The Bull on Bell Street in South Oxfordshire

Food is bad, drinks are good; spent £25 on a burger for it to be dry and bland. Squash salad had 4 pieces of squash and had no dressing or flavour.

Pleasant... It was quiet, I prefer a busy pub, but it was welcoming and comfortable.

the best sunday roast i’ve ever had, hands down.

Had a lovely evening here with amazing food and lovely waitress, Frances. Service was great and food was a great size. Highly recommend trying!!

Came here for a couple of drinks on a Sunday evening & was really impressed with the decor, the friendly staff, the atmosphere (quiz night, busy). Will definitely try the food on my next visit!

Food was average at best and not worth the price. Beautiful setting.

We were part of a large party for afternoon tea. The service was extremely slow and we had to ask for missing items of food, crockery and tea (which was supposed to be limitless). I don't know if they were short staffed but the cost was very high for what we were given and the service provided.

Great meal and thanks Sophia for excellent service.

Very nice venue. Large but doesn't feel too big, if you get my drift.

Henley restaurant and served by Frances. Very polite, friendly and professional.

Too many issues with management over the years so I've downgraded my rating.

We ended our day, at the Bull and the service, the food and drinks were amazing and our waitress Chloe was amazing and so helpful 5 star rating all around.

We had a lovely coffee morning turn into an afternoon drinks thanks to the bubbly girl before d the bar😊 have f you want an want an excellent bar staff then go ask for Erica in the bull on bell street in Henley on Thames

Beautiful pub, very stylish and lovely friendly staff, especially Stef!

Waited for a hour. Food arrived with items missing and only warm. Cauliflower cheese at £6 but only 2 tiny pieces was a let down.

Stef looked after us as a party of 17. Great service

2 pizzas for £20 which was a nice surprise. Pizzas are huge and really yummy. Lovely eclectic selection of seating to choose from and fast service

Great meal, fantastic service and perfect atmosphere. Superb night out… and live band to boot!

My wife and I enjoy coming to the bull. The staff are friendly. And Henry . Is a funny lad u can have a laugh with .And the other 2 girls that are working tonight are very nice. And are both working very hard . Well done great food .

Francis was very lovely and helpful!

Salt and pepper squid very nice Vegan burger was nice Truffle Pizza a bit soggy and not much truffle on it Sticky toffee pudding more like a steamed sponge not very toffee flavoured - try Gary Rhodes recipe! Service very pleasant

Fabulous evening with family to celebrate my birthday. Lovely food and great service from Frances.

Sam the barman made amazing cocktails and had the anecdotes to match. Lovely vibe well worth a visit. Will definitely be going back.

Stumbled upon this gorgeous pub in October and revisited as we wanted another opportunity to have some food and drink. We arrived when the rugby was on- the front of house staff were diligent and helpful in finding us a seat to watch the game and were attentive in service. Had a pizza - tasty and good value. The best part is the atmosphere. Definitely will be back!

We were served by Frances who gave great service throughout our meal - she was very attentive and prompt with our orders/menus. She was also very friendly and welcoming :)

Came for valentines evening, was so lovely decorated and all the staff were so lovely, our waitress Frances gets a special shoutout! Would deffo recommend!

An enjoyable meal with very good service and relaxing atmosphere

Amazing meal, Frances was so lovely

Great service, friendly, direct.

We enjoyed a lovely afternoon at the bull in their garden room. We attended for a birthday meal with a large group which was perfect to have in that room for no extra cost! Would definitely recommend if you’re visiting with a large group. We had the pleasure of being looked after by Stef who was very friendly and attentive making the visit that much better.

The food was lovely!! Frances was a great waitress, an overall enjoyable experience!

A fab night out and the server (Chloe) was excellent!

Absolutely amazing service! Frances was our server and she was lovely, very attentive and super friendly! We’ve been here a few times and never regretted it! Cant wait to come back - thank you Frances for looking after us all night x

Great experience been here a few times always best service and top food.Frances was great and was very attentive and looked after us all night 10/10

Lovely gastopub, great atmosphere and Frances’s service was amazing! We had the scallops, tartlet, squid and steaks for main course, everything was great! Would definitely come back!

