Historical version 18 of Claret And Ale, CR0 7AA (view current version)
- 5a Bingham Corner, Lower Addiscombe Road, CR0 7AA (streetmap) (osm) (gmap) (bingmap) (streetview)
- 11:30am-11pm Mon-Wed; 11:30am-11:30pm Thu; 11:30am-midnight Fri; 11am-midnight Sat; noon-10:30pm Sun
Nice enough little pub in Addiscombe, in the Good Beer Guide.
Kake visited on a Saturday afternoon in August 2007; it was just the right amount of full, with enough room to sit but enough other customers (many of whom seemed to know each other) to create a pleasant buzz of conversation.
Football on a flatscreen was briefly interrupted in favour of horse racing on a couple of small TVs, but neither was obnoxiously loud. About half of the customers were watching the sport, and occasionally shouting at it.
Westons Herefordshire County Perry (4.5%) was very pleasant at £2.80/pint. Biddenden Dry and Medium (both 8%) were also on, and also £2.80. Many real ales too. The perry at least has to be fetched from the cellar, which is just at the back of the single room that makes up the pub.
There is an unsecured wireless network accessible from the pub, but I don't know if it actually has anything to do with the pub.
Ewan comments: Ales in March 2008 were Palmers bitter, Palmers 200 (a stronger bitter), Slaters Queen Bee, Ossett Brewery's Excelsior and Fine Fettle, and Spitfire. They also had the ciders mentioned above (still at £2.80) and a good whisky list (all at £2.10).
The pub was busy in the early evening of a public holiday, though there were still some tables down the back of the pub where we got a seat. Beers were well-kept, with particular praise for the Queen Bee. There was no sport playing at the time.
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