The Bell Inn/Pub in East Cambridgeshire

Good location for Newmarket, poor service. The rooms are outside in the car park & are small but clean & modern. Lots of noise potential when busy. Service lacklustre. Expensive for what you get.

I have NEVER gone into a pub and TOLD to pay for my drink not even a good evening just CARD OR CASH before I got served OUTRAGEOUS I would not go again and recommend others to do the same

Fantastic service and atmosphere when we celebrated a friend's 70th birthday recently. Wonderful hospitality, service and great food as ever.

Myself and my partner came for a meal here and I really wish we hadn’t. The food wasn’t terrible but it was horrendously overpriced. The young girls working were absolutely lovely, very professional and long suffering. The woman with short hair (assuming it was owner) was so incredibly rude to her staff. She shouted at them audibly from the kitchen several times making everyone dining very uncomfortable. She was even was rude to customers!! Absolutely shocking customer manner. She was so unwelcoming and really should spend less time shouting at her fantastic staff and more time on a customer service training course. I’ve never experienced anyone so abrasive or nasty. We overheard her making some outrageous comments to her young staff while setting up a large table in another room, really sad to see. Would never go back..do not spend your money here!

The Bell had kindly put balloons on the table as our booking was for a birthday celebration, nice touch. Service was professional and good, we all enjoyed our food. Unfortunately the evening was somewhat spoilt at the end. 1 of the party had made and brought a birthday cake, we asked if it was ok to have the cake at the table and after checking (behind the scenes, with management I guess) the barman not only said it was ok but he offered and arranged plates. The birthday girl went up to pay the bill and gave a tip, only then, after payment did the very attentive and professional waitress come back to the table and say she had been told she had to charge a £2.50 supplement for each of us for eating our own cake!! She was very embarrassed and returned the tip. Had we been told when we asked that there was to be a supplement we would not have had the cake. A disappointing end to the evening which was a real shame. We would recommend The Bell but would also suggest you take heed of what happened to us. None of us will be going back as it has left a bad taste.

We had the most delicious meal at The Bell today. I have never had a halloumi burger as tasty as that before and would highly recommend you visit. Lovely old pub with great service, great atmosphere and very good food. We most certainly will be going back

Very nice hotel. Clean had everything me and my girlfriend needed!

Most delicious food and friendliest staff. Definitely going back for another meal.

Thank you Sheena, David & Staff for making our Wedding reception so memorable. From the decorations, fantastic food and music. Everyone had such a brilliant time and said how lovely the food was. We all stayed in the rooms which are very impressive, also it was the best shower I have had in a long time. Anyone wants to celebrate and have a party I highly recommend The Bell Inn nothing is too much trouble and they really seem to care. Thanks again xxxx

Great place to stop when visiting the area for a wedding. Clean comfortable room that had everything we needed. Real shame they don’t do breakfast as everything else is 5 star!

Quality Sunday roast lunch . Well cooked beef, huge Yorkshire pudding, delicious cauliflower with cheese sauce, roast potatoes, mashed potato, parsnips, mashed swede, baby carrots, tender stem broccoli and greens . Good value and very efficient and pleasant service . Lovely cosy atmosphere too .

Great pub..Busy, friendly with a fantastic choice of drinks at very reasonable prices . Super food too.

We've just had the most wonderful experience at the Bell Inn, amazing food, fantastic service nothing was too much trouble. We thoroughly enjoyed Mr Motown and what a brilliant atmosphere it was, thankyou all

We loved it here, 8 of our family all met up here for a Sunday lunch and we couldn't fault it. The meals came out for us all and then plate after plate after plate of vegetables and yorkshires and mash and cauliflower cheese just kept coming for us all to dig into and share around. It was fantastic and everyone really enjoyed themselves, all the staff were lovely and friendly. Its in a great location for us all to meet from our different directions so we will definitely be back

The Bell Inn is an attractive building suited in a convenient location close to Newmarket. We ate in the restaurant and enjoyed our meal and the staff were friendly and efficient. Unfortunately the rest of our stay was very disappointing; There was no breakfast available- this was not made clear to us when booking. There was no check out - we were told to leave our key in the door of our room. The room was not cleaned to an acceptable standard and the toilet was soiled under the seat. There was no hot water and we therefore had to have cold showers in the morning, For the price of £140 this was not good value.

Lovely home cooked pub food. Not the masses produced type of food you get in most pubs nowadays. All 5 of us loved our meals. Highly recommend the waffles they are to die for.