We were at the Bull for my son’s 12 birthday tonight. We had the pleasure of being served by Stef, and I can’t say enough good things about her! From the moment we sat down, she was warm, attentive, and incredibly friendly. She made sure we had everything we needed without being intrusive and even offered great recommendations from the menu. Our drinks were always full, and our food arrived quickly and perfectly prepared. Her positive attitude and professionalism truly enhanced our dining experience. Thank you, Stef, for such wonderful service! We will definitely be back and hope to have you as our server again.

The food wasn’t the best but the place was amazing. Beautiful and very nice service. I had my 18th birthday here.

We had Frances as our waitress for the evening, she was more than accommodating! The food was amazing, I ate far more than I should have and now I lay here in bed at 2220 like a beached whale! Thank you again Frances.

I enjoyed a nice steak and ale pie, served with perfectly cooked vegetables and creamy mashed potatoes. The red wine (merlot) was exceptional, beautifully complemented by refreshing sparkling water. Service was prompt and professional—making it a delightful dining experience.

Stef, was great waitress. She was attentive and charming.

Great Food and Service. Thank you Stef! :)

Fabulous Sunday roast dinner, which was huge, served by the lovely Stef. Would highly recommend.

Stef was lovely and very attentive, wonderful experience!

Stef looked after us really well! A lovely meal x

Great service from Stef and food was great

Really nice dinner here. Food was great, we especially liked the chorizo mash (thanks chef charlie). Stef was super nice and attentive. Absolutely loved it!! Even had live music playing outside :)

We decided to try out The Bull before a show for my girlfriend’s birthday and it was a great experience. Our waitress, Amelia, was very helpful and friendly. We couldn’t fault the service or the food, so we would recommend to a friend. :)

We had an intimate wedding reception on the Garden Room. Service was exceptional. Thank you Carl and the team.

Visited for Sunday lunch. Good food and friendly staff.

I am a South African and we are just passing through the town and decided to come to The Bull! Absolutely fantastic! Host, waiter, FOOD and the vibe! Baie lekker!!

Popped in for a pint of Brakspear in the afternoon. Lovely place, the staff were friendly and the beer was spot on. Recommended.

All good at The Bull in Henley. Many thanks to Stef for your courtesy and kind attention.

A family get together in the private room. From the time I enquired about the possibility of catering for 17, I was treated as a valued customer. The room was ideal, the food excellent, the service superb and we were looked after extremely well by the young lady who was deputed to care for us. Izzie???? I also found it pretty good value and compared very well with other places we have used. I very much recommend The Bull and will certainly use it again.

Great place to eat superb staff

Had a wonderful family dinner here, we were especially happy with the wonderful service from our waitress Frances who was both friendly and efficient! Great food, lovely decor and a great vibe. We’ll be back soon!

Had a fabulous meal on New Year’s Eve with all the family in the garden room. Would thoroughly recommend!!

Lovely place. Definitely will go back. Beautiful setting and food was great. No complaints

Our server Amelia was very lovely and polite. Great waiter

Great place. Is our 2nd time here. The 1st time enjoyed it so much we booked for Xmas day. Food was really tasty and generous portions. Great atmosphere and really friendly staff. Our servers Olly and Stef were friendly, polite, helpful and professional. Well done both and now hopefully you have a rest to enjoy your xmas. Thanks to everyone at the Bull that made us feel at home.

We had a lovely Christmas day meal at The Bull. The food was excellent. A wonderful 4 course meal (one traditional turkey and one pan fried cod) in a lovely setting. We were served by Stef and Ollie who made us feel very welcome and took great care of us. Highly recommend.

Lovely food and amazing service especially from Maddie, made sure our drinks were always topped up and was super hospitable!!

Food was a little slow being served, however worth the wait in the end. Very good service from Stef, kept us really well informed with the delay and was very efficient. Thank you.

