The Spread Eagle is one of the only pubs in Croydon to host televised sports events on a large scale. A must for all diehard sports fanatics, and good for ale drinkers too.

The Venue
The building that is now known as The Spread Eagle pub was built in 1893 to house a bank and it still retains many original features. The style is predictably traditional, with a beautiful sweeping wooden staircase which leads to two function rooms, both of which are hired out free of charge. Wooden panelling on the walls sweeps round to a large bar which takes up one side of the room. The Spread Eagle pride themselves on showing all televised sporting events, and with five TVs there is a spot for everyone to get a good view on one of the many leather settees which are dotted all around. There is also more formal seating for a cosy tête-à-tête if that’s more your thing.

The Atmosphere
Mainly frequented by workers from some of the large corporations housed in Croydon, the clientele is quite lively at the weekend with groups of armchair sports fans visiting during the day and couples or groups in the evening. The age range tends to be over 30s.

The Food
This pub prides itself on the fact that they are ale and pie specialists. Their signature dish, chosen by loyal customers, is the Spread Eagle Pie. This is made out of loin of pork, onion, fresh sage, Fullers organic Honey Dew and caramelised pears, and it is served with seasonal vegetables and a choice of chips, creamy mash or new potatoes - a steal at only £8.95. The sweet potato and goat’s cheese pie is a good choice for vegetarians, again it’s priced at £8.95. Sandwiches and snacks are around £5.95 for a filo king prawn and chilli sauce platter, but there is a disappointingly small choice of desserts (£3.95).

The Drink
House wines start at £3.40 a glass or £13.50 a bottle. For lovers of red wine, a decent bottle of Beaujolais will set you back £23.50. If champagne is more your thing a bottle of Collet Carte d’or vintage is £48 and a bottle of Laurent Perrier Rose NV is £79 which is at the top end for the area.

As far as beer is concerned, this pub was listed in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide in 2010, and with good reason. They have a good range of cask ales including London Pride, Fullers ESP and Bengal Lancer which is their current guest beer. They have the full Fuller’s range and another six draught beers and lagers including Kronenbourg, Guinness and San Miguel, averaging £3.50 a pint. There is also a decent choice of ciders with Symonds at £3.60.

The Last Word
An oasis of calm in a bustling town, The Spread Eagle is definitely worth a visit.

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