The Bell Inn, Chichester

The Bell Inn Closes in the afternoon, reopening at 17:00, so I had to wait outside for a few minutes for the doors to open on a recent Saturday afternoon, which they did promptly. The red carpeted left-hand side of the pub has open plan seating that is separated from the bar area to the right by a large exposed brick chimney that houses a burner. There’s lots of exposed brick and wooden beams throughout that sit well with the horse brasses, you get the picture. In the bar area banquettes run up the right-hand wall and the serving counter supports premium keg alongside hand pumps that were drawing Only with Love’s Beta, Crafty Brewing’s Midnight Rambler and Goldmark’s Black Pearl. The service was polite and the only other customer engaged me in conversation about the theatre memorabilia on the walls from the theatre over the way. Apparently, this pub is a favourite haunt of the production casts and theatre goers alike. I thought this place was decent and worth the walk to the north of town.

Official site of The Bell Inn - www.thebellinnchichester.com

Official site of The Bell Inn - www.thebellinnchichester.com

The last one of the 4 pubs in one afternoon, we arrived here just 30 minutes before it closed for the afternoon (2pm to 5pm). Apart from the barman there was only 1 other person in when we arrived and she promptly left, must have been something my travelling companions said! 3 ales on, my pint of Loddon Hullabaloo @ 4.2% was well kept. The Bell is a nice homely feeling pub. There is a fire to keep the cold off, plenty of comfy chairs and books and magazines provided as reading material. To the left of the bar is a raised dining area. As the pub was closing we only had time for a quick pint but if I visit Chichester again I will put this one on the must return to list.

The Bell Inn is a comfortable city local situated just the wrong side of the Chichester ring road, but dead opposite the Chichester Festival Theatre. It therefore tends to be busy pre and post theatre times and is therefore best visited between 7.30 and 10.00PM in the evening if you are looking for a quiet drink. As others have mentioned it has a good traditional pub ambience with exposed brickwork, wood panelling and exposed wood beams. And a nice rear suntrap garden has a covered smoking area heated by a coal stove in winter. The local CAMRA guide has this one as being part of Enterprise Inns and having to take two of its beers from the Enterprise list, so to walk in and find 3 Pumps with Oakleaf Quercus Folium, Ringwood Best Bitter and Wickwar Bob on the go was a pleasant surprise. And it got even better when I discovered that, to take advantage of the Cheltenham food festival taking place opposite on the Oakwood Park open space, the pub was running a mini beer festival taking place out in the garden patio area and additional 4 or 5 polypins from regional micros were on the go. There is an extensive food menu chalked up on the blackboard and the place was heaving on the lunchtime of my visit. This may have been due to the festival, but I got the impression this was a popular well run pub anyway. I would have liked to have had the chance to revisit this one to experience it when it wasn’t so rammed

A short walk out of the city centre is the Bell, with a freshly painted mint green exterior and a charming, relatively unspoilt interior which has exposed brickwork, brasses, dark wood cladding and a pretty bar area with an attractive wood bar surround which appears to be a good many years old. It closes in the afternoons and we were lucky enough to make it there just before lock-up. Three ales on; Black Sheep (not in great shape especially at £3.40pp!), Hammerpot and 6X; a fairly bland selection but the mounted clips elsewhere suggest better beers come on. Inaccessible dart board (seemingly a feature throughout Chichester). The collections of mounted cigarette cards were a good way to spend 10 minutes. The place is worth a visit for its ‘pubness’ and it’ll have its fans but I think it’s coasting rather than being the best pub in the city (which it could be).