The Sparrowhawk in Croydon

A very welcoming place for a small group with young children. Good food & service

Excellent beer, great outdoor area, just a nice pub they do food too, but I just had a Guinness

Yes it a good pub staff are good young woman who is from a merican .good service.

They took our food order and then half an hour later, informed us that the kitchen staff had left without taking out order and we had to go somewhere else

Came out to Crystal Palace on the hunt for a decent roast dinner and saw that the good at The Sparrowhawk had been improved. We had the turkey roast with 'all the trimmings' and the liver pate starter. The pate was very overpriced. I had one slice of basic brown bread toast and it didn't even come with butter. The fennel salad consisted of two thin strips of fennel and a tablespoon of watercress with three sliver of orange. That's not really a fair £8.50 worth. Toast should always come with butter, that's just obvious and the pate would have filled two slices of bread which is what I would expect for this price. The roast turkey was OK except the trimmings didn't include a Yorkshire pudding or a decent amount of stuffing. The toast potatoes were nice and the turkey was cooked sympathetically but the gravy was thin as water. The staff were very nice and even though the place is plastered with screens showing football the atmosphere was warm and welcoming and the beer selection was good. Just disappointed as small portions are fine if everything is crafter with love but this was.lacking a fundamental understanding of what made the dishes appealing and we left a bit dejected.

Good service, clean, friendly, bit expensive, would go again.

AJ is delightful. His mum should be so proud. Good great. Thankyou 🙏🏼 Second visit here. Fab staff, ambience and location land food

Wow! The Sparrowhawk is under new management and they've absolutely nailed it! We went for the roast dinner and were incredibly impressed. The pork belly was cooked to perfection – crispy crackling and melt-in-your-mouth meat. The roast potatoes were golden and crunchy, and the gravy was clearly made with love. Even the fresh greens were beautifully cooked, and the Yorkshire pudding was perfect. The baked apple served alongside was a delightful touch, complementing the pork beautifully. And I can't forget the cauliflower cheese – creamy, cheesy, and utterly delicious. The pub itself has a lovely, cozy atmosphere, and the service was friendly and efficient. Highly recommend, and well done to The Sparrowhawk!

New menu, been here loads in the past but they've really got the food spot on now. Awesome roast, the best I've had in the Palace, honestly give it a go

Cannot believe it was so quiet when the beer is so good and the service is matching

Possibly worst pint of Guinness I’ve had. No atmosphere, bar staff didn’t seem too interested to be there on what should be a busy Friday afternoon.

Lovely place for a cheeky pint or two on a weekday date afternoon. Comfortable surroundings, good beer choices and friendly staff. Food looked good too.

Best experience with Ben & Callum at the bar! Thank you guys for making our night!!

Extremely friendly Excellent view and Pleasant staff

Last experience, pretty poor. Cook, I won't call him or her a chef as it would be an insult to chefs.; he or she, tried to hide a charcoal burnt banger under a pile of mash, badly!

Slipped in here for some chill time away from the festival.... you gotta go just to hang out with the amazing bartender Ben! Best service with a smile .. if you're questioning humanity right now (easily done right!) This visit will restore all poditive vibes.... therrs good people in the world and some of them work behind the bar!

Went around 3 weeks ago to try the spanish tapas as i was looking forward to it but was disappointed: expensive prices and the batatas bravas were hard boiled/fork didnt even go through it.

Perfect amount of screens, brilliant bar staff, half decent bogs as well. Would recommend

First visit to The Sparrowhawk, nice friendly atmosphere and decor. Unfortunately, they only serve Spanish Tapas dishes. A little bit of variety would be nice.

The presence of lager louts made the atmosphere rather unpleasant.

I was waiting at the bar to order my drink, the waitress acknowledged I’m waiting, then served another customer who came after, than put the food order through, than served another customer. I’ve left.

Not honest and transparent about their pricing. They do not show prices for their beers or their soft drinks. This is to the detriment of the consumer as the consumer is not able to compare prices. The consumer is lacking information to make consumption decisions. Fan on the roof was ineffective at cooling people down. Good from the point of viewing of numerous TVs in the bar showing Sport.

We went for early evening drinks. Staff / young woman that served us, although new, was very professional and very friendly. She was helpful with drink selections.

The taste of Spain has finally arrived in crystal palace. Delicious tapas at affordable prices. The pork loin with potatoes was perfect. Friendly staff, good cold beer and the euros showing. Very happy with my choice of lunch today.

