The Eight Bells in Uttlesford

Quite pricey, but a relaxing, unhurried atmosphere in attractive surroundings. Good service and so helpful to have a car park.

Lovely pub, staff very nice, I had trout terrine for starters, never got my soda bread, forgot to ask for it, but I didn't enjoy that, I had the Sunday lunch, roast beef, two thick slices which were cooked to perfection, the roast potatoes weren't crispy and seemed like new potatoes cooked in a deep fat fryer, the rest of the food on the plate was perfect, for desert I had apple and pear crumble, but the pears were quite hard, and strangely came with chocolate ice cream, I thought vanilla would have been better. Summing up, I'd definitely go back, but I'd only have the main course, if I was marking it on that, I would have given it five stars.

My first date was at this wonderful pub. 😊 The atmosphere and service were wonderful, and so was my date.😊 Thank you

Really delicious food, with a changing menu. Recommend the ox cheek!

For a funereal ,so not typical day food buffet style very nice ,beer great bit slow ,not there fault lot of people ..

A great place to have a meal after a beautiful walk in Bridge End Garden. Our waiter Chris was very polite, helpful and made us feel very welcome.

Excellent 10am welcome for our coach party on a Thursday- plenty of delicious cakes and coffee/tea welcomed us as did super cheery staff before we started our walking tour of the beautiful town. Having eaten here at Xmas and had an excellent meal it was nice to return and discover they welcome art and history tour groups. Such a pretty town worth combining a visit to the bridge end gardens or Fry Gallery with a lunch at this lovely pub.

Overpriced we had 2 crumbles we could not get cream because they use it for the panna cotta. No custard offered but a purple sweet cheap ice cream that did not go with the crumble. Two desserts and one coffee came to £31. I have been there for two Sunday lunches which were very good. The tables and chairs in this beautiful room are very tacky and old. It looks like an old-fashioned school room. Sadly I would not take us there again.

We popped in for a quick bite and a pit stop on a bright and sunny Wednesday lunch time. We were not very hungry and although the lunch menu did look very tempting we chose some bar snacks instead. We had a cheese/ salami board, sone calamari and spicy chorizo bites. We added some thrice cooked chunky chips. All tasty. Served pleasantly. It’s expensive but worth it. Well done all. We will recommend and return.

Lovely old style venue, food ok, service very slow even though there were not many customers.

We turned up unannounced and they fitted us into the impressive main hall with the high ceiling and the beams. Went with the beef roast. I have had many great ones due to the meat, the potatoes or the yorkies….but this was the best due to the veg! Seriously, some yellow beetroot, kale and mashed root veg really elevated this. Definitely can’t wait to come back again. Menu even had a map that we might use for tips elsewhere!

Booked this place for our Wedding Anniversary in the Restaurant, arrived for our reservation on the Saturday night, was shown to our table in the bar! This is not what we wanted as there was dogs in the bar ordered our drinks was not very happy where we was sitting my husband told the waitress we had booked to eat in the restaurant, her reply was “ it’s booked for a function”, we said we were not told this at the time of our booking a waiter came to our table & asked were we ready to order food we replied No we are not eating here because of the situation regarding the function in the restaurant. He replied “ I didn’t know about this function in the restaurant until tonight ? Not very good communication amongst staff members ? We paid for our drinks & left to go elsewhere. Will not be going back here.

Not a great experience and that's disappointing in many ways. It's an amazing building let down by the team. On the day we went they had run out of some of the options. We were offered alternatives for free by a member of staff so we agreed as we had been there so long already. Food and drinks service extremely slow on our visit and there were more stack than customers, I don't understand it really. So much potential but delivery was way under par. Expensive for what we received.

