By Charles Dubow
Photos by Ryan Lavine
Congratulations to John and Lisa Harris and the staff at The White Horse Country Pub for once again bagging top dining accolades in Litchfield Magazine’s annual Reader’s Choice Awards. For 2025, they won in the categories of Best Restaurant, Best Brunch, Best Burger, and Best Casual Dining—and they came in second in Best Outdoor Dining. These achievements are as impressive as they are richly deserved. Judging by the constant stream of diners crowding its tables seven days a week for lunch, brunch, and dinner, it’s easy to see why the White Horse is the county’s favorite place to eat.
Fifteen years ago, when the Harrises bought the building that had once housed a local roadhouse and transformed it into the White Horse, they probably wouldn’t have been too surprised to learn how incredibly popular it would become. John, an Englishman, has been in the hospitality business for 40 years, having managed properties all over the world. “We saw the potential in the space right away,” he says. “The old place was pretty run down, so we tore it apart, made an addition, and opened it up to the river. Lisa’s a designer, and she scoured the world for auction pieces and curios.” Among the more interesting items in their collection: a framed royal pardon by Queen Elizabeth I, a receipt for 160 bottles of port from Charles Dickens, and a Fender guitar signed by members of The Rolling Stones.
What inspired them to open the White Horse? “Lisa and I were developing houses in Greenwich,” says John, “but she had friends in New Preston whom we used to visit, and we fell in love with the area. I had always wanted to have my own gastro-pub, so that’s what we did. The idea was to take classic English food and soup it up.” Today the extensive—and reasonably priced—menu features traditional pub grub such as fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, and bangers and mash, as well as ten kinds of burgers, pasta, steak, salmon, salads, vegetarian dishes, and exotic fare such as chicken tikka masala and Persian lamb koftas. It’s the perfect place for everything from a Sunday family dinner or date night to having a beer and watching the game at the bar.
“One of the reasons the menu is so long is that whenever we think about changing things customers go, ‘No, it’s too popular,’ so it stays,” says John. “In addition to people who might drive up for the day to dine with us, we have a lot of regulars, and we are very grateful to them. We want to make sure they can always get their favorites. After all, we are in the happiness business. People go out to eat to have a good time. Whether you can sit outside in the summer or next to a cozy fire in winter, when you leave here we want you to feel good about it in your car as you drive away.”
The White Horse Pub & Restaurant, 258 New Milford Turnpike, New Preston—whitehorsecountrypub.com
