The Oval Tavern, Addiscombe, Croydon

The interior is one large opened out single room with the bar along a side wall. Carpeted, there is plenty of dark wood including a beamed ceiling, one end is slightly raised with a wooden balustrade around and bottles and jugs on a high shelf. The pool table is pretty much central in the room and there is a dartboard which clearly is well used. The general feel of the interior is rather dated, and it reminds me to a certain extent of the style of some pubs I used in my formative drinking days in the early '80s. Live music and open mic nights are advertised, with live blues being on the menu on Thursday and Sunday evenings. There is a Tv, over the centre fireplace, which was showing Wimbledon tennis on mute while a Billy Joel CD played. Seating is traditional in style, tables in 2s and 4s plus a couple of pew benches. The tea light candles on the tables seemed totally incongruous to the rest of the pub style. Four handpumps, just the two on, serving Ringwood Best (£3.00) and Doom Bar. A very friendly and chatty welcome from the barmaid, so much so that I wondered if she knew me from somewhere, but I guess she was just glad of someone to talk to on a very quiet Tuesday rainy afternoon. As said, quiet today but I imagine the pub has plenty of atmosphere on a live music night. I rather liked the place and hope it gets due support.

Randomness Guide to London - Oval Tavern entry

Randomness Guide to London - Oval Tavern entry

Official site of the Oval Tavern, including gig list - ovaltavern.co.uk

Official site of the Oval Tavern, including gig list - ovaltavern.co.uk