Randall Tavern, Croydon

This is another bogstandard 60s estate pub. The 60s were certainly not a golden age of pub building. But unlike the nearby Man on the Moon it does not retain its original structure as it's been completely opened up. This one has a pool table at the back, a pair of dartboards on a wall tastefully decorated in Crystal Palace FC colours, TVs of course, and some outside seating at the back and front. It's carpeted, and furnished with standard tables and chairs. There was no sign of any food, but I was encouraged by the sight of a single handpump bearing a Theakston's XB clip. Half expecting it to be for decorative purposes only, I tentatively asked for a half, and was rewarded with a very well kept beer at £1.70 a half. A chalkboard above the counter claims that the pub has the best cask ale in Addington. That's probably true, but as was the case when the previous reviewer visited, there doesn't seem to be much competition for that accolade. This is a basic estate pub, with several of the customers seemingly having only a single adjective in their vocabulary. The Theakston's XB was good, but nonetheless I'm unlikely to return.

Randomness Guide to London - Randall Tavern entry

Randomness Guide to London - Randall Tavern entry

New Addington is a large and unattractive 1960's estate, stuck on the top of a hill in an isolated part of the Borough of Croydon. Anyone visiting will find their choice of drinking establishments limited to just the two pubs (there are a couple of social clubs as well), which, on an estate of over 21,000 people, seems to offer a rather poor ratio. The Randall Tavern is a typical estate pub in many ways. The building is fairly uninspiring, with a very broad, L-shaped interior painted in light green and yellow with old, faded carpeting throughout. The dark wood servery is fairly pleasant, but there isn't too much else to inspire. Standard tables and chairs fill the wide space opposite the bar and at the rear of the pub the room opens out a little, allowing space for a pool table, dart board and some banquette seating. Two TV screens were both showing muted boxing and I spotted a projector screen which wasn't in use during my stay, although a rather loud juke box made up for this. There were loads of slot machines as well and even an ATM, which may prove handy as I'm not sure where the nearest bank cash point is. There is a fair bit of outdoor seating as well, with a patio to the rear and a few picnic benches out the front, although the view isn't much to write home about. I also noticed that the pub has a function room which can be hired out. The servery displayed a sign claiming that the pub serves "the best cask ale in Addington", which given the lack of competition, doesn't seem like that much of a boast. Courage Best was the only ale on offer however, and sadly I didn't spot the sign until after I ordered, so I was unable to test their claim. My Guinness was certainly passable though. I thought this was a fairly welcoming place and exactly the sort of pub that I expected to find in this part of the world. Having said that, it doesn't really have any outstanding features and certainly wouldn't merit a trip specifically to see it. I'll be leaving this place to its locals in the future.