The Bell Hotel

Breakfast had a great range, and the hotel is handy for both the town and railway station. Our room was lovely, with a view over the river, and dinner in the restaurant on Saturday was great with spot-on service. Becky checked us in on Friday and looked after us at dinner, so a special thanks to her and all the staff. We loved staying here and can't wait to come back.

The food itself was excellent: both mains arrived together after about 40 minutes, nicely hot and very well presented. Dessert took about the same time, and nobody came by to offer more drinks. Drinks had been prompt earlier, and they brought table water too. The menu was limited but adequate, if a little pricier than an average pub or restaurant. We were warned service might be slower because of two large groups. The evening began badly. We had booked a table for two in the conservatory for 7:30 well ahead of time, but on arrival the waiter initially ignored us, then said we couldn't sit there because of the groups. After some discussion, a free table for two was found. It was frustrating they hadn't called to let us know; the groups were unlikely to have booked at the last minute, and we might have been happy to adjust or reschedule if asked. When we wanted to pay, the waiting staff had vanished. We gave up on having another drink, and got the impression they wanted us gone. I eventually went to the bar to settle the bill. The location is hard to beat, beside Sandwich's historic toll bridge and riverside car park. It's an attractive historic building with a big patio for good weather, and the dining room sits in an elevated conservatory above the lower bar. Still, it was a memorable night for all the wrong reasons. They seemed unable to handle a midweek crowd, and we won't be back soon. Very disappointing from a Shepherd & Neame place, which I'd previously thought highly of. 5/10.

The Sunday vegetarian lunch was really poor. The nut roast was mostly rice and didn't contain any nuts, while the gravy had big lumps of onion and wasn't enjoyable. When we mentioned it, the server seemed disinterested. We'd eaten here before and the food had been good, so it's a shame to see what seems like cheaper ingredients being used now.

The front desk staff were outstanding, and everyone deserves a raise. We had a great room, a very good TV with plenty of programmes, and really good food and service too. Fantastic hotel. Ten stars! This is a real review :)