The White Horse

The White HorseThe White Horse
The White HorseThe White Horse
Bar, Eatery

1-3 Parsons Green
London, England, SW6 4UL
United Kingdom

+44 20 7736 2115 | map
whitehorsesw6.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.18
Reviews:
34
Ratings:
43
pDev:
8.85%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by surfadelic23:
Photo of surfadelic23
Reviewed by surfadelic23 from Florida

4.25/5  rDev +1.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
aka the Sloaney Pony.This pub is very easy to find from the Parson's Green Station, it's less than a ten minute walk too! We were staying in Fulham and this became the place we would normally stop at on the way home from other crawls/touring London. It was the first place we stopped on our Saturday night crawl. Even after a Chelsea FC match, the place was mobbed, but I found the service to be great! We had two full meals and a few cheese plates all of which were spot on. The big highlight is the interesting selection of ales they had. I tried Harvey's Sussex Bitter , Adnam's Broadside, Oakham JHB, and Rooster's Yankee all of which were Killer! When in SW6 or on the district line, make a beeline for this pub.
****revisit October 2008****
Hit the white horse before the cfc v. sunderland match. A good crowd of older blues fans drinking pints of ale and looking over the match day program I was alternating the jaipur ipa with a wonderful barleywine that I can't remember the name of for the life of me had a dozen great oysters too good times and a goood result for cfc too...
Oct 29, 2006
More User Ratings:
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.94/5  rDev -5.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Nearly always crowded (been there only 3 times, but I understand it is). Not very charming, but the beer selection is very good, many fine bottled beers too, which is not common in a British pub. Bottled Belgians served ice cold is not comme-il-faut, though. Food was tasty but quite simple, and a bit pricey for a pub. The duck is recommended.
Jun 06, 2022
 
Rated: 4.36 by Shanex from France

Jul 15, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by VABA from Virginia

Aug 26, 2015
Photo of RickyHolden
Rated by RickyHolden from England

4.13/5  rDev -1.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.75 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3
Very expensive even for London
Jun 10, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by TNeedles from California

Mar 26, 2015
 
Rated: 4.28 by jshusc from South Carolina

Mar 10, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by CraigTravor from California

Aug 19, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Dicers from California

Jul 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by joelambic from Illinois

Jun 18, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by acurtis from New Jersey

Apr 17, 2014
Photo of VelvetCesc
Reviewed by VelvetCesc from Virginia

4.15/5  rDev -0.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
This pub is in a pretty posh part of London and when the weather is nice you can enjoy a Saturday BBQ and take your pint across the street to the green. It's not far from a tube station so it's easy to get to if you're coming from another part of the city.

No televisions means that you can bring something to occupy your time and still be able to think or you can saddle up to the bar or one of the community tables and enjoy the conversation.

When I was last there I talked with some of the staff. This place makes all the bar staff go through continuing education on a regular basis and they all seemed knowledgeable on the beers and ales they served.

What I especially liked was the wide range of abv available to fit the occasion.
Feb 12, 2014
Photo of BeerResearcher
Reviewed by BeerResearcher from Massachusetts

4.14/5  rDev -1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
This is a smallish boozer tucked away out of the hustle and bustle.

The place is a tad worn, yet still comfy. The fireplace looked inviting on a cool, damp evening, but it wasn't lit.

The pints were served in the proper glasses with nearly the perfect pour (quite a bit just spilled over). The food passing by looked pretty good and plentiful, but we had already eaten.

The landlord was attentive and pleasant enough, although he appeared a bit worm himself. Who knows? Maybe he had some pressing thoughts on his mind at the moment.

A view of the Parsons can be had from the patio. The waitress had a thick Slavic accent, but she seemed to know which beer was what. And the selections were very decent!

We're glad to have ducked in out of a cool drizzle. It wasn't really listed in any of the beer beer guides a few years ago, but seems to be gaining some respect. It's a joint that if you lived nearby you might frequent pretty often.
Aug 17, 2012
Photo of slowfade
Reviewed by slowfade from Canada (QC)

4.13/5  rDev -1.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Bustling spot in a rather posh area of London. Close to a subway stop. I was there in June 2011 and they had a barbecue food menu and a huge patio that was packed.

Inside it's a nice, typical looking pub. There seemed to be a more formal dining area in the back - possibly for their prix-fixe. I was with 3 others and we ate. Food was great - very British. Bangers and mash were delicious and every one was pleased. Had the summer pudding for dessert, however, and was disappointed. Small serving of an overly gelatinous, flavourless slice.

The beer selection is big. They have a large selection of cask beers and just as many gassed taps as well as a huge bottle list. Bottles ranged from moderately price to extremely expensive (something like 40 pounds for Sink the Bismarck!) but the selection was ridiculously large. Draught was decently priced, if a bit expensive. I had two pale ales of which I'd never heard. One porter. Everything was great. They also have a beer recommendation for every dish they serve which is nice for the under-educated.

