Reviews of Bell Inn, Seend
Review by Roy and Wendy Brookes on 12th March, 2012
Add your review Date visited: 10th March 2012
We had already purchased our Groupon voucher before reading the 2 previous reviews,so we were very worried about the food and welcome we were likely to receive here. Happily, our experience was so different to theirs. We were served at the bar by an extremely pleasant and friendly young lady and waited on by a young man equally as friendly and polite. The four of us thought our starters were very good and so were our mains. Our only slight grouse was that not all the vegetables were included in the price which wasn't made clear with the voucher. We shared puddings as we were full but the homemade white chocolate cheesecake was delicious. All the food seemed to be homemade including the chicken liver pate and my stilton and walnut pate. We all had a very pleasant evening.
Review by Phipps on 18th February, 2012
Add your review Date visited: 17/2/2012
Four of us went for lunch with a groupon offer which was supposed to be worth £90.
We were very dissapointed as we were celebrating a birthday and Silver Wedding.
The food was not good the rib eye steak was very thin tasteless and the chips burnt. The portions were very small and we will complain to Groupon as this was not a good deal and will never return.
Review by paul on 12th February, 2012
Add your review Date visited: 11/02/12
not a pleasant experience...
2nd rate starter of fried breaded mushrooms,packet salad & garlic dip plonked on a plate...(£5.50)
main course of rib eye steak & hand cut chips...(£14.50). the steak was thin, overcooked & tasteless with 12 chips on my plate & 9 on my wifes, 5 of which were black,burnt to a crisp & uneadable! im certain that the oil which the chips were cooked in was well past its sell by date & needed changing...
we paid extra for a mushroom & blue cheese sauce(£2.90)which was so thick it fell onto our steaks in a lump & a portion of mixed veg (£2.50) which consisted of 2 florettes of cauli, 1 spoonfull of swede & a few carrots cooked in something that resembled a flower taste?
we told the waitress we were not happy but she chose to ignore our comments..
we asked for the bill & the landlady appeared when we said we were not happy.
we explained the situ & she summoned her cook/husband who told us in no uncertain terms the chips were dark brown but edible..!! he then became agressive towards us so we left...
we certainly will never go back & would never recommend this cold, lifeless place to anyone else..!
Review by Chris H. Moon on 18th June, 2009
Add your review Date visited: June 19, 2009
This pub has recently come under new management. For those that had visited before the transition, it deserves a fresh visit - without preconceptions left from the past owners.
Upon entering the establishment, we were greeted by a young lady who showed us to the table we had booked for dinner. She apparently functioned as a hostess and waitress - but she seemed to seamlessly integrate these two distinct roles.
The decor of the pub is pleasant. Subtle interludes of it's long history are ever present - it appears the building itself used to function in an agrarian role. Despite this, though, modern features have been brought in to aid in the comfort of patrons. My wife said the woman's bathrooms had been recently renovated. New benches adorn the front lawn - I'm sure these will be seldom unoccupied during the later summer months.
As for the interior, it shows much in the way of recent improvement. A beautiful stone floor is present in the bar area. The dining room is quite simply stunning. An ornate display of various china pieces covers one wall. The floor of the room, an elegantly varnished solid wood affair, makes it feel more a court from many generations past than a dining room of the present. The chairs were remarkably comfortable, and highchairs seemed in no short supply.
On to my favorite part - the food. Our waitress, the girl that had welcomed us, came to take our order. I started with the crab cakes and my wife with the smoked salmon and avocado salad. My crab cakes were simply mouth-watering. The chili dressing perfectly complemented the subtle herb essences in the cakes. My wife's salad was also superb - especially if her refusal to give more more than one bite before devouring the rest is any indicator.
For our main courses, we had the roast tomato, mascarpone, and rocket pasta and the rabbit pie. The pasta was again to the high degree of culinary excellence we had come to expect from our starters. The pasta itself was well cooked - as were the other fresh ingredients. The rabbit pie, though, was something else. Never have I experienced such gastrointestinal euphoria. The rabbit meat was cooked to a perfect tenderness, and the airy pastry that was layered on top was delicious. The vegetables and potatoes that accompanied both meals were fresh and well prepared - an unbeatable combination.
We opted for the chocolate torte for dessert. The rich chocolaty flavors of the middle layer, accompanied by the creaminess of the sandwich layers, was heavenly. To put it simply, it rivaled many of the tortes I have sampled in continental Europe, including Sacher Torte in Vienna and Gateau St. Honore in Paris.
In all, I would rate this pub very highly. The decor, combined with the history of the building and the superb nature of the food are everything a pub could hope to be. A variety of beers and ales are served in addition to the Wadsworth range, ensuring that even patrons with the most astute preferences can be easily pleased. I have encouraged friends and family to visit soon - I know we will.
Review by Sam Watts on 13th June, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 13th June
Having been to this pub before we booked in today for lunch with friends. I have to say that there was nobody to greet us when we arrived in fact the till with all the money was sat on the counter, its a good job we were honest. When the young lad did appear he wasnt friendly and we felt an inconvenience. We werent shown to our table or given menus and we had to try and find the high chair for ourselves. We waited over half an hour for our ploughmans to arrive. The food was very good and of good quality. We were sat there an hour and nobody came to clear our plates and in that time a couple left because they were tired of waiting.The place had no atmosphere and certainly didnt give us a warm welcome. Would not go there again
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