Picture of Royal Standard, CR0 1SS

Royal Standard, CR0 1SS

Pub in Croydon. It was previously a Fuller's pub but was sold to Admiral Taverns in 2024.

It's small but cosy, traditional and friendly, and hasn't much changed over the years since bob first visited in 2004. The front section has a "public bar" feel, with room for standing as well as a few stools. Further back is more seating, with this area wrapping right the way around the bar to end in a small area with a couple of individual church-pew seats, each with a concealed misericord underneath.

There are a couple of picnic benches out the front, but there's also a proper beer garden. Although the latter is across the road from the pub, situated under the Croydon flyover, it's actually much nicer than these bare facts might suggest, and quite a pleasant place to sit out in summer; the road outside the pub is a quiet one, and the flyover traffic is high enough up that it doesn't really intrude.

The pub has a selection of board games (including Boggle), and a shelf of books which you can read in the pub or take away with you if you make a charity donation. There's also a fruit machine in the back part, and a flatscreen and dartboard in the front part. There hasn't been any music on any of our visits. According to a sign seen in January 2014, there's a pub quiz every Tuesday from 8:30pm.

They usually have several Fuller's ales on, with the regular range focused around Discovery, Chiswick, HSB (£4/pint in December 2016), ESB, and London Pride (£3.90/pint in December 2016), but also sometimes the rarer ones such as Black Cab Stout and Golden Pride (£3.50/half in December 2016).

It often opens on Christmas Day, at least in the afternoon; when bob visited on on Christmas Day 2016 the pub was quite busy but not crowded.

According to a sign in the pub in January 2014, food is served noon-10pm Mon-Sat photo of menu. They do some very good pork pies (£2.50) photo. In October 2013, bob's party had the chilli con carne with rice and tortillas (£4.75) photo, the fishfinger doorstep sandwich (£3) photo, and a plate of chips photo. In January 2014, the whitebait (£2.50) photo was decently fried and not greasy; bob missed the usual crunchy coating but Kake liked how the lack of coating let the flavour of the fish come through.

On a December 2019 visit Pride(£4.30), HSB(£4.50), ESB(£4.60) and 2 Fuller's specials (Fresh Tracks and Santa by the Surf. £4.60 each) were on. All very well kept. Pork scratchings were £1. Crisps (£1). Again they are going to be open on Xmas day. No evidence of food or a pub quiz.

On a April 2022 visit London pride was £4.50. other beers available were hsb, ESB, cwtch and dark Star hophead.

Kake's verdict: One of the best pubs in the area.

Accessibility: Step at front entrance, smaller step (about an inch) at side entrance. Step-free to bar, toilets, and about half of the seating once you're in. One of the stalls in the ladies' has a door that opens outwards. The pub is quite small and access can be a bit narrow.

See also:

Last visited by bob, August 2024.
OS X co-ord: 532237 OS Y co-ord: 165146 (Latitude: 51.369985 Longitude: -0.101659)
Last edited 2024-09-15 10:29:10 (version 49; diff). List all versions.