The Kingsmen Pub

You'll find The Kingsmen tucked away in the Forestdale Centre, which isn't exactly Croydon's flashiest postcode, but that's precisely why it works. This is the kind of pub where regulars actually sit at the bar for proper conversation rather than hunching over their phones. The sort of place you can actually hear yourself think, which is rarer than you'd expect round here. The drinks are honest—nothing craft-cocktail about it—and the food's the type of thing that doesn't pretend to be anything it isn't. Whether you're after a quick pint after work or settling in for the afternoon, there's a refreshingly unpretentious vibe that makes you feel like you've stumbled onto something the rest of Croydon hasn't bothered queuing for.