Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese in City of London, Westminster

I was refused service at 22.45. I wanted a quick pint, 15 minutes before closing. But the staff were keen to clear up. Plenty of time to drink it before official closing. Rating purely because of that.

Loved this Pub, great atmosphere inside.

It was good ..... nice old world atmosphere...... you coukd almost smell the Great Fire of London smoldering around you.

Lovely historical place with great interior and atmosphere but very touristy. Food was average and toilets were untidy :( I’d say it’s overpriced.

While the atmosphere is nice, the staff are great, it's a little pricey for what it is 👀

Damn everything about this place sucks. Took my mum and grandma in on a Monday afternoon - thought it was going to be an old school English pub but not at all. even at that time the place was fairly busy but absolutely lacking in ambiance; guy at the bar hating his life, no music, ghostly quiet, no atmosphere just absolute wake / church after mass vibes; women’s toilets are absolutely filthy with used pads spilling out of bins; the cherry on the cake though were pigs in blankets we had ordered - £8.70 for 5 tiny, worst quality possible sausages stuck on a stick barely wrapped in bacon, it was so depressing and honestly offensive - you can get much better quality and price in a freaking wetherspoons 😭 AVOID by all means, i wish we could cancel our money spent in this disaster of an establishment

4 quid for a half-pint, you have to duck to get through the corridors, we asked for smoking area and they directed us to a bench in the street. not a welcoming place.

Long on atmosphere and ale. It's pub food but decent enough. Worth a visit.

This pub really is so cool. The history, the atmosphere is all so incredible. I will say that we did go to this pub on Saint Patrick’s day which was on a Monday, so I’m not sure if that had anything to do with it, but they were completely out of a lot of items by 5:30pm no fish and chips, no lamb, and no pork chop. The food we did order was really good, but part of the reason we went there was for the fish and chips. Even though the atmosphere was great and the food was tasty this was by far the worst service we had in all of London. I’ve truly never had a server be more rude. She was short with us from the get go. I wish we knew her name because she either hates her job or just hated us. We were a larger group and had a few kiddos with us, but we had a reservation, were patient, and the youngest kid in our group was 10 and they really weren’t rowdy at all. Our waitress seemed annoyed by our general existence. Based on the service alone I would never come back here.

Super old pub from 1600s. Awesome vibe and beer

The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is bc I think the choice of drinks at Sam Smith pubs is not to my liking. An absolutely amazing place to check out- a must even. The staff is always welcoming and knowledgeable.

They must have had a bad night. Waited for a table booked at 7pm for 20 minutes. Finally got a table upstairs. Waited for the waiter to come for some time. To find out that out of the 2 veggie options, only the salad was available. Very filling indeed. We left w/o eating. Sad because the location ans the house are cool.

People here is so nice and glad to answer all your questions. You won’t just have a nice beer (the recipe from Germany and maybe better than Germany beer☺️) and also look around this old history house❤️

Absolutely great staff. Especially the manager in the suit who was very friendly and told us all about the history of the pub. The food is lovely! I’d definitely recommend to anyone who loves a bit of history and british pubs!!

One of my favorite spots in London. An old tavern with different hidden rooms. The food was really good, the atmosphere amazing. The staff were really nice and supportive. The chessboard was spectacular and the beers great. A must in London

Tutto veramente buono! The owner is really nice and happy to share several historical notions about this piace! Highly recommend

Great ambience and history welcoming staff. I enjoyed my time there

My husband absolutely loved this pub. Really atmospheric and steeped in history. Great choice of drinks. It's a bit dark inside if you like that sort of thing. Great service. Friendly.

1666 pub full of character with lots of different areas including wood panelled rooms, cellars, and larger bar areas.

Oozing with history. This seems untouched and as it was hundreds of years ago.

One of the coolest pubs around. Amazing atmosphere, history, and a great location. Wasn’t too crowded when I visited.

Great pub. Really cosy and a great place for a drink. It's expensive but that's just the northerner in me.

What a cool Pub. The service was good and it’s an odd layout, but in a cool way!

This is a must visit pub in the city. It’s a labyrinth of nooks and bar areas. Interesting beers form the Samuel Smiths brewery, you won’t find a pint of Carling anywhere.

