The Bell Inn in Thurrock

My wife and l visited lunchtime 15th November, as guests with the ' Containers 4 sale UK ' group. Clearly, an excellent and varied menu. Good service, cracking food and highly recommended 👌

Friendly welcome, varied menu, excellent service, apple crumble £9,10,

Excellent evening dinner and spacious room. We didn't have breakfast as we had to go back home.

Scotch egg on bar menu is excellent.beer is very good.staff are A1 and very friendly.all round great pub with large outdoor seating area.well worth a visit.

First time we have been to the Bell Inn the staff was very friendly the room was really comfortable we have booked for next year we even meet some of the locals which told us some interesting things about the pub

This is a really nice place to stay and very welcoming, we had a snug room which was lovely with everything we needed. We were visiting friends locally so didn’t eat here in the evening but I can only imagine that the food would be great and a very nice setting. We did have breakfast in the morning at their Ostlers restaurant which was very nice and also in a great spacious orangery. We would definitely stay here again.

Very expensive better places to eat in Essex

Went to friends golden wedding anniversary a great place food Excellent staff very Friendly and helpful would highly Recommend hotèl

Very friendly staff and great overall service

Friendly place, excellent food and service. Room spacious and bathroom exceptional. We ate at the pub and the food was fabulous. The Gin Festival was vibrant with a fun atmosphere - we were advised this was on and it wasn’t an issue at all. If you book just check there isn’t a celebration in the building next door as it was very noisy until 11pm - we weren’t informed this was on which was disappointing.

Beer was good.....scotch eggs great

It was absolutely first class !!

The view and service of the hotel is very good...

they have the best room service and the best staff members this speak to the customer is very politely and their food is amazing I have never tried food like that anyway before and I also recommend that everybody should go and have some time there

Great stop or with the family, easy to get to and great service.

Great staff service, lively, friendly environment, no issues, the food was great and if ever you passing through the city great place to stop off, U can meet new people or have a quiet thought to urself, overall 4.5 out of 5 experience, local beer would of bn amazing from local brewery's supporting your neighbourhood however overall experience was met.

The rooms are very clean, the food is amazing and it looks absolutely beautiful.

THE BEST Pizza in Essex is here. Perfect pud for family with Kids, huge outdoor playground. Also nice for couples, cosy tables inside

Great experience overall! Great staff, clean and updated rooms, with pub and restaurant(s)!

We had our wedding hosted here last Thursday 1st August and would just like to thank everyone at the bell. The service and food were excellent as always. The staff friendly and efficient. We all totally enjoyed our reception and our stay. We can't thank you enough. Regards Kirk

Great place, the food and particularly amazing!

Amazing place and thr best food ever

Only went for a drink but really good Astomphere. We will return xx

Visited for dinner of an evening during a business trip and the food was absolutely first class. Can’t recommend highly enough, thoroughly enjoyed gravlax starter and poached salmon for main. So good I even ate cabbage served with the main meal and to be honest I would never go near that so top marks and thank you very much to the waiting staff and chefs of The Bell, I will most definitely be back. 🙏🤩👍

Hotel and Food are AMAZING! The room was stunning, stylish, immaculately clean, and comfy (I turned up two hours late to work because it was just too nice to get out of the bed! Great value for the price too. The food was honestly the best meal I have ever been out for. Three of us ate there, and all of us loved every bite. At first I thought the menu was pricey, but after eating the food, it was worth every penny (and more). The staff at both were brilliant, and so was the beer! Cannot recommend the hotel and restaurant enough.

Visited for a drink with friends and sat outside in the large paved area with some sun shading. Lovely old pub with a great reputation given over to mainly dining and with a good range of beers.

We stayed here for one night (thankfully only 1) the room was lovely if a bit bijou but the noise from outside was awful hardly got any sleep for traffic and noise our room was right on the main road if I had to come again I’d be asking for a room at the back. The pub itself was lovely as were the staff they were very helpful and polite overall it was nice just wish I’d had a different room

Great beer, great food, great staff 👍🏼

What can I say, an absolute gem of a place to stay and eat. Food is great, and such a warm welcome, couldn't do enough for us. Rooms are great, clean and comfortable.

I love this place. We have been a lot with work and use the meeting room upstairs. I always find the steaks cooked to perfection and they remember your order! Staff lovely! Both behind the bar and waiting at tables Lovely food and wine lovely service and some in our group stayed over and loved the rooms. I didn’t so can’t comment.

