The Horse & Groom, Dartford

Large pub in Wilmington with friendly owners and staff. Nice grub too as all appears to be home made.

Situated on the edge of Dartford Heath well away from the town, you would expect this to be a quaint rambler's pub rather than have the feel of a town centre pub that has been built in the wrong place. From the road, the main entrance leads initially past the toilets and then into a bit of a pikey pool room with brick fireplace and big screen. Not the best introduction to a newcomer. The main bar is through a small archway and is comfortable enough but has a very tired and dated 70's look about it with an abundance of plain mirrors, modern brick bar with pictures of actors and musicians, cheap copies of movie posters and numerous inflatable Guinness glasses attached to the ceiling fans. 4 unspectacular Real Ales (Courage Best / Directors / Tetleys / Green King IPA) but not particularly good quality on my recent visit. The décor is not currently helped by an overwhelming number of St George's flags (presumably for the rugby World Cup) which make the place look like a BNP headquarters. The pub does have its political connections being the meeting place for the legendary Dartford Fancy Dress Party who stood at many local elections. As for entertainment, the usual run of quiz and fruit machines are supplemented by Karaokes and Elvis impersonators at the weekends but there is a large beer garden at the rear with childrens play area to escape when necessary. The Rua Thai Restauarant next door is part of the pub however our meal there was ruined by unbearable cacophony coming from the bar. On occasions, a seafood stall (one of the last in town) sets up home in the car park and if you are using the heath for a stroll, jog, nature trek or just a quick dogging session, this is the only option around for a beer. Whilst there is nothing inherently wrong with the place, it could, with a bit of enterprise, be so much more enticing.