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Reviewing milestone with Mobyduck
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White Horse, Leamington Spa
Leamington Spa
CV32 5PZ
Pub Type
Castle (Mitchells & Butlers)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about White Horse
A rather strange former coaching inn, this one. I initially thought it to be closed, with neither of the two front doors open. However, not to be perturbed, I headed through the archway and found a busy outdoor seating area and a side entrance to the pub. Inside is quite a spacious rear bar area with toilets upstairs. As previous reviewers have said, the more traditional front rooms are seemingly not open, which seemed a bit of a waste. Nevertheless, I was the only customer seated inside, listening to some kind of inane chill out music that was more irritating than relaxing.
For a 2022 Good Beer Guide pub, the regular Doom Bar being accompanied by London Pride & Mad Goose as guests. Another handpull had a Weston's Rosie's Pig Rhubarb cider, which I duly ordered. The young and inexperienced barman took payment before even attempting to pour my drink. At this point, a seemingly more experienced lady (who I took to be the landlady) took over and proclaimed that she needed to change the cider and would bring it over to my chosen table. Several minutes later with a number of people having appeared at the bar to order food and with the young guy struggling to cope, the lady returned to say that she couldn't get the cider to connect. When I suggested that she could pour it straight from the box, there was a lightbulb moment and a few more minutes later, I had a cider in front of me.
Incidentally, craft beers also appear to be popular here. The selection was Fierce Beer Tropical Krush, London Beer Factory Jungle Trip, Big Smoke Fruju, Beavertown Neck Oil, Siren Lumina, Camden Pale, Big Drop Paradiso & Goose Island Today's Haze.
Not sure quite what to make of this one. It was a strange mix of old and new, with a fairly poor beer selection and muddled service. Overall, it doesn't quite work.
On 11th July 2022
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2493 recommendations about 2492 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Nick Davies left this review about White Horse
A few years ago the White Horse was a time warp Ansell's classic, just the bar and snug at the front and a must do for anyone planning a Leamington crawl. Naturally none of that was good enough for M&B's head office bean counters and around 2006 the premises to the rear were converted into the huge space we have now, with the front rooms lying unused and unloved for most of the time.
It is one of M&B's Castle outlets, so the format is much the same as their Ember/Vintage Inns, with a better beer range but mediocre catering offer: the Brake Bros stuff you get doesn't live up to the fancy descriptions and ambitious pricing. You'd probably tolerate the same fare in a Harvester.
Purity UBU was very nice indeed, Doom Bar not so good.
If the front rooms are in use it's well worth a visit. If not there's little to detain you.
On 30th December 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 567 recommendations about 559 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john mcgraw left this review about White Horse
A multi roomed pub with a large side bar and a smaller bar which was closed at the time but I assume it is open later in the day. A good range of well kept real ales on offer. The only thing that spoils this pub is the loud music that was blaring out which really spoilt any conversation and was far too loud.
On 26th October 2014
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Thuck Phat left this review about White Horse
There are some comprehensive reviews below so this one will be brief.
It's a large, popular and trendy pub serving food to a mixed but mainly younger clientele. Don't let that put you off as there's a good atmosphere and isn't uncomfortable.
Beer on was: Oakham Citra, Purity UBU, Andwell Red IPA and Liberation Ale. A good selection for a trendy food focused boozer and the Citra was excellent.
I'd be happy to return for the Citra alone.
On 15th April 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 679 recommendations about 678 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about White Horse
As ROB Camra says the frontage from Clarendon Avenue includes a magnificent Snug and Bar to the left of the entrance,etched glass windows,traditional furniture,charming but strangely unused so enter the Smoke Room and follow the signs to the bar.This opens out into a huge space with lots of tables,a bar and lots of exposed brick with a courtyard to the side.On the walls hangs art for sale,and the customer base was a lot younger than the real ale pubs in town,it felt trendy as well as popular with women.Food seemed a large draw with a decent fixed price menu 2 courses for £8,three for £11.Mains were generally £9 -£11,and although we didn't eat but a la carte prices looked a touch high for what could be described as pub grub.The six handpumps were drawing a real cider and a decent selection of real ale,my Oakham Citra was in good nick,justifying the high price.
I liked the lively atmosphere and the decent ale.Its well worth visiting,just a shame that the most interesting part was not functional.
On 6th April 2014
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2730 recommendations about 2730 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about White Horse
Very unusual pub. There is a closed off bar bit to the left which is the first thing you see as you walk towards the pub from Parade. This made us think it was closed initially. The closed part looks magnificent, but it doesn't smell like it's been open anytime recently. Next to the closed bit there's a small snug with room for about a dozen people. Through the snug and to the left it opens up into what turns out to be a massive pub. There's a raised area at the rear which was set up for dining. There's also an outside courtyard with seating and at the entrance to this area and facing out on to the street is a life sized model of a white horse. The walls are covered with paintings, most of which are for sale and the pub is lit by some great large, round lights. We got some drinks and settled ourselves down under Marilyn Monroe on the raised area. The menu looked good, so we decided to eat here. The food was well presented and was very good quality, which it should be as you're paying restaurant prices in here, but it was worth it. There were 6 handpumps on the bar with one being reserved for real cider. I had an Ilkley Norseman and a Coastal Poseidon which were a rather steep £4 per pint. We ate here on a Sunday night the following evening we ate at Ask across the road and tried to call in here for a drink afterwards. It was quiz night and the pub was absolutley rammed with no tables available anywhere, including the snug. Amazing, I didn't think pub quizzes were that well attended anymore. There had to be well over 100 people in, so we had to give it a miss. It's a good pub with a good selection of ale and the food is excellent, but don't even think about it on quiz night!
On 14th November 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3224 recommendations about 3135 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Russ Otway left this review about White Horse
A very lively pub with an eclectic selection of drinks full stop. Being bit of a cider fan it is great to see a good selection and not just the main chain style ciders, but Aspalls, Hogans, Thatchers and Westons.
This establishment has successfully re-established itself as a real drinkers pub whilst not being inaccessible to the masses ensuring it always has a brisk trade.
On 4th May 2012
- rating: 8
[User has posted 10 recommendations about 10 pubs]