Fantastic Sunday roast and really lovely staff. We came across this place purely by chance but will definitely go back and highly recommend. The food was great and the portions huge! The staff were so friendly too. We came away happy, full and with a smile.

Friends & I went for the Bottomless brunch. The food was fantastic and the drinks were genuinely bottomless. Staff were amazing, so friendly so welcoming and they went above and beyond for us. Would highly recommend.

The hotel itself was lovely. The double bed was two singles together but I was solo travelling so it was fine. I enjoyed the food although chips weren’t great. The staff were really friendly and nice. The ribs were really good though and I enjoyed the room very much because it had plugs, a nice bathroom and a fridge. I’d recommend anyone going here for work purposes.

Lovely Food, very pleasant, helpful and polite staff. Covid regulations in place and adhered to by all staff.

Met here with family who were visiting area and located in South Norfolk as mid-point and enjoyed a delicious meal on Sat night. The menu is quite traditional pub fayre with a nod to earlier times, prawn cocktail, whitebait, chicken liver pate et-al for starters and steaks, pie and chilli on the main menu. To compliment this there are a number of vegetarian and seafood dishes, I chose the sticky ribs which were very tasty and well cooked with meat falling easily away from the bone. For dessert old favourites such as knickerbocker glory and sticky toffee pudding among others. The service was efficient and friendly and meant we had a very enjoyable experience and good value too. Good choice of beers, wines spirits etc to accompany your meal. Be more than happy to revisit when next dining in the area.

Recently visited the Bell for Sunday dinner as a table of 6, its a very busy pub and service was a tad slow but defiantly made up for by the food the roast was by far the best I have had dinning out for a very long time would highly recommend but booking essential

We went for the Amy Winehouse Tribute night which we was looking forward too we were the first people to arrive and I asked for a table in the bar area so we could see the act but even though there was 8 empty tables in the front of the bar including a few tables for 2 but we was given a table right around the back in the corner with no chance of seeing anything.The place got overcrowded by 8.30am and they only had one person behind the bar and one man taking all the orders for food which is ridiculous on a Saturday night. I asked why they did employ more staff and the lady replied I do everything and we cannot afford to pay other people and there was no sign of the manager or manageress of the pub. The service was dreadful and we waited ages for our food order to be taken and then ages for our meal to arrive we sat down at 7.30 and got served our meal at 9pm. The table for 2 in the main bar I had asked for was still vacant in all this time and we could of easily been placed there but the rude lady behind the bar said we must stay at our allocated table (in the corner around the back) we had no chance of seeing the singer even if we walked into the bar which was full with loads of people waiting to be served drinks, we got a taxi home very disappointed and would never return again, avoid any tribute nights at this place its not worth it with such rude staff and bad service.

For ages we have been trying to find somewhere that did the perfect roast! Well I need look no further. The Bell was amazing, food was cooked perfect, tasted oustanding, portions were substantial and Tim and the rest of the staff couldn't be friendlier or more helpful. Fantastic atmosphere. Would highly recommend to anyone.

I don’t often write a review but I came away feeling really disappointed so felt the need to share my experience.We stopped here for lunch with our 4 month old daughter after dropping our dog at the AHT for a scan.There were a few people in the immediate bar area and there was a nice fire roaring. Unfortunately we were shown to a table in the back room, there were no other customers in this area and there was plenty of seating available in another area of the bar. The room was very cold, so much so I had to keep my jacket on. The beer my husband ordered tasted off. The beer was replaced with no issues but my husband said it was no better.When we ordered, we were told the pulled pork burger had run out so my husband had to choose something else quickly. We both had the crab sandwich which for £8 I was expecting to be well presented on really nice bread etc but it was just a bog standard sandwich and was quite bland. So it was very overpriced. This chips were good, but also overpriced.After our lunch we asked if we could move through to the bar for coffee but we were told no.. because we had a baby. By this point there wasn’t anyone left in the pub anyway. I’m not sure if this is a law but we’ve never had an issue before at any other pub. We were also told that the pub shuts at 3pm, which was fine but it was only 2ish so we weren’t going to be drinking coffee for an hour! This made us feel unwelcome and rushed.All in all a disappointing experience and an overpriced lunch.

