Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

Photos and First Impressions

Streetside

Outside the Pub Proper

The Bar

Main Floor

Cellar

Chronicling from the Barstool

 

This place is less a pub and more a time machine. The signage proudly boasts “Rebuilt in 1667.” Yes. Rebuilt. Like so many other wooden structures, the original from 1538 fell victim to the Great Fire, but the owners were up and running a year later, determined as they were. The current building dates to that time, and it shows.

 

Like many of the older pubs in bustling central London, this one sits a decent ways back from the street, so the facade betrays the age of the building proper. Though they have electricity, the whole of the place is dimly lit, as if by candlelight. The upstairs boasts the fancier, dark wood wainscoting to accent the white wall, but that’s pretty much all the flair you get. The bench seats look more like church pews, and the wall décor is minimal.

 

Fireplaces adorn both the main floor and the basement, the latter of which appears slightly more ornate given the white, stone walls. The visible, worn rafters of this cellar space are low. I didn’t have to duck, but damn near. Conversation is all that punctuates an otherwise eerie quiet, much how I would have imagined it in the late 17th century. Even taking the photos for this post felt anachronistic—even sacrilegious—in such a place.

 

If you’re looking for the feel of an ancient pub, this place pretty much nails it. Plus, it wins the title for best-named pub running away. Still, I’m a bit sad I didn’t visit during peak hours, as I imagine that vibe would have added greatly to the experience. Perhaps a return visit is in order…

 

Also in the pub’s founding year of 1538…

• Henry VIII rules England, between wives three and four.
• Pope Paul II excommunicates Henry VIII.
• Geneva expels John Calvin and his followers.
• Truce of Nice ends the Italian War of 1536-1538, between France and the Holy Roman Empire.
• Jiménez de Quesada founds Bogotá, Colombia.

On Draught

 

Extra Stout

Samuel Smith’s

4.5% ABV

I finally found a Sam Smith brew I like! This is exactly as a proper stout should be: dark, thick, and full-bodied, with a hint of coffee and oaky flavors.