Bell

Pub Details

Address
High Road
Horndon-on-the-Hill
Essex
SS17 8LD
Telephone
(01375) 642463
Opening Times
Weekdays
11 - 2.30, 5.30 - 11
Sundays
12 - 4, 7 - 10.30

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Bell, Horndon-on-the-Hill, Essex, SS17 8LD – The Good Pub Guide
Pub Details | Good Pub Guide Recommended | Good Pub Guide Food | Awards | Good Pub Information |  Rating | Comments

Good Pub Guide Recommended

Lovely old historic pub with great food and very good range of drinks and attractive bedrooms
You get the feeling you are enjoying the best of all worlds at this beautiful Tudor inn, particularly as the heavily beamed bar maintains a strongly pubby appearance and stocks a great range of drinks, though in fact the jolly good imaginative food does take some precedence. It's furnished with lovely high-backed antique settles and benches, with rugs on the flagstones and highly polished oak floorboards. Look out for the curious collection of ossified hot cross buns hanging along a beam in the saloon bar. The first was put there some 90 years ago to mark the day (it was a Good Friday) that Jack Turnell became licensee. The hanging tradition continues to this day, but now the oldest person in the village (or available on the day) hangs the bun. During the war, privations demanded that they hang a concrete bun. The impressive range of drinks includes Bass (tapped straight from the cask), Crouch Vale Brewers Gold, Greene King IPA and guests such as Greene King Morland Original and Sharps Doom Bar, and over a hundred well chosen wines (16 by the glass). You do need to get here early or book as tables are often all taken soon after opening time. Two giant umbrellas cover the courtyard which is very pretty is summer with hanging baskets.

Good Pub Guide Food

They offer a handful of pubby dishes such as open sandwiches, battered haddock with balsamic mayonnaise, game suet pudding with caramelised onions and grilled gammon and fried egg, as well as daily changing specials such as roast butternut soup with tarragon crème fraiche, devilled quail egg with ham hock and fine bean salad, venison won ton with shallot jam, rocket and parmesan, grilled pork cutlet on roast sage and butternut with cheddar rarebit, confit and roast duck with bean sprouts and sweet and sour cabbage, grilled hake with salsify cream, sautéd samphire and wild garlic sauce, and well hung steak with aioli, buttered spinach and fried egg.

Bar food times: 12 - 2, 6.30 - 9.45

Awards

Good Pub Information

Children welcome in restaurant and eating area of bar
Dogs allowed in: Dogs Bar, Dogs Bedrooms

Rating

  • Currently 3/5 Stars.
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Rating: 3/5 (169 votes cast)

Reader Comments

Alan G

Sunday 03 July 2011 8:57:58 am

I will give full disclosure, The Bell has been my favourite pub since I moved to the area in 1992, over the years it's reputation for excellent food, beer and wine has deservedly strengthened. We even had our wedding reception there in 2005 which everyone agreed was the best one thay had been to.

In 2005, we moved to Abu Dhabi, and I have only been in the UK for a short while each year, but always ensure I eat there at least twice when visiting my old home town.

I live in the centre of Abu Dhabi where we are surrounded by five star hotels, with many boasting Michelin Star chefs. We eat out quite a lot and we are used to top quality food and service.

Last week I spent three days at The Bell, and I was expecting the usual ecellent food, I did not expect it to be as superb as it was. I had the Pan Fried Calves Liver on the Sunday, admittedly after a few pints from their Beer Festival during the day, so to make sure that it wasn't the beer, I had it on Monday too, and I was right the first time round.

Whatever they are doing in the kitchen, they need to carry on doing it. If you want a sandwich and a bowl of fat chips or a full gormet experience, you will be impressed with The Bell, just make sure you book or get in early

Carol29

Tuesday 01 February 2011 4:17:49 pm

Ate at The Bell on Saturday 29th January following recommendation in the Guide. Excellent food, brilliant presentation, smiling and friendly staff. Highlight - the desserts! Just out of this world.

stevealuzzi

Monday 05 July 2010 10:40:20 am

Had Sunday lunch at the Bell Inn on Sunday 4th July 2010 as recommended by a friend.

Have to say without doubt this was the best Sunday roast that I have ever had in a pub. Beef was fantastic, veg delicious and the potatoes simply incredible. As a group of 6 we all agreed it was fantastic food across a number of different mains.

Service absolutely spot on and were neither rushed nor left unattended to.

At circa £10 for a roast lunch as we drove back through London on a nice summer's afternoon listening to the tennis I noticed offers for Sunday lunches for £13-16 at different pub/brewery chain restaurants which wouldn't be fit to lace the Bell Inn's boots.

I didn't have the wine, but the Kiwi in the group picked out a bottle from home and nodded his approval on completion.

All in all a fantastic meal in a very inviting old tudor inn.

Highly Recommended

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