please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
After a 7 year absence, we recalled how much we enjoyed this pub on our last visit and made a point of booking a table for a Saturday evening meal. The pub, the ales and the ciders/perries were just as good as we remembered. But the food was a bit of a let down. We remembered seeing a decent blackboard of options in the bar. But now there is a very limited standard menu. Food was ok, without being anything special. I will downgrade my rating from a 9 to an 8, as this is still a great place for a drink. Ales yesterday were Loddon Hoppit, West Berkshire Screaming Eagle, Church End Red Shirt Blues & Butts Traditional & Organic Jester. Ciders and perries were Westons Old Rosie, Gwynt y Ddraig Happy Daze, Lilleys Bee Sting & Crazy Goat, Crazy Dave's Wessex Apple & Berkshire Apple, Broadoak Moonshine, Millwhites Apples & Pears & Abrahalls Cracklin' Rosie.
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The first time I popped into this pub, I was pleasantly surprised at its charm and simplicity.
We tried the first beer we saw and it was perfect. We tried the other beers and they were perfect. Then the ciders and the perries. Wow. That quick, lunchtime visit turned into a long afternoon and evening.
This pub has the best beer, cider and perry for miles. It also has some pretty good food. The minute steak sandwich was always a favourite... the home made pork pie another.
There's nothing at all wrong with this pub... Sometimes it gets busy and a little difficult but everyone gets served eventually...
Probably my favourite pub in England.
I've had better food in another pub - but this pub still scores a 10 easily because it's a proper pub with character, charm, helpful staff and the all important drink.
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This was once a great little pub and If you catch this place on the right day it still is
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However, it's been become cliquey. A previous landlord turned it back into a proper pub and the the Range Rover and G&T brigade left, but they're now back. The beer is still top notch and the food good if a little pretentious and over priced. But the main problem is trying to get to the bar. We asked a couple of customers who were blocking the bar and obstructing the hand pumps to move so we could get served and one looked at us as though we were from outer space.
It is a real struggle to get served at times and this can even happen when the place is empty.
The staff are young and enthusiastic though. However, when it does work and the proper locals venture out you can have a pleasant time.
In short a good pub, but spoilt by the lots of money and no manners brigade who clearly don't want proper locals or visitors in THEIR pub.
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Walked here with friends on Boxing Day. Received a warm welcome, found a table, ordered the drinks and not a word about had we booked for lunch, so refreshing not to be quizzed about bloody lunch!
The Moles Brewery 'Stocking Filler' went down a treat, three times in fact.
Well done to the licencees here, great independent pub, not mucked about with by brewery idiots.
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Visited this evening and while the beer was up to its usual high standard we decided to eat as well. Service was almost non-existant. Waited during the consumption of two pints for the "beer bread" to arrive. Starters arrived about 30 minutes later. Main coursed arrived 1 hour and 20 minutes after we placed the order. Only received half the required cutlery. Chips so covered in salt that they were virtually inedible for some of my party. Sauces had to be ordered twice. Vegetables finally arrived after main courses had been almost finished. Cleared the table ourselves after the first course and had to ask for the table to be cleared after the main course. Would have understood had the place been busy but it wasn't. People came in, ordered, ate and left while we were still waiting. I am told by locals that this is down to weekend staff. Having paid over �100 for the evening, I will seriously consider whether to eat there again at a weekend. Very disappointed after my previous comments. Luckily I usually go to a pub for its beer and not the food so I will be returning.
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Posted on behalf of a fellow walker;
"On a nine mile circular walk out from Twyford we made a small diversion off the route to sample the lunchtime delights of the Bell having missed the opportunity on a ramble several weeks earlier. The village of Waltham St Lawrence is steeped in history and the Bell maintains the image boasting its fourteenth century pedigree on the name board.
As you would expect with a place of this great age it feels a bit enclosed but it looks like the owners have made best use of the available space including tables outside front and rear.
