please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
After a very dodgy period a few months ago, where there was a serious lack of real beer and many complaints, I thought it time to give it another go. I understand that another manager has been installed. I have been in twice this week and had several excellent pints of Naked Ladies and Wandle. Although I havent eaten there for a good while, the couple next to me at the bar were praising the food, so maybe it's back up to scratch. I will tentatively give this pub a positve review and hope a few more people review it
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Large family-friendly food-oriented pub near the river.
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The beer was fine, but that's as good as it got.
Apparently they have in the past won awards for their food, but sadly those days are far behind them from the slop i had. £11 for burger n chips - about 6 burnt chips & a homemade burger that was as poorly shaped as you'd expect from a 5 year old trying to cook for the first time. The tiny football shaped burger was in this hugely oversized bun for its requirements, which itself has been burnt & tasted stale.
The olive nibbles i ordered, had to be requested a futher 2 times, as the delay was getting silly. Surely they just empty them out of a jar into a pot?.. the time they were taking, perhaps they were going to Greece to get them.
One table of slightly older women left as they were fed up of waiting for their food. They made by far the best decision of the night! only their argument with the staff about it did ruffle a few feathers.
30mins after finishing the meal, tables were still not being cleared. Took my own plates back & dumped them on the bar counter.
Bad service had been received by everyone that evening. The place was noticably emptying early & only 2 tables remained by 9:30pm. I felt sorry for the group who had clearly booked and were celebrating some special occasion.
Get more serving staff on, but start by training the 'cook' who clearly cannot cope and is out of his depth.
Wont be back for a while, and will certainly not try eating there.
The first pub i have ever wanted to give a minus rating to.
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Indifferent staff who just seem to spend time chatting to each other rather than serve you. A real shame as I'd been quite impressed the last few times i'd visited.
Almost made to feel like an inconvenience than a customer. the food was actually ok oddly enough.
I won't be returning again, as just not welcoming.
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Popped in on the off chance, as you do, and found the place very bright and open planned. Can't quitely remember what is was like before, but I liked it! Problem with the beer - poured clear but wouldn't have felt welcome gracing my chips! No problem changing the pint and the pump-clip was turned aropund immediately. Nice place...
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Visited on a Sunday afternoon and we were very disappointed. All the roasts were off the menu which left very few choices. Plus the bar staff seemed more interested in chatting to each other than serving customers. Much better choices in the local area
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LIke this place. 6 ales on draught and the one Sunday lunch had there was good. Modern feel but still retains character. Alley Cat was good. Worth a visit, the service is also very good.
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Love this pub. Service is top class - Kate is great front of house manager and food is excellent. We are in the UK for 6 months a year and eat here at least once a week. Discovered it last year and will return again next ! Highly recommended. Good on you guys !!!
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There are some iffy reviews down there. All I can say is that I just dropped in for a couple of pints on a Tuesday evening with me dawg and we were made welcome. The beer (I had the Doom Bar) was in good nick. Each end of the pub was set out for eating, which seems a lot, but the important bit around the bar had bar stools and comfy seats, so not much to complain about. The staff were a bit slow but friendly. If it was more local I'd be happy to while away a few hours there.
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popped in on sunday,i think it is still run by the spirit group nuff said.
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Had Sunday roast in there and was dissapointed .Watery gravey with soggy yorkshire and not very edible potatoes.One wouldnt grumble if it was half the price they charge.A bit characterless.
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Went with some friends for some food and a few drinks, lovely atmosphere and will be returning soon for sure!
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What a fantastic restaurant this is! As a local resident i have been coming here for a while and feel the reviews on here are very unjust. Everytime we have been we've had a fabulous time, the food is outstanding, staff are friendly and very helpful and the atmosphere is delightful. I would highly recommend to everyone in Hampton and other local areas.
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A wonderful evening had by all. Welcomed by very friendly staff. Once seated we never had to move again, table service was excellent. All twelve of my party had starters, mains and desserts which i can say past our expectations. I would recommend to anyone as The Bell Inn has the whole package, environment excellent food, friendly and efficient service and a great selection of wines and beers.
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this has to be the most racist pub in hampton!! i have lived here for the last 28 years and the Oz manager amd the owners where very rude towards me!!
i would never drink in this pub again.
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Have been a few times for a meal there and the food is constantly a big disappointment...very bland, no flavour at all and over priced. Won't be eating there again. Other pubs in Hampton serve up much tastier food.