An amazing find in the Gipsy Hill area, and with new owners recently taking over they've completely transformed the place! The new menu is Spanish-themed tapas and is delicious, with everything from the patatas bravas to the garlic prawns being presented wonderfully. The alcohol selection was great too with everything from wines (highly recommend the "Guv'ner" rose as my friend already recommended in another review) to draught to a huge range of spirits. The atmosphere was welcoming and well-decorated too considering the new owners have just moved in, with Spanish music in the background and many TV's to watch the day's sports on. We were served by the new owner herself who was warm and welcoming and happy to attend to anything we needed despite it being clearly a busy Saturday for them with the rugby on! I went with two friends and we all raved about it for the rest of the day - can't recommend enough.

An amazing find in the Gipsy Hill area, and with new owners recently taking over they've completely transformed the place! The new menu is Spanish-themed tapas and is delicious, with everything from the patatas bravas to the garlic prawns being presented wonderfully. The alcohol selection was great too with everything from wines (highly recommend the "Guv'ner" rose) to draught to a huge range of spirits. The atmosphere was welcoming and well-decorated too considering the new owners have just moved in, with Spanish music in the background and many TV's to watch the day's sports on. We were served by the new owner herself who was warm and welcoming and happy to attend to anything we needed despite it being clearly a busy Saturday for them with the rugby on! I went with two friends and we all raved about it for the rest of the day - can't recommend enough.

New Owners have outdone themselves!!! 10/10 Absolutely love this pub! Great find in Gipsy Hill! The tapas food was fantastic - special mention to the harissa humous. Everything was well presented and tasted great. There was also a very good selection of wines (highly recommend “The Guvner”) special mention to the cheesecake dessert as well! The atmosphere was very bright and inviting. Set up for Spanish food and music in the background was a lovely addition. We had a great waitress who was very attentive :) and so lovely talking to us about the food and the reopening of this pub. The outside area is beautiful and very cozy - can’t wait for the euros on their big outdoor screen! This definitely won’t be our only visit!

Calum and melody are the best, popped in for a pint and treated

Oh dear. Despite a desperate refurb over the last couple of years, two fundamental problems remain: inept staff and arrogant management. But don’t say anything about it out loud - if the managers hear you saying something less than complimentary, they’ll make it clear that the problem isn’t them; it’s you. Plenty of other, less thin-skinned options nearby. Avoid this complacent, overpriced mess.

Wanted to book lunch but advised dogs are allowed in the restaurant. Unhealthy and not desirable.

A great place to watch live sport in the pub in Crystal Palace. Attended to watch the Liverpool v Crystal Palace game on Sunday. Lots of screens with excellent sound. Decent enough beer selection but a few taps off.

It’s game day , you spend all day thinking where to watch the game. You decide to go to your local sports pub thinking it should be way better than watching the game at home. Aaaaand you were wrong. 19:30 champions league Wednesday two English teams playing quarter finals , there’s about 10 screens and all of them showing just 1 game. Of course arsenal have more fans in Crystal Palace but their next game could be vs City. Anyway, you came from work you think what’s better than best football competition with a few pints and some bar food. Well not much would be better but you won’t get it here. Turns out kitchen is closed, fair enough whatever happened you couldn’t open the kitchen but why keep the food menus on the tables if you know you have a full house for the game and you won’t serve any food? You might think ok at least the service will be friendly and you’ll feel welcome. How many times can you get this wrong? The best you can get is if you get a drink, certain beer lines not available, none of the staff will acknowledge you at the bar and you can forget about a smile or anything resembling hospitality. Only positive was that they put the sound on for the game . The most expensive pub chain in the area and the worst experience even though it’s the only “sports pub” nearby. Won’t be back, learned my lesson.

Great pub for sports and decent food

Good tvs and booths food is ok.. good for the football ⚽️ good place to come and watch the euros

BBQ chicken meal, the chicken was not fresh but had gone off, I advised the staff however, the failed to respond. The pub's focus is on selling drinks and are not customer focused but money focused. Will not be returning.

The barman had clearly had a bad day (the man with the big beard) and took it out on us so unnecessarily. We spent roughly £75 on a round at last orders and were treated like I’ve never been treated before, he was SO RUDE. We did nothing wrong. Shame really, it seemed like a nice pub but we’re obviously never going back. I hope the barman has had a better day today.

do not buy the piri chicken meal, i now have food poisoning because of it. it was very clearly boiled with chili sauce just poured on it. it smelled like rotten fish and tasted putrid. i tried to stomach the sick feeling i had but as soon as i arrived home, i immediately threw up. also was served about 5 chips rather than the baskets seen in the pictures of others reviews. the bar staff were kind but whoever is in the kitchen must not be aware that chicken shouldnt be served if it smells like fish.

