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Detail Pages
The White Horse, SW6
SW6
SW6 4UL
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The White Horse
Fairly upmarket pub at the northern end of Parsons Green, near the tube station and overlooking the Green itself. Inside, there is a central island bar with seating almost all the way around. On matchdays at Stamford Bridge, an outdoor area is used to full effect, as it's difficult to grab a table indoors.
Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter & Timothy Taylor Landlord are the regular ales. Guests on our Monday evening pre-match visit were Three Acre Best Bitter & Spring Golden Ale, Burning Sky Plateau & Marble Pint. There was no sign of any real cider. A CAMRA discount is offered, which is worth taking, as prices here are on the higher side.
On 2nd May 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2501 recommendations about 2500 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The White Horse
This is a late 19th century incarnation, the original dating from 1688. I last came here in the late summer of 1985, so decided that a return visit was in the offing after so long. I remember it back then when the Chelsea wannabes were moving in, the area starting to undergo the process of gentrification. I recall a passing Barbour-wearing pedestrian eliciting the disdainful comment from a local: ‘An udder feckin’ green jacket!’.
The pub was known as the Sloaney Pony an account of the arrival of the above and was really quite an early proponent of real ale. What really struck me on entering, is how little I remembered it; I actually had to go outside and check the name, then check on Google if there was another White Horse on Parsons Green, but no, I was in the right pub. I may be imagining things, but the place essentially looks like a modern creation of a Victorian pub. Indeed, online photos show that the place has been substantially hipsterfied and recently too.
The floor is modern bare boarded, but the most striking element is the walls and ceiling which have been painted black with some bare brick too. The white elegant dentilled cornice and ornate marble fireplace are the only real clues to authenticity; is the bar structure really original? Certainly, the shiny green glazed tiles to the side aren’t, nor are the halogen downlighters inset into the pot shelf. There’s a cut glass mirror to the rear, which may be original, also spotted was some vestigial etching to glass in an entrance vestibule. The answer lies on the pub’s Twitter account from January 2020 which reads: ‘Who's looking forward to seeing what we've been up to for 2 weeks? Our new and shiny pub will be opening at 5pm on Tuesday 28th January!’ – so there you have it: new and shiny pub indeed.
Furniture comprises mainly ordinary tables and chairs, but rather gaudy scarlet studded vinyl banquettes to the periphery; there’s a lounge breakout area, with a coffee table. To the wall, there’s a huge baronial portrait of a white horse, lit with a brass picture lamp. On another wall, there’s a BrewDog-style board listing ales and other info, but it didn’t nearly match the offerings at the bar; how often is it updated? Other lighting comes from white spherical opaque lanterns and large picture windows, with louvre blinds which give the place the feel of a restaurant or wine bar. There’s a large restaurant to the rear and toilets are marked ‘Pistols’ for men and ‘Dolls’ for women. The gents was swankily appointed but cramped; the loo seat was wonky, there was soggy paper on the floor alongside a new loo roll; how often are they checked?
Customers seemed to be local, but the trademark black Labrador brigade seemed conspicuous by their absence – can’t say I blame them – but some of the punters were squawking loudly and arsing about witlessly.
There are eight pumps, all in use, dispensing beers from the likes of Marble, Harvey’s, Ilkley and Moor, my pint of Revival coming in at an appealing £4.50 and very good it was too.
This pub is just about ok, but the rather bland and corporate feel of the place, especially in its current guise, doesn’t make for a great place to linger, however good the beer. There are plenty of other ale houses offering a more authentic experience; four more stops on the District line and you’re at the Express Tavern, where I’d prefer to be. Even the Atlas up the road, despite a more limited ale range, offers a far superior pub-going experience.
