Review

The Bell & Crown is a Fullers pub, you can easily tell that without needing to look at the sign, the interior décor has got Fullers stamped all over it. From the dark patterned, spill hiding carpet to the dark maroon, nicotine stain hiding ceiling it all fits the Fullers mould. The bonus, of course, is that you get decent beer.

From the front of the pub, the entrance is into the main bar area, which is filled with tables and chairs, whilst the walls are lined with plush cushioned benches. There seems to be a policy of providing as many tables as possible, presumably to allow as much eating room as possible, so within the main bar area tables have been squeezed in wherever there’s space, including up against pillars and in gangways, neither of which allow for much in the way of privacy. Even so, there still doesn’t seem to be enough to cater for the demand, if you visit at the weekend you’ll find many of these tables reserved by diners who have booked ahead. The food is ordered from a separate counter in a room off the main bar; in front of which, down a short flight of stairs, is an extension to the main pub with a very restaurant type set up, more tables for the diners. The food is evidently very good, but for pub prices it’s also quite expensive when a chicken salad comes in at eight quid.

If for some reason you don’t go to The Bell & Crown for food (I don’t know, maybe you go to restaurants for food and pubs for beer) you’ll probably ignore these eating areas and head for the back of the pub, because the back of the pub looks out over the River Thames and across to Oliver’s Island. At the back of the main bar is a conservatory, which is a good spot in summer or winter. When the summer allows, the small walled patio area beneath the conservatory, with it’s colourful hanging baskets, is the pubs best selling point. If seats can’t be had on the patio, the low wall that runs beside the Thames provides an adequate alternative.

Though this is a riverside pub, it’s not a place where the totty gathers, unlike the nearby Hammersmith and Richmond river spots. The Bell & Crown is much more a family and food orientated pub.

Review by AJS