The bar staff were friendly and attentive and we were not kept waiting to be served.
There was a good selection of beers on offer, including local, with a handy description of each chalked on slates above the bar. There were some interesting ciders too.
The food was a bit pretentious and dare I suggest: over-priced? But the quality was not an issue. I had the pan fried hake and my fellow ramblers opted for the bambi burger although they later spotted moules marini�re hidden away on the menu which I suggest may have influenced the choice had they seen it earlier.
I would be happy, if another route takes us past this way, to pop in for another sampling..."
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They have to sort their food service out - it is atrocious. 50 minutes for a bambi burger, a fistful of chips and a layer of rocket. �12 - is far too much.
Really enjoyed the beer - as usual - great selection and well kept. Staff are all chatty and pleasant - but please Bell sort the service out.
Good luck, it is still a great pub
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Wish this could be my local, but in reality its not a local for anybody proletarian or "son of the soil" anymore !
Sure maybe some farmers, but mainly the few fortunate enough to have the means to live in a pretty Berkshire village ...
Sadly cars and pubs don't mix ... least not nowadays, and so its more like a National Trust property than a sensible / practical / viable pub for 21st C ...
Yes I was on a CAMRA coach trip of 40 people, and the pub struggled to cope.
Also seemingly no cooked food, so no real reason for people to travel other than gawp at the history, the low oak beams, the church and village green, and drink the well kept beer ?
A thing of beauty and of age, but sadly only unique for its survival ...
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Popped in at lunch time this week ........tried several beers which were rather warm, old and flat but the IPA was superb. It took me nearly half an hour to get served although there were not many people there. Loads of messing about with orders and credit cards.....needs a separate queue for drinks only.
The cumberland sausage roll was a delight as is the venue but staffing is probably the problem with peaks and troughs in the number of cutomers.
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In my opinion, one of the best pubs in Berkshire. Lovely setting in the middle of a pretty village. Great atmosphere, good range of well kept ales and excellent food to suit all pockets - the chips are awesome. Friendly and efficient staff, great landlord and a nice, if basic, garden.
I wish I lived closer.
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In a couple of times over the Easter weekend. Busy and jovial. Excellent beer. I enjoyed a few pints of Village Idiot. Wish I could have spent more time there. well worth visiting. Sausage sandwhich also very good. hope to be there again soon.
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What can I say? If this was my local I'd be in there FAR too much. Beer is always in good nick, although service can be a bit hit-and-miss.
A local pub for local (exceedingly rich) people?
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Up there with the Bell at Aldworth as a 'quintessential English country pub' the Bell delivers quality ale from local/unusual breweries in top condition on a regular basis (the West Berks house brew of Old Tyler is re-badged Good Old Boy). There's usually at least one cider/perry available too.
The pub itself is a pretty ancient affair (various dates are claimed but it certainly seems to be over 250 years old) and subdivides into three rooms - the main bar, a right hand-side drinking area and a relatively new area up a couple of steps to the left, which has a more modern ambience (plus a well shaft which the curious can peer down). There's a decent garden area out the back too. Apparently the interior is CAMRA heritage-listed.
Food is available (I've never sampled) and dogs are more than welcomed, they are thoroughly encouraged. There's certainly a lot of the green welly brigade that frequent the place - up to you whether you think they're your kind of people or not. They certainly knew all the Jade Goody jokes a few weeks back so they can't be that bad. The atmosphere is usually quite bustling - there's no electronic distractions here - just chatter and banter.
My only real gripe is that bar access is severely restricted because of the layout and barflys - it's not uncommon to see a queue snaking out from the only point of access away from the bar and round the back of the tables - most off-putting.
Otherwise, this is a classic and deserves a visit from all discerning beer lovers and pub enthusiasts. Well done.
