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Detail Pages
The Orchard, Addiscombe, Croydon
Croydon
CR0 6BA
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Orchard
Traditional sort of boozer, with a bit of an Irish feel but no real evidence to support this suggestion. Retains two separate bars, with the larger and busier of which itself having been partially opened-out from a couple of rooms at some stage. Plainly but tidily furnished and decorated, with a limited menu of cheap food options. Just Doom Bar (£3.55) from the various handpumps.
On 21st April 2018
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Orchard
This is another re-visit. They did have on Doom Bar (£2 a half as I recall) but it was undrinkable. I guess this another pub that’s done a deal to stock this beer, but my guess is that they don’t sell enough to keep the quality up to scratch. The warm weather won’t help either. They do food weekday lunchtimes; the menu’s fairly basic (nothing wrong with that), and I had an excellent ham sandwich for £3.05.
You enter the pub into a small vestibule – the door on the left takes you into a room now called the Sports Bar (it has a dartboard and pool table), but was probably at one time the public bar. The door to the right takes you into what must have been the Saloon Bar. Unfortunately it was closed during my midweek lunchtime visit, but it looked just a bit more salubrious that the Sports Bar. Looking through the glass in the door I couldn’t spot the brewery mirrors that used to be this pubs most outstanding feature.
This is a basic locals’ pub by the look of it. Don’t go here for the beer; but if you fancy a decent sandwich then this place does the trick.
On 22nd July 2017
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Orchard
The Orchard consists of two bars with a pool table, dartboard and seating in the one to the left of the entrance. The right hand side is thin but larger with a bar that runs up the left hand wall. Standard draught is available and during my recent Thursday afternoon visit one hand pump was unused leaving Sharp’s Doom Bar as the only cask option. Food is available from midday until 21:00 during the week, 20:00 on Saturdays and 19:00 on Sundays when roast dinner is available. Children are permitted during the day.
The plasma screen was airing muted horse racing and there was some background music playing to the largely Irish contingent that lined the bar. Live football is shown via Sky Sports and there is Karaoke every Sunday from 18:00 until 21:00.
Out the back is a covered decked area that backs onto a tarmacked area that houses some picnic tables. This outside space used to be the car park so there is no longer any dedicated parking space.
I’d consider popping back in for another pint if passing, but I wouldn’t go out of my way.
On 19th April 2015
- rating: 5
[User has posted 5249 recommendations about 5217 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Orchard
This pub looks pretty good from the outside with its classic brewer’s Tudor facade, but the mass of adverts on the front of the building detract from the overall appearance. Inside it still retains its two room format, with public and saloon bars reached via separate doorways leading from a small entranceway vestibule. I spent my visit in the saloon bar, and this room is carpeted, with mainly banquettes and normal tables and chairs, with a couple of tall pedestal tables and tall stools, and of course tall stools ranged down the long bar counter. The firplace is still there on the right, but it’s now lost a number of its tiles so looks nowhere near as good as it should. The Charringtom mirrors – there are three of them – are the most impressive feature, with old country scenes depicted in their centres. The two behind the bar still look good, but the one just inside the doorway is unfortunately plastered with, and thus obscured by, posters and adverts. The loud pop music didn’t do much for me either, especially as I was the only customer in.
The public bar is more basically furnished, and contains a pool table. There’s a beer garden behind the building. There was still one real ale available – Doom Bar, at £1.65 a half, on my visit – and food was advertised during my Friday lunchtime visit. A small board on the bar counter advertised specials of chicken curry & rice or Irish stew for £5.95, but unfortunately I was in too early for the chef to be available.
Although this pub remains largely unspoilt, and retains some interesting features in the mirrors, it doesn’t really have enough going for it to warrant a special visit. But if the local regulars appreciate it the way it is, then all power to them.
On 30th December 2011
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Orchard
This large two room traditional pub in Addiscombe looks quite imposing from the outside, but a peak through the door reveals a lovely, relatively unspoiled interior. A grand fire place catches the eye upon entering, but it is the mirrors behind the bar that steal the show. The place is fairly clean, although one room is now dominated by a pool table which diminishes its appeal.
Blackboards outside (there are blackboards everywhere in this place) proclaim a 'fine selection of real ales', but the reality was six hand pumps, only two of which were on, both serving an admittedly nice pint of Wells Bombardier at an excessive £3.10.
The pub seems to rely heavily on its small band of locals and the atmosphere was pretty glum, with a few propping up the bar whilst others remained glued to the racing on the TV. A beer garden can be found out the back and food is heavily promoted, with a decent looking pub menu including Sunday Roasts for £6.50.
Worth a look for the interior alone, but it would benefit from making better use of its redundant hand pumps and maybe trying to encourage a wider customer base to cheer the place up a bit.
On 13th May 2010
- rating: 4
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]