Me and the Wife came down for a Sunday lunch and enjoyed it very much, alongside a ice-cream Sunday! A little on the expensive side but we had a lovely time and a lovely waitress called Jess telling us about different wines we were interested in! Drinks were lovely, and a fantastic scenery inside the barn. Would definitely recommend, we will definitely be returning

Very average food. We went for a nice evening out. Sat outside, which is pretty poorly decked out. Astro turf and no ambience. Could be such a lovely little area if done well. Inside did look prettier. The food was really poor. I had the lamb which was tough, tiny and pretty tasteless. The sauce was basically out of the tin mint sauce over some plain boiled beans. Served with undercooked chips (hard and cold in the middle!). Parents had fish and chips which was okay (same issue with chips) but to be honest, worse than the chippy down the road. Drinks expensive and took 20-30 minutes to come. At over £150 for three people (one drink each and just main and two starters to share) I felt pretty robbed! Wouldn’t recommend or return.

This is a lovely old pub with a stunning dining room. The new beer garden is a delight. The staff are very pleasant and the food is very good. They also have their own car park.

I loved the Sunday roast and sticky toffee pudding. The staff was really friendly. We arrived around 10-12 minutes early than the time i booked, but they were happy to seat us.

A lovely find, near Fry Gallery. V interesting building, good beer and lovely food. Staff excellent! For two we had two starters, a green salad and Foccachia which was enough for lunch. We obviously need to return!

Very nice lunch in the restaurant finished off with a nice cuppa in the garden area

Saturday night, food OK although the prawn cocktail was completely missing the avocado. Service was absolutely terrible. Atmosphere poor as it emptied out by about 9pm.

Haddock was fabulous beautiful dining what's not to like

Didn't try the food. Nice pub, ample parking with a great outdoor area.

Great little Pub, we watched the semi finals so it was pretty busy. But there was a few things, Our Starters didn't arrive until half way through our mains which was a bit annoying as we requested them before. The chips where pretty good but the fish was a bit greasy. As i said we want on a busy Wednesday evening so all and all a good night

We held a retirement party at the 8 Bells on Friday for our Head Teacher. We were extremely satisfied with everything at the venue. The buffet was outstanding, with many compliments on. The management were so helpful all the way through the process of organising this event. They had so many staff on, all of them were friendly and helpful. 5 stars well deserved.

Went here on Saturday at 6:30pm and had an amazing time . Food was awesome and really great service which makes all the difference ! Will definitely be back .

Excellent meal last night, which was just ahead of an event held at the pub with a travelling theatre troop called Pantaloons. 4 meals were excellent, and good array of drink options. Got a little busy as people came in to watch the football but all added to the post-meal ambiance. Staff were professional, and food was pipping hot given the freshness of it being made

Visited today for Sunday lunch. After ordering we waited sometime for the food to be served, around 60 minutes. Once the food arrived, it was worth the wait. Both meat and vegaterian options were great. However low rating is due to the service received, one staff member was polite. While some of the others were seemed preoccupied and unhelpful - almost as if we were an inconvenience.

Really good value food, freshly made and fair size portions. A real gem of a place. Keep doing what you're doing

They do two menus one for the bar and one for the barn restaurant

It's almost the key place to be at weekends for parties and functions , events , loads more .. the staff are good Jay Audley End Chauffeurs

Looked lovely inside and out. Waited at the bar for 5 or 6 minutes but no staff appeared so we left and went to a different pub.

After moving away we had not returned to the Eight Bells for 12 year and it was very disappointing around Christmas time just gone - unfriendly, bad food and service. We decided to give it another try and it was so improved I had to ask if it was under new management and it is and it shows. We had three courses and the food was outstanding. The service was second to none and everyone was so friendly. They now welcome dogs into the main restaurant area too. Will definitely go back again soon. Fantastic meal and a very different feel to the place now.

Lunch was pretty good - service was OK. Staff may need a little more training before being let loose on the public on there own.

Great place and good food and service. A little on the quiet side however lovely village atmosphere.

A lovely public house with attentive staff and beautiful food. The trout was amazing and my friends haddock looked tasty and was very large. Will be returning to try out a Sunday roast!