Booked to have Saturday birthday celebrations here with a big family get together. We booked in advance and were asked to pre book our meal choices so the kitchen could be prepared for our arrival. On arrival our drinks orders were taken and we were shown to our table in the room just behind main bar area. The room is quite large but with a private feel. The main bar had an open fire but glad there wasn't one in our dining room as it would have felt too hot. The staff were helpful and prompt with bringing out our food. Everyone enjoyed their food and not many of us had the same food choices. We'd like to thank the staff for all they did and we will be returning very soon!

Called in on the off chance as we passed by. Many pubs don’t serve food on a Monday. This one did, and what a treat! The sea bass was melt in the mouth. My husband loved the mushroom and cashew nut stroganoff. The vegetables were done to perfection.The lady who served us was very friendly. And to top it all a REAL fire. Not the ubiquitous wood burner!

Great meal,great service, great time had by all, been before and will definitely be back, oh and exceptional waiter.

Charming little local restaurant with a decent variety to choose from on the menu. Would highly recommend this place for a nice evening out.

... because once you get inside you won't want to leave !The Tudor style building looks very attractive from the outside, and it's equally attractive on the inside. A lovely mix of modern furniture with the Tudor structure. Everything is very clean and in very good condition and a lovely ambience. It has both a modern and cosy feel, especially with the open fire. The food is very good and the staff are so friendly and welcoming. This place is worth going out of your way to visit whether just for drinks or a meal. It's in our favourites list for our next trip to Cambridgeshire and Suffolk

A friendly pub with excellent food. Ever since it’s refurbishment The Bell has never failed to impress. We popped in this time for a meal out instead of cooking and had a well cooked and presented meal at a good price. The steak pie was a slice of real pie instead of the usual pub bowl with a crust top. Extra gravy as standard was much appreciated. All the staff were friendly and attentive without being over present. Will definitely go again.

Can’t recommend the Bell Kennett enough Sunday lunch was one of the best I’ve had, my partner and I have enjoyed other meals there and every one equally as good as the last. The staff are very friendly, good atmosphere we will definitely be back.

Was looking for somewhere between Bury St Edmunds and Newmarket for a evening meal as the family live in both towns so booked a table last night!

Met for brunch and drinks very nice breakfast lovely fire great menu choice not rushed at all sat had leisurely meal

Had a lovely stay over Christmas, the room was perfectly clean, stunning room, went to all extremes to make our stay amazing..more than accommodating, kind and friendly staff. Breakfast was lovely.. can’t wait to go back

Very rude and unhelpful owners , made to feel it was all to much for them to cope with. Hot stuffy rooms . Over priced breakfast .Over priced rooms . Overall very disappointing , would not recommend .

I'm very disappointed that the review I posted on 25th December 2019, with one star review and titled "horrible experience", has been taken down without any notice whatsoever. I can only imagine that the owner of this place has reported it "inappropriate" or something. But you would normally receive something from TripAdvisor if this happens right?

This is basically a pub with chalet style rooms in the yard. For £120 a night -without breakfast - this does not represent value for money. As a group of family and friends, we had hoped for a place to gather but the pub was closed in the afternoons and also Sunday evening. Breakfast HAD to be ordered in advance and I have never before been given choice of coffee OR juice! For £12.50 - acceptable if you are having full English but not if you prefer a light breakfast.

We popped in for a Saturday lunch and the food and service was excellent. Whitney and Bobby were excellent hosts and we had a really good time. Beautiful Christmas decorations too. The soup was delicious! Will definitely come back on our next visit to the area.

We've had the most horrible stay at this Inn. The service is beyond appauling! Customer service is never heard of! Please do not stay here!!

