The Cellar, underneath the Inn. First time going to this place, we arrived when they were opening. The door was locked, so we sat in the rocking chairs. Someone that works there had walked past us several times, and opened the door. We wandered in, and she said the restaurant was in the basement. When we left, we saw a sign for Cellar. Not knowing the restaurant was named the Cellar, the sign wasn't clear/meaningful. Anyway, we got there eventually. The decor was pretty nice (definitely more bar than restaurant). We chose a table in a quiet corner, which was beneficial and not. The wait staff was very friendly, but we were a bit out of sight out of mind for them. All the food was great, and the cocktail was expertly made, exceeding expectations. They have popovers as the table accoutrements, which are a personal favorite of mine! As mentioned above, I'd consider this a (speakeasy decor) bar with food options, that would be a solid social/meet up spot, with great drinks. read more

I had dinner at The Bell Inn & Tavern with my mom for an early Mother's Day celebration since it's where she wanted to go. She and much of my family really like this place and rave about it, but my overall first impression was definitely a mixed bag. My mom made the reservation for Saturday at 4:45pm in the dining room. We arrived a little early, so she showed me around the beautifully renovated building. When we checked in with someone, they redirected us to the bar area downstairs as they were holding a private event in the main dining area. Okay, not a big deal to us. However I could understand if someone else might get a little annoyed at being told they had to go to the bar area when they specifically asked for the dining room on their reservation. I have to say that I do love the downstairs bar area, it's classy and has a vintage speakeasy vibe. We were quickly greeted by one of the guys working the bar who was super nice and did a great job. For a drink I started with their version of an espresso martini, which was a good start to the food experience and gave me high hopes. They brought us out some popovers which to me were just okay. For an appetizer we got some buffalo chicken dip, which was quite delicious. For dinner my mom got a Caesar salad (which I tried a little bit of and thought was good) and a flatbread pizza that was on special. I decided to be a little bougie and went with the braised short ribs, and I regret to say that the dish fell flat for me. The short rib did come apart okay when I stuck my fork in it, but it was kind of chewy, bland and overall really didn't have much flavor. The menu also states that the short rib is served with broccolini (which is a milder, sweeter version of the green vegetable) but it came with regular plain broccoli instead, which I was also quite honestly disappointed by. With all that being said the polenta was my favorite thing on the plate. I'm a little conflicted. The place is beautiful and the staff is so nice. But with how much it was hyped up to me, I was a little let down. I'm kind of thinking that I should've went with another dish? I really want to truly love this place, so I'm sure I'll be back with family at some point to give them another chance. read more

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Likely the worst restaurant meal I have ever had. I ordered the short rib and I am still not sure what they did to it to make it so dry, hard, and rubbery. I looked like part of a shoe or wood. As it was placed on the table, one of my co-diners leaned over to whisper to me that it looked disgusting. I am guessing it was cooked, frozen, and then WAY over microwaved. (Who microwaves short rib?!) Regardless, it was awful. The polenta was runny and had big lumps of cheese all in one corner. I assume that was supposed to be mixed through. And the broccoli was so over cooked as to be a disintegrating mush. I cannot believe this left the kitchen. I didn't complain because I did not want to disrupt everyone else's dinner. I should have listened to all the other one-star reviews. Bell Inn service was friendly, lively, and casual and the building is really something special. read more

This was downright special. Driven by often on the corner of Washington, consistently have wanted to stop by always slipped the mind. Don't let this happen to you! Attempted to enter the main door only to find a sign asking us to take the "cellar" door. Transited to the right location to giant wooden door with a peep cage. Traversing down the gothic steps past old organ pipes presented on the wall, this bunker/basement pub is a visual treat. Sat at the bar and was attended to quickly despite the hardworking solo bartender and waitress covering the whole place. Drinks were specials from the sheet, with seemingly heavy pours no matter what's ordered (YAY!!!!). Meatloaf for the boss and steak tips for me, each of us had mashed potatoes (so banging, even a day later in microwave) and a seasonal green. Delicious. Too full to take on the desert menu, we will be back to try the prime rib! read more

Super clean and comfortable room! Very spacious and the bathroom too was so nice. It can be a little loud with the activity happening outside, but the restaurant closes around 10 or 11 I believe so it didn't interfere with us sleeping at all. They have a ton of parking and the staff were nice and helpful. You also have access to additional restrooms and fresh water whenever. It's super close to downtown Salem -- I would definitely recommend staying here! read more