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This pub was in a great location at the centre of a village and had loads of character. In fact it ran the Bell at Aldworth very close in our tour around 10 Berkshire pubs. This was a fitting end to our day. West Berkshire No. 1 Brew, Moles Best, Awdwell Resolute and Cottage Tornado were the 4 real ales on offer. Although I was more impressed by the Salthill Berkshire Scrumpy and the Mr Whiteheads Midnight Special Perry. The food was also good - I had the venison with noodles, which at �14 was a little pricey but very tasty. I could imagine spending many enjoyable evenings in here. The service was professional and the locals were friendly.
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Plenty of choice of real ales, and also of rooms to drink it in. Pleasant surroundings and lovely building.
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still the best pub around by far. always great selection of changing ales and food. everyone is friendly and welcoming. will be going back for more.
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Lovely location, great beer and always seems busy
A proper english pub
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Poor show:
Beautiful surroundings/gardens and nice looking pub. My proffessional collegues and I come here for lunch REGULARLY. Even though we should be recognised as regular custoemrs, the bar staff are still grumpy, miserable and verging on rude and ignorant.
The last three times Ive ordered food, the staff said that I hadnt ordered the food they forgot to process.
Im not working in the area any longer, I wont miss this place.
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The best pub anywhere near Reading. A true free house with commercial beers totally missing. Excellent real ale and cider.
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Very attractive building. Unusual, well kept beers. It was a bit cold inside on the winter's day that we visited, perhaps the fires could be lit a little earlier. Food seems a bit expensive, especially deserts.
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I now go here regularly. They do the world's best BLT - have one with their skinny chips, a couple of pints of whatever's on, and sit and read the newspaper in front of the fire. What more could you ask for?
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Fantastic 14th-century pub with a great selection of ales and food.
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Spent a wonderful Sunday lunch time in this cosy, friendly pub. Full of original features, very helpful staff, great selection of beers and ciders and delicious food. All in all the only bad thing about it is it is just too far to walk from my house. Definatley worth a visit.
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Marvellous pub with a real cosy, country village atmosphere. Fantastic food whenever we've eaten there and a great range of beers to choose from. Shame that I have to drive or get a taxi from Twyford - as it's too far to walk. Haen't been for while and should make a return sometime soon.
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One of the all-time classic village inns, amazing that it has drawn so few reviews over the last two years.
Always a tremendous range of real ale, not overly expensive despite being in a very well-to-do rural location. Excellent food, superb setting in the heart of the village next to the church and the village pound. Always a welcoming atmosphere, decent sun-trap garden. Although we missed it, they have just had their first beer festival and, by all accounts, it was a roaring success.
Exactly the sort of pub this site was designed for...
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Absolutely great old pub, the 2 bar areas look totally original. Great range of real ales and that friendly atmosphere that you only get in pubs out in the middle of nowhere in the coutry. A must see, especially to show any tourists.
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Absolutely superb range of beers, wonderful garden, good food (mostly - their Sunday lunch wasn't so great, and their "vegetarian" Sunday lunch had exactly the same gravy on it as my carnivorous lunch). But I'm not going to knock points off for that. Oh, and there's a fine range of large dogs as well that will come round and inspect you at regular intervals.
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I have thoroughly enjoyed my increasingly frequent visits to this excellent hostelry and have yet to fault it ! Clearly I will have to do even more extensive research, though I am confident that this will not change my opinion. Staff are helpful and friendly, the food is out of this world, and the beer is not only excellent, it is well kept. It's "Morris friendly" too ! However, as it is about to become my local, please don't make it too busy. ta
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I agree a great place. Great beer, great food, great garden. Great range of beer including locals. Don't go though ... its far too popular already and I I don't want it to get even harder to get a seat (SELFISH ME)
Monty - 12 May 2004 11:59 |
A classic country pub with a good selection of quality real ales, mainly from micros. The staff are very friendly.
The food is abolutely excellent, especially the range of home-made authentic curries served in generous portions.
I had a splendid time when I visited with friends last Friday (7th May) and would recommend this pub to anyone in the area.
Superb!
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