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Detail Pages
The Green Dragon, Croydon
Croydon
CR0 1NA
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Green Dragon
ORIGINAL REVIEW March 2011
The USP of this pub was always the wide variety of well kept ales ,and I have used this place regularly over the years for that reason.Friends had mentioned variable beer quality of late and I decided to check this out on a busy Saturday early evening.Only four of the six handpumps were dispensing,with Westerham Freedom ale and Weizen Up,a real cider an a low strength porter on offer while there was still Hogs Back TEA and HBB on stillage.The Weizen Up was thin ,but as an occasional brew maybe the brewer just hadn't got it right,but the TEA was badly out of condition.Unusually there were no Dark Star beers,normally regulars,leading to question whether they weren't being supplied by this award winning brewery or had just planned badly for the last day of the six nations.
The other change was the bar service,not always slick in the past but now frustratingly poor with the bar often devoid of staff,while some were more interested in joshing with each other than serving.One member of the team focussed exclusively on blowing up balloons for a party area while another spent a lot of time deciding which sounds to blare out on the PA.
The pub layout and interior is unchanged,there is a lot of free entertainment up stairs .It was busy and popular with a younger age group.
I pray that this was a one off bad day,but given the confirmation of negative issues raised by others, I will need a lot of convincing to be tempted over the threshold again.
UPDATE
Thought I would give the pub another go after some positive reviews and glad to report that there has been a great improvement on the ale front.All those sampled were in good nick anmd the range still has Dark Star Hophead as a regular and rotating guests often from local microbrewers.On my trip there was a choice of five ales and a real cider on handpump,with the Dorking Chocolate Oatmeal Stout (£3.15) the pick.The stillage options seem to have disappeared,no great loss in my humble opinion.The food has also improved quite a few notches,and the burgers did look very succulent with a decent slab of meat.The upstairs music venue is another noteworthy positive ,although there does seem to be less seating these days on the ground floor which can mean you may have to drink vertically longer than you really want.
Back on form,I will be using this pub more regularly in future.
On 22nd December 2012
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2936 recommendations about 2936 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Green Dragon
Since my original review below, this place went through a bit of a beer quality crisis, but several visits in recent weeks have seen the ale back on top form. I'd agree with previous reviewers who've mentioned that the staff aren't always the most attentive, but on the whole this is probably still the best pub in Croydon. You'll normally find Dark Star and Hog's Back well represented at the bar, with Westerham and Blue Monkey also popular. Beer festivals have recently been put on to coincide with Wetherspoons' festivals, with a similar number of beers available over the same time period.
Feb 2010
Quite simply, this is the best pub in Croydon. The owners have shown some great initiative and originality in the way they run the place, which has forced a number of other Central Croydon pubs to up their game in order to compete.
The ales are always in top condition and there's a good rotation to ensure that there's always something new to try. Hophead and Bombardier seem to be permanent fixtures.
An upstairs room caters for live music, club nights, stand-up comedy, poetry, dance lessons and private functions. Large screen show live sports and there are a couple of pool tables as well as plenty of board games and a book swap.
The food is simple, but value for money and the staff are all very friendly and eager to please.
It's hard to put it all into words, but there is so much going on at this place, there's bound to be something to keep you entertained.
On 20th January 2012
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3350 recommendations about 3350 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Blue left this review about The Green Dragon
Further to below review, I gave it another try recently and had decent pints of Triple fff Comfortably Numb, Beer Works’ Bipolar Bear, and Twickenham Winter Warmer. I hope they manage their beer quality consistently again now, though it would take more visits to establish that.
18th June 2011:
Came in here early Friday eve for the first time in ages. Pleased to see six ales on pump and two more on gravity. Less pleased to get a strangely insipid pint of Dark Star Hophead, followed by quite an unpleasant Hopping Mad Fruitcase. Looking around, not many people in there seemed to be drinking the ales. Something seems to have gone slightly wrong with this place, which has been excellent at times.
On 24th December 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 271 recommendations about 270 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
I L left this review about The Green Dragon
Been in here a few times in recent years. An ex Hogshead pub this place takes its current name from a long demolished pub that was nearby. On a Friday night this place is heaving and does take a while to get served. However on our recent Saturday late afternoon visit the place was pleasantly busy with spare tables and seats. All six handpumps were in use with two further ales being served straight from the cask. A number of these were from Dark Star Brewery with two more from Hopping Mad brewery. All the one we tried were in good condition.Certainly worth visiting at quieter times. They could do with a new dishwashing machine as the glasses are a bit marked.
On 11th June 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 287 recommendations about 284 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
very wellinformed left this review about The Green Dragon
Superb range of beers, mainly micro's, my Hogsback TEA was very good, so good i stayed too long AGAIN !
Have not eaten here yet but am reliably informed by m
On 30th November 2010
- rating: 10
[User has posted 30 recommendations about 19 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
steve lerpiniere left this review about The Green Dragon
This pub has everything a drinker could ask for. Camra pub of the year on merit. The food is very cheap ,good and plentiful.Four stars seems a bit mean !
On 30th September 2010
- rating: 1
[User has posted 3 recommendations about 3 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john mcgraw left this review about The Green Dragon
A good pub for real ale with 6 on handpump and 2 on gravity.Unfortunately my pint of Hophead was way below standard but looking at other reviews this is not the norm.Will give it another go.
On 9th June 2010
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Green Dragon
Very large open plan space, high ceilings and large windows to each street frontage. Stairs lead to an upper level (not visited). Big on sports it seems, very busy and boisterous this afternoon with rugby fans watching SA v The Lions. There are a couple of pool tables in the far corner.
The size, layout and ambience were not really to my taste, but the beer range is it must be said, first rate. On stillage behind the bar are Hogs Back TEA and Hop, then on handpump were Atlas Wayfarer (a golden very bitter ale), Westerham Freedom Ale, Sharps Honey Spice, White Horse Giant, and Boxing Dog Cider. One pump was unused. No mainstreams and the clips on the end wall indicate an excellent rotation policy.
On 20th June 2009
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1710 recommendations about 1683 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Clive Thompson left this review about The Green Dragon
Not much to look at from the outside but don't let that put you off. It's got most things that you'd want in a pub, attentive and plentiful staff, a good traditional and well-priced menu, plenty of TV screens for sport, pool tables, board games and even a book swap club. There's music most nights, often live. Of the six handpumps all were on and only one of the beers, Bombardier, I would consider as mainstream, perhaps also the Hophead given the neck of the woods. Well deserved of it's Cask Marque accreditation. I think I'd do a lot of drinking in here if I lived in Croydon.
On 10th May 2009
- rating: 9
[User has posted 780 recommendations about 697 pubs]