The Black Horse, West End, Leicester

Interesting old locals pub with two separate bars, wooden panelling and 6 pulls in each bar serving Everards plus guests. The rear bar has bench seating, quarry tiles and some Giles annuals round the wall as décor it also houses some chatty locals. The rear gents has buckets as urinals properly wall mounted rather than just on the floor, but the atmosphere in there will clear your tubes.

I enjoyed my visit to this friendly pub and had a wander round to discover an amazing roof garden. There is a front bar area, and a smaller room also served by the bar further back, and a few more tables down the passage where the toilets are. There was a selection of Everards beers plus 2 guests from Fullers-Gales, and Beerd I believed brewed by Bath Ales. Those we had were excellent. It is a good friendly community pub.

This pub really is the diamond in the rough on Braunstone Gate. The pub has been my local for the past few years now having moved to the area and I fully endorse the reviews below which describe all the great things that this pub has to offer. Many of the regulars travel several miles to this pub which tells it’s own story. The refurbishment carried out a few years ago still looks fantastic and the pub is always clean and welcoming. The pub has live music several nights a week and generally always on Friday and Saturday. The quiz on a Wednesday night is one of the best in Leicester having a good mix of questions for all ages and interests. There is always the standard Everard’s offering on tap and always at least two guest ales to try. There is also a wide range of wines and spirits to cater for all tastes. Although no hot food, there are homemade cobs with generous fillings. The Landlord is doing a tremendous job here and he is always approachable. His wit is always at the ready, too!

Quality little traditional pub! I have heard it has had its ups and downs over the last few years but it would seem the current management are doing a great job! They obviously stock the Everards standard beers but its nice to see original on tap, for those moments when Tiger just doesnt have enough gravity! The constant live music and jam sessions just adds such character to this little pub in an area dominated by bars and overly loud music. This small traditional oasis has a great feel weather you go in with friends or alone. And if you're not an ale person there are some different lager choices and spirits...especially the scotch! In general theres a nice little feel to the place and I have made it one of my regular stops as its olde world feel and quality ales make a hard day seem easier.

This traditional two room pub has made it onto the CAMRA Real Heritage Pubs list by virtue of a fine interior including some pleasant post-war panelling in both rooms. The front bar is a smart, compact space with bench and standard seating, a small fireplace and a shelf with a few bits of beer and pub related literature. The bar divides the two rooms, with a bare brick corridor down the right hand side, which is lined with old enamel beer adverts, leading to the fine rear lounge. This room has a chequerboard tile floor, smart button backed settles and some well upholstered low stools. A tiled fireplace on the end wall acts as a bit of a focal point and there are a number of books lined up on a shelf above. We got chatting to a couple of locals who couldn’t say enough good things about the pub and, given the surroundings, it was difficult to argue with them. The corridor leads out to a partially covered garden and an outdoor toilet block. This is an Everards house, so their ales dominated the bar, with Tiger, Sunchaser, Original and Ale to the King available alongside Castle Rock Sheriff’s Tipple plus a real cider or two. I couldn’t visit Leicester without sampling the excellent Tiger and thankfully it was just about spot on here. I’d heard a rumour that I might be able to find a Leicester Cheese Skittles table in this pub, but the friendly barman told me that it had long since been removed. This is a great pub for the traditionalist and I can imagine enjoying an extended session in here. This was a bit of a late addition to our crawl but it turned out to be one of the day’s highlights and is worth the short walk from the centre in order to visit.

Tucked away in the student ghetto area, this is, as mentioned below, the antidote to the numerous low-grade bars nearby. A traditional two-roomed interior served by a central bar (public bar at the front and a lounge-type snug at the rear), with much wood panelling (original or refurbished?) and traditional touches, such as jugs on the high shelves. A shame the fire in the attractive fireplace wasn’t real though. Five ales plus proper cider were available, my Everards Sunchaser was in good shape and there was also a quality guest in the shape of Castle Rock. The trip to the traps is under a PVC roof to the original outbuildings. Service was cheerful and efficient. All in all, this is a bit of a hidden gem and it’s worth a trip out of the city centre to sample.