacking recently). The pub is very well run and I wish them continued success, they deserve it.

A lovely, traditional pub with interesting beers, a good menu, lovely food and friendly staff. All the puddings we had were home made.

What a great little pub, perfectly located for pre-dinner show opposite Chi Festival Theatre. Very friendly welcome, reasonably priced home cooked food - can't wait for the next show so we can return for another meal (if we were local we'd be here more often).

So convenient for pre-theatre dinner - just the other side of the road. Welcoming and friendly staff. Loved the pies!

Great pub. Welcoming staff. Just a straightforward friendly pub. No pretentions just an honest pub. Closest to the festival theatre. Always a buzz after the shows are finished.Very often the actors will be having a deserved drink after their shows.

One of the Finest Pubs in the Country. A truly welcoming, lovely pub in Chichester, where theres always good beer and cider on tap and the friendliest of Staff. Chichester is truly fortunate to have such a lovely pub.

Proper old school pub with a good atmosphere and friendly staff. Beer selection nice enough, but shame only "best" bitters on hand pump.

Excellent service, so welcoming and friendly. The food was fantastic. Really great value for money and a perfect pre-theatre dinner.

Another great meal at The Bell!

Nice pub just across the road to the festival theatre

Had dinner at this traditionall pub before seeing a show at the festival theatre which was literally across the road. Lovely menu, delicious food and exemplary service! We would definitely visit again when in the area. Thank you x

Traditional pub opposite the Festival Theater which can be busy before and after shows. Popular with locals as well as visitors. Changing selection of three or four well kept ales usually available on tap.

My daughter and I visited this lovely, cosy pub before a matinee at the Chichester Festival Theatre. The menu choices were varied and delicious, the welcome we received was warm and friendly and service exemplary. Will definitely visit again next time we are in Chichester!

Luncheon with 11 friends and we were all treated with great respect and friendliness. Such a loving warm welcome and nothing was too much trouble for the staff. The food was absolutely delicious and plentiful. Fresh, hot and beautifully cooked. Looking forward to returning again.

Very welcoming and accommodating hosts. Great menu for all dietary choices in a group of 11. Food was excellent. Great atmosphere. Thank you!

Charming host - I phoned to say that we were running late and was told that it was no problem. We had the excellent value Friday night 'chish & fips' plus one of the best affogatos I've had in a long time. Service and ambience were very good, we will definitely be back.

Such a lovely pub, with happy friendly staff 😁

Didn't eat use every month for book club

Came here for fish and chip fridays. The four of us all had the fish and chips and then had desserts afterwards. 10/10 Very good value and the landlady is always lovely.

We always eat here when going to the theatre good food and good prices very friendly and polite good value

Fantastic pub with great atmosphere, good food and beers - Landlady/Landlord/Staff very friendly and a good old locals pub - all welcome. Also very handy for meals/drinks for CFT visits.

Don't get down to Chi very often but when I do I love this place.

We’ve just had a fabulous meal here. Great service, lovely home cooked food and finished in plenty of time for the theatre performance without feeling rushed. Whilst it seemed to be a small pub, it means they’re customer service focused and efficient. Our first time here but definitely won’t be our last! Glad the rugby was being shown in the pubs in the town otherwise we would never have found this little gem.

Absolutely fantastic community focused public house, landlord and landlady are very welcoming. Sunday night quiz is a must well everyday is a must well worth visiting x

Best beer I found in Chichester. Friendly staff. 👍 The song in the photo was Tainted Love by Gloria Jones btw. Took me all evening to get that!

If you’re looking for the warmest hosts and atmosphere in Chichester, go to the Bell Inn. Good selection of food and drink but even better service Michelle and Beanie are so lovely and even helped us with some local tips for getting down to the beach. It was also great to meet Luke who looked after our table of three attentively and kindly. Great selection of board games and a talented chef - what more could you ask for? Will definitely visit again if we’re ever in town. Can’t recommend enough. Cheers guys!

We'd only been in the pub for a drink before. A few weeks ago we popped in before a Chichester RFC rugby match. Our group was made so welcome that my partner and I decided to book a pre theatre dinner. I'm so glad we did. The food was excellent, tasty fresh and I would guess local. The service was wonderful throughout even though the dining area filled up with pre theatre guests who were all served efficiently to a specific pre-show timescale. Well done the staff of The Bell Inn. We will be back. I recommend booking as I can imagine this quality pub can become very busy.