Good selection of beer though so worth going in for a drink but give food a miss.
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Visited this revamped gastro pub recently and we were not impressed at all. Overpriced pub food and overpriced drink. Only redeeming factor was that the service was ok.
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sadly this is now a restaurant rather than a pub. The landlord rude to new local customers wanting just a drink to check it out has isolated the local community. yes it's busy at the moment but it will not last as people will not travel to this venue specially...should have looked after your local clientelle simon!
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The Bell re-opened on Friday 30th April. Great beer - Sharp's Doombar, Youngs Gold and Tribute along with really great gastro pub food. Good value and great service, highly recommended. Well done Sarah, Simon and the team.
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Loved this place...cant wait for it to re-open!
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Great news that Simon Bailey and Sarah Murdock of The Kings Arms Hampton Court have taken the The Bell over and are turning it into a gastro pub ~ re-opening on Saturday 30th April.
Bet they'll win more awards with this one too.
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This place could be heaving....but isnt. I have been 3 times now. Once for sunday food which they had RUN OUT OFF!!!! How can you run out of roast on a Sunday when your pub is dead? Once for a quick drink before a curry (yes at that grim riverside place next door...avoid that) and last week, spur of the moment with a friend. Its huge and has a great old feel to it, with a nice river view. It even has a useful car park but its never full. I think its a real shame its empty. It was Saturday night at 7.30-8.00 and it was dead. The food seems pricey so maybe thats it. Could do with a tidy up too.
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Thanks for the advice, and of course it was out fault entirely for choosing such a pretentious gaff. We've given the Bell chance after chance - through its 'haute cuisine' phase [ambitious & usually disappointing], its 'wine bar/bistro' days [not too bad, but didn't last] and now it's oh-so-kooky decor and self-indulgent management; half the staff are efficient and pleasant, the rest seem to be redundant 18-30 reps. A rant? Well, I don't think so. A disappointed customer, who would otherwise have made this her local? Yep. It's all yours - whatever it is, this week. Me, I'm off to the pub..............
Lynne - 24 Oct 2009 15:14 |
Oh dear oh dear what a rant! starting with a drink mishap at the bar. Clearly this person needs to re think the type of bar they frequent. Are you the original Mr Angry????
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I took two friends to the quiz last night; we had a meal [fine]. The 8pm start for the quiz was 8.50pm, and.....oh lord....it took forever! Yes, it's quirky - but for that, read 'irritating'. The attempts at 'fun' don't work if you can't read the questions with some level of comprehension! My brother was served a fruit juice and soda, with half the drink fizzed over the glass and spilled - could he have another? The answer, it seemed, was no. At 9.40pm we'd stopped caring about the quiz, ditched our papers and left. I'm sure the bar staff are, on the whole, nice enough, but I thought the quiz would be for punters' entertainment, not theirs......................
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All has changed at this pub. Matt and his team run an excellent establishment. Come along on thursdays for the unique quiz which is now in its 4th week. Music round done by kazoo and great fun. 2nd from last prize is a very large fruit! Great fun atmosphere.
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Much better place to visit on lunchtimes, nice food, fairly reasonably priced, lovely decor. but , at night, oh dear!
Maybe I have been unlucky but have been constantly staggered by the poor quality of bar staff when you pop in for an evening pint. They seem to regard the customer as being a bt of a sufferance and start clearing up at 10.30 irrespective of whether the pub is busy or not! Good environment for couples wanting a few drinks and a quiet natter... but that means nothing muchwithout courteous, well trained staff. Plus, some of them seem to have difficulty pouring a full pint. Not an assassination, just an honest observation, if they got their staffing act together this could be quite a place.
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After a pretty dodgy period around Christmas (whatever happened to the odd italian food period) the Bell is back as decent pub with good pub fare. The new publican and the team are very friendly and the ale has inproved a lot ( a good pint of Tribute). The pub is nicely full again - keep up the good work!
awino - 17 May 2009 22:19 |
Went here for the first time on Easter Sunday evening. Pleasant staff, nice decor, very relaxing. Went again last night (Friday) and it was lively and busy with a nice mix of people. Food looked and smelled great but we had just had dinner elsewhere! Will be back soon to sample the food though! Highly recommend this bar!
