The Black Horse, Kingston Upon Thames

This is a large, modernised roadside pub with a smart interior that feels better suited to diners than drinkers. Upon entering, you find yourself in a large opened out room with some nice herringbone flooring in the front bar area. This space is broken up by a central pillar and the walls have a low moulded plasterwork design with bold, modern wallpaper above. Seating comes in the form of padded benches around the perimeter, with regular chairs in support plus some high banquettes to the right. The servery is to the rear and has a white wood panelled counter front with an unpainted top and a fine old mirrored bar back topped with a decorative pediment. To the left is a slightly raised carpeted seating area, almost entirely obscured by a partitioning wall, with dark painted walls, similar seating options, a tidy fireplace on the far wall and various lanterns, vases and potted plants in the front window sills. Over to the right, the room runs back through a carpeted dining area with basic tables and chairs in the majority. The servery also extends back here and there is a rear window bay which can be screened off from the rest of the room by a curtain. Decor throughout the pub includes small mounted deer heads, ceramic animals and a collection of large vases, pots and the like. There’s a decent sized front garden with ample seating and a good deal of shelter, although it does look out to a busy road. R&B tunes were playing quietly in the background and there was a modest crowd in attendance. The pub has found its way into recent editions of the Good Beer Guide, and offered a promising selection of cask ale on this visit - Park Killcat and Poets Corner (£5.00), Twickenham Summer Sun, Sharps Doom Bar and Taylors Landlord. The bar staff were a bit useless, but managed to pour me a pint of the Poets Corner after much fuss, but it was in pretty bad shape and certainly not Good Beer Guide worthy. I was a bit disappointed with this place, which I’d hoped would be the standout pub in Norbiton, but ended up being a very underwhelming experience. The interior is smartly furnished, but can’t shake the gastro-pub vibe, coming across like an Ember Inn, whilst the service and beer quality were both severely lacking. It’s a nice looking place and may well suffice for a bite to eat, but I can’t see myself returning and would be surprised if it made the GBG again this year.

Official site of The Black Horse - www.blackhorsekingston.co.uk

Official site of The Black Horse - www.blackhorsekingston.co.uk

The pub consists of a large more or less L-shaped single room with the bar on the inside corner. Carpeted with mostly standard style seating apart from the bar stools and a few other stools at a ledge, the interior is mostly fairly modern refit issue, one area is slightly raised but there are a couple of fireplaces on opposite sides. There's a dartboard, a pool table and TV, decor includes a few old B&W photos of Kingston. The single space is sort of divided by a few pillars, sections of former walls and modern wood and glass half height screens. The pubco menu offers decent value meals, baguettes and jackets plus an all day breakfast but I don't know what the food is like. There are two banks of four pumps, one had all four clipped Courage Best, the other had Doom Bar and Spitfire with two not clipped. The Spitfire was fine (£3.30). There is a ramped access and internal accessible WC. There are a few benches to the frontage on a raised terrace and I think there is a rear garden. This is a particularly ordinary pub without any features of note. All was well during my post work visit but the presence of CCTV and the "No Drugs" notices are a little concerning.

The food menu offers 2 meals for £10 mon- fri with a carvery on sundays at £7.95 it runs a loyalty scheme on the carvery of buy 9 get the 10th free. It sells courage best and spitfire as standard and has started doing a guest ale. this pub has friendly staff with lots going on from darts. pool and poker to disco karaoke and occassionally live entertainment. There are 3 big screens with an outdoor tv and also 3d tv. Car parking for 12 vehicles. this is a local comunity pub with regulars with character also office workers students and staff from kingston hospital