Right in the heart of Hampshire’s watercress & steam-railway capital, The Bell attracts visitors as well as loyal regulars. This sympathetically restored, Grade II-listed free house retains its cosy, traditional bar alongside a more pared-back, voguish dining area where floorboards, scrubbed-wood tables & pastel shades give a touch of modernity to the period charm. Local ingredients drive the kitchen’s output, & watercress always finds a place – perhaps combined with spinach in a twice-baked soufflé. Elsewhere, pan-seared scallops with black pudding, bubble & squeak & sauce vierge might share the billing with more familiar staples such as steak, Guinness & mushroom pie. A weekday two-course lunch/early-evening deal offers extra value.