The Bell Inn Panfield in Braintree

The Bell serves the best food. The staff are really friendly and nothing is too much trouble. If you are missing your Mums Sunday roast, then this is the place to come. Even during the week, the food is proper home-made cooking at its best.

Wonderful atmosphere, friendly, helpful staff. Food reasonably priced, plentiful and very tasty.

Hired for our wedding day: September 2024 bride & groom Myself and my partner hired the bell inn for our wedding day. From the very start just from messaging to book for a viewing, we were welcomed straight away. We met with the co-ordinator within a few days from messaging. We booked well in advance as we know venues for weddings do get booked up. We arrived and we was met with the lovely co-ordinator katie. She made us at ease straight away. So friendly and so approachable. We worked through all our plans for the big day. Nothing was an issue, everything was tailored for us, we had future meetings to the build up to the big day. We made different changes just a few week before the big day and nothing was a issue, the bell inn did everything to make everything possible from the smallest details to the biggest details. We met with majority of the team through our meetings, everyone we met were incredibly friendly, really made us feel so welcome. We want to say a massive thank you to the bell inn and the team for arranging our absolutely amazing wedding day. You all did such an amazing job. You all worked so hard to give us such a great day. Everything ran incredibly, the service, the food, absolutely delicious and at such a high standard, the decorations you put out for us was out of this world. We got so many compliments from our guests. From the very start you made us feel so welcome and at ease, working along side the co ordinator katie and the team to produce our day was the greatest. Thank you again sooo much, we will definitely recommend the bell inn to other's becuase you did outstanding.

Delicious food that tastes genuinely home cooked. Generous portions. Service was great, friendly and polite. The perfect spot for a family lunch.

I was passing by and dropped into the Bell for lunch. It is a nice, old timber-framed village pub with a welcoming atmosphere. My attention was drawn to the Over 55s lunch and I began with an excellent helping of fish and chips. I was feeling rather full after and the waitress offered to put my dessert of apple and blackberry crumble with custard into a doggie bag to take away with me. I ate it that evening and it was delicious. I had a pot of tea before I left. The staff were very friendly and attentive. Very impressed!

Brilliant landlord and staff. Lovely food and a great village pub.

Friendly staff, lovely food , definitely book in advance.

Lovely friendly place, lovey food

Lovely 😍 staff , landlord and lady great , food fab service was excellent , we were made so welcome , parked our vw campervan overnight here so we could enjoy drinks and food, dropped in after visiting my home town Braintree Bocking, Paul Gurton & Sally xx

Great pub and restaurant. Drove past a few times as new to the area and finally went in yesterday. Fantastic food, good prices and great staff. Highly recommend for a pint or for dinner with family

Came with friends for the over 55yrs it was amazing, the staff was so helpful + friendly the food was the best plus the price .

Lovely little village pub. Food was lovely, portions are great and price was so affordable. Staff were really welcoming and friendly and went above and beyond regarding allergies. Honestly can't fault them one bit and will definitely be eating there more often.

A proper old school pub serving delicious food and great portions. Excellent service too. A tucked away gem which is worth a find.

Food was sub par, everything else is brilliant. Atmosphere, service and space outside and inside 😄

Thriving, well priced village pub, busy, worth booking

Real oldy, worldy pub. 1500 build date very atmospheric, just sitting makes you wish the walls could talk. Great staff. Great stopover.

We popped into The Bell Inn on our holiday. A very friendly pub. We had ‘Steak & Ale’ pie for dinner and it is possibly one on the best pies I’ve ever had. Absolutely recommend visiting ‘The Bell Inn’. 5 stars from me.

Great local pub offering homely food at reasonable prices. Nothing to write home about, but a comfortable place to eat & drink. Regular music gigs are extremely popular with locals and visitors alike. Excellent management and staff who do a great job for their customers.

We love this pub. We were visiting a relative who has been ill for quite some time earlier in the week. He looked a bit brighter on this day so I mentioned coming here. For the first time in a long time he perked up and seemed excited to go. I rang up the pub before lunch and spoke to a lovely woman who somehow squeezed us in for a table at 12:00. This amazing gesture made an elderly gent very very happy. The beef and Ale pie is amazing and the deserts of sponge pudding and custard and cheese cake went down a treat. A wonderful pub. Amazing food and superb staff .

Lovely atmosphere super Sunday lunch friendly staff Only downside we had to book 3 weeks ahead, as its so popular!!!

