Coach & Horses, Soho, W1

Another trans-century rebuild, dating from 1897 for Lacon’s and supposedly the haunt of Shelley, before he eloped with Mary Wollstonecraft, author of Frankenstein; she’d probably like it here as this has had a savage makeover recently and as I’d not been here before, I can’t comment on the previous incarnation. There’s a modern metal topped bar, faced with sea green ceramic tiles (see photo) with a very distressed bar back. The floor is modern boarded, the walls either painted tedious smoky blue (likewise the ceiling), otherwise extremely distressed bare brick, the building site theme continues, with planks fixed to some walls. Furniture comprises tall bench tables with tubular steel stools with either ply or upholstered vinyl backs. Lighting comes from filament bulbs in wire cages and there’s foliage in the form of potted ferns where the pot shelf should be, then frizzy pot plants on the tables. By way of affectation, there’s a beer board, advertising not much. There’s an upstairs bar and loud music played, to the typical Soho client base. Amazingly, there were three ales, though none amazing: GK IPA, London Glory and Landlord at a pricey £2.75 a half and fine. Real ale claws back a point for this pub, but I don’t intend to return, though there are obviously fans of this type of thing.

Official site of Coach & Horses - www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk

Official site of Coach & Horses - www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk

Corner pub which achieves the trick of feeling smaller inside that it looks from outside. The bar counter itself looks suitable aged, but the rest of the interior has suffered a rather tacky makeover. There are a couple of sports TVs. Draught ales were IPA, Abbot, Landlord and Belhaven IPA, although the latter was off.

Strangly dark pub lit with a few fairy lights and the glow of sky tv.Abbot and GK -ipa doesn't exactly draw crowds. Weird.

Unremarkable Greene King pub with a 'L'-shaped layout. Traditional-ish furniture and decor. Background music. Upstairs lounge (not visited). Three real ales available: IPA, London Glory (£3.50) and a seasonal (something from Belhaven on my last visit).