Ye Old White Horse, WC2

Randomness Guide to London - Ye Old White Horse entry

Randomness Guide to London - Ye Old White Horse entry

There were four real ales on last Wednesday - I had the Woodforde's Norfolk Wherry, which was just fine. They also had Taylor's Landlord on plus Young's Special as guest beer (forgotten the fourth, but it was not one of the usual suspects). Friendly service, and I enjoyed a chat with the landlord about East End pubs that we had known. Place could do with a little bit of a smarten up, but I still appreciate the atmosphere of a simple little boozer that serves as an oasis away from the soulless drinking establishments that abound round the corner in Kingsway. They have got rid of the "no students" sign, but I gather that all but mature students are still barred. Definitely worth seeking out you you like "no-frills" pubs.

Tucked away is not the word - I have wandered around this area many a time and never noticed this place until I accidentally stumbled upon it. The first thing that hits you is that the interior is very dark; dark wall coverings, dark ceiling and dark carpet. Several mirrors on the walls probably help to reflect some of the natural light but the overall the lighting is very dim. The pub consists of a single room with just one table in the front bay and a raised seated area towards the back. It would appear that sitting at a ledge by the wall is the order of the day. A decent selection of 4 ales (Deuchars IPA, Timothy Taylor Landlord, Woodforde Wherry and Breakspears Bitter) and reasonable prices (the Wherry was £2.60 – pretty good for the area). Aside from the rather plain mirrors, the walls are adorned with legal cartoons that suggest the pub is popular with the guys (and gals) from the nearby Royal Courts of Justice. The service was friendly and efficient albeit there were barely 4 or 5 people in there, and this was Friday lunchtime. Facilities were few – I didn't notice any games machines or the like (no bad thing), piped mainstream radio, small TV, basic food counter and that's about it. A down to earth, common or garden boozer with nothing special apart from a decent selection of beers but I doubt whether there is enough here to entice anyone other than the local students here on a regular basis.