The "Guest" ale was Golden Gate last weekend with Six Hop Ale to come on soon 6.5%.I went to a meeting last night in the "Funky Den" that's downstairs to the uninitiated. The ales available were Hophead and Winter Meltdown both were in excellent condition.Temperature wise the ales were exactly as they should be. A very busy bar last night and deservedly so.I went to a meeting last night in the "Funky Den" that's downstairs to the uninitiated. The ales available were Hophead and Winter Meltdown both were in excellent condition.Temperature wise the ales were exactly as they should be. A very busy bar last night and deservedly so.

A fantastic range of ales today! Many on only due to customer requests,Hophead, Winter Meltdown Wolf's Remus ( they must do a Romulus) I'm sure most will get the obvious connection, Harvey's B.B.iIchen Russian Winter and Homecoming.So far this pub has only received two awards this is unbelievable! I bet it gets more! Fully booked is the outing to Dark Star Brewery to enjoy their legendary hospitality.If you decide to eat here be warned the portions are very big indeed.This pub has a Mini Beer Festival starting on Thursday. The local CAMRA Branch will award this pub the pub of the Season for Winter, this award is clearly deserved as the ales and food are normally tip top and if a roaring log fire is your thing then look no further as they have.. wait for it... THREE ! Pub games and banter proliferate.A decent sized local's boozer with a large open area in front of the bar and a smaller, quieter section to the rear. Harveys, Summer Lightening, Brains Rev James and Dark Star Winter Meltdown were on today, with the latter especially in good shape.
Pump clips of old line the walls as testament to the pub's commitment to providing an ever-changing and excellent array of ales. There may be signs of wear and tear around the place, but it seems only to add to the place's charm and it's really quite hard to find fault with the atmosphere generated within. There always seems to be a decent sized crowd of punters in here when I visit and the staff are friendly and helpful. Well worth seeking out.

Another wetherspoons with slow and rude staff, had a pint of directors not a bad pint but it took ages to get, while the staff were having a chat,no rush to serve the customers must finish conversation first. I did ask to speak to the manager about the service and the staff said he is sitting in the office, then turned around and said to the other member of staff as he always is.I don't think this is the way the staff should carry on. I am looking for a nice pub with nice staff good service why are these pubs so hard to find. The list below was available today, plus Holden's Golden Glow ( a fabulous golden honey ale). The guvnor is climbing Mount Etna in May for the 'spoons charity C.L.I.C.hoping to raise £5,000 , already one thousand has been raised. Bye the bye, Etna is actually an active volcano!Thornbridge Jaipur IPA
Oakham JHB
Oakham Bishops Farewell
Harviestoun Bitter and Twisted
Orkney Red McGregor
Inveralmond Ossian
Exmoor Beast
Will feature ( and others) in the George next week according to an e-mail from the local CAMRA branch.Eleven pence change out of two quid per pint purchased.The first and last ales mentioned are very stong so treat with due caution! TWG -that was a truly great review, it makes a wonderful change to read such a balanced report.

Went in here last night good ales on, but takes to long to get a drink 3 people got served before me because the staff knew them, the place was untidy. I will try this pub again but it will be in the day .Last visited midweek, good range of beers, well kept, bar service curiously a bit more hit and miss than at weekend but... NO SOAP in any of the dispensers in the gents', upstairs or downstairs. A common fault but surprising to encounter it in this cathederal of excellence.
Management please note.As always a lovely pint in nice company.A truly festive atmosphere in Croydon's best pub.The staff worked hard whilst everyone else enjoyed the season.

A very worthwhile visit today, three ales from Dark Star. the Hophead was on supreme form1 as our xmas treat a beer from Tyrell is due.Otherwise everything is exactly as it was, after all that is what you'd expect from such a timecapsule of a pub as this. It really does have overtones of " The Iceman Cometh".The upcoming beer festival has a wonderful list of ales and ciders, Thomas Sykes( a festival favourite) from Burton Bridge at 10% , Orange Wheat from Green Jack and many others far to numerous to mention ( also my diminished memory due to over indulgence). Today's beer menu included Hophead, APA, Anastasia Stout Ascot, etc.Beer Festival starting on the 12th of November 2009.It will last four days ( or as is more probable until the ale ceases to flow) .I'm sounding like Alph River,decent length of rope anyone?

