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Detail Pages
The Winning Horse, Esher
Claygate
Postal town: Esher
KT10 0JY
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Winning Horse
This was my Life on Mars moment, transported back to the 1970s as I passed through some strange portal into The Winning Horse. The saloon bar to the left is carpeted, the bar front has a red padded lining, tables are formica topped, there is a small fish tank and little water jugs, mostly whisky branded, hang from a beam. Walls are formica panelled, even the working gas fire was of the vintage. The net curtains and swirly single glazed door joined in too. There was even a Babycham fawn and a bottle of Dimple Haig whisky behind the bar and a Manns Brewery sign on the bar back. Beer bottles and beermats on the bar gantry.
Curious, I wandered through to the public bar which turned out to have a lino floor, TV and a dartboard but also one of those glass pie warmers replete with proper pies. Doors from here lead to a small garden. There were, unusually I thought football scarves from both Manchester clubs hanging up in here but with a Chelsea version over the bar.
Back to the saloon, decor includes framed collections of cigarette cards, framed horse and racing pictures and a few posters.
In between the two rooms is a rarely seen off-sales counter, effectively in the lobby by the entrance. This seemingly doubles up as a small shop, selling cigarettes, cans, sweets and snacks.
Beer wise there are two cask ales, St Austell Tribute and Courage Best; both on in the bar but just Tribute visible in the saloon. The Tribute was in good shape at a friendly if not 1975 price of £3.00.
Worth a final mention is the service, it was quiet on a lunchtime but as I entered the friendly barmaid/landlady firstly offered me a newspaper to read and then skipped around to the bar front to light the gas fire for me. I've never had that service before as a stranger.
I drank my beer, said my goodbyes and stepped outside. After briefly looking for my Ford Granada I remembered, I drive a Toyota.
On 12th January 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1707 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Winning Horse
As you walk through the entrance into the small vestibule you are faced with a small area of the bar effectively being used as a sweet counter. That’s unusual, in the London area anyway although maybe it’s the norm in other parts of the country, but I suppose there’s nothing wrong with a pub doubling up as a sweet shop. A door on the right leads to the Public Bar, and the door on the left leads to the Saloon Bar. I spent my visit in the latter bar; although I didn’t get a good look at the Public bar it looked comfortable enough and I did spot an array of football scarves on one of the walls. The Saloon Bar retains a strong 70s feel to it – formica topped tables; red plastic padding on the front of the bar counter; green mock velvet upholstered banquettes; and a gas fire in the fireplace. Other items of interest are the small fish tank, horse-racing prints and the like on the walls, and bottles and jugs on display, the latter hanging from a beam in the middle of the room. It looks a traditional pub from the outside with its original green tiling, and Mann, Crossman and Paulin brewers glazing in the windows.
They had a couple of real ales on – Courage Best, and the excellent St Austell Tribute. The latter was in fine fettle (as equestrians would have it), at a very reasonable price of £2.70 a pint. I didn’t see any sign of food or menus, although my visit was mid afternoon on a weekday. This looks like another decent, clean and unpretentious pub. It’s definitely worth dropping in for a pint if you’re in the area, especially if you like largely unspoilt inter-war pubs.
On 18th November 2010
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]