Stag & Hounds, South Croydon

Reasonably sized, boxy locals pub situated in South Croydon's restaurant district, just a short stroll from the train station. The place was packed when I went in to catch the first half of the FA Cup Final and the lively, predominantly male, crowd seemed to be in good humour. The interior is fairly dull and the place feels a little bit run down - a situation made worse by the unappealing aspect it presents as you approach the building from outside. The large, brick pillared island bar had a couple of hand pumps, but only London Pride (£3.00) on offer. I tried a pint and found it was kept well enough. Posters in the pub explain that upcoming England World Cup games will be ticket only and shown behind closed doors. This essentially sums the pub up - it's a good place for its sizeable band of locals and is clearly an important part of the community it serves, but it holds very little of interest to the casual drinker or passerby. I doubt I'll return, but it’s good to see this type of pub finding its niche and doing well from it.