Met the relatives here and enjoyed the food and the atmosphere- Service was just a teeny bit slow a few times yet we were a large group so all in all- I highly recommend! read more

Great food, and great service. They have a really nice selection of sandwiches, pastas and beers. It would be nice if they accepted credit and debit cards, but hey who wants to pay taxes? read more

We have lived in Lambertville for 10 years and I can't think of a better restaurant / bar in town. Whether you grab a burger, braised short ribs, steak or pasta off the menu; or a special like Kung Pao Salmon you will ALWAYS be satisfied and happy with your selection. This is a Staple in Lambertville. Service is great, bar tenders are friendly and reasonable prices drinks. Couldn't ask for a better night out! read more

Have only been here once before sveral years ago and couldn't really remember it much. The ambiance was quaint and staff friendly. It is a little further from "downtown" so parking was free and plentiful. We were seated immediately on a Friday at 6pm. The food was excellent! We ordered a bottle of wine. Between the 4 of us we ordered chicken parm (extremely moist and flavorful), 2 orders of the house shrimp with pasta (I forgot what it was called, but the guys ate every last drop, though afterward my husband said the shrimp were a tad overdone, I thought the taste I had was yummy), and I had the short rib flat bread--unique and tasty and not too salty. The waitress was nice just not the most attentive. Would definitely go back and definitely recommend! ! read more

A friendly, cozy bar a bit out of the way in the north end of town that is very much a locals spot, with a nice dining room attached. They have a decent if somewhat limited beer and wine selection, plus standard mixed drinks. We haven't had many of their entrees, but their crab cakes (not always available) are amazing, the pasta dishes are good and cheap (the half size portions are plenty of food for a meal!), and the desserts are tasty. Unfortunately, like many places in town, they aren't open late - the restaurant closes at 9:30 (10 on Fri/Sat, 9 on Sun) and the bar closes not too long after. read more

I am so happy we chose Bell's Tavern for my husband's birthday dinner. We put our names in and we were seated just at the time our hostess told us our party of 9 would be. Our server was incredibly nice and accommodating to some stragglers in our party. We really enjoyed the food, the atmosphere and wonderful service. We will absolutely be back!! read more

The fish specials were to die for!! the staff is extremely friendly and the price is fair. Great place to catch up with friends :)

This place was recommended for us to try by a friend. Needless to say my expectations were high and I wasn't disappointed. We were greeted and seated immediately upon our arrival. Our server was polite, attentive and seemed to love her job. I ordered the calamari appetizer. It arrived quickly was cooked perfectly. If you like calamari you'll love theirs. My entree was New York strip steak it also was cooked perfectly. No complaints whatsoever about our meal. Everything on the menu was reasonably priced especially when you take into account the quality and execution of the dishes. read more

Delicious food & perfect portions. Not too much, not too little. Service was quick and nice bar on one side. A bit noisy so I wouldn't go for a romantic, quite dinner but it is a tavern so it's good for anything else or a girls (or boys) night out. Would definitely go back. read more

Great dinner. Friendly staff. Great service. Good vegetarian options. Go.

Good draft beer selection. Neighborhood restaurant/bar with plenty of small children. Good food and prompt service. A nice bar restaurant for families. Not a sports place. No credit cards, cash or check only. read more

Food was pretty good, very good serving sizes. This place is just TOO DAMN SMALL, and at one point in the evening I had a waitress rudely jostle into me and give me a mean-ass look. If i wanted this I would have have gone to dinner with a cult. read more

Finally had a chance to go to Bell's. We've heard about it for some time but never got the chance to go. We went last night around 5:30 and were glad that we got there early. We didn't expect a crowd on a cold Sunday night, with only street parking on snow covered streets. By 6:00 the place was packed, with a mixture of locals and out-of-towners like us. We were not disappointed and rapidly understood why there was a crowd. The wait staff was attentive without being obtrusive. The menu was simple yet covered all the basics. And best of all, the food was wonderful, with fairly large portions. Word to the wise, however; they don't take reservations and they don't accept credit cards. Otherwise, we are anxious to return. read more

We have two boys, 7 and 3. That makes eating out an adventure more times than not. Bell's was not only incredibly family friendly, our server was tremendous with the kids. The food here is very good and very affordable. We'll be back. read more

First visit..quite surprising. .very good service.. Had bruscetta as appetizer which was very good and we enjoyed our dinners...quaint restaurant with bar..in the middle of neighborhood. . Definitely will go back read more

My favorite Tavern in Lambertville, nestled among its residents, making me feel apart of the community thread. The food is excellent, and the service was outstanding! If you want to feel like a local, head there! read more

Mad respect to this. Eating at 4 or 5 of the other top places in Lambertville, I must say this place is simply the best place in Lambertville. Granted, I'd jump for Tortuga's food more, but Bell's is the real deal, a staple in Central Jersey. They serve big portions, but all their pastas can be ordered in half sizes. Try the pesto, tortellini, or bolegnase pasta. Fried oyster platter is good for NJ with great shoestring fries. Bruschetta is the best in the tri state area, at lease I've tried. SO GOOD, 12 months of the year. Calamari's good, along with any of the regular and special salads. NOTE: Avoid the regular spaghetti. Only bad mark. NOTE: Not sure if they take reservations, but the place is constantly crowded. Expect a wait. Nice bar, though. read more

