Sam Smith’s pubs – what are they and where can you find them? Here’s everything you need to know.
Sam Smith’s pubs only serve drinks from its own brewery, Samuel Smith’s Brewery, which is Yorkshire’s oldest brewery founded in 1758 by the members of the Smith family. The brewery has everything from bitters, stouts, and lagers to porters and fruit beers– all really tasty and known for being reasonably priced.
Sam Smith’s pubs usually have Victorian interiors, etched glass and dark wood panels.
They also often have a series of strict rules. No phones, tablets, or any tech whatsoever- this is to encourage good old fashioned chit chat. Absolutely no swearing and you must pay in cash only– we think this is because card machines are tech, right?
Ready to experience an eccentric and quintessentially British pub experience? Leave your phones at home and let’s go.
Sam Smith’s London Pubs
The Yorkshire Grey
Fitzrovia
You’ll find The Yorkshire Grey hiding in the backstreets of Fitzrovia, and it’s not easy to miss with its royal green exterior and pub goers sprawled outside, Sam Smith’s in hand.
Yorkshire Grey is dubbed as a hangout spot for BBC workers, probably since pints are reasonably priced or just that it’s close to their offices.
It’s easy to see why this Sam Smith pub gets so busy, with a roaring fireplace and the possibility of running into a celebrity. Although, you won’t be able to snap a quick pic if you do– this pub operates a strict no phones policy. This might not be such a bad thing after a few pints.
The Angel
The Angel is a typical Sam Smith’s pub, with classic antique wooden panelling and leather covered seats– it fits the bill perfectly.
This riverside boozer serves Sam Smith’s lagers, stouts and bitters as well as pub grub that feels as if it has not changed since the 80s.
The Angel’s views of the River Thames are easily the best thing about this quirky little pub. Upstairs is a larger dining space than the compact downstairs bar with idyllic views of the river. It’s the best Sam Smiths pub in London for views– you’ll find the best views sitting out on the narrow balcony,
Anchor Tap
Down a backstreet near Tower Bridge you’ll find the Anchor Tap. There’s no mistaking that it’s a Sam Smith’s pub from the moment you enter this silent watering hole, not to so much a whisper of music or the 21st Century.
This pub has several small rooms to explore and enjoy your Sam Smith’s real ale in. Despite the no tech rule, you’ll never get bored here. Play a game of pool, sit by the fire, or chill out in the garden.
This Sam Smith’s pub is worth a visit, its traditional decor reminds you of a London before bare brick walls and minimal chic.
The Champion
Fitzrovia
The Champion is a Sam Smith’s pub that champions above all the rest, and here’s why.
The Champion’s ambiance is similar to most Sam Smith’s pubs – but its interior is a beautiful masterpiece that you must see.
This Victorian corner pub is grade-II listed and has the most spectacular stained glass windows commissioned by Samuel Smith Brewery. Each window shows a Victorian champion, some of which include Florence Nightingale and David Livingstone– it’s like social media for the Victorian age.
The Crown and Sugarloaf
The Crown and Sugarloaf is a small and cosy Sam smith pub tucked away down a side street just off Fleet Street. It’s so small that this pub doesn’t serve food, but it still has that Sam Smith charm nonetheless.
Its open fire is a warm oasis from London’s chilly winters, and a great place to escape the bustle of the city, only the sound of chatter fills this pub.
The Crown’s mosaic floors, marble bar top and gin palace mirrors exuberate class and are different to the other pubs you’ll find in Central London.
Lyceum Tavern
What might initially draw you to the Lyceum Tavern is its beautiful wood-panelled exterior, Victorian lights and hanging baskets in the summer. But you’ll stay for reasonably-priced pints and a cosy atmosphere.
It was once an opera-house, before becoming the Lyceum Tavern where Bram Stoker penned the infamous Dracula novel.
This old-fashioned pub is made up of small intimate booths for you and your friends to enjoy steak and kidney pies, bangers and mash, fish and chips out of newspaper, and of course a pint or three.
The Captain Kidd
Wapping
As far as Sam Smith’s pubs in London go, this one tops the list for its location and history. Pirates assemble, The Captain Kidd is named after the 17th century pirate Willaim Kidd who was executed at the nearby execution dock.
The warehouse location with large windows overlooking the Thames gives it that eccentric charm with all of the history to back it up. There are plenty of small booths to enjoy your Sam Smith’s pints in.
