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Whelans, South Croydon
South Croydon
CR2 6PW
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about Whelans
under new management and had a £400,000 refurbishment
On 24th August 2018
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Baskerville
This place reopened last year after standing empty for several years following the demise of its previous incarnation as a sports bar called The Folly. The South End restaurant quarter has had a bit of investment in recent years, which has perhaps led to the resurrection of this place as a food-led pub. Gone are all of the pool tables, dartboards and TV screens, and in has come a rather sterile, characterless gastro-look. The front section is a mix of bare boards and fake tile flooring, with formally set tables down the left hand wall and unset tables down the right, with a gaping empty space between. The walls are painted in boring neutral shades with the odd local photo to break the space and there are exposed brick pillars here and there. A step leads up to the servery which runs down the right hand side. The counter has a nice rustic effect, whilst opposite there is a small raised lounge area with carpet, sofas and access to the side patio. Sections of bare brick wall screen the rear dining area from the rest of the pub. This looked like the dullest area of all, with rows of laid dining tables and bored waiting staff hopeful of getting their first customer of the day. Plain mirrors and various promotional material makes up the remainder of the visual distraction and 90's pop music playing through the sound system did little to enhance the mood.
An improvement at the bar sees three ales available - Morland Old Speckled Hen, Adnams Southwold Bitter and a house beer called Baskerville Ale, apparently brewed by Caledonian. The latter was £3.60 for a pint and turned out to be an easy drinking, if rather unremarkable, session bitter. Food is available with main meals clocking in around £9 on the rather unadventurous menu. Cocktails at £6.95 represent better value than those in the bespoke cocktail bars up the road, although I can't comment on the quality.
All told, this is an improvement on the pub's former self, but I left thinking that so much more could have been done here. The pub screams 'mediocrity' and this effect wasn't helped by the fact it was virtually empty on a sunny post-work late-afternoon visit. I'd hoped this would be a venue worth heading to south Croydon for, but sadly the area continues to struggle for a pub that merits more than a flying visit.
Reviewed as The Folly March 2010. Rated - 3.
Surprisingly large split-level free house situated a short walk from South Croydon train station.
The entrance takes you into a large open area with a pool table and dartboard, plenty of seating and access to a smoking patio. The bar is at the rear of this section and runs up the stairs into the rear part of the pub - a lighter and seemingly more popular area, with another pool table and some tatty sofas around an unused fireplace.
There were plenty of standard and premium lagers available, but just Pedigree on one of two hand pumps. The pint I had was pretty grim - I don't think it's their biggest seller.
There was a football game showing on Sky when I entered, which you could view from one of approximately ten screens ranging from small TV sets to a full sized projector. This appeared to be a draw for the pubs customers as pretty much everyone in there was watching the game - most of them enjoying a screen all to themselves.
There were also numerous posters throughout the pub advertising live music on Friday nights and a mini-festival over the Easter holidays.
Not a place I'd come back to, but seemingly a good destination pub if you want to watch some footy with a big group.
On 21st July 2016
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]