The Blue Bell Inn in Wakefield

Friendly staff and food lovely.

The satnav took through Wentbridge to avoid the queues on the A1. We dropped in to the Blue Bell purely on spec - and weren't disappointed! The idea was just to have a quick drink but we ended up having two rounds with a starter and pudding each, folled by coffee! So impressed that we've booked New Year's dinner there and staying at their sister establishment just down the road, the Wentbridge House Hotel...

Went with daughter husband and granddaughter for husbands birthday lovely meal and staff very helpful

Lovely place staff very friendly would go back

Not been in many years.Still as good as ever.Food and the young lady waiting table was excellent.Will be back very soon .

We went as a large family for my nephewsToms birthday and to say it was excellent is an understatement. From entering the restaurant the hospitality was second to none , we were a large party and the seating was very good , attention to detail and the service was outstanding and when the food came it was amazing . The starters were excellent and the main courses were some of the best food we had in a while in a restaurant. The steak was cooked to perfection and the portions were very good . We will definately visit again . Well done you gave us a lovely family party with excellent food ❤️

Some aspects were good and some not so good. The car park is behind the pub on a hill and the signs lead you down a slippery path to a gate, down a couple of sets of stairs and along any alley. No warning of the trip hazards to those with mobility issues? We were welcomed warmly by the staff and overall would give them 5/5 as they were polite and swift. I ordered the steak pie for main course. It did not resemble the photograph on their website (see below)! It was a pot pie, a ceramic dish containing meat and gravy with a flaky pastry lid. Not the best, however the accompanying mash was lovely and creamy and the gravy tasted goood. Dessert was warm treacle tart which is a favourite of mine. It was drizzled with a caramel sauce which overpowered the whole dessert and there was no hint of a treacle flavour. The pastry was soggy and I would have preferred cold crisp pastry as apposed to warm soft pastry. I guess it was warmed in a microwave rather than an oven, this would avoid the “soggy bottom”. The noise in the restaurant was SO LOUD!! We could barely hear each other across the table. I wouldn’t put anyone off trying this place as many of the reviews are positive, but due to the noise, the treck from the car park and quality of food we will not return. Shout out to the great staff though….

Great country pub. Food was delicious and it was so nice not to have the bog standard gluten free choices. Staff very friendly and very clued up on gf dietary requirements. Will definitely be back.

Absolutely amazing honestly thanks to Tommy he maid my partners birthday went above and beyond thank u and the other staff was so friendly thank u guys will definitely be back was first time but definitely will be there again carvery was amazing and the cheesecake is to die for bloody gorgeous thanks again keep up the good work will recommend to everyone we know

This place has fantastic reviews and is usually fully booked for Sunday lunch, so we were excited to finally try it. Unfortunately, we were quite disappointed. The vegetables were either undercooked or severely overcooked and dry, and the potatoes were inedible—clearly not fresh. The meat at the carvery was passable but lacked flavor, and the gravy was far too watery. I understand buffets can be hit or miss, but this experience fell short of expectations.

Arrived at the pub with a pre booking for a 50th birthday meal. We was alittle early so the table was not ready, as expected. We was happy to wait and pointed in the direct of the bar, while waiting to get served most of the party got drinks but the staff did not seem to be in any rush to serve. As I thought I was going to get served another family approached the bar and the staff member just ignored I was there and went to serve the other family which had just walked to the bar !! I felt this was really rude and it wasent just myself but 4 other people from our party waiting to get served !! We was seated at the table and began choosing what we wished to eat... we was left for several minutes where most of the party had finished their drinks and was happy to order food and another drink ! The waitress came and took our order but didn't ask if anyone would like another drink. Food seemed to take a little while to arrive, starters were alittle while and mains took alot longer. Through the whole time being there we was never asked if our food was OK and never asked if we would like anymore drinks. Then when the bill came the price was alot more than expected. Finding out that they had changed the price of their food but was still using the old menu for the prices, when asking the staff about the extra charges, they replied "oh yes we know about that" Which is wrong and you should update your menu if the prices do not match the bill ! The staff seemed to be dismissive, they did sort it but it took a long while and there was no apology. Left disappointed

Absolutely perfect in everyday. Well done to your staff

Great little find, nice views from the beer garden.