Was here for lunch got there at 12:30 very busy for a lunch time didn't have a reservation but was still able to sit down for a meal was welcomed by the manager called Josh very quickly and was served to attentively even though it was busy been here a couple of times now and have never been disappointed

Food quantities varied from plate to plate ,had to wait a long time for food to arrive,had children and they were getting bored from the wait,to be fair they apologized and gave a big discount for the wait . Staff were friendly

The Cruz Campus beer was the best I have ever tasted. WELL DONE

A delightful accident. I was looking for a bite to eat in Saffron Walden and stumbled across this place. The service was a delight and the food was excellent. I also sampled a local wine which knocked my socks off. The pricing is at the treat level but the quality of what was served meant it was well worth it. If I could make a small suggestion maybe add another choice to the menu for fussy eaters. Local hint: it's only five minutes from Saffron Hall so it is a great choice for a pre-concert dinner.

We had to wait over an hour and a half for the food to arrive. When it arrived everything was very good. The manager is quite rude. There is no baby changing table, just a mat that has to be used on the dirty bathroom floor. No apology for the wait and on top of that it included a 10% tip in the bill…

We had a great dinner at the eight bells restaurant. We were warm welcomed. The meals were freshly made and tasty! The alcohol free beer was great, too. Clean and cosy atmosphere. Fair price for a meal with high-quality ingredients! We will come back, surely 😁👍🏻

Terrible service. The bar ‘manager’ was completely incompetent, condescending and rude. Definitely would not recommend with young children. Despite being there for over an hour, waited with young children to order food. Asked three times to order. Claims to be ‘dog friendly’ but they then couldn’t offer a place with a dog.

We booked a table for 4 for Thursday 28 March. My friend had phoned to ask: is the pub wheelchair accessible?; is there a disabled toilet? She was told Yes to both. Eight Bells is a grade II listed building We parked in the car park and I was able to get into the pub using a short in-built ramp through a narrow door into the corner of the bar / lobby area with 3 or 4 tables. There is a large dining area to the side, accessed via one step down, then another step up - not wheelchair-friendly, The main bar area is accessed by 2 steps - not wheelchair accessible. The ladies and gents toilets were both accessed by steps down - not wheelchair accessible. The manager apologised and said: no there isn’t an accessible toilet, it’s a listed building. So why weren’t we told that when we booked? We stayed in the ‘‘accessible’ entrance area and had a meal, which was very good, but we didn’t stay long and I used the car park as a toilet on the way back to the car. The lack of a disabled toilet should be made clear on their website and to all of their staff! Meanwhile, we continue to be treated like second class citizens!

I really want to like The Eight Bells. It’s local to us and it’s an attractive venue. However this is the second visit that left us disappointed. Firstly, we were seated in the bar and not the restaurant as booked. We then waited an hour for our main courses. When the food arrived it was okay. We all had roast but each roast was £24! You would expect something quite special for that sort of money in a local restaurant. My Dad’s lamb was just fatty and when we mentioned it to the waitress she just said ‘oh ‘. Not a great experience.

We spent the day in Saffron Walden and ended up walking in to the Eight Bells early just because we were done walking. At first the service seemed to be very attentive, but we could tell a clear shift in mood when we decided to go with a starter first and then order mains and dessert later since we came in so early (it was around 4pm and the barn section just cleared with the last remaining lunch folks, so we weren't worried about holding a table for too long as it was that weird time between lunch and dinner where restaurants are typically empty. If it had been crowded we would have obviously ordered and eaten a lot faster). After that, we were pretty much ignored - we asked for the drinks menu which we got, but had to flag down service after 30 minutes to actually order, same happened with the dessert. I get that service loves to see people eat, pack up and go but I still spend almost 50 pounds each and order starter, main and dessert I do expect good service no matter how long I spend in the place (unless, of course the table has to be cleared for another reservation etc - but that clearly wasn't the case). Food was really good though, we had the sourdough + fish pate which was heavely, our mains were veggie risotto and fish & chips. Fish & Chips were very well seasoned and crispy and the tartare sauce was amazing. The risotto was a bit runny, but had a really good taste to make up for consistency. The sticky toffee pudding was bigger than expected and was amazing as well! Overall, a good visit with great food but unfortunately not so great service - which is a shame when a place has a service fee included (which we paid, but tbh it wasn't well deserved).