On 5th October 2021
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1995 recommendations about 1961 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The White Horse
A quick visit after a long while to try and find a particular bottled beer they claim to stock. After asking at the bar (‘not heard of it’) we then found a printed menu, new and crisp, which listed it. Taking it back to the bar resulted in a half-arsed search (and it wasn’t like they were busy at this point, three staff sat around doing nowt) which drew a predictable blank and no faint apology as to having something listed as available that they clearly haven’t had in for some time. Anyway on a baking hot day I decided to try one of the plethora of ales - Saltaire Titus - which was a real let-down (NBSS 2) and given the complete lack of any ale being sold, perhaps this was no surprise but even so, no effort to maintain freshness was disappointing. A new (for me) feature spotted was an ostentatious tank of Pilsner Urquell which I decided would be a better bet and it was. Left feeling that this place has let its previous high standards drop quite badly. Shame.
November 2011
Revisited the Sloany Pony for their annual Old Ales festival. Some fantastic choices and the pub is as good as I remembered last time. John Stapleton propping up the bar at the far end, so minor celebrity customers too. Rated 9
Sept 2009
The ‘Sloany Pony’ is a long-established ale haven, located in a cosy corner of Parsons Green. It’s quite a striking Victorian edifice, though the interior has been largely stripped out. There are six real ales, with Harveys Best seemingly a guest with the others changing frequently. There’s also an impressive array of posh keg beer (Sierra Nevada), bottled beers from around the world, ciders and wine; more than enough to keep the discerning punter happy. Prices can be quite variable; the Harveys is cheaper than you’d find in most other London ale outlets but the more unusual brews can be relatively expensive; ask before you order is my advice (especially with the keg stuff). The quality, however, is always top-notch. There’s a nice outside terrace that is popular, a nice place to watch the world go by. Inevitably a word about the punters – yes, they are often quite amusingly stereotypes but most are harmless and often provide unintentional entertainment. Staff are friendly and well-versed in the wares the pub sells. There are specialized beer festivals throughout the year but also expect to see specialized prices as well – at least they can justify them given the excellent sourcing of unusual brews. Gets very busy whenever Fulham or Chelsea are at home. Overall, this is a ‘must-do’ London pub, easily in the capital’s top 10. Rated 9
On 1st July 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5108 recommendations about 5091 pubs]
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Bucking Fastard left this review about The White Horse
A top real ale destination pub, very popular with a decent area out the front for open air drinking.The bar has two flanks with the right handside leading to a restaurant,while the left hand side ends in a banquetted snug with fireplace and stairs up to a first floor lounge with it's own small bar which can be hired for a private party.The decor is more modern that I remember it,but still retains enough of a pub atmosphere to be enjoyable.Seating space remains at a premium.The chalk board lists both the real ale and craft keg options,many of the real ales are doubled clipped around the bar but there were still six ales to choose from on my Sunday afternoon trip including Vale Gravitas in absolutely top condition.There are copper tanks of Pilsener Urquell in the front bar,an unusual feature.The clientele was a mixed bunch on my visit,and the nickname of The Sloany Pony didn't seem a fair reflection of who was in after a match at Craven Cottage.The best pub of my tour of the area,very close to the Underground station and well worth a revisit for decent real ale.
On 12th May 2014
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2737 recommendations about 2737 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
paulof horsham left this review about The White Horse
Most of London's craft beer pubs are pretty much in short trousers compared to the White Horse which has been selling beers, many of them pale and hoppy, from the microbrewery scene for 20-odd years now. A recent return visit, coinciding with the 'Over the Hop' beer festival, revealed that it's still on top of its game.
I counted 13 handpumps, but there may have been 1 or 2 more. Fans of the London craft scene will be pleased to know that Beavertown and Siren featured among the taps. Knowledgeable lager drinkers should note that this is one of the pubs serving Pilsener Urquell tank beer - I'm told it's pretty good, but the ale was in such great nick, that I saw no need to sample it. Prices are reasonable (by 2014 standards) at £3.60 - £4 for ales and £5 - £6 for the kegs.
The pub itself was reasonably busy and does permit the reservation of tables so, if I'd not got invited onto one of these, I might not have been quite so positive. However, there's also a large patio at the front, looking onto the Green, which fits in a fair crowd (who can, unfortunately, get a little barbecue-smoked on a fine evening).
