please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
My usual drinking associate and i went there last night (15th May). The pub is now called Bromley's and is under completely new management from previous (absolute failure ) Sky Bar.
i have been to Bromley's quite a few times this year and last night was the busiest i have seen it since it reopened as Bromley's. the main reason i am sure is that every Thursday every drink is �150.
i found the staff very friendly and the punters were very wide ranging. the atmosphere was very pleasant. we enjoyed it so much we stayed for the entire evening.
it is a shame that the pub isn't called The Royal Bell any more. despite the bad reputation The Bell had it was a great place to go at its peak, busy everywhere. I do think the original name of the pub should be reinstated.
i think if the management added a few more tables and seats in sparse areas and made the place have the charm of more of a traditional pub this could be a winner. the room on the right with the pool table in it looks great. i think the rest of the pub should look more like that.
it's definitely worth a go. i don't think there is any poncy dress code too. Us Daleks would have a problem getting up those stairs though!
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Agree with 'bromleyjon' and his comments about Jane Austen. Had the misfortune of passing this fine old building the other evening. Sadly it was awash with chavs queueing outside and little tartie types hanging out of the windows calling out to their mates on the street below -innit. Such a shame given it's history; once a fine hotel and famous coaching inn - now its just another defaced high street wine bar type. SOS Pleease!
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Nice refit. Looks great inside. Rather devoid of customers though.
anonymous - 23 Aug 2007 15:25 |
Looked shut yesterday and the windows were smashed. Shame.
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Jane Austen mentions the Bell at Bromley in pride and Prejudice. If she could see it now she'd be turning in her grave!
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Nice looking bar, but the sound quality of the music is awful. too many hard surfaces make it sound like a church hall. The DJ was ok but could play a bit more tracks rather than just one style. the decor makes u feel like you wanna relax, the music makes u wanna dance hard and fast... got very confusing.
anonymous - 22 Dec 2006 17:46 |
Not much has changed since the Bell was here. Great venue potential and huge however the staff and management seem to be a little weak.
Huge potential and hopefully something will happen in the future here.
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Came here with a few mates on a Friday night (6 Oct) out of curiosity, given I used to drink in here many years ago when it was the Royal Bell. An improvement. The layout downstairs has not changed too drastically, but there is a bigger dance floor area in front of the DJ booth. The second narrower staircase has been removed to also create more room in the same area. The smarter d�cor to accompany the blue and pink neon lighting gives the place a more tranquil atmosphere, while the pine flooring is better than the tatty carpet that used to be found in the Royal Bell.
The DJ was playing predominately dance and commercial beats, though this was momentarily ruined by Steps cheesy song, "5,6,7,8", as the bar staff attempted to entertain punters with dancing. The bar staff, however, were efficient and there was also a few youngish female talent (you could start a debate whether they were over 21 or not) lurking around, so this place has some potential for the H-File search in Bromley. Was not as packed as I anticipated, given upstairs was not open, but why why why was there a toilet attendant, given how relatively small the toilets were?? He was also muttering the same old standard rubbish heard by these people all over En ger land in 'Freshen up for the ladies'. When are they going to learn? Image and presentation is everything, not whether a woman can smell a bit of Hugo Boss on me, especially when I am expected to pay �1 for a few squirts!!
Anyway, if you're in Bromley, I would certainly have a butchers. I thought it would have least opened till midnight on a Friday night though?
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Unlike the previous reviewers, I'm not connected with this folly. Anybody hoping that this mistake would be restored to anything resembling a classy place to go is in for a disappointment. It has been given the usual splash and dash refurbishment i.e emulsion and downlighters. Looks like a giant (only worse) version of the similarly doomed Star and Garter. The limited range of drinks is overpriced. The staff are doing as they are told but the service is intrusive. I was asked if I wanted a meal five times in the space of half an hour. All pubs have their uses. This one would be good if you were having a secret affair with someone who is easily impressed, as there is little chance of bumping into anyone else that you know.
anonymous - 18 Aug 2006 12:41 |
What a breath of fresh air, refurbished bar with great decor , more seating, bar staff orgainsed and not more waiting ages for a drink - the drink menu has improved massively and bounchers look quite intimidating but anything but! Very friendly and no nonsence approach makes this is gem in Bromley!
Bromley has been crying out for a decent watering hole for years, hopefully it will carry on as a leader in the market.
anonymous - 30 Jul 2006 14:47 |
This Pub is now known as 'Sky' an over 21's bar. I'm here to squash remarks that it'll 'never change' and that the chavs will 'keep coming back'
Every effort has been made to turn this bar into a friendly, classy more adult place to be, with an up-market re-fit and professional staff.
Due to it's bad history, for a small while Sky has had a limit put on it's entry numbers and on it's opening hours license, however if the past two weekends are anything to go by, this will not last long.
Every Friday sees DJ Neil P play the latest in soulful funky house, accompanied by live percussion.
The crowd has been fun, responsive and danced all night, both on the dancefloor and out in the garden.
