Located around ten minutes walk from the centre of Christchurch, this is the Smugglers which reopened earlier in 2025. The pub has been an important part of the community for many years, previously known as the Smugglers Run and the Olde Starre Inn. It’s now run by the business partners who are behind the Thomas Tripp pub as well as some other enterprises in the town.
I couldn’t see any real ales, although I think that they’re usually sold, and the keg options didn’t look very interesting either. The service was though engaging, friendly and helpful, with the team member offering to bring the Guinness to the table when it was ready which I thought was kind.
I went for half a Guinness and Ross went, unsurprisingly, for a lager. The Guinness was served in an appropriate glass, it was at the appropriate chilled temperature and it tasted as I expected, so all was well.
We were heading for an Indian meal at this point, but here’s the food menu at the Smugglers. Those prices seem very reasonable to me, with plenty of choice available. There was a comfortable and inviting feel to the venue as well, I really quite liked it here.
There’s something of a community pub feel to the venue, there’s pool, darts and they also show a lot of live sports. I’m not sure that these are key drivers for me, but they’re important in a community pub that wants to attract a broader dynamic, so that all feels positive.