The Royal Standard, Croydon

I do like a decent Fuller’s pub and on a recent visit to Croydon the Royal Standard certainly didn’t disappoint. Overlooked by the Croydon Flyover and opposite a multi-storey car park the location leaves a lot to be desired. The picnic table lined beer garden is located directly underneath the flyover so it wouldn’t be a place I would head to for some alfresco drinking on a hot summers afternoon. Thankfully it is easy to forget where one is once inside this unspoilt backstreet boozer. The interior consists of a narrow front bar that I can imagine getting very cosy when the pub is busy. To the right of the bar a dartboard has been shoehorned in and there is also a large plasma screen. I noted that Six Nations rugby was advertised, but I didn’t spot any advertisements for live sports shown via satellite channels. At the rear of the pub there is some seating and around the back of the bar is a small separate room. The bar is stocked with standard draught and the four hand pumps were drawing London Pride, Chiswick, ESB and HSB. I didn’t see any food advertised but there were some premade rolls on the bar. There was only one other customer present during my recent Wednesday afternoon visit so it was very quiet; especially due to the lack of background music. No complaint from me though and I would have no problem returning for another couple of pints.

One of Fullers estate pubs. Small, friendly and community focussed. Full range of Fullers beers including HSB. £3:50 a pint. Filled rolls on the bar at a reasonable £1:50.

Visited in May 2010 The Royal Standard is a splendidly unspoilt traditional Fullers pub situated on a street corner just off the main High Street It's a small basic unpretentious locals pub with two adjoining bars - a basic public bar with a dartboard and stools around the walls and bar and a more comfortable and slightly larger lounge bar. The pub is virtually unchanged from my first visit in the 1970's, apart from the lounge bar having been slightly extended at the back. Unusually, there's an outside drinking area across the road virtually under the flyover and which affords superb views of a large 1960's multi storey car park. On my May Bank Holiday Monday visit, unbeknown to me in advance, a beer festival which had started on the previous Saturday was still in progress and there were still 8 barrels on stillage in the lounge bar. A promotional leaflet listed a total of 10 beers on offer during the festival - which included Skinners Betty Stoggs, Wadworths Henry's IPA, Robinsons 4-4-2, Brains On The Head, plus 3 beers from the local Westerham Brewery. Martin told me that this was the 3rd festival the pub had held and that more would follow later in the year. Situated not far away from The Dog and Bull, on which I have just posted, this is a pub that really should be included in any Croydon pub crawl.

Randomness Guide to London - Royal Standard entry

Randomness Guide to London - Royal Standard entry