The service was good for us. No problems.

Definitely recommend this spot, especially if you are in the area. I didn't get a chance to visit many beer-centric pubs in London but I am quite positive this would be one of the better ones.
Jul 13, 2011
Photo of Trizzle
Reviewed by Trizzle from England

4.43/5  rDev +6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
I drink here whenever I have the chance.

Always a pumping atmosphere, often a bit too crowded, but you can always get served. There are loads of trendy and wannabe types but I'm probably one of them so that doesn't concern me too much. I'm here for the beer.

I've had experience with brilliant and terrible service. Once being ordered to vacate a table that wasn't reserved for another hour, and another time forgetting to pay my bill and having to go back in the morning, hat in hand to pay it, just to enjoy some quality banter and another beer with the staff. (A souther tier 2xIPA from memory).

The quality is generally good. The cask ales are well looked after and served at appropriate temperatures. I don;t eat here often because its a touch expensive, but when I have, the food is good in both quality and portion size.

The price of beer here is really not too bad. I had a night out here a few months back with another beer nerd, and including dinner, I think it came to around £70 for the 2 of us.

This place is definitely in the list of places to hit when drinking beer in London.

EDIT: The beer festivals held here are excellent. I've been to a few now (US, Aussie and UK Winter Ales) and always get my fill.
Feb 16, 2011
Photo of tchaos
Reviewed by tchaos from Florida

4.4/5  rDev +5.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4
Stopped by a couple of times on a recent trip to London.

The White Horse is very easy to get to -- just off the Parsons Green tube stop. We were looking for someplace that had real ale and a solid selection of other beers. Since I was with my wife, I was also looking for more of a gastropub, so that she wouldn't feel like she was being dragged along to watch me quaff a few pints.

The White Horse came through on all fronts -- more than a dozen cask offerings; over a 1/2 dozen guest taps; a bottled list the size of a small phone book; excellent food.

Pints averaged 3 pounds for the cask items I had (plus real cider for my wife)...Espresso Oak-Aged Yeti plus Gonzo were on draft, too -- those were slightly higher. However, I couldn't justify the 30 pounds for a Westvleteren 12.

The food was excellent -- one of the best meals we ate in London. The White Horse had traditional pub fare (fish n chips, ploughmans, etc), but also had raspberry/mushroom/goat cheese tart with a chestnut salad, gnocchi, and foie gras. Potato wedges with sweet chili sauce and sour cream made for excellent munchies while downing a few watching Six Nations Rugby one afternoon.

Service was fantastic -- although we had a primary waiter for food, no fewer than 4 front-of-house folks checked in on us. Additionally, you can easily head to the bar to order and cash out.

If you find yourself in London, The White House at Parsons Green is definitely worth a visit.
Feb 14, 2011
Photo of headlessclown
Reviewed by headlessclown from Australia

3.78/5  rDev -9.6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5
A bit out of the way for many people (and on an annoying Tube line), this pub is a good place to find craft beer in London.

It has a nice classic English pub atmosphere, though perhaps a bit too classic when I went as a Chelsea match was on on the same night, so when I get there it was packed with Chelsea fans grabbing a beer before the game. It cleared out quickly just before kick-off, though.

The service was good, though it took some time to get food and beer when the bar was busy.

There were loads of cask ales as well as international and local craft beers on tap, and an extensive bottle list. The quality of beers available was generally good, too.

The food was reasonable and came in big portions.

As mentioned, it's a bit out of the way, but for what you get it's worth the trip.
Jan 23, 2011
Photo of belias
Reviewed by belias from Trinidad & Tobago

4/5  rDev -4.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 5 | food: 4
The White Horse is by far one of my favourite London pubs for numerous reasons. Firstly, the beer. There are at least a dozen different taps, many of which rotate and the cellar probably has at least 100.

The taps tend to be focussed on real ale, with a few continental choices in between, and the bottled selection is made up mostly of belgians/dutch/german ale. There is an annual ale festival as well, so there is the opportunity to try some rare pints now and then.

Food is good, albeit a bit expensive (much like the beer frankly), and it is a great spot for an afternoon pint before the afterwork crowd arrives. Especially as it's located right on parson's green and is just fantastic on a summer day.

