Top newspaper ranks famous Harrogate pub in UK’s best Christmas bars list
A Harrogate bar with an unusual name has made it into a national newspaper’s top six best UK pubs for the festive season.
Under the heading “Christmas on tap: six of the best UK pubs for the festive season”, The Guardian puts the spotlight on Harrogate institution The Coach & Horses or Sleigh & Reindeers, as the pub is renamed from mid-November to Christmas.
One of Harrogate’s longest-standing pubs, the Coach & Horses dates back to 1830 and was once a coaching inn; it even featured in the town's first guide in 1840.
Located facing the Stray at West Park, The Guardian describes how the award-winning Provenance Inn Collection bought the traditional-style Harrogate pub in 2021 and refurbished it, reinstating the corner entrance and removing the central bar.
But it’s not the first time that the Coach & Horses had made a bit of a splash with a clever bit of punning over its name.
The pub has also been known as the Cavendish & Horses for the 2014 Tour de France in honour of famous cyclist Mark Cavendish, who has links to Harrogate, and Sunshine Desserts following the death of David Nobbs, the writer of Reginald Perrin who was a regular customer there for many years.
Following a two-year closure during Covid, an extensive redevelopment in 2022 by its new owners saw the ground floor of the Coach & Horses completely rearranged while the first floor was transformed into a beautiful dining room with stunning views of the Stray.