Love the food at the blue bell . Service was excellent.

Great quality food and friendly service. Pizza party for the kids was great!

After our first visit wasn't fantastic, we tried again... And as you can see it was so much better. Seriously, night and day in experiences! I'm not sure what went wrong on the first visit but the second visit more than made up for it. The service was great, attentive without being over bearing. The food was delicious and served in good time. The only negative that isn't a negative, the lemon meringue tart was massive! This made the meringue more like marshmallow and the lemon just wasn't lemony enough! I expected a brilliant palate cleanser but got a full on desert, but that's my preference and I'm sure everyone else would love a massive desert ha. Thank you for having us back and I hope we visit again soon and experience the same great service and delicious food

Was ok quick drink while trying to work out how to get on the A1

Fantastic food, huge portions, and great well trained friendly staff. What more coukd you ask for.

Amazing fish fingers for lunch thank you so much. Had a lovely walk this day and passed this lovely looking public house. It forfilled our day ready fir walk back. We'll be back 👍 Not a threat 😁

We came here for pizza and honestly the whole thing was a shambles. Said that they "might be" running out of dough and if we would be happy to have a carvery if they did. We had agreed and seconds later had a carvery ticket. The carvery was a major disappointment - cold and over cooked vegetables. To top it off everyone around us was getting served pizza. We got told that it was a miscommunication between the chef and waiter and that the dough needed defrosting and they didn't think we would want to wait 30 mins. It would have been nice to have the option as we all 100% would have waited. Unorganised mess. The pizza looked and smelled nice tho and the beer garden is cute

Great service and great food. A warm welcome on arrival, we were quickly seated and our order taken. Food came out fast and was delicious, and portions were generous. We stopped here while travelling further north, and we were very pleased we did.

We visited for a family dinner about 12 months ago and out of a party of 8 people 6 of us didn’t enjoy our meal. Well to my dismay it was booked again by a family member that I am wondering if they have any taste buds. It was just as bad I had thé dirty burnt burger what was more like a rock burger with hard pulled pork topped with grease. My wife had the catch of the day what was curled up at the ends. We didn’t get asked if everything was ok with our food until the end and all I got was the chef apologises. On our way to the car there was another couple getting in their car and all I heard was “ that was awful “. Top and bottom I will be voting with my feet and will not be recommending this establishment.

The Bluebell is charming and the staff are delightful. I happened upon it about 3 weeks ago, I had lost my way and my phone charger wasn’t working. The young lady working in the restaurant was so kind and helpful and the coffee was delicious, I was soon on my way and only sorry that I couldn’t stay longer, the food looked and smelled delicious, I hope to return soon.

Food (carvery ) was average, nothing at all ti talk about. Dessert was very good. Staff were average, and one of them stank of body odour.

We came upon this wonderful establishment by pure good luck as it was a short distance from the A1 which was solid with traffic. The staff were polite and welcoming, showing us to the bar whilst they prepared our table, which was the last available table in the restaurant at 6.30pm. We were made to feel like guests in someone’s home, just the right amount of attention and always friendly and accommodating. We ordered starters, mains and the homemade desserts followed by coffees. Exceptional food and service in a beautiful location and so convenient for the A1. By the time we finished, the traffic had dissipated and we were able to continue our journey North. We shall definitely save this one in favourites on Google Maps!

We visited the pub on the way home from a day out at Clumber Park. Myself, my Mum, my Dad and 2 little boys. The welcome we received was ok, we got seated and served reasonably quick. My Mum and I ordered a cauliflower salad… we enjoy a nice salad and thought for £15/£16 that’s what we would get… oh no! The salad was leaves, pomegranate seeds and boiled cauliflower (It was on the menu as roasted). Now that is not worth £5 never mind £15. We ate it due to having 2 tired little boys to get home and thank goodness we’d ordered sweet potato fries to go with it. When it came to paying the bill, we explained everything had been good apart from the terrible salads at a rip off price. With that the waitress said she would go speak to the chef and came back to tell us it was due to how expensive pomegranate is, I mean come on?!! Are they for real?!! Don’t mind paying for things but this was so overpriced. Really really poor!