The service can really be a bit hit or miss, and is my only real gripe. Some staff members really know their stuff, but it is a quite trendy place, especially on weekends, and there seem to be loads of part time staff who have no idea what's on tap/or in bottles. Sometime you're left waiting 10 minutes until the bartender can figure out what beer you're asking for and where it's being stocked. But, in the end it's just a minor complain of what is probably the best beer pub in the city.
Oct 05, 2010
Photo of thepeter
Reviewed by thepeter from England

4.05/5  rDev -3.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Been there a few times over the past 2 months and left very happy each time. The Atmosphere is pretty typical most of the time. Can be pretty loud and crowded at times which is OK but unfortunately a good proportion of the crowd is what i would consider to be a bunch of douche bags. When it is empty there is not a quaintness to it that can be enjoyed like many smaller pubs in the city. There are a lot of great beers at the WH, quite a few on cask and a good selection from all over the world on both draft and in the bottle. The service is okay, typical London pub service which is not necessarily a good thing. I have been there for Sunday Roast and for dinner. Both were fairly priced and very tasty. The Cheese plate with a 2002 vintage JW Lee's Barley Wine was a fantastic way to end any night! I also hope that they have more special release nights as they did with the Brewdog Abstakt a few weeks ago. Good Times
May 09, 2010
Photo of TurdFurgison
Reviewed by TurdFurgison from Ohio

4.05/5  rDev -3.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
I went with 2 friends on a Thursday night, around 8:00pm, and the place appeared to be packed. There was some seating out front, beer garden style, that was crammed full of people. Walking into the pub, we found a standing-room only crowd filled with what looked like financial types just getting off work. We snaked through the crowd with little hope of finding a place to sit, and to our surprise we found a quiet room in back set up for restaurant service. Seating for about 20 in this room, all at tables with benches and chairs.

The taps list is great but not worth traveling across town, lots of cask offerings but you can find these in many other places in London. For me the real draw is the food. Pricy but very very good.

The beers were mainly UK, with some American craft beer thrown in. I'm not sure how many casks, but I guess around 10 or more. Excellent quality, but not worth travelling for if you don't want to be walled in by yuppies (or posh-tossers if I correctly guess a previous reviewer's meaning).
Apr 26, 2010
Photo of alfrantzell
Reviewed by alfrantzell from California

3.95/5  rDev -5.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
"Sorry, I'm from California," I told the bartender at the White Horse to explain my inability to understand her accent.

"We don't have any California beers," she said. They actually did have Sierra Nevada Pale Ale on tap, but that's not what we came for. Harvey's Best Bitter, Thornbridge Lord Marples, Adnam's Broadside, and Godfather's Bitter on cask suited us just fine.

From the food menu the panfried duck and fish & chips were decent. The service was chilly, or was this just typical British reserve? In any case they weren't encouraging. The only downside of the visit.

From my vantage point I spied two pensioners by the door. Disheveled men, shabbily dressed, whose hands were never free of a pint. Us from the future, basically.
Apr 11, 2010
Photo of Newsman
Reviewed by Newsman from New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +4.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Say what you will about "posh tossers" and the like, this is an excellent place. Sure, it doesn't have that salt-of-the-earth quality, and it had it's fair share of yuppies, but it had a half dozen casks available, another dozen taps, and a global bottle selection that would be the envy of any beer bar in the world, save maybe a dozen or so.

Plus, the food is excellent, a real "foodie" take on traditional pub fare. A bit pricier than a typical London pub, but not overly so and still a good value for the money. And kid-friendly too.

Finally, the staff is quite knowledgeable. The menu suggests a beer pairing for each dish, including starters and desserts, but I challenged my server to find a different beer for my bangers and mash, since I had already tried the suggested cask ale earlier in the evening. He came back with another cask-conditioned ale which paired brilliantly.

A must-see for any London visitor.

And thank you to the poster below for their colorful English terminology...my homebrew bitter will now be called the "Posh Tosser."
Dec 29, 2009
Photo of PartyBear
Reviewed by PartyBear from England

3.75/5  rDev -10.3%
vibe: 2 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 5
This is a well known pub to any London beer geek, and it is not hard to see why. The first thing that strikes you when you enter is the selection of beers on tap, most notably Duchesse De Bourgogne, and two trappist beer from St. Bernardus - trappist ales on tap in Britain is somewhat of a rarity.

The selection of bottles is without doubt the best you will get in London at any bar, if not the whole country. The beauty of the bottle list is that they will hold pretty much every single bottle on the list in stock at all times, which a lot of places don't do, not mentioning any names...*cough* Porterhouse.

Unfortunately, the atmosphere was a big let down, and I know I am not the only person who has found this. In London it is know as the Sloany Pony, and this is due to the high proportion of posh money-flashing knobheads that seem to like to frequent the place. Normally this doesn't bother me at all but if you visit you will get what I mean.

Service wasn't great, may have been that I just kept getting the disinterest bar staff but they weren't that knowledgeable or helpful really...shame.

