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The Bulls Head, Croydon
Croydon
CR0 1SX
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Bulls Head
Very much a locals pub nowadays with a more sedately painted exterior of plain white, very little mention of Crystal Palace at all inside apart from a small framed colured drawing of the pub in its former colours hanging on a wall. No real ale but the place was buzzing with custom. A pint of Guinness surficed for a short stay. I'm not likely to return but it was ok for a one off.
On 5th February 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1872 recommendations about 1845 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Bulls Head
As I walked down High Street looking for the old Half and Half bar I as usual glanced down each side street in case anything unknown to me pub-wise might be lurking. I really couldn't miss this one with its garish blue and red exterior, allegedly due to some bet between the landlord and a regular one of whom clearly being a Crystal Palace supporter.
Well the H&H had headed home to become some sort of night time cocktail venue so I retraced my steps and entered. A kind of reverse C-shape my notes say, maybe a D(?), the bar is central, old Charrington's banded windows, regular seating and a definite feel of a second home for regulars and their many children. The walls had a fair bit of CPFC memorabilia as well as Glasgow Rangers ( the bet perhaps....not dissimilar colours) and an England shirt. A corner contained a dartboard.
Four handpumps, only one on with Courage Best (£1.90) whatever that is nowadays, I chucked a quick half down.
"Interesting" toilets with perhaps the rustiest radiator I have ever seen. An experience but not one to deter others unduly to be fair.
On 10th November 2017
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Bulls Head
Garish Crystal Palace coloured exterior with quite a plain L shaped interior. 4 real ale taps 2 on.
On 27th October 2017
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Bulls Head
If I had of known that there were no up-to-date photos of the Bulls head I would have taken a picture of the now blue and red exterior. This newish paint job certainly makes this back street local stand out from the adjacent houses.
The interior is J shaped with a dartboard and a couple of plasma screens for showing live football. There is also a jukebox that was playing some low background music during my visit on Wednesday afternoon. The bar is stocked with standard draught and two of the five hand pumps were unused leaving Greene King IPA, Courage Best and Caledonian’s Over the Bar as the ale options. I didn’t notice any menus but there was a sign on the wall advertising the availability of traditional English and Jamaican food.
I found the guy behind the jump to be very friendly, but I think I’ll leave this place to the locals in future.
On 13th February 2015
- rating: 5
[User has posted 5249 recommendations about 5217 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Bulls Head
Looks and feels like a basic back-street boozer of the lager and footie variety, so it was something of a surprise to find five handpumps on the counter. Three of these were on, offering Greene King IPA, Hobgoblin and Doom Bar (£3.40, and in good condition). Plain furniture and decor in the 'L'-shaped bar, with further small seating areas at each end. Also has a few patio tables out front. Yes, it does have plenty of sports TVs, and some of the locals were a bit 'lively', but the landlord is a very welcoming chap.
On 1st February 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Bulls Head
This pub is well overdue a reappraisal. This is still a very basic back street boozer with large TV screens showing sports, slot machines and a popular dartboard, but the big change over the past couple of years has been the landlord’s commitment to promoting real ale in a pub whose customer base is mainly lager drinkers. Nowadays there are usually at least three ales available which will include an interesting guest or two. In recent months they have been the most reliable Croydon pub to find beers from the new Croydon based breweries Clarence and Fredericks and Cronx. The landlord is a really friendly guy, keen to talk about his beer and there is a fairly welcoming vibe to the pub on the whole.
This has gone from being an ‘also-ran’ to one of the more essential pubs on the Croydon circuit and I always look forward to a quick pint or two in here.
8th July 2009
This pub, plus the Royal Standard and Surrey Cricketers, comprises part of a triumvirate of local's boozers in this part of Croydon, all close to, but slightly off of, the main Brighton Road.
This place is quite welcoming and serves a decent pint of Courage Best, but doesn't offer much else for the ale drinker. TV's for sports are available and for such a small pub, there seems to be plenty of seating to go round.
Worth a look if you fancy a crawl round some of the less obvious pubs in the area, but not worth going out of your way for.
On 18th January 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Clive Thompson left this review about The Bulls Head
Old traditional rough and ready backstreet boozer, full of drunks getting drunker. Mainly a lager pub but my pint of Courage Best was OK. I suspect it serves it's regulars well but it has a fair amount of competition locally.
On 10th May 2009
- rating: 5
[User has posted 777 recommendations about 697 pubs]