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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat on the Pub Forum

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Submitted on Sunday, 2^nd March 2025
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Claret & Ale, Addiscombe, Croydon

5 Bingham Corner, Lower Addiscombe Road
Croydon
CR0 7AA

Phone: 02086567452

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Addiscombe

Reviews of Claret & Ale (Average Rating: 8 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

paulof horsham left this review about Claret & Ale

The tables are packed in here, and most are taken, though I helped myself to a table marked "reserved", fortunately with the time also noted and I was in and out before it kicked in.

A solid range of ales is available across the 6 pumps, and a fine cross-section of the local community were in the house, none of whom seemed to be interested in the A-League football showing on the TVs. I can imagine it getting fairly raucous when the Premier League is on. Avoid those times and you've got yourself a nice little local here, albeit one that may well be pretty full.

On 15^th March 2025 - rating: 7
[User has posted 554 recommendations about 516 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Rex Rattus left this review about Claret & Ale

This one has been on my list for some while, and I managed to get here the other day. The ale selection was as good as I had expected, with Palmer’s IPA; Hogsback TEA; Timothy Taylor Landlord; Waggledance; Darkstar Sunburst; and Bingham’s Twyford Tipple (£1.70 a half) all on. There was no sign of food at 11.45 on a weekday.

It’s clearly a shop conversion high street bar. All furnishings are good quality normal tables and chairs, with a generally brewers’ rustic interior comprising black beams everywhere with rough lathed ceilings and walls. TVs are on the walls, plus CAMRA and other pub awards proudly displayed.

This is a simple bar, but the ale choices, at reasonable prices, certainly make it stand out from the pub conversion crowd. It’s certainly worth a visit if you’re in Addiscombe for any reason.

On 22^nd July 2017 - rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Pub SignMan left this review about Claret Free House

This small, shop-converted pub is one of Croydon's must-visit, real ale venues. Located just behind Addiscombe tram stop, you'd be forgiven for not spotting the place at first glance as it melts into the surrounding shops, the only give away being a few tell-tale smokers out on the pavement.
Inside is a small, single room with the bar along the left hand wall and two rows of tables along the right side. There are plenty of fake beams and the walls are adorned with a mixture of breweriana and old photos of Croydon landmarks such as Croydon Airport and the Swan and Sugarloaf pub. A large TV on the rear wall tends to show sport most of the time, with cricket in particular seeming to be popular with the locals.
There are six pumps which dispense an ever rotating selection of ales. They always have something from Palmers available and a blackboard opposite the bar lists current and upcoming beers in a cunning ploy to make you want to come back and sample more. On a recent visit I tried the Ascot Alligator and Red Squirrel West Coast Stout, both in top condition and the latter in particular being a very tasty pint. The real star of the show is the Palmers though which I always find myself returning to at some point. Prices are around the £2.60 mark for most pints, which is of course, great value. The staff are generally friendly and they seem to know their stuff when it comes to ales.
The downsides are that it can feel a bit cliquey at times, perhaps due to the loyal band of locals. It also gets very hot in here in the summer with the air-con seemingly not working and the heat can sometimes cause problems with the condition of the beers which are stored in a back room rather than a conventional cellar.
A good pub all told and no serious visit to Croydon would be complete without a tram ride out here, perhaps as a double header with the Cricketers.

On 21^st January 2012 - rating: 8
[User has posted 3350 recommendations about 3350 pubs]

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