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Detail Pages
The Bells, Staines Town, Staines Upon Thames
Staines Upon Thames
TW18 4ZB
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Bells
Having been a good dozen or so years since I was last in the Bells, I was attracted back by the fact that it is no longer a Young's pub. I remember it as a cosy backstreet local, with some character. On our recent Saturday evening visit, it didn't feel quite as cosy, feeling instead quite functional.
There is a bar area at the front, with an unused dining room to the side. Although people were eating in the bar. Seemed popular with women. In fact, I think there were more women in than men, which makes a pleasant change. Children are also made welcome.
On the ale front, the Young's beers have gone. Instead, there were Hogs Back TEA & Surrey Nirvana & Windsor & Eton Guardsman. Our Surrey Nirvana was in a decent condition, albeit a little on the cold side.
There's not a huge selection of good pubs in Staines, but this is certainly one of the better ones.
On 3rd October 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Bells
Random revisit for old time's sake. Still GBG listed but the beer and atmosphere really has gone to pot now, we dumped our two ales which were in poor shape (NBSS 1.5) and headed-off. A real shame, used to be so good.
December 2013
Really looked forward to revisiting my favourite Staines pub but came away feeling a bit deflated. The place has been pushed upmarket and the right hand room is now set for formal dining – no drinking. On a Saturday evening all the customers were squished into the bar room whilst the oh-so-posh dining area remained stubbornly customer-free (in contrast to the full-to-bursting place we’d just eaten). Usual degraded selection at the bar post-merger (Phil & Lesley nearly always had two leftfield choices), though at least Winter Warmer was on and came out in good shape. No seats so ended up standing and necking the drink rather than enjoying myself. It’s still a decent pub but one that feels somewhat emasculated from its previous high-water mark. I suppose I am now long enough in the tooth to be entering pub curmudgeon territory and this visit was my realisation. Rated 7
September 2006
A Youngs pub situated in a picturesque location (for Staines) 5 minutes from the town centre. The interior is light and airy with a friendly 'suburban' clientele, the ale always is in good condition (though expensive) and the toilets are clean, if quite tight. Two rooms, bar to left, informal dining to the right leading to a nice little beer garden. Small complaint is that some of the staff can be a bit Pokerface for my liking, get the feeling that the paying customer plays second fiddle to cleaning the brasswork at times unless they are a regular; if I am at a bar waving my fiver I expect to be served (or at least acknowledged) ASAP, not looked at as a distraction. This has only been a problem since Phil and Lesley retired. Great for a quiet hassle-free pint with your mates, if you can served. Closed between 3-5. Rated 8
On 5th March 2020
- rating: 5
[User has posted 5089 recommendations about 5072 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The Bells
A poshed-up backstreet Young's house, with a smallish lounge and a larger eating room. There is a large garden at the rear. The pub is florally decorated and nicely-kept. Sadly the beer is less so and required a couple of changes to get something halfway drinkable. Still has Original and Special on handpump, along with Tribute.
On 10th October 2019
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Bells
A nice looking pub that has unfortunately been over-gentrified by Youngs. The interior decor is rather plain in mostly white and other pale colours, with some framed black & white photos on the walls along with some Renoir prints on the walls, a mix of high and normal height seating throughout the opened out room. Four handpumps for ale with Youngs Ordinary and Special, backed up with St Austel Tribute and Sambrookes Pale pale Ale as guests.
A pleasant but ultimately unremarkable pub.
On 27th May 2018
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1872 recommendations about 1845 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Bells
Set slightly away from the town centre, in a pleasant area next to the church, this is a smart Youngs house with a rambling layout and a strong emphasis on dining. You enter through a corner door into an open space with the public bar to the left and a dining area running to the rear down the right hand side. The public bar has a compact servery along the rear wall and a neat row of tables and chairs opposite under the front windows. The area is quite pleasant and perfectly functional and most definitely offers the best spot for those just wanting to enjoy a few drinks. A TV screen on the end wall here remained turned off throughout the length of our visit. The restaurant area takes up the vast majority of the pub and runs to the rear before branching off into a couple of other rooms to the right. Lots of set tables fill all of these areas and make it pretty clear that the casual drinker isn’t really welcome back here. There is a second bar towards the rear which has one less handpull than the main bar to the front, so best to consult both before ordering. The main restaurant area is carpeted and has fairly conservative decor that treads the line between typical traditional and gastro pub identities. A nice old brick fireplace has been cleared out and filled with a glass display case full of Youngs products, which isn’t quite as dismal as it sounds. At the rear, the pub turns 90 degrees to the right, running through a fairly empty space before emerging into a bare boarded overspill room with dark beams and whitewashed walls which have sadly been adorned with bland IKEA style art prints and filled with standard tables and chairs. A dreadful soundtrack was playing throughout our visit and I also noticed a collection of board games stacked up near the main bar.
The bar had four beers on the go – Youngs Ordinary, Special and Winter Warmer plus regular guest ale St Austell Tribute. I gave the Winter Warmer a try and it was in excellent shape, even if the beer itself isn’t quite the great brew it once was. We stopped off for a Sunday roast here as well and the food was excellent, with generous portions and quality ingredients. The staff were all very pleasant and attentive, which added to the enjoyment of our visit.
I think I liked this place more because of the fact that we ate here and would imagine I would feel a little differently if we’d just stopped off for a drink instead. I found the food, beer and service all to be top-notch and whilst the Youngs ale range isn’t the most exciting, at least it is kept well. If you can avoid being shunted into the room at the far end of the pub, you should be able to enjoy a pleasant meal or drink in traditional surrounds and I would suggest this as one of the better options in the local area.
On 1st February 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Bells
An attractive pub in a pleasant setting near the church, the exterior has lots of well tended hanging baskets. Inside the pub is an elongated L, the longer side having all the tables set for formal dining although nobody was at around 3pm on Friday. The smaller front area is for the drinkers, patterned carpet, boarded near the bar, green panelled walls, a shelf of books, golfing trophies plus a case of porcelain Bells whisky bells. Some framed local scenes. I liked the long pictorial map of the River Thames near to the bar.
Food is clearly served, there were some upmarket specials listed on a board but I didn't see a menu although I heard a group of blokes ordering food.
A Young's house with Bitter, Special and St Austell Tribute shared across a couple of banks of pumps. Quite a nice and comfortable spot with a pleasant rear garden. A note below refers to afternoon closing but it was open all day on Friday, worth phoning to check.
On 11th July 2015
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Blue left this review about The Bells
A Youngs pub gone upmarket as Quinno says. My recent Sunday afternoon visit found it packed with diners, mainly adults in the main bar area and families with children in the second room to the right. Four hand pulls however offered Youngs Ordinary and Special, Tribute and Brains SA. My pint was okay, and service efficient if a tad perfunctory. Sunday roasts came in at £9.95, and a perusal of the menu found most main dishes in the £9.50-11 range, although I didn’t eat here. The pub had a well looked after, light feel to it and the patio garden to the rear must be quite pleasant in decent weather.
On 16th March 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 271 recommendations about 270 pubs]