It has been tidied up since I last visited, but not so much that the atmosphere of the place has been spoiled. I think it's really nice inside now, and the beer was excellent as always. Worth going out of your way for - definitely one of the best traditional pubs in Croydon.This is a nice PUB friendly stuff and good service and a good pint of youngs. This is one of the better pubs in croydon i have found so far ???? What kind of STUFF . Freebies??? Is the STUFF inanimate,so how if so can it be friendly? Yours sincerely, super confused!This is a nice PUB friendly stuff and good service and a good pint of youngs. This is one of the better pubs in croydon i have found so far.

This is a fantastic traditional pub, just a short stroll from the chaos of Croydon's High Street beer barns.
There's not a great deal of space inside the pub, which makes for a cosy and lively atmosphere. There's a surprising amount of seating thanks to the way that the pub is laid out and they've even found room for a darts area.
The beers are from the Fullers range, and you'll struggle to find a better kept Fullers beer anywhere in the borough. Unlike many Fullers outlets, they also have guest beers on and as mentioned below, they recently staged a very enjoyable mini-festival. The only real downside is that the beer doesn't come cheap, but I can forgive that every once in a while.
Good for an extended session and a must for any serious crawl of Central Croydon.Thanks Grovetown, that came from a local Camra committee member.Sometimes pubs do an inhouse festival and I feel that it is a bit cheeky to say the least.Your information about it being only Fullers' ales is incorrect.

I have seen the listing, and there is a significant selection - eight? perhaps 10 - from across the UK. Plus the usual suspects.

Spiritandmixer, I'll forego a visit to the Ship if they are pouring back the spent ale into the Bank's Bitter, the effect on my system would be catastrophic, ..erm you could say i'd prefer to remain anally retentive than risking a visit.Slerpy. have you really had a good look at this pub lately? The toilets are disgusting, the ceiling paper is all peeling off, they use the fire escape as a smoking area which is littered with crap. The place totally smells of sweaty metallers. urckh.

A word of warning, do not drink the Banks bitter, it gets poured back in from the drip trays.A couple of points looking back at the reviews. The beer has improved greatly since I last wrote on here and, yes, whoever it was who wrote about the wizard and the cat- either it's true or we both had the same alcohol-soaked delusion!

Still one of my favourite pubs. People actually mix and talk to each other, there's rarely much of a wait at the bar, and the beer is good. Plus there's loads of seating.

I'm not sure about the benefits of attracting the pre-club youth crowd. This pub pulls in a fortune as it is, and has enough sporadic trouble on busy nights without having a bunch of pissed-up kids knocking around as well.

It's an interesting boozer, much maligned as "just another station pub". Well worth a visit.Cant wait to read the BITE reviews from the other pubs that Hudge visits in Croydon,hopefully the beer will ease the writer's block.The plus point of this pub is its proximity to the station - very handy.

Minus points. You can really smell the toilets, its infested with fruit flies in warmer months and the food is basic pull it out of the freezer, bang in the fryer type fare. Its over light and not really a comfy place to enjoy a drink. Its pretty tatty and could do with a lick of paint.

Having said that, the beer is ok, nothing too much to complain about, its never going to win awards, but its not poor. I've never really noticed the short measures, but have seen the grumpy bar staff.

Its a handy pub and a little bit of investment in key areas (including an air freshner for the toilets) could make this place a cracker, but its falling short currently.

A rare Sunday evening visit to this amiable backstreet pub. One of Croydon's better and - as with most of the Croydon's best (e.g The Royal Standard, Dog & Bull) - worth straying off the beaten track for.

It can be very quiet in the early part of the week, but builds towards very social Thursdays through Sundays; largely due to the interesting and quality Blues and Rhythm 'n' Blues acts staged here.

Yesterday's was no exception: a well attended gig for the excellent jump-swing/ Chicago blues turn Rollo Markee and the Tailshakers.

Ale on offer was Tiger and Proper Job; both of which were in good nick.
Wide range of beer. Friendly atmosphere, people seem to go there to enjoy the live music that's put on. Good quality ales.The sort of pub where you go in for a quick half and end up having 3 pints.......say no more. Consistently good real ales and very friendly staff and customers.

Fullers what a mess you have made here,on my last visit this place was buzzing great beers great service excellent food served on pipping hot plates toilets and pub sparkling a credit to the lovely couple and staff.now a mess you are certainly cutting corners ashame on you.This used to be a great pub which we visited on a regular basis. Very disappointed on our last visit. There is no escape from the 3 televisions that destroy the atmosphere completely. The prices have gone up considerably after the latest refurbishment. Won't be drinking here again.Prices have gone up, it's cold, the quality of the food and portion sizes have gone down (roast served on a stone cold plate anyone?)... oh and the water in the hot tap in the loos is also cold... seems that corners are really being cut since it changed hands.. very disappointing as I used to really like this place!

