‘When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life’. When ever I visit the big old metropolis there is one place I always return to, to grab a pint and watch the world, well central London, go by. This historic watering hole has enough history to fill a whole shelf of books. It has been a favourite haunt of artists, writers, musicians and actors. It was for a long-time home to one of city’s most infamous landlords and was a regular meeting place for the team behind the Private Eye and Spectator magazines.
Perched on a corner at 29 Greek Street, the pub is in Soho, an area famous for restaurants, art galleries, entertainment and chic, boutique retailers. Around Soho you can find Old Compton Street filled with LGBTQ+ friendly bars and clubs and Carnaby Street made famous in the swinging sixties with its independent fashion shops. Soho has long been associated with London’s creative industries and media companies based in Wardour Street and Denmark Street known as ‘Tin Pan Alley’ with its links to music publishing.
Take a short stroll and you can find the picturesque Soho Square with its many listed buildings. The world-renowned jazz club Ronnie Scott’s, the great Bar Italia where you can grab an espresso at three in the morning or the superlative restaurant Quo Vadis. There is the much-storied celebrity hangout The Groucho Club and the French House pub, where the resistance was supposed meet during the second world war and which sells more Ricard than anywhere in the country. This is the bohemian melting pot that is Soho with the Coach and Horses at its heart.
A Little Bit of Coach and Horses History
The present Coach & Horses was built in around 1840 on the site of an earlier pub of the same name, which was first licensed in 1724. The building was substantial altered in 1889 extending into a neighbouring building and the interior was redesigned in the 1930’s. Since then, it has been relatively unaltered and is Grade II listed both because of its history and features including the distinct bar layout, and the remaining buildings earlier architecture including the iconic tiled outside. Although the fluted cast iron columns were only added in 1889 by the then owner Cannon Brewery. The Coach is part of a close cluster of listed buildings in the area including Kettner’s, a former restaurant now hotel just over the road and the splendid Palace Theatre.
In 1930 Cannon Brewery was acquired by Taylor, Walker & Co who commissioned the changes to the interior. That name can still be seen on glass lamp outside. The bar was split into three panelled areas and a tapered bar and excluding a couple of tweaks the building has remained untouched. There is a large cellar the extending beyond the floor plan of the pub and there was a private room/ restaurant on the first floor although this is no longer used. In what was the saloon bar the bar top is much narrower which dates back to the remodelling when drinking at the bar was looked down on in smarter venues. You should also look out for the original terrazzo spittoons, the branding for Ind Coope, Skol and genuine Art Deco floor tiles.
Two Huge Characters in the Coach & Horses Story
From the fifties to the nineties popping into the Coach & Horses you could encounter any number of famous people from Lucien Freud and Francis Bacon the prominent British artists, hell-raising actors Peter O’Toole and John Hurt and the musician Jarvis Cocker. The pub formed part the “stumbling circuit” with the French House, the Groucho and the Colony Rooms, another private members club. From 1943 the landlord of the Coach & Horses was Norman Balon. The self proclaimed ‘rudest landlord in London’ was known for his impatient, grumpy personality. Although, the Coach became known for its famous customers he was extremely protective of his regulars and anyone who respected his pub.
The Coach and Horses is a real favourite with customers and was voted number one by the Evening Standard in their Top Fifty London Pubs of 2025 and number two by Time Out.
Norman was a great self publicist printing his own matchbooks with the cover, London’s Rudest Landlord and penning a memoir entitled, “Your Barred, You Bastards”. I remember working in London and drinking in the Coach and seeing Norman in action, playing up for the tourists and it was a joy to watch. Another of the famous regulars was the writer Jeffery Bernard who wrote the Low Life column in the Spectator, often about his drinking in the Coach, described as a suicide note in weekly instalments. When he was too drunk to write the magazine would print a blank page baring the tagline Jeffery Bernard is Unwell. This became the premise of a fantastic play made famous by Peter O’Toole in a virtuoso performance.