Good evening, today we had a family pre Christmas lunch, at The Bull, the venue was perfect, the staff perfect and polite. What was disappointing was the pork belly, it should never have been served, or even accepted from you supplier, it was fat, the amount of meat was negligible, which was a pity, looking at the others that had the same, there wasn't much difference. Which was a great pity after driving up from the South coast. I hope you take my comment seriously and perhaps look at the quality of the meat before purchasing it. I hope you and your staff have a lovely Christmas Take care

Lovely atmosphere and very attentive service from Maddie, thank you 🙏

Brilliant time, enjoyed everything we ate and brilliant service from Maddie. Very funny and charming girl made us feel very welcomed

Asked for directions to a pub that was showing the football and was x answered rudely, will not go there .

Lovely service at the bull Henley, made our night by meeting the team Charlie wheeler and olly Harvey great and fabulous people

A lovely evening. We booked a side room for a Christmas meal. The staff helped make the evening 5* and the chef, Sam cooked some great food.

Thank you to the chef and to the staff serving us. We were a large group attending at a busy time of the year with different dietary requirements. The service was impeccable. Everything went smoothly. Thank you to the chef. 😊 The food was really tasty and everyone enjoyed it. Great quality food 👌 The restaurant was decorated nicely and lots of space. My only negative is the toilets weren't clean, and there was no soap which is off putting.

The food was pretty good. Mine could have been a bit hotter. My partner said the garlic mash was a bit dry. Puddings were good. Overall we were satisfied with our meal. We were a bit apprehensive as we had read the previous reviews. Thank you, Ben and William, for looking after us so well.

My meal was lovely. I had the roast. Unfortunately my friend ordered the fish and chips. The fish smelt funny so it wasnt all consumed and the mushy peas certainly weren't mushy. After getting clarification from the waiter the fish had a uncertain smell we returned the food. We were informed the fish was delivered Friday but they were happy to not charge us for the meal. Afew hours later a not so feeling good friend. A shame as having eaten here before and never had a bad experience

A return visit after few years. Had the roast beef and pork, the beef was so over cooked, hard as a rubber, couldn’t finish half of it, but the pork was ok.

Cosy setting, friendly staff and a very talented and hard working head chef in Charlie Wheeler. Looking forward to returning already.

Disappointing service. Sat in bar service which was fine but no food coming out at the right time. Sides before starters and mains before other starters, very odd way to do things. We were also told off for trying to move plates from our table after being ignored with no room for other arriving dishes. Food was mid. Very expensive for what it was. (We had Sunday roast, maybe regular menu is fresher)

Starter comes out after the main and half of our party never received food full stop. Rude staff and overpriced

Great place with great food. Good service with lots of good beers

Lovely food and service! Stef was great!

Lovely service and tasty food. Stef was a fabulous host.

The staff, food and environment was warm and friendly

Great Sunday roast at the Bull. First time visiting and will definitely be back - food was amazing. Thanks to Stef who was our server!

Really excellent food, Lamb shank was a delight as was the streak and ale pie.. One of our group had steak and that was great as well. Service very friendly.

Easy to book. Food came out fast. It was all delicious. Best roast we’ve had in a while! Oh and Stef was great and very professional!

I have just visited for Sunday lunch with two friends. After being taken to our table we were asked if we would like water for the table to which we requested a jug - unfortunately this did not arrive. We reviewed the menu and when the waiter came to take our drinks order we asked to order our meals at the same time. Our drinks did not arrive before our food and unfortunately only two meals arrived very quickly after ordering. No mention of the third meal so assumed it would arrive shortly. The two roast beef meals were lukewarm at best. Our drinks then arrived and after a few minutes we asked about the missing meal. The member of staff said they would find out but did not return. A few minutes later another member of staff was asked about the missing meal who again said they would check. I took this opportunity to mention the temperature of the food. Whilst they offered to reheat it we had already started eating so declined their offer. Eventually our initial waiter explained the missing meal shouldn't be too much longer. It arrived after about 5 minutes when we had nearly finished the other meals. Again the third meal was also lukewarm. When the plates were cleared we were offered dessert but declined. We were asked how the meals were and reiterated the temperature was unsatisfactory. Other meals were being returned to the kitchen from other tables. Fortunately when the bill arrived a discount was added to reflect the issues we had encountered which was very much appreciated. Maybe we visited on a bad day but our experience would not urge us to return!

