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Beer of the Week (w/e 15th June 2025) with Tris39
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Old Bell, EC4
EC4
EC4Y 1DH
Pub Type
Nicholsons (Mitchells & Butlers)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Steve of N21 left this review about The Old Bell
As mentioned below this is one of the smaller of the Nicholsons chain of city pubs. The main front entrance is on Fleet Street and there is a rear entrance off St Brides Avenue behind. I was coming from the nearby Crown and Sugar Loaf so entered via the back entrance and was initially discombobulated to find four hand pumps but all clipped with ciders. Fortunately a trip to the much more interesting front section of the pub found the four pumps there clipped with four ales. Alongside the usual St Austell brew badged as Nicholson’s Pale ale was Brew York Calmer Chameleon Pale and two Timothy Taylor Landlords, both the regular and dark versions. So not the most extensive of choices, which is sadly the case in most Nicholson’s I experience post pandemic, but at least the dark version of Landlord was spot on. The front bar space is definitely the better of the two spaces, especially with the excellent stained glass windows looking out to Fleet Street.
On 14th May 2025
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2245 recommendations about 2105 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Old Bell
One of the smaller Nicholsons, with a side seating area inside the front door to the right of the feature front window then up a step to a compact 'U'-shaped bar. Traditional dark wood interior - not many seats, mostly space for vertical drinking by the Fleet Street office workers during the busy periods. Nicholson's Pale Ale, Landlord, Dark Star Red Dwarf and the Burrow's Blonde 10p-per-pint charity fundraiser from Black Sheep (£6.10) from the four handpumps on the main counter and a pair of ciders from the other bank of four in the back part.
On 28th March 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8733 recommendations about 8733 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Delboy 20 left this review about The Old Bell
Another on the list of London's oldest pubs and worth a visit for that alone. Quite small for a Nicholson's pub with 4 beers on when I called.
The name of the beer I had escapes me but it was in good nick!
On 19th June 2023
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1838 recommendations about 1709 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Old Bell
Nicholson’s pub with quite a dark interior and a central bar. As stated below the nicer features are at the front.
On 9th October 2019
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2945 recommendations about 2878 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Old Bell
The second stop on my brief tour of ancient Fleet Street pubs, the Old Bell has a lovely front window featuring the pub's name and a very nice entrance porch leading through a small seating area to the bar, an almost complete oval that separates the front and rear parts of the pub. There are four hand pumps on the bar facing upon entry, with the same number (and the same beers) repeated on the rear-facing part of the bar opposite. I went for the interestingly named Never Mind the Kent Hops from London Brewing Company (another Sex Pistols reference, perhaps, after Friggin in the riggin at the previous pub), which was a well flavoured strong bitter at 5.5%; the other offering was Firebird Parody, a session IPA. I enjoyed my half, which cost £2.35, and wished I'd had time for a pint before my train to Luton.
This is a Nicholsons pub, easily the smallest of theirs I've been in, and certainly very low key, with just one person serving and one cooking at the time of my visit, just after 5pm on a Tuesday. As with the Tipperary, this is one I'm glad to have been to though I'm not sure I'd be in any hurry to return. Especially if they're still playing that CD of 1980 hits.
On 30th January 2019
- rating: 6
[User has posted 4349 recommendations about 3997 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Old Bell
A Nicholson's house,the entrance leads to a flagstoned front snug with a few tables beneath a good stained glass front bay window.Tables here can be reserved and all were on my visit but nobody had arrived leaving it void. Up a step leads to a wooden floored bar with lots of wood panelling , traditional features and furniture.The servery has two sides and the rear room contains an unused fireplace and more wooden features ,pleasing etched glass and doors to a rear passage where you can drink and this acts as a natural overflow given the modest size of the interior.There are two sets of four handpumps offering the same ales namely Doom Bar,Fullers Off Piste,Camerons A-Hop-Alypse Now and Firebird Parody (inoffensive),while the food offering was standard chain fare.
Worth a look if passing to inspect this old building,but a mundane ale selection would mean that I wouldn't base myself here all evening.
On 26th January 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2971 recommendations about 2971 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Old Bell
A small pub with front and rear entrance, one emerging out onto St. Bride's Church, the steeple of which was the inspiration for tiered wedding cakes the world over.
The pub was built by Christopher Wren to cater for his workers who were construction his aforementioned church and boasts a relatively simple interior with part flagstone floor and central bar dispensing the usual Nicholson's beverages and to their consistent standard.
A must-visit if crawling along Fleet Street.
On 31st August 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2243 recommendations about 2200 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Old Bell
Standard Nicholsons, its larger than it looks from the outside. Lots of dark wood, including the panelling around the central bar. Good staff.
On 21st November 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1556 recommendations about 1533 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about The Old Bell Tavern
Near the bottom end of Fleet Street is The Old Bell, a traditional old inn that dates back to 1670 and was built for builders working on St Brides Church opposite, which had been damaged a few years previously in The Great Fire of London.
It’s a low ceilinged interior with a frontage that has fine leaded coloured windows bearing the inscription “Ye Olde Bell Tavern Wines and Spirits”. The front part of the pub has stone flagged floors and leads through to a larger bare boarded area where the central bar servery is situated. There’s a separate entrance to the pub at the rear accessed through a narrow alleyway off St Brides Lane.
The Old Bell is a Nicholsons pub with the traditional style interior that we have come to expect – much shiny woodwork and a mixture of comfortable banquette seating and wooden tables and chairs.
Pleasingly, unlike a number of other Nicholsons pubs, there’s no dedicated area set aside for diners, with drinkers dominating, even on my recent visit in the middle of the lunchtime period.
There’s 2 banks of 4 pumps which were offering, amongst others, Orkney Dark Island, Liberation Rouge, Adnams Explorer, Doom Bar and Frosted Jack from Dorset Brewing Co. The Orkney Dark Island, at a very reasonable £ 3.45p, was in excellent form.
Not an outstanding pub at all, but it’s one to include in any crawl of Fleet Street pubs.
On 28th February 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Old Bell Tavern
A decent pub this one and well worth a visit to soak up its 300 year history. Even on a dull January afternoon the light illuminating the stained glass frontage is a sight to marvel at. There was eight ales to choose from and the majority of the hand pumps were busy on our visit. I went for the Vale Brewery Longitude, which was good and so was the price.
On 8th January 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3684 recommendations about 3684 pubs]