The Bell Hotel - JD Wetherspoon

You're looking at one of the few Wetherspoons that doesn't feel like it was assembled from a flatpack. The Bell sits on Orford Hill in a building that's been welcoming travellers since the coaching inn days, and somehow Tim Martin's empire has managed not to completely strip away its soul. The original features – beamed ceilings, nooks and crannies – give it proper pub atmosphere that makes you forget you're in a chain. The usual Spoons formula applies: dirt-cheap pints, curry club on Thursdays, and that slightly chaotic energy that comes with being open from breakfast until late. But here it works because the building does half the heavy lifting. You'll find the regular mix of students, office workers, and old boys propping up the bar, but the setting elevates it beyond your average high street 'Spoons.