The Fitzrovia Belle — Restaurant in London

A pub with rooms upstairs. Just like the old days!

I booked this place not realizing it was not a traditional hotel, and when I arrived to check in after a looooong 15 hours in the air, surprise! I walked around the outside looking for a hotel lobby... nothing! Only a restaurant/ pub with the correct name! You walk into the pub and check in with the bartender!!!

After getting the (1920's style) keys, luggage had to be carried up some narrow, windy stairs to the room. (So no lifts and be prepared!) was told that the pub opens till 11 pm, and if you are out and about after that, you give your keys to the bartender, who will give them to the night watchman, who will let you in when you show up at the door. Kinda a funky arrangement but I suppose it works, but never tested it myself.

Rooms are on the small side, but the king sized bed was comfortable. Since we were on the level above the pub, at night you could hear the noise downstairs, but it wasn't that loud and it did not disburb me.

Included in the room rate was breakfast. Yum! There was a limited choice, but the main 3 items were: English Breakfast, Vegetarian type breakfast, and a continental breakfast. Staying there for 3 nights, I decided to give each one a try, and they were all good (ranked in the respective order in my previous sentence). The server and cook were really polite, checked up on us to see if everything is okay.... a nice experience.

The pub itself is nice too, with a main room, another room closer to the street, and some outdoor tables. We did not find ourselves there in the evening, but it is a pretty happening place. Generally pretty full, lots of traffic, flowing conversation and drinks!

So a somewhat different experience for me! Just like in the old days you read in the story books or see in the old movies, a pub with rooms upstairs for people to sleep it off! (Modern version of it anyways!) Little on the high average side in price, but you get a meal included, very decent room, dining downstairs, and within 5 min walk to at least 2 - 3...

I went there twice within a week because of the good reviews for food as I work around the corner and I had not been there previously.

Restaurant place like, not a proper pub or even gastro-pub with table service (all tables are for food it seems). So far nothing really bad (apart from the non-pub like atmosphere) with the manager (owner?) welcoming me friendly in my first visit.

The first time I ordered a double bacon burger (the double is supposed to go for the bacon not a double burger). The burger was eatable (nothing special, for example when compared in quality with the GBK chain which is really good) but I did not feel the bacon at all (which was supposed to be double!). The fries (thin fries not thick cut chips) were on the frozen side simply tasteless to neutral at best.

I decided to give it a second try to the place after a week for something more standard like the fish and chips, especially because of other reviews recommending the fish and chips there compared with other local places. The fish of the day (not standard fish as the menu does not mention which one, only catch of the day) was cod with thick-cut chips. The fish had a distinctive smell (I don't know why) with lots of butter around (the fish looked big but only because of the butter around it). It also came as dark brown as overcooked (probably too high temperature as it arrived within 5 minutes). The chips were tasteless and not cooked properly (not left enough to cook completely). Peas were an extra 1.95 so I am glad I skipped that.

The waitress asked me about the food when I was paying, and I told her that I did not like it: the fish had a smell and the chips were under cooked. She said that she will pass the feedback to the cook.

I don't know why so many reviews about good food. Better try the Green Man (Greene King) pub near the Portland Street station (6-7 minutes walk) for a nice fish and chips and other plates and a proper pub atmosphere (if that matters to you). I will not visit the Fitzrovia...

Dangerous experience! Been there with my gf, waiting for some friends coming. The waiter allocated us to a table (our request was for 5/6 people). While waiting for our friends to come, the group next to us started threatening us they wanted to occupy our table too. It didn't matter the table was actually empty and ready for some customers, they were visibly drunk, and wanted to show off that was their area, at any cost. Who was probably the manager came and, apparently, it was ok for him that this group was taking the whole table without even sitting on it. After this, the group started insulting both me and my gf, who got scared by the aggressiveness these people were using against us for no reason. As I'm a peaceful person, I left the table without saying a word. I live around the area. They can be sure they won't see me ever again and, in case something like this will happen in the future, I'll call the police, with all the consequences associated to this manager, who kept on serving drinks to a group of people who clearly were aggressive and out of control. Go to the TCR instead. It's the pub next to this place but people working there...