The ViewLondon Review
26 Smithfield feels like the beating heart of Smithfield Market, with an amiable and welcoming staff, a robust food menu and plenty going on.
The Venue
Squarely opposite Smithfield Market, 26 Smithfield is not difficult to find from either Farringdon or Barbican underground stations, and the smart black and gold signage marks it out clearly from the nearby rival chains and office blocks.
You enter straight into the main bar area, which is a mix of tables, chairs and comfortable battered leather sofas. The long bar is to the back of the room at the right, and there is a plasma screen opposite for match days and decks in the corner for the evenings. You’d be forgiven for thinking that was all this venue has to offer, but there’s much more – there’s a basement Champagne bar, which is opened up on busy days and available for private parties of around 60 people, plus an upstairs dining-conference room with seating for around 40 more. The piece de resistance, however, is located at the top of several flights of stairs, but it’s worth the climb – the roof terrace is a large outdoor space with views over the City and Clerkenwell, and there’s a barbecue up here on warm days.
The Atmosphere
26 Smithfield packs in the crowds from nearby offices and, of course, Smithfield Market. There’s a really great vibe, whether you want to tuck yourself away in the corner with a newspaper or stand at the bar and banter with the staff, who hold court with the regulars and offer a bit of lighthearted teasing for newcomers (gents should remove their tie before arriving if they want to leave with it in one piece!). There’s always plenty going on in this sprawling pub – corporate events upstairs, private parties in the basements, karaoke and open mic nights in the bar area, which guarantees a good time.
The Food
In the perfect position to take advantage of Smithfield’s fresh produce, 26 Smithfield offers a robust and hearty menu of fresh meat and fish, plus burgers and sandwiches. With pork chops, lamb shanks, and bangers and mash regularly featuring on the frequently-changing menu, it’s a meat lover’s haven. Indeed, the carnivores would be hard pushed to find a rump steak in London that’s travelled a shorter distance, and priced at just twelve quid it’s good value for money. The haddock and chips is great value for money too, priced at under a tenner it’s the size of a whale, with the ends of the battered fish flopping over both sides of the large plate with delicious hand cut chips.
The emphasis is placed pretty firmly on quantity and value for money, and while there’s nothing to fault in the quality of the ingredients there are certain things that would lift this venue a notch above their rivals. In an era when Gordon Ramsay seems to be buying up local boozers and turning them into gastro-palaces, our expectations of neighbourhood pubs like this are at an all-time high, a few specials would enliven the menu.
The Venue
Squarely opposite Smithfield Market, 26 Smithfield is not difficult to find from either Farringdon or Barbican underground stations, and the smart black and gold signage marks it out clearly from the nearby rival chains and office blocks.
You enter straight into the main bar area, which is a mix of tables, chairs and comfortable battered leather sofas. The long bar is to the back of the room at the right, and there is a plasma screen opposite for match days and decks in the corner for the evenings. You’d be forgiven for thinking that was all this venue has to offer, but there’s much more – there’s a basement Champagne bar, which is opened up on busy days and available for private parties of around 60 people, plus an upstairs dining-conference room with seating for around 40 more. The piece de resistance, however, is located at the top of several flights of stairs, but it’s worth the climb – the roof terrace is a large outdoor space with views over the City and Clerkenwell, and there’s a barbecue up here on warm days.
The Atmosphere
26 Smithfield packs in the crowds from nearby offices and, of course, Smithfield Market. There’s a really great vibe, whether you want to tuck yourself away in the corner with a newspaper or stand at the bar and banter with the staff, who hold court with the regulars and offer a bit of lighthearted teasing for newcomers (gents should remove their tie before arriving if they want to leave with it in one piece!). There’s always plenty going on in this sprawling pub – corporate events upstairs, private parties in the basements, karaoke and open mic nights in the bar area, which guarantees a good time.
The Food
In the perfect position to take advantage of Smithfield’s fresh produce, 26 Smithfield offers a robust and hearty menu of fresh meat and fish, plus burgers and sandwiches. With pork chops, lamb shanks, and bangers and mash regularly featuring on the frequently-changing menu, it’s a meat lover’s haven. Indeed, the carnivores would be hard pushed to find a rump steak in London that’s travelled a shorter distance, and priced at just twelve quid it’s good value for money. The haddock and chips is great value for money too, priced at under a tenner it’s the size of a whale, with the ends of the battered fish flopping over both sides of the large plate with delicious hand cut chips.
The emphasis is placed pretty firmly on quantity and value for money, and while there’s nothing to fault in the quality of the ingredients there are certain things that would lift this venue a notch above their rivals. In an era when Gordon Ramsay seems to be buying up local boozers and turning them into gastro-palaces, our expectations of neighbourhood pubs like this are at an all-time high, a few specials would enliven the menu.
