When I was invited to do a review on the Bell in Aston Clinton, I was instantly reminded of my teenage years.
In the mid-to-late 2000s, I would frequently visit the London Road venue with my family for birthday and Christmas celebrations.
It was our little tradition.
My grandparents lived a stone’s throw away from the Bell in the small village that is Aston Clinton, and as my dad used to work at the establishment in his 20s during the 1980s, the pub/restaurant holds many memories in our family that go back three generations.
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Sadly, after my grandfather suddenly and sadly passed away in June 2009 which completely took the whole family by surprise at his home in the village, visits to the Bell over the next few years became incredibly infrequent as my grandmother moved out of Aston Clinton.
Our lives were inevitably moving on, and visits to the Bell were now just distant memories of a time that once was.
To be exact, my last visit to the Bell was in November 2010 when I was 17-years-old.
However, when I was asked to come down and visit the restaurant for its official reopening on Wednesday, August 18, it seemed that I was being asked to rekindle my connection with Aston Clinton and with the establishment itself.
When I parked up and walked to the entrance, I could smell not only the fresh paint, but the fresh food that was being cooked/being served to customers and it immediately took me back 10 plus years at those family gatherings.
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Those were some special times in my life, and I was very much looking forward to the evening ahead.
After being shown around the venue, which included its incredibly flash bar, I sat down and had a look at the menu.
From steak, to chicken, to pizzas, to burgers, to vegetarian options, the menu was filled with a variety of dishes to try out.
Customers will also be pleased to know that a Sunday, a dessert, a lunch, a drinks, a vegan, and a children’s menu are also available.
In the end, I decided to order two starters which were the smoked salmon & king prawns which came with Devon crab crème fraiche and ciabatta, along with the Chipotle sticky chicken, which was boneless fried chicken that came with some smoky chilli jam.
Despite it being a relatively short wait for the starters, I decided to take in the ambiance of the new interior.
It was very welcoming, classy, smart and the layout was perfect.
The tables were not too close together, there was plenty of room for customers and everyone was in high spirits.
I must also give a mention to my waiter, Sami, who was incredibly courteous throughout the night.
As the starters arrived, I opted to eat the fish dish first and it was incredibly light.
The crab crème fraiche complimented the king prawns and salmon very well, and this was eaten in little to no time.
Moving onto the sticky chicken, if this was a buffet, I would have just helped myself to an ‘all you can eat supply’.
It was so juicy and the chilli jam was just to die for.
Highly recommended for a light snack.
Onto the mains, I decided to have the 7oz fillet steak (well done), with a side of salad, chips, peppercorn sauce, beef dripping sauce, a mushroom, and a tomato.
I also decided to order a garlic pizza bread.
The steak was filling, tender, and dripped with juices, and if I had to choose the one sauce to go with the meat, I would opt for the peppercorn sauce as I felt the steak tasted a lot more dominant with it.
Finally, dessert.
I actually couldn’t eat my treat at the Bell due to how full up I was on the starters, main, and sides, so I decided to take my dessert, which was the home-baked chocolate brownie, home with me.
It was eaten a day later and even though it was cold as it had been in the fridge, it certainly hit the spot.
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Oozing with chocolate sauce, sprinkled in white powder, it was very rich in flavour and very light.
Overall, it was a positive experience being back at the Bell in just over 10-and-a-half years, and for those who have not yet tried this hidden gem, it should certainly be on your list.
5/5 stars.
Starters
Smoked salmon & king prawns: £7.50
Chipotle sticky chicken: £7.25
Mains
7oz Fillet Steak: £25.95
Sides
Garlic pizza bread: £6.95
Desserts
Home-baked chocolate brownie: £6.95
For more information, visit www.thebellastonclinton.co.uk/menus.
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