The Surprise in Croydon

What a gem. Lovely restaurant beautifully decorated and lovely seating. My favourite meal is mussels in white wine and the chef surpassed himself it was beautiful. My husband had haddock he couldn’t praise the meal enough. The service is excellent. I highly recommend the Surprise and I will visit again shortly.

This local pub is fantastic! We were a large party and Janet was great suggesting we pre ordered . It was a Sunday so Tony made an excellent roast his Yorkshire puddings were delicious! Ian and his team were great keeping drinks flowing and being very kind. A lovely venue , friendly and high quality food. See you again soon :) Joanna, Philomena and families

We had arranged a business meeting and then a meal with approx 10 people, The Surprise, Surprised everyone as our previous meeting place was too small. Lovely location, lovely meeting and well looked after. We re-arranged the tables to suit ourselves let the meeting begin, all washed down with a selection of drinks - which I would expect, and maybe that is why everyone was surprised, business meeting with real drinks, and and very productive meeting too!! Following the meeting almost all of us had a meal and thoroughly enjoyed by all. Despite a few challenges on this first meeting the Surprise Staff helped us overcome them - thank-you, we will be back next month!

Had a brilliant night last night food was lovely friendly management and staff and tony done a lovely spread thank you to you all Many thanks Lynn dauris

Absolutely gorgeous roast … the best roast potatoes I’ve had in a long time! The ever lovely Madison was as attentive as always … all in a very relaxing atmosphere xx well done Surprise xxxx

Great food in a great environment. We will be returning!

We joined a couple of friends for an evening meal at The Surprise last night. I’ve given 5 stars for the food because every item on our plates was delicious. 2 had steak, I had the steak mushroom and ale pie and my wife had lamb cutlets. The service was excellent, we enjoyed a bit of banter with the staff. I’ve given a 3 for atmosphere because sadly we were the only diners in the restaurant, which was great in so much as we had a private dining experience, but such a shame that our local neighbours are not using the place. Maybe like us, people aren’t aware how great the food is nowadays . We will definitely be eating there again. I’ve heard the Sunday roast is also great at The Surprise!!!

Attended a 50th birthday party here, lovely venue, staff very friendly, lovely decor. Accessible access and toilets. Great fadden space at the rear. Recommend.

Nice pub. No food Monday or Tuesday ☹️

Took ages to be served. Music way to loud and food not worth money. Steak was just frying steak and we've had pancakes fatter, linguini way to salty which took flavour away from prawns. Portions tiny had to buy son a kebab on way home. In all not worth the £90 I left behind.

Gary & Janet excellent hosts and Ian behind the bar, made a couple of drinks after work all the more enjoyable. Will be revisiting sooner than later!

First time in this pub, went for the Saturday summer party, there was a DJ playing. Food and drink were good will go there again

My friend and I went to the 90s brunch we both thoroughly enjoyed it food was lovely and the music was great brought happy memories back I was first one up dancing can't wait for next one we got our money worth with the bottomless prosecco and cocktails - I will be going to the Saturday afternoon disco during the summer

Lovely place we stumbled upon ... we just had early evening drinks, but I really liked the ambience!

We were expecting a restaurant but it was more a tapas type of place. The staff were friendly, but run off their feet due to the European cup final. It all seemed a bit shambolic, no one to greet us, no tables set up for eating, and people just wandering around. Teach us to eat early.. The fish was only just cooked, the fries overdone, and the pasta tasted bravas was fried wedges with a sauce on top.

Fantastic beer garden in the back.

We went for a family birthday and we were all completely satisfied.. The service from our waitresses Saffron and Maddy was superb, nothing was to much from them both and it’s nice to see service with a smile! The food was absolutely delicious, we had the paella and there was clean plates all round. We will definitely be going back and look forward to it.

Great place to eat or drink, beautiful beer garden, I would highly recommend this pub!

Some of the best food I’ve ever had in a pub! Me and some friends shared the lamb cutlets, seafood paella and mussels in a white wine and cream sauce. All were absolutely beautiful, especially the mussels. The beer too was superb and all the staff were very accommodating and friendly. I’d highly recommend this to anyone who wants a nice pub meal.

Nice pub, good roast and really amazing seafood - the scallops and my friend’s haddock in white wine sauce were both incredible.

Just had lunch here while doing the London Loop. Amazing food and great staff.

To be fair, before today, I'd never even heard of this pub. It really was a pleasant surprise just how good it was! The beer, food, service and atmosphere were all excellent! A bit pricey but overall , worth it.

Lovely place, the food is good too!

A big thank you to the amazing team at The Surprise. We had the function room for my parents' Wedding Anniversary afternoon tea party. Scott was fantastic, from planning the room layout, menu and assisting with my parents' requirements. The afternoon went superbly, with everyone having a great time. There was a lovely atmosphere and friends and family commented on what a lovely space it was for our party. A big thank you to Tony and Janet for the delicious food. And a huge thank you to Scott who worked extremely hard to make sure our guests were catered for and everyone had everything they wanted. We can't thank them enough, as they really made the afternoon special. If you are looking for a friendly venue with staff who care, then I would definitely recommend The Surprise. Thank you.