Very welcoming and a great lunch

We visited on 4/7/2024 at lunch after booking online for 12:00 (and stating it was for my wife's birthday). On arrival at approx 12:03 we weren't entirely sure how to get into the restaurant as the door was closed and locked (luckily someone opened this after we had looked for another entrance. The greeting we recieved was cold, almost as if the waitress didn't want to be there and we were hastily showed to our table. Our drinks orders were taken quite swiftly which was good and our drinks followed not long after. At which point we were asked if we were ready to order. We weren't so the waitress said she would come back. This is where it starts to go wrong. After taking a few moments to decide we placed our menus to the side of the table to indicate this and waited for the waitress and waitress to stop talking with each other and come and take our order. We waiting a good few minutes and in the end I had to beckon the waitress over to take our order. Sourdough Bread Halloumi Fries Steak Frites Bluebell Smash Burger Side of onion rings. Shortly after the chef/waiter/manager (I'll. Refer to as chef going forward) appeared and pointed out that the 2 front of house had failed to turn the lights on, turn the bar/pump lights on etc etc. They did this and just as our luck would have it we had a flickering light above our table. This went unnoticed. UNTIL the chef noticed and spotted it and corrected it, I really loved that attention, it was great. Unfortunately the reason the chef hadn't noticed immediately was because he was writing the specials board that we didn't have the option to order from. Slight disappointment but we were happy with our choices.. For now. The front of house service was severely poor throughout with key things missing, not offering extra drinks, not taking empties when we asked for more drinks, taking a while to clear between courses. Failing to check if everything was okay with the food (until the last quarter of our mains). Although the restaurant was filling with more diners the front of house continued their conversations and what appeared to be checking their phones behind the bar. Everything was poor from them to be honest from the seating to the paying of the bill. All would be worth it if the food is good. It wasn't. Starters: The sourdough bread was burnt on most slices (some charring is to be expected) but one or two were severely burnt. The bits thst weren't Burnt were "tough", hard to describe but our Jaws hurt from the effort of chewing. Then... The Halloumi fries, three, yes THREE skinny Halloumi fries dipped in batter and threatened with the fryer lead to use paying £7 for three sticks of barely warm cheese coated in greasy undercooked batter. Appalling. The mains: Let's start with the steak frites. Ordered as recommended on your menu as medium rare. It came medium but swapped the rare for well done. There was a tiny bit that was medium so not all to loss. Then the chips, as with the Halloumi Fries these were threatened with the frier and were still hard in the center of some of them. The smash burger.... A dried out well done burger is not a smash burger. And that is exactly what I got. It wasn't terrible, as a normal burger with an abundance of condiments thrown on for moisture, but impossible to eat both patties it was that dry. The menu also didn't day it came with a pickle which wasn't a nice addition to the burger but at least that was extra.... Unlike the fries. Now fortunately it appeared the fries were given ample time in the frier as they were borderline overcooked, unfortunately they were missing the skin. Your menu says skin on Fries, therefore I expect skin on Fries, not asda home brand French fries. £70 bill, that was inceremonioisly dumped on the tab with a "go pay over there", for sub par food with horrendous service spoiling a rare child free birthday lunch. Your one saving grace was the attentiveness and, what appeared to be more professionalism, from the chef. Emailed the business and received a poor response.

Lovely evening. Good food and the staff friendly. Food served promptly 👍👍

First time here and food and service was lovely. The pub is really nice, nice atmosphere... nice outdoor area. Only let down is they seem really keen to highlight that your table is fot 1.5 hours only. Found this a bit off putting as we were thinking we maybe longer, but our friend didn't come so it was ok. So if you plan to stay longer, chat, have a few drinks, not sure what would happen.

