So, it’s the Chinese Year of the Horse. Specifically, it’s the Year of the Fire Horse. I don’t know what a fire horse is, nor whether they’re fond of a pint. But it still sounds like a good excuse to put together a crawl of London pubs named after horses.
And, my giddy-up aunt, there are a lot of pubs named after horses. White Horses, Black Horses, Dark Horses, Coach and Horses… we had to clip (and clop) them down to just five, positioned close enough together for a sensible pub crawl. For good luck, we’ve also chosen a route that resembles a horseshoe.
Here, then, is our recommendation for a Year of the Horse pub crawl in central London. We’ve drank in all of them, several times, and are not making this up on the hoof…
1. The Flying Horse
6 Oxford Street, W1D 1AN
We’re off to a flying start with this Nicholson’s house, the only remaining pub on Oxford Street. (Someone needs to fix that.) Considering its bustling location beside Tottenham Court Road Tube, this diminutive pegasus can be surprisingly quiet at times — its narrow front is easily missed, sandwiched between a McDonald’s and something called a ‘Basicmart’. Step inside, though, and you’re transported to the Victorian era, with etched-glass mirrors and a panelled ceiling, which CAMRA likes enough to add to its database of Historic Pub Interiors, and Historic England values to Grade II* listed status. The pub is long, thin and optimised for standing drinkers, but you can have a relatively relaxed pint beneath the rear cupola. See website.
2. The Coach and Horses
29 Greek Street, W1D 5DH
Careful. Soho has two pubs called the Coach and Horses within 80 metres of one another. The one on Charing Cross Road, formerly Molly Moggs, is nice enough, but it’s a mere foal beside the inebriated stallion that is ‘Norman’s Coach and Horses’, the most famous pub in Soho.
Norman, the legendary landlord, has moved on now, but his pub retains its mid-20th century look and feel (minus the cigarette smoke, of course). Cloudy windows, ripped lampshades, a beer-soaked carpet and signs for SKOL LAGER and IND COOPE above the bar; it’s a place where a ‘knees-up round the old joanna’ is still very much part of the deal. While here, it’s obligatory to raise a toast to Jeffrey Bernard… even though the famously drunken columnist died before most of the current clientele were born.
Beer-wise, you’re likely to find a selection from Fuller’s (who now run the place, but without mucking with the formula), as well as one or two guest ales. See our pub database entry.
3. The White Horse
45 Rupert Street, W1D 7PD
Not one of the A-list Sam Smiths pubs, but a bit of a charmer, nonetheless. Electric lighting aside, its brown and cream interior could be from any decade over the past couple of centuries. The upstairs room, meanwhile, looks a bit like a budget hotel bar, though in a nice cosy way. Less spendy than most pubs in the area, but more of a stop-off than a place for troughing through a few pints. Being Sam Smiths, it has no website of its own, so here’s the CAMRA one.
4. The White Horse
16 Newburgh Street, W1F 7RY
Here’s a White Horse of a… um… different colour. Inhabiting an art deco building, this White Horse has a vibe not at all like its nearby namesake (above). The main bar is somewhat traditional, with plenty of wooden panelling, though the Pilsner Urquell tanks give it a modern twist. The upstairs rooms are decorated in typical early-21st century style. Look out for the pub sign which, possibly uniquely, features a prancing horse in stained glass. Like the Flying Horse, it’s a Nicholson’s pub, with the usual selection of beers and food. See website.
5. The Yorkshire Grey
46 Langham Street, W1W 7AX
And we reach the finishing post with a pub named after a common breed of dray horse. The Yorkshire Grey is a dainty pub, and a true temple of cosiness, with a roaring fire in winter, wooden screens and long padded benches to cuddle up on. Given the location, you’re likely to be drinking among employees of the BBC, and many a celebrity sighting has been bagged over the years in this narrow bar. The place can get uncomfortably busy. If so, pop around the corner to the Horse and Groom, another equine-riffing boozer from the Sam Smiths stable. See our pub database entry.
Other notable horsey pubs around town
Our pub crawl above is barely dipping the nose in the feedbag. London is home to a pack of pubs with horse-inspired names. Here are a few of the better ones in alphabetical order, should you wish to get pleasantly addled in the saddle.
Blackhorse Beer Mile: Bit of a cheat, but we have to mention this string of craft ale breweries on the western edge of Walthamstow.
Coach and Horses, Mayfair: That really narrow mock-Tudor confection on Bruton Street. Quite happily to be confused with the other Coach and Horses, Mayfair, which is on Hill Street and claims to be the area’s oldest pub.
Dark Horse, Selhurst: This revamped neighbourhood pub will saddle you up with a decent pint of cask, Cult of Curry Japanese dishes on the first Thursday of the month — and has a lovely pub cat too (sadly no pub horse though).
Horse and Guardsman, Westminster: Massive McMullen’s pub at the top of Whitehall… the one street where you’re guaranteed to see an actual horse.
The Horseshoe Inn, London Bridge: Surprise traditional pub hidden among spendier options, with an exceptional beer garden.
The Nags Head, Knightsbridge: A veritable shed stable-load of gimcrack — think vintage ice skates, guitars, one-arm bandits — the Nags Head (no apostrophe, apparently) is perhaps the most memorable equine boozer of the lot.
The Horse Hospital, Bloomsbury: Not really a pub, but an excellent small events venue with bar, in an old stables.
Old Pack Horse, Chiswick: Eccentrically decorated Fuller’s pub. Not to be confused with the nearby Packhorse and Talbot.
The White Horse, Brixton: jolly fun pub with DJs and energetic crowd.
The White Horse, Parsons Green: famous old pub, affectionately known as the Sloany Pony, and beloved of real ale fans. Recently had a revamp.