If it’s a sports bar as it came up on google, poor quality screens and no sound. I’m sure it’s a lovely local, but not if you’re looking for a place to watch the game. Sorry.

Visited this pub years ago annd loved it unfortunately it has very obviously changed hands. One of the worst meals we have had in a very long time and being asked to move table for a booking who arrived an hour early when you’ve already ordered food & drinks was completely rude.. left immediately after eating and won’t return.

Good to watch a football match, good food, nice vibe

Great atmosphere in this little corner pub. The food menu looked great so I'll have to go back and try their food. Cocktails were good.

Great food. Brilliant service and a chilled out atmosphere

Food was overpriced and the portions were small.

I changed my mine on what I wanted to eat less than five minutes after ordering - the barman politely and kindly submitted the change. But the next thing I knew the chef came upstairs to refuse, saying he’d already started “preparing”. He was so rude and unhelpful, I was left without anything to eat whilst the rest of my party had theirs.

Surly bar staff. All a bit pretentious. A shame as the pub itself is a really nice venue, very clean and the drinks are great. I just don’t have much time for being made to feel uncomfortable by one word answer bar staff that drift around like super models as opposed to being warm and friendly hosts. Maybe if I dressed like a fashionista I’d have been treated with more sincerity.

Had a burger and pint. Good selection of beers. Plenty of screens to watch sport. Staff seemed a little stretched on the day but overall, would pop in for a pint again.

Over priced on everything.Bang average on everything too.

Personally, we would not recommend, waiting too long to be served at the bar. Two bartenders serving coffee and cocktails - no apology for the delay. I guess all good saved money - first time I have visited/reviewed. Left without having lunch or dinner. Cannot add photos as did not get served.

Really nice pub. Had a good evening there.

Great pub, Great atmosphere and the staff were very friendly and helpful. Definitely recommend.

Here’s a photo of what £8.30 gets you at this pub. Trying to work out which cost most, the half pint or the coke. Turns out the coke took that title, with the half close behind. lol what a joke. The reason we got the coke is because they have zero alcohol free options, so really your only choice to be sober here is coke at a high cost.

Great food, nice and clean. Bar staff was wonderful.

I have just seen a photo (complaint) of the exact meal I had the displeasure of eating last night in The Sparrowhawk. We booked a table with friends, having memories of eating wonderful food there in the past but the standard of food is appalling. I wish I had taken photos, as the quality, portion size was truly abysmal. The price astronomical considering what we were served. We complained and was told we couldn't receive a refund but we were given a free drink. It is a shame as we will definitely not be returning.

Fine pub, reasonably priced and friendly clientele. However... Rude bar staff are unable to consider the needs of all clientele within the pub. On a cold mid December night, the door was left open allowing a frosty breeze to flow through, affecting one half of the pub. Clearly, they have more money to waste than us because the other half was hotter then the Costa del sol. My drinking companion Alice attempted to close said door, but was met with a hostile attitude from the two bartenders, who immediately opened the door and instructed us not to shut it again, despite objections from other punters. They seemed to only have the interest of booth drinkers at heart. Overall, I would recommend this pub if the bar staff where renewed. We will be leaving after one pint, but we would have spent many a night here with politer staff. We visited on 16/12/23, I hope the management are aware of the personality type that they entrust their establishment to.

Great atmosphere, relaxing place to spend the afternoon.

2nd moan about this place - some bizarreness now regarding closing times - the standard for Sunday trading is half 10 closing time (as they have advertised) and then 15-20 mins to drink up, however I’ve just been told they stop serving at 10pm (!) - was a bit embarrassing when I went there for a quick nightcap with a friend after cinema. **updated review - I’ve been a few times in the last few months and there has been a considerable improvement - updated rating Looks like it’s gone downhill badly - the tables aren’t getting cleared and are absolutely filthy - it’s not even as though there are many customers in keeping staff occupied.

Pub was fine, good for the football. Ordered two mulled wines, on a 2 4 1 per the promotional flyer on the bar only to be told this was a printing error and not honoured. Only reviewing as when challenged to say something printed, open to view, was indeed printed in error was very disappointing, and very much ruined the experience of having a drink in the pub. One for the team to fix in the future for other guests.