You could also head out into the courtyard opposite the river and soak in some unique riverside views.
Princess Louise
Victorian Gin palaces in London were exquisite, and lucky for you the Princess Louise is a fine example of one.
From its ornate mirrors, mosaic tiles, brass and mahogany partitions, stepping into Princess Louise is like turning back time. We think Sam Smith’s rule of no tech, no swearing and definitely no music fits the bill perfectly here.
It’s the best Sam Smith’s pub in London for marvelling over its authentic decor and sharing a few quiet pints with friends.
Cittie of Yorke
Holborn
Besides looking like something akin to Harry Potter’s Gringotts, Cittie of Yorke’s lofty vaulted ceiling is just one of many reasons to pay it a visit.
This cavernous Sam Smith’s pub with a wooden beam ceiling and an iron fireplace as a centrepiece is charming by design. You’ll enter through a passage leading you to a wooden bar and then into the main chamber.
You should head down to the basement, if it’s open, it has its own bar– not recommended for those who are claustrophobic.
Rising Sun
Barbican
Closeby to The Charterhouse and moments away from Barbican station is the Rising Sun. A historic and traditional English pub from its decor to the food.
Rising Sun has a gruesome past – apparently, it’s where the bodysnatchers would hang around in the 19th-century snatching medical subjects as they emerged from the pub.
If its eerie past doesn’t put you off, this pub serves up all of Sam Smith’s delightful ales, beers and lagers surrounded by dark wood panels and a clock mounted on an archway that dissects the bar in half– maybe paying homage to its deadly past.
The Glasshouse Stores
This Sam Smith pub in Soho has everything that a Sam Smith’s pub should. The Glasshouse Stores has it all, from its trademark affordable prices to its Victorian-style decor with etched glass and dark wood panelling.
You can sit in various small booths and soak in The Glasshouse Stores’ character with a few Sam Smith bitters. When you’re done enjoying the sound of chatter without a phone in sight, challenge your friends to a game of darts before enjoying a nice pub lunch and a classic Alpine Lager.
Bricklayers Arms
Fitzrovia
One reason you may visit the Bricklayers Arms is for its drink prices. Fitzrovia prices aren’t all wallet-friendly, so this Sam Smith’s pub is a glimmer of hope.
Besides its reasonable pint prices, its hanging baskets and Tudor decor from the outside, are too, just as inviting.
Its atmosphere may be pared-back, with not too much of a crowd inside, but its decor more than makes up for that. Dark wood fittings and decorated glass, a huge fireplace and some outdoor seating perfect for people watching– and secretly using your phone.
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese
Blackfriars
Located on Fleet Street, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese is a bit of a British institution and one of London’s oldest pubs.
It has all of the usual charm of a Sam Smith’s pub, oak furniture and cosy interiors– but there’s something a bit more intriguing about Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. A stone staircase leads you down into the cellars, where the space divides into a series of small drinking spaces.
This Fleet Street landmark claims Dickens and Orwell wrote some of their literary works here– the cellar seems a likely spot for literary masterpieces to be written.
The Chandos
Leicester Square
The Chandos is easily one of the liveliest Sam Smith’s pubs. Located near Trafalgar Square it is popular with after-work revellers on weekdays crammed into the downstairs bar.
The upstairs bar is named the Opera Room after the National Opera at the nearby London Coliseum.
The lounge offers bay window seating, plush leather sofas and beautiful glass windows and is a much more peaceful place to enjoy some classic pub grub and a pint than the downstairs bar.
The Fitzroy Tavern
Fitzrovia
One of Fitzrovia’s most famous pubs, The Fitzroy Tavern, is also one of the best Samuel Smith pubs in London. Its Victorian lincrusta ceiling and mahogany partitioned rooms are grandeur and ornate mirrors adorn the walls at The Fitzroy Tavern.
There’s a good selection of Sam Smith’s drinks here as well as an upstairs restaurant serving British classics all day long.
The Ultimate Sam Smith’s London Pub Crawl
If you start in Fitzrovia, you can cover quite a few pubs on this list in a pub crawl. The Yorkshire Grey, The Champion, Bricklayer’s Arms, The Angel, Glasshouse Stores, and The Chandos are all in close proximity to each other.
Alternatively, a mini-crawl we love to indulge in starts a little further east. Pop into The Captain Kidd for a pint before making your way west along the Thames to the Anchor Tap. Reward yourself with another pint, of course.
