Fantastic real ale pub (Old Bell Tavern (Harrogate))

Member Name: degsy70

Product:	Old Bell Tavern (Harrogate)
Date:	20/04/09 (102 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Beer selection, price, food

Disadvantages: Gets very cramped when busy

The Old Bell Tavern is one of the busiest real ale pubs in the area. It is owned by Market Taverns who have approximately five pubs in the region and they have found a formula that works perfectly. For years it has been the place to go for great beer and great food. A great deal of it's popularity was due to the fact that it banned smoking nearly a year before the actual ban was enforced and thus it became a haven for non-smokers. Since then it has continued to pull in the punters and does a roaring trade.
There is a main bar area, a side bar area and a restaurant upstairs. The bar areas downstairs are relatively small and as a result it can become extremely claustrophobic. I know many people who love the place that steer clear of it on a weekend as it is jam packed and quite uncomfortable. That said, it is a fantastic place to go for a quick lunch or evening meal. The beer is very well priced and they have a huge range of Belgian beers (the 14% cherry beer being very popular).
The restaurant does very good homely english food but is also quite small so I recommend booking in advance.
At the risk of sounding snobbish it is one of the more 'upmarket' pubs in the area so be warned that if you turn up looking particularly scruffy you may get turned away!.
All in all a great pub with great atmosphere but stay away if you don't like playing sardines

Summary: See review