The Old Bell Tavern

Photos and First Impressions

Streetside View

Seating Near the Front Window

The Bar

A Cozy Nook...and Inexplicable Lighting

Chronicling from the Barstool

 

Like much of central London, the Old Bell was built shortly after the Great Fire. And, like many of the iconic structures of the city, Christopher Wren designed it. As the story goes, his stone masons hard at work on rebuilding neighboring St. Bride’s Church needed a place to drink, and by George, Wren came through. It was a popular hangout for the masons constructing nearby St. Paul’s Cathedral as well.

 

Shortly thereafter, the pub became a common haunt for printers and journalists given its location on Fleet Street, a name synonymous with the British Press. Among the more notable outlets operating along Fleets Street were the Daily Courant (1702), the Morning Chronicle (1762), The Times (1785), The Daily Telegraph (1855), and the Evening Standard (1860).

 

The masons are long gone, and by the late 1980s, the major papers had closed or relocated, but the Old Bell still remains—along with several other bars, restaurants, and shops that line busy Fleet Street. Its most notable feature from the outside is its ornate, stained glass window, reading “Ye Olde Bell Tavern.” I’m not sure if this was the original moniker, but it certainly aligns with names of other area pubs built in the same era.

 

Once inside, I was surprised by the size of the place. It’s much bigger than what I expected, with two separate seating areas along the front, a large space in the rear, and tables along the east wall. The bar sits along the west wall, its half-circle shape and open design offering plenty of access during busier hours.

 

While I like the Old Bell, some of the décor choices perplex me. The dark wood bar, the paneling, and the elaborate ceiling work give the feel of an old, weathered pub. But then out of nowhere you see huge portions of the interior lined with white Christmas lights, almost like a pre-teen girl lazily tried to add some pizazz. These and other style clashes just make it hard to get a read on exactly what the pub is trying to be and who it's trying to cater to. These details may seem small, but it just feels as though the place is betraying its root a bit, and it pulled me out of the experience. Be a pub, not a club, and you’ll be just fine, ol’ girl!

 

Also in the pub’s founding year of 1678…

• Charles II rules Britain.
• Roman Catholics banned from English Parliament.
• John Bunyan publishes Pilgrim’s Progress.
• Treaties of Nijmegen end the Franco-Dutch War.
• Earning a Ph.D. from the University of Padua, Elena Cornaro Piscopia becomes the first woman awarded a doctoral degree.

On Draught

 

Wainwright Golden Ale

Daniel Thwaites

4.1% ABV

 

Nope. Just, no. Bland and flat, this brew is boring with no discernable flavor. It’s basically viscous, spiked water.