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Beer of the Week (w/e 5th April 2026) with Mobyduck
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Bel & the Dragon, Maidenhead
Cookham
Postal town: Maidenhead
SL6 9SQ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Blackthorn _ left this review about Bel & the Dragon
An attractive looking black and white timbered pub at the top end of Cookham’s small High Street, parts of the building allegedly date from 1471 and it didn’t disappoint internally either.
As you enter you come in to a small vestibule, with a snug off to the left and the bulk of the pub extending rearwards to the right. The snug was certainly a cosy spot with plenty of old beams on the low ceiling (they were even lower in the loos where one had been padded to avoid hitting your head), polished wooden boards on the floor, a red Chesterfield leather sofa, comfy armchairs and salmon colour paintwork on the upper part of the walls with rough wood cladding down below. The room to the right was broadly similar in terms of style, although lacking many of the ceiling beams, but offered attractive leaded windows out to the front and a small brick fireplace. It’s obviously been extended at some point, with the rear part being a large, barn like room which looks to be mostly used for dining, with an open kitchen off to the left. It stills manages to blend in with the rest of the pub though, and I thought they’d done a pretty good job of it.
The food was a step or two up from your normal “pub grub” with most of the main courses being between about £20 and £30 and including options such as a cheeseburger, salmon linguine and pork belly. My sea bass schnitzel with brown shrimp, caper butter, mash & samphire was very good and most enjoyable.
Beers on tap were Marlow Rebellion IPA and London Pride, whilst the solitary cider was Cornish Orchards Golden. Overall, not the most pubby of pubs perhaps, and maybe the beer range could have been a bit more exciting, but certainly worth stopping in, especially if you want a bite to eat.
On 1st April 2026
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2113 recommendations about 2011 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about Bel & the Dragon
This very ancient pub comprises a front section of ye olde pub with brown beams, half timbering, especially nice cartoons, old photos, and piles of books on the window ledge. Only the two pulls, Rebellion on one Upham Fields of Gold on t'other, well conditioned and drinkable but rather thin and hazy. Ignore the fancy modern restaurant at the back and when quiet it's a nice place to drink being particularly ancient, just like your humble scribe.
On 12th June 2016
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3973 recommendations about 3635 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Bel & the Dragon
Essentially it’s a restaurant but allows drinking-only in a couple of the front areas and the large n' lovely rear garden. An attractive old exterior (note the leaded lattice windows). Pretty massive inside, must have been extended backwards a few times. Bar to the left and up a bit as you enter. There’s a bit of rustic history here with a couple of small bare-brick drinking areas (almost snugs) with some wood fittings at the front which are pleasant. Further back are the more modern restaurant extensions - which to be fair are quite nicely done and have a couple of smaller built-in private booths. This then leads to the aforementioned beer garden which is the main draw due to the grass and flora (also includes kids slide). Two ales, one from Chiltern that came out as pea soup – took this back and to be fair they whipped the clip off the pump; replaced by Rebellion IPA which was a decent drop. Selection of daily papers spotted. Fair enough overall, worth a look-in
On 7th August 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 6002 recommendations about 5982 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about Bel & The Dragon
The Bel & Dragon, like most other pubs in the surrounding Cookham area is really a restaurant hiding in a pub skin whose target clientele are the well heeled of the local Thames River Bucks area.
However, in saying that the front pub section that greets you when you enter from Cookham High Street is an extremely pleasant place for a drink, especially on a cold winters evening. There are three distinct seating areas all with an old style wooden decor (floor, walls and tables and chairs) in keeping with the age of the pub. The left hand area is a separate room with its own fireplace and the central two are each side of a main stone chimney with an open fireplace on each side. And then beyond this is the restaurant section which makes up 70% of the pub space.
The small bar area which serves the front seating area supports two hand pumps and usually these have been Fullers London Pride and GK IPA. However when I last visited in early March the pub had just had a change of ownership and only the IPA was on.
As mentioned, the pub majors on the food service, and on the few times I’ve eaten here previously it’s been very good bordering on excellent. However, if you do intend to eat here it is advisory to be on expenses, a local resident who can afford to live within sniffing distance of the river, or have won the lottery.
On 3rd April 2010
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2340 recommendations about 2186 pubs]