Coach & Horses

The Coach & Horses is the epitome of heavy drinking and bohemia, where thesps and winos congregate of an evening (or at any point after 11 am) to put the world to rights. George Melly and Francis Bacon were known to drink here, as did Jeffrey Bernard, who would write detailed accounts of his inebriation in his Low Life column for The Spectator magazine. To drink here is, one would suppose, to drink in a piece of London’s history, however at first glance it’s a boozer like any other. Its traditional, somewhat battered appearance is at odds with some of its flashier neighbours, however a cosy atmosphere permeates The Coach & Horses that attracts Soho’s less boisterous (and most colourful) characters. There is a pleasant dining room upstairs serving standard pub food such as pies and fish and chips - named The Private Eye Dining Room, as this is their staff members lunching venue of choice - and if you head down on a Wednesday night you can take part in a pub sing-a-long, as long as you buy the pianist a pint.