The Tree House, South End, Croydon

Nice enough pub and nice decor and is currently in the middle of a major refit. Only 1 ale on which is Doom Bar. Nice enough drink but at £2 for a half is quite steep but would be a nice place to take the mrs for a meal

Official pages of the Tree House in Croydon - www.treehousepeople.com

Official pages of the Tree House in Croydon - www.treehousepeople.com

With its excellent location in the heart of South Croydon and its distinctive, eye-catching building, this pub already has a head start on most of its competitors in this part of town. It is thus a great shame that these assets are not capitalised upon. Having entered the bar, the eye is drawn first to the pleasing decor, enhanced by plenty of fairy lights, which create a nice mood in the small seating area between the bar and door. However, it becomes clear that the rest of the seating beyond the bar and in the adjoining room is set up for dining, with places set in anticipation. An inspection of the bar causes further concern. Several taps are visible, but none of them are labelled in any way. The barmaid confirms that there are two lagers and Guinness available, so I pick a lager, which tastes slightly off. Given the good weather I sat in the nice outdoor decked area behind the main dining room. This is quite a nice spot for a drink, despite the noise from the roads either side. A cursory look around the pub showed signs of neglect and I started to wonder if the mood lighting was a convenient way of 'papering over the cracks' so to speak. Essentially this is a restaurant with a small area for drinkers and I don't doubt that their food is fine, but as a pub it left me cold and disappointed. I'm sure there is a market for this sort of place (they have a nightclub upstairs as well), but drinkers would do well to explore some of the other venues nearby instead.