The Drink
With bottles of wine from £12 and a cocktail list starting at £6 for a mojito, there’s great value choices for whiling away a tipsy evening, not to mention half a dozen lagers on draught. Fosters costs just £3.20 a pint, and a glass of the house red (a medium-bodied fruity Merlot with plum and cherry flavours) is just £3.30 for a medium glass.
The Last Word
26 Smithfield deserves to be as busy as it is, with a determined and personable staff working hard behind the scenes at corporate and private events whilst managing to put plenty of entertainment on for regulars. Whilst not outstanding, the food is certainly filling and the drinks cheap, although the biggest attraction has to be the atmosphere.
Hi Lisa
I just wanted to drop you an email and thank yu for last night, everyone had a really good time and you and your staff were all very friendly and accommodating, it makes a really nice change to have that kind of service in the city.
Could you please send me a receipt for the £
500 deposit, by fax today if possible as I am trying to clear Lucas' expenses before he emigrates to Singapore tomorrow.
Thanks once again.
Lou
__________________________________
Louise King
Equities Division
Goldman Sachs International
26th July 2008
Where to start.....? 26 Smithfields held my 21st birthday party on the 11th July. It was FANTASTIC. It could not have been any better! I'm still getting over it now... =]
When I first met Lisa to see the venue and discuss all the bits and bobs we would have going on, all these ideas I had in my head for what the party could be like, photographers, music, drinks, food, sweet bowls, photographs on a dvd, two seperate parts of the evening.... Lisa made it all happen, any ideas I had, it was all sorted out. It was a dream birthday.
The venue was perfect, everyone was in black tie and the modern and classy decor was the icing on the cake. The staff were in black and very attentive, made sure everyone was happy throughout the evening, and that i always had a drink in my hand =] .
The evening began at 7 with close friends and family, where we had a BBQ and drinks. The food was delicious, everyone kept commenting on it, especially those prawns; couldnt get enough of them. The projector was up on the wall with all these ''lovely'' HUGE pictures of me as a child, which my mum had sorted out, which everyone found very amusing... it was just one of those little things that really makes a difference, and gave my party a unique quality.
At 10pm all the crazy friends arrived looking very smart in black tie and were promptly greeted by a glass of champagne, it was all just so proffessional and easy, which was lovely, I didnt have to worry about anything. There were canapes available throughout the night which were very tasty. The sound system was BRILLIANT. We danced all night long; it was perfect.
Thank you so much Lisa and the 26 Team, you made my 21st one i will never forget!
Aisha x
Where to start.....? 26 Smithfields held my 21st birthday party on the 11th July. It was FANTASTIC. It could not have been any better! I'm still getting over it now... =]
When I first met Lisa to see the venue and discuss all the bits and bobs we would have going on, all these ideas I had in my head for what the party could be like, photographers, music, drinks, food, sweet bowls, photographs on a dvd, two seperate parts of the evening.... Lisa made it all happen, any ideas I had, it was all sorted out. It was a dream birthday.
The venue was perfect, everyone was in black tie and the modern and classy decor was the icing on the cake. The staff were in black and very attentive, made sure everyone was happy throughout the evening, and that i always had a drink in my hand =] .
The evening began at 7 with close friends and family, where we had a BBQ and drinks. The food was delicious, everyone kept commenting on it, especially those prawns; couldnt get enough of them. The projector was up on the wall with all these ''lovely'' HUGE pictures of me as a child, which my mum had sorted out, which everyone found very amusing... it was just one of those little things that really makes a difference, and gave my party a unique quality.
At 10pm all the crazy friends arrived looking very smart in black tie and were promptly greeted by a glass of champagne, it was all just so proffessional and easy, which was lovely, I didnt have to worry about anything. There were canapes available throughout the night which were very tasty. The sound system was BRILLIANT. We danced all night long; it was perfect.
Thank you so much Lisa and the 26 Team, you made my 21st one i will never forget!
Aisha x
Lisa,
Thanks for looking after us. The afternoon meeting was a great success, the relaxed and informal environment allowed us to have a very open and effective post-project review meeting. The evening celebration was exactly what we needed to celebrate success with our project partners.
Thanks to your staff for the organisation and service, we hardly knew that you were there...Things just happened!
Best Regards
ian
Ian Gregory
Information Technology and Services (IT&S) Business Information Manager - Mergers & Acquisitions BP International Ltd
BREWIN DOLPHIN
Dear Lisa & Team,
Just wanted to say a MASSIVE Thank You for being so accommodating and letting us all run wild last night! We certainly had a night we won't forget in a hurry! The food was spot on, and we really appreciated the complimentary bottle of fizz, it's just a shame some pikey took it upon themselves to drink it! All in all we had an awesome night, so see you same time next year! I think its fair to say, the majority of Brewin Dolphin have a hangover today....always a sign of a good party!
Kind Regards
Jepo & Sophia xx
12 Smithfield Street Lo