Regular visit never disappoints. We use their lovely private room. Food is good quality and waiting staff are very friendly

Went here for Sunday lunch, portions were less than generous so asked for a couple of extra roast potatoes, was charged an additional £4.99 for 1 potato cut into 4 pieces ,I asked for this to be removed from the bill and its was refused ,In retrospective we should have just refused to pay the bill and walked out ,the waitress had an attitude and the manager didn't have the good grace to even come and discuss this with us . Since its recent renovation we were disappointed, but as the old saying goes you can't polish a turd I will not be going back any time soon and would advise others to steer clear of this establishment unless you feel the need to be ripped off?

Beautifully decorated and cozy gastropub. Various areas for dining and drinking. We just had some snacks and drinks - I would love to come back for a full dining experience!

Rude waitress. Would not return.

Booked Sunday lunch to celebrate joint birthdays. We all ordered Sunday Roast. Each roast came with 2 very small roast potatoes. We asked for some extra potatoes which when arrived it was a smal dish which contained 4 potatoes which was the equivalent of maybe 1 large potatoe cut up. On requesting the bill we had been charged 4.25 for this. We asked the waitres to remove this but she said she would need to ask the manager. She then returned and said no. Very diaspointing and due to this attitude we said fine we would decline leaving a tip. The waitress then became very moody. Snatched the payment terminal from our friends hands and was clearly seen moaning about us to another colleague. Very disappointed . Had much better service in other places and would not recommend or return.

Food was great. The atmosphere amazing but the service was not great at all. Took us 30 minutes for our orders to be taken (we had to go up and ask a staff member to be served.) our food turned up before our drinks. One of the meals didn’t turn up for a little while. We were never asked if we wanted dessert. So took matters into our own hands and picked up some menus nearby. Thinking we were going to be left out again… we just got ready to leave we were finally asked what we wanted for dessert! The whole experience left a bitter taste considering I’ve been here before and everything including service had been great but this time some of the staff seemed like they didn’t care and we felt as if we were tucked in a corner and forgotten about.

I was so looking forward to this meal. I booked for 6pm today (Friday) as was going to The Kenton Theatre after dinner. My husband and I arrived early and were actually seated at 5:50pm. I asked about timings of food arriving as we needed to be at the theatre to meet friends at 7:15pm as we had their tickets. We ordered drinks and our food (Starters and mains) at 6:05pm. To be fair it was a good start and our starters were delicious, hence I have given the food 2 stars, they came quickly and were cleared away by 6:30pm. We then waited for our mains to arrive. My husband had ordered the fillet steak snd I ordered the lamb shank with chorizo mash. A table of four people were seated next to us shortly after our starters had been cleared. At 6:50pm I asked waiter (Carl) where our ‘mains’ were? He apologised that they were not with us and went to chase them up for us. He was gone for 5 mins then came back and said they would be with us very soon. At 6:58pm a waitress came towards our table with 2 lamb shanks in her hand and proceeded to place them on the table of 4 next to us. Shortly after her another waitress came with another 2 plates (1 steak and another lamb shank). When I got ready to receive them her response was “Oh these aren’t for you! These are for this table” and placed them on the table of four next to us again! The table that had been seated 35 minutes after us!! I then got up and proceeded to go towards the kitchen. I asked the group of staff there, as we had been waiting for our mains for at least 25mins when ours would be served? One lady (who I assumed must have had the most responsibility-manager?) answered quite rudely “which table are you, because it depends what you ordered as to how long it will take?” Carl (our waiter) arrived at that point and said that we were table 44. (In an exasperated tone, making me feel that he had already asked this question on our behalf and had been fobbed off) She then said they were plating it now. Carl brought the food to our table and apologised again. He did offer us a drink on the house but as we only now had 10 minutes to eat the food we declined saying we wouldn’t have time to drink it as well as eat and therefore could we just have the bill. While he went to get the bill we started our food. Mine was luke warm at best. When Carl bought the bill to us it was £105.50 I told him then that I couldn’t eat my lamb as it was luke warm and if we had more time I would have sent it back to the kitchen but as we didn’t I wasn’t going to eat it! Also that I was NOT going to therefore pay for it. Carl took the bill away. We put on our coats and Carl came back with a revised bill. With £21.12 (20%) taken off! This is less than the cost of the lamb and his words were I’m really sorry but this is all she will reduce it by! I was furious! I would have walked out and not paid a penny because of the way the manager lady made me feel. My husband just got his card out and paid the £84.48 left and we left. Something went wrong tonight in your restaurant, these things happen, BUT it’s how you make them right with the customer, or in this case didn’t, that counts. The Manager (or supervisor) didn’t take responsibility, made me feel like it was what I ordered that made it take so long, didn’t apologise and made Carl (our lovely waiter) be a scapegoat and take all the flack. I am not impressed in the slightest. The table of 4 next to us were also really embarrassed that they were served before us and were also appalled that were we charged at all! I don’t ever complain let alone write a bad review but, I’m afraid, ‘The Bull on Bell Street’ I couldn’t let this go.

