My black cab rolls through the neon disease

Vegan beer, vegan cider and a view of one of the most iconic neighbourhoods in the world. It is all available in Soho’s White Horse pub.

View of Shaftesbury Avenue from the White Horse

There are a few select places in the world that can evoke a sense of excitement, mystery or wonder by name alone. Mention Sydney and it conjures scenes of huge passenger ferries chugging past the Opera House on their way under the Harbour Bridge and beyond. Silver Lake, Los Angeles is all about vegan eateries, cruisy gay bars and California Palms reaching for a brilliant blue sky muted by pollution. Madrid is late, late nights of drinking strong drinks in bustling bars before waking just in time to exploit the siesta tradition. And then there’s London’s West End.

Brimming with theatres, tourists, black cabs and lights, Soho is a true original with a flavour all of its own. You can stumble from traditional pubs into modern, queer cocktail bars as you dodge double deck Routemasters (the new model). Phone boxes are now scarce but still on show and the shimmering lights of the theatre district promise make believe worlds. London has plenty of world-famous districts but surely none with the fame and name of the West End. But of course this is a blog about vegan consumption. Therefore I am obliged to mention my current favourite Soho destination is the White Horse pub on Rupert Street.

Sam Smith Alpine Lager sports the Vegan Society logo

As you might guess, the White Horse is a Samuel Smith pub serving copious amounts of vegan booze. You can even spot some of their beer and lager taps sporting the Vegan Society logo. The White Horse is a traditional pub with no music and decor from another era. I recommend heading to the second floor, nabbing a plush sofa near the corner window and wasting a few hours watching red buses, black cabs and the lights of the Gielgud Theatre do their thing into the evening.

Head on in to the West End if you wanna be a tourist, catch a show and down a few vegan pints. There’s nothing like getting tipsy in a world-famous neighbourhood.

The White Horse 45 Rupert St, Soho, London W1D 7PJ