Booked for Sunday lunch a few weeks ago and were excited as we'd not tried The Eight Bells before. Our table wasn't ready when we arrived but we ordered drinks and sat at the bar. Very quickly, though, a table was cleared in the barn/hall (which is absolutely amazing, though it took us a while to realise the plants were plastic). I'd book the whole barn for any special events (weddings, etc) if I could. Service was very, very slow (a bottle of wine ordered with the food materialised as we were all finishing up) but the food was excellent, including being able to choose how the meat for the roast was cooked, so it can't have been pre-made. It took ages to order, for the food to arrive, and to pay.. it didn't seem that busy, but perhaps it was behind the scenes. Toilets were ok, and there are a few tables outside and a car park. It's probably the kind of place you'd have a special meal, or take out-of-town friends. It's not really a pub, but a restaurant.. or gastro-pub, perhaps. They do have a decent selection of drinks (including a good wine-list, though as we found out, not every bottle is available all the time). We'll be back again.

Very cool spot, loads of character. Food was delicious, sunday dinner with the fam. The rice pudding was very nice, bit random to focus on, but loved it. Chefs a cool fella - David. Met him and his good lady outside after the feeding frenzy died down. Was kind enough to give me a bottle of the beer he'd brewed himself and big batched with Barsham brewery - Eastern Gold. Proper nice drop, really enjoyed that. Thanks David. Will be dropping in for a pint of that again👌

Had a great last minute visit to the eight bells yesterday and was really impressed - the barn was an amazing location to dine and really well decorated. Wasn't expecting that from the outside. Our server was very friendly too. Portions were of a good size and great quality, we opted for the fish and chips and enjoyed having fish and chip style chips rather than the usual thick cut ones you tend to get in pubs. 10% service charge added automatically to the bill. AMEX accepted.

This was our first visit and agreed that we would be happy to return in the future. The pub has three different areas for eating and we sat in the large barn. We found all the staff to be very friendly and helpful and were well looked after during our stay. Our food was good too but the prices are a little higher in this establishment.

Food pretty good but the service was awful staff more interested in chatting by the bar or looking at their phone. Dessert menu provided but no one came to take an order for more than 30 minutes by which time we were ready to head home!

Stopped in for a light lunch bite and some refreshments during the week with our dog on a rainy day, very friendly staff, beautiful old building, excellent wine list, very dog friendly had a great time; one of the best pubs we have been to for a long time (not counting the Cricketers near Clavering which we visited the day after, same chain of course!). We both have been talking about this pub since, and will be looking for an opportunity to come back soon, love it.

Really good food in a cozy atmosphere

Had such a amazing time got greeted very quickly by josh the manager was served with such attentiveness the food was amazing will be returning again busy Sunday Chris the other manger was amazing as well got myself a drink before I sat for dinner

I came here yesterday in a group with myself and my friend who has a baby under 1. The baby changing facilities in the woman’s toilets was appalling. It was a mat which we are expected to put on the dirty bathroom floor. Yesterday was raining, which mean the bathroom floor was extra wet / dirty. Logistically it should also be noted that even if the floor was spotless. Both the bathroom doors swing outwards, to where you’re meant to change the baby, thus is wouldn’t work regardless. This is extremely disappointing for a family friendly pub. Sunday roast was lovely and the service was slow but friendly.

Excellent food and service. What impressed us most is that when my wife told a waiter that her hearing is poor, he immediately positioned himself so that she could see him clearly - helps with the lip-reading - and spoke slowly and clearly.