It's difficult to know where to start with this. We were a party of twelve, a family group staying overnight prior to attending a nearby wedding the next day. The first of many problems occurred with pre-ordering the meals required for our group. We were emailed a booking form for the meals for the group which we were instructed to send back by email. Unfortunately, the booking form was not in a 'writeable' format, so I meticulously listed the meals required for everyone in our group on an email and sent this to the manageress. She replied saying that was not acceptable, it has to be the official form.I then had to print off the completed official form and send it by post! We also had a child with food allergies within our group and were told over the 'phone that this would present no problems, just let them know his requirements on arrival (this conversation was later denied by the manageress,basically implying my wife to be a liar)The conversation went as follows: ''could you do a jacket potato for this child''? the reply: ''can't do a jacket potato'' ''ok , so could he have some chips''? the reply: '' we can't do chips tonight'' both answers delivered without apology in an extremely rude manner. The child ended up with a sausage and a few baked beans, which he only got to eat after an argument disputing whether we had actually booked 12 meals. We were, however, at the end of the meal, presented with 'complimentary' cheese boards which were then promptly removed 2 minutes later before we had a chance to eat them, because the girl had sent them to the wrong table!The meals themselves were ok, but nothing special for the price. After the meal, we retired to our rooms, which were quite something - cramped and stupefyingly hot, this, courtesy of the under floor heating, which resisted all attempts at lowering the temperature.Not exactly good value at £90 per night (which included a discount because we ordered a meal, normally it's £120) Breakfast (not included in the price, obviously) was ok, apart from the incinerated black pudding which was completely inedible, again, one would expect better for £12.50.I could write a lot more, but to sum up: the managers are rude, offhand and unhelpful; the rooms are barely habitable, unless you wish to sleep with the door open to remove some of the heat, and how on earth this place has averaged 4 stars is quite beyond me, and everyone else in our party.I exempt from any criticism the young waitresses who were polite and pleasant, something their employers most certainly were not.My advice: avoid, you can do so much better for the money.

Lovely relaxing night for the Madonna and Kylie tribute night...very friendly staff, plenty of entertainment and the food was superb!! Requested particular seating for my poorly friend at the last minute and this was arranged ...she got a perfect view of the performance (Thanks Sheena) a very nice vibes place...tastefully chrismassy and will definitely be returning!! Rebecca Steer

Very festive with lights and baubles hanging from the old oak beams, had steak and ale pie which was delicious. Proper gravy and plenty of veg. Minor complaint - the roast potatoes were not crispy and slightly undercooked, otherwise no complaints. Had no room for dessert. Maybe next time. Great value.

We phoned the pub on saturday requesting a table for Sunday lunch the following day. We asked for a table at 1pm and were asked if we could do 12.30 instead agreed to this and arrived at 12.15. The pub was virtually empty however we got drinks and the menus arrived, no traditional Sunday roasts. Surely we should have been informed of this when we booked, we were told they would be doing traditional Sunday lunches later in October. We decided to finish our drinks and go somewhere else to eat. Whilst we were there a group of 10 came in to eat and were turned away as they hadn't booked. Not sure why we were told on the phone they would have preferred us to arrive at 12.30pm and not 1pm as they had no customers anyway. To be honest I'd have to say all in all a pretty unwelcoming hostelry to say the least and with so many other pubs around I wouldn't go back.

The best description i can give the food is processed. I don't expect to go into a venue like this and be served a pie that has been microwaved. Or cheap tasting chips.

here for meals on sept. 28th, I had seabass and 2 friends the chicken jalfrezzi, all very good meals, one soup starter for 1 guest and strawberry desert for me, great food and the service was very efficient and very friendly, certainly recommended ....Gary B .

What a lovely warm and inviting place to stay. When we arrived we had a lovely lunch, well done chef a homemade steak pie lip licking delicious! Room was beautiful everything you could want with a perfect size shower, soft towels and a large tall oscillating fan. After the races we had a couple of night caps in the bar and was made to feel most welcome. Breakfast the next day was set to feed a king!! Thank you we will recommend you Bell Inn kindest regards Dawn

The food is just amazing here 10 out of 10 . I recommend you all to come here .im here all week and looking forward to seeing what i can have for my tea tomorrow night .. You need to book as it does get a wee bit busy. Im also stopping in the pubs hotel to . Room are fantastic clean and very comfortable. Staff very friendly and helpful too .. Thank you very much..

Dined here before and it wasn’t an unpleasant experience so I thought I would give it a go for lunch.

Family meet up for a meal all tasty an good Just a let down on desert NO CUSTARD to serve ??? So who lost out ?

We have recently visited this exceptional premises overnight. The welcome we received from the all the team was second to none. The room was very clean and comfortable and the food and service absolute perfection. We will certainly be returning.

I booked this place for a overnight business trip to Bury St Edmunds as I live 250 miles north. The photos and reviews looked great.

Meeting up with friends we had not been to the Bell Inn before. Beverley, serving drinks was very friendly and helpful we had drinks outside whilst looking at the menu, no pressure to order just took our time. We had starters and main and all the food was excellent. Be prepared for very generous portions. Food was well cooked, well presented and good value. Definitely we’ll visit again

I stayed here for one night purely for convenience as I needed to work close by the next day.

