The Old Bell Inn - Restaurant in Oldham

Having visited the restaurant for years, and enjoyed all of it. My partner did the books many years ago. We have stuck with it through all the many changes & styles of food offered. Unfortunately we went for Sunday Roast , last Sunday. The beef was sold out, my partner took the pork which was too fatty, I took the ham shank which looked like it had been boiled & was totally unacceptable to me. We complained quietly to an older waitress, who tried to help with a strange type of beef? We were told to complain to Charlotte ( restaurant manager) who went home early on Sunday, & would not be on duty until Wednesday? Having decided that was enough, we grudgingly paid, and left, never to return ever! we were treated badly!

Our first visit in over 15 years to The Old Bell today for Sunday lunch and it was just as good as it always was. Staff were really customer focused friendly and super efficient and although it was busy service was exceptional. The Sunday lunch of roast beef, Yorkshire pudding , and proper roasties and seasonal veg and the gravy was absolutely delicious. Cannot wait to go back very soon , also it was really well decked out for Halloween, well done and thank you .

Lovely staff, excellent food as always, come every year and always very impressed. I stay in hotels regularly and this is my favourite by far, best meals i have eaten in years and always very friendly staff. Looking forward to my next trip.

Stayed here for a weekend with 10 female friends. What a lovely lace the Old Bell is. The rooms were well equipped cleaned daily. Great tea tray with biscuits and bottled water. Free WiFi. Evening meal and breakfast were both excellent in terms of choice, quality and quantity. But best of all were the team who looked after us-So friendly and helpful, going above and beyond to ensure our weekend went smoothly. I cannot praise them enough! We will be back again next year for sure!

We had our wedding meal at the Old Bell and everything was perfect. It was a small wedding but we seated 23 people comfortably in half of the restaurant. Charlotte and all of the staff were fantastic, welcoming, pleasant and polite, the service was second to none throughout the whole afternoon and evening. Everyone enjoyed their meals which were all served together, warm and good size portions, drinks were kept topped up and nobody went without. We would highly recommend the Old Bell to anyone who is thinking of having a smaller or similar size party. Thank you everyone from Jane and Mike xx

Overpriced for what you get and its nothing special. Portions are not generous either. We had a range of people in our party and we were all disappointed. It was OK, but for the cost, we expected better and more. Also, towards the end of the meal, the service slowed down too much. Servers are good and the staff are happy.

Old Bell Inn was right on main road, so noisy- we also stayed there. We had reserved a table for 6pm and no table reserved by pub, so when we came downstairs to eat, told we would get a table "soon". Nowhere to even sit- and we had been walking all day on Pennine Way . Told in an unfriendly way to wait for table by ordering a drink at bar- we don’t drink alcohol and ended up sitting on steps to pub as nowhere else to rest our legs as so packed and no reserved table, although we have all emails stating we asked them for table at 6pm. Accommodation bad too- and that was their superior double ensuite room. Small dirty and noisy although had asked for quiet room.

I will start with saying that on arrival, we were very pleased. We were shown to our room (room 6) which was lovely. However, the next day is when everything went wrong. We went down for breakfast and ordered 2 hot dishes. Unfortunately, we never got to eat them as after 40 mins we gave up waiting and left. A word of advice too to couples. I booked a double room for £90. Due to a misunderstanding about how payments work on Booking.com a pre payment of £90 was insufficient and a supplemental charge of £60 was required to be paid for my partner. Not clear and transparent.

What a little gem! The staff are second to none, nothing is too much trouble. Very friendly and accommodating. We stayed for the night to attend a wedding locally. We started the night with cocktails and drinks at the bar, followed by the chicken Caesar salad which was absolutely delicious and my husband thoroughly enjoy his dirty fries. We are already looking to rebook later in the year.

