A feeling of countryside cosiness could not be further from your mind when you think of the concrete chaos of Kings Cross. Yet Smithys, a venue with real character, is the perfect retreat.

The Venue
Even though it is moments from Pentonville Road and Euston Road, one of the busiest junctions in all of London, you'll be hard-pressed to stumble across this bar-restaurant in passing, as Smithys is hidden away on Leeke Street, a cobbled street situated behind Gray’s Inn Road.

The cobbles continue underfoot as you enter the dark wooden bar. Despite the rustic feel, it is not stark, as the mahogany colours, traditional wooden furnishings, chalk boards and cream lamps warm and welcome patrons on arrival.

Smithys is definitely unashamed of making reference to the profession that inspires its name. The dining area, in the larger room off to the right, has stable stalls housing the bigger tables. Further examples of the blacksmith heritage are visible in the lucky horseshoes which decorate the back wall, remarkable wrought iron chandeliers and, just in case you hadn’t got it by now, screen printed canvases of craftsmen at work. Earthy tones and warm eye level lighting complete the cosy mood.

The Atmosphere
For a place with such little passing footfall, Smithys is rammed to the proverbial rafters, and it is clear that its welcoming attitude and solid reputation has led to glowing word of mouth endorsements. It is suitable for all sorts of occasions, from leaving dos to birthday parties, an intimate meal out for two to dinner with friends. The professional waiters make you instantly at ease. You feel as comfortable alone as you do socialising with a few glasses of good wine. The only thing frowned upon is rowdy groups as these really don’t fit in.

The Food
The fare at Smithys is hearty and rich, it’s the kind of menu you’d expect in a provincial British gastro pub with some traditional European dishes deepening the repertoire. While the menu changes frequently, you’re likely to find the smoked mackerel with crushed new potatoes and wholegrain mustard (£7.95) as a starter, or a rib eye steak with garlic butter (£17.50) for mains.

Other mains continue along the same lines, with the venison and oyster pie (pie of the day, £14.50) jumping out from the menu as a strikingly bold match of flavours. A rich confit pork belly with borlotti cassoulet (£14.50) is thick and warming, accompanied with glazed potatoes, although the presentation is a little odd here, when what you’re after is a thick chunk rather than the delicately balanced piles of pork. It is well crisped around the outside though, and the confit helps make it amazingly succulent and tasty.

Desserts sound inspiring, but turn out to be not too bad. Some could really do with some tweaking. The orchard crumble (£5.50) for one seems criminally over stated, as it comprises of only plum as the fruit centre and the topping is too biscuity and crunchy to be considered good old fashioned crumble. A better option than the sweet desserts is the cheese board (£7.50), served with quince jelly it incorporates a knock your socks off smoked cheese.

The Drink
As Smithys has the country pub thing going on, it has some excellent draught ales and lagers, with Czech lager Pilsner Urquell (£3.40 a pint), Erdinger (£3.90 a pint) and three real ales at around £2.80. Doom Bar is malty, bitter and tastes of dried fruits, while Harvey’s Best Bitter is a hoppier pale ale.

Predominantly a wine bar, the selection is carefully selected to represent all parts of the globe and a wide variety of grapes. Most are sold by the bottle, but a few by the glass, including a bold Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon Casa Azul 2007, £16 per bottle, and a lighter Petit Syrah Domaine Mas Montel from a little closer to home. For white wines by the glass, try a bone-dry Pinot Grigio Rosa Bianca 2008, or a fruitier South African Chenin Blanc £4.10 a glass/£17.50 a bottle).

The Last Word
Cosy, comfortable, but highly professional, Smithys is a home from home for those hankering after a little piece of the Home Counties in the heart of Kings Cross. Definitely worth a visit.

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