The Britannia - SMOK'D

Just what London needed - another pub claiming to reinvent pub grub with yet another smokehouse concept. The Britannia - SMOK'D in Borough had me rolling my eyes before I even crossed the threshold. Victorian architecture with a side of brisket? Please. I've seen enough "elevated" pub concepts crash and burn to fuel my skepticism for decades.

But damn it all if this place hasn't wormed its way into my cynical heart. Housed in a beautifully preserved 1839 building that narrowly escaped the developer's wrecking ball (for once, thank heaven for those architectural preservation busybodies), The Britannia - SMOK'D manages to thread the needle between historic London pub and contemporary smokehouse without making me want to tear my hair out.

Let's talk about what could have gone horribly wrong but didn't. The interior could have been a catastrophic clash of Victorian charm and Texas roadhouse, but someone with actual taste handled the renovation. The red walls and wood paneling feel natural rather than forced, and the Banksy artwork collection adds edge without trying too hard. Even the Chesterfields somehow work, though I'm loathe to admit it.

The bar program deserves special mention, if only because it saved me from what I assumed would be an evening of mediocre lager. Their whisky selection is genuinely impressive - the kind that makes spirits enthusiasts go quiet and reverential. The beer lineup, while not revolutionary, is well-kept and properly served. And yes, they can make a proper cocktail without turning it into some Instagram-bait monstrosity.

Now for the food. I arrived determined to find fault with their smokehouse pretensions. Instead, I found myself reluctantly impressed by brisket that actually tastes of smoke and patience rather than liquid smoke and desperation. The ribs, while occasionally straying toward the dry side (nobody's perfect), showcase a proper bark and that elusive smoke ring that separates the pretenders from the pitmasters.

The sides deserve their own paragraph, if only because the kitchen clearly understands they're not mere afterthoughts. The cauliflower side dish - usually a sad, soggy affair in lesser establishments - emerges transformed. The fries (sorry, chips - we're still in London) maintain their dignity even under the assault of various sauces and toppings.

Here's the part that really pains me: the atmosphere actually works. The live music on Saturdays doesn't make you want to flee screaming into the night. The staff knows their stuff without being insufferable about it. Even the beer garden, with its somewhat absurd tropical pretensions, provides a pleasant escape from the urban chaos outside.

Practical matters: You'll want to book ahead, particularly for weekend evenings when the combination of food, drinks, and live music draws crowds. The prices won't make you gasp - they're firmly in the realm of "you get what you pay for" rather than "they're having a laugh." The location, a stone's throw from Borough tube station, makes it dangerously accessible for after-work drinks that turn into dinner that turn into "why am I ordering another whisky at this hour?"

Look, I didn't want to like The Britannia - SMOK'D. London has quite enough gastropubs and American-style smokehouses without this fusion of the two concepts. But for every eye-rolling element that should fail spectacularly, they've somehow managed to make it work. The preservation of the historic pub structure, the quality of the food, the impressive drinks program, and the somehow-not-annoying atmosphere combine to create something that's actually worth your time and money.

Fine. You win, Britannia - SMOK'D. I'll see you next weekend, probably sitting in that ridiculous tropical beer garden, definitely ordering more of that brisket, and absolutely exploring more of that whisky list. Just don't let it go to your head.