The Champion, Fitzrovia, W1

For the area, this is a fairly typical Sam Smith's outlet with dark wood and no real ale; Sovereign on tap. The main draw are the stained glass windows depicting sporting heroes of the past, such as W. G. Grace and Kevin Keegan. Ok, so I made that one up but it may as well be true as the windows were only installed in 1989! If this weren't a Smith's gaff I'd return, but with the taste of Old Brewery Bitter still lingering from our trip to the neighbouring Blue Posts, two Sammy's experiences back to back was a bit much so we left, dry.