Liberty Bell, Romford

This is a Beefeater, so is really a restaurant that has a smaller area for those just wanting a drink, or perhaps are waiting for a table in the dining area. Like many restaurant/bars of this type it's attached to a Premier Inn, from where it gets much of its custom I would guess. In the drinking area there is a mix of tall tables/tall stools and normal tables and chairs, looking out of the windows to the busy roundabout outside. It's got the look of a hotel lounge, which in effect is what it is. There were several handpumps on the counter, but only one was clipped, for Doom Bar of course. When I ordered my half of Doom Bar the barman when to the far end of the counter where I saw him screwing a sparkler onto the tap. I asked him to take it off but he clearly didn't understand me as he started to pull my beer. I hurried down to that end of the bar and once again asked him to remove it, and he seemed surprised that anyone should make such a strange request. But to his credit he poured away the half glass of froth that he had pulled, and drew a pretty decent (for Doom Bar) half of beer. This is clearly not the place for the discerning drinker or pub enthusiast. But it is a pub of sorts, so I'm glad it's here for those staying in the Premier Inn who want a Beefeater meal and don't want to be bothered with walking into the centre of Romford.

We visited the Liberty Bell when it reopened after a refurbishment and conversion to a Beefeater from Table Table. The layout is still broadly the same, but the restaurant area has had the separated areas removed, which makes it look a canteen. It also makes it noisier. The redecoration consists if sawn wood, (probably to give a ranch feel,) and the ubiquitous grey/green eggshell paint. One area that remains the same are the toilets, which should have received some attention, as it is common for of the four to be out of order. When you enter the bar ahead of you has one real ale hand pump instead of the three that used to be there. There are still three, but two of them have been craftily placed on the other side of the pillar on route to the toilets. Probably so they can push the most profitable beer. The price list is also there. To pay for the refurbishment, the prices have risen. London Pride used to be £3.55, it is now £3.75. Doom bar would be £3.60, but it was not available. It is still not a bad place to be, and certainly better than the offerings in the town centre, but the prices cannot be justified.

The Liberty Bell is a bar and restaurant that is part of a Premier Inn hotel and operates under the Table Table banner. Once inside the bar faces in a single curved room,the floor is carpeted,the seating is normal tables and chairs,there was a TV to the left showing tennis from Wimbledon,the right side of the room seems to be more of a dining area. There were three real ales on the bar,i had a drink of St Austell Tribute which was a decent drink,the other beers were London Pride and Doom Bar. This is a pleasant enough bar to have a drink in if you are staying in the hotel and dont want to walk under or over the busy ringroad. Pub visited 30/6/2016

Liberty Bell page at the Table Table site - www.tabletable.co.uk

Liberty Bell page at the Table Table site - www.tabletable.co.uk