SMOK’D at the Candlemaker in Battersea offers good BBQ food and a wide variety of whiskies, exactly what it says on the tin.
If you like good BBQ and if you like good whisky, then SMOK’D is the right choice for you.
I attended the Candlemaker as part of National BBQ Week, which is ongoing until Sunday, but to be honest, I didn’t really need an excuse.
I’m an unabashed lover of BBQ food and I invited a friend who is an unabashed lover of whisky. We both loved the food and…well he enjoyed the whisky.
It was a relatively quiet Tuesday when we attended, presumably because most people were planning to watch Sunak vs Starmer, but the ambience and atmosphere at the pub still felt cheerful.
The staff helped create that atmosphere, as they were both cheery and attentive throughout, and I never felt like we weren’t being taken care of.
I had the small rack of baby back ribs to start, which to be honest felt neither small nor a starter, but were absolutely delightful nevertheless.
My friend had the macettes, which were gone so quickly that when he assured me they were good, I believed him, although that did create a slight disparity in our starters.
Whilst he spent a chunk of time deciding between the excellent variety of burgers that were on offer, I committed myself early to the SMOK’D beef brisket in dripping gravy.
It did not disappoint, and neither did the Beef Royale burger that my friend ordered – which is not surprising as that was essentially a beef burger with brisket stuffed in.
The food was lovely, and although I’m not a whisky drinker, it felt wrong to leave without at least trying one of the vast, vast selection that was on offer.
I ended up trying a German whisky which probably wasn’t the wisest choice, as my friend enjoyed his Danish whisky significantly more.
Nevertheless, the whisky selection is massive, so they will almost certainly have your favourite if you want it, which is a big selling point.
The food was good, the whisky variety is big and ultimately I had a good evening, even making it back to my friend’s house to watch the debate after all.
Whilst I ate at the Candlemaker in Battersea, SMOK’D also owns the Grey Horse in Kingston and the Britannia in London Bridge.
You can book your table or look at the various menus here.
