The Clifton Arms, Selhurst, SE25

Facebook page of The Clifton Arms - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of The Clifton Arms - www.facebook.com

Street corner pub very close to Selhurst Park,on a match day it's Palace fans only and you will be asked to show your ticket by the bouncers.There is a central bar but the interior has been stripped out,just a few high tables although the smaller rear servery near the loos is a calm area.There is a large area out the front and a rear beer garden.Inside loud muzak,screens and handpumps on both serveries but only dispensing GK Abbot on my pre match visit,which maybe because of throughput was drinkable,NBSS 3. No reason to revisit.

Pleasant pub with some outside seating area out the front and out the back in the “paved” beer garden. Otherwise a bar facing you on entrance with a small number of tables dotted around the perimeter. Most of the seating seemed to be via quite attractive leather high chairs around the bar or high tables on part of the bar perimeter. Unlike yesterday afternoon I presume, no competition for vertical or seated drinking on my visit a bit before 8.30pm on a Monday evening. There are a few TV’s dotted around the bar showing Italian footy with no commentary on my visit with much less interesting music being played over than in the last venue. Four hand pulls with only one dispensing decent condition Proper Job. One was previously a GK IPA, but no clue otherwise of former or future offerings. Keg offering were mainly lager focussed other than Sharps Atlantic Pale Ale. Actually the most interesting tap for was Brooklyn Pilsner in terms of its sculptural elegance (doubt i would be describing its offering in similar flowery terms). Definitely an attractive pub but lack of more interesting beer choices holds it back.

This is the closest pub to Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park ground and therefore gets pretty hectic on match days. My recent visit saw just a couple of other customers enjoying a Friday afternoon pint whilst watching Dickenson’s Real Deals on the TV screen next to the bar. I many ways this is a typical football pub, with seating confined to the edges of the room, including some decent banquettes under the nice etched windows, but the majority of the space set up for vertical drinking. An area to the left of the servery is empty except for a row of chairs along the wall and has a nice stained glass skylight. There are a few obligatory Palace flags, photos and scarves, but it’s not too overwhelming. I didn’t spot signs of a beer garden, but there are a few benches out the front instead. There are four hand pumps, but only one was in action when I arrived, serving a decent drop of Brain’s SA. An unexpected row of pump clips on one of the beams next to the bar suggest that they have had some interesting ales on in the past, although how long ago that might have been is anyone’s guess. The barman was pretty gruff, perhaps because I disturbed him from supping on his pint whilst watching his antiques programme. This was better than expected and a decent option for a pre-match pint if the condition of my pint was anything to go by, but it’s by no means worth going out of your way to visit.