Having said all that, it is somewhere that I will definitely go back to, with the range of beer they have I will not be able to resist.
Oct 14, 2009
Photo of DerBayer
Reviewed by DerBayer from Germany

4.25/5  rDev +1.7%
vibe: 2 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
The atmosphere is OK but always overcrowded so that s a big let down and they re mainly posh tossers and wankers with big attitudes and no clue of beer...

The quality of drink food and service is good though - the bar staff are chatty and friendly

The selection of on-tap and bottled beer is briiliant best in all of London remotely challenged only by the Rake

It is a bit expensive though like everywhere in London but the selection and quality do justify the prices - I wish it were less crowded and a different crowd though
Sep 30, 2009
Photo of Antilochus
Reviewed by Antilochus from Canada (ON)

4.46/5  rDev +6.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
Visited 1/8/08, 3/8/08.

I learned here that the Bernardus monk is the same bloke as the Westvleteren one. 'Nuff said.

A charming little place on Parsons Green itself, stuffed with big comfy chairs, bench tables, and beer memorabilia. All wood, no tvs or electronic stuff here.

Bottles are well represented for this part of the world, from Belgians to Brits (with some Americans thrown in).

I counted at least 30 taps/pumps, covering some standard UK brewers (Harveys, Adnams, Oakam, etc.), Belgians (Westmalle, Duchesse de Bourgogne), Germans (Hacker-Pschorr, Schneider, Rothaus), and even Americans (SN, Anchor). Everything I had was fresh, no problems there. Also glasses to match most of their breweries. Value is good for the city and the area, pints are between £2.40 and £7 depending what you order, with most between £2.40 and £4. Bottles range in price as they stock some rare and vintage English stuff.

I looked at the Westvleteren glasses longingly but they didn't seem to have any in stock. What I've had here:

- 1/8/08 - SNPA (£4)
- 3/8/08 - Dark Star HopHead (£2.40)
- 3/8/08 - Old Slug Porter (£2.90)

All the pint glasses fit the hand well and have weighted bottoms. Washed prior to pumping and filled to the top with an experts touch.

Good mix of clientele from young people to middle aged, drinking a mix of cask, lager, wine, and mixed drinks (that looked really good...). Staff are friendly and quick to serve.

In my opinion the best drinking establishment in London, hands down.

Highly recommended.
Aug 03, 2008
Photo of Flyer
Reviewed by Flyer from Wisconsin

3.83/5  rDev -8.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
I was in London for four days, and I don’t go often, so as much as possible I wanted to check out what I’d heard was a thriving specialty beer scene. Honestly, my sense is that the craft beer movement in London is about 10 or so years behind the U.S. – not intended as a criticism, just my (admittedly limited) assessment of the situation. With that context in mind, the White Horse is a very good place, but it’s not on par yet with the best beer bars in the U.S.

It’s a big place – as much a restaurant as a pub (and the food was therefore a cut above most good pub food). The atmosphere is classic English pub, a little more genteel than the down-to-earth bars that make up most of my American favorites, but comfortable anyway. The selection is very large and generally pretty good (Brooklyn Chocolate Stout!), but to be honest, I was put off by some of the more obscure beers I tried there. In particular, a Russian Imperial Stout (that I won’t name) tasted like soy sauce. They had a fairly good selection of Belgians, but not as many as you’d find in a good U.S. craft-oriented bar. It turned out that one of the bartenders was from Chicago, so when I verified his credentials by confirming that he’d spent time at the Map Room, I asked him for a recommendation. He immediately poured us a George Gale’s Old Ale, and he was right – it was a great beer.

The management and at least this one bartender were knowledgable and enthusiastic, so I’d love the chance to come back in a couple years and see what the White Horse is like then. I’m betting it’ll only get better.
Jun 07, 2007
Photo of BlackHaddock
Reviewed by BlackHaddock from England

3.9/5  rDev -6.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
I visit London fairly regular and I always try and pop in here if I can. It can get really busy, so the outside drinking area is a real bonus when the weather is fine. They have Bar-B-Q's on the area sometimes too.

Inside people from all walks of life can be found enjoying the vast choice (for London) of beers. The range is always changing with good quality cask ales and continental beers dispensed through fonts. I have never tried the bottle selection, I prefer draught beers when out.

The service can let the place down, but it does get busy, as I have said already, but some of the staff haven't a clue about what they are selling, or how to add up.

The food is good and well cooked, a little expensive, even for London, but there is a good chippy close to the tube station if you are on a budget.

I have taken a lot of people here over the years for their first visit, many have returned and everyone has been impressed with the beer, food and the pub in general.