The food here was extremely disappointing. I ordered the steak and cheese pizza, and the bottom of the crust was completely black and burnt. To make matters worse, it tasted and looked like they used nacho cheese instead of pizza cheese. The crust tasted like frozen pizza crust. It was honestly the worst pizza I've ever had. It's hard to make a pizza completely inedible, but they managed to do it. My wife ordered the watermelon salad. We expected a salad with watermelon mixed in, but instead she was served what was essentially a bowl of watermelon. Charging that price for something so underwhelming is ridiculous. Unfortunately, this wasn't our first bad experience here. On a previous visit, the pulled pork was dry and lacked flavor. Even the complimentary popovers were overcooked and bland. After giving this place more than one chance, we've decided we won't be coming back. There are plenty of restaurants that offer much better food for the money. This was a complete waste of money. read more

An old historic mansion turned into a restaurant, inn, and tavern. The decor is beautiful! The food is pretty good and there are several options for everyone's taste. I have been to The Bell Inn & Tavern a few times, and have tried different dishes. The popovers are nice and fresh. Every dish I've tried has lots of flavor, some are heavier than others so you may find yourself leaving with a to-go container! They have various ticketed events and themed brunches. They also have live music, which I saw on an events calendar on Wednesdays. Service was friendly and attentive. read more

The Bell Inn & Tavern - BBQ Sticky Ribs - Entree (Ribs, Baked Beans, Mashed Potatoes, Corn) - Hotels Near Me - Peabody, Massachusetts

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This place is pretty nice. We had a unique experience at first, but I'll explain. We showed up juuuust before the restaurant closed, which was no problem at all. We got access to our room right away. As soon as we got up to the 2nd floor, the hallway by our room smelled like garbage juice. Upon opening the door, it smelled like I decided to take a ride down the Sewage Waterpark PooPoo Slide. We went down, and I talked to the person whom checked us in and let her know. She got us a new room IMMEDIATELY. No questions asked other than for a description of the smell and whatnot. So either this is a common issue that isn't questioned, or they just trusted us enough not to question. Either way, I'm not upset. The room we were given was definitely nice, lovely view, nice shower. Pillows are huuuuuuge. Very comfortable bed, oh and no TJ River smell. The restaurant is exceptional as well. I had a Reuben on Marbled Rye. The bread was delish, meat was on point. My only "complaint" is that there could have been more sauce. The salad was fresh as hell too. This place is great, excellent service, great food, comfy rooms, oh and PARKING LOT THAT DOESN'T CHARGE. That itself a star. read more

The Bell Inn & Tavern - Hotel View - Hotels Near Me - Peabody, Massachusetts

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Service was friendly. We sat at the bar. They carry all dirty dishes from the dining room to this area and place in the container under the bar so the customer sees all dirty dishes before being placed in the tub. This was a Complete turn off for us. The sticky ribs were baked and dry with a small amount of BBQ sauce added. This is not like any sticky ribs I have had. We always wanted to stop in and try the tavern. Unfortunately we won't return. read more

Speakeasy- now here's a fun spot. Music, Comedy and great food count me in..We went yesterday for a Comedy show ($10). The ambience, the crowd and the comedians fulfilled my night. In addition, the scallop plate special was out of this world. Came with a pumpkin and asparagus. I don't even like pumpkin but this dish was so delicious. Tuna was so fresh and calamari crunchy and cooked to perfection. I will definitely be going back for there fun filled events. read more

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We came for bellapalooza which was so fun. This place brought the energy despite the rain. The cellar is so cool as is the entire building. The patio outside is gorgeous and would've been the perfect place to chill and listen to live music. There was one waitress in the cellar hustling and doing a fantastic job keeping up with all the tables. The trainwreck fries were okay. The wedges were a little too thick and there wasn't enough toppings, but the flavor was good. There's a parking lot just down the street from the inn with a sign for inn parking. read more

Great staff, super clean, fantastic food and drinks! Great location. They hired my band ( Hobby High) to play last night and I couldn't be more impressed at this place. Easily found friendly staff food was delicious. Definitely going to come back with my family. The whole place is spotless and everyone I talked to last night was in agreement. This place is great. read more

So beautiful and updated. It's very clean from the baseboards to the sheets and bathroom. The whole place is darling. Easy to park. It's a nice balance of historic and modern comfort. Their restaurant is good! And everyone we met here was so kind and professional. The only down side was our room is facing a busy intersection. Lots of trucks came through and you can hear it all so night time was a little loud for us. You also get complimentary coffee, tea and paste ties in the morning too. An easy 10-12 minute drive from Salem. I highly recommend this place! read more

