Dog House, Croydon

A thoroughly-decent micropub (the music might disbar it for purists but it was classic 60s stuff so fine by me). It features homemade-looking benches and tables and a rough wood-fronted bar with a little cool room behind from whence the beers are fetched. There are a couple of pavement tables at the front when the weather is kind, but don't be deceived by the awning claiming it is still a florist! I enjoyed an extremely well-kept Kent Black Mirror Stout. A shame it is not in the easiest place to get to (407/410 bus) and it appears to close unexpectedly on occasion, but it is well worth seeking out.

This is a simple micropub set in an old dog grooming salon in a parade of shops around halfway between Croydon and Carshalton. The place has the usual simple single room set-up, with seating down each side of the room and a compact servery in the rear right corner. The floor is partly bare boarded, with the rear section switching to skimmed concrete, whilst the large front window allows plenty of light into the room. I visited a couple of days after Christmas and found that the décor was almost entirely seasonal, which made me wonder whether the walls are normally bare, or if the regular decorative stuff had been tidied away until the New Year. A couple of good old beer mat collections remained out on display though and were quite interesting to browse through. The servery has a tidy bar counter and some helpful beer boards hung across the bar back, which were useful given that the beer is poured from a taproom out the back rather than from handpulls on the bar. We arrived just as the pub was opening, but it didn’t take too long for it to start filling up, generating a nice, friendly atmosphere as a result. There were seven ales on cask, mainly from Kent-based microbreweries such as Kent and Kissingate. I tried the Kent Yule Log Cream Stout, which was in excellent condition and my other half opted for one of the five or six cider options. The friendly guvnor gave us a very hearty welcome, inviting us in despite still not having fully set up for the evening and enjoying good natured chat with all his customers. There’s not much in the way of decent pub options in this in-between part of town, so this place is a much-welcome addition to the local scene. I thought the beer was in great shape and the service was top notch, but the jury is still out as to whether this is a good place to settle down for a session or just another identikit shop-converted space – either way, I’m sure I’ll be back soon enough to give it another try.

Another good little micro.Really friendly chatty owner made my visit all the better.Couple of Tonbridge and a Wantsum cask beer on and in fine condition.

Facebook page of Dog House - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of Dog House - www.facebook.com

Official site of Dog House - thedoghouse-beddington.co.uk

Official site of Dog House - thedoghouse-beddington.co.uk

If you've been to a few micropubs, this one won't cause any alarms. It's pretty much a standard example: a single room in a former shop, with 5 tables and chairs plus a few stools at the bar and on the back wall. My recent visit saw 5 ales and numerous ciders all delivered from the cool room. A friendly welcome, as you'd expect, and a top quality pint of Ascot's Gold Cup session IPA made for a rewarding trip.