Windsor Castle, Westminster, SW1

Being tucked away behind Westminster Cathedral, this spacious Sam Smiths pub is easy to miss. The first thing that strikes you is that the place has a very sombre and drab feel to it with dated wallpaper and a heavy dark patterned ceilings. The bar takes up a huge chunk of floorsapce and retains its canopy upon which are a few barrels and nick nacks. At one end is a darts area and a Big Screen hovers over to the other side. To the rear behind a divide is a further seating area which, even under the skylight, is equally dark and dingy where even the sunniest of days fails to pentrate through the gloominess. A kitchen area can be seen behind a half divide at the very back. Pictures of various Bishops and other ecclesiastic celebrities from the dim and distant pass adorn the walls and there is a small book collection on a shelf at the rear. Upstairs is a small lounge bar which is open open at selected times. The beers are of course from the Sam Smiths range and the Old Brewery Bitter is on hand pump (currently £1.99 a pint). If you don’t mind the pub’s perpetual grimness and the Sam Smith beers, it is generally a quiet and peaceful place that is overlooked by the hordes that throng the nearby shops, theatres and station.

This is one of the less structurally remarkable Sam Smiths pubs that I have been into, but the barmaid that served me was friendly enough and they still retain OBB on hand pump. There is a dartboard at the front of the pub and the rear has a dining area feel as it is overlooked by a big food bar. Worth a look if in the area.

A Samuel Smith pub.Usual dark wood interior, comfortable seats. Has their own ale on sale, £1.88 a pint. Lunch served until 2:15 Mon-Sat and Evening food Mon-Thurs, though I can;t remember the times. No outside drinking area. Has an upstairs bar available for hire and an enclosed seating area at the back.