Written by Keith Waterhouse Jeffery Bernard is Unwell finds the writer locked in the Coach and Horses overnight, having fallen asleep in the toilet. Vodka in hand he weaves a series of stories about a Soho from a different era, seedier, more debauched and his own life including four failed marriages. The play had a sell out run at the nearby Apollo theatre and added to the Coaches appeal and magic. More recently rewritten as a one man show the actor Robert Bathurst has performed in situ, and you can catch some performances.
The Coach Today
After Normans sixty three-year years at the helm the lease of the Coach and Horses was taken over by a group of partners led by Alister Choat. Many things stayed the same and for a while, the pub was branded Norman’s Coach and Horses with his name added to the familiar red and gold signage outside. Somethings were very different and in 2012 the Coach & Horse became the first fully vegetarian pub in London. In 2019 the buildings landlord, London pub company Fullers, took the decision to take over management of the pub. There was a public outcry about the decision with many locals fearing the loss of the pub’s independence, but the pub continues to thrive.
I love visiting and taking a few minutes to step off the busy streets and grab a decent pint or two, and a packet of the best crisps, Tayto’s prawn cocktail if you’re interested. I always find a feature or picture to look at and just soak up the atmosphere. Perched on a stool you get to see a cross-section of London life pass through the doors and the staff are always so knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. On my last visit they happily charged my phone for me. I’m not alone in my love for the Coach & Horses, industry peers Nati and Andi at the wonderful Mall Tavern have heaped praise on the present-day team led by manager Ari. Last time I was there I got her to take a few minutes out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions.
All about Ali, Manager of the Coach and Horses
Thank you for doing this. Can you tell me a little about your background?
I’ve worked for Fullers for over fifteen years in a mix of pubs until taking on my first GM role at The Fine Line, Bow Churchyard, near St Paul’s early 2014. It was an exciting time with lots of independent breweries popping up in the UK and it was a logical move for me to take the role of transitioning Fine Line Monument into The Hydrant, Fullers first Craft House & Kitchen in September 2015. Just over six years ago I came to The Coach for its charm and character and have never looked back.
What is your favourite drink / what is your favourite beer?
Green tea! But if it’s a day off then a Negroni to start followed by a drop of red with dinner. Beer wise I love Oakham Citra, also pretty much anything from Pohjala – Uggie my deputy at The Coach, and I have been to Estonia twice just for the brewery.
What is the best thing about running the Coach and Horses and the worst?
The people. On both sides of the bar. I could use this to answer both but in all seriousness I never have a bad day here, unless I’m the one being a stinker in a bad mood.
I’ve researched a lot of the history and background of one of London’s most famous pubs but do you have a story or fact that you particularly like?
In 1978 Le Club “Nouveau Pour” was founded – a gathering of people that had mostly worked in the film industry. They wanted to drink Beaujolais Nouveau on the third Thursday in November, an event made popular over the UK in the 1970’s. Originally the Coach & Horses didn’t do food but Michael, who’d knock up some grub on a Friday for The Spectator lot, gave Le Club choice of steak & chips or fish, chips & peas for upstairs. There’s a plaque in the pub dedicated to the club. The group still meet every year on the third Thursday in November, led by one of our regulars, Laurence. I’ve joined them on the past three for steak and a questionable glass of wine or two!
In my first pub review Nati and Andi from the Mall Tavern recommended the Coach as one of their favourite places to drink. If you had to be torn away from the Coach, where would I find you eating and drinking?
Love Nati. Love Andi. Fortunate enough to have tried their roast over at The Mall Tavern. I recently had the treat of having an omakase experience over at Namaiki in Broadwick Street. We are really spoilt being in Soho – some very solid choices; Kiln, Andrew Edmunds & Quo Vadis without even mentioning glorious China Town! Give me a bowl of spring onion oil hand cut noodles from Kung Fu Noodle any day. For drinks; The Devonshire onto the Bloodsports is a path well travelled by me and the team. Recently I got shown a delightful little cocktail bar called Basement Sate, also on Broadwick Street, which I feel will be my new go to venue.
The Caskaway 
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