Nice buffet food after a wake. Good ideal function room.

We had a great time, we went on a walk through Addington Hills and we were due to end the walk at The Crown and saw this place before we got there so we went in for a pint. We we greeted by the owner in the front bar. He really knew about his beers and told us about the 'Special Beer' that's brewed just for them. We decided to stay for dinner and we're shown to the dining area where we met the owners wife running back of house. We were served incredible food at a great pace, the roast dinners and strawberry cheesecake were to die for! Service was also top notch thank you! We nipped in The Crown for a drink before heading home and we definitely made a wise decision! Thank you, what a great way to end a long walk!

Best pub in Croydon and the Sunday lunch was fantastic 😋

The pub was very cold and uncomfortable as had to eat in my coat, portion size very small for the price.

Nice place and the Italian guy is really friendly and obviously loves good food and makes sure they serve exactly that

Stopped in for a drink after walking in the Hills but was met by one of the rudest barmen I've ever come across. Walked straight back out again and won't be returning.

Nice pub in Shirley with a nice variety in the food menu

Amazing food and great service.

Everything is great Ms Emma and Mr Scott are excellent but have had problems with one called Mr Ian.xxx

It was a suprise! Allot bigger then it looks from the outside. Great place to eat and nice garden. We will be back!

Good food fair price nice place I will be going back again. Very friendly staff

A must if you like fresh fish and food. Lovely staff and great dinner area. Been there several times and will go again.

Lovely place, nice food, great customer service. Kids loved the friendly fishes in the fish tank.

Very friendly staff clean environment lovely place to eat. Food was delicious and they are willing to accommodate your needs.

Lovely pub, staff friendly, food great. Highly recommended.

Excellent service, despite being busy. Good quality and good value food.

Despite being busy we were so impressed with the service and the food was good quality and good value. Dog friendly.

Had Sunday lunch, today, as we celebrated 48 years of marriage. Lovely roast. When we married wine was 35p a glass so I drank lime and soda water. Refreshing on a hot day. Will definitely visit again.

Met a friend for lunch and it was my birthday. We hadn’t told them but they worked it out and brought a beautiful dessert out for me. The service was amazing and all staff excellent and attentive. Food was fantastic. We felt like we were on holiday. Would definitely recommend it and will be going back.

Great service. Retirement party, had a fabulous time. Thank you.

Had a drink, 0 Heineken beer. I thought it a bit expensive..it was however a pleasant drink with a quiet atmosphere.

Went for lunch today lovely friendly staff and great food will be returning to try evening meals.

We had lunch at the Surprise Inn for the first time last Tuesday and it was amazing. The tapas were really tasty and very generous helpings. Lovely cheesecake too. We sat outside in their nice garden and spent a very relaxing couple of hours there. The service was perfect. Emma looked after us brilliantly and so cheerfully even though she was rushed off her feet. We were with a family member with dementia who loved it and were made to feel so welcome by Emma. We will definitely be back when we are in Shirley again. Thank you Emma. You made our day.

The landlord needs to attend charm school

Nice selection of Ales and lagers all well kept and property extremely clean

Nice place, when you have food you will need a drink when you see the cost but that said, it was very nice indeed. Will go again, but will probably eat beforehand.

Excellent food and great service

Arranged a 90th birthday party for my mum. They provided a lovely buffet and an area to celebrate. Staff were friendly and very helpful. Was perfect .

The fish and chips were great, staff lovely

Simply wonderful meal. Tapas delicious, seafood heaven. creme brulee superb. (Top notch chef!!!!) Emma was delightful, made our visit perfect. We will be going back again!!!!

What a local treasure!!! Lovely food, great venue and the staff are charming. Top marks 👍👍👍

Great New Years Day drink. Thank you.

Atmosphere was amazing, great night, staff were awesome

what a little gem in Shirley, we attended the Christmas market which was small but fun then decided to have some lunch ordering from the tapas menu on offer.We were not disappointed after waiting a while for it all to be cooked fresh we were starving, the seafood mixed grill was cooked to perfecton tasted amazing, paella was very tasty although i do prefer it a bit firmer however it hut the spot, the brushetta was seasoned well a great tasty dish i could of ate that all day given half the chance loved it !!! overall we were pleasantly surprised with the quality of all the food on offer, all at affordable prices, the service was on par if not better than many other more expensive pubs we've been to previously..The staff were very friendly and welcoming too.. A Great surprise to find this place on our doorstep, will definitely be returning to try out the famous Roast they serve every Sunday along side the extensive range of beers, drinks on offer...

