The Odd Shoe, Croydon

I forgot to say it closes at 10, sometimes 11 so not really a "night out" venue, and a little out of the way from the rest of the pubs/nightlife although there is a club called Bad Apple opposite which is half decent and seems to cater for a more discerning crowd.

As some of the other reviews pointed out, this isn't the most attractive looking...set in an old concrete block which is in dire need of either demolishing or seriously revamping. Obviously the location cant be helped and there has been some effort to make the place look appealing, but even inside the pub does lack a certain charm or character. There is a pool table and a nod to the alternative scene here and there with the odd quirky picture, but it seems unconvincing and a little empty, or soulless. Worth checking out if waiting at one of the many bus stops outside in this grey and neglected part of Croydon, because its certainly better than standing outside, but I honestly wouldn't go here again and don't think its worth seeking out. No food served.

Located in one of the least attractive parts of southern England, you have to make an effort to find the Odd Shoe even though it is only a minute from some of Croydon's main thoroughfares. However, the new paintwork does start to catch the eye as you approach. Once inside the rectangular bar, you find a slightly odd layout with approximately half of the floor area (including the pool table, which seems to be the main draw for the few other customers in when I visited) located up one step. Light decor, with bit of a gay / goth theme - not overt - and a few good songs on the sound system. Not much good beer-wise, with one disused handpump, but at least bottled Bishop's Finger was available from the fridge (£2.80).

This is Croydon's newest pub, although you wouldn't necessarily know it thanks to its location in one of the town's bleaker forays into the world of architecture. The street corner site is part of the grim St Georges Walk area, which has been left to rot over recent years with a view to demolishing it and replacing it with another shopping centre. However, these plans have ground to a halt and now shops and bars are reopening, with the Odd Shoe being the latest in line. For those who remember more prosperous times in St George's Walk, this place may be better known to you as the Rat and Parrott, The Croydon or Windy City. The pub has a very simple single room interior with a few pillars and rails used to create arbitrary divisions and break up what is otherwise quite a plain layout. The floor is wooden, with a smaller carpeted area towards the rear and there is plenty of standard seating throughout. When you enter you are immediately confronted by a pool table, which is prominently positioned at the front, near the windows and folding screen doors. The walls are lined with a number of unusual art prints, which, combined with the rock music soundtrack, seem to hint at an attempt to cater for the alternative crowd. On my lunchtime visit, there was one small group playing pool, but otherwise the place was empty and the friendly barmaid looked a bit bored and unsure what to do, in sharp contrast to last month when they were busy defending their newly opened premises from the Croydon rioters. There was one handpump on the bar which had a turned Tetley’s Cask clip on it. The next best option was Tetley's Smoothflow (£3.10) which was on alongside some usual lager suspects. I guess it's early days yet, but I'd like to think they will shift enough ale to keep the handpump in regular use. Food isn't available as yet, but they will let you bring your own lunch with you to enjoy with your pint. I quite liked the feel of this place, despite the frustration of having no decent beer, and it's good to see a young couple doing their bit to regenerate this part of town. It might not be the most attractive place but I suspect it will attract people from the nearby offices or those looking for a bit of nostalgia and, whilst not the finished article, I will be keeping an eye on the place to see how the beer situation develops.