please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
A Young's pub, it has of course the traditional Young's cask ales that you expect, but also several guest cask ales. I had Purity Mad Goose, forgot that I had rated it before. Also several interesting keg beers, and some bottles. I could easily get 8-10 ticks here .- if not time and a health issue had prevented me, The food menu looks interesting too - but my boring choice was an all-day Full English Breakfast, which was plentiful. In case the pub's food manager reads this: drop the American-style thick-sliced bacon, it is too smokey. Traditional English bacon is better. And I'd prefer toast in stead of untoasted white bread. Little details ... More important, the staff was very friendly. I'd be happy to visit here again.
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November 2014. 2 good beers to drink amongst a morass of youngs wines and no good spirits. Middle section full of locals on phones cheating at Wednesday quiz, otherwise beautiful exterior matched by ok interior let down by crap drink selection, pulled up by friendly staff.
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This is a lovely pub, nice interior, friendly staff, great food (surprisingly well priced for Putney at least). I love the way it makes the high street look from the front.
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I'm not from around these parts, but I found myself in Putney in July and stopped in here for a pint and some lunch; didn't see any rats thankfully, but thought it was a comfortable relaxing place to spend a lunchtime; not too badly priced for London either.
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Nice pub layout, and the food is quite nice although portions are on the small side, however the atmosphere is ruined by the glowering, moody and aggressive bar manager. Who acts contemptuosly to the general public. Give it a miss if you find somewhere with nicer bar staff nearby (i.e the Jolly Gardeners, Prince of Wales etc)
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nickthe fish is spot on.
I give up on this place. its being refurbished yet again - the 5th time since i've been working in Putney - about 12 years.
Poncey and way too expensive.
Take advantage of the discount card if you can get hold of one.
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I always enjoy a pint in the Spot. A decent crowd get in there and the food is nice. Never seen any rats either but wouldsay the service is excellent and the beer is also.
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I used to live next door to this pub on Putney High Street and frequently visited there. I thought the food was great especially the steak burger which are 2 for a tenner on Wednesday! One day though I was walking down the alley to my flat (which is next to the Spotted Horse) to be greated by a massive rat!! I screamed and it scarped down the alley towards the kitchen!. I complained to the pub as the often left rubbish outside in alley. The manager said he knew that they had an out of control infestation and had to throw out 6 boxes of crisps because the rats kept getting into them!! I asked if he was worried considering they serve food there and he said "Nah they arent near the kitchen!"
I've now left the area but if I was still there I would not be visiting the Spotted Rat, I mean Horse! xxx
Cheds - 20 Jan 2010 23:35 |
This used to be a decent traditional pub but has sadly gone the way of so many others. All leather sofas and soft furnishings. More like a wine bar than a pub. So so sad.
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No longer a traditional boozer, but still a nice welcoming place that seemed to be geared towards diners and families. It's well decorated and the usual Young's range is served - Original, Special and Bombardier in addition to the seasonal Winter Warmer. I enjoyed a rather nice bottle of Swedish Rekorderlig cider. The barmaid was helpful and friendly. The bar manager however appeared very sullen and ignorant. When returning to my bottle and glass to the bar and saying thank you, I got completely blanked. That's customer service for you.
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Expensive, but well kept beers. Food was also quite good, and there was always a good atmosphere here when I used it.
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A nice pub in the midst of the retail madness of the High Street.
If you go there after work expect to find a decent crowd of people catching up with good wine and a decent cold pint.
Service quick and friendly.
Perhaps one of the better ones in Putney.
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Used to come here when I first moved to Putney 5 years ago to watch sport. Was a bit of a dump then but the staff were great and the beer was cheap.
Much improved decor now and the clientel has changed, but over-expensive.
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It's obviously been done up a bit, but I found it a reasonable mixture of old and new. Plenty of people in for the pub quiz as well as the food, and a top pint of Kew Gold (one of four real ales on).
