please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
As with other Market Town Taverns a well kept selection of real ales. However, I am surprised Oakells have not revamped the food menu. The lunchtime food we had was reheated, dry and not inspiring. Generally the atmosphere was unwelcoming and temperature chilly. The manager was more concerned about being rude about customers than being welcoming. So different to the bar staff in the station tap.
|
Market Town Taverns pub the Old Bell has a changing range of eight guest beers including from owners Okells of the Isle of Man, plus a dark beer. A real cider and a range of UK and foreign bottled and keg beers available. Upstairs restaurant open in the evenings. Nice pub.
|
A stones throw from Hales Bar and I'm at pub number 2 and this is one owned by the Isle of Man brewery Okells. The choice of ales on the taps is excellent, 9 offerings with all breweries on offer being Northern. In addition there are 21 Oktoberfest beers on offer which are all priced at £4.00.
We ordered food as the wife was hungry and I had a pint of Okells Autumn Dawn @ 4.2% to wash down my ham, egg and chips.
Large double fronted pub overlooking the old pump house and the Crown hotel, was converted from the old toffee shop in 1999 on the site of the previous Bell pub.
The Farrah room to the right is more open plan than the front bar, plenty of places to sit and eat.
Interesting wooden bar area , plenty of pictures and beer advertising hanging on the walls.
Above the bar area on the ceiling is a huge quantity of beer pump clips.
Cracking pub, great choice of ales, decent food, steady stream of punters.
2 down 4 to do!
|
Visited again, this time on a quiet midweek afternoon, which gave a different perspective, and one which the pub passed with flying colours.
Friendly bar staff offered a range of ales, whilst the one tried was a superb pint of Wensleydale Black Dub Stout.
The pub has a great atmosphere, whether empty or full,with perhaps the only negative being the price, all the beers being a little on the high side, all well above £3 a pint.
If you don't mind the prices however, this pub, just off the main street, is certainly still worth a visit if you find yourself in Harrogate.
|
Pleased to read it seems much the same as when I last visited.
|
visited last week, food good, and the selection, sublime. a truely fantastic pub. marvellous.
|
visited recently,great selection of ales, nice pub to drink in, a crashingly fantastic pub. go in, you will not be dissapointed
|
Minamilist, old fashioned wooden floored pub, 2 rooms with large, clear windows which makes it look clean, light & airy. Good choice of handpumps on my visit including Roosters YPA, Timothy Taylor's Best Bitter & York Dark Knight. Nice selection of Continental lagers too.
|
This was the best pub we visited on our recent walk around Harrogates pubs. The place was very full which created a good friendly atmosphere and the building itself is smart, uncluttered and consists of two fairly large rooms with wooden flooring.
The bar however is the star here, with a large amount of real ales to choose from which apparantly are regularly changed.
Having just walked from the nearby Hales Bar, I found the price of a good pint here to be much more keenly priced and to offer much better value overall.
Great location, fantastic choice of quality beers, from both the UK and further afield served by efficient bar staff - A visit to Harrogate would not be complete without a visit to this place.
|
Great selection of ales, although can be pricey. Usually a good atmosphere and busy, testament to the quality of the place.
|
Without a doubt the beat Pub I visited in Harrogate and one of the beat I've ever been to. Always Black Sheep and Theakstons Bets available and usually 4-6 others along with draught foreign beers from the likes of Bernards, Kaltenerg and Paulener. Add a decent bottled beer menu and you have as good a Pub as you will find. Do tend to agree about the food though; overpriced and nothing remarkable. Just go to have a few beers. A must visit.
|
Lovely old atmosphere and classy, understated old wood panelling etc. One half is the old, old Farrahs toffee shop with original fittings. About 8 beers, in fine fettle, not particularly expensive, always one Rooster�s on (which ran off for me!). Bistro upstairs is fine but slightly overpriced for what you get, not convinced the goats cheese tart was home made either. But at least you can get a good pint with it. Definitely recommended, 9/10.
|
A canny, if overprices, pub. Good for one pint but not a patch on "the Hales" around the corner.
|
Fine pub; great real ale, wooden floors, no music, TV or slots, memorabilia and a mixed crowd; let down by abysmally slow food service, ugly barmaids and a grumpy alcoholic guv'nor.
|
great pub with an extensive beer list.
tried the yorkshire mild, rooster and copper dragon bitters which were all excellent.
must visit place
|
Nice pub, great beers. Perhaps doesn't have the character and charm of the Hales round the corner but a good array of beers and some excellent food served.
|
Recently moved to Harrogate and was scouting out a good local in the area. Walked into the Bell Tavern and loved the decor and loved the selection of well kept ales on tap. These just happened to include award winner 'Rudgate Ruby Mild'. Brilliant.
Staff were friendly and knowlegdable. I was told that they usually only order in guest ales a cask at a time so the stock rotation is remarkable. Went back a few days later and several of the taps had changed. This makes it great for bitter/real ale fans who are always keen to sample new and exciting as well as old, well established brewers.