Good food. Just too expensive for a quick tea. The Place is lovely. Great service and ambiance My husband and I Called in for a quick tea before a show at the millgate. Smashed Burger and a pint for husband and rag pudding chips and peas with a gin and tonic £52. It was nice but didn't feel worth that ! It wasnt anything exceptional. My advice is go when you have more time. Enjoy the time.Maybe to have desert and starter the bill would be about £80 that would have made it feel like I had more for my money. I would go again but for a night out with tge hubby. Steak night looks a good deal

Very nice relaxed bar (the Brasserie) in this old Coaching Inn. We have dined here regularly and the food is of a good quality, the staff are pleasant and efficient. Until recently the bar had offered a locally brewed beer by Millstone. However they now seem intent on importing beers from South Yorkshire and Cheshire, which is a huge pity. Rather than building on a low carbon footprint and supporting local business, the move seems strange. Hopefully they can rethink, personally l much prefer the local Millstone, rather than the one from 30+ miles away in Bradfield.

We have just returned from a two night stay at the Old Bell. We both agree that this has been one of the nicest hotel and restaurant that we have ever visited. The accommodation was first class, as was the food, the friendliness and helpfulness of all the staff. Overall, an excellent and enjoyable experience and looking forward to our next visit. Cannot rate this highly enough .. 6 star. Roger and Brenda Kinsella

Really enjoyed my stay, great night sleep. Lovely room and friendly staff. I will be staying again when I am next in the area.

My partner and I dined from the small plates menu. Wow! Great value - gorgeous presentation and lovely staff and atmosphere. Can’t wait to go back Would highly recommend the pork belly and arancini - stunning.

My brother and I popped in to the brasserie for a quick lunch. We were quickly found a table, served drinks and then our waiter Joe came to take our order. He recommended the Korean chicken burger. It was the best burger I have ever tasted! It came served with an enormous onion ring, lots of beautiful sticky chicken and fries. A great recommendation - thanks to Joe and the chef this was an unexpected treat!

Fantastic seniors menu. Portions just right . We sometimes have just 2 courses but occasionally have three. Been more than a dozen times in last 3 months. Never disappoints. Off there again tonight to bring in March 2024. The young blonde waitress and Joe are both very courteous and attentive. The place is a credit to the owner and a great facility to the region.

Had a really lovely meal at The Old Bell Friday evening 9th February ‘24. Food and wine, really good and staff very pleasant. Thank you Joe and Alicia (not sure if I’ve spelled that correctly) 🙏

Lovely food and great staff! Would definitely recommend for an evening meal. Joe was lovely and very attentive. Great atmosphere and good music.

The service and food was really really nice as always, Joe our waiter was really attentive and helpful. Would definitely recommend.

The service was excellent joe our waiter was very attentive. The food was excellent, there is always a wide choice of options.

Excellent choice of menu, lovely food. Courteous staff and looked after well by our waiter Joe. I have also stayed over at The Old Bell in the past and lovely comfortable rooms

Really nice pub with a cosy atmosphere and great food. Joe was really friendly and we went for his recommendation which was spot on. Would recommend!

Called in for a steak on a Tuesday. The food was brilliant and Joe the waiter was excellent. I would definitely go back.

Lovely atmosphere in the Old Bell restaurant where we were looked after by super friendly and efficient staff this afternoon. We enjoyed a 3 Course Sunday Roast Dinner that we thoroughly recommend and are already looking forward to our next visit. Thank you.

We have been here 4 times now and never had a bad meal... we will be back again soon ...lovely place and brilliant staff...

I've lived in Oldham for pretty much all of my 60 odd years on the planet and although I've driven past countless time I've never been in the Old Bell. My partner has been once many moons ago so we decided on the spur of the moment to go for an early bite to eat tonight, intending to order from the "pensioner's menu". Booked a table for 17-45 and we were seated as soon as we arrived on a table for two in a raised area just beyond the bar. I've read at least one comment on here that the decor is "tired" and although it did remind us of how pubs were in the 1970's we liked it and we think it adds to the lovely atmosphere of a "proper pub". They were obviously busy but contrary to some of the other reviews on here that mention slow service we ordered and were served drinks within 5 minutes. My partner saw beef stroganoff on the main menu so the "pensioner's menu" was out straight away. I ordered the beef suet pudding from the main menu (larger portion than the "pensioner's menu"). Both meals were served within ten minutes on nice warm plates (I really don't like hot food on cold plates) and both were delicious and came with real chips (as opposed to frozen out of a bag and described as 'triple cooked' and other such rubbish). We were both satisfied and skipped dessert. As I said at the start this was my first visit but it definitely won't be the last. As an aside I'm taking medication at the moment which means no alcohol so I couldn't indulge in a proper gin and tonic. The best Gin and Tonic I've ever had was a 'Nordes' (if I remember correctly) in a bar called Columbus in Faro and they have quite the selection of gins but the Old Bell has them beaten hands down for choice!