Went here for lunch with some friends on a walk, there were 8 of us. No complaints from any of us. Food was superb.

After the wettest February on record and soaking wet first 2 days of March we pulled into The Bell Inn. We had called and booked a table for a meal. We were greeted by the friendly landlady who told us where to park our motorhome ( their usual area was waterlogged) in their small car park. We popped in and had a quick drink, we couldn’t have been made to feel more welcome. Our meals were the best pub meals we have had for a long time, the staff could not have been more helpful or friendly. Well Done to the crew. We will be back !

After the wettest February on record and soaking wet first 2 days of March we pulled into The Bell Inn. We had called and booked a table for a meal. We were greeted by the friendly landlady who told us where to park our motorhome ( their usual area was waterlogged) in their small car park. We popped in and had a quick drink, we couldn’t have been made to feel more welcome. Our meals were the best pub meals we have had for a long time, the staff could not have been more helpful or friendly. Well Done to the crew. We will be back !

Excellent delicious food every time Home cooked fresh food great value excellent service 3 course Sunday roast for only £18.95 and freshly cooked to perfection. The hardest part is what to choose because it is all absolutely lovely and more than you can want If you haven't been give it a try you will not be disappointed but you will be back for more

Fantastic all round will return x

Great food staff are all very friendly and we had excellent service. Would have no hesitation in recommending.

Fantastic place Good food Good beer Good prices

Our 1st visit and was not disappointed! Food was amazing! Home cooked and huge portions! Staff friendly. Great atmosphere. Will def visit again soon

Best roast Ever Lovely staff Excellent!!!

Amazing vegan options, cozy and lovely service.

This was our third visit. the food never disappoints home cooking and hearty meals .The staff are polite cheerful and attentive. Looking forward to our next visit for a Sunday Roast .

Great food lovely pub will definetly go again 👍

11 of us had Christmas lunch at The Panfield Bell - amazing food, staff were fantastic, lovely atmosphere- already booked for next year!

Was disappointed in the christmas menu. I chose a sea bass choice. That came with sprouts, carrots, cauliflower. Sea bass was over cooked and small. The plate seemed loaded with new potatoes. Definately not the best I've had here as normally the food is good.

Simple food. Well prepared. Nice atmosphere. V friendly service. Good value.

Good variety of meals available, friendly prompt service, nice open fire, meals were a little pricey but we had good portions and food was very tasty.

It was a wake. But well catered friendly staff

Wow what an enjoyable evening. We had a really lovely experience, the atmosphere was lovely and service was brilliant. The food was excellent. We had several Vegans in the party of 10 and the Pub had 4 Vegan choices on the Main Menu and also 2 vegan puddings. The Vegan Paella was excellent also another recommendation was the Vegan Fudge Cake which was delicious. The other items on the menu for non vegans were excellent too and were enjoyed by all. So definitely recommend this Pub.

Fantastic Sunday lunch for my birthday , staff were excellent made sure we had everything we needed , the food was lovely , good portions excellent quality and the desserts were just like grandma use to make , a fantastic homemade meal .

Very good service, decent food at good prices.

The service and food were excellent. The staff went out of their way to find alternatives for our daughter and it was really appreciated. The quantities were great too. Definitely recommended.

Good honest country pub selling excellent home made grub. Recommended the stake and ale pie 🥧

The service was good the food is always good the quality and the quantity of the food is superb for the money Regards Marilyn

Squeezed in at last minute, great roast.

A lovely evening in a friendly put with great atmosphere and superb food

We use the bell a lot and have never been disappointed, food always excellent and service brilliant,we always make sure we book now as it’s so popular.

Food is all lovely, home made portions are big, lovely staff we go there with the family all the time now

Had an amazing meal for my sister's birthday, amazing food ,good friendly service , great menu choice and very reasonable price, highly recommend for anyone wishing to dine out

Well we came here as a family for lunch to celebrate an Aunties Birthday. The Roast Dinner was simply "The best food" we had all eaten. Very good portion size and Great value for money. Staff were very friendly and welcoming. Homemade cheesecake and Amazing chocolate fudge cake. Might have to get the recipe...

Attentive smiling waitress, good food served in an old wood beamed dining area with a cosy wood fire. Try the steak and ale pie, it's huge and packed full of tender beef and at a very reasonable price

A lovely “proper’ pub. I was made to feel extremely welcome and I am not a local. The food is amazing - good portions & good value for money. All home made & it shows. The staff are all lovely & so hardworking - would definitely go back !

