Claret & Ale in Croydon

If you like real ale, this is the pub for you. A constantly changing selection of beers from all over.

Great range of ales, in good condition at a good price. And good service .

Amazing ales, atmosphere and staff

A very good drinkers pub. Small but busy and a good atmosphere.

Great selection of ales at a very resonable price. We always have a great time here - lovely staff.

A delightful venue. Quite small but very friendly and accomating of my bike. Knowledgeable bar staff to talk through the beers on tap. Very reasonably priced. Great service. I would recommend a pit stop here.

This used to be a favourite pub, stocking Biddenden Dry cider. Now it has nothing better than Rosie's Pig. Plays muzac.

Great atmosphere great alcohol great company!

First vist and found a comfortable friendly bar with good helpful staff a good selection of ale had a good afternoon with friends will return.

Had a fun time celebrating my friend's birthday.

Great pub. Been a while since we have been here. Nice to come back again 😁

Just dropped in for a pint on a Monday PM. It was buzzing, quite interesting to see it so, when I never knew it was there. Quite the Gem in Addiscombe..

It’s normally fashionable to sit and have a drink, without unnecessary pathos.

Always a pleasure. Cracking little pub with consistently good quality of ales.

It's one of the best pubs in Croydon because of its amazing choice of brewed drinks and a cosy, little atmosphere!

Excellent choice of real ales at reasonable prices Did not eat, so I can not comment

Since the new ownership, this pub has improved drastically. In the past it was hard for me to find a pint of real ale that I liked, as they were all rather plain and similar bitters, but on recent occasions, they have had hoppy beers and even a good stout and a good smoked beer. There have also been some changes like a new floor, which has improved the appearance, but the new owner wisely kept the rest of it just as it is, so it still has the same atmosphere. The staff have always been helpful and the beer is always filled to the brim. The only thing I don't like are the TV screens, which now have their volume turned up, making conversation hard, but they were good enough to turn the volume off when I made a request after the football match finished and none of their customers were watching it any more.

A good old fashioned small british pub minus food, but they do have rocking pickled eggs! if I lived here, would be my goto pub.

Although food is not often available, except when th publican puts snacks out on a Sunday, the real ales are always in perfect condition. There's always a choice of around 6 real ales, served at perfect temperature. Nice atmosphere too.

It's a very nice pub and it's very clean and and good service

Old school pub, with a wide variety of ales stouts and lagers. Helpful and friendly staff. Good atmosphere of people chatting away. A pleasant experience.

Really great little pub with friendly staff and atmosphere. 😃👍

Proper traditional pub with a good selection of ales on pump. Really good atmosphere with friendly staff (who like a laugh). Just had Thatchers Haze added (which is my go to cider - Nice). Very reasonably priced - Will most definitely return. Doesn't serve food but tbh - you go there for the beer and atmosphere

Hadn't been there for many years but it hadn't changed, I'm sure many of the other customers where there on my last visit

Excellent top rated CAMRA pub, welcoming atmosphere. Decent selection of rotating local ales.

Proper pub. Good selection of ales - and all very well kept. Worth a trip out of your way to visit

More real ales than you could shake a stick at. Friendly staff

Always something interesting to drink, difficult to walk past without popping in.

Great beer good all round pub, that sell good ales it's the only place around to get a light and bitter Recommend it anytime Reg

The place has been tidied up over the last year or so by the new owner without losing the elements which made and make it such a good pub, it had been looking very tired. Winner of CAMRA's Croydon and Sutton branch Pub of the Year for 2017 in June and numerous times before. 2023 edit. Nothing has changed, in fact it seems like the geographical scope may have increased, the best pub I know of for miles around. There's always a selection of changing beers to choose from and in my experience a good selection of styles too from breweries across the country. If you're a beer lover and haven't been then why not, if you went once and was disappointed by the selection then try again a few days later and it will have changed.

Brilliant well kept real ales and friendly staff. Very welcoming atmosphere. Recommended.

A good selection of Real Ales on handpump & gravity, good prises. Good pub.

A very warm and cosy atmosphere and friendly locals and staff

Really nice local pub, friendly atmosphere and great staff.

A very friendly place to have a drink, but a bit too pricey.

Proper boozer full of old school British punters. Prices great and staff very friendly plus the decor is great. Show the sports too. £4.20 a fosters is great in today's climate Would be my local if I lived closer but I pop in occasionally on the way home from work.

Nice warm atmosphere. TVs showing sport. Good selection of drinks and snacks.

Great little pub with lots of different ales on offer. Had good range of nibbles too! Worth a visit definitely!

Good local, the heart of Addiscombe a fine selection of real ales, could do with a coffee machine though.

Amazing pub just like a local pub should be. Good beer good atmosphere friendly

A very nice local pub and very dog friendly

Certainly an "old man's (woman's)" boozer but never found it cliquey. A small venue with reasonable prices.

Little gem, fantastic beer, great service.five stars.

Great beer selection of real ales

A pleasant traditional one bar pub selling a range of beers and ciders at reasonable prices, including 6 real ales of varying strengths supplied by a number of breweries. The selection changes on a weekly basis. Service is friendly and efficient. There are 4 screens showing live sport, normally picture only as well as background music which is played at a level that does not intrude on conversation. Recommended👍

Always nice to go there, and it isn't far to go, will there tomorrow night.

A very nice, comfortable and welcoming pub with great service and a good selection of drinks. Worth several visits.

Excellent boozer. Fantastic crooner sat in the corner. Cheap, too.

First time here, but definitely not last! Loved the atmosphere and the staff were very friendly! 👍

A gorgeous little pub that featured the nest service and gentlemen singing for a special treat on a Friday evening. The cloudy cider is a must.

