The Bell Inn in Maidstone

Firstly, I would like to say that the food here is AMAZING and in the main the staff are too! However, the policies that are affect their approach to customer service is shocking which is so disappointed as it was one of my favourite places to eat! I gave up ordering takeaway a few weeks ago because the website never works and won’t take card payments! I’ve rung directly a few times to see if I could order on the phone and was told, quite abruptly, no it had to be online.Today we popped in for a few drinks and a quick bite to eat and were asked to pay for our food whilst we were in the middle of eating! I completely understand there have been issues with people leaving without paying but they should either ask for payment at the time of ordering or at least wait until the meal is finished and ask for the bill to be settled then.This is embarrassing for the poor staff that have to ask you to do it and extremely unprofessional from a hospitality point of view. I’m afraid to say this latest issue has really put me off and whilst I love the food and the pub itself, I’m not sure I like it enough to eat there again.Such a shame!

Been here a few times before and the service was good but last night we ordered take away and the lady was quite abrupt to the point of rude over the phone.***Will here-Nicky's husband - I fully support Nicky's review. In all honesty I would have given a 1. I heard the conversation last night and the lady was unnecessarily rude, it was only after Nicky deescalated the situation, that she THEN explained that the food would not be ready prior to 8:30 to prevent it from getting cold but before that it was very clear that she was annoyed that we were calling before 8:30. You don't know our personal circumstances, you don't know whether we had an emergency why we were calling before 8:30. Whether or not you are annoyed with a customer - you job is to provide decent service, especially for a service we are paying for. We ordered 7:26pm so why is it so much of a bother that we called 45mins later to asked whether the food is ready - unbelievable.The fact that you've stated 'you dont know where we get our take aways from', means you clearly expect every other business to operates exactly like you and the expectations should be based on your business. That is a very arrogant and distasteful statement to make to your customers. Also how is it any of your concern where else we order from? How does that come into this?

Amazing thai food! All of us ordered something different and every dish was spot on! Will be coming back for sure! And the two ladies working were a right laugh!

Enjoyed our first visit here. Ask for a GF version of the menu, was asked by waiting staff if gluten intolerant or coeliac. A lovely lady presented herself at the table , explained her daughter was also a coeliac so she fully understood what could and couldn't be ordered . Unfortunately nothing from the starter menu was GF , which meant only a main meal as no dessert either . She said they were looking Into a single fryer to enable them to at least offer pancake rolls , a very simple deep fat fryer is less that £20 , that would suffice for a single portion if spring rolls , as a group no-one ordered starters as our GF couldn't join in . The price of our lost revenue could have bought one. . All that said our GF guest massively appreciated her honesty and thoroughly enjoyed the main meal . Wish I'd been told on booking its card only transactions as I only carry cash and had to ask another guest to pop it on their card.My points aren't meant in any way as criticism , but constructive comment .We will return again .

A pub with an outstanding Thai food menu! Genius. Food was amazing and staff are very attentive. Good selection of drinks and reasonably priced. They also have a huge car park, which is a bonus.

Oh my Lord!!! What can I say. This will be my new favourite place to eat. Friendly staff and the food is to die for, you have to savour every mouthful. We were comparing the food to our visit to Thailand 2 years ago and would say that this was better! Went here for a late lunch today, thanks for such lovely food x

Came here for a birthday party and chose the fish cakes then chicken with cashew nuts. Very spicy but delicious food and friendly service. The bench seat in the marquee covered garden extension wasn't comfortable after 4 hours but the party people made up for it. We're going to come back again but on our own and on a normal seat next time! Recommended if you like a meal which bites back!

Strict Covid compliance. Menu extensive. Had takeaway from here before but so much better to eat in, piping hot and freshly made to order. Lovely friendly staff. Well worth a visit. Not cheap but you get what you pay for here.

Bearsted is the hub of excellent pub grub and The Bell Inn is a welcome inclusion in that clutch. It’s an old fashioned locals village pub at its heart. Care has been put into bringing its decor into the swank of the 21st century with glittery bulbs and modern art works.Seating is comfy in the restaurant area. The Specials menu has few but excellent selections of British dishes. There is also a specials menu for the day of the week. The Bell Inn highlights their use of locally sourced beef, lamb and ham. The freshness of the ham hock and the beef stew were testament to that. The presentation of the food showed the chef cared about the dishes preparation.Service was caring too, and humble.The best part of the whole experience, value. This sets The Bell Inn apart from its Bearsted siblings. I will stick my neck out and say that The Bell Inn is the best value for money pub grub in Kent.

Went here for a breakfast... Staff are efficient and friendly. The food was nice but a little on the expensive side of you want a big breakfast. It's a nice little pub with a nice atmosphere. Would definitely come back here again...