It had been a while since my last visit, but I'm now reminded just what a fine pub The White Horse is and a swift return is definitely called for.
On 7th April 2014
- rating: 9
[User has posted 453 recommendations about 425 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about White Horse
one of my all time fav London pubs.Its best during the afternoon when the pub is quiet with the sun lighting up the bar.Always a good selection of real ales and foreign craft beers.Always found it easy to get served but the poor service has been mentioned by a few friends so i must be lucky.Expensive but worth it for a classic pub.
On 23rd March 2013
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]
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I L left this review about White Horse
Update
Went there on 4 th July for their American beer festival. Not particularly busy but service was so slow that the bar soon clogged up. Most people seemed to be paying by card which didn't help. More staff than serving were wandering around getting prepared for the beer and food tasting with some of the best American beers in the upstairs bar was closed off for the beer and food tasting. On past visits we were getting the feeling the customers are only there for the staff these days. Last winter beer festival was getting this way but this time we gave up and left and won't be back. A few others were commenting the way the table reservations downstairs were just slapped in front of themin the min bar own stairs. Shame really but these days there's plenty of other good bars serving American craft beers.
Has a number of beer festivals throughout the year and in July 2010 had an American beer festival with a very large range of quality American Micro brews on tap in both the main bar and upstairs bar. Well worth visiting if you like something a bit different on the beer front.
On 5th July 2012
- rating: 4
[User has posted 287 recommendations about 284 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about White Horse
This pub has a nice location at the Northern corner of Parsons Green, just a couple of minutes from the District line tube station. Widely credited as one of London's pioneering pubs in terms of marrying excellent beer choice with restaurant quality food, this fine looking corner-site pub can get very busy, with its affluent customer base out in force on my recent visit. The interior comprises of what is now essentially one large U-shaped room, with a similarly shaped servery. At the left hand end of the bar, there are signs of previous partitioning, but the room is essentially a wide, wooden floored strip with lots of dark wood and glass on display, including some nice etched glasswork behind the imposing servery. Seating comes in the form of large scrubbed tables which seemed to have either standard chairs or sofas around them and lend themselves to larger groups, with lone drinkers and couples finding they have to either share tables with others or prop up the bar. As the room bends round past the right hand end of the bar, there is a large fireplace and access to what appeared to be a formal dining room with exposed brickwork which had been painted red. I didn't get to see a menu but some of the food I saw making its way from the kitchen looked very good. A lot of punters were sat outside under some large umbrellas on the well kept terrace at the front of the pub which looks out towards the Green.
The beer selection was very healthy with a choice of Roosters Oakey Creamy, Lewes Castle Brown Ale, Harvey's Best, Moorhouse Black Witch, Downton Dark Delight and Oakham Inferno on handpull and an extensive range of mostly foreign speciality beers on tap (St Peters Organic Ale was also available in keg format). Lots of customers seemed to be trying out stuff from the bottled range, but I didn't get a good view of the fridges and couldn't find a beer menu to see the extent of the selection. Perhaps the nicest surprise was the cost of my pint of Black Witch. I was fully prepared for the worst but the barmaid confirmed that my pint would set me back a mere £3.15, which must be a record for this part of town. Some of the keg beers seemed to be considerably more expensive though and one of the pub's great irritations is that almost all of the customers pay by card, which can make service interminably slow.
On the whole, I thought this was a good pub and well worth revisiting, perhaps as part of a group, as it's not the sort of place where you can get chatting to the locals, or perhaps to try out some of the food. Either way, it certainly seems to merit the praise it often receives.
On 24th November 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
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John Bonser left this review about White Horse
On the edge of Parsons Green, little more than a stone’s throw from the Tube Station, is The White Horse, for many years now one of London’s most well known real ale free houses.
It’s an imposing looking late Victorian building which was first licensed in 1688. The original building dates back to 1882 and was expanded into the property next door in 1894. The exterior features large lamps, some attractive plasterwork lion heads by the corner entrance and, high up in an alcove in the brickwork, a model of a white horse.