Great spot for afternoon out. Popped in with my wife and son after a walk around the park. Great food and very exciting kids choices. Brilliant selection of both beers and wines. Plus with all the TVs I'll definitely be back when the football kicks off again!

Good pub food at a fair price and pleasant staff. Unfortunately there's more TV screens than Currys and speakers in every corner all turned up loud. Great pub if you want to watch football but definitely not for meeting up with family for a beer and a bite to eat. Conversation is impossible. Perhaps the website should actually state that their passion is football, then we'd have known. If you love a footie atmosphere, go here!

Came here for dinner, food was great and the atmosphere was cosy (Christmas decorations look wonderful!). We ordered the crowd pleaser, kg of chicken wings with inferno sauce (wow spicy!) And one of the Karaage kid burgers. Food was hot, tasty & came down fast. The puppy hall of fame behind the bar is also a nice touch! Thanks for a lovely night guys!

Decent food for the price you pay, but of an out of thebway early but service is fast and reliable considering how busy it can get on the weekends, very caring for specific needs of others even when preoccupied would come again in the future with friends and family for social get togethers.

Went for lunch. Asked the bar staff for 2 coffees and was told there was no milk no offer of remedy so we left. Disappointing 😞

Very tasty burgers and fish&chips👌 Actually best fish&chips I had in a while! Friendly staff and good atmosphere, Thumbs up for big screens, I like to watch football on a big telly!

Comfy pub, great food even if it is a little expensive, kind and helpful staff with good knowledge of the menu. Small enclosed pub garden out the side for the better weather too! The booths are nice and big and can easily seat 4!

Very comfortable pub, popped in for a few hours whilst the weather was miserable. Staff were friendly, knowledgeable and even offered blankets when I looked cold! There's a Polaroid hall of fame for dogs people have brought in which the bartender excitedly showed me. I ordered the chickotle chips and some wings and both were on another level compared to other pub's grub. Will definitely be stopping by again!

Went to this venue to watch football and found the customer service to be excellent very polite and attentive also the food was really well prepared.

Lovely pub, naomi was an absolute dream, made amazing drinks and was so lovely to talk to

This is my second time at this pub and all I can say is the service and the atmosphere is brilliant. Sterling the barman is very professional and polite and does his job extremely well. Me and the boyfriend will come back often

A good local bar, but £7.45 for a pint? Before the owner comments under here about how they offer a wide selection of pints that actually do range to reasonable prices (e.g. a pint of Guinness) charging, £7.45 for a pint is an absolute disgrace. I will be back because its the best sports pub in CP but give us a break please.

Staff are always lovely when i visit. The food is standard pub chain food which had its place, but its not for me.

A great pub with a wide selection of drinks and food available. TVs all around for live sports. 😁

24/09/23 My husband ordered a veggie burger for himself and an avo and pesto salad for me. When I went to eat the salad I noticed that most of the spinach was dark green and slimy so I went to the side of the bar where the hatch of the bar was open, to get a member of staff’s attention because the whole pub was full of customers watching the Arsenal and Spurs game. I was then told off by a member of staff for not going to the front of bar to which I explained that I couldn’t make my way there as the pub was so packed. She then said that if I wanted to complain I needed to get my husband to do so as he had made the order. As I walked away I overheard her telling another coworker “she’s made a complaint because the salad’s supposedly gone off” to which I returned to the bar to ask her if she would be willing to pay £14 for a slimy salad?? She then returned to our table to say that there wasn’t anymore spinach left and only rocket, to which I said that was fine. When my salad finally arrived my husband had finished his meal… so much for going out for lunch together!! I started eating my salad as by this time I was really hungry only to discover that there weren’t any peas nor spring onions and only three tiny slivers of roasted peppers!! I’m livid at the whole experience… I am positive that neither the chef nor any member of staff would’ve expected to pay full price for what had been served to me today. Get your act together guys as it’s really not acceptable 😡😡

I stopped in to get out of the rain and figured Id make a small lunch out of it. Their .40p Wings Wednesday deal was pretty fantastic and the meat was pretty tasty. However dont order from the app, their drinks arent updated and it doesn’t communicate to the server properly. The bartender confirmed this as well. Also-the app didnt let me chose my wing sauce.

Not worth to go to, they forgot the half and don‘t know what is on their menu. No good service at all. Mac‘n cheese forget about.

Modern twist on a classic pub with stylish decor and upbeat music. Can't go wrong!

