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The Bell Hotel (JD Wetherspoon), Norwich
Norwich
NR1 3QB
Pub Type
J D WetherspoonReviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Old Boots left this review about The Bell Hotel (JD Wetherspoon)
A seemingly very small ‘spoons, about the size of an average pub. 5 pulls, 4 T-bars including 1 for wine. Lots of wood panelling and laminate flooring, there is a small piece of carpet surrounding a central island. This also houses the machines. Decorated with old photos of the city. Toilets to the left of the counter and not a full blown expedition away. There’s an almost entirely separate pub upstairs as well, a much larger area and split into a number of spaces. It has similar beers and tap layout to downstairs. Furnished with mostly high tables and stools in front and tables and chairs in the tucked away room at the side and in the seating well by the main door. Finding the toilets is a puzzle. It’s decorated with the more usual old photos and local history info boards. The front ground floor of the old hotel building is occupied by a Santander bank.
On 21st April 2024
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3269 recommendations about 2978 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Bell Hotel (JD Wetherspoon)
The Bell is a sprawling split-level Wetherspoons with street-level seating at the entrance that is looked over by, what I would assume to be, a life sized statue of Quasimodo holding a rope that disappears into the ceiling. Adjacent are some steps that lead up to the bar area where a serving counter runs along the rear wall facing high tables and standing room. Up the right-hand side of the counter access can be gained to the toilets and a large sunken seating area to the right that was being used mainly by diners. The JDW food menu is in operation and there was a steady stream of waitresses back and forth from the kitchen hatch on the front wall opposite the bar counter. Amongst the standard and premium keg are two banks of six hand pumps that were drawing GK Abbot Ale, Ruddles, Sharp’s Doom Bar, Green Jack Brewery’s Lurcher Stout, Saltaire’s Cascade, Arkell’s Kingsdown, JW Lees Gold, Adnams Ghost Ship and Wolf Brewery’s St George’s Ale. The service was polite, and I thought this was the better of the Spoons in the city.
On 23rd April 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5251 recommendations about 5219 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The Bell Hotel (JD Wetherspoon)
A large and very rambling Spoons, built on the side of a hill so on two levels with their own entrances. Downstairs is a stereotypical Spoons morning drinkers' bar, while upstairs feels a bit more salubrious and has lots of side areas branching off so it is not difficult to find a quite corner away from the throng. Quite a good beer selection too, with local ales from Wolf and Green Jack (does Adnams count?) and others from Saltaire, Arkells and Lees as well as the usual. Quite acceptable.
On 16th April 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Bell Hotel (JD Wetherspoon)
A nice upmarket Spoons, though it appears on reading further reviews I only saw the half of it and it seems I entered via the quieter ‘upstairs’ area. Anyway, was greeted by a gurning model of a medieval campanologist (!), then up a few steps to a compact main bar with low ceilings in a classic Spoons style, with a lighter and more modern feel in the rooms round the dog leg. Two proper guest ales in Dorset BC's Durdle Door (NBSS 3) and Adnams Ghost Ship with one from Green Jack just gone. Friendly and attentive service all round from the young female staff. A decent stop.
Visited early August.
On 12th September 2021
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5099 recommendations about 5082 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Bell Hotel (JD Wetherspoon)
Very large, split-level, multi-roomed 'spoons housed in an ancient coaching inn - obvious from the lower Castle Meadows end if you ignore the Santander bank that has taken over the ground floor, but you would be hard pressed to work this out from the much-altered layout if you enter from the Castle Mall side. Ten (or possibly more) handpumps in the main bar, plus six in a smaller room downstairs. Six very good real ales in the lower bar on this visit, including the Arundel Sussex Milk Stout (£2.75), so I didn't even feel tempted to go up to the main bar to see what was on there before ordering.
On 5th November 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about Bell Hotel (JD Wetherspoon)
I turned up here on a Saturday afternoon to find it rammed, mainly because of the football. I was in the ground floor bar with just the six hand pumps blissfully unaware that there was another bar upstairs! All six pumps were going here with Abbot, Doom Bore, St Peter's All Ale To the Queen, Woodforde's Wherry & Reedlighter and Jaipur IPA. I went straight for the Jaipur which was in good nick but hazy as it often is. It may be worth more but I'm rating this one the same as all the other Norwich JDWs apart from the Lloyds.
On 29th June 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about Bell Hotel (JD Wetherspoon)
Enjoyed a couple of visits to this Wetherspoon outlet while in Norwich for a few days last month, and found plenty of beers on in the downstairs bar due to their festival being on. Didn't realise on first visit that the upstairs bar had different ales on, and if you enter from the back of the building you don't have to go upstairs to get to it.
On 4th May 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Bell Hotel (JD Wetherspoon)
The building houses both Spoons and the Santander bank, Spoons can be easily spotted from the Castle side, but from the other side of the building, all you can see is the bank and the old Bell Hotel signage. When entering from the front, you come across a medium sized lounge and bar. The main part of the pub is up a flight of stairs. There is another entrance to the main part of the pub at the back. The service here was ok, plus they had a good range of cask ales. Went for the Moorhouses Ruby Witch and Adnams Fisherman.
On 2nd November 2012
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
shaun taylor left this review about Bell Hotel
weatherspoons, cheap beer, average food, not a family pub
On 27th October 2007
- rating: 2
[User has posted 23 recommendations about 23 pubs]