The White Hart

mmm, odd feel to this place. Oldest Licensed Pub in London it may be – but the shabby chic/industrial modern makeover sat uncomfortably with me, and the toilet door mis-spelling didn’t grab me at all. My partner wanted to enquire where one would obtain an arcade machine like theirs and begun by asking “Are you the owner?” which immediately got a stiff answer from the duty manager who seemed to think we were about to complain. Sign of the times I guess. This place is probably more suited to a party night out than our pub crawl twosome. Like seeing the old dumb-waiter in action, didnt like the verdi-gris and gold paint everywhere.

The White Hart isn’t a bad pub, but it’s certainly not the best one around this area – the main thing going for this place is it’s late licence so it stays open longer than a lot of the other boozers close by.

I was in here last Saturday and there was a DJ playing some good music, they also held an air guitar competition with a bottle of champagne for the winner, oh and they were open til 2am – all in all it was a fun night!

A great pub but super crowded after working hours. So make sure you book in advance.

If you are lucky enough to get a table, you will then enjoy the atmosphere and their good nachos, and even you can enjoy their live music if you sit at the back.

A good old pub, to be enjoyed during the day so that it is not too busy.

I’ve never found a pub round these parts that I really like - no where you’d actually choose to go unless you happened to be in Covent Garden etc. This place is actually ok. Not totally rammed after work, and says it’s London’s oldest licensed premises (although it doesn’t actually look/feel old). Plenty of seating and is bigger than it looks from the outside. They have food and jaegermeister and cold wine, so not a bad place to while away some time.

This is our local for Friday drinks, and it’s often almost always heaving. The staff are always friendly and helpful, even when it’s full to the brim. They do have tables at back, though they fill up quickly on Thursday and Friday nights. I think they even (at least for one period they did) had one of those little old arcade pacman machines you could balance your drink on.

I can’t say anything about the quality of the food since I’ve never eaten here, but Tuesday nights are particularly entertaining when a bunch of elderly people come out to play the piano in the back room with a number of their own jazz instruments.

Really nice pub - great for a quiet drink and much more relaxed many other pubs in the area. On Tuesday nights they have old guys playing jazz at the back. Friendly and recommended.

My local village pub was called The White Hart, so when I found out my new work local had the same name, it was obviously fate.

The proximity to theatreland, Holborn and Covent Garden means this place is always fairly busy in the evening, and there are loads of photos of famous folks lining the back of the bar. That said, we’ve never seen and ‘slebs in our time there (and that’s quite a lot of time).

The decor’s a bit of a mix. Lots of pictures of chickens on the walls for some reason, a space invaders game in one corner that doubles as a table, and seats ranging from stools to sofas depending on where you sit. The further back, the less crowded it feels, with a dining style area right at the back. Beware though, Tuesday night is Jazz night up there. The pianist and clarinet player are definitely talented, but don’t sit anywhere near them if you’re there to talk, because the music’s pretty loud.

The menu is fairly small, and food is good enough but not memorable. Sharing the nachos is your best bet - just beware the jalapenos.

This pub is conveniently situated to the City Lit so you will find a lot of students wandering into this pub after their studious sessions. I like it because it is very close to Holborn tube station and is just slightly off a main road. It does feel a little cramped as you wander through the doors and there is a little seating area followed by the long bar. Then the ambience of the pub changes as you fight your way past the bar to a more sophisticated style. It’s then more spacious with comfy sofas. I must admit I’ve only ever tried their chips, very nice too and feel they could offer much more in the way of food but certainly no complaints with the drinks. It has a good atmosphere, lively, yet also laid back.

This is an interesting pub. I tend to look at it as three pubs in one.

As you first walk in, it’s a traditional pub. The bar is set up a bit like a galley so it’s quite narrow when it’s crowded. But once you get past the bar, near the toilets, I find it more like a small bierhall environment. Then past that area, you’ll find a decently-sized seating area with nice couches and tables. All three are good areas, but I find them really distinct.

But in all honesty, the only reason I go to the White Hart is because it’s generally open much later than other pubs in the area. Usually at least until 1:30am. So when I’m not ready to go home at 11, I’ll always suggest the White Hart.

"The oldest licensed premises in London", apparently, thankfully The White Hart has had the odd refurbishment since it reputedly opened for business in 1216.

It retains a fair amount of olde-worlde character though, and in the evening tends to be dimly-lit. This has a strange effect on females, I find - a glass of wine more often than not tends to become a bottle. After work it tends to have quite a lot besuited sorts hanging around the bar, but gradually the vibe tends to become more laidback. Um, Tuesday appears to be jazz night, and the jazz tends to be played at quite a high volume - so choose a different night if you're going for a deep-and-meaningful.

The food is good, if a little limited - and if you're a veggie, even more so. Had a weird lunch experience there once; a colleague and I were kept waiting ages for a Chicken Caesar Salad, but were kindly informed by the bar staff that this delay wasn't our fault. Which was nice to have confirmed, I suppose...