Thank you to the owner Christine and her team for this lovely weekend at the Bell. Our room was exactly what we wanted..cosy Great breakfast and lunch. We couldn't expect anything better. Thank you

Fantastic food, pricey but well worth it

Lovely pub with very friendly staff. The hotel room was very clean. Breakfast was fantastic, top quality ingredients. I would highly recommend a stay here if you're in the vicinity.

Lovely meal yet again. Came here to celebrate our wedding anniversary and had an amazing lunchtime meal. So tasty from the bread to start, to the coffee to end. Staff were very friendly and attentive.

Gorgeous character restaurant with a fabulous menu. Food original and exciting, we had a wonderful meal and wished we were stopping another night to try other dishes. Staff were kind, friendly and helpful. Could not fault any part and would not want to change anything, Definitely recommend.

Amazing food today cannot fault it in any way accompanied with a great service For starters we had Salmon Pastrami and pea parmesan Arachini Very well presented and full of flavour. For mains we had Game plate Pot roast chicken breast Pork loin The game plate was out of this world so much flavour and plentiful The port was so tender and the ju with the dinner was fantastic The chicken was delicious nice and moist and not at all dry 4 totally empty plates. Delicious

So we stayed here in the stable room and… wow it was beautiful, clean and tidy! The staff at reception and the staff overall were very friendly and welcoming and that is a big thing we look for when we stay somewhere! Will definitely come back and enjoyed our stay very much!

Super impressed with the food served highly recommend Each course was presented incredibly well and the food was amazing, me and my husband choose a range of dishes and all were perfect Really recommend this restaurant and the price was really fair

This Is a lovely place only stopped in for a drink but really enjoyed it a good old style British pub and there isn't many of them now... was really clean staff great and was busy.. didn't go into any of the rooms but the pictures of the rooms looked great will def visit again

Treated my Dad to lunch here as part of his Christmas presents The pub is so beautiful, full of character & history. The staff are all so friendly & professional. Lovely menu choice - the food is absolutely delicious & presentation is spot on Had such a wonderful experience - highly recommend 😊🙌 Thank you

Da melhor comida que já alguma vez provei. Deliciosa. A apresentação é digna de um restaurante Michelin. Preços justos, serviço rápido. Funcionários muito simpáticos.

We have been a few times over the years and today's lunch was as good as ever. Being a Sunday the roasts were on offer alongside other dishes. One of our group has a few food allergies and this was dealt with well and with due care which was reassuring. The service today was super: both friendly and genuine. Our meals that we enjoyed were lovely, cooked and presented very well. The roast meats were top notch, the battered fish was cooked beautifully and my wife's veggie main course looked and tasted great. My starter of Pigeon Wellington was one of the nicest dishes I have eaten and enjoyed in a long time and shows there is definitely skill in the kitchen. Highly recommended but I suggest you book!

They were very accomodating and despite being fully booked downstairs gave us a table for two in the quieter function room upstairs. The menu was impressive for a gastropub, more fine dining but unpretentious. I had local pigeon wellington starter and calves liver main, Janene had trout paté and roast pork main. The level of work going into these was reflected not just in looks but the combinations of flavours and richness of sauces and finishing touches. Perfectly cooked, sublime experience - we were well looked after and will be coming back. The reserve rioja was a very crisp dry red and a great counterbalance. Top marks too for the basque cheesecake dessert served with crunchy forced rhubarb with mild ginger ice cream and honeycomb crunch.

Beautiful rooms, lovely restaurant and very friendly and courteous staff

We stayed in the stables which was over two floors and we absolutely loved it.

Went to the Bell Inn yesterday for a Sunday roast. The food & service were amazing. Plus dog friendly. We’ll definitely be back soon. Thank you

Lovely place. Very picturesque. Excellent food in the restaurant. Menu is interesting and the food is very well presented, full of flavours and to die for!Very clean. Staff friendly and helpful.

After reading reviews decided to give it a try, had not been here for about 5 years and on arrival realised the only thing that had changed was they used to have the menu on chalk boards, now the menu has been reduced to about 6 choises on each course, I had the Veneson followed by Haddock & triple cooked chips, My wife the Carpaccio then the Dover Sol, I was not very impressed with the spring rolls, dry and tasteless and the triple cooked chips with the fish were really soggy rather than crispy as they should be, my wife said that what she had was ok but the carpaccio was a very small portion, My wife had dessert then we were going to have coffee, but after waiting to order them for about 15 minutes gave up and paid the bill, overall the experience was nice but would have to think twice on whether we would return

Very comfortable one night visit in a “cosy” room. Comfortable bed, well appointed room and nice wet room bathroom/shower. Dinner was excellent. Started with the confit salmon, followed by the local venison.Orange cake for pudding. The venison in particular was delicious. Highly recommended.

