On tour in London....more Devon bars coming soon
There's nothing wrong with a good old blokey boozer.
Sam Smith's pubs, of which there are about 20 in London, are categorised in almost ever discerning pub guide as having a 'blokey atmospehere'. This is probably the only way to describe them without offending customers, staff or the brewery.
They are good pubs. But they all give the impression that, while they were very pleasant in their day – around 40 years ago – now they just need a good old refurb. They do have their charm, and the six or seven that I visted with my drinking partner last weekend were good places to go for simple, cheap drinks and a quiet atmosphere - the sort of place you can sit and chat.
There is no music of any kind, and the drinks on sale are primarily from Smith's own range - Alpine lager is £2.10 a pint. While enjoying a quick beverage in one of them, we were amused to watch an American tourist and his girlfriend try to order Campari and soda - and to be told that there was no chance in hell of Sam Smith's ever selling anything even remotely like it.
They might give the impression of being a tad austere, but they do have something about them - non threatening, London as it was, the bar where everybody knows your name - that kind of thng.
If you're looking to spend a few hours of quality catching up time with friends, and you don't mind a bit of spit and sawdust, Sam Smith's pubs are a good choice. Notable venues include Ye Old Cheshire Cheese, Fleet Street, The Earl of Lonsdale, Notting Hill and the Angel, on St Giles High Street, just of Shaftesbury Avenue.