Under new ownership as of last week. So no more rabbits in the outdoor garden. Though the new owners are thinking about getting some, hehe.
Shisha is excellent, though slow to prepare. However, service afterward was very attentive. New coal was brought quickly, and the bowl was cleaned frequently. There is no windscreen on the bowl of the hookah, which is weird because it tends to be quite windy through the courtyard.
The house red wine is absolutely fantastic with the shisha and definitely recommended.
The shisha experience was quite lovely for me (as someone who doesn't smoke at all) and I found the smoke to be light and puffy -- akin to a cloud -- as opposed to scratchy, coarse, or burning.
The courtyard is about 75% covered with tarp and has numerous heat lamps. There is a large television screen (which was handy for watching the Champion's League finale on Saturday) flanked by several low, wooden picnic tables. Scattered about are a few club chairs and ottomans. There's also a corner with faux leather upholstered sofas. Excellent lounge area for a small group.
Downside with the courtyard is that it is cluttered and gets very dirty with the influx of large crowds, smoke, and ash.
Inside has all the features of your typical pub, but tends to be a lot less busy than outside (ie -- abandoned). As such, it is much cleaner. However, most people go to White House for the outdoor area, which I understand is a lot more special and quaint. Just this weekend, I was quite surprised walking in to find the place empty and enquired as to whether they were closing soon. But I took just a few steps down to the courtyard to find 50+ people cheering on Chelsea's victory (the sound is contained very well).
As clarification, there are four areas.
-- The outdoor patio / garden, but I don't see this in use at night for obvious reasons.
-- The indoor pub when you walk in, which itself is quite large already.
-- The outdoor garden in the back down the stairs, which is where shisha can be served.
-- Another indoor area, accessed through the outdoor garden via a "hidden" door in the wall. I saw several women look quite confused when they came down the stairs to the garden only to find that there was seemingly no way through, haha. Anyway, that room is less pubby and more like a club. White House hosts DJs on certain nights if you like to dance. I'd say "call for info," but they still don't have a direct line.
So in summary, White House has everything you're looking for in a night life. A lounge, a bar, a pub, a club, whatever. read more