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Disappointment of the week with Mobyduck
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The Fitzrovia Belle, Bloomsbury, W1
W1
W1T 7NT
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Fitzrovia Belle
A two roomed pub aimed at the tourist/shopper trade. Two handpumps both with clips turned, GK IPA and London Glory, so I wasn't missing much , I settled for a swift half a Guinness. I can't envisage a return here.
On 30th December 2021
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1871 recommendations about 1844 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Fitzrovia Belle
I came here for the first time just over two years ago but my review has mysteriously vanished. A return to what was an underwhelming experience, formerly the Mortimer Arms built in 1958 to replace a former incarnation dating back to the late 18th century which was destroyed in the Blitz.
A rectangular interior here with the bar running along a fair part of the left wall or rear, depending upon your choice of entrance; it's also semi-partitioned into two rooms. Much pale wood abounds from floor to standard furniture with quite bright lighting, which comes in part from neon signs above the entrances to the lavatories: pink for the girls and blue for the boys - the sort of thing you'd see above the changing rooms in Top Shop around the mid-'80s.
There were *seven* TVs showing the footie, which amounted to one TV per customer on my visit. Oddly, two smallish TVs to the rear wall were side-by-side - would it not make more sense to buy one larger TV?
Service was somewhat relaxed with two ales on offer: Greene King IPA and Hardy & Hanson's Kimberley Bitter at a wince-inducing £2.80 a half and served in a wineglass. It was bland and lifeless, a bit like the pub. Indeed a sports bar would be a better description of this place because it's not a pub in the traditional sense. The Court across the road has more life, four fewer TVs and with a similar ale costing £1.90 a half, charges 50% less than here - not a great place spend time and as mentioned below, it's not even in Fitzrovia.
On 25th April 2018
- rating: 2
[User has posted 1984 recommendations about 1950 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about The Fitzrovia Belle
This is a good modern smartly furnished pub with three GK beers which lets it down a bit.Ipa , London Glory and Hardy and Hansons-bitter
On 13th April 2018
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Fitzrovia Belle
Interior as described below. Only visited the front bar which had 4 real ale taps 3 on.
On 23rd August 2014
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Fitzrovia Belle
The former Mortimer Arms (an unpretentious pub with unfussy decor and furniture) has been refurbished and oddly re-named the Fitzrovia Belle despite being on the Bloomsbury side of Tottenham Court Road. Retains the same layout, with a small (quieter) front bar and the main room also accessible from the side street. However, it now promotes itself as a "public house & hotel", with the accommodation a new feature I think. Music and sports TV throughout, rather at odds with the tarted-up exterior. A total of six handpumps spread between the two bars, with a fairly dismal selection of Doom Bar, Deuchars IPA and Greene King IPA (£4.30 - yes, I had to double-check that I had heard properly...). At least two points knocked of the rating for the new pricing policy. (NB - Review dates from July 2012, shortly after the re-opening.)
On 16th February 2013
- rating: 4
[User has posted 8092 recommendations about 8092 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Philip Carter left this review about The Fitzrovia Belle
I agree with Rex Rattus, popped in to have a quick pint in lunch break, Thought I'd try it out under the new name. Pint of Doombar £4.30!!!! Asked the barman if that was right, he said yes, so prlied I won't be coming in here again. I think the manager was sitting at the bar, as she called the staff to serve me. I think the "Traditional London Pub" is for the tourists. Too expensive for me, went to the Marlborough Arms nearby, Doombar £3.70.
On 15th October 2012
- rating: 1
[User has posted 757 recommendations about 720 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Mortimer Arms
When you see a pub that has a sign on the outside saying “Traditional London Pub”, you just know that it is going to be anything other than that. And it proved to be the case here, although it’s not a bad pub. This is another two-room pub, but with a small interconnecting doorway. The glass in the door to the “front” room on Tottenham Court Rd is signed as the Public Bar, and the back room as the Saloon Bar, although the glass is clearly a modern replacement. The Public bar is naturally the smaller of the two, but although it is quite minimalist, it does have a piano in it as well as portrait of a youthful Queen Elizabeth II. The bar back looks as if it might be a relatively old feature, and has a couple of cut glass mirrors in it. The Saloon bar has a few bits of retro furnishings in the copper covered round tables, but otherwise is furnished with banquettes, small stools, and metal framed rectangular tables – but no chairs. The walls are covered with numerous photographs, all with a sporting theme, but pride of place in my opinion goes to the gilded “Mortimer Arms” mirror. A large TV on the wall was muted and tuned to a sports channel.
The ales on were Hogsback TEA, GKIPA, Old Speckled Hen and Deuchars IPA. Nothing too exciting here, but a fair enough selection. The menu contained mainly Thai dishes, with the traditional stir fry being either £5.95 or £6.95. There were a handful of pub grub dishes available, such as fish and chips or burger and chips. I reckon that this is an “OK” pub whose clientele is passing trade. In fact a couple of groups of apparent tourists came in when I was there on Wednesday lunchtime. It’s not worth seeking out, but alright for a swift one.
On 27th October 2011
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Mortimer Arms
This is a long and thin corner pub that has picnic tables lining the two exterior walls along the pavement. The inside of the pub is split in two with a small public bar at the front where there are a couple of flat screen TVs for showing Sky Sports. The larger back bar has another flat screen TV and a projector screen is located on the back wall. Lots of old black and white photos from London forty or fifty years ago adorn the walls and some gangsters are included. Maybe these tie in with the boxing gloves that are proudly displayed behind the bar.
During my visit on Saturday afternoon during the Blackburn v Arsenal game there was a decent size crowd in the back bar so I decided to watch the game in the front bar in relative peace. I had to time my pint buying correctly as the front bar was often left unsupervised, but this is a minor complaint as the service from both young ladies behind the bar was nothing but friendly. The Guinness was passable and alongside the standard draught range were four hand pumps that were dispensing Black Sheep, Spitfire, Bombardier and Greene King IPA.
Thai food is prepared by the Yiam Thai team in the kitchen and is served midday until 15:00 and 17:00 until 22:00 during the week, midday until 22:00 on Saturdays and midday until 17:00 on Sundays.
This is a good option for sport watching and I found it to be a vast improvement on my last visit a year and a half ago.
On 1st September 2010
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5233 recommendations about 5201 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Mark Castro-Garcia left this review about The Mortimer Arms
Courage Directors, Fullers London Pride, Greene King IPA, Wells Bombardier
Bar split into 2 areas, TV, music, good location and very near Carpenters Arms
On 16th October 2009
- rating: 8
[User has posted 22 recommendations about 22 pubs]