The White Hart, Coulsdon

This is a very smart, rural Brunning and Price pub, hidden away in the green belt just south of the Borough of Croydon. The pub has a roughly L-shaped layout, with the main bar area accessed directly from the front entrance and two dining areas off in either direction from there, one of which sports an attractive vaulted ceiling. The bar has a decent traditional dark wood counter with a modern looking bar back, and runs through a number of notionally separate areas, broken up along its length by structural pillars and bits of former partitioning wall. Seating is mostly around the perimeter and predominantly in the form of tables and chairs, which make all parts of the pub ideal for dining, although drinkers seem to be able to mix in happily, even during a busy lunch service. The dining spaces are quite brightly decorated, making them feel like light and airy places, enhanced by pleasant fireplaces, which I suspect don’t actually get all that much use. There’s a sizeable garden area outside with good quality garden furniture, patio heaters and a fair bit of greenery. The pub was doing a roaring trade on our Bank Holiday Monday afternoon visit, and when something went wrong in the kitchen, causing delays to everyone’s meals, the staff were quick to apologise and kept us all informed, which felt like good customer service. There were no less than five ales on the bar, all of which were in good nick from those we managed to sample. Options included Twickenham Spring Ale and Daisy Cutter plus Dorking DB1 and a couple of others I failed to note down. The staff were all very friendly and the food was excellent and well worth the wait. As far a food-led pubs go, things probably don’t get a whole lot better than this, or at least certainly not in the green belt around South London. I thought this place was really friendly and welcoming, with interesting, well-kept beer, comfortable, smartly presented surrounds and a nice beer garden. It’s not all that easy to get to, certainly not by public transport, but it’s now my go-to pub to take friends who are staying with us to if they want to get out of the city. Date of visit – 8th May 2023

Official site of The White Hart - www.brunningandprice.co.uk

Official site of The White Hart - www.brunningandprice.co.uk