It is well away from the normal tourist areas of London, but with a day pass on the transport system and being so close to the tube line, it is easy to find and get too.
Aug 16, 2006
Photo of HardTarget
Reviewed by HardTarget from Texas

4.14/5  rDev -1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
Wow. 6-7 cask ales and a lot of great bottles (Anchor, Cantillon, Rodenback, Leifman, most of the Trappists). I spied an Imperial Gonzo, and even though it seemed a bit silly to drink an American beer here, I've never had one so I had to give it a good home. Old well worn wood everywhere up to the tall white ceiling. Long tables that encourage mixing of parties. A great 3-sided square bar that provided lots of spots for easy access. A large outside seating area with a barbecue grill working serving pricey hamburgers and sausages, but the prices at the bar were very reasonable.
The place started out busy, but fairly quiet at about 4 PM but by 11 when I left the place was crazy packed on a Wed. night. Clientele was fairly upscale. Started up a great conversation with a few guys that lasted many beers. The bartender commented to me that I needed to turn these guys onto Ales, as they were drinking Lagers. I did my BA bit, but didn't push it. Just tried to tell them they were in a world class restaurant and were only ordering french fries. Oh well.
Great time, I'm glad I called it a slightly early night as to not miss the Tube!
Jul 26, 2006
Photo of TheLongBeachBum
Reviewed by TheLongBeachBum from California

2.66/5  rDev -36.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 2 | service: 1 | selection: 4.5
What a difference a few years makes. Decided to stop by here for a quick beer with BA RichLightWeight on my way to Heathrow after an excellent weekend in London.

The whole visit was laughable. Just after midday and we entered a quiet Sloaney Pony. Given that time was pressing I ordered a half of Roosters Yankee and Rich ordered an Echte Kriek…..this is where the fun started.

Our Server - I forget his name but I’ll call him Kevin as it seems appropriate as he acted like one - was a cross between Mr. Magoo, ‘Brains’ from Thunderbirds, looked like Elvis Costello and had the demeanor of Inspector Clouseau. He tried to pull an Echte Kriek for Richard from the completely wrong tap; it took Richard to point out the right one. But they were still cleaning the lines, rather shabby that, good Pubs typically do that before they open. Even so when it was pointed out by another dude behind the bar (one who knew what he was doing) that they were cleaning the lines, he still tried to pull an Echte Kriek from the tap Richard was pointing to – go figure! OK, so he gave up on that and said it was being cleaned and then proceeded to tell Richard about other keg “Lagers” that they had – WTF!? OK, so my turn, I’ll take a half of Roosters Yankee, took him a while to find the right Handpump and then he grabbed a Pint glass, I reminded him that I wanted a half only – duh! Finally after all that, we find that he has all the Mathematic skills of an Enron Accountant. He stood at the bar trying to work out the prices and then wanted some £5 odd for the two halves, both Richard and I reminded him that we had half Pints……took another minute or too to figure that out…..I am thinking “dude you have a cash register to add up for you”…..but there in also lay trouble, he didn’t seem to know how to use it, it took all of 5 minutes (no exaggeration) to get my change, at times I figured he had fallen asleep standing up at the cash register as he stared at it, thankfully the other dude came back and “speeded” things up a bit. I swear it took nearly 10 minutes overall and many, many reminders and corrections to get two “quick” halves. Utterly crap service. Totally Laughable.

Range is still good, when they are not cleaning the lines out during working hours, which did not impress me I have to say.

Quality was shit; the Roosters Yankee was flat, insipid and lifeless. Didn’t have the heart to take it back after the length of time it took originally, so it was time to leave and head to the Airport where the quality of the Greene King World Cup beer and service at Heathrow T1 Wetherspoons was better than here!!

So I re-mark my original from below accordingly. Do I feel bad about marking it down? NO. Yes I know they can do better, but the whole point is that they did not.

Good range for sure, but the White Horse feels like it is resting on its Laurels and seems to employ them along with Hardy behind the bar.

I’m in no hurry to come back here, if I will at all, too may better joints in London these days.

Last Visit: Monday 26th June, 2006


** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

LEGENDARY. And that is no understatement. Imposing looking building that was tidied up in 1999 with a sympathetic refurbishment. At the Northern end of Parsons Green (the nearby triangular park area). I had the best Pint of Draught Bass that I have ever had in my 18 years drinking here, as well as many of the special beers from the Bass Museum Brewery. Also sells Highgate Dark Mild on a regular basis. All of the other Handpumps sell a rotating, ever changing, choice of Guest Beers, which are a combination of some of the best beers the UK has to offer plus some newbie’s from independents - ALL in exceptionally good condition. Very friendly, welcoming atmosphere, I just love lounging around in the leather sofas - it is just like drinking at home. When the weather is nice you can sit outside and watch life in SW6 as it happens, but be prepared to fight for a seat. The high quality of the beverages also extends to the Food. I am unhealthy, and love the big English Fried Breakfast (ah, what the hell?!?), but the other food is wholesome and well made. Service is just superb. Also has a good range of Belgium and UK Bottled Beers plus a small selection from further a field. Frequently holds Beer Festivals, often themed (e.g. Milds, IPA's, etc.). Cask Marque accredited. Make the trip - it's worth it.

