The Bell Inn

We booked ahead and stopped overnight before heading to Tilbury port. The location worked perfectly for that. Our ground-floor room was at the back of the restaurant, right by the parking. It was spacious, with a big shower and a comfortable bed, and check-in was easy. The welcome at reception was really friendly. The inn has loads of old-world character, with exposed beams in the rooms and bar. It was busy and had a great atmosphere, even in the middle of the afternoon. Residents can park for free outside the room, though getting between the buildings takes some confidence behind the wheel. You’ll see what I mean! 😂 I was glad I’d left the SUV at home. 😂

We went for my daughter’s birthday with family, and I didn’t want to make a scene on the day. But I’ve come away really fed up. The food was distinctly average apart from my fish and the desserts. The Bell is usually exceptional, which is why we chose it despite having plenty of other options. This time, a member of the waiting staff, or possibly a manager, argued with me about one of the orders instead of just owning the mistake professionally. It left a really bad taste in my mouth. The waitress needs retraining or should look for another job.

The haddock and chips were delicious, and the halloumi wrap was good too. We ordered everything at the bar and ate outside in the lovely Monday sunshine on 23rd March. The meal wasn’t cheap, but it was worth the money. I was eyeing up the bar snacks other people had chosen. The sausage roll, scotch egg and honey & mustard sausages all looked tasty, and the portions looked decent as well. We’ll try them when we come back.

The room was quite dim, which made reading the menu tricky and wasn’t great for photos. Even so, my husband and I had a very good evening here with our neighbours, and we’d be happy to return. It was busy, so we were glad we’d booked ahead. We liked the traditional English building and décor. The staff were friendly and professional, showed us to our reserved table, and brought the menus quickly. Drinks and food followed in good time. The truffle mushroom soup was smooth and aromatic, the main course was beautifully presented, cooked just right and full of flavour, and the desserts were very well prepared.