The Bell, Cannon Street  

Not so long ago, this was one of many old-style, untouched, City pubs, but now the Bell's something of an endangered species. Its tiny size means it gets packed to the gunwales at commuting times, but the service is prompt and polite and the range of real ale on the hand pumps is pretty well looked after. Claiming to be one of the few houses that survived the Great Fire of London in 1666, much of the original structure of the building survives (back then this one would actually have been on the banks of the Thames). It's fairly modern inside now, though it's still half-timbered throughout. In any case, the time-warp interior décor is in keeping with the old-fashioned service and we don't want it to change a thing. Devotees of style bars and gastropubs won't be battering down the doors to get in, but if you want a pub that harks back to times past you should give it a go. The recent introduction of two TV screens has changed things somewhat, but not so much as you might expect. See it while you can and before the interior ends up in the Museum of London as an example of 20th century social history.

reviewed:
09/05/2006

pub features:(click on an icon to see an explanation)

real ale - regular guest beers

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