Yesterday we saw the Fawlty Towers play. Today we got an encore that cost more than the West End tickets. The drinks are good and there is a wide selection, and the bartenders were very earnest and trying to deal with a difficult situation. None of what went wrong is their fault. The system got our table numbers mixed up, which is not surprising since the table numbers are hardly legible and our table alone had two separate numbers on it and there were two other tables with duplicates of the same number. It took us almost an hour to get a cheese board (after they were out of everything else we wanted to order) only to get a board that was missing one of the cheeses listed on the menu. Portions were small and the quality seemed like it came from Tesco. To put the cherry on top, the toilet in the ladies does not shut and there was something like vomit in the gents. Maybe if you just come for drinks or eat at the restaurant, the place is nice and the historic atmosphere is cool. But the cellar belongs in a Monty Python sketch.

There are some things about this pub that are quite good but, from a senior management perspective, you can tell it is appallingly run. The changes that need to be made are so blindingly obvious that i’d bet a good amount of money that whoever is making the key decisions about the running of this place has never spent a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday evening (i.e. the busiest times of the week) in there. The staff we encountered worked so hard and are obviously not helped, or supported, by their leadership team.

Decent pub but rammed at the weekends

Very historical pub. I run pub tours for friends and this is always on the list. I've managed to go into a different room every time I've been here.

A quaint pub, a little more quaint than any other since 1667 - after the big fire 🔥

Love this pub! Such a good atmosphere, great to visit if you like older buildings! Food was wayyy overpriced - only got chips so can’t speak on the rest but it was expensive for chips.

Love the oldest pub in London!!!

O e of the best pubs in London,super especial

very cool spot. historic building with a very cool interior and a nice atmosphere.

Might be my favorite bar I've ever seen. Great atmosphere and the downstairs got more impressive. We did not eat, so I can't judge the food but the bar itself and the drinks were spectacular.

Staff were wonderful. This is such a cool pub, head down to the cellar for your drinks, we loved it down there!

Quite nice food and great beers. The interior is a piece of history. Worth checking!

Average. Host/reception was a bit chaotic and lost and the service was nothing great. Food was average.

Nice pub with plenty of spaces. Good beer.

The main bar and chop room are atmospheric and definitely worth a visit, but it’s really a tourist pub now and they’ve priced things accordingly. Sam Smiths were one time the cheapest places to drink, but sadly no more. An expensive pint, even by London standards.

One of the most unique places to have a pint. And the stout was great!

A truly wonderful find. It's like you've gone back to Victorian England. A must for beer and history lovers when visiting London.

Quirky old London pub. Plenty of places to explore inside. Prices ok, decent pint

One of the loveliest pubs in London. First time above ground floor. Open fire rooms upstairs are a treat. Has to be experienced. Horrible construction across the road. Needless.

A fantastic pub with many different areas, each one with a different vibe. They also have a great beer selection. All Sam Smiths, so not one for the person looking to explore multiple different breweries, but most people would find something they enjoy from the wide selection of drinks. I also had to contact the pub afterwards, and they were most helpful. Will definitely go again.

You will never find a more unique pub. It's extraordinary both in age and in design. Rebuilt just after the great fire of London in the mid 1640s, it is ancient as well. Several lounges go down well below basement level and are accessed down narrow stairs. Well worth a visit.

Came for a pint. What a cool place. Would be even more magical to eat here I bet. The restaurant staff looked very professional and accommodating. It was a bit chaotic behind the regular bar.

A traveler stopped at a monastery and they invited him to stay for a delicious dinner of fish and chips. After dinner he went in the kitchen and asked a guy "Are you the fish friar?" and the guy said "No I'm the chip monk." To save money California is combining the Dept of Fish and Wildlife and the Highway Patrol. The new department is called the Department of Fish and Chips.

The interior space is a bit small, but there are a lot of people, so it's hard to stay comfortably. Noisy and somewhat expensive

Nice old pub. Doesn’t look very big from the outside. Access the pub via a side alley off the main road. Once inside one room leads from one to another on and on. We popped in for a drink during late lunchtime, so seats limited as most people were eating. Smelled lovely, but we didn’t eat here. The pub doesn’t serve standard drinks, and uses a lesser known brewery. With most branded lagers etc, having their own equivalent.

