Highlighting the problem with many London pubs - is the Old Bell a proper pub or sports bar? At times, it’s hard to tell.

The Venue
They say never judge a book by its cover, and going by the Old Bell’s aesthetic this is certainly advice worth listening to. From the outside, the Old Bell looks like a proper pub – albeit a large one with signs showing off drink offers within. Inside, however, it’s more a ‘painted by numbers’ chain bar. Stripy booth seating mixes with leather sofas and together with the neutral colour scheme, they create a bland look only heightened by large lamps overhanging the booths and an overly shiny bar. Big screens, however, help to hold people’s attention.

The Atmosphere
Like many of the pubs in Kilburn, the Old Bell is certainly a bar more for locals and it attracts an obvious contingent made up of regulars. Although not unfriendly, you may feel a little out of place as everyone from the punters to the staff seem to know each other. However, that’s no bad thing and goes to show how much this place seems to care about keeping its customers coming back for more. It is, however, clearly a good place to watch sport, given the good spread of big screen TVs.

The Drink
Impressively – or maybe not after you’ve tried it – bottles of wine start at less than a tenner at the Old Bell. It’s also worth noting that they offer three sizes of wine glass, including 125ml, 175ml and 250ml, which encourages responsible drinking and allows dieters to still indulge without piling on the calories – a fact further aided by their clearly labelled low calorie wines. If you prefer the grain then alongside a standard choice of lager they do, perhaps surprisingly, also include real ale options like Hobgoblin and John Smiths.

The Last Word
The Old Bell could be a good pub. It could be a good sports bar. By combining the two so closely it resembles more a Jack of all trades, which is a shame.

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