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The Shy Horse, Chessington
Malden Rushett
Postal town: Chessington
KT9 2NQ
Pub Type
Vintage Inns (Mitchells & Butlers)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Shy Horse
Several years ago this was a roadhouse called The Fox and Hounds, nowadays renamed, operated by Vintage Inns and firmly targeting a clientele looking for decent pub meals in a comfortable setting. All necessary boxes are ticked, a large car park, extensive outdoor seating looking onto farmland, real fires and a rustic farmhouse style décor inside. Although opened out, reclaimed timbers and a mid-room fireplace give a bit of separation, flagged flooring and fake ceiling beams help to create the intended ambience. Décor has a fair bit of horse related stuff including some silly slogans but there are also old farming scenes and a few maps.
I didn't bother checking out a menu but suffice to say there were plenty of takers for food on a midweek early afternoon. They haven't gone completely down the restaurant route thankfully and seating looks to be free to choose apart from one area. There were five handpumps, Doom Bar x2 and Hogs Back TEA x2 with one unclipped. I spotted bottles of Thornbridge beers and also some from St Peters in the fridges. The pumps had those small jars showing the beer colour which naturally with the above choice were virtually identical.
This place seems to be thriving, the car park always seems to be busy. The pub simply would not work anymore as a wet led operation in this location but no issue with dropping in for just a drink so good luck to them.
On 14th April 2019
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The Shy Horse
Very much a family dining establishment now, with usual rustic farmhouse sort of décor. There is a drinkers' area in the middle, but even this tends to be overtaken by diners when busy. Does at least have some interest in real ales, with Cask Marque listing and occasional guests alongside the usual Doom bar etc.
On 13th November 2017
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3352 recommendations about 3289 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Shy Horse
This pub is something of a landmark on the Leatherhead Road, being a large detached building, with a bus stop named for it and a car park and largish garden, and mostly surrounded by fields. Food is big business here. As you enter you are greeted by the "wait to be seated" sign, but although the vast majority of tables are laid for diners there are a handful not so laid and I guess drinkers could just plonk themselves at one of them. Table service is provided in the dining areas. A fair bit of effort to make this place seem welcoming and comfortable. There are some very distressed ancient posts and beams as a decorative features, plus a couple of fireplaces with coal effect fires alight, though not really needed on a mild and sunny October day. It's really quite elegant by pub standards, although the presence of a fruit machine flashing away detracts from the ambience slightly.
Three handpumps were on the bar but only two in use during my weekday lunchtime visit - dishing up London Pride and Brain's Rev James (£3.15 a pint). A standard Vintage Inns menu is available, with main courses from £7.95 (gammon steak) upwards and the pub standard fish n chips (or in here it's the "sustainably sourced cod loin") at £10.95. This is the sort of pub you go to specifically for a meal. It's somewhat out of the way, although the 465 bus from Kingston stops outside, and is definitely not somewhere would drop in for a pint if you're passing. I liked it in here, but now it's not really a traditional pub, and I'm not likely to visit again unless Mrs R wants to come here for another meal.
On 29th October 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about The Shy Horse
This roadside, family friendly, dining pub is close to Chessington World of Adventures and appears to be popular with both locals and visitors alike although it is certainly more geared towards the diners. The interior appears to be largely recreated in a farmhouse style although there are a couple of warming open fires that appear to be original. The layout is sufficient to cater for reasonable sized groups and there are a few screened off sections and snugs for couples or smaller families. I have dined here with my wife and mother on a few occasions and the food here has always been fine but obvioulsy you need to expect pubco food rather than Gordon Ramsay Service has always been attentive and the prices are more than reasonable. As for the beers, a subject lacking in previous reviews, 3 Ales albeit a rather mainstream choice but excellent prices for Surrey (Green King IPA £2.40, London Pride £2.60 and Bombadier £2.80) and the Pride was of very good quality as well, certainly worthy of their Cask Marque status. A meal here won't change your life in the same way a trip to a Harvester is not a gastronomic highlight but the place has no pretences and I always walk away full up and with change in my pocket.
On 8th December 2008
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]