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Disappointment of the week with Tris39
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The Green Dragon, Croydon
Croydon
CR0 1NA
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Green Dragon
The Green Dragon appears to be the best that Croydon has to offer. It has a corner location, with plenty of seating inside and toilets downstairs.
There were 5 real ales, 6 real ciders and a number of craft beers. Ales were Bexley Crook Log, Southwark Harvard & Top Drop, By The Horns Panowow & Redemption Pale Ale.
Real ciders were in boxes above the rear of the bar. The selection was Lilley's Lemon & Lime Cider & Merry Monkey, Dudda's Tun Salted Caramel Cider, Dorset Nectar Medium Organic, Weston's Old Rosie & Gwynt y Ddraig Black Dragon.
Craft beers were BrewDog Planet Pale, Magic Rock Chameleon & High Wire, Hammerton Traume, Siren Soundwave, Laine's Twisted Lips, Mad Squirrel Hoodblink & Big Hug Do Not Disturb.
Nice place that I'm sure I will return to. Apparently a CAMRA discount can be applied to, but this was not offered.
On 24th February 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Green Dragon
Another architcturally impressive looking croydon pub, unfortunately this doesnt transfer to the interior which is rather barn like and unappealing. There were eight handpumps with five beers on that I failed to note at the time but I had a pint of Gloucester Dockside Dark on cask while there was a range of craft options from the eight taps. I didn't quite warm to this pub so much.
On 5th February 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1871 recommendations about 1844 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Green Dragon
2 floor bar (upstairs closed during my visit) with a mixed style interior part brewdog industrial but also retaining some original features. 8 real ale taps,8 “craft keg” taps and 6 ciders.
On 4th October 2018
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The Green Dragon
The previous review still very much applies. The attempt to make the interior 'trendy' is forgivable due to six handpumps offering a splendidly varied range of beers, plus a good selection of boxed ciders (and a perry) for those so inclined. Beers sampled were in top form (Cask Marque listing).
On 22nd September 2017
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Green Dragon
This is a huge monolith of a pub. Inside it's got a ceiling that's high even by Victorian standards. It's a shame that the effect is spoiled by the metallic pipework/trunking everywhere. I can only assume it's there as some sort of heating and/or air conditioning system, but it would have been better had it been made less obtrusive. But that's just my opinion - maybe others prefer visible trunking as a decorative feature. On the plus side the walls still have good quality fielded wood panelling on them, and the original vestibule serves the main corner entrance. The floors are a mix of bare boards and faux quarry tiles, with the space broken up by Indian style rugs. Furnishings are mainly normal tables and chairs, with a few tall tables/tall stools here and there. There's a pool table on the right.
But the big plus here is the ale selection. On handpump were Abbot Ale, St Austell Proper Job (£1.75 a half), Gloucester Brewery Galaxy, Twickenham Naked Ladies, and Sunny Republic Shark Head, with a couple more on stillage. There were menus in racks on all the tables. I'm not sure why the racks had on them the edict in German to order at the bar; perhaps Croydon does get German tourists who don't know the drill, or perhaps they are predicting The Eagles' Champions League future entertaining the likes of Bayern Munich?
They have toilets both upstairs on the upper floor, and in the basement, the passages to which seem to have retained some of their original tiling. The door to the upstairs Gents had "Ladies" on the inside - a bit confusing when the door is left open (which it was when I visited it). I didn't look to see what was on the inside of the door to the ladies! Anyway, this pubs lacks the old school intimacy of the nearby Royal Standard, but it's still a destination pub as far as Croydon is concerned.
On 10th May 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Green Dragon
The interior of the Green Dragon feels as though it is split in two by arches that separate the bar area to the left from seating and a pool table to the right. The toilets are located down a flight of stairs at the rear of the pub and up the stairs is an advertised function room. There is a disabled toilet, but any wheelchair bound visitors may need some help getting up the step at the entrance.
