It takes you a minute, and then you see it: subtle references to the sea are everywhere at The Horses. The pole in the downstairs bar wound with rope; the softly waved panels of circular orange and yellow stained glass, each circle like a piece of sea glass, casting sunset-coloured light onto wooden candlelit tables. Upstairs, a large spherical light appears held by a loose metallic net. Under it, diners perch on high leather stools with shell-shaped backs, facing an open oyster bar where staff busily select oysters from enormous ice-filled brass trays, then deftly shuck them. Cumbrae oysters from the clear waters of the west coast of Scotland; smaller Maldon oysters from Essex’s River Blackwater Estuary – each has its own flavour profile, which enthusiastic wait staff are more than happy to explain.
There’s an atmosphere of genuine passion for seafood at The Horses. It’s the latest venture for the seemingly indomitable Public House Group, which – it’s fair to say – has lifted the bar for what a high-quality British pub should be. But while its growing collection of pubs – which began in 2022 with Notting Hill “it” pub The Pelican and now includes The Hero, The Fat Badger and The Hart, among others – share a warmly minimalist design aesthetic and a penchant for pared-back, seasonal British fare, each has its own distinctive personality. And for The Horses, it’s strongly rooted in Britain’s coast.
“We want all of our pubs to have their own identity, and with The Horses we liked the idea of taking inspiration from the traditional British oyster bars and fish houses,” James Gummer, one of the three Public House Group co-owners, tells Broadsheet. “We have access to incredible seafood in Britain and don’t feel it’s celebrated enough in London.”
That said, The Horses is still very much a pub. The ground floor in particular will no doubt quickly become a go-to for Clerkenwell’s after-work crowd; here, punters can come in for a pint of British beer and a fish sandwich. “We’ve used materials such as dark oak, marble, brass and hand-painted tiles, so it still has the familiarity and warmth of a traditional pub,” Gummer says. “The references [to the sea] become more apparent upstairs.”
There are three levels above the ground floor: the main dining room; an oyster bar with a counter overlooking an open kitchen (“being able to see the chefs preparing the day’s catch really reflects what we’re trying to do with the menu,” Gummer says); and a cosy, not-yet-complete top-floor space that is set to become a private dining room.
Like all Public House Group venues, design is overseen by the group’s in-house design studio, overseen by Phil Winser, who, alongside Olivier van Themsche and Gummer, makes up the trio of co-owners. But for The Horses, Winser also employed Calshot – a Southampton shipyard specialising in restoration and design – to add a few choice elements, like the curved joinery.
On the menu? Naturally, the day’s catch; the kitchen is working closely with Hackney fishmonger Fin and Flounder. Gummer points out that the overall approach hasn’t changed – “it’s still about starting with really good British ingredients and not overcomplicating them” – but says the menu at The Horses will change regularly depending on what’s at its best. Like all Public House Group venues, produce will be taken from the group’s market garden at Bruern Farms in the Cotswolds. Pub classics, like pork chops and onglet steak, remain. “It was important that it remained somewhere you could come and eat regularly, rather than feeling like a formal seafood restaurant,” Gummer says.
Like its sister venues, The Horses’s menu never uses more than a few words to describe each dish, but the reality is more complex. The Squid, Chilli starter is an elevated take on a pub classic; generous, just-soft-enough pieces of squid are coated with crispy fried pastry dusted with just the right amount of chilli. The whole Dover Sole sings with a spritz of lemon and a creamy, warming counterpart of peppercorn sauce. Even mains from the land, like a roasted hispi cabbage, are served with a zingy seaweed sauce over a generous bed of butter beans. Don’t skip dessert, and pray that the financier’s tart is on the menu. With its dense almond texture, slightly caramelised edges, dollop of creme and sloping wedges of poached tart, it makes for the perfect ending.
The Horses
26-28 Ray Street, EC1R 3DJ
Hours:
Mon to Thu midday–11.30pm
Fri & Sat midday–midnight
Sun midday–10.30pm
