The Bishops Finger, Smithfield, EC1

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Blackthorn _ left this review about The Bishops Finger

An attractive and traditional looking pub just across the road from Smithfield Market, it’s reasonably compact internally and was pretty much full to capacity on my recent Tuesday evening visit, although I did manage to squeeze in to a small table in the corner.

Décor wise it’s fairly unremarkable, with black wooden boards on the floor that have been polished smooth over the years, white embossed wallpaper on the ceiling and black supporting pillars, whilst the walls were predominately a pale taupe colour, with some deep maroon off to the left. A number of old pictures were on the walls including some of the local market, as well as various brewery related advertising and artefacts. Seating was a mixture of regular tables and chairs, some smaller high tables and a little padded bench seating. A carved wooden backdrop behind the bar was something of a feature, incorporating the pub’s name, a clock and a brewery mirror.

The menu offered a decent selection of pub grub dishes, including a number of sausages which appear to be something of a speciality, with today’s selection chalked up on a blackboard. I opted for the smoked haddock fishcakes and these were perfectly adequate, if nothing spectacular, but for the £12.50 price point I though they were very good value given the area.

Beers on tap were all from Shepherd Neame with their Bishop’s Finger, Spitfire and Whitstable Bay, whilst a fourth pump appeared unused. The solitary cider meanwhile was Orchard View. Overall, whilst nothing particularly made it stand out, the staff were very friendly and the food was good value. I’d be happy to return if in the area.

On 16^th May 2023 - rating: 6
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