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Doesn't do much for me. There was something missing. It think maybe they've tried to hard to make it fancy and it doesn't feel like a pub anymore, but then they have pub quizes. I think they need to decide if it's a pub or a bar and concentrate on that.
�4 a pint too.
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Fab place! Loved the music and had a thoroughly good old time! If only more places did snacks and platters like here. Party on!
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cant really see where beerdrinkermark is comming from {you dont know a good pub when you see one} though i will conceed that the spot is a vast improvement on the days of sticky carpet and stools chained to the bar and barrels. but theres no place like the old horseshoe.
i have yet to try the food but it looks pretty decent and the beer is always good. great atmosphere with a buzzing crowd most evenings.
another plus for Youngs refurbs.
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One of the better Youngs pubs, certainly beats the Green Man. Food is the standard Youngs menu, although with some variations.
Not a bad pub for a night out. Can get very busy.
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Used to love this place....especially when the bus men used it. Another corporate Youngs refurb. Hard to work out who they are aiming at.
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Lost some soul, food orientated as ever even though the food is not that good. Stylish decor, open all day are plus points.
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There is a dining area at the rear of this place and it is full of sofas and high tables as many gastro pubs are. I was pretty uninspired even though there was plenty of lager alongside Bombardier and Youngs Ordinary and Special.
There was some strange music playing whilst I was there, maybe they should have just left the plasma screen on!
I think I�ll give this place a miss in the future.
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Popped in yesterday afternoon about 6pm and the place was empty! Well at �3.60 for a pint I am not suprised. I was a good pint though and this pub was very clean. Nowhere to smoke though so I had to stand out on the high street and couldnt even take my beer with me!
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Food here used to be really good - used to work in Putney and it was a frequent lunchtime destination when we were sick of Nando's. Went downhill in about 2004 and I'm not sure it's ever recovered but it's useful as a haven for a pint when faced with the antipodean lunacy of Putney High Street.
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Popped in here on way to station as it stays open till 12. An excellent pub, very friendly chatty American staff. Lively, clean and obviously very well run. Fine couple of pints of Youngs Ordinary. Best pub in Putney in my humble opinion. 9/10
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I 've just logged in and have seen the latest sorry entries for the Spotted Horse. I'm sorry to see that Putney is now devoid of decent pubs for decent people.
5,6,7 years ago I used this place regularly. It was a decent boozer then, with 'proper' drinkers and normal folk (i.e non-chav/trendy hoo-rays) enjoying a drink on a Friday evening.
Am I right in thinking the Fox & Dogs and the Railway are the only 'normal' pubs in the area? (pity about the clientele and possibly the management). Other than that then you get soulless, horrible and expensive bars.
A sorry state of affairs.
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What a shame that one of the last "proper" pubs in Putney felt the need to bow to the new money that's now flooded in.
Nothing to mark it out from all the other places on the high st. Alienated much of it's previous clientle. Full of the usual braying types, and (for the time being) a few old boys disppointedly shaking their heads by the bar, lamenting the loss of what used to be a really good boozer. Can only be good news for The Railway.
anonymous - 2 Jan 2008 21:12 |
It looks nice from the outside, but on the inside it's just like all those other newly-refurbished pubs in Putney.
Extremely dull. Yawn.
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nice pub, one negative though is you have to go down these stairs to the toilet and that is not good in 5inch heels when your a bit typsy!!!
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I went to this pub a few times in the past as it was nice to have a real boozer to go to in the middle of what seems to be an area of pastel wall coloured soulless pubs. Imagine my surprise to find that after refurbishment, it has now become like every other pub on Putney high street. It might look pleasant, but the atmosphere has gone and I will not be visiting this pub again.
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One of the better of Youngs recent refurbs in the area.
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Popped in on the way home from The Bricklayers. It's The Duke's Head Mk II.
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Has now re-opened, haven't been in, but I don't suppose I'll like it much.