Amazing food and lots of it. Real pub grub. The gammon was to die for, thick cut and so tender. My wife had beef and ale pie, totally loved it.

Super value, great quality and lovely atmosphere. The home made pie was stuffed with good quality, well cooked beef and the portion sizes are incredible value; definitely recommend it, we come back most weeks.

Great family run pub. Staff friendly and welcoming. Good pub grub. Excellent value and good portions. Best village pub around.

We had the over 55's lunch, which is mains, dessert and tea or coffee, good choice of food. Fantastic value, Fantastic service

Fabulous food, great value and the staff went above and beyond. Highly recommend this wonderful pub/restaurant

This is a great village pub and a hidden gem. The food is out of this world, traditional pub meals, all freshly prepared and homemade, great portions and very good value. They normally have three real ales on tap all of good standards, this pub knows how to look after their beer. A big bonus was their beer festival a few weeks ago a fantastic weekend free entry great beers and live music all weekend, I can’t wait till the next one. Ohh and I cannot forget the staff they are fantastic, polite, helpful and the locals always make you feel welcome. Great little traditional pub.

Food menu hasn’t changed in over 2 years. Very predictable. Needs new decor. Furniture is old and carpet is smelly

Recently visited The Bell for its Beer festival. Nice and busy with plenty of people enjoying themselves. Some live music and a hog roast went down well. The staff were friendly and welcoming. This was my 3rd (or maybe 4th) visit and I’ve enjoyed it every time. The Hog roast was good and I’ve previously tried the BBQ when it’s been on which has also been very good. Next I plan to book for the restaurant as what I’ve seen coming out to the tables made my mouth water. Everything a village pub should be.

Amazing food , great portions and loads of vegan choices and fabulous puddings . We had a family celebration .. 20 of us … lots of dietary requirements .. nothing was a problem . We returned and enjoyed an intimate lunch for 2 … just as good . We sat at the bar before we ate and we overheard a member of staff (Linda) helping someone plan a wake . The restaurant was busy but she was so attentive, compassionate and kind and patient … it was truly touching . As they left she gently said “we are so sorry for your loss” … it’s the little details like that make the Bell special place . Cracking food … great wine ( the el mazo Tempranillo is awesome) and amazing staff .

We had a midday meal fri and Sun lunch, both good and service great. Also, there For the beer festival all weekend, a great time had by all.

Didn't manage to have food as we arrived quite late. They fitted us in to stay in our campervan, even though they were very busy. Everybody was friendly and the atmosphere was great. Good quality pint at a decent price.

Didn't have food as we were late and there was a lot going on. They were catering for a race and a football match. Amazing atmosphere, staff really friendly. Drinks were good and reasonably priced. They allowed us to stay over with our camper van, even though they were very busy. Also dog friendly so a big thumbs up from us. Thanks guys.

Excellent local pub with great beers and fantastic food try the beef and ale pie . Thier Sunday roasts are very good too .

We went to the Bell today for the over 55 lunch 2 courses , the food was amazing and large portions for specials , we had fish and chips it was gorgeous so tasty and apple crumble best I have tasted , all the meals and desserts are lovely and you also get a free hot drink included in the price , the staff are so friendly and welcome our little puppy as well , you must book as they are so busy, we have already booked for our next meal , also we must try the Sunday roasts they have been highly recommended to us , we are lucky to find this lovely pub restaurant

This place is an absolute gem. Food is always perfect, service is exceptional and a great atmosphere and amazing beers as well. Can't praise Graham and the team highly enough. p.s. the Sunday lunch menu is incredibly good value but you need to book well...

Went to the Bell for dinner today, good hearty food beautifully prepared. Lots of favourites on the menu. We had lasagne, steak and ale pie and scampi. All were excellent and served by really friendly staff. We'll definitely be going back.

Had a family lunch this afternoon and had a wonderful time. Food was hot, fresh and delicious. Lovely atmosphere, gorgeous weather, just an all round great pub. Will definitely be back!

Absolutely love this pub. Good vibes, lovely staff and delicious food. It’s great for events too! Always have a fab time here.

