Running Horses, Erith

The Running Horses is located near the south bank of the River Thames, resting under the gaze of two tall tower blocks that sit in the estate behind. This is a large roadside building, but only the left portion seems to be operating as a pub, although there is an advertised function room that I didn’t see. The right-hand side of the pub has a wood floor and the left a red horsey print carpet. A pool table site in the front with the entrance to the left and doors to the right that lead, or did lead, to the right-hand side of the pub. The bar then runs up the right to a dartboard at the rear. standard seating runs up the centre and in the left-hand window is some raised seating on a stage area. There is a jukebox, but during my mid-afternoon weekday visit the background noise was coming from a radio station, and some trades playing a boisterous game of pool. Sky Sports is advertised. The service was polite, but the two hand pumps looked like they hadn’t been used in a long time. Standard keg and Birra Moretti were the draft options. This is a proper boozer probably better left to the locals.

This is a very large stand-alone building (an inter-war build by the look of it) of a pub with numerous doors – in fact I tried three locked doors before I hit on the one that opened up into the two interconnected rooms on the left of the building that were the only ones in use during my Wednesday lunchtime visit. But the rooms in use were quite comfortable with mainly normal tables and (high-backed) chairs, although I did spot at least one tall table with tall stools, and there were also a couple of sofas in front of a fireplace. There was a fair bit of miscellaneous decor and odds and ends about the place – such as copper jugs hanging from a dark painted post, very large earthenware jugs plus some potted plants on the window ledge, some ancient golf clubs displayed in a fan shape on one of the walls, and predictably I suppose some equine related paraphernalia suspended from beams and the ceiling. I also spotted a couple of dartboards, although one was behind a table so probably doesn’t get a lot of use. Probably the best feature of this room was the carpet, which included a running horses motif. Most of the people in there were eating. There were two illustrated menus on the table at which I sat – one containing the standard pub grub deals (e.g 2 meals for £8.95), and the other advertising sizzling steaks and is the more expensive of the two (e.g the 8oz prime fillet is £17.95). A carvery upstairs is also advertised, but it wasn’t open on Wednesday lunchtime. A few specials were advertised on a blackboard above the bar counter for £4 a pop. I had the steak and ale pie, chips and veg, but unfortunately the pie had been microwaved which tends to turn hitherto decent pastry into a claggy mess. There was one real ale available – a decent drop of Harvey’s Best at £3.10 a pint – with another handpump unused. I reckon that this is the best pub in central Erith, although to be honest it doesn’t have much serious competition, seemingly not having to rely solely on lager drinking regulars. But it’s reasonably priced and comfortable and does do one decent ale, so is worth visiting if you’re in Erith.