Great beer from Sam Smith's Yorkshire brewery. Lovely warm atmosphere with a great fire on a cold evening.

The "India Ale" is ghastly so don't order it because they don't exchange bottles. Also don't order softs because they come sans fizz. You'll still be charged. If it wasn't for the history, you wouldn't want to visit. I don't know how many historical figures are turning in their graves at the state of this place.

Poor service , over priced , £1750 for a fish finger tasteless burger and cold fries . Brought to the table with napkins , cutlery or condiments . When asked the waitress turns and rolls her eyes ! Another customer also complained over the service .

Historical, fascinating and well preserved pub in Central London. Draft beer was very good.

Been here multiple times now, i’m addicted to their cider. Archie, Kyle and Liam’s service in immaculate, brings culture to the venue.

Great historic pub in Central London with so many levels and bars. I didn't eat here so can't comment on the food but there was a good selection of beers on tap and bottled if you prefer.

For £23 pounds for what I got is absolutely atrocious. Pub is a nice atmosphere but staff were so unprofessional talking behind us laughing and whispering at other customers behind their back. What a shame I really expected more. The food deserved 0 stars. The atmosphere and history is the only good thing here

What attracted us to this pub was its history. We expected decent pub food, which we got. However, the room was so cold and the draft from the window so strong, that the experience was a bit unpleasant. Moreover, some of the the staff acted like bored teenagers who had been told by their parents to be there. All in all, an evening we will remember for all the wrong reasons.

Has many levels to enjoy many kinds of beer.

The pub itself is very cool, the atmosphere really takes you back to the days where they still spoke 'ye'. However, the food was served cold and the pork pie was falling apart making it hard to eat. But we did get there 20min before they closed the kitchen so maybe we were just unlucky. The fries were good.

Best pub In central London by far.Original, historical place.Very well preserved.Soon as you walk in you get the same feeling you would get from the country pubs In the middle of nowhere,and you are in central London.Smell of open fireplace and a cold pint,life is good.

Used to be great but is a tourist trap now. The food and service have gone downhill. It’s not worth the money anymore. A shame for a pub with so much history.

Great little spot. I came here with a colleague, we sat by the open fire and had a lovely conversation with one of the locals. Nice selection of beers and the lady working the bar was really funny and friendly.

Stumbled across Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese on suggested page on Facebook. So pleased we visited, amazing atmosphere, food and true example of a traditional olde English Inn. Will definitely be coming back!

Food was okay, service was diabolical, very Dickensian indeed. At 3pm in the restaurant on a Saturday we were told to finish eating as the restaurant was closing...me and my friends were half way through eating our lunch, we were told to hurry up and finish. The staff were making us uncomfortable on purpose, slamming cutlery, aggressively spraying other tables. Shame service was so bad, as such a cool history to this pub, wishing I didn't pay the service charge, I honestly thought I'd get a punch by the staff if we contested it

Excellent. Met some lovely people and played darts with them. That's what old authentic pubs are like. No music and TV plus no Slot machine games.

Brilliant traditional old pub with hidden rooms - bigger than it looks inside. Very touristy with lots of visitors but worth a visit.

Beautiful and historic place, nice food, best atmosphere

You can only have restaurant menu in one place. The staff were awful - they didn’t wait for us both to finish before taking the plates. We sat opposite the tills and one member of staff talked about burgers very loudly for around 3 minutes. Lots not on available including broccoli. Some tourists came into bar on right and sat down by fire only to be told to move when some guests came in (not booked) but mentioned they wanted food. Very disappointing. I refused to pay service charge and waitress just huffed - wasn’t even bothered why!

I was on a mission from Vancouver on a Sunday to discover the Ideal Steak and Kidney Pudding. It was a mystical experience. I could hear the poets whispering as the veil of rain gave way to the substrate of taste and wisdom. Today, I have only my longing for origin.

Too bad they close too early...