Original Scores: 4.5 / 5.0 / 4.5 / 4.5 / 4.5 = 4.65
Jul 08, 2006
Photo of Scheity
Reviewed by Scheity from New York

4.8/5  rDev +14.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
Come here. Come here to escape the rush of London in a quieter part of town. Come here to drink with very talkative locals. Come here to drink. A few times during your stay.

After perusing the London pub scene and finding strict adherence to both wrong kinds of tradition -- closing by 11 p.m. (even though the 24-hour laws are now in effect) and heavy dosage of flat lagers (a new-age bar we went to even had a "Beers etc." part on the alcohol menu, including Smirnoff Ice with the beer), this place was a gem. I couldn't be happier with this pub, I don't think. Then again, the buzz from the Belgians could still be wearing off. I feel like I'm wearing a sweater.

Anyway, we hopped on the Tube (District Line toward Wimbledon) and got off at Parson's Green. Took a right out of the stop, and it's just about 200 meters up the road. Walk in, and you're absorbed entirely. It's the right kind of people, too. No British who care about their chances at celebrity -- people here want beer, and they want to talk to you. About anything.

It was crowded around the large U-shaped bar and at the surrounding tables, so it was tough to see the number of taps, but it was about 3-4 dozen, though 13-14 unique beers were featured. The Adnams Broadside Bitter was solid. Then the beer menu came out, thanks to Tony, a San Franciscan who just started working there -- pages of great beers, featuring a bunch of Belgians, from the three Chimay (in 33 or 75 cl) to Duvel to Rochefort to Cantillon to a few Lambics. A small and very excited man recommended a few Lambics while we were both in the bathroom.

But the people make this place. Maybe it was just the night (a couple of blokes who I spent the whole night talking to said it was their second time going there -- also, their second time that night), but the people get excited about beer here! Elsewhere, the British seem to be very hesitant about this movement back toward real ale, settling for the basic and bland lagers. But here, there's genuine passion for learning about and trying beer. Highly recommended, and I'm sorry that I couldn't be a little more critical of this place.

But watch out. The Tube shuts down at 12:30 a.m. -- not something too strange for Bostonians who shout at the T when the final one flies by -- so to avoid a hefty cab fare, be vigilant. And mind the gap.
Jan 15, 2006
Photo of wl0307
Reviewed by wl0307 from England

4.16/5  rDev -0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Don't know what else to add to the previous reviews of this pub. Simply put, this is a fine pub, but not exactly a "REAL-REAL ALE pub". It has well-selected bottled beers and wines, consistently high quality real ales on draught (with Harvey's Best and Roosters' ales as regulars) served amongst their twelve-strong handpumps (though not always all of them are working), and impressive gastro-pub food menu. But, although that doesn't spoil the overall atmosphere at all, quite often you spot posh clientele going for a bottle of champagne and fine food rather than guarding a pint of decent malt-products at the bar as in lots of REAL-REAL ALE pubs over here. (OK maybe I should stop fussing.)

My latest visit was at their Old Ale Festival (25-6/11/05) and all the beer engines were working along with all taps, serving around 16 different strong ales and winter/X'mas brews on draught and tap at any time (from the totally 60 of them!!), be it English, Scottish, Belgian, German or Dutch, and all beers were in perfect condition and those which were soon sold out were replaced without hesitation. But when the pub was really packed with Real Ale fans from all over the world and got more and more hectic, the pressure gradually wreaked its toll on several young bar staff and their quality of service: under-measured real ales, frowns upon and impatience with customers asking for a reasonable top-ups, things like these happened right before me on at least three occasions. I don't know, as being under such pressure I'm not sure I could keep smiling like a summer sun. But my fellow punters, older CAMRA members murmured about how good their service used to be, etc. I suddenly wished I was older, for the first time in my life, for that matter...
Dec 02, 2005
Photo of taez555
Reviewed by taez555 from Vermont

4.22/5  rDev +1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5
Headed over to the White Horse on a busy Wednesday night in August, my second night in London on my honeymoon. It’s a little out of the way depending on where you are in London, but it’ not to hard to find as long as you make sure to take a right out of the Parson’s green tube stop. It’s barely a block up the street on the left-hand corner.

A classic dark woody English pub style room with a big U shaped bar that is enveloped by a pretty large U shaped room. There are no seats at the bar, tables all along the walls, some couches and rails to place your beer on when you stand. There’s a pretty large seating area outside during the summer. It’s your typical, order at the bar, London style service. Although, I did eat outside and there was a waitress getting food and drinks, but most people seemed to just go to the bar instead.