The staff were welcoming, accommodating us with food, although the kitchen was due to close, served with a smile, food exceptional and reasonably priced

1st ever visit. What a brilliant location and what a brilliant place. Live music for the day. This will now be our regular local. Regardless of the "events" going on. Not long moved to near by the area and on the off wanted a good ole country pub. WE FOUND it...!!! Good staff friendly and helpful service. Looking at the food being served I'm looking forward to tucking in on our next visit. LOL clean toilets.

Lovely pub food and lovely atmosphere. Was very welcoming of our puppy at the bar where we could grab a bite to eat after she had been training on their grounds.

I had my 30th birthday party here. The staff were all amazing, very helpful and attentive to everyone. We chose the BBQ food and it was a great hit with everyone. The venue itself is such a lovely place, even if it’s a bit of...

A really wonderful old style village pub and restaurant. Excellent, friendly staff and a great menu selection serving food of the highest quality. Wide selection of wines and beer so you will not be disappointed. Suggest you book in advance as very popular. Highly recommended.

Had a lovely roast dinner here today . Will Def be going back.

Beautiful home cooked food, fresh and piping hot. Huge portions so we barely had room for dessert but couldn’t say no to a chocolate sundae. Brilliant service, lovely cosy pub. We’ll definitely be back!

Lovely staff, great food, great place for a gathering too.

Lunch out day at The Bell Inn dog friendly pub always a plus book table late last night after emailing them with quick response. 3 meals Raunch Burger, beef Lasagna, Hallumi salad plenty of food for value for money staff friendly and warm welcome. Lovely big garden at parking ok but plenty of space around village with short walk. We are lucky to live within a couple of miles from pub if you like to walk there in the countryside it a must. Thank you for a lovely day.

Great food and menu choices. Good size portions. Desserts a little bit on the expensive side.

Lovely pub with a great garden for a beer in the summer and a nice cosy bar. Good food too

Staff were friendly and helpful, food was really good and hot, price very good for 2 coarse £9.95 for the over 55 lunchtime.

The Bell Inn is a brilliant venue for just a drink or treat yourself to a meal either lunch time or evening, great choice from the menu to suit all tastes and the staff are very friendly and you are made welcome from the minute you enter the pub ...

Nice country pub. We all enjoyed our meals. Good value for money. Lovely friendly, helpful staff. Lovely evening.

Friendly local pub, carpark and dogs welcome in bar

Very pleasant meal here. Good priced wine list, small, but enough choice for a pub supper. Attentive staff and I got to try my first ever alcohol free Tanqueray gin, which was excellent ! Will revisit later in the year.

The Bell Inn is best described as a village pub that serves quality food that is cooked fresh and served hot. My family of 5 booked for an evening meal. We had 3 Fish & Chips, 1 Lasagna and 1 Liver & Bacon. All came...

Went here for my In Laws 70th wedding anniversary celebrations. Lovely buffet supplied by themselves, proper old school buffet, sandwiches, sausage rolls etc. Lovely comfortable venue and lovely staff. Thank you.

Lovely friendly pub, food is great, lovely place

Nice local pub. Haven't tried the food but it is supposed to be good

Fantastic, fantastic, fantastic In this day and age it is such a wonderful surprise to find a pub with such great food, lovely staff and wonderful atmosphere. Miss this at your peril!

Great food at a great price and lovely pub so homely and comfortable

Een many times and always had friendly warm reception,and food for the price is unbelievable value and quality

Very friendly service. Good food at a reasonable price. Welcoming atmosphere.

Loved the meals and the staff are amazing

Friendly staff quality food extremely reasonable 100% return again! Came as recommendation and we also high recommend sometimes booking is a must but always worth it!

Staff were So friendly and Welcoming. Food was amazing. Tiger Prawns in Filo...Yum Yum... followed by a main course of the best Hunters chicken I've Ever had. Hope to be back again in the future.Tiny the Sussex Taxi driver

The Sunday roast here is really good! A very tasty traditional English meal with all the fixings like Yorkshire pudding and delicious mint sauce for the lamb. I highly recommend the weekend dish! We ate here a couple times this trip and played with our kiddo in the soccer field after dinner one of the nights. Great cozy vibe and they have a great bar area and senior lunch specials.

A great place to meet up with friends on a summers day. Able to sit outside at this busy pub which was great. Going on a weekday, we were able to take advantage of the Over 55s menu - two courses plus tea or coffee. I had the fish and chips which was excellent. Staff good, food good and so was the cider!

Nice atmosphere. Very quick from ordering food to being served

Delicious food, large portions & always served piping hot. Staff are friendly & helpful. 10/10