Had another excellent meal here last night. Hadn’t booked the restaurant but popped in on the off chance of getting a table on the bar side. Luckily there was one free. We were quickly greeted by a member of staff and handed menus. Service was friendly but professional and food delivered promptly even though it was a busy Friday evening. We both enjoyed an excellent main and dessert. The bar was buzzing with different generations of people all having a nice evening out in a lovely, cosy, quality pub. Not many authentic places like this left. Please don’t change a thing, you’re perfectly just the way you are!

Consistently lovely food , fabulous tastes, my forever go to place . Never had a bad experience. I consider myself as hard to please so that really is a compliment coming from me. Lovely atmosphere, always good service and ALWAYS amazing food.

Stayed here for a night to meet friends, 5 star all the way, room immaculate, staff all first class, as was food, going to re book before we leave. Thank you The Bell for a great experience

We thoroughly enjoyed our one night stay at the bell. We were very impressed with the clean and well equipped room. We are often disappointed with English hotel rooms but this was so much better than we expected. Only small comment is that the room was very very cold when we checked in, but we turned the heating on and popped out for a while and it was fine by the time we got back. We met some friends and ate in the restaurant, all of our meals were very good and the wine was good and very reasonably priced. Breakfast choice was great and again food very good. We will definitely stay again.

Wow! Third time here and the food s absolutely outstanding. Vibrant and interesting menu. Great place to stay too

Fantastic food, best crème brûlée I’ve eaten. Staying in The Super Duper Room, cannot fault it. Definitely recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another overnight stay and dinner. Lovely comfortable room, great breakfast and dinner. Excellent service at both breakfast and dinner.

We have been going to The Bell for the past 30 years. However, on the last occasion we had dinner there, the food could of been better. It just seemed to lack the wow factor it once had. Perhpas they are now catering for a different customer, but it just wasn't impressive. Please can you return to your old standards - many thanks!

Dined upstairs as it seems to be very busy now. Trainee staff try their best, but need some time invested in them. We mixed our order with the bar menu and the restaurant menu. There was a part on the next table with some noisy kids, luckily they left, manners when outside your home are important

Booked The Bell as a special treat for mine and my husbands wedding anniversary and were joined by our son, daughter and their partners. Firstly, my daughter has a nut allergy and was extremely limited as to what she could have on the menu, couldn’t even have the bread. She has never experienced this before. With our roast dinners we were given a tiny plate of carrots, cabbage and courgette to share between 6 adults which was ridiculous and only 3 small roast potatoes which were not good. I had to ask for more vegetables which came out very slowly one more plate at a time. I had to send mine and my husbands dinners back as they were just about warm. They did rectify this and brought a fresh dinner but on cutting into my Yorkshire pudding I was shocked to see loads of lumps of flour. Again I sent my dinner back and obviously by this time didn’t want another one as I was completely put off and everyone else had finished. I would just like to add that for some reason they had decided to put coriander micro herbs on everything (starters, mains and desserts). Do they not realise that not everybody likes it and it doesn’t belong on a roast dinner or pudding. Extremely disappointed.

Pleasant enough atmosphere, and pretty surroundings. However we waited 50 minutes for our food. When it arrived it was not very warm. The wood pigeon was tasty. Plaice okay but somewhat underwhelming. Chicken okay but overdressed in fussy mini leaves and what not as were the other dishes. Veg was nice. All in all not unpleasant but overpriced for the quantity ( you’re paying for the extras such as mini leaves, jus, bits of pancetta, spring onions etc) Would be much better if the main dish could just be enjoyed for its own flavours.

I h have been going to the bell since the early eighties but hadn'teaten there for for over five years or so I'm pleased say we all had an excellent meal all six of us & very good service it was also very good value thanks to all the staff

The first time visited the place was in 2019 until now. We tried the Summer/ Winter Restaurant & Bar menu for evening meals & lunch. I can't fault the food. We also brought friends & family here and also love the place & food. They have excellent prices for delicious food k. I doubt that we would find anywhere in the area of the same quality for the price. The staff were lovely and polite, great atmosphere and a lovely sitting area during summertime. We love the idea they have an area which allowed dogs inside the restaurant. We will be back very soon.