What can i say about this pub curry club was very good, i had a few pints of target which were very enjoyable, my wife had a couple glasses of wine. We have only been to this pub twice and both times stayed alot longer than we should of. To me this pub is more like a local the staff and customers have very good banter going on between them, which you do not see in many pubs these days. We will being trying steak club and a roast soon so i will be reporting again. It is the only pub we have found that you can relax and enjoy your food and drink since we moved to PurleyMy wife and i went in here yesterday for lunch about midday, it was the best food i have had in a wetherspoons pub for ages, to my surprise the plates even came out hot which does not happen very often. The service was very quick which is another thing that does not happen in wetherspoons, very often i have walked out of many wetherspoons because i have waited so long, also the staff are very polite helpfull, even had time to bring our coffees over to the table. I will be back and spreading a good word about this pub as it always gets knocked for being rough i have heard many a bad word about this pub , but please trust me it is the best wetherspoons around here for food, service and staff. i have found a pub a last. keep up the good work . Not a very inspiring 'spoons, with some rather dubious clientele as well. At first it appeared that there were a reasonable selection of real ales on, but several were 'available soon' and unfortunately the King's Happy New Beer went as it was being poured. Not really a place to linger, so had a quick pint of something else and moved on.

i would agree with the last comment posted it is the best pub in croydon,when its closed. and as for the hidious hut outside it looked like noahs ark.i dont know where that other person was when jon was sober 24 7 i used to go in there until his robbing machine nearly cost me my wife and daughter and as for his horse tips forget it i would rather bet on a pot of marmite and hes very ungrateful as i done him a new boiler and he knocked meI first used this pub back in 1978, when I worked locally. It's hardly changed over the years, and has to be the best pub in Croydon, which I shoud re-phrase and say "It's the only pub in Croydon"!I think this is a cracking little pub in the heart of Croydon. Friendly, efficient bar staff always make you feel welcome.John the landlord is a nice character, and I had more than one good Friday night in the Bedford where the karaoke is great fun. Really good crack too when Johns brother Pete comes over from Ireland. Those 2 really bounce off each other well and can both sing a song too! Food is also nice and fantastic value for money.

Noticed that this pub is deservedly in the 2010 Good Beer Guide. Just pick your time to visit to avoid the suits.The beer and food are both of a very high standard in this pub. as mentioned below, they always have Harveys and Explorer on, plus a guest, and I've never had a poor pint from them. The food menu is quite well priced considering the quality of the food on offer. They are clearly trying to focus on the food aspect in order to stand out from other pubs in the area and unfortunately this can detract slightly from the drinking side of things. There are plenty of seats for diners, but only a few tables for the drinkers to fight over.
A room to the side houses a pool table and TV, but there is no seating in this area, so unless your playing pool, there is little point going in there.
Worth going for a meal safe in the knowledge that you'll have a tip-top pint to accompany it.Consistently well kept beer (Harveys Best, Adnams Explorer plus a guest), good food and service. The pub could be great if only it was more of a locals' pub. Unfortunately it is often overrun with arrogant, braying corporate bores from the local offices. A difficult one, as it is good to see a thriving pub; come on, local residents, make more use of this pub!

Not been here for a couple of years now but used to use this quite regularly when I worked in Croydon. Shame to hear that it has got expensive but then that's Fullers for you (Wells & Youngs, Green King etc you are not excused from this statement either). However I would probably still use this when in Croydon as it is the best pub in the town centre, especially if it does London Porter still, unless there is a little gem that I haven't found yet. Good for rugby and footy too.Fullers pubs seem to be becoming clones of each other especially the Ale & Pie Houses. This one is no different, tiled floors, a couple of sofas, loads of dark wood and etched glass, a good range of beers and horrendously expensive. This pub is getting rather expensive, have heard that fullers have just increased their prices again! Most pubs in the area are reducing their prices, but not this one. Also have heard about a few drunken idiots on occasions who seem to spoil it for the rest, but nothing seems to be done about ejecting these people, management never seems to be around which is a shame as it is their reposibility to keep order. If this pub was anywhere but next to the town hall i don't think it would survive. I can get a pint of Sam Miguel from La Tosca at the same price and that's a restaurant. Your getting to pricey fullers.