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Tue / Apr 13
Party Earth Review Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese had already been a London landmark for more than a hundred years when the Great Fire of 1666 destroyed it – and much of the city. Rebuilt shortly after, the pub saw famous scribes like Charles Dickens... ... read full review
145 Fleet Street
London, EC4A 2
Central Line: Chancery Lane
020 7353 6170
M–Sa 11:30am–11pm
Covent Garden / Soho, London –
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese had already been a London landmark for more than a hundred years when the Great Fire of 1666 destroyed it – and much of the city.
Rebuilt shortly after, the pub saw famous scribes like Charles Dickens and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle become regulars over the years, and today’s pint- and history-loving tourists usually take the time to explore its historic nooks before settling in for a plate of bangers and mash to go with their Smithwick’s.
A labyrinthine space of twisting, narrow hallways, spiral staircases, and tiny rooms with crowded rustic tables, the venue’s colorful past is evident right down to the hand-painted porcelain tap handles, open coal fires, and myriad antique grandfather clocks.
Conversation fills the air across four floors and four full bars bustling with a diverse mix of boisterous students, pub crawlers, and literature buffs settling in for a rousing evening, while first-time visitors are often left speechless by the hundreds of years of history – or maybe just by Polly, the stuffed parrot in the tap room that resided in the bar until he croaked in 1926.
Great for drinking ale and people-watching in the courtyard on a summer day or nibbling savory meat pies on a rainy night, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese is a cut above ye olde standard.
University students, history and literature fans, pub crawlers, local business types, and lots of tourists, 20s to 60s.
Only conversation and the errant sounds of time.
Traditional English menu featuring shepherd’s pie and Yorkshire pudding. Typical pub fare served at the bar, including fish and chips and meat pies.
Appetizers £3–£5, bar menu £8, restaurant entrées £9–£15. Beer £2.50–£3, wine £16–£20/bottle, mixed drinks £2–£3+.
Casual.
Thursdays and Fridays around 7pm tend to draw the biggest crowds, though the Cheshire’s history makes it worth checking out anytime.
Ye Olde Cock Tavern (22 Fleet Street), though not originally at its current address, opened in 1549. Dickens was also known to be a frequent customer.
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese User Reviews