Edit "Glamorgan, CR0 6BE"

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The Glamorgan was a pub near [[East Croydon Station]].  It [http://web.archive.org/web/20161219200014/http://www.theglamorgan.co.uk/ closed down] in November 2016, and by July 2017 there were [https://twitter.com/JimmyCroydon/status/884903430115950592 signs up] indicating it was due for demolition.

The information below is retained for historical purposes.

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Friendly pub near [[East Croydon Station]], formerly known as the Grouse and Claret.

The Fancyapint review describes it as "Croydon's first gastropub", and that's probably a reasonable description of it.  Its gastropubbiness manifests itself in the existence of a dedicated restaurant section with table service (identified by "reserved" signs on all the tables, to "stop the drinkers sitting there"), in the consequent addition of a service charge to the bill, and in the greater attention paid to the quality and presentation of the food than is normal for a pub in Croydon.

Aside from these distinctions, it's actually a pretty good pub.  There were three real ales on tap when we visited - Harvey's Sussex Best, Adnam's and Brakspear Organic Blonde.  I tried the first and last of these, and they were superbly kept.  Even a confirmed Brakspear-hater in our party managed to express qualified praise for the Blonde.  There was also a short wine list, in addition to the usual selection of non-cask beers and soft drinks.

The food was good by pub standards, and not unreasonably priced.  It was the second day of a new menu on the evening of our visit.  A starter of salmon and scallop terrine was served slightly too cold, but the flavour of both ingredients came through nicely.  It was perhaps a little dry, but a small pot of home-made tartare sauce made up for that.  It also came with a few leaves of rocket and a wedge of lemon.  We got a free helping of toasted sun-dried tomato ciabatta before the main courses arrived, with a dip containing a fruity sticky sauce of some kind underneath a layer of clear oil.  The main courses we chose were all from the short specials list: fish and chips (&pound;9) was a decent size portion, and came topped with a handful of parsnip crisps.  Salmon tagliatelle (&pound;8) was about as simple as that dish can get, but perfectly acceptable despite its lack of sophistication.  A 10oz rump steak (&pound;13) came with mushrooms, home-made unpeeled chips and fried mushrooms.  The steak was perfectly cooked, and quite tasty.  We tried their homemade baked "vanilla bean cheesecake" for dessert.  Served with tart mixed berries and a sprig of mint, it was good cheesecake.  I have no idea how much it cost, as it wasn't on the menu and they didn't charge us for it.  There is a completely separate lunchtime menu, including [http://www.cooksister.com/2009/01/bunny-chows-south-africas-own-street-food.html bunny chow], which can only be a good thing.

On a Wednesday night, the pub was perhaps half-full, with a strong presence from after-work drinkers.  The landlord is a gregarious South African, who was quick to greet us when we walked in, and was keen to make sure we were having a good evening on several subsequent occasions.  The pub has a moderate-sized beer garden, and toilets at each end.  The decor is simple, with walls and ceiling painted in bright contrasting colours, and some fairly abstract paintings on the walls.  There's a dartboard, a pool table, a fruit machine and a quiz machine.  There are a couple of church pews, there are a couple of sofas.  There is a TV showing Sky Sports, but it didn't have the sound on.

According to a commenter (Rona, January 2013), there's a pub quiz every month, though it's not clear on what days (at least one of them is on a Sunday at 5pm) with &pound;3 entry per person, max 6 people per team.  More information from miketully@tiscali.co.uk

[[elvum]]'s verdict: Overall, I think that this may be the best pub near East Croydon station, and for food, quite possibly the best pub in [[Locale Croydon|Croydon]] bar none.  I confidently expect to see it in the next Good Beer Guide.  (Update following second visit: lack of space for drinkers can be a little annoying when the pub is busy, and the number of real ales on tap had decreased to two.  Still a good pub though.)

August 2016:cronx nectar &pound;3.50 doom Bar and Wainwright. Still tables reserved for diners. Step to get in. Level to toilets

See also:
* [http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubreviews/54097/ Pubs Galore comments]
* [http://www.fancyapint.com/pub/2725 Fancyapint review]
* [http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/comments.shtml/27649/ Beer In The Evening comments]

<div class="last_verified">Last visited by [[elvum]] et al, June 2008.</div>
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