Bell at Godstone, The

A charming, historic country pub, recently restored with skill and good taste to its position as one of the leading hostelries of the area, offering good food at sensible prices.

The Bell was built in 1393 and has charm oozing from almost every corner. The recent refurbishment has cleverly avoided the pitfall of smothering the antiquity in an outburst of aspirant design and has been done with great effect. Customers will delight in the exposed brick, beams and open log fires, proving that ancient and modern can exist in harmony.

The dining area seats 70, with teak tables, banquette seating and stylish light brown leather dining chairs. The conservatory looks out on to a mature garden with a terrace, affording opportunities for dining ands drinking alfresco. General Manager Vita Wiehl has a team of 25 to handle front of house and is looking forward to offering the local residents a new experience at The Bell, with wider appeal as a definite option.

The kitchens have also benefited from the upgrade, and seven-strong team headed up by Mark Cheeseman, new to The Bell. The menu is unashamedly egalitarian and embraces what some might call 'comfort food', and others just good popular dishes liked by a majority.

To set the right note of fashionable sociability there are sharing plates, Spanish tapas of Serrano ham, manchego, sardines, chorizo and tortilla, a baked Camembert with rustic bread, Greek mezze with taramasalata with humus, tzatziki, feta and flatbread, or a pizzette with garlic, rocket and Parmesan.

Amongst the starters, touchingly referred to as 'little dishes', there is freshly made soup, grilled asparagus with poached egg, parmesan and rocket, crab cakes with mango, chilli and coriander salsa, or caramelised onion tart. Look, too, for Black Pearl scallops when the market is right.

The salads - sorry, that should read 'leaves' - offer a traditional Caesar salad with chicken, marinated anchovies and parmesan, or for the seafood fiends some seared prawns with chorizo, chilli, spinach and lemon crème fraiche. A recent addition to the menu is the delicious coconut chicken, with spinach, coriander, mango chutney and chilli salsa.

These days no self-respecting gastropub can afford to be without its pizza range; expect to find a classic margherita of tomato, mozzarella and basil, or the challenging diavolo spiced chicken with peppadew peppers, chilli and tabasco. For those who like to build their own pizzas you can, for a modest sum, add to the basic dish with a choice from chorizo, olives, jalapenos, mushrooms, spring onion, or bacon. Or of course the whole lot if you're feeling that way.

Pastas include fettucine with salmon, prawns, coconut, spring onions and chilli, chef's choice risotto, or penne with crab, tomato, and pepperonata. For the big event there is always a fish of the day on request.

The steak burger with Swiss cheese, bacon, relish and fries is popular, a sign of the times and improving taste in eating, as is the Moroccan lamb cutlets with saffron potatoes, chorizo, peas and mint. For hearty eaters there are good fillet steaks with horseradish Chantilly, green beans and frites.

A wide range of supporting dishes includes buttered new potatoes, Belgium frites and mayo, and greens, leeks and peas. For those who have to be lashed to a plank to induce them to eat root vegetables, try them here, honey roasted and altogether different from the all too often pallid steamed variety.

For desserts resort to the blackboard, where there is always a good display, often with some of the local cheeses to set the buffs alight.

A good range of hand-pulled beers include Staropramen, Edrdinger, Amstel and Guinness. Wines are selected to include robust numbers, mostly within a £20 top limit.

The Bell benefits from a decked from a decked garden in a quiet and secluded area with a long grassed lawn. To find out more about all the facilities that this delightful place has to offer, a visit to their Website is recommended. Please note that the E-Mail Contact is for enquiries only, not for bookings.