Food & Drink
17 July 2025
Last week we popped by Bishops Wine Bar to catch up with co-owner Angela Ferrara about the bar’s history and their upcoming ABBA night on Saturday 26 July, which celebrates the 10th birthday of...
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29 May 2025
If you head down to Addiscombe today you’re sure for a big surprise – ok it’s not a teddy bears’ picnic, it’s better. Nestled in the heart of Addiscombe’s ever-evolving high street is Dirty...
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8 May 2025
In our humble point of view, Croydon has never been lacking for things to do. Heck, we’ve been writing about them for 9 years now and still have a long list of things to...
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16 May 2024
If you want to feel like you’re in the middle of the countryside, The White Bear is the pub for you. Nestled in a hamlet called Fickleshole (no I haven’t made it up), between...
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14 September 2023
One balmy evening last week Julia and our guest writer Lisa visited Elodie for dinner – Birch Selsdon’s new signature restaurant with food by Michelin-starred chef, Lee Westcott. Lisa: My visit was a whole lot...
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19 July 2023
It’s been a few years since we last caught up with MD of Signal Brewery Charlie Luckin. Tucked around the corner from Therapia Lane Tram Stop and Croydon Ikea, Signal have been busy expanding...
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1 June 2023
Last week we had the pleasure of heading to Croydon’s ‘newest’ hotel in Selsdon. Us seasoned locals will likely always think of the location as Selsdon Park Hotel, but what was last De Vere...
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19 April 2023
We have long been fans of the fantastic Mr Fox on Surrey Street with their exquisite cocktails and the best veggie burgers in town (in my opinion anyway). Therefore I had been eagerly anticipating...
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25 January 2023
Norbury seems to have taken on a new lease of life in the past couple of years with noteworthy restaurants and cafés and more to come in 2023. The Norbury of today takes me...
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17 November 2022
It is almost the festive countdown to Christmas stockings and dinner with all the trimmings! My dad, believe it or not, has already put up his Christmas decorations to make the most of the...
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27 October 2022
On a rainy autumn evening fish ‘n’ chips has to be my favourite takeaway. We recently discovered our new local ‘For Cod’s Hake’, which opened at the end of last year in Boxpark. I...
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22 September 2022
Three days of beer comes to Stanley Arts from Thursday 29 September to Saturday 1 October 2022. Yes you heard right – from ale and bitter to cider, perries, lager and more, they’ll be...
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1 September 2022
‘What did the grape say when it was crushed? Nothing, it just let out a little wine’. Did you know that the average Brit consumes the equivalent of 108 bottles of wine a year....
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24 August 2022
4 Locos has just celebrated its 4th birthday. It doesn’t seem that long ago that we first went through its doors when it opened. It was launched in 2018 by four friends, keen to...
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21 June 2022
Shake out your napkins and pack your fold-up forks, because this Sunday (26 June) sees the long-awaited return of the Croydon Food & Music Festival, after a three-year hiatus. If you haven’t been before,...
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28 April 2022
Summer is almost upon us and I’ve been daydreaming of an ice cold beer in the sun. It doesn’t have to be summer of course to enjoy beer, and anyone who knows me will...
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17 March 2022
If you are craving South Indian and Sri Lankan food, West Croydon is a haven to satisfy all tastes. Sri Lankan food and South Indian food overlap so you will find they both have...
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14 February 2022
Oh how we’ve missed gatherings and socialising (IRL) with people over the past couple of years. So drum roll please, because this Friday evening will quite possibly see the most hotly attended Croydon party...
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10 February 2022
Lush foliage and racks and racks of wine bottles gleaming in the downlights greet you as you enter Old Coulsdon’s dazzling The Aycorn Shoppe. Mixing an unbelievable array of plants and foliage – moss...
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2 December 2021
From the sunshine coast of Brighton, Urban Legend has branched out to Croydon with their low calorie and low sugar donuts. You will find them in a shipping container that is Barbie pink inside,...
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14 October 2021
This week guest writer and Croydon-based foodie enthusiast Helena reviews local institution (and anomaly) Cockneys of Croydon. I love pie and mash so I feel compelled to try every place that serves it because it...
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2 September 2021
It was a friday night so of course cocktails were in order with a side order of live jazz music. So where in the blazes can you head to for that? None other than...
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19 August 2021
Comfort food that is fresh, tasty and has health benefits… don’t think these three go together? Well think again! Ever heard of Koshary? Well, you may have, but we certainly hadn’t and so when...
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1 July 2021
After a year of having limited opportunities to go out and about to restaurants for dinner, this week I’ve been planning a date night. Being central Croydoners, we are well used to having a...
