please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Our last pub of 3 in an hour and this is more like it. It's a stumble from the Dukes Head but it might as well be in a different town they are that different.
The Crayford Arms is a lovely village style pub and just doesn't seem to belong in the same High Street as the Dukes Head.
It's a Shepherd and Neame pub with the full selection on the taps, I had a very good pint of Whitstable Bay.
Massive outside area to the back, but being 10.30pm it was empty.
Good service from the friendly bar maid, odd clientele though in one of the bars (this was the popular side), I cannot say why they seemed odd they just were. The other bar seemed more food orientated but food had stopped by the time we arrived.
This is a cracking little gem of a pub and it's most definitely worth another visit soon.
I visited 5 pubs in Crayford in one evening and this one and the very new Penny Farthing were by far the best.
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Cracking little boozer with very friendly Landlady.
Shepherd Neeme house with 5 hand pumps of which 3 were in use last Sat lunch.
Kents Best, Later Red and Master Brew which was very nicely kept and cost �2.90 a pint.
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The Lennox Lewis connection is true enough. I used to live in Crayford in the 80s and certainly in 87 - 87 there was talk of him being a contender.
I'm not sure if he trained in one of the rooms above the pub but he certainly lived in one of them for a while. Not sure if he worked behind the bar ever, but I do know that very rarely he would be asked to make an unobtrusive (!) appearance front-of-house if ever there were any issues bubbling with the punters.
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This traditional 2 bar Shepherd Neame pub is a short stroll from the Greyhound stadium and also reasonably handy for VCD football ground. My trips here have been few and far between over the years but having made a couple of recent visits, I can echo the previous sentiments of its ongoing improvements although to be fair, this was always my preferred Crayford pub anyway. The Ale range has been extended to 5 which include any seasonals and specials with prices reasonable and quality fine. The Saloon Bar to the left as you go in is carpeted with lots of paneling, built in pews, various displays, plates, old posters and nick nacks. An open staircase leads to a function room where, according to the local rumours, Lennox Lewis used to train. I have heard he also worked behind the bar although I cannot unearth any evidence to substantiate his connections with the pub. The bar itself is a bit cramped and the pub in general is hardly spacious but it has a certain retro charm with its sightly dated ambience. The separate Public Bar has been recently redecorated and has pool, darts and a TV. There is also a small but neat and tidy beer garden. The locals are quite welcoming and chatty and it is clear that the new management is doing a good job and their efforts not going unnoticed.
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This pub has improved leaps and bounds in the last couple of years , the beers range now extents to 5 hand pumped beers ( normally all Sheps but occasional guests assocaited the Sheps alliances ) The management are trying really hard with various initaves to make this work - well worth a visit with plenty of established Community groups using it asa focul point
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Good beer and thats about it, real strange atmosphere.
The locals look at you like you should not be in there pub!!
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New Landlord and some big improvements recently, especially to the external appearance of the pub. Inside, things are improving too. The beer is better (Spitfire, Kent's best) and the decor is changing gradually. Friendly and efficient bar staff. Good party/group pub as you'll often be able get part of a bar for yourselves. Sunday night is quiz night.
Cesco - 27 Jan 2007 23:37 |
The real ale on my visit was very good, Kent's Best Bitter, not tried it before but a nice change from Spitfire. Nice friendly local with great staff.
anonymous - 19 Jan 2007 12:55 |
Yes I agree 100% improvement to the outside of the pub since my last visit.Inside now looks clean and tidy.
Good beer but no food. Well worth a visit if you have not been there for a while.
anonymous - 11 Jan 2007 16:09 |
This pub is getting better. New managers and the outside has been repainted to a very high standard.They have also begun to tidy up inside the pub.The beers were OK on my visits. Friendly staff.
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This pub has to be experienced to be believed. It's a Shepheard Neame tied house and if you can find it open, then figure out how to get in, it's like going back at least 25 years in time. It can't have had anything done to it since Roman times, however the beer's good, it has a pool table, and I suspect a lot of lock-ins.
GaryD - 28 Jun 2004 21:09 |