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Open again. Quite quiet Saturday lunchtime. Well kept pint of Pride. Service good but likely to be very food orientated which is fair enough.
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Under new management (again) ...
Closed at the moment bu reopening in 2 weeks...
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Under new management (again) but was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the food. Massive portions but well cooked and friendly staff. We had set Christmas menu but noticed a decent selection of Italian food on the regular menu.
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Wow! I just had to write a review after reading what some of the other people have said about this place. It was so nice I can't see how people can fault it!
The first thing you notice when entering is the decor. What a great mix of quirky lampshades, flock wallpaper and furniture. Definitely not somewhere you'd expect to walk into in sleepy Hampton!
We got a smiley hello from the barstaff who said for us to find a table & they would serve us there. My husband ordered a pint of bitter & I had a g&t. Both were good.
Later we thought we'd treat ourselves to a bottle of Sancerre (which was quite reasonably priced.)
I had scallops for starter, chicken tagine for main and we shared an amazing amaretto cheesecake for dessert. (You have to try this, it came with a delicious poached pear on the side with ginger ice cream... beautiful!) My husband had pate for starter and T-bone steak, which he said was one of the best steaks he had ever eaten!
All in all, it was a great evening.
We're definitely going back for a lighter lunch on a sunny afternoon to sit in the garden.
Can't say enough good things about this place. Moving from central London and losing the great choice of pubs/restaurants this is a little gem on the outskirts!
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More of a restaurant than a pub. A waste of a prime river location really. Ale was dodgy too.
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I visited the bell on Sunday with my family. We had a reservation for 8 but arrived as a 10. We were found a larger table immediately although the place was already very busy. We had two small children in our party who were made to feel very welcome. The waitress that served us brought over two high chairs, colouring pensils and puzzles. The food was exceptional, roasts superb and the most amazing burgers. We did wait for food however well worth the wait. Would highly recommend this charming place. Very child friendly.
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My wife and I booked what we thought would be a romantic Valentine's evening at The Bell.
We arrived only to be told they had no record of our booking and they were completely booked up and there was nothing they could do.We got the usual get out phrase "who did you speak to?" as if some how it was our fault.
Being Valentine's night they would have known all the restaurants would be booked and made no real effort to sort something out. It was like "sorry,bye!".
We had to just go home.
We spoke to the owner manager who really didn't seem to care less even though at the end of the day it was she that was responsible for our ruined evening.
We are locals and thought this might be a good place to meet friends for dinner etc but after this we will never recommend or go there again.
Very bad.
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a lovely pub. however when recently drinking here an teenage oaf walked and and proceeded to be loud and obscene, thus ruining my drinking experience. this is not the pubs fault. maybe in future such ruffians should be thrown out.
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been here today, for sunday roast. only ever been here once before a long time ago, didnt recognize the place. wonderful decor, warm and welcoming staff. car park, outside seating area, children allowed. and the roast..... WOW! lovely big portion and truly delicious, very nice vegetables too. definately go back though a little pricey.
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Went here for lunch which we had in the garden out the back. Garden was nice and secluded and sheltered from the wind. Food was very good. I had London Pride which was good, and my friends had IPA and a rose which they also said was good.
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Had the pleasure of having a meal here not too long ago. Food was fantastic and the wine, a very pleasant Sancerre, was equally delicious.
Staff were friendly and helpful, would definitely go back.
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Good location overlooking river but the beers were poor. Barmaid changed my cloudy Buccaneer for ... a cloudy Pride. I headed back to the Railway Bell and the very tasty 'Naked Ladies' from Twickenham Ales.
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We love this pub for its decor! Friendly staff and decent beer help, but the bold bright colours and gorgeous old furniture give it an originality you dont get most places. Fab.
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The Bell has improved immeasurably from its �comedy� pub phase a year ago. The manager seems a good bloke and pub can be genuinely atmospheric. They serve a good pint of ale (Pride and Buccaneer) something they have not managed for years. It�s a bit overpriced but hopefully that will keep out the riff raff. The d�cor is best described as eccentric � no harm in that. The food also looks good and I wish the venture well
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The Bell Inn decor reminded me of a Soviet block mental institution before its latest reincarnation. The colour palette of the walls is an eclectic mix of vermilion red set off with a luxurious flowery red wallpaper. Coupled with leather sofas and old lamp shades of every description the Inn feels like a modern version of your grannys living room. It certainly feels very cosy, shame it doesnt have an open fire.