I was so looking forward to this meal. I booked for 6pm today (Friday) as was going to The Kenton Theatre after dinner. My husband and I arrived early and were actually seated at 5:50pm. I asked about timings of food arriving as we needed to be at the theatre to meet friends at 7:15pm as we had their tickets. We ordered drinks and our food (Starters and mains) at 6:05pm. To be fair it was a good start and our starters were delicious, hence I have given the food 2 stars, they came quickly and were cleared away by 6:30pm. We then waited for our mains to arrive. My husband had ordered the fillet steak snd I ordered the lamb shank with chorizo mash. A table of four people were seated next to us shortly after our starters had been cleared. At 6:50pm I asked waiter (Carl) where our ‘mains’ were? He apologised that they were not with us and went to chase them up for us. He was gone for 5 mins then came back and said they would be with us very soon. At 6:58pm a waitress came towards our table with 2 lamb shanks in her hand and proceeded to place them on the table of 4 next to us. Shortly after her another waitress came with another 2 plates (1 steak and another lamb shank). When I got ready to receive them her response was “Oh these aren’t for you! These are for this table” and placed them on the table of four next to us again! The table that had been seated 35 minutes after us!! I then got up and proceeded to go towards the kitchen. I asked the group of staff there, as we had been waiting for our mains for at least 25mins when ours would be served? One lady (who I assumed must have had the most responsibility-manager?) answered quite rudely “which table are you, because it depends what you ordered as to how long it will take?” Carl (our waiter) arrived at that point and said that we were table 44. (In an exasperated tone, making me feel that he had already asked this question on our behalf and had been fobbed off) She then said they were plating it now. Carl brought the food to our table and apologised again. He did offer us a drink on the house but as we only now had 10 minutes to eat the food we declined saying we wouldn’t have time to drink it as well as eat and therefore could we just have the bill. While he went to get the bill we started our food. Mine was luke warm at best. When Carl bought the bill to us it was £105.50 I told him then that I couldn’t eat my lamb as it was luke warm and if we had more time I would have sent it back to the kitchen but as we didn’t I wasn’t going to eat it! Also that I was NOT going to therefore pay for it. Carl took the bill away. We put on our coats and Carl came back with a revised bill. With £21.12 (20%) taken off! This is less than the cost of the lamb and his words were I’m really sorry but this is all she will reduce it by! I was furious! I would have walked out and not paid a penny because of the way the manager lady made me feel. My husband just got his card out and paid the £84.48 left and we left. Something went wrong tonight in your restaurant, these things happen, BUT it’s how you make them right with the customer, or in this case didn’t, that counts. The Manager (or supervisor) didn’t take responsibility, made me feel like it was what I ordered that made it take so long, didn’t apologise and made Carl (our lovely waiter) be a scapegoat and take all the flack. I am not impressed in the slightest. The table of 4 next to us were also really embarrassed that they were served before us and were also appalled that were we charged at all! I don’t ever complain let alone write a bad review but, I’m afraid, ‘The Bull on Bell Street’ I couldn’t let this go.

