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Image posted by Just a quick pint, then I'm off
Submitted on Thursday, 8th April 2021
With picture contributions to 9888 other pubs
View all this pub's pictures (26 more images)
Detail Pages
The Champion, Fitzrovia, W1
W1
W1T 3PA
Served areas
Reviews of The Champion (Average Rating: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Champion
I have devised a strategy for dealing with Sam Smiths London pubs that do not have OBB on hand pump and that is to visit in Winter when I can huddle up with a bottle of one of their stouts, which I do tend to rate. And so finding myself nearby on a particularly nippy March afternoon I revisited The Champion, primarily to enjoy its excellent décor, which has been especially well described by the reviewer below.
I went for a bottle of their Organic Chocolate Stout and settled back in one of the alcoves to enjoy it and the view of the pub. Whilst I was sitting there the sun came out and magically shone through the stained glass windows, one again proving that the sun shines on the righteous.
26th April 2009
It is worth visiting this pub for the stunning stained glass windows displaying champion sportsmen from the late 1800's.
And inside it gets even better with an interior more reminiscent of a gin palace than a pub. Wonderful dark wood interior , superb period lighting and a really good lively and jovial evening crowd.
It's a Sam Smiths pub which means the beer is cheap, but the one downside (and it's a big one),is that there is only Keg OBB.
A real shame, because with real ale , this would almost be the perfect pub.
On 31st March 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2111 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Champion
This attractive street corner pub was notably quieter than many other pubs in its general vicinity, in the side streets off Oxford Street. Being a Sam Smith’s pub, the place has much more of a traditional feel to it than most of the boozers nearby, although there was still a relatively mixed clientele in attendance, perhaps grateful for somewhere a bit quieter than the likes of the neighbouring Adam & Eve. The interior was dimly lit on my evening visit, making for a cosy, warm feel that was enhanced by the exposed floorboards, dark painted walls and wonderful servery, which the room wraps around. The bar has an excellent dark wood counter, brass foot rails, a partly removed dark wood and mirrored bar back and some impressive snob screens with etched glass panes and a decorative stained glass top piece. The whole servery had been decked in fairy lights, which further enhanced the ambiance on a cold Winter’s evening. The pub’s finest feature has to be the amazing run of highly decorative stained-glass windows, most of which depict ‘champions’ of various sports, complete with a smaller pane above containing a potted biography. There are also some excellent stained-glass panes in all of the doors, and I had to wonder quite how great this would all look if the sun were streaming through. Seating is mainly arranged around the perimeter and mostly comprises well upholstered chairs serving tables of differing sizes. The rear wall has been decorated with a collection of old documents, paintings, plans and the like and a staircase back here leads up to a restaurant space, which I didn’t explore.
Sadly, there’s no sign of any cask ales here – Old Brewery Bitter was available in keg format, along with all the usual Sam Smith’s regular brews, so I ended up with a pint of the Extra Stout for £5.50. The lone barmaid was doing some sterling work keeping up with all the orders and my pint of Stout was reasonable, if perhaps a bit too cold on such a freezing evening.
I really liked this place and thought it had a very striking interior with some genuinely interesting features and a really nice warm ambiance that made me want to just settle down for a session. The place is let down on the beer front though, so that session may only be appealing if you’re okay with Sam Smith’s keg or bottled options. Either way, definitely worth popping your head in here, even if it’s just for a quick half, to check the place out.
On 22nd March 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Champion
Having slightly lost my way to the next pub on my list, I stumbled across this gem of a Sam Smiths back street corner pub. The windows feature likenesses of some rather outdated sportsmen and other celebrities, the only female I can recall from a brief perusal was Florence Nightingale. As with all Sam's pubs, certainly in this part of London, this is a well-presented pub with the impression of a well-preserved (or restored) interior. It was busy with a post-work rush at the time of my visit, so I had enough cover to use my phone to find my way on to my next port of call. My half of Old Brewery was ok, considering it was the keg version. Having had a half of the same beer at the previous pub, I was able to make a direct comparison. Only slightly too cold and gassy, was my conclusion, and lacking in the complexity that this beer has when at its best.
On 17th February 2020
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3745 recommendations about 3482 pubs]
View more reviews of The Champion (8)
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- Randomness Guide to London - Champion entry
- Facebook - The Champion Pub
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Champion - whatpub.com
London Euston, 1.2 miles, 23 min walk (show)
London St Pancras International, 1.51 miles, 29 min walk (show)
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 20 December 2019 by Quinno _
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 20 December 2019 by Quinno _
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 20 December 2019 by Quinno _
- Beer Garden : No last updated 20 December 2019 by Quinno _
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 20 December 2019 by Quinno _
- Car Park : No last updated 20 December 2019 by Quinno _
- Child Friendly : No last updated 20 December 2019 by Quinno _
- Darts : Yes last updated 20 December 2019 by Quinno _
- Dog Friendly : No last updated 20 December 2019 by Quinno _
- Function Room : No last updated 20 December 2019 by Quinno _
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 20 December 2019 by Quinno _
- Jukebox : No last updated 20 December 2019 by Quinno _
- Karaoke : No last updated 20 December 2019 by Quinno _
- Live Music : No last updated 20 December 2019 by Quinno _
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 20 December 2019 by Quinno _
- Micropub : No last updated 20 December 2019 by Quinno _
- Pinball : No last updated 20 December 2019 by Quinno _
- Pool Table : No last updated 20 December 2019 by Quinno _
- Quiz Night : No last updated 20 December 2019 by Quinno _
- Real Ale : No last updated 20 December 2019 by Quinno _
- Real Cider : No last updated 20 December 2019 by Quinno _
- WiFi : No last updated 20 December 2019 by Quinno _