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Closed for refurbishment when I walked past last Saturday afternoon on the way to the Bricklayers
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Had a great afternoon/evening in here yesterday watching England vs France. Nice staff, friendly (excitable) locals and a pretty good atmosphere despite it being HUGE. I hate to make you chaps jealous, but the ladies loos are clean, spacious and complete with locks, loo roll, soap and a super efficient hand dryer!
anonymous - 12 Mar 2007 10:57 |
Friendly enough local Youngs pub. No sign as far as I can tell on the outside of what the name is; I had it as the 'White Horse' (a common enough name). Had a conversation about football. I know nothing about football. So be it.
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Still no locks on the toilet door or soap but at least there was paper!
Apart from that, nothing much wrong with this place although they could possibly do with extra staff as one person seemed to be doing everything from pouring pints, serving food and clearing tables.
The Youngs ales are well kept, there is plenty of seating and there seems to be a decent atmosphere about the place.
Prior to yesterday, my previous visit was in 1999. Hope I don't have to wait so long for my next visit.
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The men's toilets are atrocious. No paper or soap and no locks on the cubicles.
anonymous - 18 Nov 2006 20:51 |
Great to place to go to see the locals scrap!
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This Youngs house is rather cavernous and on the nights I've been in struggles to fill the place and hence seems a bit empty. Generally I've found the beer here to be very well-served. The Sunday night quiz is quite good fun although from experience quite sparsely attended.
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One of the few Youngs pubs still doin a nice pint of Pilsner,lovely! great old building aswell with nice comfy seating. 8/10
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A reasonable Young's house in the High Street, worth popping in if you're passing although I wouldn't go out of my way to visit. Someone's obviously taken a sledgehammer to the interior walls of what would once have been an old fashioned pub with several bars and cosy corners, which seems a shame as it now has a rather cavernous feel as already mentioned.
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Under the new management of David Cotton (whose previous management of the Brook Green Hotel in Shepherds Bush is sorely missed by regulars there) who has introduced welcome improvements at the Spotted Horse notably serving all day breakfasts, Eggs Benedict & Eggs Florentine.
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A rather barn like single bar Youngs pub which boasts that it is the only traditional pub on the High Street. Rather large and impersonal, but not unpleasant. Seems to have a good customer mix, but, given the location, it is probably best avoided on Friday and Saturday nights and when England footie games are on the big screen
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Arrived about 10.30pm ordered drinks to be told they had no ice . What pub as no ice in this day and age and especially in the summer months and any further drinks still had no ice. Last bell was rang at midnight at five past i was asked to start drinking up. what happened to the twenty minutes drinking up time? The new manager needs to keep an eye on some of the other clientele especially with the toilets been downstairs.
anonymous - 17 Jun 2006 12:23 |
Had my first pint in the Ole� Spotted Horse in 1974. Fell in love with Young's Ordinary - fell in love with pubs ... it has a great deal to answer for!
Still visit occasionally. It is worth it.
The revamp was overdue. The last landlords were better than the new.
It still serves great beer and provides sports TV - for those who want to watch.
In a horrible location it is a good pub.
Despite the changes it has survived better than most of the others.
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Am I the only one that can't stand the front windows of this place, they're so out of character. Surprised the Putney Society didn't get out of their pram, maybe they don't do pubs.
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Don't understand the last couple of comments. What's the problem the landlord wearing his shirt when he is going to the game at Fulham, were we playing Chelsea?
