The White Horse, Selhurst, SE25

Official site of The White Horse - www.whitehorseselhurst.co.uk

Official site of The White Horse - www.whitehorseselhurst.co.uk

With a few local pubs closing in the last year or so, the White Horse is now the closest pub to Selhurst train station and therefore has its part to play as a Crystal Palace supporter’s pub. There seems to have been a fairly recent refurb which has helped tidy up what had always struck me as one of the tattier pubs in the area, which is saying something. True to their remit, the refurb sees the place kitted out in Palace colours and the effect is actually quite smart and pleasing. The bar is located opposite the entrance, with a pool table and slot machine filling the space to the left and plenty of seating occupying the open space to the right. At the front of the room is a slightly raised area which had a few tables alongside some comfy upholstered banquettes. There is Palace memorabilia everywhere including lots of framed shirts and signed photos and this was rather bizarrely supplemented by numerous Laurel and Hardy figurines, which, for all I know, could be a satirical swipe at Palace's current striking partnership, but is more likely to be a rather odd and incongruous choice of ornamentation. A large TV screen was showing Sky Sports News with the volume turned up, but it was hard to follow as there was also music playing from behind the bar at the same time. A sign hung above the toilet door read 'Does the poppy offend you? If so, leave this pub now', which struck me as unnecessary. I wasn’t expecting much in the way of good beer, but there was a lone hand pump offering Shepherd Neame Spitfire (£2.80), so I gave it a try and was pleased to find it in good nick. Standard keg products lined the rest of the bar. This place was much better than I'd expected, but, to be fair, my expectations were set about as low as you can get. It's not worth seeking out and it's not the best pub in walking distance of Selhurst Park, but it seems to be doing well for itself and I'm happy to leave it in the hands of those who appreciate it.