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10 June 2021
Croydon you are spoiling us with the extremely scrumptious taste bud teasers available at the one, the only, Big Mike’s Calypso Kitchen. Bringing flavours of the Caribbean to Croydon’s Boxpark, Big Mike’s is refreshingly...
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3 June 2021
All you Vegan non-believers get ready for a love affair with Vegan Express. Your taste buds will be dazzled and your pallet enriched with what I personally think is some of the best vegan...
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18 March 2021
If you take a look at my Instagram account you’ll see that I really only post pictures of two topics. One is wine and grapes, the other is grilled, smoked and rotisserie food. So,...
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3 March 2021
What has powered a lot of us through Covid? Well if you’re like me, it’s coffee. I’ve been rather dismayed in the last year when some coffee shops stopped serving me coffee in my...
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19 November 2020
This time of year as the evenings draw in and the weather gets all wintery I always fancy some comfort food by the time we reach a Friday evening. Add in a second lockdown...
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5 November 2020
We first came across 80 Stone Coffee Roasters when we noticed that the new Matthews Yard were serving coffee from a local roaster. We hadn’t realised there was a coffee roaster nearby so we...
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1 October 2020
At the start of 2020 the sad announcement was shared that our beloved local gem, Matthews Yard would be closing. Over the years we had enjoyed many a pint and too much wine, in...
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10 September 2020
Adventures have mostly been put on hold this year for obvious reasons, but in recent weeks I’ve been masked up, with anti-bac at the ready and ditched cash for contactless as I’ve headed back...
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23 April 2020
As we entered our new world of lockdown in the second half of March, we began our ‘Croydon at home’ series to help us all to still fly the flag for Croydon from our...
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9 April 2020
If you’re missing your local boozer, you’re certainly not alone, but being in quarantine doesn’t have to mean that you miss out on the socials that normally take place in the pub. I sort...
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20 March 2020
This week, we have all entered a new and rather scary world, with all the issues the Coronavirus brings with it. Arts, culture, leisure and entertainment won’t be as we know it for a...
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31 October 2019
For a good while now Surrey Street and its environs has been one of our main areas of choice to spend an evening out with friends. From having the creative space of Matthews Yard...
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2 October 2019
Boxpark Croydon has seen quite a few comings and goings in its shipping containers over the past three years, but if the food formula is right, then the good eateries tend to stay. August...
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14 August 2019
Those who live or work in Sanderstead will know that whilst us locals love a good curry and can often be found indulging in a large cod and chips from several of the fantastic...
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19 June 2019
In recent years, craft beer has really kicked off in a big way. Once dominated by overseas super brands, we’re now seeing the likes of Brew Dog and Camden Lager holding their own and...
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30 January 2019
We have finally made it through the blue month of January folks, and tomorrow we enter the red month of love. Yes, it’s only two weeks today until Valentine’s Day! Whether you like to...
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13 December 2018
A few weekends ago we popped by the ace new pub in town, the Joker Croydon (see what we did there?), which sits in the heart of the South End restaurant quarter. Seasoned Croydonians...
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3 October 2018
We have a new café on the block in Croydon town centre. And one with a rather unique selling point, as it forms part of the newly opened Crisis charity shop on Crown Hill....
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6 July 2018
Croydon’s culinary scene is ever growing and as a borough we are truly blessed for the diverse range of cuisine on offer. From Southend to Boxpark, you can travel the globe with your taste...
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4 May 2018
Once upon a time, not so many moons ago, Croydon’s high street just beyond the strip, appeared to have lost its buzz. Aside from Surrey Street Market and Matthews Yard, there seemed to be...
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29 March 2018
Have you been to Croydon’s hotel district lately? I’m talking about when you head out the yellow back exit of East Croydon station and walk down Lansdowne Road to the Whitgift Centre. If you’re...
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15 February 2018
Ever wondered what happens to all that wasted food in supermarkets? No? Well South Norwood residents Laura Whittall and Paul Mitchell did more than wonder, they collect unwanted food every saturday morning to cook...
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8 February 2018
One of the things I like most about winter is wrapping up warm, heading out into the countryside for a bit of fresh air and ending the day in front of a fire in...
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17 January 2018
I’m a relative newbie to Art Rebellion, Coulsdon’s quirky combined café and art gallery. Nestled conveniently between Coulsdon Town and Coulsdon South train stations, I first visited for a private view of artist Bareface’s...
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13 December 2017
Every park should have a café – it’s a place to escape the rain, quench your thirst on a hot summer’s day or enjoy a bite to eat and a hot drink to warm...