I don't think he did it do offend any of us Fulham fans. As for prefering egg chasing, that's pretty unusual as my boyfriend says he comes from New Zealand.
anonymous - 20 Feb 2006 22:25 |
I'm unsure at to whether or not the current governor dislikes football fan's in general or just Fulham fan's. Tuesday just gone, Fulham at home to Tottenham; some time before kick-off, he emerges behind the bar, sporting a spurs sweat-shirt; nothing subtle mind, this one had THFC in 9 inch high letter's. When asked by a guy at the bar, where his Fulham shirt was - his response was on the line's of not wanting to look like a queer. Now, at best this behaviour is foolhardy, at worst, damn right provocative. This is not the behaviour one expect's from any pub landlord and certainly not from one who run's a Young's establishment.
anonymous - 3 Feb 2006 08:20 |
No longer a pub for Fulham fans. The Manager is a Tottenham fan who quoted on Tues night "won't be seen dead in a Fulham shirt, otherwise people will think I'm gay" Sees it as funny to parade around in Spurs sweatshirt.
SErvice & beer now indifferent
anonymous - 2 Feb 2006 10:53 |
used to be a nice pub, but the new landlord has changed that, has not got a clue how to run a pub, and lets in troublemakers and barrs the wrong sort of people, a shame really. but then again the fox is a much better pub
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Go here on Fulham games. Bitter always good, service OK. Manager prefers egg chasers to our national game. Food wise, the pizzas are the best value for money.
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Giving it some ACE????? Mate if that is the clientele I am steering clear of this Chav hang out!
anonymous - 16 Dec 2005 14:27 |
GREAT pub, any night of the week. good friendly service and food and usually you get a seat. busy when sport on and fri/sat nights, esp with the late opening. don't let the outside put you off.
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Looks a bit spit 'n' sawdust from the outside, but is quite quaint inside. Beer is quite 'spensive, but food is excellent and great value for money.
Nice for meeting with friends after work or during lunch, but wouldn't include it in a crawl for a night on the lash!
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Decent pint of Ordinary. Food was excellent for the money - good steaks and fajitas (never seen fajitas in a Young's pub before either).
Funny layout - it's a bit barn-like. I've never seen this place pre-refit, so can't comment on whether it was improved, but I assume it wasn't all one big room before.
OK for watching the football, but there are a few knuckle-draggers, so watch who you cheer for. Saturday nights they sometimes have karaoke. Nuff said.
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can be good, depending on what punters are in. Bar staff are freindly and efficient.
Always good for watching the football.
Again, like most other Putney pubs, was best pre-refit, when a bus drivers pub (post shift, obviously)!
evers - 29 Aug 2005 14:48 |
Alas poor Spotted Horse, I knew you well.
Three pounds and ten bloody pence for a pint of wife-beater. Yeah ok, I know Stellas not exactly beer and it probably serves me right for drinking it, but they've overstepped the mark this time.
Yes they're friendly, yes you can sit there and break your weary journey home from work in relative peace and quiet, yes I know they've got a screen and yes I know the foods not bad but �3.10? Almost as pricey as the Orange Tree in Richmond (and that's saying something).
Naughty, and not nice!
issas - 26 Aug 2005 21:26 |
What a shame, the atmosphere has really changed since the new couple have arrived, where have the football fans gone? I remember when you couldn't move in the place - brilliant atmosphere. It seems to have lost the team spirit, used to be really good atmosphere there, let's hope it comes back, the pub deserves it.
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The photo is quite misleading as there is never anyone of that age in the pub, except on Fri/sat nights. It will be very interesting to see what the new governor can do. Fri/Sat are still packed with mindless council estate thugs spoiling for a fight. What is it with these estate people, do they not have any self respect or respect for others. Never any women there, under 45.
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Looks quite nice from the outside but pretty horrible if you venture inside. Go back outside, turn left, and continue down the High Street until you see the Coat & Badge on your left. Go in there instead.
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They got new management recently and it seems to have had a positive effect on the atmosphere. Its worth watching this space to see what the new managers can do....
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Should never have been refitted like this it was a bloody traditional pub I don,t know what Youngs are playing with. staff and landlord are exceedingly rude avoid at all costs.