Late lunch but wonderful just the name. Lovely full fish pie as usual, John's chicken breast a little small, but he loved it. We had starters and pudding. Great and caring staff, so superb to meet your daughter, Phil.

The owner of the business is a horrible man I have terrettes and deslyxsea and was spoke to like a piece of poo was told I couldn’t swear yet he had a full hotel of people who kill animal for fun he promotes killing animal living being and does not accreted people with disabilities never been made to feel so poo in my hole life

Visiting from Australia doing a road trip through Eng & Wales. This was our 14th overnight pub stay and by far my favourite. So Cosy, beautiful ambience, most comfortable bed and the Best Food ever. Gin Gin & more Gin. Friendly staff. And beautiful scenic views getting there. 5 Star!

Is it me or are all pubs up north better than in the south…might get lynched for that statement, but heyho. Fantastic meal. Lamb hotpot and Cesar salad. Just amazing. Timothy Taylor Landlord was in awesome condition. Staff amazing. Family friendly. And one of the best Gin selections I have ever seen. Need I say more…nope!

Second visit just as good as the first I love this pub restaurant and the history I love looking at the gins our food was delicious we had 3 courses we be back again soon

Had an impromptu visit, great selection of drinks, food was to die for and amazing staff!! Will certainly be back. Thank you!

Lovely place .. nice atmosphere .. fabulous selection of drinks .. good service … but unfortunately the food does not match 😔. Very average/ poor 😔. Breads dry and tasteless .. cod loin two new potatoes four pieces of asparagus and a defrosted piece of...

Highly recommended. Food great, accommodation spot on but the service from the staff were the cherry on the cake. Pleasant, accommodating, chatty, nothing was a bother, polite to us, our kids and everyone else! Would go back in a crack, and im not easily pleased!...

Had a brilliant visit at the old bell I love the history of the building and I like the interior of the pub and restaurant the food and service was amazing great menu everyone enjoyed there meal

So sorry to be leaving a bad review. Been coming here for meals with family and friends for many years and always enjoyed the food, service and ambiance . On this occasion, we were booked for a family birthday meal at 6.30 pm. The food...

We have always loved eating at the old bell inn. We have never so far been disappointed and the service we receive has always been brilliant. The front of house staff are always so helpful and Charlotte is our favourite waitress! We always come to...

Lovely restaurant, great staff in the restaurant. However, the food was mediocre. We ordered a sirloin steak, rare. What was served was a thin piece of beef, overcooked. Definitely not a quality steak. At a steep price of £26 it was not even of the...

We celebrated our wedding anniversary with friends at the new steak night on Thursday. We had a great time. 2x 10oz sirloin steak meals and a bottle of wine for just £40. Fantastic value. So we had a cheeky cocktail. Great value and brilliant service.

Stayed in room here. Had breakfast and 2 nights had tea. Its quality food here. Served by lovely staff.they cant do enough for u. They r all amazing. 26th july and 27 july. 2023

I stayed 5 nights, had a warm welcome from friendly, happy staff, it was perfect. The full breakfast was tasty, filling and cooked perfectly and served by staff who were joyful and happy. Made the morning of each day so easy. The Sunday roasts are...

Had a brilliant evening at the old bell, the cheese and onion pie is the best I have ever tasted, the fish and chips were amazing too, fantastic service from Sonya what a lovely lady, great atmosphere and will definitely visit again👍100% would recommend this...

We came after a long walk and being turned away from two other pubs not serving food and were delighted that we were after coming here! only down side is dogs aren’t allowed inside but we sat in the gazebo to the side which was...

Pizza from the pizza stall was unreal like. Service was excellent throughout. Great selection of tonic water refreshments.

We come here regularly for impromptu drinks and food with friends. The service is never less than brilliant and the wood fired pizzas in particular are excellent. Always worth a visit!

Amazing meal, attentive staff and fabulous wine. Had the stuffed mushrooms from the specials and they were absolutely amazing, presentation was lovely. Then had the lamb shank and this was beautiful and tender and just fell off the bone. All good was piping hot and...

