The Coach & Horses, Soho, W1

I'd known about this pub for a while mainly due to its long-standing association with Private Eye. As a reader of many years, it was probably my duty to make a pilgramage; I was able to do so on a Sunday evening, which you wouldn't imagine to be a busy time for pubs in this area but nonetheless most of the seating was taken. With its pine-heavy wood interior it has a lighter feel than a lot of more 'traditional' pubs although it clearly inspires a loyal following. Pints of Doom Bar were consumed but sadly we didn't stick around for the food, which looked simple and appealing in its 'Britishness'. I'd certainly say this is one to check out although it probably isn't everyone's cup of tea.

The Coach and Horses is one of Soho's best known pubs, situated right in the heart of this vibrant area of London. It's still promoted externally as Norman's Coach and Horses - "Norman" being of course, the notorious Norman Balon, allegedly London's rudest landlord, who retired several years ago. I never had the distinction of being served personally by Norman, although I did once receive an icy glare from him when I pointed out to one of his staff that my pint needed topping up. It's a former Taylor Walker pub with a light pine, wood panelled, carpeted interior and several interconnecting areas. It still has a rather bohemian feel, attracting some real local characters, several of whom were noticeably rather the worse for wear on my recent early evening visit. There's a Private Eye dining room upstairs. In one room a woman was enthusiastically belting out all the old Cockney favourites on a piano and customers were being avidly encouraged to join in, without too much success. A drinks break between songs revealed that the woman was not a Pearly Queen, nor even a Londoner, but was actually Romanian ! There appears to be a wider range of real ales being served from what I remember several years ago. Beers on were Cumberland, Black Sheep, Pedigree, Bombardier, Doom Bar and Trumans, which I suspect is probably too many for this pub. All beers were priced at £ 3.40p. This pub is inevitably crowded and, taking the visit as a whole, I'd only rate it as average.

Randomness Guide to London - Coach And Horses entry

Randomness Guide to London - Coach And Horses entry

Confusingly there are two Coach and Horses in Soho, but this is the more famous one for being the home to Norman Balon, the self proclaimed rudest landlord in London, and as the local for a lot of famous Soho residents, such as George Melly, Peter O’Toole, and the Spectator columnist Jeffrey Barnard, after whom the Keith Waterhouse play ‘Jeffery Barnard is Unwell’ was written and set in The Coach and Horses. Norman retired in 2006, and most of the famous locals have moved on, in most cases for the final time. And after a while of trying to trade and cash in on its reputation, which included a silly period of changing the name to Normans, it has now settled down as a solid Soho boozer with a bit of character. It’s had a lick of paint and been tidied up since the Barnard days but the interior is still basically the same as it was back then. Original wood panelling and room dividers sectioning the inside are into three connected parts. I never considered it before but Rex’s comment that it has the feel of an inter wars decor is pretty accurate. I tend to visit on a weekend evening after a show or event and at these times the pub is usually banged out with a mixed crowd, as it was when I popped in again last weekend. As mentioned four handpumps on the bar which include a Cider and a Perry. And one of the Ale pumps was Hopback Summer Lightning which was in good form.

I had a few pints of lager in here last Thursday night after work and wasn't overly impressed with any aspect of the pub. It was busy, but that is only due to the location. It is also very expensive, £3.40 a pint of bog standard bitter/lager. I wonder how much the stella is? The barmaid was in no hurry to serve and the toilets were an utter disgrace. There are plenty of far superior pubs in the area, so I won't be rushing back for another Coach & Horses experience.

This is a bright red-painted corner pub in Soho, just round the corner from Cambridge Circus. They had two real ales on – London Pride (of course) and Sambrook's Brewery Wandle - “brewed in the heart of London”. I went for the Wandle and it tasted excellent, but at a top of the range price of £3.30 a pint. They also had a cider and perry on tap – Weston's Old Rosie and County Perry. The pub itself was surprisingly quiet at around 1.00 on a Saturday afternoon, with only me inside and three or four punters outside. But it filled up a bit, with the number of customers getting into double figures. The pub retains the vestiges of its multi room history with some surviving screens, but without the intersecting doors. It looks like an inter-war interior to me. The bar and panelling certainly look original. I realise that at another time it could be a very different pub, but I found it to be a quiet(ish) and welcome respite from the hordes usually seen in this part of London.