Decided that after 2 years we would try the 8Bells again, obviously a big mistake, especially given our bad recent experiences at other Chestnut group restaurants namely the Cricketers in Clavering and the feathers in Holt. This chain used to be so good but sadly no longer. Dinner was booked for 8pm on a Saturday night for birthday celebrations, choosing from the menu to be told that catch of the day was no longer available. this was OK so 4 people then chose the sirloin, and we had a long discussion with the waitress on having sharing starters, and what quantities to order. After about 10 mins, the staff came out telling us the sirloin was sold out, and to choose an alternative. We did this reluctantly, for a restaurant to run out of 2 main menu items on a busy Saturday night when we have to pre-book and secure with credit card, so numbers of covers are known in advance. This clearly is a case of inexperienced or mis-management. We waited for the starters to arrive, but couldn't believe it when our mains were presented to us. Where were our starters? no explanation given, no apologies. As the waitress leant over with the plates of main course food she also dragged a dirty tea towel through one of the dinners, again no apology. We were not returning the dishes as we know from past that they get kept and reheated. Food was mediocre, venison burger, for which no staff asked about how we wanted it cooked, was very well done and dry. we did notice that another table had already sent their burgers back. For dessert we chose warm rice puddings. these were cold when they arrived at the table. At one point in the evening we overheard staff telling one customer who remarked how busy it was and how they had sold out, that "you guys are OK cos you are vegetarians" Attitude of the staff left a lot to be desired, and we would say maybe experience in another one of the groups establishments would help, but sadly this is level of service and lack of care is clearly endemic throughout the Chestnut group. For the 8bells there should be the opportunity to create saffron Walden's No1 eating spot, given the lack of choice of good food in the area. Step up your game !! We will not return

Arrived early, table not available, found a table to wait at with a drink, abruptly moved on by a rude front of house, table became available, slow service, orders eventually taken, after over a hour starters arrived, complete with nice bread roll to accompany soup, no butter, when asked waitress went to check to return to say they had run out. Sunday lunches arrived OK but seen much better and more plentiful, desert again saw on line cheese and biscuits on menu but vanished from todays paper copy, asked if it could be sourced came back with no cheese!. Fortunately with family who we hadn't seen for six months so had lots to talk about, otherwise the occasion would have been a total disaster, guess won't be returning.

Excellent Sunday roast and good service.

An absolutely delightful place to visit for a meal. Delicious freshly cooked food, varied menu and a good range of drinks. The only downside is that we had to wait over an hour for food to be served after ordering.

Stunning interior in a great location

Had such a amazing time got greeted very quickly by josh the manager was served with such attentiveness the food was amazing will be returning again

Great atmosphere and staff but food pretty good but not superb, especially for the money paid... Would go again for a drink and for the atmosphere but wouldn't eat.

Had the perfect lunch experience at the Eight Bells on Saturday 6th January 2024. Venue was warm and inviting, great decor. Staff were excellent - just the right amount of attentiveness. The food couldnt have been better. We shared the bread and Brie starter and could have eaten it all afternoon - that bread was the best I've ever had. The shin of beef was soft and fell apart. I'm fussy about my mash but it was fab. We plan to try all the of Chestnut Groups pubs so more great dining experiences to come...

Perfect experience great old building

We sat around a lovely log fire with pre lunch drinks on a horrible wet Friday. Such a helpful and friendly front of house man, sorted out problems with my loyalty card, thank you to him. Delicious goats cheese starter, followed by such tender beef. Possibly best venue for food in Saffron Walden in my opinion. We will be back.

Lovely New Year’s Eve dinner at the eight bells, The venison special was amazing would definitely recommend. The manager Josh yet again served us with a smile. This restaurant never disappoints, we look forward to seeing what food is to come in the new years!

Great food, great place and friendly and very welcoming staff. We were served by Ollie today who was very warm and welcoming. We will definitely visit again.