Came to visit some friends in Jersey and my girlfriends took me here. What a little gem of a place. It is not a huge establishment so seating is limited and the wait was long (over an hour) we got there at 8pm on a Saturday so that is usual. The bar was packed with people all around seating and standing. I had the house red wine, which was not bad. The service was excellent our drink order was taken right away and our food came out within 15 minutes once we had placed the order. I ordered calamari as an appetizer and it was good. I also ordered Tortellini Rosato as the restaurant calls in on their menu which entails the following: cheese tortellini with peas & prosciutto in tomato & cream sauce sorta like a vodka sauce. It was very good. The menu is a little limited for an Italian restaurant but they cook well here. I would come back here if I was in the area again. read more

Bell's is my favorite restaurant in Lambertville. The food is always great, prices very reasonable and the staff is always friendly. I've eaten here often and have never been disappointed. What more can I say?! read more

We love the food and the bar is so much fun. Very friendly staff and patrons. It's sort of our local Cheers restaurant. Sally, Lisa and others are great handling a crowded bar. I would give it 5 stars if it wasn't for the obtrusive, unfriendly hostess. Waking around staring at your plate when the table is not finished. She's really bad. read more

I have lived around here for a long time, yet just found this restaurant - the food was delicious and I loved the atmosphere - not pretentious and seemed as if most people were locals - great hidden gem enjoy read more

We had a good Sirloin steak and prix fix salmon dish. Tasteful, excellent friendly service. Good casual atmosphere. Very reasonable prices. We enjoyed our meal. Will go back. (just remember they don't accept credit cards).) read more

I've eaten here five times in recent weeks, and I've enjoyed every meal. I particularly recommend the pasta dishes, as the sauces are rich and flavorful. The dining room is spare and attractive, with local artists' work on the walls. This is a dinner-only restaurant, and reservations are not accepted. I wish that they served lunch. I've noticed that the waitresses are very capable, and that makes eating here even more enjoyable. The wine list prices are very fair, but I wish that they had a better representation of wine from Italy. The bar is in a front room, and it has a pleasant atmosphere. read more

Great local place. The food is consistently good. The regular menu of pastas is great but the daily specials are where the chef really shines. The friendly atmosphere makes the food taste even better. read more

Bell's is a wonderful local joint. Nice big bar with a casual dining room attached in the back. Reasonable prices and quality food - mostly with an Italian accent. Pastas are top notch and reliable desserts too. read more

Wow!! Visiting from Florida and was told about this place. Went there with a party of 5 for dinner. Got there and saw hostess.... Old woman I think the mother of the owner.. Anyway.. Told her we were waiting in 1 more that should be here soon. Place was full at bar. Asked if we could go ahead and sit and have a drink. She said policy is we don't sit parties until all are here. So we stood waiting. Meanwhile... A gentleman walked in and say party of 2. They say him and he waited 10 mi s on the other person . So we decided to tell hostess that it was unfair to sit him and not us. So tonight u will loose a dinner of 5. Not good customer service.. NO STARS from me read more

I have been dinning at Bells Tavern for years and until two years ago you could get above average American style food at slightly above average prices. Basic pasta dishes, decent quality chicken & meat with a few specials tossed in that might on a rare occasion surprise you. Somewhere along the way that has changed for the worse. The pasta dishes have become soggy and over cooked. The sauces are lifeless and no better then canned super market fare. Instead of individual dishes having their own sauces the Chef went with a few generic varieties on everything. Even a simple garlic and oil sauce has burnt garlic with low quality oil. The meats and poultry fares are low grade and tasteless. The cheap table bread has as much substance as air. At first we gave them a pass since the place has been in town forever but after 5 tries over a few year period I told the wife we are done eating at Bells. That is not the end of the story however. Yesterday Bells Tavern was raided and caught serving rubbing alcohol and food dye in place of scotch by the NJ Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control. The owner who purchased this business 12 years ago and it seemed to be prospering then he decides to do the unthinkable for a few extra bucks. If you can't trust the bar how can you trust the kitchen? Does the owner have so little respect for his patrons that he thinks he can out smart them with tricks? I didn't post these comments lightly as this is someones business and people have jobs but Lambertville is a tourist town and people should know what's going on then make their own decisions. read more

This place was a super disappointment. If you want a Guinness this is an ok place but skip the food. Awful.