Fantastic pub, great food and cold beers

A lovely bright pub. Was buzzing due to the match being played. Good service and friendly staff

Totes lit on a Saturday night 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🧨🧯👨‍🚒👩‍🚒🚨🚒🎆🎇

The best chicken peri peri I had in a long time. Team was friendly and the pub is cozy.

The best chicken peri peri I had in a long time. Team was friendly and the pub is cozy. Watched women football as well and had a super beautiful cocktail.

shambles no pizzas app didnt work Barman hopeless

Beer not well kept. The Proper Job was improperly kept. Cloudy and vinegary. I expect the lines still had cleaning fluid in them.

Visited the Sparrowhawk on a few occasions and the staff offer the best customer service making my time there very enjoyable as they are friendly and professional. The food at the venue is excellent and I can only recommend if in the area try it out as you won’t be disappointed.

I have just had one of the best veggie burgers...the Sloppy No Joe. So tasty and really different! My husband had the Bourbon BB King, which he thoroughly enjoyed as well. Great food, good service and lovely atmosphere. Would definitely recommend.

The food was amazing and very well priced we will be going back and very friendly staff

A passing visit that was one of the best pub visits that we have had this year. The staff were brilliant as was the food and atmosphere. Huge range of craft lager from local breweries which is always great to see. Best pub in the area

Visited for the women’s World Cup game Saturday - really enjoyable visit, will be back Friday. Team were very welcoming.

Fantastic spot for a bit of lunch and to watch England woman in the World Cup great craft range too

Great pub with everything you could ask for

Wonderful pub with great food and lovely team

Awful. Awful. Awful. I cannot tell you how disappointed I am that my favourite pub in Crystal Palace has been given this tragic sports bar rebrand. They should change the name because The Sparrowhawk I knew had the best food, service, reasonably priced drinks and I feel very conned. I paid £14 for possibly the worst meal I’ve ever had (see pic) the Peri-Peri Chicken. As you can probably imagine from the photo it was absolutely rancid. I wouldn’t be surprised if they cooked it in a microwave. I had no choice but to eat what I could stomach. I had asked people I was joining to order me food as I was very hungry and hadn’t gauged the new vibe of this place. I didn’t think for a second it would be as bad as it was given it’s previous reputation! However by the time I walked in to the new trashy decor, menu and pumping gym music I was fearful as to what the food would be like. I didn’t bother ordering something new as I didn’t trust that anything else on their now ridiculously long menu would have been any more palatable..! Such a shame as the kitchen used to be one of the highlights of this pub and overall a lovely place to get a drink. Headed to The Alma straight after for a classier, more relaxed experience!

Not sure why they changed the nicest pub in Crystal Palace into this cheap looking sports bar? The drinks are overpriced, the food, which used to be gourmet, is now cheap (but very expensive) and disgusting. It’s just like being in a chain restaurant in Leicester Square. Good for watching sport to be fair but has lost all its charm.

Absolutely amazing service from the friendly staff that was working. Very quick and efficient service will definitely be returning!!!

Great space in Crystal Palace which held an area meeting. Had enough room from the team and an a decent sized TV. Windows opened which meant it was too hot despite being on the first floor.

Stopped by for lunch, food was quick and great service. Nice place to people watch busy corner

Came for lunch and was wonderfully surprised. Such a lovely venue with a cute little garden. Super clean which is always nice. Definitely back for drinks and more food

Great find in Crystal Palace recent refurb looks awesome

Service was a bit slow to start with but, oddly, picked up as the bar filled up. Has the usual, gastropub range of quirky craft beers from brewers you've never heard of and a few you have. As I can't grow a beard, and wouldn't want to, thankfully I don't have to drink craft beers and can avoid bores talking about them. Has a small beer garden, mostly in the shade, which was good on a hot, sunny, Friday afternoon. Liked the old posters from eighties gigs in the Crystal Palace bowl. I'd go again. I'm find gastropubs rather formulaic these days. So its way, way better than finding a Tesco Express where a bar used to be. But it's a bit soulless.

Not really the staff’s fault but we came here ahead of an event in the area and this place was woefully understaffed. Every table full, queue at the bar and only two staff behind it who were too busy to even acknowledge our group for the first five minutes of being there. Menu is also far too ambitious and the descriptions sound far more enticing than the results. £15 for a pub cocktail is also bonkers. Overall, if it had been staffed correctly and there was a bit more attention paid to the food, this’d be a cool pub, especially for sports fans.

Delicious food, pleasant staff. Nice atmosphere.