I went here on a double date recently. 1st I recommend getting a res in the cellar if you can. There are TVs there, and it's a much more intimate and cozy vibe. 2nd everything was great. Great service, great food. The sticky short ribs are amazing! Crunchy, meaty, no fat, tasty bbq sauce. All in all highly recommend read more

The ambiance here is so cool! Downstairs is a proper speakeasy and upstairs is a beautiful old building. The food is ok. Not very creative or different. But nothing really wrong with it either. What shocked me the most was the lack of customers. Saturday evening and the place was a ghost town? I would return just to hang out in the speakeasy - as long as there were some more people. read more

The Bell Inn & Tavern Peabody https://www.bellinnpeabody.com/ boneless chicken tenders - honestly I think they can put out a better product than this. Just my humble opinion. baked haddock - outstanding. fresh. delicious. perfectly prepared. anyone who likes baked haddock needs to try this. I give it my highest recommendation. Hawaiian chicken sandwich - Dad gave this his highest approval. It has grilled chicken breast, smoked ham, crispy bacon, pineapple chutney, mozzarella cheese all on a fresh brioche bun. in a nutshell I'd absolutely return here and I highly recommend that everyone do the same! read more

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Historic building accurately renovated with old charm and cozy bar downstairs. Tasty American cuisine with reasonable prices and generous portions. Large freshly fried trout was delicious as well as salmon. House made potato chips and wedges made to the order. Servers were friendly and not annoying. We definitely will be back. read more

I have gone to Christmas Eve dinner here since they opened (as well as for occasional dinners). I have always looked forward to it for the delicious food, festive atmosphere and stellar service. Well that ended tonight. Food was awful. My salad was a bowl of spinach with 2 cubes of pumpkin and a few tablespoons of sour tasting dressing. My friend's garden salad not much better with just a bowl of lettuce. My haddock was a thin tiny piece, maybe 2"x"3" on top of liquid mashed potatoes poured on the plate..liquid. The green beans were hard and tasted of the plastic they came wrapped in. The entire dinner was Luke warm at best. My friend's Mac and Cheese was dry with little "cheese" with burnt crumbs on top. The servers wore pajamas. At a (what used to be) classy Inn serving Christmas Eve dinner?!? $100 later we left and won't be back next Christmas or ever. read more

Went today, 11/14/2025, we want to like this place. Especially being from Peabody i want to like this place. We have gone 5 times now and every time is a different experience. Today though I got the chicken Milanese (my favorite my dish) was sooooo salty. I mean like the Atlantic Ocean. read more

Wonderful stay. The staff could not have been nicer. The room was small but it's an inn. Remember that. The building is gorgeous. Free parking in an adjacent property. Great restaurant on site with delicious food. Bar was helmed by Brian. He was great. Had a late night drink in "the cellar" which was super cool. Thanks! read more

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I've been meaning to try out the Bell Inn and Tavern in Peabody MA and went for lunch. It is an amazing restored historical building and the food is delicious! Even though it was crowded we were seated right away and our food delivered promptly. My smoked brisket just melts in your mouth! My friend had the baked haddock and said it was the best she's ever had. I'll definitely be a regular! read more

The Bell Inn & Tavern - Smoked Brisket Grilled Cheese - Hotels Near Me - Peabody, Massachusetts