Great family meet up with four adults and two boys 10 and 16 between Xmas and new year. Very busy but good service and pleasant clientele and decor. We were in a double height barn dining area so very family friendly and away from bar drinkers. Very accommodating given some of party very late and they were busy, long leisurely lunch not hassled. Food was excellent. Kids menu fairly limited and main menu didn’t have a lot for 16 year old but that’s obvious from reading menu. Lighting is quite dark and lots of higgled-piggled floors as very old building so not the best for elderly or less mobile. There is a small car park which isn’t clear on website but imagine fills up. Would recommend and return with younger family or friends.

The food was good, the service not as good as it could be, and the atmosphere left one agog. Beautifully decorated for Christmas too.

Amazing Sunday roast and sticky toffee pudding

Food out of this world Brilliant

We were so disappointed with the Eight Bells, which we have frequented for 25 years. The best thing to have happened to the pub in recent years is the fabulous Jack, who sadly wasn’t in when we visited recently. I hope he is just on holiday? We were rather surprised by the attitude of the new deputy manager, I think his name is Josh. He was very indifferent towards us and rude to the staff, in front of us. We were embarrassed but, the poor waiting staff were more so. Jack makes the pub so welcoming and relaxing both for guests and the staff, it’s a joy to visit when he is there. We’ll visit again when he’s in.

Pleasant pub, good atmosphere, well kept real ale and excellent food which was slow to arrive, though, on a busy Sunday evening so only 4 not 5 stars.

I don't know how these chains are surviving with below average food at silly prices.It won't be long before people just stop going out to eat at these chains as food cooked at home is cheaper and nicer.We visited this pub/restaurant in Nov 23 and it was terrible on all counts, it was cold in the restaurant unless you were on top of the fire, the service was just ok but the food was terrible, going to leave it there as I could go on.We stopped going to the Cricketers in Clavering because the portion sizes dropped but the prices went up, shocking how people still put up with it! Anyway,we will not be going back to either restaurant, there is zero quality control... These chains are going to hit the ground with a hard bump soon, what happened to love on a plate and an excellent service, its gone! These companies now only care about profit margins, save your money, cook at home....lets wait till these chains start caring about the food and customers again!1

First-time visitor to Saffron Walden. A wedding seemed to be going on. Seemed like a huge space. Cute little pub. If I ever return to this place, would definitely drop by for a pint.

Went for lunch and whilst the food was great, the service from the waitresses was great the Assistant Manager (Josh) was rude to the staff, ignored us whilst we were waiting at the bar to be seated and didn't seem to show any interest in his customers.

Came in for Sunday lunch with our 5 and 3 year old. Portions were small and we were all hungry afterwards. Very expensive for an average meal. For the cost of the meal it was disappointing that the only vegetables were a couple of small roast potatoes, some cabbage, and a few pieces of broccoli. Our bill was wrong twice as we were overcharged despite there being a set price for 2 courses. Friends also dined their recently with young kid and left feeling same way as us. Won't be going back.

A lovely meal. The dirty burgers were delicious and my friend said her fish and chips were too. I had the peanut butter parfait for dessert which was very nice. As always the service was friendly and efficient. I always take visiting friends here and have never been disappointed.

Very nice meal and excellent service. Car Parking available. We took our dog in with us, and she was made very welcome. Enjoyed our lunch and look forward to returning.

Delicious meal and fantastic service. Only negative is that as it’s an old barn the restaurant is a bit chilly on a cold night so wrap up and enjoy a great evening.

We booked a table at the Eight Bells to celebrate a birthday. The decoration of the rear dining area was interesting (a medieval hall feeling). The room was on the cool side, and could have done with the heating being turned up. We waited quite...

The restaurant is gorgeous but it was really cold. We were shown to our table but not told the soup or fish of the day options despite other diners being informed. Drinks were good. Food came out nice and hot but my battered cod was...

Came today as a family group after my mums funeral at cam valley crem. Buffet was amazing enjoyed by all. Staff were very good. Highly reccomend.