Nice friendly service and nice looking pub also with some good seating areas. I haven't yet eaten here but the menu really does look great so I will be back soon!

Great venue for all the family. Good for a party. Great space.

Just had a lovely Sunday roast here following a Sunday morning walk in Shirley Hills. What a fabulous warm and friendly pub. All the staff were super friendly and the food was amazing. Great place to eat or just have a drink and watch the football. Great place.

Welcoming bar man, marvellous food. A friendly atmosphere and tasty ales.

food & staff were very nice and the place was very welcoming too.thanks guys will come back soon.

Food was cooked perfectly to a high standard and tasty, plenty of choice and good portion sizes. A pub/restraunt that's definitely on the up.

Beautiful place Food was good too.

Disappointing… The food was average, the staff not very attentive (took ages for them to clear our plates away when finished, didn’t check if all was ok), sticky tables… won’t go back

Great beer and a wide selection of food available.

Excellent place. Lots of different themed areas.Great food and service

Lovely pub, very friendly service and great food. Nice garden area.

Maria should be manager, enough said

A lovely pub with lovely people,great beers and great food also. Always enjoy popping down here.

Great pub and restaurant, all the staff were very friendly and welcoming. The tapas was fantastic! We will definitely be back!

We had a lovely couple of pints of IPA plus bowls of delicious chips in this sunny pub garden.

Lovely place and it was great watching the England vs Scotland football match

Went to the surprise for a birthday buffet meal outside in the the garden was in the marquee area food was very tasty and waitress was very nice

What a lovely pub just down the road from Lloyd Park. Tapas food was very tasty and staff really nice. Will definitely revisit. Nice outside area and also covered marquee if needed.

Very friendly staff , good food and of course good beer!

Great tapas lunch in the sunshine very welcoming and accommodating

My wife and I were there recently on a Saturday afternoon. Excellent food, drinks and service. Highly recommended.

Friendly but no restaurant at present. Great service with lovely staff.

We went tonight for my mums birthday and had a lovely time. It might have been the euphoria of getting outside but it really was great. Fab area for the required out door dining required at the moment and also a great change in normal pub grub with the tapas menu. Great quality tapas and even better service. From the time I booked the table until the time we left I felt I got a bit of the old Croydon charm that is second to none!!!! Thank you for a great experience and we will be back!

Like to support local venues that we've used during the so called normal times and having enjoyed previous nights out at the Surprise felt a need to show our support as locals. Ok outside in April is always going to be hostage to the weather but the tapas menu , we chose 6 items plus an excellent Rioja defied anything the weather could produce. Tony and the team ,on this showing ,deserve your support, use it or lose it has never been so true, so for good food, attentive service well go again, I’m now a convert to tapas , however decreed eating outside in April was a good idea needs their bumps feeling.

Booked a table earlier today and ordered some food. Some of our order was missing and we had to keep asking got the Rest of out food. The garden was nice. Customer service could be better.

Lovely experience, nice to get back to some sort of normality. Staff were great.

At present only a tapas menu - so as long as you know that its ok.

Great selection of beers good service, nice outdoor space, bit chilly heaters would be welcome.

Lovely outdoor garden at the back. Order the fish and chips which I have to say were some of the best fish and chips I have had in London! Easy to book over email

Nice beer, good service. Good time had.

I was made to feel very welcome by the bar manager and staff but the owners were excellent, such lovely people and friendly locals. Food is great , especially the tapas. Very Covid friendly a good outside space .

Dined here just before England Lockdown 2.0... Charming little pub in Shirley with a seafood/tapas restaurant in the back. The restaurant interior is quite dark but the toilets were very clean and you can see into the Kitchen which is very reassuring. Service was very friendly and personable. The menu was a little limited as they were about to close for a month but the dishes we had were very tasty and the homemade desserts were traditional and comforting. I would definitely go back when they're in full swing.

Had a table for 6, lobster, whitebait, scallops, fish and chips ... just delicious ... Albarino wine was delicious too .. excellent service .. can't wait to go back

Booked for lunch and had a really good tapas.Lots of variety of dishes to choose from as well as a selection of fish specials. Really comes highly recommended.

should be more considerate about the households around you.

Welcoming staff good pub food and good fish restaurant. And you can watch tge footie!. Definitely go again !!

A really lovely place. Food was amazing and the service exceptional

I come to this place quite regularly with family. One of the few pubs that serves seafood. Had a lovely crab superbly well prepared with a couple of pints of cider. Food and service great. Give it a try and you will love it

Popped in for lunch. Place was empty. Asked for a table for 4 given one menu between us all. It was only a tapas menu. Even tho all the signage outside states bar food, fish and roast dinners. Had a drink and left. Very strange. Disappointing.

Thank you for a lovely evening . Heidi and mark .

Great service, would highly recommend, nice garden too⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Great food, great staff, great place - very friendly and welcoming.