A must on a visit to Harrogate.
|
Came here on a day trip,love the way it is set up. The Bar is busy and the side room is nice to read the paper. Good range of beers,all kept well. Definately one NOT to miss if you come to Harrogate.
lotus - 22 Mar 2010 17:23 |
Never had a bad pint in here yet - this is the last call of the Knaresborough Mummers pub tour in Harrogate. Beers are from local and northern breweries, always something to suit all tastes, and a good place to introduce people to real continental beer.
This pub has many faces, it can be a quiet haven to read the paper with a pint, escape from the shoppers, or have a rollocking good time on a night in a place where conversation is the entertainment. You always seem to meet up with old friends from way back, particularly at Christmas. Well done, Fozzy!
|
a crashingly superb pub,selection of ale's excellent, bottled and on pump. avoid if pub is crammed, which is always at weekends. it's like drinking in a sauna! good boozer tho!!!
|
A pretty decent place to have a pint - on your way to Hales around the corner.
Distinguished, heritage exterior and interior - although that is perhaps much owed to its retail origins and the fiercely conservationist nature of the council. Despite the enormous amount of dark timber on the walls, the seating set up has a whiff of Cafe Rouge about it, rather than a pub, but far from disastrously.
As for the ale, only sampled Landlord which, frankly, was not great.
As per the opening: go here for a bit - and then go to Hales. Where, 20 minutes later, the Landlord was great, as was the Daleside, Bass, Copper Dragon(s) etc etc.
|
This is my favourite harrogate pub. Can get busy on a weekend. On my last visit there was 8 real ales and several of these foriegn nonsense ales for visiting belgians with lots of cash. I had a pint of Old Raby, a pretty ok dark beer, followed by a pint of Roosters from the local harrogate brewery. Both good.
Its like walking into a 1930s timewarp with pictures and posters of a bygone age. Trinkets such as such as farrahs harrogate toffee tins on the shelves and not forgetting an old bell. Large windows at the front allowing you to watch life in the posh montpelier quarter.
Worthy of an 8.
anonymous - 19 Aug 2009 16:24 |
Have been in here a few times when in Harrogate. It is a super pub with a wonderful choice of ales and at reasonable prices. It always seems busy but I usually get served quite quickly and can normally find a seat. A good friendly atmosphere and in my opinion the best pub in Harrogate.
|
Great beers and a pleasant relaxed atmosphere on my visit to this pub. Nice to sit and read the papers provided. It did feel a bit like a continental cafe bar which was a disappointment after seeing the fine exterior of the pub. It's still brilliant, but maybe after visiting Hale's Bar my views were skewed. Woul definitely pop in again but Hale's has to pip this place for architecture.
|
This is a great pub, lots of wood panelling, massive range of beers detailed on the menu's left on each table, several foreign lagers and Addlestone's cider on tap.
Hundreds of beer mats on the ceiling are an interesting feature as are the photo's on the wall. Large windows at the front with a good view of the hotel.
Menu looks good, although we didn't try it ourselves. Lots of specials as well, predominantly fish.
Seem keen on kicking out though with lots of flashing of lights and ringing of bells at 10:50 (or even 10:20 on a Sunday).
|
A super example of one of Market Town Tavern's bars, much like the others on the basics; excellent staff, wide range of superbly kept beers from local and European breweries, well chosen d�cor showing all round good taste with old brewery ads, and historic local pictures. A changing choice of 9 UK ales, 1 cider and 4 draught beers from Europe plus lots of lovely bottles. A few UK keg beers also available. The clientele is drawn largely from the middle classes and the over thirties, do remember this one is in Harrogate of course. Food a big seller but for limited periods each day, 12 � 2:30 and 6-7pm. No TV, music or under 18s. Well run place but just a bit souless, much more a European bar than a British pub in style. The premises used to be Farrah's Toffee Shop and President Bill Clinton used this pub once.
anonymous - 4 Mar 2009 09:56 |
One of the small chain of pubs owned by Market Town Taverns, they were a no smoking chain even before the ban. I've never been in a poor pub owned by this chain and this is one of the best. Great range of ever changing guests, usually involving a Roosters. Bar food is good and there is a top class restaurant upstairs (recommended). This pub was extended into the adjacent shop relatively recently and gets so packed on a Saturday it could do to extend again. The bar staff manage to deal with the waiting masses very well. It may take a few minutes to get served at busy times but you'll be served in turn. Don't miss it.
|
Expensive? Where (and what) do you people normally drink?
