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Beer of the Week (w/e 28th April 2024) with aleandhearty
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Detail Pages
Running Horse, Mayfair, W1
W1
W1K 5JE
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 4 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about Running Horse
This place dates from 1738, rebuilt 102 years later.
I really can’t add much to many of the previous reviews, especially that of PSM from 16 months ago. I arrived to find a huge party of people outside, with much of the pub empty, customers in attendance being young poseurs.
At the bar, the clueless barman – the same one? – was more interested in flirting with young female customers. There were four pumps, all unused, thereafter a fount for other beers. I asked for a half of something and was told it was off. A request for a second choice elicited a similar a response, likewise a third; why couldn’t he just tell me what was on, rather than making me work my way through the list? In the end it was a half of Meantime London Lager for £3.35 a half, not a great choice.
I found a seat to survey the interior, where much of the décor comprises framed equestrian prints, but the standout for me were the dozens of used glasses and bottles at multiple tables. A barman arrived to rearrange the furniture, but the glasses remained for quite some time, making the place seem slummy and it’s not as if the staff were exactly rushed off their feet.
I made a mental note to give this pub a ‘3’, but on leaving the gent’s loo, a women popped her head round the door and asked me if there was any paper; a check of the cubicle revealed there was none in there too; the look on her face said it all.
This has to be the worst pub in all of W1, not even making a ‘3’.
On 29th October 2021
- rating: 2
[User has posted 1987 recommendations about 1953 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Running Horse
Just around the corner from Bond Street station, the Running Horse is a simple, if somewhat upmarket, single room pub given a fancy make-over. The pub is bare boarded throughout and has some nice dark wood panelled walls plus a compact servery down the left hand wall. The bar has a wood panelled counter that is in keeping with the panelling around the rest of the room, plus a glazed tile bar back decorated with various bits of Six nations tat, with a board from the game of Totopoly displayed above, in reference to the pub’s name I presume. A smaller, front part of the bar, separated from the main counter by a section of dividing wall, has a bar back unit topped with plants, bottles, lamps, jugs and the like. The room sees fixed bench seating under the windows that run down two sides of the building, plus high tables and stools through the centre and some more seating at the rear, although the pub was so busy, I could neither make my way through or get a glimpse from the bar to figure out exactly what was there. I could see a nice fireplace on the back wall though, with an attractive tile surround and a plain mirror above. Decor is limited to some small paintings, stupid modern slogan posters and the inevitable slide images of a running horse.
There were three ales on at the bar – Purity Gold plus Rebellion IPA and Smuggler. The Purity Gold set me back 5.50 a pint and was absolutely rancid. I waited an eternity to get served thanks to the ineptitude of the bar staff who didn’t seem to understand how to operate the till, never mind keep good beer. The place was so packed with dreadful post-work posho punters that I simply couldn’t face the rigmarole of trying to get my pint changed, so I ditched it and left vowing never to return.
This seemed like quite a nice pub based on my initial impressions, but the rot quickly set in on this visit, from the obnoxious poseurs at the bar, to the dreadful music playing throughout, the clueless staff and the vile beer. Get a new team in here that knows what it’s doing, and this could be worth a look, but as things stand, I’ll be keeping well clear.
On 24th June 2019
- rating: 3
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
custodian 42 left this review about The Running Horse
One roomed pub with three real ales. Nothing above 4.5% ABV. I had UBU purity which was expensive at £5.50 a pint (I had a half). Nothing special here.
On 4th July 2017
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Running Horse
OK sort of place, albeit lacking much in the way of pub atmosphere, close to Bond Street tube but just far enough away from the Oxford Street rush to avoid overcrowding. Dark wood-panelled bar with limited decor. Two of three handpumps working on my last visit, with Pride and Cornish Knocker (good enough, but very pricey - even for the area - at £4.10) available.
On 30th June 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Running Horse
The fact that this place is owned by the First Restaurant Group will give you a bit of a clue to what it majors on. There is a restaurant section upstairs and most of the tables downstairs seem laid out for eating
It’s meant to be one of the oldest pubs in Mayfair, although you wouldn’t know it, either from the outside or inside. The original building was turned into a tavern in 1738 and the name comes from the Galloping Horse of Hanover and was a way of seeking royal protection back in those days.
Internally the ground floor bar is a modern plain wood makeover with dark wood panelling on all four walls and plain wooden tables and chairs. The only thing of any historical note is what looks like a Victorian fireplace at the non bar end of the room.
There were quite a few in just drinking on the early evening I visited so I ventured in but only could see one hand pump dispensing the ubiquitous Pride, but then spotted a second which had Skinners Cornish Knocker as a guest. Decided to have a small one which was perfectly fine, but as this is not my type of place and I didn’t get much change out of £2 for a half I don’t think i can see myself coming back.
On 25th July 2010
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2111 recommendations about 1992 pubs]