So to answer all you critics, get yourselves down there and give it a chance before you tar it with the same brush as the Royal Bell
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Hey Greasymole, I think you've confirmed that the age policy was never adhered to in this chavpit. "Being the grand old age of 22,this pub 5 years back was the place to be! Strictly over 18's..."!!!
I very much doubt The Sky Bar will be any different. You can call a bar a different name and give it a redecoration but the same crap keeps coming back. The former Black Horse in Sidcup is a great example. I look forward to the first review of this stupidly renamed pit as I certainly won't be going in there to review it!
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This is now called Sky Bar and a long awaited smart place for over 21s Provided the idiots are kept away this is without doubt the new place to be. This place just sayes class as you walk in.
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Being the grand old age of 22,this pub 5 years back was the place to be!Strictly over 18's,great music,both upstairs and downstairs open as there was enough custom to fill the place.The age group back then veried from 18 upto 35 year olds.
Now days its full of little gangster wanna b's,bowling around the place with minging girls on each arm,really thinking that they are the next best thing whilst they sip on their double vodka redbulls,watching the grotty no class girls trying... and i do stress TRYING to dance and impersonate Beyonces ass shaking and Timberlakes fancy foot work,whilst singing the liricks to Khia's My Neck My Back!
Too many trouble makers such as a wide group of Albanians who try to run the place causing fights every weekend whilst the bouncers do jack!Mean while they're in there the weekend after,wheres the justice in that?Bring back the bouncers of 2000,they were spot on!!
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This place has mercifully been put out of its misery - finally. Large posters on the outside scream "COMING SOON - SKY BAR - BROMLEY'S LARGEST VENUE"
Hope they rememeber it's not just the size that counts...
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I have absolutlety no hesitationin awarding this pub a truly deserving 10/10!
Please allow me to qualify this score on a point-by-point basis.
Right, here we go��������..
Male patrons sporting cheap fake Burberry baseball caps bought ( stolen? ) from the market in the High Street - 1/10
Above males with a complexion like a pepperami pizza, due to an excess of KFC, Maccy D's, &c. - 1/10
Proliferation of eye-blindingly white Reebok Classics - 1/10
Pasty faced or "Tangoed" females sporting cheap ( "Lizzie Duke at Argos" ) hoop earrings, so large that a Pterodactyl could used it as a perch - 1/10
Not forgetting a point for wearing tacky clown pendant as above - 1/10
Above females sporting the "Croydon Facelift" - 1/10
And drinking WKD or some other lurid coloured chemical muck - 1/10
Whilst pregnant - with bulging stomach protruding between low-slung trackie bottoms and cropped top - 1/10
Being called Baz, Gaz, Daz ( male ), Kaz, Shaz, Chardonnay or Lambrini ( female ), and face contorted in a perma-scowl - 1/10
And there you have it - the perfect Chav boozer.
I would rather poke cocktail sticks in my eyes than darken their door a second time.!
Avoid like the plague - you have been warned!!
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Oh my goodness! What an awful place. Admittedly, I've never been here on a weekday evening, when maybe it�s a little friendlier, but it's an absolute hellhole at weekends. I found the music to be terrible and most of the clientele to be undesirable.
HTM69 - 26 May 2006 22:29 |
matraven, calling people who have posted negative reviews parasites and blaming them for the pub's dire situation seems offensive and unnecessary. They are entitled to their opinions. You are obviously entitled to defend your poxy pub, but while it may have been great a few years ago, it is toss now which is relevant to readers of these reviews.
I notice that you have nothing to say to recommend it.
On a personal note, i have been there three times in my life and its been appalling every time. Bad pints, unpleasant people, horrible atmosphere. I have not used or abused it or in any way contributed to its fall from grace (apart from letting my opinion of it be known), but am perfectly entitled to call it a shitbin. Because it is one. Avoid.
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Mr. anonymous.... We beg to differ! We haven't had a DJ for 3 months so how can he make comments???
Half the staff date from pre 2003 and the same goes for the door staff.
So please, if your going to slate this place, make sure you do it for the right reasons.
You're probably one of the parasites thats caused this places bad reputation.
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terrible place, agree with the past comments, yet looking at the decor that once was, it was properly very popular. A friend of mine went in for one drink and was threatened as face didnt fit.
anonymous - 30 Jan 2006 14:24 |
I used to be a visitor of this place pre 2003, as mentioned in a previous comment it used to be a good night out, Door staff were decent blokes, the barstaff were good at their jobs and they played good music.
Wouldn't touch the place with a barge pole these days.
The bouncers are c***s, the bar staff slow and only quick to serve the loudest person at the bar or their friends. THe music is played for the chav audience, so expect loads of Streets, J-Lo and 50 Cent.