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Our stay at the Bell Inn and Tavern was terrible. We booked our room nearly 4 months in advance, as we were scheduled for an important event nearby. Since we had an early call time the next day, we had planned on spending time in the Bell Inn's Cellar the evening before our event. We were looking forward to it. None of that happened. Upon checking in we were informed that a wedding reception would be taking place in the Cellar that night and it would be unavailable. We had a quick lunch at the bar, only to find the staff extremely stressed with wedding preparations, and thus bordering on hostile. We left for several hours. When we returned back to the hotel after dinner at 9:25 pm, we were informed that last call at the bar was at 9:30 pm. As a result, we ended up back in our room (204) by 10pm, only to find that our room was directly above the Cellar and its patio. Consequently, there were dozens of loud drunken people celebrating less than 10 feet from our window. When we went downstairs to see if we could be moved to another room, we were told it wasn't possible. In fact, other than a disingenuous "apology", nothing was possible to improve the situation. We were offered nothing. We were told that they would try to quiet people down, but obviously that didn't last because people celebrating at a wedding reception are there to have a good time. In the end, we spent hours stuck in an incredibly loud room, as uninvited and involuntary participants in someone else's wedding reception. The drunken screaming of people tossing bags (again - about 10 feet from our window) ended sometime between midnight and 1 am. This is somewhat shocking for a room that cost nearly $300 for one night. What could have happened instead: 1. We could have been notified in advance of a major amenity change like the Cellar being unavailable. I assume the reception was booked months in advance. Our room was booked nearly 4 months in advance (booked 5/2/2024 for 8/28/2024). We could have received an update. We may have changed our plans. 2. As a guest not involved with the wedding party, perhaps we could have been placed in a room further away from the event and not directly above. 3. With the Cellar closed for a private event, perhaps the Tavern could have been kept open later for other guests of the hotel. The 9:30 "last call" was rather awful and left us with nowhere to go other than our room. 4. An offer of something .. anything -- a complimentary cocktail? a partial refund for our unbearable room? --that would have meant something. But, we received nothing other than a fake "sorry". We should also note that the 6 am wakeup as a result of the neighbor who leaves big bowls of bird seed in their truck to feed the gulls, was also not appreciated. Though we are sympathetic to them, and assume that they may dislike having their windows just a few feet from your guests and events as well. read more

Was looking for somewhere to eat on a beautiful Friday evening and stopped by here for first time. Noelle welcomed us and gave us a tour of the different areas of the restaurant as well as some history of the building which dates back to meetings with the Minute Men during the Revolutionary War! Tyler was on downstairs in the Cellar as we decided to sit inside the historic old part of the property. It was cool how they had games you could play, couches to relax/wait on, as well as a nice bar inside or outside on the patio (which you almost couldn't tell you were right on corners of main streets if you were sitting in. Food came out pretty fast and the Brisket Grilled Cheese had a nice portion of very tender brisket with tasty pickles. The homemade chips were flavorful and well cooked. I only wish it came with some Cole slaw, but I'll definitely return to try it again for other items that looked good. Edit: especially in the summer with the patio, but this looked like it could be a nice alternative wedding reception venue or rehearsal space. read more

We had my dad's celebration of life in the speakeasy on 6/4. He had a relationship with the O'Shea family so, it was fitting that we have it there. Everyone was able to mingle comfortably. We had haddock, chicken, pasta, pork and vegetables along with coffee and mixed desserts. Everyone raved about the ambiance and the food. Heather ( mgr) Megan ( assistant mgr) were easy to deal with. Cat the bartender did a great job as well! My SIL wanted a toasted almond martini. Cat didn't have a couple of the ingredients but, she improvised and said if she didn't like it, she'd take it back. My SIL loved it! Going above and beyond, that's what it's all about. Thank you Bell Inn & Tavern for making my father's COL a perfect ending for a great guy! read more

The ribs were dry and chewy. The steak tips were very very sweet. The steak fries were crunchy and dry. The service was very pleasant and efficient. The best items were the free popovers. read more

Excellent restaurant the food is fresh and service very good. The place is a delight to visit. read more

The Bell Inn & Tavern - Roasted turkey and ham with bacon and Swiss cheese on WW bread, veggie instead of ff. 5 stars - Hotels Near Me - Peabody, Massachusetts

We decided to eat out this past thanksgiving. The restaurant and staff were very nice, but the meal was very disappointing! Several of us ordered the Thanksgiving special. Unfortunately we were served processed turkey! You could tell us was cut from a Turkey log. Each piece identical to the other. The cranberry sauce was less than a teaspoon per serving. The stuffing was unidentifiable When we received the check they failed to tell our party of 5 that they already charged us 18% gratuities. I almost tip an additional $100.00 had I not caught the fine print on the receipt read more

My eldest son took me here for dinner on Mother's Day. The hostesses immediately greeted us with warm smiles and one of them seated us promptly. Then our friendly waitress came over and took our drink and appetizer order. She was prompt & efficient. We ordered the buffalo chicken dip with tortilla chips which was very yummy! For our entrees, I had the grilled salmon and my son had the baked scrod. Our friend had a hamburger. And his hand-cut potato wedge fries were the bomb!!! All three dishes were plentiful and delicious. I would have liked a little bit more spinach on my plate though. I changed my drink from a Cosmo to a beer because it was just okay with enough vodka. My son's ginger ale and whiskey cocktail was meager too. I think the bartender needs to be a little more generous with the alcohol. Other than that, it was all good. The dining room is attractive but the paintings need to be larger and light music should be tinkling overhead. I most likely will return because there were other entrees on the menu I want to try. :) They have a parking lot, too! read more