Excellent for visiting Chichester theatre

We had booked a table for 8 but asked if we could add 2. Even though they were fully booked they managed 2 extra spaces. The service and food was excellent at very reasonable prices. All round a very warm and friendly experience.

Lovely good, great atmosphere, friendly and helpful staff

just moved to the area. so bell is the nearest pub to me been in a few times . also had a lovely Christmas meal with friends in the restaurant spot on.

Really enjoyed our pre concert dinner here. Excellent staff, super friendly. Delicious food. Can thoroughly recommend the steak and Stilton pie!

A very warm welcome was extended to us on our first visit to The Bell for a pre-theatre supper. Food was excellent and served in good time for us to be across the road and in our seats well before curtain up.

Amazing staff and landlords, brilliant atmosphere, good food and affordable drinks. Would definitely recommend

Three of us went to the Bell before the theatre at Chichester. We allowed plenty of time but need not have worried as everything was slick and well-prepared. We all enjoyed our food. The place was busy, a good sign, and we really hope it is as popular in normal hours as it was pre-theatre. We will go back.

Had a great evening, friendly staff and good ales.

Parked in Theatre car park, walked across the road and we were warmly greeted and shown to our reserved table. Cheery staff, great handmade pies with sensible prices and look forward to our next visit to The Bell and the Festival Theatre.

Called in for a quick pint & food on way home. Friendly staff, good food, enjoyable experience 🍻

I’ve been a couple of times here for a pre-theatre meal in the last few months, most recently this weekend just gone, and have been really impressed - not just by the good, reasonably priced food but by the friendliness and efficiency of the service,...

Yesterday, some friends and I attended a performance at the Chichester Festival Theatre. We pre-booked lunch at the Bell Inn. Excellent meal and service, by two gentlemen. Would recommend this establishment. Ideal location for the theatre.

Lovely food in good surroundings with great service

We were lucky enough to win a voucher from the nearby rugby club for our visit today with friends. Welcomed by our lovely waitress Sarah and given a choice of table, menus and drinks provided within seconds. We all ordered different meals and these were...

Lovely staff, great British pub

Typical pub. The staff Is really friendly and the athmosphere is nice.

Great dog friendly pub. We were passing through the area and found it online. 2 fish and chips for £18 as it was fish Friday. Excellent value and lovely food. Staff were very friendly and even gave us a map of the town to take with us.

Excellent food, atmosphere and staff

Hadn’t been to The Bell for several years and decided to book for dinner last night. I am so pleased we did; what a fabulous meal we had. Everything was tasty and perfectly cooked. The service was excellent and the wine became a favourite after...

Excellent food at a reasonable price. Friendly service and a guarantee to have you out in time for the performance at the Festival Theatre.

Many of the cast of The Taxidermists Daughter are using the pub for after show drinks. It has a welcoming and relaxing atmosphere, just what is needed after a show!

Came in today, sat in the beer garden as it was nice weather. The staff were friendly, the menu was really small not a lot to choose from on the main meals. I went for the burger it was ok not the best quite greasy . Edit response: I did not leave a clean plate I left half of the burger I didn’t feel like saying something to the waitress because the rest of the meal was fine. You need to take in what these reviews are saying because every bad review u have u respond with the same answer. And take responsibility for your own problems.

Great dog friendly pub, food and service excellent

Very pleasant pre/post theatre pub (and any other time, of course) for Chichester theatre over the road. Couple of ales/bitters on tap. Styling is traditional but it is a proper pub; unfortunately, a dying breed

Very nice food, with good service, the cider was very good.

Great local pub. Good Gluten Free options too! Also, occasionally they have live music - which is always fun :)

Very good food.friendly staff. Extremely accommodating, nothing too much trouble.

Went for a pub quiz and had a great time. Quiz host is great

Stopped here for Sunday lunch and we were all very pleased with what we were served and not extortionate prices. Three of us had the roast beef and one had the bacon and liver. Nobody had any complaints and the beef was gorgeous. Great staff...

I have eaten pre-theatre dinners from time to time and always found both the food and the staff excellent. Sadly, things have slipped. Although the staff have changed, they are still welcoming and friendly. My steak was 50% gristle and was cooked more 'well done'...

Really nice family run pub. The owners are amazing and you can tell they care about each and every customer.

The Bellout, the outside area of The Bell Inn is a pleasant area to sit and have a drink on a summers evening. Cheerful chatty barmaid who was kept busy but still had time for a quick chat. Beers was good and refreshing.

Fantastic pub, fantastic staff, fantastic food, what a great time we had there. We will definitely be back. Thanks to everyone for our great time.

