Bear Inn Bisley — Restaurant in Stroud

The pub is great, gorgeous and quaint. But the food left much more to be desired, as did the staff. We chose to try The Bear Inn as it is close to where we live and we had a Groupon voucher - two-course Sunday roast with a drink for two. When we arrived we were told that we could only have house wine or a spirit which was odd given that the voucher had said we could have a draught beer. I couldn't open up the fine print of the deal on my phone (there is no reception at The Bear Inn) so couldn't argue the point but looking back now it clearly says 'Each guest can also enjoy a choice of drink such as a glass of house wine, soft drink by tap or draught beer'. Rather disappointing that the staff don't actually know what's on offer. While our order took far too long to be taken they did come out quickly and were served on hot plates which is always nice. We waited again for our dessert menu to be taken and when it came out (again, quickly which was great) we weren't give any cutlery (not so great) and had to hunt around the pub for a staff member to get us some. All round it was a pretty poor experience. The pub is lovely and we would go again for drinks but definitely not a meal and we now at least know what to expect...

This is a lovely olde worlde pub in a beautiful Cotswold village. We generally visit for Sunday lunch and although it is quite small and a bit of a hotspot for locals, everyone makes you feel really welcome. In fact it feels almost as if you are a local when you visit, which is brilliant because as much as we'd love to live there, one of the lovely chocolate box cottages that characterise the village would cost a kings ransom, and I haven't got that going spare! The food is second to none in my opinion and this is reflected in the fact that booking is absolutely essential; this is not somewhere you can take a chance on turning up to find a table going begging. Only downside is the gents loo which is in a separate building just a short way from the pub itself. I grew up with such arrangements being of some age and being raised in a small country town, but for those used to greater luxury you might be in for a shock. A highlight for beer lovers is Bombardier ale on draught, and cider lovers can find a great range too and they even do mulled cider! If red wine is your tipple I can recommend the Malbec, but avoid the house red, I wouldn't clean my toilet with it. All in all I cannot recommend it more highly; it's a...

This lovely little pub has so much promise from the outside. Once our food arrived it looked unappealing and tasted terrible. The burger was mushy and raw, not a little pink but as if the chef had got the mince out the fridge and browned it for a moment or two. The chips were odd, they looked cooked but felt hard and old. Once we had ‘finished’ I had to go searching for someone so that we could pay and leave to never return again! Such a shame for a nice location.

** In response to the owners comments, I can assure you this is the correct pub. You go through the front door and turn left to the bar. We sat at a table for two next to a window with a blue Gin bottle with some lights in it and a Dachshund lamp on the window sill with lead windows. Opposite the front door are some stairs. To the right of these stairs is I believe a room which leads to the kitchen. Outside you have a beer garden with a little gate and some trellis closest to the road. Also opposite the pub on the other side of the road is parking… Please do correct me...