It was my birthday so Itook some of my family to lunch at the Bell,a friendly welcome and a reasonable meal with friends what more can you want.As always well served meal at a reasonable price .A nice little pub thanks to all staff who made it an enjoyable time.

This establishment is a little gem of a find!! this beautiful old quaint pub with a new 10 bedroom accommodation on site with plenty of parking and only 5miles away from Newmarket racecourse. We was greeted by a lovely member of bar staff when we checked in, to meeting the owner to which went through all the accommodation and made us feel very welcome nothing was a problem in regards to booking a table for dinner or booking a taxi to the race course.

Stayed here for 3 nights for work. First night was ok. Was told that they stopped food orders at 20.30 which was ok as I arrived at 8 so we ate straight away. Food was good and that was that. Second night we decided to venture out after being told we had to order before 8pm. Third night was disappointing. Ordered the chilli which had hard bits in it due to it being microwaved. Didn’t really say anything as not one to complain. There was a really lovely young girl behind the bar, taking orders etc that was really pleasant throughout the whole stay. Always asked if we needed another drink and couldn’t do enough. Shame I had to listen to what must have been her rather large boss telling her off at the corner of the bar about an earlier ordeal that must’ve happened earlier. Poor girl didn’t know what to say and could tell it really affected her afterwards. There’s a time and place and that wasn’t either. Not only that visited the toilet to find the chef didn’t wash his hands properly after going. Swilling your hands quickly without drying them isn’t on. I can handle the latter but could only see bullying in my eyes! Won’t come again.

Went for Sunday lunch, food was excellent, staff very friendly and great service. Would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting good well presented home cooking & lovely atmosphere. Can’t wait to go again.

I had a bit of time to wait locally before a meeting so decided to have lunch here. Nice old beamed building with an open fire. There was a little while to wait for my table and food but luckily I had enough time to enjoy freshly prepared leek and potato soup (proper lumps) and scampi and handcut chips. Set me up nicely.

Met with five colleagues to share updates in our lives and to enjoy a meal together. The food was great - I had a sea bass and one old-timer had a plateful of ribs to get help to complete. Also had a good local brew recommended by my friend who is a regular.

Thank you so much for a wonderful experience with you yesterday.

Passing and looked nice, so popped in.

Visited The Bell for lunch today, food was fabulous, well presented, well cooked only surpassed by excellent waitress service. Thank you for making our first date special.

My friends from Bedfordshire and us from Norfolk usually meet up every 3 months somewhere in the middle and last night was the first time that we had visited The Bell at Kennett. The main bar was decorated artistically and with the roaring fire, gave the place a very festive ambiance. Out table was booked for 6.30pm and being early we had a drink in the bar whilst looking through the menu. Two of our party are vegetarians and the choices given far exceeded the usual vegetable lasagne or omelette. They both opted for the Stilton quiche and said it was amazing. My partner chose the chicken burger, which was very large and tasty. I had the steak pie with vegetables and I have to say it was the best steak pie I have ever tasted. The large triangular portion contained well cooked meat - almost as though it had been pulled - and completely filled the crisp buttery short crust pasty, topped with lashings of rich meat gravy. We have all decided that this will become a regular choice of venue with a view of attending the tribute nights that they host over the course of the year.

Met a couple of friends here for supper. When I am driving particularly at Xmas time I don't drink and usually just have a pint of lime and soda. Price was £3, even queried it with the bar staff. Had the scallops and beef pie. Scallops (3) okayish, pie was good but a combined price of over £23 seemed a little steep.

Second visit meeting with family as it is halfway between our respective homes. Nice friendly welcome. Menu is a bit retro but food is well cooked and tasty. Staff are very pleasant and the place has a nice atmosphere. We will no doubt return.

What a great village pub, very warm and welcoming. A perfect mix of great food and attentive, eager and happy staff garuntees a great night wether it's dinner, a quick pint or one of the many top music nights you will not be disappointed

I booked a table here 1 week in advance to celebrate a surprise lunch for my 86 year old father and was hoping to rekindle some fond childhood memories of lunches with my late grandfather. However, on arrival(after travelling 1.5 hrs to get to the pub) we were informed that the kitchen would be closing at the time we had booked the table for and that we would have to leave after an hour anyway because there would be no staff to serve us (despite the website saying it is open late and nobody informing us of this when the booking had been made). It would be no exaggeration to say that the manager was one of the most unpleasant people I have had the misfortune to deal with and clearly did not care - in short a very, very rude man. Anyway, we left having been given no apology or alternatives by the manager and I suggest that anybody planning a meal out should avoid it like the plague.

