What's not to love about a pub with a horse parked outside! On Horsefair Lane!! OK, I may have…read moregrown up in the country myself but I have turned into a fully fledged townie, and this is enough to get me jump with joy and excitement - and to take a photo, of a horse, ha ha. The Bell is located in a nature reserve and the perfect stop over on a Sunday walk. They do delicious looking roasts (sadly we had already eaten) which you can enjoy either in the cosy pub or in the massive beer garden that is overlooking a river. Doesn't get more idyllic than that. Good selection of beers as far as I can tell and a decent choice of interesting soft drinks.

I really like this pub. Lovely friendly staff and food is good. There is occasional entertainment…read moreand party atmosphere on special dates like Halloween and New Year. Nice beer garden for summer or cosy fire for winter.

The horseshoe in Lavendon is a great village pub, Denis & Sue are working really hard to get the…read morerestaurant known, the food is all locally produced & sourced & his homemade pie & chips are second to none!

This place was awesome! We stayed directly across the street at The Dozing Duck (Airbnb) so of…read morecourse made a reservation for dinner here. (No reservation needed on the pub side-we ate in the restaurant) The food is locally sourced, fresh and authentic rustic farm to table. Even my side salad was delicious. I highly recommend!!

Our go to whenever we are in Oxford visiting family. They have a nice outdoor area, not a lot of…read moretables with umbrellas but no worries if it is nice out. If you eat in the bar area you go to the bartender order your drink of choice and meal. Hint...if you only feel like a half portion of fish and chips you can order a half order and for me it's a perfect portion of food. They do have a bar menu too if you don't want fish and chips. But really who goes to a pub in England and not order fish and chips. This is the place to do so. They do have a restaurant but I believe you need a reservation for that. Worth every bit for a nice meal out and I believe that the menu is a bit different.

One of the absolutely best pubs (and restaurants) in Britain. As a pub fanatic, I've visited…read morehundreds of watering holes through the years, and the food has never, and I mean never, been this good. I've eaten at Michelin star restaurants that haven't had steak as tender and succulent as what we had here. The ambiance was romantic, quirky, and quiet, perfect for a night out. We started with a potato and leek soup and the Welsh rarebit. The soup was good, not exceptional, but good, and the rarebit was tasty. We continued with the special, which was a hanging skewer with melted garlic butter, corn on the cob, and chips. I can honestly say that I have never had such a delicious, perfectly cooked and seasoned beef skewer outside of Greece or Spain. It was an absolute experience simply eating it. One of those rare dishes that makes you pause and close your eyes at the sheer pleasure of the perfect taste. I never wanted it to end. My husband had the same experience with his assorted beef platter. The medallions were so tender you understand what the phrase "melt in your mouth" means. I only wish we had room for dessert, as the dessert menu looked utterly luscious. But we will be back, and soon. I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough.

Lovely, traditional English pub. They've got all the important things nailed. Cold beer, hot food -…read moreand at great prices. Really friendly bar/restaurant staff that greeted me like a long-lost friend. There is a great restaurant - full of English charm and the food is just what you expect and need from a proper British boozer. The essentials of a pool table and dart board are also in place! Plenty of parking in the car park and a cheery open fire adds to the charm. There is a function room and private dining room (we had a good nosey around) and there are murals on one wall of the famous faces that used to frequent - Rod Stewart, Noel Edmonds, U2 and various famous faces from an epic time in British music history. It's not a music venue as such now but there are occasional bands, quiz nights and other events on. Worth checking in if you are passing through or are nearby. Woollaston is a really pretty little village for a wander around. Hope you enjoy as much as I did!!

A pub with a fantastic reputation delivers a great night out and doesn't disappoint. The Wollaston…read moreInn used to be known in the 1970s as a mecca for live acts with outstanding bands making the trek from the city out to this little oasis in the country. Acts such as U2, Status Quo, Thin Lizzy and John Peel himself are all said to have played there in their early career. Obviously the pub has changed radically since those heady days of rock and roll. The old hall upstairs which was used as the club can still be hired out for events. With its large windows and stripped floor it has a fantastic charm for an intimate wedding or celebration. However, you will be pleased to hear that there is no evidence of the 70's disco that it used to be. The restaurant downstairs is a revelation to the village. Chris the head chef has brought high quality dining to the area much like his predecessor brought quality rock bands. His menu is interesting without being pretentious with classics such as game, steak and chicken sitting beside a great fish menu. The selection changes regularly so each time there is something new to try. His wine list is also very strong and we have enjoyed many a night sampling a range of grape derived delights. The pub offers private dining as well as the hall and restaurant so it can cater for family groups of up to 10 or 12 people. On the nights we have been there the place has been busy so I recommend booking ahead of time. In conclusion I would highly recommend this place if you are in mind for top notch food in a historic setting.

fantastic referb,the food is fantastic produced by one of the best chefs in the area,the food is…read morebetter than some starred restaurants around,well worth a visit if you appreciate good food reasonably priced,certainly a cut above the rest.apparantly one of the mussell dishes was created by two of the regulars

Four of us had a wonderful dinner here last night. The food was delicious and the service was…read more10/10! We will definitely be returning soon.