The interior has obviously been opened out from what was once a multi room pub and features a mixture of long scrubbed tables, some church pew style wooden benches, sofas and fixed upholstered seating. A few vestiges of its Victorian past remain in the form of etched glass in one of the entrance lobbies and also behind the bar, but, for the most part it’s a fairly typically renovated and stripped out former Victorian pub now featuring tall plain glass windows and high moulded ceilings.
The floor area extends back past both sides of the bar counter. In an area on the left on the walls are a number of items of brewery memorabilia – mirrors, framed posters, enamel signs etc – of both British and foreign breweries. Of particular note is a large Bass mirror and several old photos of the brewing process taken inside the brewery premises at Burton on Trent. A large framed board has information on, and a few photographs of, people hop picking in Kent in the early 1900’s. In this part of the pub are the gents and ladies toilets, rather naffly signposted as “Pistols” and “Dolls” respectively. There’s a popular sun trap terraced area out at the front where barbeques are often held on summer weekends.
Reflecting the area, there’s something of an upmarket ambience – not without good reason is the pub known as The Sloaney Pony – and, on my recent Sunday lunchtime visit, people of that ilk were very much in evidence. Most of the tables had “reserved” notices on them and the pub quickly filled up with youngish seemingly professional types enjoying the highly regarded but pricey food and the excellent range of drinks. The menu makes suggestions for matching drinks with food ( eg Adnams Broadside with Cumberland sausages, mash , buttered cabbage and onion gravy, Harveys Sussex Best with beer battered Cornish haddock, home cut chips and jalopena Tartare sauce). Prices are on the high side – eg traditional Sunday roast - £ 14.25p, seared tuna steak with vegetables and rice - £ 16.50p ) . The usual gaggle of foreign waitresses hover around eagerly waiting to take orders at your table.
Unbeknown to me in advance, my visit last Sunday lunchtime coincided with a Belgian beer festival running from Friday, August 26th to Thursday, September 1st and posters advertising the festival told us that, during the festival, Belgian style beers from Sharps, Dark Star, Cottage and Brodies would be available. A long banner covering the front of the bar counter sported pink elephant logos and we learnt that a beer called Delirium Tremens had been “elected as best beer in the world” although, perhaps predictably, I didn’t see anything telling me who exactly had elected it as such. A good number of Belgian beers were on tap, sharing the bar counter with the real ale handpumps. Perhaps rather fittingly, a TV in one corner was showing the Belgian Grand Prix without sound.
On the real ale front, beers on the pumps included Moorhouses Black Cat, Fyne Ales Hurricane Jack, Harveys Best and Redemption Belgian Porter. Also on draught were two strong ales from Sharps – Honey Spice Tripel 2010 and Abbey Ale 2009 at ABV’s of 9% and 8.5% respectively. Beer pricing seemed slightly unusual – for instance Harveys Best ( ABV -4%) was a very reasonable £ 3.10p, whereas the Moorhouses Black Cat ( ABV – 3.4% ) was £ 3.25p. All beers sampled were in fine condition – the Fyne Ales Hurricane Jack at £ 3.60p being especially good. The pub is a CAMRA Good Beer Guide regular and sports a number of award certificates behind the bar. In marked contrast to earlier visits – admittedly many years ago – staff seemed reasonably keen and enthusiastic and pints were voluntarily served as full measures.
Unless you’ve a particular aversion to the Chelsea set, you should try and get here sometime if you haven’t already.
On 30th August 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about White Horse
This pub's (or rather some of its clientele's) reputation may be enough to put some people off, so I was slightly apprehensive when making my long-overdue first visit. Although very busy, the pleasant late summer afternoon sun meant that most of the customers were outside in and around the large patio beer garden in front of the pub. A bit quieter inside, but the staff behind the U-shaped bar were working very efficiently. An excellent selection of real ales - a couple of pumps were double-clipped so I think 10 in total - and other beers, the prices were not as high as I was expecting for an upmarket pub in South West London (e.g. Ascot Posh Pooch at £3.25) and the quality first rate. Overall, I found it an easy place to like and hard to fault.
On 5th September 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]