Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Fleet Street, EC4

A fairly traditional looking pub located down a narrow alleyway just off of Fleet Street, this is quite easy to miss even if you’re deliberately looking for it as we were, although there is an illuminated pub sign on the main road. Once inside however, it is a veritable Tardis of a pub extending back some way with a much larger room at the rear and the same floor area again down in the basement. The small room on the right at the front is certainly the cosiest, with a real fire that you could smell as soon as you walked in. This has black wood panelling on the walls and a number of oil painting portraits hung on the walls. To the left was a room designated as the Chop Room which looked quite elegant, but I think may have been reserved for dining. The pub then opens out considerably at the rear although loses some of it’s character in the process with grey and blue paintwork on the much of the walls and flag stone flooring. Down a narrow and winding staircase is something of a rabbit warren with another large room at the rear but other smaller rooms and even brick lined vaulted corridors with just a few tables on each side. The main let down though was the beer choice. Being a Sam Smith’s pub, the only available beer was their Old Brewery Bitter. This didn’t go down well with my companions, and both the Taddy Lager and Reserve Cider was also pronounced very poor. This is a real shame as it’s a great pub, but the poor drinks selection really makes me hesitate to recommend it unless it’s just a case off sticking your head in the door and trying to get a half down because other than that it really is a fascinating pub.

Must visit place for anyone with an interest in pub history. I would recommend a visit on a Winter's evening, when the coal fires pump out heat and light the dark wooded interior with an Orange Glow. If you can get into the restaurant on the left, you are lucky and in for a treat of classic english food. Bar to the right is tiny but full of interest. Cavernous downstairs cellar bar, at least has space. Only negative is a big one. Sam Smith's beer is all that is on offer. And some nice looking Pork Pies.

Cant add to Johns extensive review below but agree it is a pub you should see ,an impressive and historic interior, the beer doesn't impress for me though however cheap it is , I find Sam Smiths OBB rather ordinary. I have been here a couple of times but that's about it for me, an enhanced beer selection would make it a more attractive proposition for me despite the tourist aspect, for the building its an 8/10 but for beer 4/10 so I'll settle on overall a 6.

It was good to visit here in winter as all the coal fires were lit. The main entrance was a bit smoky when we entered the pub, which added some historical atmosphere, so too was the dim lighting. I noticed there was a large cheese board in the dining room, with some stilton, brie and Shropshire blue, I didn't see any old Cheshire cheese though, quite disappointing.

This historic old Sam Smith’s pub has been nicely preserved and retains a real sense of times gone by as you sit and drink in one of the many dimly lit rooms available. The entrance to the pub is reached via a short alleyway from Fleet Street and is signposted by an excellent lamp pub sign. The sawdust covered corridor leads to a number of different rooms, all of which are worth exploring. The front bar, immediately to your right on entry, is perhaps the most striking room of all and certainly worth spending a bit of time in to soak up the atmosphere and think about all those who drank in here before you. Opposite is the Chop Room, which on my recent visit was well lit and set up for diners, which I’d not remembered it being used for in the past. Following the winding corridor, you pass another room to the left which has some great old photos in it documenting various events in the pub’s history. At the end of the corridor is a newer room with a larger bar and I was surprised to find this place very busy compared to other rooms, given the fact that it’s got a lot less character than the rest of the building. A sign next to the staircase explained that there are two restaurants and a private dining room upstairs, whilst anyone able to squeeze down the low ceilinged staircase leading to the basement, will discover a whole maze of rooms to further explore. The alleyway outside used to be a decent spot for summer drinks but signs now suggest that this is no longer permitted. Boards outside show old pub menus and a list of monarchs who have been on the throne since the pub first opened. Perhaps the biggest disappointment is that this well preserved interior comes courtesy of Sam Smith’s and therefore it is their limited range of drinks that faces you at the bar. The Old Brewery Bitter is mercifully from the cask and clocks in at £2.90 for a pint. The barman seemed personable enough and was happy to top up my pint, but only when prompted. The pub is well worth a visit for all of its literary and historical connections and its location means that it is also a bit of a hit with tourists, but thankfully the sheer size of the place means that it rarely gets overcrowded and you should be able to enjoy a good wander around to do the place justice.