Appreciated traditional British cuisine different from Fish&Chips 😎😉 Except for great dishes and very careful service, the atmosphere of this stylish and old pub was very pleasant.

OK, not fantastic, just about OK. The only place I've been where all the diners are eating with thier coats on, the place is freezing. Listed or not a few extra oil filled radiators plugged in wouldn't go a miss. Food wise, standard pub grub at restaurant prices. Your looking at £90 for a couple for Sunday lunch. But eat fast! The food is only lukewarm when it arrives and any heat it does have isn't going to last long in the ambient room temperature. Watch your bill, errors and a service charge are added if you thing they are deserved or not.

We had dinner for two. It was quite excellent. A friendly welcome and taken straight to the table with a bottle of water. We shared some pickled anchovies to start and they were very good. For mains we had one venison and one pork cutlet....

Jack is a legend, true gentleman and host! Would thoroughly recommend, Wally and I thoroughly recommend our local at the 8 Bells, keep up the good work!

Jacks the man, doing a great job running The Eight Bells, what a lovely pub. We had a lovely evening with friends & friends. Wally

What an amazing experience. I don't write reviews, ever! But I felt I had to write this. The venue itself was stunning, the service was faultless. The food however simply stole the show. The love and care that had been taken to create the menu,...

What an amazing experience. I don't write reviews, ever! But I felt I had to write this. The venue itself was stunning, the service was faultless. The food however simply stole the show. The love and care that had been taken to create the menu, source the food and prepare such subtle beautifully balanced dishes was greatly appreciated. I don't know who the chief was, but don't ever doubt yourself or your profession, you are a genius. I felt like the food critic at the end of the Pixar movie, Ratatouille. Every mouthful was magical, every dish a revelation. I was incredibly moved. Thank you

We were staying in Saffron Walden for a few nights and booked here for the Saturday night. It didn't disappoint. Lovely venue, chilled atmosphere and the food was amazing

Thank you so much to all the wonderful staff who made our family occasion feel so special. We were a big family party including some elderly relatives, but the staff were very accommodating and helpful. All the food we ordered was absolutely impeccable- beautifully presented,...

Having dined in the bar earlier in the year, we booked a table in the restaurant for Sunday Lunch in celebration of my mother's 80th birthday. The restaurant was full on the day we visited (and the bar looked pretty busy too) but Jack and...

Food top notch, service the same, it was such an all round excellent experience, will come again

We had dinner for two. It was quite excellent. A friendly welcome and taken straight to the table with a bottle of water. We shared some pickled anchovies to start and they were very good. For mains we had one venison and one pork cutlet. Both were superbly tasty and cooked to perfection. Service was just right - attentive when wanted but not intrusive. There is a good and interesting wine list, with a large number of choices by the glass. We ate in an old great hall - very atmospheric. Plenty of space between tables too. So often one is disappointed eating out, but not here. If you want a meal that is a cut above the normal gastropub offer, but still reasonably priced you will not go wrong here. Thoroughly recommended.

Amazing dinner served by Josh yet again he seems to be able to be with every table and gives the impression even when full of diners that it isn’t any difficulty. Josh is why we return time and time again amazing knowledgable man with great...

Great experience at Eight Bells for lunch. Food was delicious and very generous portions. Service was friendly and attentive. Would recommend and look forward to returning.

Such lovely staff - so welcoming and friendly Lunch was excellent. A perfect half way stop on the way to Norfolk.

We travelled from Canada and came to this spot for a Sunday lunch. We highly recommend it the food is great and the service is even better.

An A la carte menu and prices but not food quality and service to match. The grazing selection was nice and tasty, and we had that rather than a starter, but the mains were just pub food. My pork was not cooked through in part. The appearance of the food was not stylish, just food plonked on a plate. The desert menu was lacking so we chose not to have dessert. Service was adequate pub style. The wine list and my choice was good. There was hardly anyone there, and yet we were seated next to the toilets and on my Birthday and in such a beautiful old beamed Hall too.