Sadly a mixed experience. My main was delicious so cannot fault the quality of that dish from the courses I had. However, the service was slow and my table was forgotten about as others were cleared and dealt with way before mine at various points. Also, I asked for chips which the waitress said would be swapped as I didn't want the potatoes that came with the main. Nevertheless I was charged for chips and apparently because they put the others on the plate. If 2 potatoes is what comes with it then that is pathetic, especially for the cost. I didn't mind paying for the chips and they were needed but was made to feel embarrassed and like it was my fault when it was what the waitress had told me. In summary, food was good but service was slow and it was overpriced.

This used to be the nicest place around. However we visited for Sunday lunch and what a let down. The wine ordered was just left on the table for us to open and service ourselves. Food was average and a very long wait. After which, no one checked on us or asked for drinks. Felt like we were an inconvenience for being there. Won’t be returning.

I've used The Bell many times over the years, both business related and for leisure. It has always been first class. My latest visit was for my sister's significant birthday. We had the Anne Boleyn suite and my sister the the Lady Hamilton suite. Both rooms were lovely. Spotlessly clean and well equipped. The restaurant experience was as good as ever - excellent food and great service. Breakfast in the Ostler's was very good too. John Vereker's legacy is alive and well.

We dropped into the bar for a couple of drinks. Service by a young trainee was perfect / polite / friendly. The wine glass was so perfectly clean. Just superb. We'll visit again and have food too next time.

The place looks OK in the village centre, old, log fire the whole nine yards and to be fair the staff were all quite pleasant. Overall though the food was quite good but parsnip soup is best described as something to avoid really. In reality it is overpriced for what is really a country pub bar eatery. Got back to my hotel and was still hungry so had to have a late night snack after a meal that was north of £50.00 per head with minimal drinks.

The historic building and rooms were excellent. The staff were extremely helpful and friendly and the bar area was very inviting with a good selection of well-kept real ales. The restaurant, on the other hand, was not so good, frankly it was a disappointment but could so easily have been much better. The two wives had a cottage pie which arrived in the tiniest of ramekins and a few vegetables. My brother-in-law and I ordered fish and chips, His portion of fish Looked like Moby Dick it was that large and mine looked like a jumbo fish finger from Birds Eye! The thrice-cooked chips should have been cooked a 4th time, then they might have at least been warm and the homemade mushy peas which tasted sublime were, unfortunately, stone cold. Breakfast is served in a different building and didn't impress either. Again everything was at best lukewarm, and the sausages and black pudding barely cooked. My two biggest bugbears when eating out are food that isn't hot and in this case, it wasn't even lukewarm and pretentious chefs who serve food in fake chip baskets etc. This is so old hat now, and it was something I never appreciated in the first place, it is merely a means of disguising how small a portion you are actually getting for the money you're paying.

We stayed at the Bell hotel overnight and it was fantastic! Lovely double room and excellent reception staff! Also the breakfast was fantastic in the morning

6 of us and a 6 week old baby visited here.We we’re seated upstairs which although not as vibrant as downstairs was more convenient for the baby.A set 3 course meal a bit pricey but reflective of current financial situation.We all enjoyed our visit and...

Visited the bell for the first time after hearing really good things about the pub well our experience wasn't great the service was awful apart from the waitress asking what drink we wanted and the meal nobody came back to ask us anything we had...

We returned to the Bell for the first time since the pandemic. We were relieved to find that it was as good as it ever was. The booking of the table was efficient. We were welcomed on arrival and shown to our table. We were...

Food good, service good, wheelchair access terrible. Have to get up the ramp, hold open a door while getting wheelchair into a tiny lobby, pulling the wheelchair around as the lobby is so small, then have to hold open another door while trying to juggle...

… to this place. Used to be a lovely bar and restaurant but it’s now a rowdy shambles! Food order was wrong (our fault apparently) then the food was cold. The drinks tab was a piece of fiction. How can you mess coffee up these...

Went for Sunday lunch with some old friends and we had a fantastic time. The food was exceptional all-round, and the wine list well-considered and curated. Both food and drink are good value. The service was friendly and attentive despite being a busy Sunday service....

Place was full when we visited with friends on a Saturday night. Shown to our table. Started witha drink. Ordered 3 courses. Food and service was excellent.