I would rate the food as good, basically a good local Italian spot. Their customer service is another story. I did not realize the restaurant is cash only, so I had to use the ATM machine they had in the back of the restaurant. Well, it seems that they were having issues with it. I tried to take money out and while the machine indicated it was dispensing cash, it never did. I asked for assistance and was told they were working on it and would check on it. I would assume it was the manager came out of the back and looked at it - literally just looked at it and said he tried earlier to fix it - so he had no idea. I told him and another person there that I tried to get money out and it indicated that it had dispensed cash, but never did - what could they do to help me. The response was, nothing. Not, here is the number of the service company, open the unit up and take the cash out for me (they had a key so they could add money to it), they did nothing. What they did to to help me was tell me to go down the street to the CVS to get money out to pay my bill. If their customer service was any better I would suggest this place, but just poor customer service. I really doubt I will go back. read more

Great bar atmosphere - mostly locals - and friendly service. Food, however, is just OK. Nevertheless, if you're stuck for a restaurant, this place is recommended. Stick with the cheap regular menu, vs the overpriced "specials", and you won't feel shortchanged. read more

WORST EXPERIENCE EVER! DO NOT GO HERE .stood waiting to be served for 20 minutes. Finally we get seats at the bar. After being settled in with our drinks taking just a few sips we were asked to move to the standing area because the bar tender needed our seats for people who were going to have food with their drinks. Never in my entire life have I been asked to move from the bar to a standing only area. The bartender clearly wanted the tip from the people who were wait in for our seats because she blantely asked them if they were eating right in front of us. We were embarrassed and couldn't guzzle our drinks down faster. What a disappointment. We frequent lots of new hope and lambertville areas but We won't be back to bells tavern. read more

Love this place good food great wait staff fair price small not much seating and no reservations

The food is great! Service is fast and friendly and this restaurant has so many wonderful memories for us.

Went there last night. My dinner companion got the steak sandwich which was thin, overcooked and tough. I got the meatloaf special. The meatloaf was good (diner quality) but the mash potatoes were likely from instant - a little too smooth and blah. The peas were from frozen and somewhat mealy. The staff was pleasant but it took us 20 minutes to get the check and then another 10 to get our change. It's cash only, which they don't tell you on the door. But they have an ATM, which makes me wonder what the ATM fees are ... read more

Had dinner with my 2 grown kids and husband. This place is very popular with local Lambertville residents. The service was fine. Food was not so great, veggie lasagna tasted like Stouffers, and my son couldn't finish their "signature" burger. The food is served so fast, and they turn the tables so quickly that it seems like they can't make anything fresh. The wine my daughter and I drank was so warm it was practically undrinkable. You can get the same quality pasta at a local pizza joint. read more

Huge disappointment. A friend raved about this restaurant so we decided to try it. I had high hopes..loved the ambience. We started with calamari and that was delicious so I was expecting the rest of our food to be good as well. Sadly, it ended with the calamari. I got the filet mignon sandwich as recommended by the waiter vs the puttanesca. Presentation was good but when I took my first bite, I almost threw up. Something tasted off.. it was the meat. It didn't taste fresh. I had my husband take a bite maybe it was just me ( highly doubted though bec I know my food!!) and he said the same thing. Dinner went downhill from there. Kids got tortellini with peas and prosciutto, chicken tenders and baked ziti. Hubby got Bell's burger. The kids didn't eat much and my husband and I ate some of the burger. It was okay.. only good thing was the fries. Our stomachs felt funny after awhile. We told the server about the filet mignon and they gave us another one to take home since we just wanted to leave. We didn't realize it is CASH ONLY and NO WHERE is this advertised anywhere (online or restaurant). We just overheard it from another table. HUGE INCONVENIENCE. They SHOULD have a sign somewhere stating this. They said they take checks too.. who takes their checkbook with them? I feel it quite deceptive because I'm pretty sure many will walk away if cash is the only form of payment accepted. It's not like you are walking into a McDonald's. Sooo..Husband had to walk a few blocks to get to a bank. More waiting. Had them wrap the leftovers of kids. Ate the leftovers the next day, made our stomachs all queasy and worst, the filet mignon sandwich tasted just as bad. Sadly, it was a waste of money and time and we're definitely never coming back. read more

One of my favorite local restaurants and, in my opinion, one of the better places to eat in Lambertville. The service, food and drinks are always good. I go often and have been there probably a hundred times! Highly recommend. read more

We had an amazing meal here this past Friday night. Great service and delicious food! The fresh lobster and jumbo crab penne arrabbiata was spectacular, and the homemade triple chocolate cake for dessert along with some strong coffee capped off a delightful evening. Highly recommended. FYI: no reservations and cash only. read more

My boyfriend and I were on a weekend getaway and were looking for somewhere to eat. We search all over TripAdvisor and yelp. Bell's Tavern was highly recommended to us by our b&b curator! Thank god we went. The food was out of the park. They sit you and immediately give you an assorted bread basket, which was pretty good. We ordered a peel and eat shrimp appetizer, and boy did it leave you wanting more. You get 8 HUGE shrimp and really good cocktail sauce. For our entrees my boyfriend got Fried shrimp and I ordered chicken parm and a side of garlic bread. Our food came out in a timely fashion and was perfectly cook. The portions were so big neither of us finished the dish. The staff was extremely attentive and so courteous. Never a moment where they weren't smiling and asking if you need anything. The one and only draw back, it's a cash only or personal check establishment. They do offer and ATM on premise. Amazing little place over all and would definitely go again! read more

We had a great meal. Fried calamari was awesome and enjoyed the salmon and filet mignon medallions as well. Draft beer selection could be expanded. read more