It seems the Bell has appeared from nowhere, for years there was the rather unappealing Market Trader in this spot - a blokey, tacky pub, but that pub has suddenly disappeared, to be replaced with a smarter, more sophisticated affair.

A sombre looking place on the exterior (that'll go down well with the Ripper trailers), the Bell is a welcoming place once you step inside. A traditional looking interior, with a long wooden bar, offering a couple of ales on the hand pumps (Courage Best and Bombardier) and a typical range of lagers, wines (quite a good selection, actually) and spirits - plus Old Rosie cider.

There's food too, which we've yet to try, but the menu looks unpretentious and is reasonably priced. The service is efficient, polite and friendly and there's even a friendly pub dog too.

But there's more to the Bell than the ground floor bar - there's pool and darts in the panelled basement, a dining room upstairs, and there are TVs if you fancy watching a bit of sport.

You can hire either these of rooms (or the entire pub on a Saturday) if you need a party venue. All-in-all the Bell's an excellent addition to the area - it's just waiting to be discovered.

NEAREST STATION: Aldgate station

FEATURES: function room available, traditional pub games, one pool table,
small TV