Tried the new takeaway pizzas last night - available to eat in or takeaway from the beer garden. Lovely food ❤️ Good offer too - £30 for two large pizzas, a garlic bread pizza and generous fries. Will definitely be back! Friendly service from the...

Called in for a couple of drinks and a pizza for Friday night tea , staff friendly and helpful as always and great deal on fresh made pizzas . Thanks everyone for great service we ‘ll be back soon.

Popped into The Old Bell today with friends for lunch. Was greeted by a lovely lady who made us feel right at home. We had a drink in the bar before dining, the G&T's were fantastic!!! We had the small appetite menu which was absolutely...

We sat outside and had the pizza it’s was so tasty would definitely recommend trying If you’re thinking of going. Nothing was too much trouble for the staff they was all very polite and very well educated when discussing what drinks we would like thank...

I rarely write reviews but I was so incensed by the way my friend and I were treated last night. Clearly it had been a busy and prosperous day for the bell...we walked in for a ore theatre drink at around d 6.45. The bar...

Been to the Old Bell many times but we were disappointed on this occasion. Starters were OK but the rice on my main was so overcooked that it had turned to complete mush and was inedible - this would have been obvious to the chef...

We are not local and visited with friends having been once before with family a couple of years ago after a lovely Sunday lunch. Wished I had checked the menu before we booked as none of us live locally and we all travelled quite far...

We took friends to the Old Bell Inn for lunch on Friday 21st April 2023. There were quite a few diners in but we were quickly shown to our pre-booked table and offered and asked for our drinks order. These followed quite quickly along with...

This pub has a simple menu which is typical for moorland pubs. The serving staff are polite and willing to chat about the menu. The lamb shank with vegetables was good very tasty but the gravy appeared to be of some instant variety ( I...

Absolutely fantastic food Staff friendly Great place Definitely coming back Very tidy and clean …………:…..:::…

We had the senior citizens menu It was absolutely delicious the service was great I had the fish & chips really lovely and fresh And plentiful had the Mushroom & Stilton soup for a starters really delicious. My husband had the fish Pie which had...

The food here is very very good. There is a really good choice, from the more traditional to something a little bit different. I chose from the ‘cost of living ‘ menu - some of the tastiest food I think I’ve ever had. Homemade pate...

We are regulars here and have always loved the Sunday dinner. We travel from South Manchester as the food and service is usually excellent so feel it’s worth the journey. Today was disappointing to say the least. My partner ordered a lamb roast and we...

Booked a table as Mother-in-laws Birthday, atmosphere was beautiful, with candles lit on the table, music quiet in the background. Two menus to choose from, lots of variety from Sunday Roasts, vegetarian options… I opted for the Roast lamb with a side of cauliflower and...

Went for lunch yesterday. Service was excellent and place was nicely set out. But found portions of food quite small i had the liver and mash which i thought look like a childrens portion and was very stringy.No one wants liver full of veins.Came out...

There was a great review on-line by MEN which claimed that the food at the Old Bell was amazing. So we thought we would start the New Year with a meal here, and booked on-line. When we arrived, we were shown into a tired,soulless old...

Just had a meal at the old bell inn and its the worst meal and service I've ever encountered. Booked in for 5.30pm and still in the restaurant at 8.30pm. Meal was awful and the service was worse. We had to ask on a number...

Visited here recently with friends service at first was good. However the table near us was a large group who steadily became more drunk and more loud to the point where we couldn’t hear each other on our table. We asked to move tables which...

Visited with family for Sunday tea. Roast beef dinner was lovely. Our server Lewis was brilliant, really knowledegable , professional and friendly. Will be visiting again soon.

Gorgeous surroundings either in the bar area which is full of old time charm or restaurant modern simplicity. Staff well trained, attentive with great product knowledge. Food fabulous!! The best rag pudding I've had in many years! Sticky toffee pudding gorgeous and moist. Coffee strong...

Poor service which you could have allowed for as short staffed had the food been decent but it was awful

Superb stay from beginning to end. Nothing too much trouble The evening restaurant menu was extensive and reasonably priced and I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. I slept soundly and the morning shower gets a special mention, powerful, hot and never ending. Breakfast was also super...

