No smoking areas. I know these have reared their ugly heads before, and I know that there are arguments for and against both sides (not least that I know a number of people who have had smoking related illnesses recently). Nevertheless if there is one truism that we in publand can hold dear to it is that PUBS SMELL OF SMOKE. They are supposed to, it is part of the experience. An arbitary no smoking area will not stop this, though it may stop you getting smoke blown in your eyes by a sultry nineteen year old who is the dead spit of Lauren Bacall.
That said if a pub has to have such an area, they should use their bonce. Take a Pumpkin Publog favourite like The Lamb, on Lambs Conduit Street. A lovely, charming pub, well appointed, nice beers and a no smoking snug. The sung is in itself about two metres squre, right by the bar and open to the atmosphere to the rest of the pub with no ventilation. There is one table in said snug, so if you have smokers and you want to sit there you actually won’t be inconveniencing anyone else. So why do the bar staff enforce it with a rod of iron? Leading to the ridiculous situation that if you stand a foot away from the table you are able to smoke.