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Detail Pages
Turtle Bay, Croydon
Croydon
CR0 1GT
Served areas
Reviews of Turtle Bay (Average Rating: 2½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Turtle Bay
As Croydon Council and the local police continue to wreck havoc on the town's late night drinking scene, a few of their former casualties are starting to reopen in restaurant form. Such is the case with this place - formerly a dreadful fleshpot known as Tiger Tiger, but now a chain Caribbean street food restaurant called Turtle Bay. The place is set up mainly for diners but there is a proper bar and a small area set aside for drinkers and their collection of different rums and extensive cocktail menu means that it is a relatively popular spot, albeit one that doesn't fill the late-night venue vacuum. Only part of the vast Tiger Tiger complex has been utilised by this venture which seems to comprise the former ground floor bar, with the old back room now home to the kitchen. You enter almost directly to the bar area, with a pleasant island servery surrounded by plenty of stools servicing a small seating area in the front left corner under a large mural of a woman sporting an impressive afro. This is the only real spot for drinkers to utilise, with the rest of the spacious room set-up for food service. Standard tables and a few curved banquettes fill much of the room which has a few more murals on display, a number of large rum mirrors and a few cages full of rum bottles. Lights have been made from oil drums split length-ways, which looks quite good and there is a raised kitchen along the back wall, allowing you to watch the cooks in action. We found the food to be pretty tasty and reasonably priced, whilst the service was prompt and friendly.
No surprises at the bar, as there is only the one draught beer - inevitably Red Stripe lager - and no ale. However, there are a couple of bottled beers including something called Caribbean Pale Ale which turned out to be brewed by Beerd Brewery of Bristol and was actually a good accompaniment for the spicy food served here. The focus on cocktails mean that service at the bar can be painfully slow as bar staff unsurprisingly need more time to prepare such concoctions.
This is very much a restaurant first and foremost and has limited appeal as a bar. Plus points are the tasty food, friendly staff and reopening of a Central Croydon venue, but unless cocktails are your thing, it's unlikely to hold a great deal of appeal for the passing drinker.
Review as Tiger Tiger - 19th January 2010
I'm not sure I can find a single redeeming feature about this place. Location of choice for my misguided work mates' leaving do's/ birthday parties, I've been in here far too often for my liking and leave each time hating it a little more than before.
It's a classic example of the British 'drinking barn', replete with poor quality lagers, excessive prices and those odd blokes who stand in the loos trying to flog bootlegged perfumes. There is a restaurant section at the rear and a large upstairs night-club with two or three different rooms, all playing terrible music.
I guess the role of this place is to keep Croydon's worst out of the decent pubs and in one place. Which is fine by me as long as my colleagues can learn to give the place a wide berth.
On 12th May 2017
- rating: 3
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about Tiger Tiger
There were a few people standing around the bar of Tiger Tiger when I visited early on Wednesday evening. Some chilled music was playing that I actually found quite good and the cavernous club like interior was clean. There is some seating on the High Street out the front for smokers.
The young lady that served me looked the part with her moody ‘I’m in charge attitude’ and headphone-microphone combo. Unfortunately she was unable to pour a half of Becks Vier as it was ‘too lively’ and she poured my second choice Guinness in one go leaving a huge head. I was then given my change on a silver tray with no hint of gracious comment. It is a fact that next time I walk past this place I will utter the words ‘feck off’ under my breath.
I will not be returning.
On 13th February 2015
- rating: 2
[User has posted 5228 recommendations about 5196 pubs]
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- Official site of Turtle Bay Croydon - www.turtlebay.co.uk
- CAMRA WhatPub :: Turtle Bay - whatpub.com
West Croydon, 0.55 miles, 10 min walk (show)
South Croydon, 0.94 miles, 18 min walk (show)
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 26 September 2013 by Pub SignMan
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 26 September 2013 by Pub SignMan
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 26 September 2013 by Pub SignMan
- Beer Garden : No last updated 26 September 2013 by Pub SignMan
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 26 September 2013 by Pub SignMan
- Car Park : No last updated 26 September 2013 by Pub SignMan
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 12 May 2017 by Pub SignMan
- Darts : No last updated 26 September 2013 by Pub SignMan
- Dog Friendly : No last updated 12 May 2017 by Pub SignMan
- Function Room : No last updated 12 May 2017 by Pub SignMan
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 26 September 2013 by Pub SignMan
- Jukebox : No last updated 26 September 2013 by Pub SignMan
- Karaoke : No last updated 12 May 2017 by Pub SignMan
- Live Music : No last updated 12 May 2017 by Pub SignMan
- Micropub : No last updated 21 June 2015 by Pub SignMan
- Pinball : No last updated 26 September 2013 by Pub SignMan
- Pool Table : No last updated 26 September 2013 by Pub SignMan
- Quiz Night : No last updated 12 May 2017 by Pub SignMan
- Real Ale : No last updated 26 September 2013 by Pub SignMan
- Real Cider : No last updated 26 September 2013 by Pub SignMan
- WiFi : Yes last updated 12 May 2017 by Pub SignMan
