The Bell Inn - West Berkshire

I have been a regular at this restaurant for years and have always had good experiences, however, my most recent visit was disappointing. I went for lunch on a Saturday and only 4 out of the 7 main dishes listed on the menu were available. Despite the pub not being very busy, it took an hour for them to prepare my order of cheese on toast (rarebit) and a salad. When we asked for salad dressing, we were told it would take another 20 minutes to make. The toast in the rarebit was extremely thick and hard, making it difficult to cut. The saving grace of the experience was the friendly and efficient young staff who served us, and there were no issues with the drinks. Hopefully, this was just an off day for the restaurant.

The Bell is always a great spot for lunch. The garden is gorgeous and the atmosphere is very relaxed, with tasty food and well-maintained drinks.

After being served lukewarm food, we brought it to the attention of the staff. The chef then came out and insisted that there was nothing wrong with the dish. Despite our request for a replacement, he refused and instead offered a refund. I have never experienced such treatment at a restaurant before. It's disappointing that after many positive visits, this one negative experience has tainted our previous experiences.

Visited for Sunday lunch and Wednesday supper, both were very good. Pork Loin on Sunday, Bambi Burgers on Wednesday. It’s a cracking little pub which although limits it’s food menu, holds a very good wine selection. The two open fires ensure you don’t get cold. It’s a proper place and we can’t work out why it’s not crammed to the rafters with people. They have a very good selection of cider, poured straight from the tap in the cellar (untried but range looks good) Couple of good real ales as well. Certainly will be returning.

Very friendly bar staff. A small Menu but everything we had was amazing The quality of food and price rivals Some much fancier places. Lovely open fire on a cold night. It could not have been better