THE PUB & RESTAURANT
The Bell Inn is a beautiful country inn located in a peaceful countryside village setting.
Call us to book your rooms directly for the best rate.
Visiting us
We have ample on-site free parking and an outside patio area with children’s playground and sandpit. We are also proud to be able to offer a dog friendly bar area and accommodation, so feel free to bring your four-legged friends along. We have a handy new dog cleaning station to clean those muddy paws when you return from your countryside walk and some treats to keep them entertained whilst you enjoy a well-deserved drink by the open fire. We are situated in the picturesque village of Rickinghall which is but a minute's drive off the A143 between Bury St. Edmunds and Diss.
We aim to source all of our ingredients from local suppliers and support local and independent business as best we can. Call us for more information or to book a table on 01379 898 445. We strongly recommend booking if you are looking to eat with us to avoid any disappointment.
What Makes Us Special
We have 8 newly refurbished ensuite rooms, making our historic inn one of the most visually pleasing country pubs with accommodation in Norfolk. You’ll love what we have done with our rooms, whether you are a returning guest or staying with us for the very first time.
You will find a cosy bar area and a la carte restaurant with snugs and an open fire during winter, along with a bar snug and games machines. If you are planning a special occasion, then you will be pleased to know that we also have a function room that is perfect for private dining, parties, buffets and business meetings. With something for everyone, it’s easy to see why ours is one of the top country pubs Norfolk has.
The Bell Inn and its team have been shortlisted in the Velvet magazines ‘Pub of the year’ awards 2023 with the final taking place at the End of June, so watch this space.
Nominated for Norfolk Food and Drink awards 2023 - Chef of the Year and Pub of the Year
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We popped in for lunch on a busy Saturday. We had a great friendly welcome and staff were attentive even when very busy and we hadn't booked. We enjoyed olives... read more and then fish and chips and a burger. There was a wait but staff had informed us right from the start. It's a lovely pub with great attention to detail such as having blankets for outside tables. We really enjoyed our food and the friendly service . Thank you we will be back 
Rachael Anne H
10th April 2022 Great evening meal with friends - I spent the evening with three old school friends. The room was comfortable and quiet. The service and food was excellent. We then went downstairs and enjoyed a 'nightcap' before... read more we went to our room. 
Max R
5th December 2022 Delicious Friday night dinner - Gem of a pub - delicious menu and all the courses were tasty , generous and well cooked. It is outstanding value for the quality of food on offer and... read more the friendly staff made the whole meal a delight. Will def be back. 
Rachel H
20th November 2022 - Evening meal at the bell - I was treated to a gift voucher at the bell inn and decided to have an evening meal with my wife. Started off with some rustic bread oils and olives... read more very simple but absolutely lovely. My wife then had haddock chips and peas and the fish was huge and beautifully white and tasty. I had venison accompanied with a beautiful mash some veg and a jus. It was fantastically cooked absolutely lovely meal.
sbidd67
9th January 2023 Fantastic food, service and very family friendly - We visited the Bell for a friend's pre Christmas lunch. Between us we had 3 toddlers and 2 babies. The team could not have been more accommodating, making us feel... read more very relaxed (which isn't alway easy when you are trying to keep little ones occupied!).
The food was delicious, seasonal menu and a great selection. I had the pheasant followed by crème brulé and a cheeky glass of house red.
We will be back again in the New Year. 
hzmitchell88
28th December 2022 Excellent Christmas Meal - We are a village book group who use The Bell as our meeting place, and we like to have a Christmas meal together every year. The pub is always warm... read more and inviting, with a fire roaring and friendly staff. The food was excellent, compliments particularly forthcoming for the sea bream and veg wellington. The food was beautifully presented and service was prompt. We feel lucky to have such a fabulous local pub and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. LouLou362
15th December 2022 - We had planned for a meal on the Broads but the beautiful unexpected weather had meant many riverside restaurants were fully booked. So we headed back to the area we... read more had rented a cottage and tried the Bell Inn which I had passed by the previous day (going to the co op!) Very welcoming lady took the booking on the phone and we arrived within the hour. We were a bit early so sat on a table outside for a drink first. Before we could even decide if we needed to order inside at the bar, a friendly chap appeared at the table ready to take our order straight away! Well the food was delicious - butternut squash soup a must! But we wanted to compliment the 3 servers (two chaps and one lady who we assumed was the manageress). Not only were they serving inside and out, taking drinks and food to tables they were also checking in guests to the hotel rooms at the pub. A very well run establishment - friendly helpful staff and tasty food served to a high quality to boot.
Michelle H
24th September 2021 Fabulous lunch with friends at the Bell. Excellent friendly service in a clean covid-safe environment. Plenty of choice on the menu and the food was all superb. Delicious mains and... read more desserts. We will be returning very soon and would thoroughly recommend. 
mikeyc987
26th May 2021 Mr and Mrs Harniman-coote - We loved the atmosphere and staff were really friendly they made our boxer dog feel so comfortable. The food was fantastic they had a new menu on for the Friday... read more night and it was amazing. The breakfast was lovely and happy hour on Friday always going to be a hit... all the locals were really friendly even with the rugby on. Will definitely be coming back very soon 
Harniman
6th February 2023