A beautiful place that allows you to go back in time a bit. A large selection of beers, a very nice bartender, a fire roaring in the fireplace, you don't need anything else. I heartily recommend it!

Typical and very nice place. Good service. Fried a little too greasy.

The atmosphere is just super, wood burning fireplace, everything is so old, but well maintained and clean enough for a beer bar

Poor service - took plates before finishing meal.

We took a guided tour of London's historic pubs. This was the one that caught my attention the most because I really like history. It is considered one of the oldest pubs in London. At the entrance, there are the names of all the kings who have passed through while the pub was open. The entrance has an iron plate to clean the soles of your shoes, which in the past were full of dirt and mud, hence the expression "Shocked Feet", according to our guide. The beer I had was incredible. If you like dark beer, you can order it without any fear. I recommend the visit. It's a trip back in time.

A really cozy pub that feels like a labyrinth when you enter its depths. The first little counter has a real fireplace and smells great. Down below, the low ceilings and arched doorways make you really feel like you’re back in time. The Sunday roast was delicious but it did take a while to come out. Not bad to wait though with a pint in a cozy corner.

Contrary to some of the other reviews, we found the staff very friendly and helpful. The food was ok too. In fact I was having a good time until I went to the toilet. There are two options men and women/men. So no women only toilets. Obviously we are used to this now and I went in. There is one cubicle on the left as you go in, then you go round a corner to find another cubicle and separate wash basins. The second cubicle had a door that wouldn't shut. I waited outside the first cubicle as I didn't want to risk being on the toilet and a man opening the door. I felt my comfort, convenience and safety was compromised. I wondered why the options weren't women, and men/women? I felt they don't really care about the toilets as they were dirty, bins overflowing etc. Rightly or wrongly I tend to judge an eatery by their toilets and this put me right off. I won't be returning.

Several rooms in the basement, all with dim lighting, an incredible aura. What a beer, Wow, wonderful stout.

New favourite London pub. Great atmosphere and staff. Food is really good, and the bitter beer is the only one left in London that has oak barrel storage. The fish and chips were very good. Must try if you're a tourist. Will be back for another meal for sure

They say it's London's oldest pub. I say....Thank god it never closed! Such a great place to be, you can feel the old London inside

It is probably one of the oldest pubs in London, with a fireplace that is perfect for winter, located in an old cellar, delicious beer, the food not so much but the place is worth it.

I visited because it was within walking distance of the hotel I was staying at and I was drawn to Dickens. It was a really great atmosphere and food.

Such a nice and quaint old pub. It‘s so cozy to sit in its basement bar that weaves into the ground with another nook and another staircase here and there where you wouldn‘t expect it.

We got lucky with this place! It was rebuilt in 1667 and frequented by Mark Twain and Charles Dickens. How cool is that?? On top of it, the barista who at that night also wore the hats of server and bouncer, was very engaging. Got the traditional fish & chips. The interior looks as old as how it really is. Coming here gave us the actual British pub experience. Well done!!

Me and my mum travelled a 100 miles and this pub was on my list, so glad we went in, the young lady who served us is a credit to the pub. So friendly and helpful. Can’t wait to come back again. We visited the 11/1/25

One of the best Hidden Gem in london. Such an old place but maintained properly. You get the proper vibe of drinking in olden days.

One of my fav pubs ever! The history in them walls … Luved it🍺

Had the Cheshire Cheese rarebit appetizer, which was delicious, and the cod fish and chips. The chips were amazing but rather small in portion compared to the norm, but the cod was so tender and cooked to perfection. Loved the food, loved the service and the atmosphere was extraordinary. Dining at the same pub as Charles Dickens once did! It's a beautiful, beautiful spot- five stars

The place is beautiful and full of history, which makes it special. However, the service is very disappointing. The staff don’t seem trained, at times rude, and generally make you feel unwelcome. This matches what a lot of other reviews have said, and it doesn’t seem like much has improved. The ladies’ toilet seems neglected, with no investment put into it. It looks completely out of place. Additionally, the loaded fries are not worth the (high) price. The atmosphere could be improved with some music. It’s a pity because this place has so much potential, and I really hope things change soon to make it live up to what it could be.

Historic pub with many cool rooms to explore, including a cellar nook that is worth getting there early for.

