The Coach and Horses, Soho, London

Went there for the first time today. It's clean, offers a good choice of non-alcoholic drink, which is what most of my colleagues seemed to want this lunchtime and was very quiet - a bit surprising for a Friday. The barman seemed a bit vague, as though he wasn't used to working in a pub, but I prefer it to some of the noisier pubs in the area. If you want to be able to relax and have a quiet drink in Soho with colleagues a stone's throw from Oxford Street and without being jostled, this is the place.

Old man's pub/ traditional pub/ Soho boozer... it's all of these, and no more.
Quaint décor, the same old eye roaming Soho media men getting a quick pint before they move on. Nothing wrong with it, but not actually impressing me either.

I guess in being spoilt for choice by so many brash and entertaining drink spots, it's no wonder the Coach and Horses feels pretty average - damn smack bang in the centre of the pond between brilliant and rubbish. But I quite admire the fact that despite its mediocrity it still pulls a crowd - a fairly young one at that made mostly of men. It's the 'I know what I want to drink and I'm just meeting a friend at a spot we both know' pub.

There's an upstairs section too which is easier to eat in though I haven't tried their food. Decor is traditional and pubbish - I guess if it weren't for the fact that it's snuggled in the heart of lively Soho, people wouldn't really feel let down by it. I really have nothing else to add - it's a pub; Go there to drink, not expecting to be entertained, have colourful conversations with the staff or be lost in the amazing ambience and you'll be fine.

One of the 'default’ soho pubs that me and my mates always gravitate to through sheer lack of inspiration.

There is nothing exceptional about it: normal range of beers, generic quiz machine… crisps. But sometimes you don’t wan exceptional, you just want nearby and not too crowded. And that’s what the Coach and Horses delivers. It’s like a dependable old dog that smells a bit and has a limp but you still love him because he’s been around so long.

The pub was almost empty when I came in a week day evening and I was also not very impressed with the interior.
It was just boring and also the barman was bored with everything. He found it difficult to drag himself from his - doubtlessly also boring - newspaper to serve me, hardly looking at me.
For real ales there were two hand pumps (only one working).
So, I turned to Cider which was rather too warm.
Consequently, I was at the Coach & Horses twice - the first time and the last time.

The other Coach & Horses in Soho and I was feeling sorry for it, as the more famous one has 22 reviews…whereas it’s a zero for the one Poland Street.

I’ll always have a soft spot for this pub as it oddly became a local for me and my mates when we first moved to London…mainly because it was in the middle of town and miles away from all of us living in the north/south/east/west of the city. There was a faulty logic to it and it led to us meeting up a lot here. Having not been in a while a recent visit revealed that….nothing had changed. Good on them for keeping it as a good old London boozer. Its got loads of dark wood, it’s got upholstered slightly tired furniture, it sells beer, it’s got dubious toilets and slightly bemused looking staff.

It’s small and pretty perfectly formed as pubs go on the downstairs. But oddly it has a room upstairs which is rarely used (and a bar which is very rarely open). A shame really as its light, airy and spacious in comparison with the space down stairs.

It’s also handily positioned just off Oxford Street, so not too bonkers busy, but also a nice place to escape to from shopping hell. Prices are reasonable for the area - as in pretty expensive.

So overall a solid 3 for a good old fashioned honest London boozer. May it forever stay that way…and some of the people from the other Coach & Horses should come and review it!

My favourite pub in Clapham is called the Coach and Horses, so this place had a lot to live up to. It's your classic sort of Soho pub. Mix of tourists, local workers and lads out on the raz. Pretty decent ales on tap and no shortage of "wide boys" looking to chat to you about changing the world. We stood outside for most of the evening (it was a pretty mild night) and occassionally ventured in to use the quiz machine. I think we probably lost about £10 on Hangman, Bullseye and Trivial Pursuit! Good fun though.

Check it out if you are in the area, but don't go out of your way to come here.

I quite like this place, but only really in the quiet afternoons and for the beautiful, traditional decor. It appears that the ceilings and walls haven't been altered since the Victorian era. Great if you've got foreign friends over and you want to show them a little bit of history whilst grabbing a pint. It's right next to Liberties too, which always looks nice.
Does get busy, as it's so central and the service is just OK. As are the prices. Not somewhere to go for a wild night out, but a quiet pint is worth while. Would also be a place I'd feel safe/OK going in alone.
If you do go in, don't forget to look up - if you're interested, the ceilings are beautiful!!

There is nothing special about this pub if you want me to be honest. It’s a typical pub, so if you’re yearning for a pint then this will do. It’s not big; so don’t enter with a group of five during the busy hours expecting to have seats, because it won’t happen. Just like the usual pub, they also cook traditional pub meals, which include bangers and mash at cheap prices. However, I didn't see anyone having a nibble, so maybe that's says something about the food. I found the décor interesting with oil paintings of the Victorian monarchy on the wall with some antique merchandise also from the Victorian era. Despite that, there were no perks. Another observation was the amount of customers; including myself, starring at the wine bar across the street that looked classier and livelier. It felt like we were missing out on something.