The White Horse, Richmond

This pub is branded as a “pub & eating house”, so unsurprisingly it’s gone down the gastropub route. Indeed, it’s one of Fuller’s rare forays into the gastro arena. Furnishings are banquettes, standard wooden tables and normal chairs. So far, so good. All the tables bore a vase of flowers, and one of the window bays had a very large display of lilies, which you could smell all over the pub. I’ve smelled worse things in pubs! The other classic gastropub indicator of wine bottles in racks in the bar back was also present. The walls have fielded panelling up to two-thirds height, some painted gastro grey and some a sort of pastel magnolia colour. A blackboard on one of the walls advertised the pub’s attractions, such as the soup of the day, quiz night, open mic night, and also something called “Richmond Jam” (but no Jerusalem!). There’s a garden at the back, reached through double doors that were fully open on the warm and sunny day I was in. As a Fuller’s pub it obviously had on London Pride, but also Fuller’s seasonal Wild River (£1.98 a half), as well as Butcombe Gold. The well-maintained hanging baskets outside, and the plethora of flowers inside, gave the place a very summery feel, especially on a bright June day. The one really good thing about these gastropubs is the total absence of fruit machines, or one-armed bandits as we used to know them. It’s nothing like a traditional pub now, but it’s light and airy, and I quite enjoyed my short visit here.

The White Horse is on a quiet road but close to the busy sheen road. Once inside the pub had been opened out and had bare boards and was catering for an upmarket type of customer,this pub is a Fullers tied house but on my visit there were no Fullers signs outside. There were two real ales on the bar i had a drink of Fullers London Pride and this was a decent drink the other beer was Fullers ESB. The pub was fairly quiet on my visit so i was happy enough having a drink in here. Pub visited 14/12/2002

Usual range of Fullers ale. Parking available. Serves food all day. Garden out the back, catches the sun.