The White Horse keeps up the traditional grandeur that many of London’s Samuel Smith pubs adopt. Just sitting inside gives as much pleasure as that first sip of a cool beer.

The Venue
The White Horse must be one of Theatreland’s best bets for a quiet pint. Its lack of big brands scares off shallow guzzlers and leaves space to appreciate the colour of burnt browns that bleed out of the wood.

The pub can feel a little bare during the day, when the daylight strikes the chequered stone floor and the wooden everything creates little warmth. However, by evening it’s a different proposition entirely as the grand mantelpiece glows by the light of the log fire beneath it and the mass of bodies crammed onto the green leather benches are illuminated. Unfortunately, the summer months see the fire eclipsed and outshone by the fruit machine that stands next to it.

The Atmosphere
Toilers, grafters and students mix together at the White Horse, exchanging very different outlooks on the world as the relative inexpense of the food and drink means that all types attend. There is a constant flow of daytime drinking but things really pick up in the evening as people abandon work or stop for cheap pre-club drinks.

The Food
The Samuel Smith’s brewery is all about the tradition and Britishness of its pubs and they are determined to see that reflected in the food. Steak and ale pies, hotpots and cottage pies are the honest and filling dishes on offer here for around £6 each.

The Drink
The White Horse has the whole Samuel Smith range on offer. There is Taddy lager, Alpine and Wheat beer on tap and stouts and ales to complete the set-up. The wine list is basic but very affordable (which goes for the rest of the drinks) and the house white is particularly good value for the quality.

The Last Word
The White Horse has that salt of the earth honesty that people place in high regard. Worth a visit.

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