Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Flying Horse, Fitzrovia, W1
W1
W1D 1AN
Pub Type
Nicholsons (Mitchells & Butlers)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Will Larter left this review about The Flying Horse
Nearing completion in my attempt to explore all the central London pubs with heritage interiors on Camra's inventory. This one is easily missed, having a narrow frontage on the busy pavement opposite Tottenham Court Road tube. It's been well described by experts on the link below, and it's difficult to photograph because it seems to be always fairly busy. On the bar is a row of eight hand pumps with London Pride, Doom Bar and Ghost Ship all doubled, plus the house beer from St Austell and Wye Valley HPA. I went for the Nicholson's Pale which was ok (NBSS 2.5) but nothing special. I don't drink this beer often enough to know whether it ever attains interesting status, and at over £6 a pint I'm unlikely to return here to try it again, no matter how delightful the heritage interior.
On 20th February 2025
- rating: 6
[User has posted 4273 recommendations about 3935 pubs]
Moby Duck left this review about The Flying Horse
Although I visited this pub when it was the Tottenham many moons ago, I remember little about it, now although some smart ornate woodwork and some nice furnishings it cant escape the Nicholsons brand feel. A tourist trap given it's location, handily placed opposite Tottenham Court Road tube, it was fairly well attended upon my arrival on a Saturday afternoon, aided and abetted by the first Saturday game of the new Premier League season being screened. There are eight handpumps but only half being utilised, beers on were Doom Bar, Hophead, Pride and Nicholsons Pale, gone are the days when you could go to a Nicholsons pub and find interesting beer. A functional pub but doesn't particularly appeal to me.
On 18th August 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2151 recommendations about 2118 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Flying Horse
I remember this pub at the Tottenham,it's opposite the tube entrance and I was drawn by the CAMRA listing as a pub of Historic National Interest.It's operated by Nicholson's and is small with no food so wet led.The points of interest are the wall mounted etched mirrors and paintings on linen,together with good wood panelling.tiling,cornicing and a rear skylight with a chandelier hanging below.However the flatscreens showing the Six Nations,gaming machines and the initial rank of high tables bring a chain feel to the pub ,and given the location it's full of tourists and other travellers.
You can escape the throng in the St Giles cellar bar,but this is featureless with unplaned wood finishes and two more flatscreens.The bar here is non operational for real ale.
The handpumps were drawing Tiny Rebel Hawk,Fyne Jarl,Stewart Backing Blue (short pint pulled,NBSS 3),Nicholsons St Austell Pale,two pumps with ale "coming soon" and two real ciders.For a Nicholson's that not a bad range but the CAMRA national listing is diminshed by the lack of care and it's easy to just drift past the unassuming frontage.Could be a lot better.
On 19th March 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2936 recommendations about 2936 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Flying Horse
I came here last about 10 years ago and then once before that around 20 years further back in time, so can't remember my first visit. In 2015 it reverted from its rebuild 1892/3 name to the earlier Flying Horse title which dates back to at least the late 18th century.
The spectacular interior is something of a must-see, especially given the central location but thereafter it's a bit of a slide downhill. There's a flashing games machine and two TVs were showing the football and at substantial volume, which of course translated into deafening adverts for McDonald's et al at half time making conversation difficult. It also seems that there was some thumping music playing in the basement as I could feel my stool vibrating to the rhythme. It's also not that homely, being patronised by office workers and tourists.
For the record, six pumps, one unused the remainder dishing out Pride, Gloom, Nicholson's Pale Ale, Sharp's Cornish Winter and Hooky Best at a relatively reasonable £4.70 and perfectly drinkable but a rather boring tipple.
This place is good for a quick half to admire the interior, but it's not a place I'd want to linger.
On 22nd January 2020
- rating: 3
[User has posted 2208 recommendations about 2165 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The Flying Horse
A smallish Nicholson's pub, once marketed as the 'only pub on Oxford Street'. There are some nicely historic bits to the interior, including glasswork, ceramics and woodwork, with a rather splendid picture. Usually seems pretty busy, although there is another bar downstairs, again not visited. A reasonable selection of beers seemed well-kept, including two from Siren, two from St Austell (one the house ale) and London Pride.
On 8th December 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3641 recommendations about 3576 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Flying Horse
Located at the junction of Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road, this is a traditional, single room pub that doesn’t look especially large from the outside but extends back some way from the front entrance.
Décor wise it consists of a dark, wood strip floor and has quite a dark ambience overall with fairly low level lighting and further dark woodwork on the walls. The right hand wall was largely covered with large mirrors one of which had been decoratively painted. Where there weren’t mirrors there were large portraits, and each mirror or portrait was framed with carved woodwork and interspersed with colourful tiling. A large chandelier was hanging at the rear and there was elaborate cornice work on the ceiling. Seating was perhaps a little limited, and we perched up on one of the stools along the bar counter.