One of the best Sunday lunches I’ve eaten! It was plentiful, very tasty and cooked to perfection. I had fruit crumble with ice-cream for dessert and that was heavenly! The staff were lovely and friendly and the service was speedy. The place had a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere and even though I dined alone, I didn’t feel isolated. I had a really positive experience today and I will definitely be making a return visit.

Excellent food and prompt curtious service as usual, the quality of food very good, atmosphere fine I will be back for more.

Lovely cosy pub in beautiful setting. Plenty of parking on site. Gorgeous carvery - probably one of the best I have ever had. Meat wasn't dry and the roast potatoes were far from stale (as can sometimes be the case with carveries). Fresh and tasty veg. Best Yorkshire pudding I have EVER had. Only downside would be that two regular carveries were ordered, but I received a smaller plate than my partner. Didn't realise until we had both sat down with our food, but we were charged for two regular carveries despite the plates being different sizes, which I thought was odd. Reasonable prices and friendly staff, will definitely return.

Food absolutely out of this world , very good quality food everything was so tasty and fresh . Service out standing lovely and polite and friendly. Going to go back I'm the foreseeable future ..

We went for my wife's 60th birthday. Excellent food and great service

Lovely atmosphere, great service ,good food

We ate lunch here with friends, stayed at the hotel nearby, enjoyed the food so much we returned for dinner - two excellent meals in one day. All staff friendly and efficient.

We visited for the first time. The food was excellent. We had the pensioners special and there was more than enough. The staff were all lovely and the pub was lovely and clean.

Had lunch at the Bluebell and as usual friendly staff, lovely atmosphere and good food. Highly recommend

The food, service and drink was absolutely class. Will definitely be going back for another night

The staff were great, the pizzas were extremely nice. Will definitely be going back to try more of the menu.

Really good meal only problem mowhrte to sit just for a drink after

Stunning. Can't go wrong. OK so what's going on here, I don't usually find a faultless place. So... 2 steak options but 4 or 5 fish, catch of the day options. Add a big T-bone to the menu guys, peppercorn sauce, huge onion rings, fat chips. Christ I'm drooling just typing that out ! But, overall, cracking

Very nice fish and chips last week and this week we will be trying something different next week keep up the very good standard thanks to all

Delicious food reasonably priced

Visited this evening with table booking for 6.30. Eventually seated and food served 7.40pm. My daughter ordered rump steak, as usual when eating out, as only eats lean cuts - well done. Steak arrived but had fat running through, cooked too quickly as was VERY difficult to cut on arrival. Didn't want to discuss with staff at the time as were many people around, and we had waited a long time for the food initially, so quietly brought it to staff attention at the end. Manager did provide some discount on the steak but it wasn't about that it was about the disappointing experience. We went for the first time 4 weeks ago and enjoyed the Sunday lunch which is why we visited again but unfortunately for us we won't be returning.

Excellent restaurant, food delicious at lunch and dinner, staff very friendly and accomodating

Lovely pub in beautiful surroundings, staff attentive and competent. Food good and reasonably priced.

Been a few times with family for Sunday launch and evening meals, excellent food they have a pizza bar upstairs which is also very good worth going if you want a nice meal out.

Today we had a great time at the Bluebell for my wife’s birthday. We really enjoyed all aspects , the food and staff were brilliant. Well done Team Bluebell

A very enjoyable meal, good selection on the menu for all tastes. Lovely team serving, with a warm welcome. Very nice pleasant surroundings. We will definitely be back.

Food very good service excellent very quick. The restaurant was not full but comfortable would definitely go again

Excellent pub/restaurant, the food is excellent. Sunday lunch or any day for a pizza are well worth a trip as they are excellent. Always a warm welcome and great service.

Really friendly and helpful staff. We had a evening meal there and food was alright my chicken ,,Parmo’’ was quite bland and unseasoned and my mother in law fish & chips quite greasy

Booked a table for Mother’s Day. There were 7 of us in total and have to say the service, food and drink were all fantastic. The quality of bluebell has always been consistent and the atmosphere is always really nice.

Great meal with the family. Lots of choice for veggies and even vegans, loved the food and the service was excellent.