Lovely old pub. It’s very chill, beers and snacks quality are good. Staff are nice. Good to sit and drink somewhere Dr Johnson used to go ;-)

The phenomenal pudding, fantastic atmosphere, it seems like you are returning to 19th century London . Fireplace included. The beers are very good...but a scam. 10 pounds for a pint?... The price does not appear on the menu, that cost them the 5 stars

Been looking forward to coming here for a while... However.... they seem to have a messed up system when it comes to reserving tables, we wanted to sit and have a quick drink next to the open fire in one of the most atmospheric rooms to warm up- it had a card on it that said it was reserved between 1200-1500for Bianca, fair enough but as it was now 1345 I asked the bar man of it was ok to sit there and that if Bianca arrived we would leave, he said ok and we sat to enjoy two beers. Everything was going ok until about 1430 when (who I assume) is a catering manager came in, she was giving the barman a telling off in full sight and hearing of the patrons - asking why we were sat there as the tables reserved and it's not us (the customer) who dictates where people sit - it's her and wed have to leave the table. I'm quite observant so I knew straight away she was talking about us, the barman came over and told us that bianca was there and the table was needed again (lies), it was 1430 by now and the reservation was only until 1500.. I was also frustrated as I'd by now noticed the table next to us was also reserved for 'Bianca' and the two gentlemen sitting there weren't asked to leave their seat (they were there prior to us arriving), the 'manager' obviously just wanted to flex her authority to the barman at out expense . Totally spoiled what was till that point a positive experience, we finished our drinks in the back room, left 10 mins later and the table we'd been asked to leave was still empty....

Beautiful building. Unpleasant service, and food atrocious. Cost nearly £10 for this (see photo)

This is a gorgeous historic pub- pop in for a beer but the food and service is terrible, so plan to eat dinner elsewhere. The 3 waitstaff were more interested in chatting than providing service, and when they did, it was disinterested. The 10 quid g&t was delivered in a tall cheap glass, no ice (the ice machine was ‘broken’’) or garnish and no bottle of tonic, so not even sure what it was. The sirloin was cold and gristly and the bubble and squeak overseasoned with pepper and salt. Overpriced and extremely disappointing. I should have checked the TripAdvisor reviews before we had dinner here!

It is a traditional old English pub, so try the Sunday roast, it has a Peaky Blinders feel

miserable place, no music, no atmosphere. the beer was poor and glasses were old and grubby. However the bar staff were friendly and understanding

The place is charming and transports you to another time in London. The traditional food is delicious and meets expectations. However, the service left something to be desired. Despite having made a reservation in advance, we were assigned a small, crooked table in the corner, although we were later moved. In addition, they do not take notes at the table, but you have to order at the bar, which does not fit with the level of the restaurant. The waiters were somewhat distant. As a suggestion, background music would improve the experience.

I’m really disappointed about this restaurant, because initially I had a really nice opinion about the food and ambiance, but when the bill came out and I asked the waiter if the service charge meant a tip and therefore was not compulsory, he said no that it was for the restaurant and I had to pay it, when I just read UK law says otherwise. The reason behind this is that, in spite of the previously mentioned positive factors of this place, the service was very lacking: When we arrived we were the only costumers and they took around 20 minutes to even come to our table, then mentioned the most emblematic dishes of the menu were not available so they would give us more time to think, again 20 min went by and no one came so we asked another waiter (the one about what the service charge meant) and we finally got to order. Also, I really feel that not having prices on alcoholic drinks is not right and feels kind of sketchy. It’s really disappointing that just because we are tourists and don’t initially know the law we are subject to being taken advantage of like this, especially because we would have loved to go back since the food was so tasty.

We wanted to spend New Year's Eve on December 31 in a unique setting... What a disappointment! The food was good but very expensive (addition which hurts). We had reserved for 8:30 p.m. and when we arrived we were told that the kitchen closed in 30 minutes so we had to order quickly. There weren't enough dishes left so we made 2 dishes for 3... The very expensive cocktails were mediocre!!! At 10 p.m. we were told that we had to go down because the upstairs was closing... Sacred December 31st!!!