We had a really nice pre-theatre lunch. There was an extensive menu to suit all tastes but we had the trout and the sole both were delicious served with new potatoes and fresh, nicely cooked vegetables. When we requested some butter for the potatoes we...

Had a super lunch. The guest beer was good but the crab on the specials menu was excellent. Sat outside in the “garden “ which was previously a parking area I guess. The tables were new as were the umbrellas. Service could not be faulted.

Lovely date night tonight had fish and chips which was bloody marvellous highly recommend, lovely staff will devo be back for more

Small local pub, friendly staff, good food ideal for food and drink before or after attending Chichester festival theatre.

Lovely friendly service and amazing food. I would def go again and recommend.

Stopped for a drink not eaten the food before the staff were friendly and welcoming the pub was clean and well presented also quite traditional good drinks and we forgot to pay but called and payed over the phone the staff were very friendly and happy with that and also very grateful would recommend 4 star due to never eating there food.

Staff are lovely. The waitress serving us was really sweet. But. The food here is shocking. Possibly a one off but it was virtually inedible. Really bad.

Had Sunday lunch delivered today. Amazing food and great value. Fantastic service. Great to be able to support this lovely local pub

This great local is doing a Lockdown Menu at the moment to help the community. Have ordered it twice now for my elderly mother who is isolating and it has been a welcome treat for her. The food is fabulous. Really homemade hot and generous portions delivered to your door by Michelle , the chef's wife, with a smile. Highly recommended, especially the liver and bacon!

Great pub. Lovely staff. Quality beers.

Cosy with a wood burning stove. A proper pub!

Great local pub across the road from the Festival Theatre. Well kept beer with some guest ales. Very well cooked traditional English food - good option for pre-theatre supper. You can be sure that a warm welcome awaits.

3 of us booked here saturday lunchtime en route to chi vs ramsgate fc Lovely real feel pub with nice old pub style decor, really good local real ale and good snack food Lots of credit to the young guy serving who was very friendly...

Our first Friday evening out since lockdown and what a lovely evening it was. The new outdoor seating area has a Mediterranean feel and the atmosphere was very relaxing. The staff are all friendly and well organised. The new systems in place were efficient and...

Great pub/restaurant for pre-theatre dinner. It's just opposite the Festival Theatre, so just a 3 minute walk. Best to book; ask for tables 7 or 8!

We enjoyed some home-cooked pub favourites and good beer before the theatre across the road. The game pie, chicken pie, steak and gammon and egg were all delicious, the big dish of shared veg was great, and the staff were friendly and welcoming. Just what...

One of the last real pubs in chi. A pub should be a public House - you should feel welcome as if you were in someone's living room. You certainly feel that here. With friendly staff and great beer theres nothing to complain about. I was recently here sat outside in winter and they came and lit a Chiminea to keep us warm. Definitely get the sausage rolls they're fantastic!

We chose this pub for lunch the weekend before last because of its proximity to Chichester Festival Theatre - and what an excellent choice it turned out to be! We started with Tempura Prawns which were deliciously light and tasty. Then my husband had a...

Pub states dog friendly, however “not” family friendly, purchased bar snack but even though half our party (males) ate at the bar the other half (women) was told “no eating” at the bar??????Very clicky and not open to “outsiders”

Very impressed with the friendly service and good food at this pub. Lovely choice of vegan and regular dishes and above all a warm welcome and efficient pre-theatre service.

Great, welcoming, classic pub. Can't say anything bad about the place. Everyone that works there is amazing, highly recommend to anyone.

Brilliant pub, good food lovely atmosphere

Three of us booked a 5.30pm table prior to visiting the nearby theatre. I must say, we enjoyed the whole experience from start to finish. Nice staff, a relaxed atmosphere, well kept drinks and lovely food. I had the chicken/ham & leek pie which was tip top. My wife ate the poached haddock which she stated was one of the nicest she had tasted. The chips & vegetables were cooked to perfection. My Mum had the salmon dish. She 'complained' that the salmon wasn't very warm but in my honest opinion, this was probably due to her slow eating as opposed to any lack of skills or attention from the chef! Would definitely return.

We booked an early evening pre theatre meal. Good customer relations shown in agreement on timings for theatre and car parking availability. Unpretentious but well cooked food - we ordered the rib eye steak and grilled fish of the day. The seasonal vegetables and sweet potato chips were delicious. Sharing a starter and dessert plus a couple of drinks brought the bill to under £60. Very good value.

Nice friendly place for a pint before the match. Shame it closes at 14.00