Bel & the Dragon, Maidenhead

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.

Official site of Bel & The Dragon in Cookham, contains menu and wine list - www.belandthedragon-cookham.co.uk

Official site of Bel & The Dragon in Cookham, contains menu and wine list - www.belandthedragon-cookham.co.uk

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.