NIce place, excellent service and lovely food. I had a carvery, my husband and brother had the steak pie. All were delicious and will visit again

The food here is usually pretty good. The starters never fail to impress but the mains are quite tasteless which really lets it down. The staff are brilliant and attentive so it is a shame about the mains especially the chips

Really enjoyed it food was excellent

Nice British pub with good food and nice enviroment!

We’ve had the pleasure meeting friends here before, what a shame not up to standard for us. Staff never came round to ask us if our lunch was at standard we had to wait until we had finished ours. Just the chips a big let down they weren’t cooked through white and the thick ones hard.Not fresh chips now frozen not the same. We have eaten here many times a few years ago until we last went. Please go back to home cooked chips makes your meal and give them colour then we know all are cooked

Delicious food and great value for money

Nice beer, helpful staff but very poor food.Steak and ale pie was grim.The stir fry prawns had four prawns(not king prawns). Very disapointing but hopefully this review saves you making a special trip like we did

Can't fault it. Food was delicious and very fairly priced. Starters, mains and desserts for two+drinks came to £85 which is not bad at all. Everything was delicious, staff were polite and it wasn't too loud, too cold or too hot. Will be going again.

Good food, good surroundings & good staff make it a pleasant experience which is why I keep coming back

We go every couple of weeks. Ladies that lunch!

Been for Sunday Roast & Main Menu, both were outstanding! Will definitely be returning...

Beautiful food , cooked to perfection, will be visiting again soon , sirloin steak and venison shank was to die for , compliments to the chefs , xxx

A fantastic last minute lunch stop off en route to Scotland. Spoiled for choice with the menu. Food was delicious, service was excellent. Local beer was great. 10 out of 10. I know where to stop next time I’m doing this journey for sure

A great place for food which never disappoints. Comfortable and cosy interior. Well run, with great service.

This pub was a brilliant find as we always stop here on our way from Bristol to Newcastle. We have never had a bad meal and the food is always really tasty. Today, on Christmas Eve, we both enjoyed a delicious fish pie followed by a melt in the mouth warm Portuguese Tart with coffee. Can’t fault the service and the prices are reasonable for what you get.

Lovely food , excellent staff , great drinks

Had an underwhelming lunch from their festive menu. The prawn cocktail starter was quite nice, although served with cheap sliced bread - very 1970s. The roast turkey main course was a disappointment. Only two small roast potatoes, “seasonal vegetables” were plain boiled carrots, sprouts and peas - not even buttered - and no traditional roast vegetables. The stuffing was the cheap paxo type. One pig in blanket cut in half. A limp Yorkshire pudding. The turkey was fine, two small slices, as was the gravy. They really need to try harder with the vegetables and other accompaniments. Expensive at £26 per head for 2 courses (another 2 course festive lunch I attended was £7 less). Service was fine - prompt and efficient.

Visited with my sister and partners to celebrate her birthday. Excellent carvery meal. Friendly staff. Great atmosphere. Fantastic value for money.

I maintain it's the company one keeps that makes an occasion but The Blue Bell Inn is difficult to beat as a place at which to enjoy that company. The Blue Bell is warm and inviting with great food, commendable service and very reasonable prices. This wasn't my first time and will not be my last. 5 stars from me.

We have been a couple of times and never been disappointed, we went again last Tuesday to sample the Christmas menu and it was lovely, the Mushroom starter and Beef main were especially delicious, Thank you to Luke and Nick who looked after us that night, the were very friendly and attentive along with all the staff, would recommend

Great carvery on Sunday, lovely atmosphere.

Excellent lunch with friends at The Blue Bell. Food was really good, lovely atmosphere, and our waitress, Beverley, was courteous, efficient, and friendly. Top notch!