The new staff/management are a happy bunch eager to please and nothing seems too much trouble. I've eaten there on three occasions in the past month, all on Sundays. The food was great, generous portions and all the roasts come with crackling and/or a yorkshire pudding. I highly recommend the cheesecake with Amaretto. Oh and book a table to avoid disappointment as the pub was packed on all three occasions.
For a place thats only been reopened for 6 weeks "under new management" its a good start.
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I was quite pleased when I heard The Bell was back open again, I never thought it was the most happening
of pubs but it was always fine for a couple of pints.
What a shock I had on xmas eve when I ventured in to what I can only describe as decor out of Lucifers Bedroom, red walls with red flock wallpaper...! it looks interesting to say the least.
The atmosphere was non existant, and the whole place had about as much appeal as a dentists waiting room.
I thought the menu was extremely limited and over priced bearing in mind the competition locally in Hampton court where you can dine in a decent restaurant for similar.
This pub has amazing potential to be a fantastic pub with an amazing restaurant upstairs with lovely river views...but it never works...why??
What a real shame, that a pub with such a long history and fantastic setting is reduced to this...we were so bored after 1 drink we popped into the Jolly Coopers and it was like entering a different world..!
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Now done up very fancy, it's not at all like it used to be here. I actually much prefer the decor now as the old place had all the ambience of a hotel foyer, it's much nicer now.
Service was friendly, I get the impression they eager to attract new customers. Food was very tasty, although not cheap. I can see this place being successful though. Not sure I would spend an evening here drinking, but it is nice enough.
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The Bell Inn has just changed ownership. Now it is a much nicer place to be. The food is of the highest standard and the style and atmosphere is a world away from anything else in the area.
To be honest I haven't really enoyed going to the other pubs in Hampton, but at last I have a place I can take my girlfriend and mates for an evening out and have a nice meal. The staff seem really nice too.
anonymous - 23 Nov 2006 10:31 |
Here! here! Myself and some work mates were told to leave for laughing too loudly while people were trying to eat!!!! It's a pub not a bloomin' restaurant. Bring back the old days when the beer was less fancy and all could enjoy themselves without having to whisper to each other in fear of being barred!!!!!
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Apparently the landlord did a runner with the takings, that's why it's closed.
Could be a great pub under the right management. Bring back the reasonable beer prices, olives and nuts. Stop pushing the food. Tone down the decor. As a more traditional pub, this place could do better.
pinot - 10 Apr 2006 12:27 |
Glad to say that the last time I went for a drink here it had closed down!!Its a shame though because throught the years (certainly in the 90s) it was a good boozer.Now we only ever used it for a pint before going to the half price next door.
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Echo the sentiments of last comment. This pub looks completely out of place as soon as you walk through the door. It's void of any real atmosphere - don't know how it does during the day, didn't stay long enough too see what else it had to offer. Guiness was tasty, but won't be frequenting this pub.
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This pub would seem more at home in Central London. It's too bright, too loud and too pricey for their very average beer. Comfortable enough but no real atmosphere. Worst of all, the bar staff are stacking chairs on the table next to you at 11.01pm, and coming up every 20 seconds to ask you to drink up. Personally I find someone spraying disinfectant next to me when I'm drinking doesn't add to the ambience. Give it a miss and head for the Jolly Coopers round the corner.
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This pub has been ruined by a refit - who would have thought this pub would have been better by doing the refit?
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Never the same since 'The Brad' left
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Why oh why oh why oh why oh why don't BREWERIES LEAVE THINGS ALONE.
The marvellous pub quiz has been stopped. The sunday roast you could get till the evening, has been stopped.
Therefore, I will not be frequenting this pub again. Even the barstaff advised us to complain about the changes.
TheGP - 14 Mar 2005 21:51 |
Nice, friendly staff and pleasant atmosphere. Excellent in the summer and enjoyable in the winter. However, the drinks are spectacuarly over priced.
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A good pub, decor was a bit too Bright and all-bar oney for my liking, but was happy with everything else about the place..
TheGP - 25 Oct 2004 12:27 |
I forgot to mention good pub grub too.
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A decent pub with a very decent curry house just next door. A reasonable selection of beers, lagers and ales. A large car park at the rear that doubles up as beer garden. Quite a warm welcome.
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