Excellent beer, friendly staff, first class venue.

Great place. Good beer, good chat. Friendly what more can you ask from a pub like this? Thanks to brother in law for letting us into the secret!

This is a typical English pub where they offer great variety beers. Very friendly guys work behind the bar. During my stay in Croydon, I loved coming here for a beer. If I'm ever around, I'll definitely stop.

This is my local. The beers are always good and well sourced and the prices are decent - £3.80 to £4.20 for a pint. There are usually 5 or 6 real Ales on and they are regularly rotated. It has won a lot of CAMRA awards. The staff are really friendly. There are a lot of long term locals that frequent this place, which is a testament to its character and longevity. The pub has 3 screens showing various sports and the bar staff are happy to put on a game or sporting event that you want to watch. Overall a terrific pub.

Good choice of beers this evening. Twickenham especially.

A home from home local, cosy, real ale pub with live sports! A lovely place to socialise and unwind (or get wound up) watching your favourite team/sport

Good range of well-kept beer. Very friendly service. We'll be back.

My wife and I had a great time watching our team The Mighty Quins. A friendly place, friendly atmosphere, friendly staff and locals. Great selection of ale and wine. Highly recommended. I thought I would update my review 6/03/22. Still has a friendly ambience, a good selection of ales and a claret to die for. Very accommodating as my wife uses a stick. Good mixture of clientele.

Basic pub, went at lunchtime and It seemed to be a blokes pub. TV screens with the volume turned down. Good selection of cask ales at reasonable prices.

Such an asset to the area. Wonderful well kept beer and lovely staff. Just wish they'd turn down the lighting a touch!

Nice pub, friendly atmosphere, good choice of real ales.

Friendly and well run pub that deserves top marks in all categories.

A very nice pub. With a lovely pint

More basic than the slightly poncey name would suggest. Much to my relief and delight!

Good place to stop.for a quick drink

Nice local bar. Friendly staff and warm welcome.

This is an excellent place for a drink in Addiscombe. Staff are brilliant. Real ales as well. Enjoy....

Really friendly staff and atmosphere

Just dropped in for a quick wine & beer - all good! Plenty of ales on tap - limited wine but the French one excellent! Local atmosphere and friendly staff - cheers!

Lovely staff. boss is a mixture of maître d'/wedding planner with regards to seating guests. All good! Maybe relax & smile. Decent prices. I thought/hoped the boss/owner was Irish but hey ho. Would recommend

Very cosy great service Great drinks and very polite staff.

Nice atmosphere it's a shame social distancing has ruined the usual buzz the pub has

Nice selection of beers and lagers

Amazing place to go to. Social distancing is very much adhered to aswell as mask wearing where needed to.my favourite local pub by far

Lovely pub with great staff, especially Elena. I hope to see this place open again, the pub owner done a great job renovating it.

My favourite pub in Croydon. By far the broadest choice of ales, all very well kept, with a core range including Palmers which I've not come across anywhere else. This is an old-fashioned community pub that has undergone a significant refresh since the new owner took over a few years ago. Friendly staff and locals. A good place to sit quietly on your own, have a chat with a stranger, or to watch the football. They also innovated during the pandemic by offering takeaway plastic bottles. Counting the days till Covid rules are relaxed enough to get back there.

Great pub,good range of drinks. lovely ambiance and well trained staff.

Fingers crossed this great local pub is able to survive and come back.

Best pub in Croydon. Booking essential. No riff ruff. Good beer

I've missed going to The Claret. Finally made it back and was delighted with how covid safe the pub is, and how seriously the bar staff are taking the current situation. You guys are amazing and thank you for putting so much effort in.

Friendly, helpful and welcoming bar staff. All Covid regulations observed fully by everyone. Relaxed atmosphere. Good selection of ales at very reasonable prices. Will return!

Superb pub, fantastic staff and love the banter. One of the best pints of Palmers you'll find outside of Dorset ❤️❤️

Superb draft beer & cider, all well cared for. Started working my way along bar before lockdown. Sam Brooks' Junction is one of the best real ales I have tried in last 55 years (don't ask about when I started drinking bitter r). Clear application of Covid regs. Well managed, great environment. Need to book.

Local drinking venue reopened after lockdown. Diistancing carefully observed. Need to book.

Service very good and friendly atmosphere

The staff are always professional and friendly and they serve well-kept beer from an ever-changing range. Good value, too. The best pub in the area.

Great beer, excellent service, friendly atmosphere,what more do you want🖖🤘👍👌✌

Love the claret Such a great atmosphere & fab manager & bar staff 😊

Really enjoyed my evening at Claret with my father. Friendly customers and staff and ofcourse excellent choices of ale and other beers

A very friendly place, and the staff are very efficient, couldn't rate the bar any better. 🍻

What an amazing little pub. Brilliant atmosphere and friendly staff. The owner was so hospitable and made us feel really welcome. I would highly recommend. Also got a massive tv to watch the sports. I only wish I lived near, so I could make this my local.

Always a pleasure to visit Claret and Ale. Staff are a amazing.

Friendly staff cheap beer great place to socialise

Lovely place with an excellent selection of drinks, you can see the effort that goes into everything here, and can't recommend enough - cheers!

Great local pub, always a good selection of real ales and board with what's on and future ales on offer..

With its great range of ales perfectly kept this is a good place to drink, but add its welcoming and friendly staff and customers it becomes a must.

Good pub but of course have only given it 4 stars as it was on a Sunday afternoon and everyone was watching football. Better in midweek can here yourself talk.

Great atmosphere and fantastic beers

Good atmosphere and great range of beer

Worthy winner of the Camra Croydon pub of the year title.