Things to do in Croydon
Nightlife in Croydon
Having given the world Adele and dubstep, Croydon has a strong nightlife and musical heritage which continues to this day with a strong collection of pubs, clubs and bars.
Our virtual pub crawl around Croydon starts on Katharine Street at The Spread Eagle. Set in a grand Victorian building with period features, this former bank is a really nice place to enjoy a pint or two. The pub also doubles up as a theatre, hosting some great intimate shows and comedy acts.
Next we head to Oval Tavern, a lovely pub just a hop, skip and a jump from East Croydon Station. There is a real sense of community in here, and visitors are warmly welcomed with a choice of six frequently rotated ales on tap. The Oval is also a popular place for music lovers, who turn up to their frequent gigs showcasing a mix of genres from jazz to blues, rock to folk and everything in between.
Just around the corner from Centrale Shopping Centre is Dog & Bull, a delightful boozer that is said to date all the way back to 1431. It is an absolute must for real ale fans, having been awarded CAMRA Croydon Pub of the Year in 2016. The indoor is cosy, but outside is even cosier with heated booths, each with a TV and serviced by their outside bar and BBQ.
Our final destination on this whistle-stop tour of the best pubs in Croydon is The Cronx Bar on George Street, around a mile and half from our Croydon South hotel. This is the brewery tap for The Cronx Brewery, which is just a few miles away. Opened in 2016, this pub allows you to try a wide variety of their own beers, as well as a selection of favourites from other nearby breweries, meaning you are supporting local independent businesses whilst enjoying a great pint.
Bars in Croydon
Croydon nightlife
If it's cocktails and good music you're after, look no further than South Beats Cocktail Bar & Lounge on the High Street. Spread over two floors, the bar is open until 2am every weekend and serves up a wide range of standard cocktails as well as their own range of signature drinks – and head down from 4-9pm daily and you can take advantage of their two-for-one happy hour deal.
Head up the High Street towards the Centrale Shopping Centre and you'll find The Dutchie Restaurant and Cocktail Bar, a buzzing Caribbean bar and restaurant that serves up a range of cocktails in Large or XL sizes and regular happy hour deals each day.
To complete the cocktail hat-trick, head to Playground, a fun bar that opened in 2015. Using a wide range of creative approaches including flavoured ice spheres, molecular techniques and zest-infused balloons, the cocktails are spectacular and can be sipped, tasted and greeted with 'ooohs' and 'aaahhs' from Wednesday to Sunday evenings.
Open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Bad Apple is the leading alternative club in the region, playing a wide range of music spanning rock, metal, dubstep, funk, soul and more since launching in 2012. A late-night pub with a 4am license, you can chill on their suck-you-in sofas, grab a snack from their hotdog stand or get involved on the dancefloor action.
Located on Surrey Street, The Granaries is the place to go for R&B, soul, reggae and old-school vibes. Open Friday and Saturday night until 4/5am, the club is split into three distinct rooms offering different styles each night and has been a mainstay in Croydon since opening in 1990.