A highly-rated quirky pub and restaurant in Ticehurst, East Sussex, praised by Tripadvisor reviewers for its delicious food and unique atmosphere.
Running chef
The chef is highly praised by customers for artistic and perfectly executed dishes, but no specific name is mentioned in the provided information.
Insights
Vegetarian Vegan FocusBritishLocal ModernVegan-friendlySeafoodModerateBreakfastLunchDinnerAll Day
Last updated: 6/22/2026, 3:08:00 AM
Key Information
The Bell Inn is a historic 15th-century coaching inn nestled in the picturesque village of Horndon-on-the-Hill. It has been run by the same family for over 88 years, offering a warm, friendly atmosphere with two busy bars, an open fire, and a carefully curated wine selection. It also provides hotel accommodation and features two distinct dining areas, including The Ostlers for breakfast.
Customers generally praise The Bell Inn for its excellent food, often describing the chef as an 'artist' and dishes as 'perfectly executed' and 'full of flavour.' The traditional English building and 'olde worlde' ambiance with exposed beams are highly appreciated, contributing to a great atmosphere. Staff are often noted as professional and friendly, with specific mention of good service. While generally positive, some feedback indicates occasional issues with waiting staff attitude and food quality being 'distinctly average' on rare occasions. The inn can be very busy, especially on Sundays, and booking is recommended. Parking is available but can be challenging to navigate.
Additional Details
This establishment functions as both a traditional pub and a hotel, offering a comprehensive experience for visitors. Its long history and family ownership contribute to its unique character and strong community ties.
Sundays are typically very busy, so booking in advance is highly recommended. Mid-afternoons can also be lively. For a quieter experience, weekdays might be preferable, though the busy atmosphere is often part of its charm.
Location is absolutely perfect if you need to stop over on the way to Tilbury port.
Stopped overnight (pre booked). We had a room at the rear of the restaurant, ground floor next to the parking. It was large room with a large shower and a comfy bed.
Check in was simple and very friendly reception.
The inn itself is extremely olde worlde with exposed beams rooms and bar all ousing character. Really busy great atmosphere and it was only mid afternoon!
Free car parking available (outside the room) for residents although you need to be quite confident in your driving skills when accessing it.... between the buildings! You'll see what I mean! 😂 Glad I left the SUV at home! 😂
If I’m honest. Im pretty fed up. Usually the bell is exceptional. Just celebrated my daughter’s birthday. Lots of choices everywhere but decided to go here. Wish I hadn’t.
Really disappointed with the of the waiting staff or maybe a manager im not sure. Trying to argue with me about one of the orders. Instead of being a professional and holding their hands up. It’s left a really bad taste in my mouth and it shouldn’t have been like this. The food today was distinctly average. Apart from my fish and the desserts.
I didn’t want to make a fuss as it was my daughters birthday and we were there witb my family but the waitress needs retraining or look for another job.
Had a lovely lunch here on Monday 23rd March. Ordered drinks/food at the bar & sat outside as it was nice and sunny. Food not cheap but was well worth what we paid. Haddock & chips delicious & the halloumi wrap was good too. Jealous of the people who'd gone for the bar snacks - sausage roll/scotch egg/honey & mustard sausages - looked tasty & decent potions too - we'll give them a go on our return!
Wow, what a wonderful restaurant! We booked a table for four people at 1.00 pm on Sunday 1 March 2026 to celebrate my daughter’s birthday. Everything was just perfect. We were served by Faymie at table 1. We quickly received our drinks and menus, and we ordered four different meals. When they arrived I felt that I could have happily eaten any of the meals on the table. In fact you could order anything off the menu blindfolded and you would still enjoy the meal. The chef is an artist. Special praise must go for the onion rings with my sausages. The last time I ordered sausage and mash in another restaurant there were two very good sausages on the plate. At the Bell you get Three Sausages, which were really, really good. I know, very boring, but I like sausages.
I was seated with a view of the kitchen door - and I was impressed by the large number of staff working away and quickly bringing out the orders. Sunday is always busy in any restaurant, and the Bell had enough staff to ensure that every customer was catered for. This was a perfect experience for this family, and the Bell has been a favourite location for at least six years. We do not get out here very often as it is a 45 minute car journey from our home in Kent, but every time we drive out to Horndon on the Hill, we wonder why we do not book a meal more often. Try it - you will not be disappointed.
My husband and I dined at this pub restaurant with our neighbours. The restaurant was very busy, so we were pleased to have booked a table in advance.
We admired the traditional English building and décor. The staff were professional and friendly, showing us to our reserved table and providing the menus promptly. The food and drinks were served in a timely manner.
The truffle mushroom soup was excellent—smooth and aromatic. The main course was well presented, perfectly executed, and full of flavour. The desserts were also very well prepared.
The only drawback was that the lighting was quite dim, making it difficult to read the menu or to take good photographs. Overall, we were very pleased with the experience and would be happy to return.
