Quick info
About The Bell Inn
The Bell Inn is a pub in Bath on Walcot St, open daily and owned by around 500 of its customers, fans and workers under IPS CoOperative rules. As a free house, it keeps seven real ales on the bar alongside two guest ales, and it is listed in the Good Beer Guide. Music runs through the week, with live sets three times a week across jazz, blues and folk, an open mic night on Thursday and DJ nights at the weekend. Table football, chess and bar billiards, played Monday to Wednesday, give groups something to do between rounds, and a real fire sits indoors. The pub also has a launderette on site, so a load of washing can be done while you stay for a drink.
Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention live music, real ale selection, pop-up pizza stall and beer garden.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention live music, real ale selection, pop-up pizza stall and beer garden.
Customer Review Summary
Live music is what reviewers raise most, from a live five piece band on a Wednesday evening to Sunday sets, and one regular who has been coming since the 70's still calls it a great live music venue. Close behind is the real ale, with seven on offer and Otter Ale singled out as top draw, plus good pints and ciders. A real fire, bar billiards that one visitor called a right laugh, and a big back garden with food trucks and a pizza stall at the bottom also come up, along with friendly staff and a dog friendly welcome. Reviewers describe a diverse, local crowd that feels chilled at lunchtime and jumping by evening. The one caveat is character rather than service. One reviewer calls it downscale with a beer-stain vibe and unruly youths, another notes it is not an upmarket venue, and a lunchtime visitor found no music at all. Even so, that reviewer settled into the back garden with a pint and a pack of lemon shrimp chips.
Customer Review Summary
Live music is what reviewers raise most, from a live five piece band on a Wednesday evening to Sunday sets, and one regular who has been coming since the 70's still calls it a great live music venue. Close behind is the real ale, with seven on offer and Otter Ale singled out as top draw, plus good pints and ciders. A real fire, bar billiards that one visitor called a right laugh, and a big back garden with food trucks and a pizza stall at the bottom also come up, along with friendly staff and a dog friendly welcome. Reviewers describe a diverse, local crowd that feels chilled at lunchtime and jumping by evening. The one caveat is character rather than service. One reviewer calls it downscale with a beer-stain vibe and unruly youths, another notes it is not an upmarket venue, and a lunchtime visitor found no music at all. Even so, that reviewer settled into the back garden with a pint and a pack of lemon shrimp chips.
Featured reviews
- Iv S
“Lovely place, it feels very local from the exterior, but attracts a very diverse group of customers. It's genuinely a lovely place, probably one of the best ones in Bath. The staff were friendly as well, I'd definitely visit again!”
- Martin Blamey
“A trip down memory lane to this quirky old pub! I was a frequent visitor many years ago whilst serving in the RAF at Colerne. It was a great jazz pub then! We visited one lunchtime so there was no music. But looking at their FB page, it seems that it's still a big part of their offer. Nice outdoor seating area at the back if the music is not to your taste!!”
- Paul Ruthven
“Excellent real ale pub with seven on offer. Otter Ale top draw. Brilliant place. Highly Recommended.”
- Dave Palmer
“Great pub ,with live music, I have been going to the bell since the 70's and still a great live music venue ,good beers and ciders ,well worth a visit.”
- Mick Wynn
“Friendly, dog friendly, music bar. pizzeria “smallest in the world”🌍 at the bottom of the garden 🧚♀️🧚🧚♂️very fitting. 🍕 Good find and good ale. 🍺”
Hours
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Good to know
“The Bell is a historic free house and music pub on the edge of Bath city centre: it is owned by around 500 of its customers, fans and workers under IPS CoOperative rules. We have live music three times a week ranging from jazz to blues to folk to other things, open mic nights on Thursday, plus DJ nights at the weekend - always free! [note: Due to COVID-19 restrictions live music and DJ sessions are limited] We stock seven real ales plus two guest ales. We are in the Guardian and Observer guides to summer pubs as well as the Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, the Good Beer Guide and Le Guide du Routard. For your amusement we have table football, bar billiards (Mon - Weds), Pool, chess, backgammon, free wi-fi, a real fire and even a launderette!”
- AccessibilityWheelchair-accessible entrance · Wheelchair-accessible car park
Amenities
- Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Show more amenities
- Accessibility· 1
- Wheelchair-accessible car park
Location
Bars near The Bell Inn
- The Curfew - Bath4.53550.2 mi
roast lunch, mixed berry Eton Mess, Guinness and ales
- The Boater, Bath4.11,4020.3 mi
pizza buffet, covered heated terrace, pizza truck
- Pintxo de Bath4.61,5680.4 miReservationsWheelchair accessibleOutdoor seating
sangria, beef croquetas, tortilla de patatas
| Place | Rating | Distance | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bell Inn | 4.61,291 | — | live music, real ale selection, pop-up pizza stall |
| The Curfew - Bath | 4.5355 | 0.2 mi | roast lunch, mixed berry Eton Mess, Guinness and ales |
| The Boater, Bath | 4.11,402 | 0.3 mi | pizza buffet, covered heated terrace, pizza truck |
| Pintxo de BathReservations · Wheelchair accessible · Outdoor seating | 4.61,568 | 0.4 mi | sangria, beef croquetas, tortilla de patatas |
The 3 nearest bars by distance. Ratings, hours and review terms come from public business profiles.
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