I have been here to eat many many times for many many years (as a local ) but I went with a group of friends last night for an early Xmas meal night out and sadly it was pretty poor. We were a party of six but only four of the main meals arrived with apologies that two of the meals had been omitted on the order and there would be a ten minute delay for these two meals. Subsequently two of our party were given their meals 15 minutes after ours by which time the rest of us had almost finished. My main course order of Belly Pork was extremely poor/inedible/“uncuttable”/ worst ever. Meal was cold on top of everything else! I did complain and the chef confirmed it was not up to standard and I was given a discount but however this was a special get together for a pre Xmas meal and we “locals” would have expected much better. Has the management changed? Will think seriously about going again even though it is five minutes away from home

Had the Sunday carvery, had to dine in the blue smoke upstairs, please be aware this can get very noisy when full....decent carvery and helpful staff even though they were very busy.

Come here when visiting Pontefract. Food is always amazing and service is spot on. Its always been busy when I've visited which creates a great atmosphere in a traditional yet modern setting.

Pleasant family meal with excellent, friendly staff.

Very good food, nice atmosphere, staff very good

Nice pub with pleasant staff and good beer and food,what's not to like!!

Lovely food and friendly staff.

Unfortunately quite an unpleasant experience. We were a party of 4 and had booked that afternoon, as soon as we walked in we were met with hostility. I can understand that it was quite a busy day and staff looked to be quite stressed, but for myself having worked in customer service for over 10 years, it's common practice to not take this out on your guests. We were waiting for a while despite booking with no apology or reassurance of wait times. Will not be returning.

Tried somewhere different and a bit further away than normal. It was well worth the drive. Friendly staff and lovely food. Sam had the carvery and I the giant sausage and mash. We will certainly be returning soon.

Great local pub, With a good menu. Service was solid, and the food very good.

Wow this is a first, we walked into the pub and was met by one of the staff. We received a reception frosty enough to freeze hell over, no greeting at the door, was just asked if we had booked. We then were told we had to wait at the bar because they didn't have a free table despite there being ample room for us to be seated. The bar staff were absolutely useless tbh, she didn't even know what elderflower drinks were available and we had to point out that there was one available in the mini fridge. Just poor. We were finally seated after the lackluster intro then left 15 minutes waiting with no update on when our order would be taken. We then politely asked what the wait time would be to which the server replied it will take as long as it will take and you can leave if you want and there's no need to be rude. The irony was eye watering Worst customer service I've not just received in a pub but in any hospitality situation. Outrageously bad. If I were the owner I'd be taking a serious look at the staff training and 100% layoff the leading team member. Go to the Wentbridge hotel and see how it's done properly. Avoid.

Not been for c.4yrs, due to stuff! Very enjoyable and a good atmosphere.

Had a works meal for 17 people. Fabulous! The food, service, everything. Highly recommended!

We went to Blue Bell as we were told the steak was amazing! The steak was quite small for the price and onion rings and pepper corn sauce extra cost! So over all nearly £30 drinks were quite expensive over £5 a pint and small bottles of beer £4.70. Waited almost an hour for meal wasn’t that busy either, food was nice and staff were lovely overall nice pub but a bit pricey for what you get. Saying that I would go again and try something different

Five family members had Sunday lunch from the main menu, everyone enjoyed each course and felt quality of food was very good value served by friendly professional staff. The carvery looked delicious maybe try next time .Booking and parking easy .

Never fails, pound for pound as good as anywhere in the area.

8 of us went for lunch on Sunday and had carvery and desserts. It was absolutely spot on, faultless. Would definitely go back.

Delightful setting for a catch up or a meal out. The food was absolutely delicious and freshly cooked. Well worth the money for the quality and quantity of food served. The staff were all very helpful, polite and professional. We would definitely recommend that you try here and we will definitely be back soon.

Food was excellent and the staff were very helpful and friendly I would definitely recommend going to The blue Bell inn

A beautiful modern yet classic country pub. Service was excellent, atmosphere was warm, welcoming and the food was delicious. Great choices on the menu and wine list, the new Chicken Parmo was so good! We all finished with the strawberry and apple crumble, a perfect...

Great pub, delicious food, nice beer, good prices. I thoroughly recommend the Blue Bell at Wentbridge.

Been coming here for years not. It been able to get booked in, managed to get booked in today and I can see why food and service amazing even better than before thank you to the young lady why looked after us this evening Thank you see you again soon as I’ve pre booked for next week