Bars & Pubs

The Dark Horse fights to blend progressive aesthetics with the common touch and comes up not entirely wanting - the bar fronts a dramatic equestrian painting and seating mixes wooden chairs, deep leather thrones and corner couches. Most unusually, the scent of vanilla wafted about us on our last visit - something of a coup in the miasma of sweat and stale beer that is the post-smoking era. Sweet smells aside, it's a down-to-earth place popular with nearby residents, and while there are no surprises on tap, the menu of pub standards is a cut above the average, cheap and eminently cheerful.

Time Out Bars, Pubs & Clubs Guide 2008/9