The toilets have been battered and badly fixed and the DJ just makes stupid comments all night like a monkey that has just seen a girl for the first time.
anonymous - 26 Jan 2006 17:32 |
This pub has been used and abused by so many people over the years (many of whom I expect have posted derogetory comments) that it is now a shell of it's former self. Back in the day it was THE place to be. Customers, bar staff and door staff all respected each other. People grow up and move on but over the last decade it has been the locaion of probably the best night out you could have in Bromley. Due to lack of support finacially from breweries and owners it has lost its appeal. If the the customers from 97-03 came back the owners would invest in it like they did before, making it climb back up the hill people like those posting comments below have forced it down.
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Pure, unadulterated shitbin of a pub.
Everyone's comments are true but dont capture the immense misery that descends on you when you step through the door.
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The winner of my "Worst pub in Bromley" award for the last three years. Music awful, customers awful, door staff awful, bar-staff awful, DJ awful. If you like it... you're a chav.
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This place is tragic. It is full of under 18 chavs and chavettes draped with bling which must have come from cereal packets or Christmas crackers. Each chav has enough cheap aftershave on to drown a household pet. You can pick out the most intelligent ones by listening to who can form over half a sentence. Racist, ignorant and violent. Fights every few minutes, probably about who in the pub has made their scabby chavette pregnant. If this is the future of Britain, I'd advise everyone else to emigrate!
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The Bell is ok but full of young chav's. If you go there your garenteed a fight. One of the worst pubs i've been to. Go to walkabout instead which is just across the road.
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Gotta be the worst place ever... would never ever go in here anymore!! Used to last year and it was bad then!! If your over 20 you'll be feeling very old in this pub!! Full of 15-19 year olds!!
Prices are well expensive comapared to Walkabout across the street!!
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The bell used to be known as "Head Quarters", but,.. and there is a big but, it has gone down hill alot, it has taken over greyhounds nick name of "youth club" and has alot of 'kids' in there. The music has gone down hill too, once it used to be wicked in there and now its full of slapper and pimps. NOT a place for the young educated people of bromley. of and they have put their prices up in there too. my advice go 'walkabout' till 10:15 at night and then head over to the 'greyhound' till 12,. make sure you go to the greyhound b4 10.30 as the doors shut!
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The Bell is ok once and while, but I preferred it more when I was under age! I now realise its just full of kids who think its great to get so lagging they throw up & flood the toilets (not a pretty sight!!) then fight outside afterwards!! I swear I saw a girl of about 12yrs old last time I was there! Apparently wearing a tiny skirt makes the bouncers blind to the age limit!
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i do not understand why people on the website slate the Bell? from an 18 year old girls point of view, i feel that this pub has decent music, fairly cheap drink and a good atmosphere to come out with you mates! especially on a friday or saturday night.
so if all you oldies cannot handle this pub maybe you should try something a little more old-fashioned? i am sure loads of young adults like myself would agree on my view of the Royal Bell! TOP NOTCH! Bromley is the place to go for a good night out! TRUST!
anonymous - 22 Nov 2004 15:16 |
A definate for any Blazin Squad fans, every weekend the pub seems to host a look-alike competition, which always goes down a treat with the criminals and teenage mothers who frequent. Have a severe desire to get mugged or beaten up?? then the Royal Bell is the place to be. The pub version of 'Club Reps'. Rubbish.
Julia - 20 May 2004 18:59 |
If you're over 25 the Bell is better in the earlier parts of the day after 6 or 7 starts to become youth dependant. The food is good though especially for a saturday late afternoon snack and gab with a friend or two. The music keeps it upbeat.
NoPlaid - 14 May 2004 10:39 |
Everyone slates th bell yeh, but i think its quality. the music is wicked...definitely a place 2 dance the night away. Bouncers once ou get to know em, are pretty safe....generally only works 4 the ladies tho.
Michelle - 8 Apr 2004 14:50 |
FOR THE KIDZ ONLY !!
hold no appeal whatsoever
Bobby - 13 Mar 2004 18:55 |
Agree with everything Andrew say's about this place.
Amazed that it still has a licence! Attracts lots of clones who want to fight each other. Why bother??
If you want a lively evening drink but don't want to lower yourself to base levels then the Bell is not the pub for you.
As an aside the beer is rank and overall the Bell is tatty and nothing special.
One to avoid then, if you can spell your own name! Otherwise fill yer boots!
Rob - 11 Feb 2004 11:21 |
i love this place - u get the odd under age people in there! But its big enough to avoid them!! Music is QUALITY... and the birds are nice aswell!!! Shame about the bouncers on their power trips, they need to be, but sometimes take it a little too far!!
Dan - 6 Feb 2004 11:39 |
Friday and Saturday nights are FANTASTIC in this pub. The crowd is of a mixed age group, but, like most pubs in Bromley, the majority are young. Great cocktails, and themed evenings. The lively music is bound to get you dancing! Check this place out!
Mr Tumnus - 29 Jan 2004 18:03 |
Good pub for watching the football at on a sunday afternoon ,though avoid friday and saturday nights its full of under age street kids .
Aj73 - 10 Jan 2004 13:03 |
Big pub in Bromley, should be looked at.
Aaron - 9 Jan 2004 15:44 |
