Premier Hospitality

Smiths of Smithfields

Smiths of Smithfields
Written by Roma Publications

Smiths of Smithfields

After an extensive refurbishment, the doors have once again opened at Smiths of Smithfields  A stunning example of a Grade II listed building that over the years has evolved to its present-day design of four floors, offering a unique dining and drinking experience for guests.

Spread over four floors, the 800-capacity venue was renovated by Harrison Design, alongside main contractors Camelot, with each level designed to offer a different experience.

Commenting on the project, Kevin Grima from Harrison Design said: “We have been working with Young’s for about 15 years on a variety of hotels and pubs. Smiths of Smithfields is a classic institution in the City of London so they didn’t want to lose its unique personality and the look and feel of the building because it is a great building, so we focused on enhancing and refreshing this unique space.”

Located on the ground floor, SMITHS Café and Bar is a casual all-day dining destination occupying a contemporary and industrial space, serving all-day brunch, sharing plates and pub classics, alongside healthy vegan and vegetarian dishes. SMITHS also offers an authentic range of London craft beers and distilled spirits through to world class wines and classic and contemporary cocktails.

Cocktail bar Death + Victory is housed on the first floor and takes its name from the plaque laid in Smithfields to honour historic figure William Wallace, who was executed in Smithfield in 1305. The interior was inspired by the rich history of the local area while the cocktail list is divided into different time periods from 1150 to present day.

Kevin added: “Our biggest change was the cocktail bar because it didn’t really work for them. It is now radically different. Originally it felt very small with two private dining rooms and a meeting room at the back. We decided to open up the space, so we pushed the wall back and added glazed screening so that it can become part of the cocktail bar. We have also softened the space with soft finishes, velvets, high chairs, high backs and sofas. You go in there now and it feels like a welcoming cocktail lounge with the added bonus that you can open it up.”

The third floor houses The Grill which takes its cues from the Smithfield meat market. It serves locally sourced prime cuts alongside day boat fish while the drinks list highlights wines and lagers that are best paired with the food. A 12 seat chefs table offers diners a view of butchery in the kitchen.

The top floor features an all-season rooftop terrace and 100-cover destination restaurant, No3 at Smiths. Liam Walsh is the restaurants Head Chef and aims to champion seasonality and provenance. Dishes include 28 day-aged Scotch Beef Wellington to share, roasted Halibut, Dorset crab and Markham Farm asparagus and a slow-roasted shoulder of Hampshire lamb.

Smiths of Smithfields was established in 2000 and is loved by regular guests, as well as being a surprise for first timers. For 16 years, Smiths has only worked with British farmers and the country’s largest and oldest meat markets – the iconic Smithfield Market – just across the road from the original Smithfield site.

“It’s been a fantastic project to be involved with,” said Kevin. “It is such an iconic building so to work on it and to create the new enhanced SMITHS is something you don’t get to do every day.”

Smiths of Smithfields

1st Floor

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Roma Publications