Wonderful transformation of The White Horse & Bower
The beautifully tiled exterior of The White Horse & Bower pub in London’s Pimlico is thankfully matched by an equally impressive interior that shows clearly where owner Shepherd Neame has spent almost £1 million on a major transformation.
The textured wall paper in the back dining room is even more of a feature when you find out it took a number of days to hand-paint the intricate detailing of the orange coloured pattern. Seated in a booth in the dining area (admiring the wall paper) it seemed proper to order the pub’s take on a black velvet – comprising a flute of English sparkling wine with a splash of brewery’s Iron Wharf stout.
The food menu is pleasingly concise. I’ve long since had a big downer on rambling pub menus that simply highlight a lack of direction and also suggest a lack of freshness in the ingredients. We chose a variety of small plates and particularly enjoyed the chorizo & pancetta pigs in blankets and the hash brown potato puffs that were a bargain at £6.50 for a decent pile and came with a nice touch of chives, chopped bacon bits, and a shaving of cheese on top.
The roasted houmous was very much enhanced by the harissa butter beans and roasted seeds. Likewise the tomato bruschetta was boosted in the flavour department by the addition of pesto, shallots and balsamic glaze. Not sure what the Italians would make of it but it was pretty tasty. The plate of squid had the requisite texture but the crispy salt & pepper dusting needed a tad more seasoning to my taste.
Following the black velvet I enjoyed a pint of Creekside Juicy IPA that is the newest cask brew from Shepherd Neame, which I reckon is the best cask they’ve produced for some time. Having tried it in a couple of pubs recently I can vouch for its quality and consistency of serve.
The evening was enhanced by particularly friendly and attentive service from Aura. Everybody initially calls her Laura. And all credit to Shepherd Neame for not stinting on the resources to bring this pub fully back to life in all its glory.
Glynn Davis, editor, Beer Insider