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Came in to watch the final of the Tri-Nations Rugby between Australia & New Zealand. Must have been the ONLY Australians there as EVERYONE was supporting New Zealand. In the corner was a diabled person in a wheelchair that could only communicate by pointing to letters on a laminated sheet and when we lost even HE came over and keep pointing on his sheet to H A H A H A!!
As for the pub itself... some of the rudest staff I've ever come across! A friend asked for a Midori that was PLAINLY visible behind the bar and was told "We don't serve Midori". When the very visible bottle of Midori was pointed out the the barman tried to have my friend thrown out for making trouble?!?
If you want a decent drink & meal in Putney the Duke's Head is a much better option.
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Another pretty typical Young's pub. Not bad,but nothing special either. If your in Putney then The Dukes Head is a far better bet than here IMHO.
anonymous - 22 Nov 2004 19:57 |
Not the pub it once was since the dreadful refurbishment several years ago. Earlier comments from Doug and Ian are spot on - the modern pub that Youngs have now created lacks character and atmosphere. Give it a miss if you like proper pubs
John - 29 Oct 2004 12:43 |
Old mans pub, stinks of farts, stale beer and fags. Only refurbed a few years back but already bably in need of a facelift. Youngs beer, food looked decent but eating in the fag smog a health hazard.
Lord Lucan - 26 Oct 2004 13:01 |
What a superb pub! Nice tasty, refreshing beers, Great pub tuck, especially the snacks. Make sure to be there Sunday night for the weekly quiz and bingo!
Joshua - 5 Oct 2004 00:45 |
Great pub. As a refit I've seen much worse. Food is good value and very nice - Sunday roast huge! Great variety of Young's beer and lovely wine - good variety available by the glass. Air conditioning a bit overenthusiastic at times.
Scarf - 4 Jun 2004 12:21 |
this public house will be the location of my ashes being scattered when i depart this mortal realm. i would hope that although many things change in this cruel world, "the spot" will remain a steadfast constant in my life, fuelling my need for alcohol and fine music. the bar staff, the bouncers and even the regulars are the only friends i have, and if i have nothing else to be thankful for in my life, i get down on my knees each night and thank god for the spot.
borta f.a - 7 Jan 2004 23:02 |
This pub is in a prime location on Putney High Street. Lots of room inside and good beer on tap. It�s failing is its regular drinkers. A mix of market salesmen wide-boys and old people stopping off from picking up their pensions. It just lacks any atmosphere or warmth. There are better watering holes to be had in Putney.
indie - 24 Dec 2003 16:02 |
This used to be one of my favourite pubs. It had lots of character, an old solid wood bar and was a great place to drop in for lunch when shopping on the High Street. I don't like the modern version that Young's has inflicted on us.
Ian - 15 Oct 2003 06:18 |
Loved it! The staff were extremely helpfull, lovely couple running the joint, greatly improved atmosphere since the srrival of new management a year ago. Thumbs up!
Kevin - 21 May 2003 22:55 |
Not worth the amount of time it takes to buy a beer (calling it "service" would not do justice to the word)
Gary - 28 Apr 2003 11:53 |
you have to talk to scotch bob in the spot,hes the rubbery faced jock of 70 years but acts like a kid,dont mention the korean war or you,ll never get out!
billnimmo - 15 Dec 2002 16:43 |
Oh - The horror!! Was a nice old London pub with a massive oval bar. Lots historical stuuf - unbroken list of Landlords from 1000BC etc and pics of Putney past - ie good and old. Lots of old blokes who still wash over the sink with a flannel drank there. (Come to think of it some of them still do). However, Youngs have ripped out EVERYTHING and made it dull. Beer OK. Big screen. Only benefit is there is alot more room and it is easy to get a seat. (Except the usual friday/sat nights). Boring.
Doug - 30 Aug 2002 10:52 |
It's great. I've spent �200 in the Weakest Link Machine and my winnings have ammounted to �3. I love it!!
Squeezy - 8 Jul 2002 04:03 |