A group of eight of us had Sunday lunch here again a couple of weeks ago. We sat in the restaurant area, which had a lovely atmosphere, busy but not too noisy. Most of us had the beef or lamb roast dinners, which were well...

Great steak cooked to perfection lovely staff will be coming back again very soon looking forward to it

Visited with family for a meal, lovely food and the staff were really helpful and friendly would definitely recommend.

Stopped by on a sunny Saturday, we hadn’t booked and the lovely waitresses managed to find us a table, service was brilliant, food was good. Lovely last minute lunch

Visited the Old Bell for a family function. On arrival staff that greeted us very polite and helpful. When the food arrived it was amazing as always sea bass fabulous, homemade rag pudding, pan fried duck to die for. The sticky toffee pudding best I’ve...

The Inn is really nice. The staff are friendly and helpful. Food excellent. Room fresh and spotless clean

Booked for my wife’s birthday. My son and I both had the fish and chips. The batter on the fish was burnt and there was hardly any fish inside. Really horrid dish. The other meals were ok but no better and the portions are certainly...

I booked a table for two and was looking forward to it .waited ages for some one to take our drink order Eventually some one took our drink order,waited again for ages for drinks to arrive We ordered our food wasn’t great ,service was awful.We’re...

Went with family for Sunday lunch. Beef was over done and tasteless, potatoes were hard and veg wasn't warm enough although the cauliflower cheese and Yorkshire pudding were very tasty. Others had roast lamb that they said was very tough and chewy and we had...

We had booked a table for a Tuesday lunchtime, and on arrival were shown straight to our table in the restaurant. All the staff that served us were pleasant and helpful. We both chose from the fixed price Senior CItizen menu - 3 courses for...

Pleasant, friendly service, overall interesting pub in historic building, clean with good facilities (but less characterful dining room). Some diners would have a nice time here. However, website says well " head chef brings an extra touch of creativity to his menus" which I didn't...

We arrived at the Old Bell without a booking on Bank Holiday Monday. We were welcomed with a smile and offered a choice of tables. Four members of staff served us in total, all smiling, polite and happy! We had 3 courses from the lighter...

The restaurant has a lovely atmosphere, the staff are efficient and friendly, the Sunday lunch was plentiful and very tasty especially the pork. Would recommend and will return.

I was looking forward to going here as the breakfast sounded amazing! the lady who served us was so sweet I didn't have the heart to tell her how bad it was. The sausage was white and didn't look cooked. The bacon was hard, I...

We all know that the old bell.is usually good. And I like pasta all dente. But it was hard. Very hard. And I always prefer under cooked pasta to overcooked. But this was not acceptable. The sea bass was good. Just the other ( and...

Came here on a Sunday teatime. Lovely food! I had the garlic mushrooms to start - nice creamy and tasty on a good chunk of bread. Had the cheese and onion pie for main which was homemade and again very tasty! My fiancé had the...

Really good choice of food - something for everyone. Quality ingredients and everything seems homemade. Highly recommend!

After reading great reviews about this place, we decided to come here for Christmas Day. We were not disappointed. The staff were so friendly & welcoming. They went above and beyond and give us an exceptional service. Its was a set menu, 2 of the...

The food from start to finish was perfect. The prawns were juicy and fresh, the roast dinner had everything you could want and the choc orange bread and butter pudding was outstanding. The only change I would make is add in a slice of brown...

Lovely pub with huge range of spirits. Food is excellent and good choice of mains. outdoor seating where you can also eat. will definitely be back 😀

Stayed 2 nights here. We had dinner on one night. It was such a lovely welcoming place to stay, the staff were so helpful and friendly and the food was really good. My room was very comfortable. There is a great atmosphere here, very relaxing....

Fabulous place, the staff couldn’t do enough for us. Lovely breakfast, the room was comfortable, a great one night stop over when in the area working.

Was recommended this by a friend who lives locally. Went after our walk and instantly felt unwelcome. Asked 3 times for a menu, twice if we could order food and was told we weren’t a priority as we hadn’t booked (wow!) after an hour they came to take the order. Food was quick and VERY hot but lacked taste, the beef was thick, chewy and extremely over cooked. Twice we asked for the bill (which was wrong) Won’t be returning!