Beers on tap were Truman’s Fine and Dandy, Itchen Pride of the Valley, Oakham JHB, Thornbridge January Blues and Oakham Pale Ale. Three further pumps for Doom Bar, London Pride and Exmoor Gold had all run out, which might normally raise some concerns about their stock control, but we visited on a Sunday evening when they had no doubt not had the chance to replenish from the weekend. Ciders meanwhile were both from Mortimer’s Orchard, with both the regular and English Berry varieties.
On 2nd February 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2060 recommendations about 1962 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Flying Horse
Appears nothing special from the street, but step inside and you can spend ages looking around (and up) at the splendid tiling, mirrors and other original features (plus the curious metal cage...). A long counter and usually only a couple of staff meaning it can take ages to get served as the place is often crammed with tourists and Oxford Street shoppers. The number of handpumps has increased to eight since my previous visit four years ago, with a decent, varied selection this time, including an Indian Brown Ale from Harbour Brewing (£4.75). Further handpumps (usually offering duplicated beers) can be found downstairs in the St Giles cellar bar / dining room. Overall, worth a visit for the decor although no great shakes as a pub.
On 25th June 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8679 recommendations about 8678 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Flying Horse
Now back to its previous name The Flying Horse. This Nicholson's pub is the only pub on Oxford street and as you would expect it has an old ornate interior(didn't visit downstairs). 8 real ale taps.
On 25th October 2016
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2933 recommendations about 2866 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about The Tottenham
The Tottenham is now the only remaining pub out of 38 that used to line the length of the shopper’s hell commonly known as Oxford Street. The current pub dates from 1893 although there was a previous pub called the Flying Horse on the site dating back to 1790.
The main bar is a single room that appears to have once been divided into front and rear sections. The pub has been wonderfully preserved with many impressive and quite lavish features including mirrors, lamps, tiling, a quite delightful ceiling and 3 large murals that apparently represent the seasons so presumably one got lost somewhere along the way. At the rear is a spectacular coloured glass octagonal skylight that brings some much needed light. Stairs down lead to the less grandiose Astoria Bar that is designated mainly as a dining area. The walls here have several interesting pictures of the area.
The customer base is the usual West End mix of office workers, shoppers and tourists and it is generally quite a bubbly place although the downside is that tables are at a premium so you generally have to hog some bar space or use the drinking shelf beyond.
As part of the Nicholsons chain I generally expect a good ale selection however the Tottenham has regularly been a disappointment with just 2 ales (Proper Job & London Pride) and a cider (Old Rosie) available on my latest sojourn. 2 others (Doom Bar and Nicholsons own Pale Ale) were both “Coming Soon” (but never soon enough) and a 6th pump was unused.
Probably the worst element of the pub for me has always been the staffing and hardly a visit from me ever goes by without experiencing some form of incompetence, usually short measures or unavailable beers with the clips still displayed. I had a double n my latest visit whammy whereby a round that cost £9.35 suddenly became £10.15 half an hour later for the same drinks followed by the foody people mistaking land and aquatic animals after ordering a shared seafood platter.
The Tottenham seems to treat it’s customers knowing that a large majority will never come back anyway so can provide shoddy service and as hard as I try to like the place, it seems to constantly shoot itself in the foot in one way or another.
On 15th May 2013
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about The Tottenham
Update – January 2013
Several recent visits to this Nicholsons pub found only 2 of the 6 handpumps in use, with 3 of the others displaying pump clips with “coming soon” labels attached.
The pub is as described below and is worth looking in if passing but, the beer range may well disappoint, if my visits were anything to go by.
Original review – January 2010
Best known for being the only pub on Oxford Street, the Tottenham is a Nicholsons pub at the Tottenham Court Road end of Oxford Street, a stone's throw away from Tottenham Court Road and Centre Point.
A rather uninspiring looking frontage leads into a long narrowish single bar with some impressive tiling and paintings being the principal features of note of a typically impressive and traditional Nicholsons interior. The pub is listed in CAMRA's National Inventory of Unspoilt Interiors.
Perhaps not surprisingly given the location, the pub has a very transient feel to it - even by Central London standards - and my early Saturday morning visit, just after 11.15 am, found the pub quite full with shoppers and tourists having breakfast and/or coffee.
5 of the 6 handpumps were in use -serving Pride, Landlord, Doom Bar, Nethergate Azzaparrot and Batemans XXB. The Landlord - was reasonable.
The highlight of my visit was undoubtedly witnessing a classic Fawlty - esque exchange at the bar between a German couple complaining about their breakfast and the Eastern European barmaid who was less than sympathetic ( as was the Duty Manager ) to the couple demanding their money back on the basis that they had been served with an egg and bacon sandwich, instead of the full English Breakfast which they claimed to have ordered. I was sorely tempted to join in, by asking the German couple why they hadn't complained at the time and also, why they had proceeded to eat the sandwich if indeed it was the "wrong" order, but I decided against it on the spur of the moment. Eventually the Duty Manager gave them a couple of quid back, just to shut them up and get rid of them.
This is not a must visit pub, and I can't guarantee that there will always be impromptu entertainment, but it's worth calling in if you're passing by.
On 21st January 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]