We make a booking for a lunch on Saturday the 10 November for a birthday at 2pm and when we arrive the staff said they close at 3pm and food stop at 2pm as very outrageous the “manager” don’t even care and said well is nothing we can do and that’s it the surprise for granddad is ruined and the service is a very disgusting! Never came across with that kind of service. Btw it will good if the update the web site as clearly state Saturday and Sunday open a 11am and closes late with is a big lie.

First impressions were a cracking little pub with a roaring fire and a friendly barmaid .

Friend and I had lunch at The Bell today. Both enjoyed dishes we chose. Waitress very helpful and friendly. Will certainly return.

Took my wife for lunch here at the weekend. Upon entering I asked a wandering chap who worked there, but didnt seem to be doing much, for a table for two. I was told that "she'll help you", referring to the barmaid. I asked the barmaid for a table for two and was asked for my surname (bit weird, but OK!).

A vast amount of money and love has been spent on this pub - it looks absolutely lovely from outside - little courtyards to sit in, , tinkling fountain, flowers everywhere. It has its own car park and is very near to the races in this peaceful little village.. The interior of the pub has also been beautifully updated and the actual dining area was very pleasant. The owners work really hard and are keen that you enjoy your visit. The food itself was of a high standard, I had a beautifully seasoned fillet of fish with fresh vegetables and potatoes. There was a bit of a wait but it was a Saturday night and the dining room was full. The cooked breakfast used good quality ingredients. Coffee was fantastic. However little things irked - no soup available on a Saturday night at 8pm! There are no comfy seats to collapse on with a drink whilst you wait for your meal or to enjoy a coffee afterwards - mainly bar stools. If you want breakfast you have to pre order the night before - with menu choice and time - rather spoiling a Sunday chill out - and they want you to check out by 10am this did detract from the experience. The rooms are in an annex with doors straight in from the outside with no cover if it rains.- again all modern and neutral colours - but tiny! There is under floor heating but no air conditioning so the rooms could get very hot in warm weather. Our double had only a bedside table with a lamp on one side of the bed - that really isnt good enough - it was rather like sleeping in a posh horsebox - very much in a motel style row - ours overlooked the entrance to the rear car park. Only a curtain, no privacy blind so you had to keep the curtain dropped down with the light on to dress. - No comfy chair in fact no chair at all in the room - I cannot think what you do for a desk if you are on business - and I struggled to get any wifi in the bedroom. The only mirror was in the bathroom - ladies need a second one if their husbands are hogging the bathroom! The shower was fabulous - but the bathroom needed another rail for hand towels and a bit more shelving to put ones toiletries on. The television was huge and wall mounted but the only way to watch it was sitting perched on the end of the bed. All the bedrooms had a wall sized mural - behind the bedhead - was nice to look, all "cool garden" as but it was behind you so hard to appreciate. There were lots of drawers - but the wardrobe had a rail going from front to back - hard to see what you had put in there. Our room had a king sized bed [pretty comfortable and nice bed linen] upstairs there are some larger "family" rooms. Overall I feel the owners have tried so hard, - really the bedrooms just need some more thought and tweaking. And please make weekend checkouts later.

The check in experience was pretty horrific. We were obviously there for the races and were advised by the lady that NO taxis OR buses were available, she was just generally unhelpful. Despite what she said we saw numerous buses headed for Newmarket?? She did manage to get us a taxi eventually which was substantially late and we missed the first two races. She insisted on compliment slips for guests which the taxi drivers didn't even ask for. However the rooms were nice but I refuse to pay £15 per person for a breakfast. Bad check in = bad start to your day!!!!

Visited today, left before being served as totally ignored by two members of staff who choose to serve people behind us in the queue.

Stayed here on 29 June for Newmarket races. Lovely pub and restaurant. Had a twin room shalet which was compact but rustic modern, very clean and had everything we needed. Comfortable. Had a fabulous pub lunch before the races. Piping hot and quality. Good prices. Lovely breakfast in the morning. Parking. We were made to feel very welcome. Friendly and helpful. I would stay again if gong to Newmarket races.

A lovely pub with car park and a nice real fireplace all very cosy and friendly staff and nice coffee

Great place to stay when passing through. Rooms are small and clean with character. They have everything you need with Bury St.Edmunds and Newmarket a short distance by car or bike. The breakfasts are lovely and great service.