We visited Delph as a wedding present from my wife’s best friend and stumbled across this place… thank god we did. The food and service were absolutely sensational. We live 1.5 hours away and are planning another trip here. Just to eat and then coming home. We both said it was the best meals we have both eaten at any restaurant. The portions were very large comparative to the price. Plus there’s plenty of gin to chose from (404). We were only disappointed we only went once during our stay. If you’re reading this review then go, just go eat at this wonderfully romantic place. If you like food the eat here

We have Visited the Old Bell three times in the past the first visit was faultless, the second time we heard some diners saying they had not received all what the menu had stated and did not seem too happy, although again on this occasion our meal was nice apart from a longish wait it was the third visit that did disappoint we had the same issue has the diners from our second visit where the menu is quite misleading, we asked for the kebabs which stated came with pickles unfortunately there was no pickles , when I mentioned this to the waitress she spoke with the chef who came up with a very lame excuse stating that the small peice of chilli on the plate was a pickle, now I'm not a chef but I certainly know the difference between a red chilli and a pickle, it was fobbed off, they need to be more honest with their menus especially has this is not a cheap place either after 6pm. Not very good customer service unfortunately.

We went to the Old Bell at weekend. We were spoilt for choice with the menu so asked if we could have a tasting menu. Phil and his team were happy to oblige. What an excellent 6 course menu. Stuart the head chef and his team delivered every course to perfection. Every course was delightful. Charlotte and Lucinda were brilliant hosts at lunch ( yes we had a cheeky outside menu as well) and in the evening. As always the room was exceptional. Sue and her breakfast team delivered a superb full English for us both. Another delightful stay

Lovely food, friendly staff and not a sticky table in sight. Everywhere clean and tidy, with no shabby decor. Would definitely recommend.

Upon arriving to the restaurant, we waited at the entrance for a couple of minutes. A cluster of three team members then arrived at the entrance and seemed surprise to see us, despite us having booked a table. We sat down and were handed menus. The menu looked good, albeit slightly overpriced, and stuffed with seven sheets of ‘specials’. We then waited ten minutes. We asked for someone to take our order, to which the team member informed us that another team member would be over to serve us in a minute whilst this team member went on to prioritise the clearing of a table. Another ten minutes passed and we asked again for a team member to take our order. Once again, we were told that someone would be over in a minute. A total of 25 minutes later and several failed attempts to gain the attention of team members, we decided to leave. We were really looking forward to spending our final night in Delph’s “best pub” but left feeling disappointed and hungry. Instead, we went to the White Lion where we were served immediately. Would absolutely recommend the White Lion.

Lovely place fab food just read terrible view from someone they obviously have no taste been a few times and the interior is lovely

Our first night out since March last year. What a lovely place. The layout and staff were extremely Covid compliant. There was a good choice of food and it was really well presented . We ate lunch and dinner and couldn’t fault any of it. The outside seating and menu was excellent. The outside kitchen and bar area are a really good idea and have been well thought out. We had the 5 plates and it was really good value. The staff were really friendly and very helpful. Dinner was excellent we both had different - but I must say the profiter roles were a definite 19/10. A very good pastry chef. My lamb was cooked exactly as I asked as was my husbands ribeye. The sides are also very good - not just your basics - there has obviously been some thought and care taken into producing an attractive plate. We stayed over and our room was lovely. We had everything we needed and the cleaning was exceptional. Breakfast was really well organised with lots of choice. Everything freshly cooked and piping hot. Again brilliant staff who couldn’t do enough for us.

Four of us went for lunch and enjoyed the “Pensioners menu”. Plenty of choice. Prawn cocktails were great as was a mushroom starter. Scampi and fish and chips main courses were excellent and sticky toffee pudding and cheesecake first class. For drinks we had good dry Rose and Timothy Taylor’s Landlord.Service was cheerful and professional and value terrific (£13.95 for 3 courses)They also have an A la carte menu which we have enjoyed in the past.

Lovely place, big menu with lots to choose from, lovely atmosphere and outdoor space and really friendly waitresses! I think the waitress we had was called Milly and she was really kind and welcoming! Only down side is I wish they would update the interior, we never book if we can't sit outside or in the bar as the restaurant is very dark and dated - feels like a different place.