I came here for a Baby Shower. I was really impressed by the food. The eggs were delish as were the pancakes, the bacon, the fruit was fresh and the potato's were even good! And it was buffet style so usually the food sits and gets dried out but not here. Everything was really delicious! The space was really cool too. It was in the basement of the restaurant. The only request I had was that they put a changing table in one of the bathrooms and marked where to park a little better. That was confusing and the parking on site was labeled for tenants and handicapped. We only realized there was an ENTIRE LOT AFTER we left!! read more

We were looking forward to seeing the interior of the Bell Tavern for months. It is beautiful, but the service was THE WORST. Went for brunch...seated (seemed to me the person was bothered that we wanted to sit) sat for 10 min & no one even looked in our direction. Left. We are at Cheesecake Factory enjoying our Sunday brunch. Don't worry, I will spend my $$ where it's appreciated. read more

We stopped in over the Holidays for some drinks and a cocktail, hoping to find the Inn as lovely as its pictures. We were greeted in the lobby by a dour man with a very serious "can i help you"? Not Happy Holidays or Welcome to the Inn. We sat in the empty and not so warm or charming tavern. We ordered some apps and a glass of wine. I was told that the wine would be "awhile". Ok. It was explained to us that the bar tender was busy chatting with 2 people at the Bar....I was then asked if I wanted ice for my wine upon its arrival...and it was not chilled very much, which they obviously knew. I have no problem spending $$$ for good food while dining out. However, the food was barely edible. The calamari was limp, and there was literally not enough of it for one, let alone 2 people to share. It was the most paltry app I have ever ordered. The other apps were cold, not done well at all......tough chicken, nachos not even up to chain standard nachos. Nice Inn, but they need to get their act together as simple pub food a fail and the less than enthusiastic staff, and wine being delayed in an empty room, no thanks. We will not return. read more

I had high hopes for this place but unfortunately I was very disappointed. The sticky ribs came out literally 5 minutes after I ordered them. Obviously they were heated up in the microwave. The clam chowder was watered down and the clams were chewy and flavorless. The chicken Caesar was ok. The decor upstairs was a let down as well. For all the work they put into this place it really doesn't impress. Sad. read more

Food was great! Service was just as great, and I love that it was chill spot for brunch, great vibes.

We decided to go here for our anniversary lunch, so excited to go there after reading reviews and seeing the menu. Got there a little before 1pm on Sunday and after being greeted by the hostess we asked if we could eat at the bar, was seated and given water and menus. We sat there for over 15 minutes with no service at all. They were not that busy and saw servers keep passing us by. Finally we just got up an left. Was so disappointed because we were so looking forward to having lunch there. read more

Five of us had dinner aug 2nd. Salmon, new york strip, pasta with veggie, margarita pizza app. Everything was great and we have high expectations. Heard the service was bad but we did not have that experience although it wasnt very busy. Would definitely go Back read more

On the quiet side, fireplace (sort of), went for lunch -- great food and nice people. Nachos were interesting and tasty. Drinks are solid. Prices and ambiance are date-level. read more

Beautiful little spot with amazing details and historical woodwork. The inn and main dining area are very cozy and offer great ambiance for dinner or drinks. 3.5 stars. I think it could easily be four stars with a little more efficiency and focus on consistent wait service times and menu but we had a wonderful hostess and I think they will iron out their kinks. I know it's still difficult for the restaurant businesses to find consistent staff so they are doing their best to service the large dining area they have on busy nights with the personnel they have read more

The place is beautiful. Great outdoor space. Servers were attentive. I had Maine Lunch. Otherwise decent drink selection and scotch and whiskeys. A few more types of beers would be nice. My burger was good. Everyone seemed to like and eat the entire meal. The speakeasy we went to visit and would love to spend some time there next. Looked fun. I will definitely go back. They are new and some of the reviews seem harsh, I hope others give it a chance. read more

Nice meal great service very clean and pleasant historical house..Food was well presented and very tasty The menu featured interesting and inviting entries Will be back read more

If I could give Amanda R 100 stars I would. I appreciate you. While the food wasn't amazing (and we had a few mistakes with the items we ordered), you were great. The food was fine though. Thank you for making the best of the situation and offering desserts on you. You made our night! read more