The beer selection was decent on tap and cask. Cask seemed to be just a wider selection of your typical London cask Young’s and Fullers. There were some other interesting offerings as well as some Belgian and even American beers on normal tap as well. The bottle menu was something else all together. Nearly 100 bottles from around the world. There seemed to be more Belgian and English beers than anything else. I was tempted to order the Rochfort 10, but ended up hitting the Guinness Special Export, which you can’t find here in the States.

The food here was phenomenal. A very eclectic, almost artsy food menu. Not your typical London Pub Grub. My wife ordered the roast pumpkin salad with pine nuts and goat cheese, which was exceptional. I ordered the fish and chips which were easily the best I had in London.

Honestly, I wasn’t really that impressed with the White Horse on my visit. It was so crowded, smokey and had such a young 20 something type crowd you really couldn’t appreciate the beer as much. I’d defiantly want to check out this place out during the day when you could just sit back and relax. Worth a visit, just not my first choice in London.
Aug 31, 2004
Photo of Crosling
Reviewed by Crosling from Colorado

4.4/5  rDev +5.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
This was a great place.

Be aware that there are about 15 "White Horse" pubs in Greater London. This beer bar is the White Horse at Parson's Green. Parson's Green is a metro stop, as soon as you exit the station, head right and walk up the street.

The beer selection was phenomenal. Many casks ales as well as many rare Belgians on draft. There were probably about 30 taps, 15 or so pumps and about 100-150 bottles ( I didn't count). One thing I found amusing was that the macros on draft were hidden near the back left side of the bar, below eye level view.

While I was here I had Rodenbach Grand Cru, Guinness Special Export, Fuller's Vintage Ale 2002, Gale's Prize Old Ale (Don't waste your time, it was oxidized), Whitbread Gold Label, Sussex Bitter, Dark Star IPA and Phoenix IPA. I was here for about 5 hours.

I also met the owner Mark. This guy knows his beer. He is a GBBF and GABF beer judge and he taught me a lot about traditional English bitters and milds. Then he goes down to his cellar...and brings out a bottle of Harvest Ale 1992 for us to split, which was lovely. Then as I leave he tells me to wait, goes down to his cellar again and brings up a bottle of Westvleteren 8 and Worthington's White Shield, bags it, hands it to me and tells me to enjoy them sometime in the next few days. Great guy.

The food was also exceptional. I had a large cheese plate and an enormous sandwich. If you can, snag up the U-shaped leather sofas on the right side of the bar. This is just about the perfect place to have a session. If you are in London, hit this place.
Jul 17, 2004
Photo of Dantes
Reviewed by Dantes from New Jersey

4.28/5  rDev +2.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
One of the “must visit” pubs in the Greater London Area. Makes much of its history, but as far as original, authentic furnishings and location, it’s not quite up to a place like The Lamb, which has one of the best-preserved interiors extant. Occupies a large stand-alone corner building. Situated in a posh neighborhood, it caters to the Sloane Ranger crowd and follows the gastropub path.

Atmosphere: The interior is consciously “shabby-chic” with strategically placed sofas and some tables and chairs. Still, it’s a nice space. There’s also some outside seating and access to Parson’s Green. This is one of the larger London pubs, befitting its location out from the center of the city. Can get quite crowded (and loud) with tourists and the wannabes.

Selection: The much-lauded selection is good, with a fine selection of cask and draught beer. The cask and draught selections rotate, with some special offerings brewed just for The White Horse (Ranger and Yankee). Much is made of the bottle selections, but they are expensive and somewhat gratuitous. I’m not knocking the selection, and would probably be happy if I lived in London full time. But most of the bottled selections are readily available in retail stores (here and there) for less; and as much as I like Anchor Brewing, it’s not what I’m going to drink in England.

Quality: Quality is top-notch. Everything is fresh and well-cared for. The turnover is excellent, because this pub is well-known and is often crowded. You won’t be disappointed.

Service: As The White Horse can be hectic, service may be stretched, but it is unfailingly polite and helpful. Servers are patient in helping you choose from amongst the wide array of offerings.

Food: As this treads the gastropub path, expect better than average (and more expensive) offerings. For the most part, if you focussed just on the menu, you’d think you were probably in California. However, they do use local ingredients when possible, and the Ploughman’s Lunch is a solid value with choices of a pint of bitter, meat, and farmhouse cheeses for £5. Currently, the lunch prices are listed as higher than the dinner prices, which I think is a mistake. One of the best strategies in London is to have a bigger, late lunch and a lighter dinner if you’re economizing.