Had a great meal Wednesday lunch time. The steak and ale pie was fabulous. Would highly recommend this very cosy pub. Thank you also for the Peaky Blinders gin!

Met friends of ours from the IOW who were on their way to Norwich for some "Birding."

Another fabulous evening at our new local. We are reasonably new to the area and what a find this pub is. All the staff are so friendly and make you feel welcome. The food is so delicious and plentiful. Ales and wine are great too! Thoroughly recommend a visit.

It was a very pleasant experience and atmosphere. The staff are lovely as if you have known them for ages. I had a prawn starter and have never seen such a large portion, well valued for money. Now tucking into some ribs which look fabulous! I would highly recommended to come her and enjoy such a pleasant, tasteful meal

We visited The Bell for the Christmas charity event. We pre-wrapped a present for each of the children and so they went to see Father Christmas and received a present they would really want. Father Christmas was lovely and spoke to each of the children by name. It was a lovely personal experience for them and all free!! The atmosphere was friendly and everyone joined in with the festivities. There are a wide range of drinks available and an excellent charity raffle which you could join in with if you wished but there was no hard sell which was refreshing. We had an excellent evening out and the kids thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommend these charity events.

A beautiful establishment with very friendly helpful staff and very tasty food. Will defiantly be returning agin.

We were looking to stay somewhere local before picking up our granddaughter from a work experience at the British Racing School in Newmarket and came across the Bell Inn. Well what a find this has been. Fab welcome, great food and exceptionally clean and well equipped rooms. Hoping our granddaughter has been successful in getting an apprenticeship so that we can return ASAP. Thanks to all the welcoming staff.

First time I've dined here for years. I would say run by different people and the decor was much improved...

We chose this venue because it is half way between where we and our friends live. We couldn't have chosen...

We met our relations to exchange Christmas presents and had a most enjoyable meal .My crab and prawn au gratin starter was just right and all the other starters were much appreciated ,main course were sufficient and tasty the service was super the young lady was fun and very capable.We shall return in the New Year as places like this are hard to find! I would recommend that you leave a good tip so the young lady can replace her" Holy" tights but she was great fun,nice to meet you all. Thanks for a very enjoyable meal a Happy Christmas to you all.

Friendly welcome at lunchtime, seated by fire for drinks and ordering. Table ready quickly and service was IMO warm and efficient. Both had the steak pie, very tasty and met expectations for a pub lunch, no attempt at fancy gastro which was perfectly OK. Maybe a couple of pounds too expensive for basic fare.

A most welcoming, cosy inn, a brilliant "halfway house" for myself from Norwich and my family relatives from Bedford. A really tasty roast dinner, well presented with a range of fresh vegetables, cooked to perfection, and finished with Raspberry Surprise dessert! Spot on. Well worth the trip of 50 miles! Thank you.

Superb food with a good menu choice. Good traditional home cooked food. Service was excellent as well with a lovely welcoming atmosphere.

I managed to get a late booking on a Saturday night as I was visiting friends for a night out. On arrival I was able to order a swift IPA and was quickly welcomed and taken through the check in process - which over a pint is a much nicer experience than a typical hotel. I headed to my room to get ready (room 4) and it was perfect. Contemporary in its design, excellent facilities with a large smart TV, excellent wifi etc. The bathroom was brilliantly designed to make great use of a small space and the shower was powerful and hot (as you would expect!). Fluffy white towels, nice product, tea, coffee, water, biscuits and a super comfortable bed.

Visited the Bell Inn for the first time after staying at various pubs/restaurants in this area in the past. First impressions were good, lovely building on the outside, decor and ambiance very nice , seating and general appearance of restaurant were excellent. However the general atmosphere and "friendliness" was more of a "locals only" please. Having said that we found the "pub" food cooked very nice, plentiful and at a reasonable price, service was OK but not special. This is not a restaurant but a pub that does food in a very nice dining area/s which could be made more appealing with particular attention paid to the out of town customers, a menu and wine list on tables and perhaps some more "special" one-off meals that changed weekly.

Having booked a table for the same group in the past I felt the Bell was a safe bet for a good meal. We were seated on a waiting table, having arrived early for our booking and waited for a further 40 mins past our booked time and we would have waited longer had we not told the staff we were to be seated immediately at our table which was vacant. The food took an unbelievably long time to arrive and our vegetarian diner had ordered a selection of veg/salad side dishes which all apart from the onion rings did not require cooking. This meal arrived in parts and the single waitress who was plainly overrun had to be prompted to offer a plate and more drinks. The food was poor and the steak and ale pie priced £14 would have passed as school dinner. Over all this was a huge let down and we will definitely not book a table here again. We each left a 25p tip. Perhaps this would go towards training for staff or another waitress. One waitress. Friday night. Unacceptable.