What can I say about the King's Arms? I'm at home here. When we moved to the UK, honestly our most…read moredesired feature was walking distance to a pub. We got stumbling distance to one of the best pubs in the country. This place is well-regarded by everyone in the region. I've met people here who give up walking distance to their local to drive here and have a good time. That says something. My first night here I made friends, and each time I've been here since I find myself in good company either with neighbors we've met before, or people who know we're new to the area and want to welcome us. I can't begin to tell you how often a quick pint before dinner turns into a long session at King's Arms. I wouldn't have it any other way. These guys truly embrace the concept of being the center of village activity. No TVs, no WiFi, these things distract from the community. You come here to interact with your friends and neighbors, enjoy a good beer, and enjoy living in the company of others. They regularly have events to bring the village out. The most impressive of which was the dinner they hosted on the night of the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. They served the exact 10-course menu served in first class that evening, and requested everyone bust out their tuxedos and dresses to mark the occasion in grand fashion. It was a remarkable evening. One disappointment, since I have to list one to feel as though I am being fair, is the wine list. We love the temperanillo, but really none of the others. But we're not here to drink wine, we're here to be social! It makes me a little sad that we don't have this type of drinking culture in the US. If you're not an alcoholic, you're not likely be on a first-name basis with the bartenders at a local watering hole. That's why I love walking in here; everyone knows everyone else, they're always happy to see you, they know what you drink, they pour a tasty pint, and are genuinely good people. I dig it.

WOW, What a pleasant and wonderful surprise of a find. We happened to be going this way after car…read moreshopping and found this pub. It looked like Yelpers had enjoyed it so we hoped that it was going to be worth the stop. It was. A lot of the pubs I've found lately have all become commercialized and become a bit "cookie cutter." They have the same items on the menu, carry the same beers and generally almost start looking the same. Well, the Malt Shovel does not. Not only is their menu unique, it seemed to have specials of the day. I choose a meat pie that with beer in it and my husband chose a different meat and potatoes dish. We started with some fried tempura shrimp that was a surprise because it was just as light and tasty as could be. We ate that pretty quickly. The entrees are pretty hefty and I believe we could have shared, but in the end my husband liked his dish better so it worked out. Ironically we came here quite by accident but it was our anniversary that night and with trying to find a car hadn't had time to properly plan dinner but it worked out because the meal made it feel pretty special. I would have liked to have tried a dessert but having no space had to forgo. In the end it turned out it was less than 10 miles away from home so we probably will be back often for good homecooked like meals!

My wife and I come here, while going to/from bucks. The staff ate friendly. The service is 5*…read morerestaurant quality. The food... The food is good old fashioned in house cooked, pub grub. I would (and have) reccomend the maly shovel to anyone who would be passing. The chips alone are worth travelling to it for

If you're looking for a good pub, it doesn't get much better than this…read more Lovingly called simply "The Axe" by locals, this pub is in a different league to most other rural pubs. I'll explain why and try to be concise. The cuisine is exceptional. There's a good selection of quality drinks. The service is excellent. The atmosphere is always friendly and welcoming -- the sort of place where complete strangers tend to strike-up conversation. The location is perfect, overlooking the Village Green, with a big beer garden behind, and a vast playing field behind that. It's a lovely village, nestled in the gently-undulating farming landscape of rural north-east Herts -- no wonder Braughing was recently awarded the prestigious "Village of the Year" accolade. The pub's menu always includes the best of local produce, from locally-reared beef to local pork sausages, alongside popular country pub dishes. (Braughing village is famous for, among other things, the delicious local sausages, and this is a good place to sample them.) Did I mention the pies? A different pie every day it seems, and you won't find better pies than these. I don't make a statement like that lightly.

Top marks for this openminded pub/bar. The only gay establishment in Bedford and the favourite…read morehanging out place for the local hockey club. Visited it once since all other places had closed. Gays seem to keep to themselves and don't mind the drunk crowd that barges in after 1am. The place is popular since most other pubs close earlier. Toilets are quite small, the staff are friendly and the music follow the same theme. Don't miss this place if you are out partying in cosmopolitan Bedford.

Good establishment. The issue here is the bouncers. They are homophobic and won't listen to their…read morecustomers. The Barley is a good pub, but the bouncers let it down massively.