Five Crowns Restaurant

From Hurley Bell to Five Crowns

3/1/2020

Corona Del Mar’s oldest restaurant, known today as Five Crowns was built in 1936 by Matilda “Tillie” Lemon MacCulloch. An American wife of a wealthy Scotsman, she lived in England but had grown up visiting Southern California as a child. She modeled it after Ye Olde Bell, an inn at Hurley-on-Thames, 35 miles west of London, England and called it the Hurley Bell. Local architect Shelby Coon used photographs of the inn to design it. Originally planned to be an inn, the MacCullochs ended up making it their home.

Matilda MacCulloch, 1900. (Credit: Marguerite Atkinson Collection, Sherman Library.)

Shelton McHenry and Bruce Warren who ran the Tail o’ the Cock Restaurant in Los Angeles leased it for a new location in 1943 but it would only last for 3 years. Tillie and her daughter would revitalize the Hurley Inn for a few years until Tillie’s death in 1948.

After leasing it to a series of unsuccessful entrepreneurs, the restaurant was leased to the Frank and Van de Kamp families and was re-modeled and re-opened as the Five Crowns in 1965. It continues to operate today, having been purchased by Lawry’s Food Corporation in the 1980s.

8 Comments

Antoni Taylor Cook link

11/4/2021 02:50:42 pm

I was living a few blocks away in The Sixties.

Kevin Fleming

6/25/2022 09:19:38 pm

I can provide you with other images of Hurley Bell 1940s matchcovers plus Tail o’the Cock and the place in England if you send me your email.

Karen Johnston

7/19/2023 12:46:31 am

Our Newport Harbor High School class from 1963 has a volunteer team working on the archives at the NHHS on-campus museum “Heritage Hall”. We works be delighted to include any photos of the restaurant we knew and loved, The Hurley Bell. Many of us have dined, many times, in that beautiful, historic building up to the present day.

Thank you in advance for any vintage photos you may be able to share with us.

With great appreciation,
NH63 Heritage Hall
Volunteer Team.

Heathyr Easton

10/12/2023 09:37:33 am

Hello - my parents met at the Hurleybell in 1958 (married 1963), we're throwing them a 60th wedding anniversary and would love to have access to high res images that I might use for fun memorabilia at the dinner party which is quickly approaching (10/26). Thank you! Heathyr

Kelly Hacker link

8/22/2025 11:06:24 am

Marguerite Atkinson was my second Aunt. She married my Uncle Thomas Atkinson, who was my grandmother's brother. Tommy was a Colonel at El Toro Marine Base in Santa Ana, CA. I remember when my Aunt Marguerite sold the Hurley Belle to Lawry's in 1964. (I believe.) I was 5 years old.

My Auntie M invited the family down to pick out a favorite item from her home prior to the closing. I remember that day standing outside in the beautiful sunshine, as we all stood in front of the building that I thought was very impressive.

As a five year old I didn't understand what was going on...I just knew that important people were there and my Aunt happened to be one of them to my surprise! She always seemed to operate in a man's world like it was natural for her, which I still find to this day quite fascinating about her.

She owned a lot of stock as I remember later discussing the stock market early on as a child over those sumptuous enclosed glass patio breakfasts by the bay.

I still have several of the pieces of furniture, old menus from 1943, Blueprints of the building on PCH, photos, leases, a letter from Betty Crocker addressed to my auntie M regarding the lunch they shared together at the Hurley Belle when Betty Crocker was in town for a radio interview. It is quite charming as was my Auntie M.

I remember her fondly and was lucky enough to be invited by her to spend the night at the new house she built on the peninsula that she lived and died in after the sale of the Hurley Belle. It was located on the water facing the bayside and was located several house before you reach the Newport Harbor Yacht Club and up from the little bay inlet with the swim dock you can swim too.

She had a lovely enclosed glass patio out on the deck overlooking the blue water and the boats that went by. I remember fondly where we were served a big English breakfast by her long time companion Kitty. She also had a chef who worked for her in the kitchen as I
remember.

I could go on and on with my wonderful, seemingly magical remembrances of her. She was a living legend or so it seemed to me. A bit of a hoarder too. I remember someone saying she had several garages rented from neighbors that she had stuffed full of her fascinating collections she gathered on her international travels.

Also, it was said that she had 7 trunks full of Blue Chip Stamps that could no longer be used. I would love to hear more stories about her and the people that visited to dine and sing at the famous Piano Bar I hear so much about. I still have 4 bottles of original liquor from the bar when she sold the property! A unique woman and quite a character as I remember!

Oh I just remembered the piece of Scotch tape she wore above her nose across her worry lines on her forehead at breakfast to relax her worry lines. Omg pre-botox...she was a visionary! Lol

Kristin Moylan

1/4/2026 10:46:24 am

Marguerite “Bunty” … was my great grandmother. Tommy Atkinson is my great grandfather and I Stella Atkinson, my grandmother. We were extremely close. I was raised going to The Five Crowns every Sunday after church with her where she had a special table always reserved for her in the back. I have fond memories with her and enjoyed all the stories from growing up in England and how the Hurley Bell Inn came to be. Nice to hear stories from a relative I didn’t know I had! :)

Caroldao link

5/25/2023 01:39:49 am

Thank you forr sharing this

Elaine kermes

11/1/2023 09:09:38 pm

3 of us gals rented a house on the beach & enjoyed the Five Crowns on a Sunday nite..a piano player would ask for anyone to sing & many did...Pilar Wayne was among the crowds! This was about 1960..very exciting at the time!

From Hurley Bell to Five Crowns

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