Standard draught is available from the bar that also supports six hand pumps. During my recent Wednesday afternoon visit one of these hand pumps was unused leaving Roosters Londinium, Wychwood’s Hobgoblin, Hogs Back Brewery’s T.E.A., Thwaites Wainwright and Vale Brewery’s Black Swan as the ale options. Food is available and after a quick glance at the menu I learned that the mains are priced around the £8 mark.
During my visit there was some background music playing and I noted the presence of some plasma screens that I think were off. I found the service to be friendly enough and would have no problem returning if unfortunate enough to be in the area again.
On 8th March 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5231 recommendations about 5199 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Green Dragon
For a town-centre pub run by a major chain (Stonegate), this is a first class pub with a fine choice of real ales from its six handpumps and two barrels on the rear stillage. The highlight on my latest visit being Dark Star's Coconut Porter (£3.40). High ceilings and basic light-wood furniture and decor remaining from the Hogshead days give the main bar an airy feel. Smaller, darker upstairs bar (now with four handpumps) hosting live jazz on Sunday lunchtimes and various other events during the week. Well worth seeking out.
On 1st February 2014
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about The Green Dragon
Liked this pub a lot.Good busy typical High st pub.May not suit the traditionalists but the beer choice will.Shame about the stillage beer hidden behind the bar unloved ,underused and warm.Reasonably priced beer for this style of pub.
On 27th February 2013
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
paulof horsham left this review about The Green Dragon
I was a regular visitor to The Hogshead in my Croydon days and, to me, the Green Dragon seems little different. It was always a busy beer pub with a good buzz and that seems to be the case still. On my recent visit, 5 of the 6 pumps were in action, along with one of the back-of-bar stillages. Commendably, all were conforming to a Locale policy, with Hogs Back and Dark Star both featuring twice. I didn't spend so much time surveying the lagers, but did note a tap for Kozel, which is a bit left-field. Prices were keen too: my pint cost just £2.95.
The one negative note was that staffing seemed to be limited to a sole barman, who also had to take food orders, serve the meals and clear glasses as well (maybe that's how they keep the prices down!). Not to worry, though, service at the bar was still swift and efficient and the fella kept a good sense of humour, despite the pressure.
One for me to return to, I'd say.
On 6th February 2013
- rating: 8
[User has posted 453 recommendations about 425 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Green Dragon
ORIGINAL REVIEW March 2011
The USP of this pub was always the wide variety of well kept ales ,and I have used this place regularly over the years for that reason.Friends had mentioned variable beer quality of late and I decided to check this out on a busy Saturday early evening.Only four of the six handpumps were dispensing,with Westerham Freedom ale and Weizen Up,a real cider an a low strength porter on offer while there was still Hogs Back TEA and HBB on stillage.The Weizen Up was thin ,but as an occasional brew maybe the brewer just hadn't got it right,but the TEA was badly out of condition.Unusually there were no Dark Star beers,normally regulars,leading to question whether they weren't being supplied by this award winning brewery or had just planned badly for the last day of the six nations.
The other change was the bar service,not always slick in the past but now frustratingly poor with the bar often devoid of staff,while some were more interested in joshing with each other than serving.One member of the team focussed exclusively on blowing up balloons for a party area while another spent a lot of time deciding which sounds to blare out on the PA.
The pub layout and interior is unchanged,there is a lot of free entertainment up stairs .It was busy and popular with a younger age group.
I pray that this was a one off bad day,but given the confirmation of negative issues raised by others, I will need a lot of convincing to be tempted over the threshold again.
UPDATE
Thought I would give the pub another go after some positive reviews and glad to report that there has been a great improvement on the ale front.All those sampled were in good nick anmd the range still has Dark Star Hophead as a regular and rotating guests often from local microbrewers.On my trip there was a choice of five ales and a real cider on handpump,with the Dorking Chocolate Oatmeal Stout (£3.15) the pick.The stillage options seem to have disappeared,no great loss in my humble opinion.The food has also improved quite a few notches,and the burgers did look very succulent with a decent slab of meat.The upstairs music venue is another noteworthy positive ,although there does seem to be less seating these days on the ground floor which can mean you may have to drink vertically longer than you really want.
Back on form,I will be using this pub more regularly in future.
On 22nd December 2012
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]