We recently visited The Bell Inn for Sunday lunch and honestly, it was one of those roasts that instantly reminds you why pub lunches in the New Forest are so hard to beat.

We were tucked away in one of the quieter side rooms which ended up being such a lovely surprise. The atmosphere felt cosy without being stuffy and the music choice was absolutely spot on for me, more punk rock than your typical country pub playlist, which gave the whole place a bit more personality and made it feel refreshingly different.

We both opted for the beef roast and were really impressed. Everything tasted genuinely good quality, from the beef itself right down to the vegetables. The Yorkshire puddings deserve a special mention because they were exactly how I like them, delightfully spongy with substance to them, rather than the overly crispy “all air” versions you sometimes get served elsewhere.

The gravy was rich, glossy and full of flavour. They didn’t absolutely drown the plate in it, but there was enough to enjoy everything properly without the roast turning into soup, which actually felt quite balanced.

The seasonal vegetables and roast potatoes were equally delicious and it all felt well thought out rather than just piled onto a plate for the sake of it. Proper comforting Sunday food done really well. Their menu focuses heavily on seasonal British ingredients and traditional Sunday roasts, which definitely came across in the quality of the meal. 

Service was another highlight. Everything was quick, efficient and really friendly without feeling rushed. One thing I particularly appreciated was that we were asked about sauces when ordering, which sounds minor but meant there was no awkward wait once the food arrived, we could dive straight into the roast immediately, which is exactly what you want when you’re starving on a Sunday afternoon.

The only thing that genuinely caught us off guard was the wine pricing. When ordering, I originally was going to go for a large glass of wine however, our waiter said it would be more cost effective (if ordering more than one glass) to purchase the bottle. We asked the cost of one large glass of the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc to be told it was £19 which was slightly eye-watering, so I opted for a different drink. The roasts themselves, however, felt really reasonably priced for the quality coming in at £22, which felt like good value.

Overall, we’d absolutely return to The Bell Inn. Great food, genuinely lovely service, a cosy atmosphere with a bit of edge to it, and one of the better beef roasts we’ve had in a long time.

Molly