Return after a while. Incredibly busy today, sadly meant a Kong time between courses. "Entertained" by family with four children next table one playing a phone, console very loudly. Roast was ok but Yorkshire a bit crunchy for me. Ok meal, not as exceptional as...

Hadn’t eaten at the Bell for years and wasn’t disappointed. A good choice of food and all was well presented and piping hot.

I had heard good things about this place. However, it was a disappointing experience. There was no allocated waitress for our table. We waited 25 minutes to have our order taken and that was because we called them over. It was difficult to get their...

I waited for three occasions of lower standard of food compared to the past. Many would like the current offering but after 25 years of entertaining people here I can assure you that it isn't as good. I have been prepared to say it was...

Amazing food , great staff ,always perfectly cooked & presented definitely the best in Essex great value for money

I have had many meals here and always enjoyed them, but I think the place is resting a bit on its laurels. The lamp rump I had was the toughest piece of meat ever. I could barely chew it! And £28? If you pay that...

We stayed at this beautiful historic inn in the quiet village of Horndon on the Hill for a couple of nights. The food at their restaurant is wonderful. I would rate this as one of the finest gastro pubs for dining that we have ever...

We had a lovely night away last weekend . We arrived around midday & sat in the Beautiful Sunshine in the pretty Flowery Garden . We ordered a bottle of wine & a few Beers. We asked for a Menu to have some Lunch &...

I have to say from beginning to end one of the best meals we have had in years. Each plate absolutely amazing. Construction of flavours, tiny touches like lemon grass micro greens made each dish surprising. Could not fault even a mouthful.

The Bell has a long standing reputation for good food, and based on our first experience it's well deserved. We've eaten in a few Michelin restaurants, and some items were certainly very close to that standard. Lamb scrumpet and the Heritage Tomato Salad (both starters)...

Let me preface this review by saying I totally acknowledge we were 30 minutes late for the booking (a group of business people from across Europe who had delayed flights so our meeting in Basildon overran) the waitress (who was nice in actual fact) was...

Had an absolutely spectacular lunch. Been coming here for over 20 years & it never disappoints. The food today was epic, as good, if not better than any Michelin stared restaurant. Strongly advise a visit.

Great place to eat great food, no freezer to microwave slop here. Staff friendly & helpful, would definitely recommend.

Nice beamed bar and restaurant. Welcoming staff as I was staying here as a lone traveller for work. Great real ale. Food prices on the higher side, but really good. Arrived a little late, so didn’t want too much so chose olives instead of a...

Another lovely visit. Tucked away at the top of the building in the Hideaway room. Great views over the surrounding countryside to the Thames. Spotless wet room with large bath and walk in shower. Superb meal in the evening. Service and food too notch. Breakfast...

Last minute booking. Loved the return, as good as ever. Great food, efficient friendly staff Another really enjoyable experience

Always a great meal. British pub if the 1993. The wood panelled rooms give a feel of a village pub, but don’t be fooled, while it is a nice casual pub, the food in the restaurant is very much fine dining. Always great food. Great...

Visited The Bell on Friday lunchtime and was very impressed. Everything was brilliant: I had duck which was delicious and succulent. My husband had the pork which he loved. Desserts were equally good and the staff and service great. We took home a selection of...

This is an old favourite for us and we enjoyed it again this time. We booked ahead for 12 midday and it wasn't busy then but soon started to fill up, good for a Monday. I had the beef confit suet pudding, my wife the...

Many years ago my friends and I always would visit Christmas Eve for a few drinks. It always had a great atmosphere and I’ve fond memories. Visiting family locally we decided to try an overnight stay with dinner. What an excellent choice. Lovely (upgraded) room....

Went back on Saturday lunchtime after a 38 year gap and the food and service were still really, really good. Had a nice chat with Christine and then John came over too. I can recommend the gravadlax starter and the calves’ liver main. My wife’s...

We have been going to the Bell for over 10 years to celebrate my mums birthday because she loved the food. We had to miss last year because of Covid but we were determined to go this year and the food and service was up...

Went here for family meal and it was excellent. Been here for meal on a week day and it was gorgeous food so decided to try out sunday menu. We all had roast and it was delicious... All cooked lovely and presentation was very nice....

We turned up without a booking (an unforgivable sin in these covid times but we had been let down by the hotel we stayed in). They cheerfully said we could sit anywhere and duly brought us the menues and drinks. The beer and wine were...