Historical version 32 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
- Featured Article, Free House, Pubs, Real Ale, Real Cider
- 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
- Addiscombe, CR0
Nice enough little pub in Addiscombe, in the Good Beer Guide. It's the sister pub of the Claret Wine Bar in Cheam. Previously known as the Claret Free House photo, it changed its name to the Claret & Ale in 2016 or early 2017.
Kake first 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.
On a March 2008 visit by Ewan et al., 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. There was no sport playing at the time.
In August 2007, 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 was fetched from the cellar, which is just at the back of the single room that makes up the pub.
In March 2008 the ales 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). Beers were well-kept, with particular praise for the Queen Bee.
In October 2011 the ales included Palmers bitter, Palmers Tally Ho, Anglo-Dutch Kletswater, and RCH Hewish Mild, and there were two ciders on, possibly the abovementioned.
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.
August 2016 visit. Cricket and golf on screens. About 10 people in. Cottage sunset (£3.40) was fine. Palmers IPA, cottage duchess, thornbridge rustic, hammerton bottle wreck porter, Windsor and Eton boatman.
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