Very pretty gastro pub with plenty of seating. We had a private lunch in the Garden Room which was very spacious. Service was friendly and portion sizes were generous.

Went here because it said that they had a good selection of gluten free . I chose something from the menu only to be told it was no longer gluten free although on the menu it was . Choices in the end were steak at £30+ or risotto so we left . Evidently they got a new menu last week and hadn't checked it

Fabulous staff! I went in to The Bull on Bell St in search of an unopened , take-home bottle of fine Brakspear Oxfordshire ale. As to why this fine brew is no longer available in Waitrose, or any other supermarket or off license shop I can find in the area, that's something the good folk at Brakspear Brewery will no doubt know the answer to. But nowadays, most of us will have to go to the pub to give it a go. Not too difficult if you live in the area - as there are a goodly handful of pubs in the environs bearing that reassuring seal - but quite a struggle if one wishes to spread the good "news" further afield..! Having spent almost all day looking (because I had drunk a friend's bottle - in his London home - in his absence, assuming it would be easy enough to replace when in Oxfordshire!), I was on the verge of giving up when an old timer at one of t'other Brakspear pubs pointed me at The Bull (shout out to the Three Horses on Reading Road, and the lovely, engaging and also helpful bar staff). For those not in the know, The Bull pub is officially "Brakspear Central", since the brewery's offices and HQ are ensconced at the back of this fine establishment. Enter "Cam", bartender at The Bull... Whilst the brewery no longer seems to distribute its bubbly bottled grog through wine merchants and the like, one or two bottles (fully in-date, because other pubs do still have "ancient" unopened bottles knocking about, as part of their decor!) still bandy around, for promotional events, etc. And, staff at Brakspear Central - being cunningly and conveniently located - occasionally get to take them home. And, our Cam - in this story, my main man - had such a bottle, my persistence led me to understand; and promptly volunteered to bring his own tidy tipple in to work for me the very next day. I put it in my virtual diary, and he in his! We reunited the next day. I actually swapped his "Brakspear Oxford Gold" edition with a newly discovered brew from Wales, "Butty Bach" (which I simply had to buy, since that's what buddies affectionately called each other, way back, in my Cardiffian school days...); and, of course, Waitrose in Henley currently stock it, unlike their famous, more local Oxfordshire offering! Thanks sooo much to Cam, who went above and beyond, and did not know - at the time of his offering - that I would swap another bottle, or reward him in any way for his kindness or devotion too duty. It's this kind of thing that continues to make this kind of pub special.

What a great place we had lunch at today staying near at Swiss Farm. They accepted our 2 dogs and the ribs were to die for. Indie our waitress for the afternoon was first class. Truly recommend it and we will be back next time we are in area. Well done all 👌

Service was very slow we had to wait a long time for our drinks, the roast chicken dinner wasn’t as good as it normally is not enough gravy and the Yorkshire puddings were virtually inedible no stuffing was served either we’ve been to The Bull multiple times and it’s just a shame that the last couple of times we’ve been here it’s definitely dropped in service and quality of food.

Lovely! Will definitely be returning 😍

Visited midweek for afternoon tea, first thing to say is portion sizes of sandwiches were massive, I was very pleased by this although was a little too much for my wife, all very tasty though. Scones were not warm which we prefer but nice, good choice of cakes, all very good but not exceptional. Service was spot on and the cocktails (pornstar martini and mojito) were yummy. Claim is the best afternoon tea in Henley, can’t argue otherwise based on our experiences.

Haven’t been to the Bell for a long time. It’s been done up and they’ve made a great job of it. I had a pizza and Diane has the Lamb Rump. Both were really good. Great service by all the staff. Food arrived quickly and it was hot. It’s now a very big pub with lots of different eating options inside. Cost wise for Henley really good value. We will go again for sure and that’s quite a compliment for the area. Well done all round 😁

Came for my Mum’s birthday meal. The roast was exceptional and the staff are so friendly. I highly recommend this place.