The Belle & Lion - JD Wetherspoon — Restaurant in Borough of Swale

Since writing this review Wetherspoons have replaced the seat swabs (at vast expense and risk of financial embarrassment of three thousand pounds, so I am told) and the pub now looks a lot better. It's still the great place to be and the food and staff and still just as good. I stand by what I have written below so please read on: Most people on Sheppey seem to have the proverbial chip on their shoulder, and sure enough this Wetherspoon pub is confirmation of this effect! The staff in the pub are amazing, the food is really good value. The beer prices are so low how can anyone want to drink in other pubs? No, where the chip comes is in the the bad state of the premises. How can such a comparitely new pub look so run down? It is a disgrace that the fabric of the pub let's it staff down so badly. Was it, like so many things on Sheppey, 'done on the cheap'? Yet again 'Sheppey' has been 'let down' by this pub chain. Go anywhere else and you find beautifjul historic buildings, sympathetically converted into comfortable Wetherspoon eateries. Look at Sittingbourne, Whitstable or Maidstone. If you are ever in Tunbridge Wells you must, yes, must and that's an order, go to The Opera House. There you can experience for yourself just how good a Wetherspoons pub can be. The Opera House is spectacular. As for Sheerness we have Brittain and Hobbs old elongated shop and sheds converted into an unfortunate pub. Our poor pub building is surely the worst premise in the chain. (Yes, we all know familiarity breeds content but look at the state of the seats in the booths!) To reiterate: the staff, food, drinks and value for money are all to Wetherspoons high standards, but the building was not suitable for conversion to a pub. There are so many older buildings that Wetherspoons could have bought and turned into the cherished sanctuary that so many of their pubs have become. Why did they not buy the old Water Tower in Trinity Road, or the old working men's club or even the old library building? No, they bought Brittain and Hobbs! Much as we all loved poor old Ron Brittain's shop, bought our TVs there, and got help from his staff like that nice engineer whose name I think was Peter West (don't quote me) and the others whose names' also escape me. Wetherspoons have done a reasonably good job at the Belle and Lion, but they could have done so much better. Still they are lucky to have such good staff. THEY are up to Wetherspoons standards AND they are CREDIT to the company. Well done. Also, let's not forget some of their customers are pretty special people too, aren't you Ruth. Ps. Thanks for a...

This is a typical JD Wetherspoon pub with lots of space and food, as well as drinks which are considerably cheaper than most pubs. The staff and punters are friendly and polite, the decor is ok, and the toilets are of high standards, even quite stylish! We had a rump steak, which was good value and well presented. The meal deal means you get a very cheap drink with it. And the menu was quite extensive for this sort of place. Don't expect cordon bleu food, but it was certainly tasty and pretty good value for a sit down meal in a nice location. The 2018 football World Cup was on when we visited and there was a great atmosphere, and you can comfortably engage in the sports or go to a different area and do your own thing. The smoking area has stylish seats made out of old...

Don't be put off too much with first impressions, as we pulled up outside I wasn't to keen to go in, but we did and was pleasantly surprised. Parking on the High Street just outside. Ladies and gents toilets were upstairs, but they do have a disabled toilet downstairs on the ground floor bar and eating area. Very, very long building many tables and chairs. Food came very quickly I thought. My wife shared with my daughter 10 British Chicken Wings and 2 Dips and a 7up, I had Creamy Mushroom Risotto and a refill coffee. My friend had a Sweet Potato, Chickpea and Spinach Curry with Nann Bread and Poppadoms and a Shandy drink, the food was off their massive VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN MENU. His wife had a Roasted vegetables and a Lemonade. Which came to a total of £27.17p...