It's mostly real ale and prices are around �2.40 a pint. Only expensive if you normally like a Tesco Value Lager on your sofa or were last out drinking in 1998 in a CIU or Student Union.
|
tried and tested this weekend good ales, not cheap but not iver priced for the location
|
good pub but expensive
|
I think a previous reviewer is referring to the Winter Gardens - the Old Bell is not a Wetherspoons pub as far as I could tell. Good quality ales but no Wetherspoon prices! A classic old English pub.
|
Absolutely fabulous - no jukebox, TV or bandits, just the pleasant buzz of conversation, friendly & efficient service and above all a great selection of ales.
|
Good pub for central meeting point - especially if you're new to Harrogate and spread out amongst hotels! Good beer range... however - there are never enough staff manning the bar and you will have to wait a long time during busy periods to get served. Which is a shame, as it's certainly one of Wetherspoon's better pubs.
|
Great pub, now completely no smoking, dozen or so ales to choose from. Never tried the bar food but looks good. Have eaten in the small restaurant upstairs and was very impressed. They have knocked through into the old Farrah's toffee shop next door and added an extra room, even so the place is always busy with a good atmosphere a testament to the pubs quality.
|
Visited between Xmas and New Year and was impressed by the range of well kept beer, service and atmosphere.
My wife and I both had the Fish Pie which came with a good salad - but suffered from a distinct lack of fish!
|
Harrogate is a town I visit only infrequently, but I always ensure that when I do, I manage to get into some of its better hostelries, and there are a few in my book. However, I was more than pleased to find this pub had opened up just round the corner from where I stay, in what used to be a toffee shop (one of the few retail outlets in the town that is not given over to antiques and genteel furniture!), for it is possibly the finest in the area now.
Naturally it depends on one's view of what constitutes a worthy pub, but who, amongst the more discerning pubgoers and drinkers at least, would not appreciate 10 fabulously-kept cask ales, decent home-cooked food, a lively and friendly atmosphere and a traditional interior that still can feel comfortably contemporary?
The ales are the crowning glory, but fear not: it isn't populated solely by CamRA members! Unlike many pubgoers in the south, drinkers up north still see ale as a natural choice at least equal to lager, if not its superior, and it's quite common for young lads to come here and get cracking on the handpumps without being connnoisseurs (in some beer-heavy pubs in the south the real enthusiasts tend to be real devotees, not casual buyers). All are kept perfectly and many are locally-sourced. The Roosters here really is on form. Failing this, the imported draught lagers are worth trying.
Food is good, although I can comment less here seeing as how liquids tend to dominate my attention before solids!
In many ways the Bell balances the two worlds of trad and modern without ever letting them collide. Some might say it's a bit sterile, for having only been open for 4 years it has yet to develop that certain patina and lived-in quality that more established pubs tend to purvey. But really I think that the benefits more than outweigh this minor criticism. Life's what you make it, and if you're in here with a sound crowd of people, probably of all ages, sampling the varied beers, I think you're bound to come away feeling more than satisfied.
And yes, it is a Market House Tavern, and is non-smoking, but like it or not, that is something we'll all have to get used to by next Summer, so we might as well start adjusting now.
|
Another decent pub. Good beer and food. Visit the place you won't regret it.
Real ale.
|
Just brilliant. A Market Town Tavern (I think); one of a small chain that seem to me like a slightly upmarket Tynemill (huge compliment). Very high quality beer and food.
|
By some way the best pub in Harrogate, with excellent beer choice,(served well), good atmosphere and friendly staff.
|
great pub with an excellent selection of real ales which are always kept in top form, nice clean surroundings with an all over no smoking policy although it can get rather crowded especially at weekends.
|
Please note that the name of this pub is...
The Old Bell Tavern.
And from 1st May 2005 is now totally non-smoking throughout.
Promoting superb quality beers as ever.
Always available are...
Timothy Taylors Landlord.
Black Sheep Bitter.
Caledonian Deuchars IPA.
Rotating brews from Roosters Brewery.
And a range of four guest beers (including a permanent Mild Ale) from Regional Breweries.
There could be a brew on from any of the following...
Copper Dragon, Daleside, Hambleton, Litton, Marston Moor, Rudgate, Wharfedale.
Barngates, Dent, Jennings.
Eastwood & Sanders, Goose Eye, Halifax, Ossett, Salamander.
Abbeydale, Acorn, Wentworth.
Batemans, Durham, Phoenix, 3 Rivers, Thwaites, Wold Top.
Look out for new breweries being added to the list.
Also available is a fine range of bottled beers from Belgium, Germany and the Czech Republic.
On draught, Erdinger and Dentergems wheat beers plus Warsteiner Pilsener and a guest Belgian.
Call in and peruse the wonderful lunchtime and evening food menus.
This hostelry should definately not be missed and is easily located near the Valley Gardens in Low Harrogate.
No smoking, no juke box, no fruit machines, no music, no kids, no hassle.
Great quality food and beers all presented to you by really cool staff.
Check it out and see for yourself.
|
This what pubs should aspire to: wonderful range of beers, excellent food, nice people and beautiful surroundings. Has to be one of the best pubs in the north of England.
Vin - 21 Oct 2004 15:29 |
great little real ale drinking hole.
ian b - 27 Jan 2004 14:37 |
Good pub ( about 8 -10 beers on tap) inc. real ales, and some German beers; does lots of Belgian bottled beers. No music and a non- smoking part. I have heard that the food upstairs is good as well. President Clinton visited it when he was in Harrogate.
andy - 26 Sep 2003 19:57 |
