This London pub has started adding a late-night fee to orders

Here in London we’re used to pricy pints. But a fee for drinking after 10pm? That’s a new one on us. 

It’s a practice that one London pub has reportedly employed, charging punters around an extra 10 percent, according to a post on Twitter last week. The Ten Bells in Spitalfields – which is better known for being one of London’s most haunted pubs thanks to alleged links to Jack the Ripper – has been freaking out customers for entirely different reasons.

After buying a round of three pints at 10.05pm, Matt Broad was miffed to find an extra £1.95 on his bill, attributed to ‘TB Late Night Pricing’.  

‘Disgusting behaviour,’ Broad wrote. ‘Charging an additional cost for “late night” at 10pm. Are you for real? Where is that advertised in the pub?’ 

The Ten Bells was unavailable to comment at the time of publication, but some people have offered explanations. 

One source told the Telegraph that perhaps the local council’s Late Night Levy was to blame. Tower Hamlets council – which covers Spitalfields – introduced a Late Night Levy in January 2018, a fee that the council charges selected boozers in a move to stamp out anti-social behaviour. For premises where alcohol is the main trade, the fee could be up to £85 per week. 

Photograph: phaustov/Shutterstock.com

According to the council website, the extra cash is used to pay for costs associated with drinkers, such as more policing at night, solar-powered bins (?) and street cleans. 

Maybe The Ten Bells is passing this fee straight onto the customer. Or maybe evening pints are just going to cost more and the world as we know it is going to end.

Whatever the reason, we reckon it’s your round.

Like the sound of a haunted boozer? Here are London’s spookiest pubs. 

Feeling the pinch? Check out our pick of the 50 best things to do for under a fiver in London.