The Angel, SE16

I must have been following one of those lists of "must see" London pubs mentioned by the previous reviewer, as this one doesn't have the intactness to get it onto Camra's heritage inventory of outstanding historical interiors, but it does have listed status and is on Camra's OCR list instead (outstanding conversions and restorations). Notable here is the snug beside the bar which has a low door (similar to the Prince Alfred in Maida Vale but not so elegant - in fact, not at all elegant, merely functional). No cask beers, and though I asked for the keg Old Brewery I'm pretty sure the barman gave me Sovereign (£4.90/pint). No matter. It was pretty quiet when I was here, just before sunset in early January and I didn't find this as pleasant as some of the Sam Smiths pubs I've been to in Fitzrovia and Soho, for example, and the beer is nothing to write home about. Date of visit: 9th January 2024

Another of Sam Smiths beautifully restored London pubs with a collection of separate seating areas around the central serving area. For a North Londoner its Rotherhithe Thames side location also provides different north west facing views of the skyscrapers of London, which can be enjoyed from an outside ground floor decking area. Yes there’s no draught OBB here but a fairly extensive range of SS products on Keg and in bottle and on a fairly chilly afternoon I went for a bottle of the reliable Taddy porter and enjoyed it whilst taking in the views from the outside decking area. This is a really nice pub and it shouldn’t be penalised too heavily for the lack of any products on hand pump.

Nothing on the outside indicating its a Sam Smiths pub. All becomes painfully apparent when you wonder in, see the pumps and the huge sign telling you that mobiles are banned. Right. Outside and inside, its worth checking out for its tradition and of course, its location. A central bar is surrounded by various rooms partition by wood with a 5ft hole to crouch through. This does of course mean you can find a place where the staff can't see you on your phone. How else are you expected to work out how to get Charlton on public transport!

A survivor building on the Thames side, owned by Sam Smiths. The interior is a fairly open plan U shape, broken-up by half-height wood panelled dividers with extremely low passageway entrances - looked to me like they are a recent addition (having now researched, I was right!). Usual Sam's range of browns and creams, along with a polished concrete(?) floor which gave it an austere feel. On exploring we discovered a tidy and cosier side section with extra rooms, comfy seating and a river view up and including Tower Bridge. There’s also access to a small decking area outside – though mind your shoes as the wake caused by passing boats will break underneath and push jets of water up through the gaps! The upstairs area wasn’t open on my visit, which was a shame as I hear the views are excellent. No cask OBB here, sadly, so bottles of Organic Perry and Pale Ale were the order of the day. The long haired barman resembled Neil from the Young Ones, who would have probably enjoyed it in here. A solid Sam’s.