Smugglers Tavern

I have only been to this pub since the refurbishment. The food is so good. The buttermilk chicken burger is amazing and have been back for it on multiple occasions. Good selection of craft beers.

Our first meal in London was totally a «where do we go? Let’s try that pub» decision. It was very empty except for a couple at the bar. So, we started out causiously. Then the fantastic started.
We were greeted at the door by the «tall, dark and handsome» manager, Anthony. He guided us through some of his favorite tap brews, apps and entrees. We went with everything he recommended: Mac and cheese deep fried balls, rosemary fries, chicken schnitzel with a fried egg and boiled potatoes, pull pork sandwiches and steamed herb cabbage. Man, everything was so fresh, tasty, satisfying and fantastic. Plus we all were entertained by Anthony with his stories and life’s experiences. This is London at its most simplified fun and delicious fulfillment. And the Meantime Red beer on tap was such a well balanced local brew that I’ll be returning to that nearby Greenwich specialty real soon.
What more can you ask for? Great service, fantastic fresh food, and quality brews all add up to a «must go» pub in the Fritzroy neighborhood in London. A great beginning to an anticipated great vacation.

Given the new management and direction, this place deserves a more up to date review.
It’s now one of the best boozers in the area.
Smugglers 2.0 is a MUCH improved beast featuring a good selection of real ales and beers on tap as well as craft by the bottle. The lick of paint has lifted the place and there’s a more coherent theme to the operation now which is great.
Food-​wise they currently have a pop-​up food offering called Bap & Pickle which is excellent and offers burgers, fries, pulled pork, etc.

Einfacher Pub mit üblicher, ordentlicher Einrichtung des Gastraumes. Nicht gerade überlaufen. Freundlicher Barmann. Wie schon geschrieben: der richtige Ort, wenn man in Ruhe ein Bier trinken möchte.

Wandered in with a friend later in the evening for a quiet drink, and a quiet drink was what we got. The place was nicely decorated, and apparently isn’t averse to the odd Morris/​Rapper troupe performing, but was very quiet for a Thursday night. Over a fiver for a beer and an AJ, but the beer was reasonably well kept.
Service was excellent, and they do Thai food in the earlier evening, when it tends to be packed out with the after work crowd. Not open on Sundays, in common with quite a lot of Fitzrovia.
In summary, pleasant local pub, with a sailor statuette on the wall outside, just in case you were unable to locate it.

I have only been here a couple of times but each time it has been very quiet and decidedly unatmospheric, definitely lacking in pub atmosphere. The bonus however is that they do have a pub quiz machine which you can spend hours losing your money on and show football matches on a very big screen. Great if you want to watch live sport and have a quiet drink, although I was surprised that they stop serving food before 6pm and that their drinks were quite pricey for a pub.