Most of the staff, particularly those around the bar area, were so miserable! When we arrived, we didn't receive a proper welcome or even a smile. We were made to feel like an inconvenience or a complete nuisance - it felt so awkward! I've never had such an unfriendly welcome. The waiting staff in the restaurant were nicer, although the food wasn't anything special. The room was clean and comfortable however, a nice bed, so no complaints from that side.

Stayed here after race day and wasn't disappointed. The modern room no. 7 was tastefully decorated and comfortable with quirky and attractive fittings if a little smaller than ideal. The shower room was immaculately decorated with modern fittings and an object lesson in ergonomics.We had dinner in the evening - beef brisket and sirloin, which was very tasty with excellent service. The landlord David is a friendly and helpful gentleman and the 2 members of staff that served us were faultless, very friendly and efficient. Thank you for your kind hospitality and as Ann said, we'll definitely return for a future race day.

We booked a table for lunch as we were meeting friends from Suffolk and it was a half way point to meet. We were looking forward to some good food - maybe a Sunday roast. Unfortunately when we were given the menu it was completely different to the choices shown on line and the person taking our order said that they don't do Sunday Lunch in the summer. Not heard of a pub doing this before. Overall the food was average and both food and drinks quite pricy for what they were. The service wasn't great either. It was nice to meet up with friends but we wouldn't go back.

With being new to the area and The Bell Inn being new our local pub we hoped for more, but unfortunately, it's sadly disappointing. It's in a nice building, although don't go through the first door from the car park as that's an estate agents. The bar area is too small and doesn't allow for casual drinks, it's more for dinners waiting for their table or for after dinner drinks. Rather than just having a pint. The food is ok, average at best (nothing you couldn't easily cook at home) which would be fine if it wasn't quite as expensive. It's trying to be a bit upmarket but doesn't quite deliver. The dining area is also quite small and cramped, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it isn't a nice kind of small and the dinning area behind the bar/kitchen just feels isolated. The service is OK at best, the waitresses are friendly enough, but on the half of dozen on occasions we've been, the bar tenders (landlords?) have been quite blunt, not rude but definitely not friendly. All of which is a shame as we would love to able to pop to/support our local pub (less than 3 minutes walk away) once a week, get some "pub grub", a couple of pints and feel welcome.

Visited for lunch before the Races, food is tasty, good portions and some of it is homemade. Service was very good. Staff pleasant and pub quite traditional. Don't expect haute quisune, we didn't and enjoyed the food.

So my review is quite mixed having had a meal at the restaurant and stayed at the Bell. The welcome was somewhat mixed. That staff seem quite new and confused and not too confident what they are doing (I did see an advertisement up for every role under the sun there). I have to say the meal is one of the worst I've had for a while and was very disappointed. I had the ribeye steak and the whole dish was completely flavourless with no seasoning (first time in a while I've added salt to a meal as dong use much salt). I would guess everything had been defrosted as the steak had no colour on it like it had probably been stewed in a pan from the water. Everyone's meals (party of 6) thought the same of the food. I love my food and really didn't enjoy the meal and was a waste of money. As for the room:-The room looks brand new and was lovely. Really big comfy bed and coffee/tea making facilities and lovely shower. Everything you'd need. Room got quite hot and we had the fan on but was still very warm. Good tv. Could have done with an extra then blanket/sheet for bedding as was too hot for the duvet so ended up stripping it off the duvet. Had a bit of a disagreement over a late check out (was something should have been able to get through booking.com) as 10am I think personally is too early and I did request it. At first the said no (I had to ask for them to check 3 times before I got an answer). They stated I needed to request it, when I said I had they said we could check out at 11.30. At 11am we got a load knock at the door and 10 min later whilst I was in a towel staff walked in! I told them I had a late check out and they left. Clearly a communication issue.My recommendation to other people:-The room itself is lovely and I'd suggest if you are just staying there and get times confirmed for a late check out it's fine. But do not use the restaurant as the food is not up to scratch. Eat some where else. We had breakfast in town which was good (The Pantry).The bar however at The Bell has good drink option.