The Ten Bells
The Ten Bells stands on the corner of Commercial Street and Fournier Street in Spitalfields, occupying a site that has hosted licensed premises since at least 1753. The current building dates from the 1750s and was rebuilt or substantially refurbished in the 1850s. Originally known as the Eight Bells and later the Ten Bells, the pub gained its name from the bells of nearby Christ Church Spitalfields, designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor. For a brief period in the 1980s it was renamed the Jack the Ripper, making explicit the connection that has defined much of its modern identity, though public outcry led to the restoration of its traditional name. The building has operated continuously as a public house for well over two centuries, surviving the Blitz, urban renewal schemes, and the dramatic transformations of the East End.
The pub's interior is one of its greatest treasures, particularly the magnificent tile work that adorns the walls. Dating from an 1890s refurbishment, these decorative tiles depict scenes of Victorian life and are among the finest examples of pub tilework in London. The front bar retains much of its late Victorian character, with dark wood panelling, etched glass, and an ornate ceiling. The atmosphere manages to balance historical authenticity with the vitality of modern Spitalfields—during the day it can feel like a slightly worn time capsule, while evenings bring crowds of locals, tourists, and market-goers. The pub has been sensitively maintained rather than over-restored, preserving the patina of age that gives it genuine character rather than theme-park nostalgia.
The Ten Bells is inextricably linked to the Jack the Ripper murders of 1888. Several of the Ripper's victims, including Annie Chapman and Mary Jane Kelly, were known to have drunk at the pub, which then sat at the heart of one of London's most impoverished and desperate quarters. The pub has become a pilgrimage site for those interested in Ripper lore, and various walking tours regularly pause outside or conclude within its walls. While some establishments might exploit such a connection crassly, The Ten Bells handles its dark history with a degree of restraint, acknowledging the facts without turning the victims' suffering into entertainment. Photographs and contemporary newspaper clippings adorn the walls, serving as sombre reminders of the Whitechapel murders rather than sensationalist decoration.
The beer selection reflects modern pub trends while respecting traditional tastes. You'll find a rotating selection of cask ales alongside craft beers, lagers, and a full bar. The pub has embraced the gastropub movement to some extent, offering a food menu that goes beyond standard pub fare—though it's worth noting that the food offering has varied over the years depending on management. During busy periods, particularly weekend afternoons when Spitalfields Market is at its peak, the kitchen serves burgers, Sunday roasts, and British classics with contemporary touches. The Ten Bells has always been more about the drinking experience and the atmosphere than fine dining, though the food is generally competent and satisfying.
Spitalfields itself has undergone one of London's most dramatic transformations over the past few decades. Once synonymous with poverty, crime, and the rag trade, the area is now a fashionable quarter where restored Georgian houses command premium prices and Old Spitalfields Market has evolved into a destination for vintage fashion, artisan food, and craft stalls. The Ten Bells sits directly opposite the market and next door to Christ Church Spitalfields, Hawksmoor's baroque masterpiece completed in 1729. Fournier Street, extending eastward from the pub, is one of London's most handsome Georgian streets, its houses once occupied by Huguenot silk weavers, then Jewish immigrants, then Bangladeshi communities, and now largely gentrified. Brick Lane, the heart of London's Bangladeshi community, lies just a short walk away.
The pub attracts an eclectic mix of visitors. Market traders and stallholders use it as a local; tourists arrive clutching maps and Ripper books; artists and creative types who have colonized Spitalfields over recent decades treat it as a neighbourhood institution; and on Sunday afternoons especially, it fills with groups enjoying post-market pints. The Ten Bells has appeared in documentaries, television programmes, and films exploring Ripper history, and it features in numerous guidebooks and walking tour itineraries. Despite this attention, it has managed to retain something of a local pub atmosphere—a testament to its management and to the resilient character of the building itself, which seems to absorb rather than be overwhelmed by the constant flow of curious visitors.
The best time to visit depends on what you're seeking. Early weekday evenings offer the most authentic local pub experience, when the crowd is smaller and you can appreciate the Victorian interior without jostling for space. Sunday afternoons are atmospheric but very busy, with the market in full swing and the pub serving as a natural gathering point. If you're interested in the Ripper connection, visiting at dusk on a weekday can evoke something of the atmosphere of Victorian Whitechapel, though the area is now almost unrecognizably different from its nineteenth-century incarnation. The pub is open throughout the week with standard London pub hours, and while it can get crowded, it rarely feels uncomfortably so given its reasonable size and the overflow onto the pavement in decent weather.
What to expect is a genuine historical London pub that has embraced rather than run from its dark associations, a piece of Victorian craftsmanship surviving in a neighbourhood that has been repeatedly reinvented, and a drinking establishment that serves both as tourist attraction and functioning local. The Ten Bells is neither sanitized nor exploitative, neither a museum piece nor a theme pub. It occupies a middle ground that allows it to be both historically significant and vitally alive, a place where you can contemplate London's darkest criminal mystery while enjoying a pint surrounded by the beautiful remnants of Victorian pub design.