Warehouse Cafe Bar, Croydon

Demolished

I've walked past this place hundreds of times on my way to nearby East Croydon station and never once had it occurred to me to pop in and see what was on offer at their bar. However, last week they had a blackboard outside promoting cask ales, so I decided to give it a try and was shocked to find Sheps Spitfire and Master Brew and Westerham British Bulldog Gold (£2.70) on offer. This is essentially a small bar inside the Croydon Warehouse Theatre building. It's pretty basic inside, with a few stools along a drinking ledge and there were only three or so tables plus an oddly situated stack of casks seemingly put there on display. The furniture is all a bit worn with lots of wobbly stools and the like, whilst the walls were decorated with posters for upcoming shows and photos of past performances. But putting aside the strange appearance and ambiance, the beer was in wonderful condition and my pint of Westerham went down a treat. A viable alternative to the Porter and Sorter for anyone looking for a quick pre-train pint. They do keep slightly odd hours though, so check the website for details of when they are open.