It’s a bit of an understatement to say Croydon’s town centre is not the most attractive, what with the nondescript grey high-rises, pound shops and whatever the hell Apollo House is supposed to be.
But smack bang in the middle is the Central Croydon Conservation Area, an enclave of Victorian buildings that is an aesthetic oasis in a concrete desert.
It is here that the Spread Eagle pub proudly sits, immediately adjacent to the majestic Croydon Clocktower.
Built in 1893, the building was originally the Croydon branch of the Union Bank of London. A century later, Fullers Brewers bought it from the National Westminster Bank and turned it into a pub.
Fullers have remained faithful its history, as the interior retains the understated grandeur of an olden-days financial institution. There are also plenty of photographs of Croydon through the ages, back when it was slightly easier on the eye.
Don’t be fooled into thinking the Spread Eagles is all style over substance, however. If there is one reason to give this pub a try, it’s for the food.
There are all the favourites such as fish and chips and bangers and mash, but this watering hole is all about the pies.
Steak and ale, sweet potato and goat’s cheese, traditional fisherman’s – they’re all there, and then there is the Spread Eagle’s signature pie, containing pork, Organic Honeydew ale and pears.
And, if you can’t decide which one you want, there’s always the pie tasting platter.
There is also, of course, the wide selection of ales and bitters you would expect from a Fullers pub, so sit back, enjoy a few pints and try to forget where you are, for a few hours at least!
The Spread Eagle, Katharine St, Croydon, CR0 1NX, 020 8781 1134
DECOR: Old-style grandeur 4/5
DRINK: Fullers’ usually extenstive selection 3/5
PRICE: Food and drinks reasonable, and you can hire the upstairs function room – complete with private bar – for free 4/5
ATMOSPHERE: Comfortable and friendly 2/5
STAFF: Granted it was a quiet Sunday lunchtime, but the staff were literally fighting among themselves to serve us 4/5
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