Backwash: Probably worth the trip to outer London, but certainly not head-and-shoulders above several other options, unless you’re interested in the bottled beer selection. The Nag's Head, Anglesea Arms, and The Country Pub are all worthy options out in that direction.
Mar 18, 2004
Photo of ark57
Reviewed by ark57 from Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +6.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
A couple of us tried to go here one night and it was almost impossible to get in the door. It was insanely crowded, but their beer selection was great. They had many great ales on cask and a good selection of bottled beers. They even had Thomas Hardy Ale on hand. We went back a few days later for lunch and it was quite a different scene. The place was practically empty. I started with a cheddar soufle and got a pork and apple sandwhich. I was quite impressed. It went well with a few pints before continuing on our sightseeing.
Feb 13, 2004
Photo of UncleJimbo
Reviewed by UncleJimbo from Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +6.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4
The White Horse is located just up the street from the Parson's Green tube station (turn right as you exit the station), and right on the Green. This is a great pub, and the only one that I visited twice during my recent London visit.

The interior of the pub is somewhat "no frills" with a wooden floor and a bar with no stools and with tables and some naughahyde sofas and various mismatched chairs and tables inside and some seating outside. I saw a varied crowd here and even saw a few dogs wandering around inside the pub. This place was very busy even on a Sunday evening, but it is worth it.

I counted 32 taps and 15 beer engine hand pumps. The beer selection was excellent: some examples during my visit were Abbaye des Rocs, Chimay Tripel, Lucifer, Maredsous, Leifmans Kriek, Hoegaarden, Elderberry Ebulum, etc., etc. There was also a large selection of good bottled beers including Le Coq Imperial Stout, and many well known Belgian beers.

I found the service to be very good, and beers were served in either pint glasses or half pint tulip style glasses. The prices were right in line for London. I did not have a chance to sample the food, but the menu looked good with some standard pub offerings and a few interesting others.

Definitely a "must see" when in London!

Updated Nov. 2004

Had a few meals here during this visit. The food was quite good: typical English pub fare as well as some interesting ecclectic dishes. Prices were on the high side for pub food, but worth it.
Dec 24, 2003
Photo of DrewBeechum
Reviewed by DrewBeechum from California

4.45/5  rDev +6.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4
Woo hoo!

This is of course a world famous pub in that people here in the States know about the place.

I have had a few great summertime pints here sitting out on the green and in the pub.

WARNING: This joint gets hopping during ye old English happy hour. and you'll be stressed finding your more than 3 sq ft in which to stand let alone sit.

Beer of course is the reason to hit the tube out of the heart of London to come here. Mark Dorber maintains a tight cellar with a far more wide ranging and changing selection of beer than most of the pubs I spent my time in.

Food is good, but slightly more expensive than the norm (as is the beer, but hey..)

If you're a nice and reasonable fellow showing interest in beer you can catch Mark in a good mood and get him to show you around the cellar. It's a good lesson.

Go here you fools! Where else in Britian can you find Anchor products, too! :)
Dec 12, 2003
Photo of CRJMellor
Reviewed by CRJMellor from Arkansas

4.45/5  rDev +6.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
This is it ! Real English pub with excellent food and even better selections of beers. The menu changes fairly regularly with a few standards always available. Beer selection changes often and The White Horse always seems to be having some sort of Festival of beers. The Old Ale Festival is probably the most well-know but I was in there once and they were having a festival of beers from East Anglia.
The only downside I've seen is that when it very busy (on most weekend nights) the staff can get a little surly.
Overall, White Horse is a beer mecca and worth the trip if your travels take you to London. You will always find a beer you have not had there.
Nov 24, 2003
Photo of francisweizen
Reviewed by francisweizen from Washington

4.28/5  rDev +2.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
A famous pub right by the Parsons green stop on the tube, in a nice area of fulham/chelsea. The atmosphere is nice, with the building looking great from the outside. Inside it is all dark wood, and dimly lit....nice. The selection and quality of beers is great, as I had a few great UK bitters and a pint of Alaskan winter ale (!) when I was here. They also serve up food, which is good but a little pricy. I had the chicken ceaser salad, and my friend had the salmon salad, and both were mighty tasty. The prices are good for a place as nice as this....I recommend it.
Nov 06, 2003
Photo of saltydog
Reviewed by saltydog from New York

4.8/5  rDev +14.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
An amazing bar. Best selection of beers I have seen in the UK. The best time to be there is during the Old Ale Festival in November. During that time, they cannot be bettered for their draft list anywhere in the world! All the best barleywines, old ales, imperial stouts still being made in the UK served (wonderfully) on cask! How can you beat that!!!
Oct 07, 2003
The White Horse in London, GB2, United Kingdom
Place rating: 4.18 out of 5 with 43 ratings