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26 October 2017
If music be the food of love then look no further than Beats & Eats for your fix of some mighty fine live music and food to send your taste buds soaring. With their...
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10 October 2017
When Boxpark landed next to East Croydon station to a fanfare of Grime music and Boxercise, it also brought with it an array of eateries and food. With forty different restaurants, cafes, bars and...
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16 August 2017
Close your eyes and try to imagine the smell of freshly baked bread, coffee and something mouth wateringly sweet and delicious. No it’s not the sinister gingerbread house from the Grimm fairy tales and...
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26 July 2017
Since the age of being able to roll a dice, I’ve loved a good board game, so it was no surprise that I carried on this path throughout life and even transcended into the...
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18 July 2017
Croydon needs and deserves good pizza. Decent pizzerias have popped up every now and then and whilst Pizza Express and the like have their place they can’t always deliver what I and other Croydonians...
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30 May 2017
I strongly believe that Croydon’s diversity is one of its greatest assets. I also believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Surely nothing could be better than combining these beliefs...
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10 May 2017
Croydon isn’t short of a curry house or two and it can take something special to stand out from the crowd. From the several visits we’ve paid to Karnavar over the past few months...
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5 April 2017
Brgr&Beer celebrate two years of business on Saturday 15 April with a birthday bash at Matthews Yard. We caught up with the guys to talk about their Brgr highs and lows. Croydonist: Tell us...
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27 March 2017
Croydon has well and truly landed as the home of brunch. In fact we Croydonians are quite spoilt for choice. Breakfast being my favourite meal of the day, I’m always on the lookout for...
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21 February 2017
Croydon is well and truly on the map these days as a slice of foodie heaven. Roll a world map out on the table (we all have one of those right?), close your eyes...
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31 January 2017
After the excesses of the Christmas and New Year break, I often find myself with a hankering for the clean, fresh and warming flavours of Vietnamese food. Vietnamese cuisine is wide and varied in...
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18 January 2017
Okay, 2017 is actually the year of the rooster in the Chinese calendar, but it’s definitely the year of the goat for South Norwood, with its new pub, the Shelverdine Goathouse*. Opening at the end of...
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5 January 2017
Bleak winter mornings, limited daylight and a frosty chill in the air. That pretty much sums up January for most, although I do quite like winter, but that first month of the year is...
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14 December 2016
It’s been just over a month since The Breakfast Club, and indeed Boxpark Croydon, opened their doors to an eagerly awaiting public. Having won the hearts of many of London’s East Enders, The Breakfast...
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28 November 2016
I have been dining at Little Bay in South Croydon all my adult life. For those of you who don’t know it (first of all why not, and secondly why the hell not) the...
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21 November 2016
It’s cold, it’s raining (or it was yesterday), and I’m not getting enough sunlight. You know the story, get up and leave the house, and it’s dark outside. Exit the office, and guess what?...
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4 November 2016
Monday 31st October saw the fences come down and the shutters open for Boxpark Croydon – the latest addition to our ever expanding food and entertainment spaces in the borough. Spearheading casual dining on...
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2 October 2016
If you’re a pizza fan looking for that something a little different from the norm, then look no further than Four Hundred Rabbits. Situated in the triangle area of Crystal Palace (the Croydon part),...
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26 September 2016
Croydon has been at the forefront of many exciting things in its time – world record breaking flights, innovation in aviation and rail – plus it has a rich history in arts and entertainment. In fact, Croydon was...
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9 August 2016
Once upon a time (let’s say Anglo-Saxon times), there was a market in Croydon, which went about its business of trading livestock and produce. In those days (or near about) a pub stood on...
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19 July 2016
Music trivia here… ‘Closed mouths don’t get fed on this Boulevard’ is a quote from which song? No idea? It’s that old classic song from Ace Hood ‘Hustle Hard’ of course silly, and leads...
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29 June 2016
When I first visited Matthews Yard for a charity gig night a few years ago, it felt like I’d wandered through a portal to a different world just off Surrey Street Market. I’d lived...
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14 June 2016
I have a secret I’m going to share. Deep breath. I. Like. The food. In. IKEA. Now, you’re probably thinking ‘so what’. But I like it enough that a few years ago I even...
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10 June 2016
Many places claim to serve pies when what they actually serve is a stew with a pastry lid. THIS IS NOT A PIE. No, really it isn’t, well not a proper pie anyway. To...
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11 May 2016
There are lots of things in this world that are oval. Eggs are oval… in fact I think most eggs are, but please do correct me if I’m wrong. Moving on, we have the...
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