"Croydon" redirects here. For other uses, see Croydon (disambiguation).

Location of the South London area in London

South London is generally defined as any part of Greater London that is south of the river Thames. However, this guide will only cover the outer South London boroughs, and 'exclude' the inner South London boroughs namely; Richmond upon Thames, Wandsworth, Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham & Greenwich.

Understand

Most areas of present South London were once towns and villages in the counties of Surrey, Kent & Middlesex outside London, which were assimilated by London as it expanded rapidly in the 19th & 20th centuries. Surrey and Kent are still used as part of the official postal addresses for some areas of south London.

Most of outer South London is residential suburbia, but this is punctuated by some sites of tourist interest. The main towns of outer south London are Kingston upon Thames, Wimbledon, Sutton, Croydon, Bromley & Bexleyheath. Each of these towns are major commercial centres with major transport interchanges, entertainment, cultural and shopping centres.

Kingston upon Thames would have to be considered the most interesting of the aforementioned towns for visitors. It is a former market town within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. It is where many Saxon kings were crowned before the invasion of William the Conqueror in 1066. It has a pleasant riverside location with views across the river to nearby Hampton Court Palace & Park, which is a Tudor royal palace, built by Cardinal Wolesley for King Henry VIII. It has extensive viewing areas with rooms from various historical periods. There is also a large formal garden and maze, as well as substantial adjacent parkland and river walks along the Thames. The gardens are home to the annual Hampton Court Flower Show.

Boroughs

South London consists of the following London boroughs:

• Bexley — (population around 224,000) the borough includes Bexleyheath, Crayford, Erith, Sidcup, Thamesmead, Welling and Belvedere
• Bromley — (population around 303,000) the borough includes Beckenham, Bromley, Orpington, Chislehurst and Biggin Hill
• Croydon — (population around 342,000) the borough includes Croydon, Coulsdon, Norbury, Purley, Thornton Heath, Coulsdon, Old Coulsdon, Norwood and Norbury
• Kingston upon Thames — (population around 161,000) the borough includes Chessington, Kingston upon Thames, New Malden and Surbiton
• Merton — (population around 202,000) the borough includes Morden, Mitcham and Wimbledon
• Sutton — (population around 188,000) the borough includes Sutton, Carshalton, Wallington, Cheam and Worcester Park

Bromley

Bromley is in the southeast of Greater London. Much of the borough was historically in the county of Kent, as is reflected by the presence of Kent County Cricket Club's teams in Beckenham. Here one can find Biggin Hill Airport a small private airfield, used mainly for civil aviation, an International Air Fair in June and also featured in the Da Vinci Code movie.

The borough is the largest in London by area and occupies 59 square miles (153 km²). The borough shares borders with Lewisham, Greenwich and Bexley to the north, Southwark and Lambeth to the north west, Croydon to the west; and the counties of Surrey to the south and Kent to the south and east.

Croydon

Croydon Town Hall

Known to some as the "Dallas of the South" due to the density of shiny glass and steel high-rise office blocks, including the Home Office government department. Wellesley Road runs north/south through Croydon and is home to the luxury Saffron Square apartment development, including an iconic 45-storey tower. The pedestrianised shopping precinct west of here is an attractive retail area. Croydon Town hall and the Clock Tower art centre are housed in an imposing Victorian building just to the south of the retail centre.

Sutton

Fountain in Manor Park, Sutton.

Sutton is a borough and the main town in that borough. The town is a vibrant place with a theatre, lots of public art ranging from murals to statues to an armillary (look it up!), a very large library and many restaurants and coffee houses. The centre has a lot of attractive period architecture, and there are four conservation areas to keep it that way. There is a lush little town centre park called Manor Park, complete with a fountain as its centrepiece. It is also the site of the town's war memorial. The town has a sizeable business sector and one of the biggest shopping areas in London, centred around Sutton High Street. It's not as big as Kingston or Croydon though, being a bit more compact. But you will find many well-known names, including a large Waterstones bookshop, complete with a nice coffee area upstairs.

Finally, being a pretty leafy sort of place, it may be reassuring to know that Sutton benefits from very low crime by London standards.

Get in

By tube or London Overground

The London Underground system does not cover South London as extensively as North London. The Northern Line (Black) terminates at Morden. The District Line (Green) terminates at Wimbledon.

The London Overground links West Croydon and Crystal Palace stations to East London, primarily at Whitechapel station, and North London at Dalston Junction.

By train

South London is served by several train services from Central London stations. Check the London Transport maps for the correct station as the layout of the lines is rather confused in places.

As a rough guide, services run:

• From London Waterloo to Kingston.
• From London Waterloo to Surbiton.
• From London Victoria, London Blackfriars, London Bridge to Bromley, Croydon, Merton, and Sutton.
• From London Charing Cross and London Cannon St to Bexley and Bromley.

Bromley

By car

The M25 sits on the southern edge of the borough. Junction 4 (Bromley/Orpington) quickly connects with the A21, though for Chislehurst and areas it may be quicker to use Junction 3. The A21 is the main London to Hastings road and it runs through the borough before heading south to Sevenoaks and Tonbridge.

By train

The borough has 27 railway stations which cover much of the area and are served by three Central London stations; London Victoria, London Blackfriars and London Bridge (and, by extension, Cannon Street, Waterloo East and Charing Cross). The main transport hub in the borough is Bromley South, with regular fast trains to London Victoria and a network of buses that stop outside the station and go to all parts of the borough. Orpington is the major station for the east of the borough.

By air

Biggin Hill Airport is a former RAF airfield from which the Battle of Britain was coordinated and serves private jets. While the runway is usable by aircraft up to Boeing 737/Airbus A320 size, it is prohibited for airline operators to sell tickets for flights in and out of the airport, thus there are no scheduled or holiday charter flights from the airport. However, there is still a surprisingly large number of business flights.

Croydon

By Underground

Croydon is not served by the Underground network. However, the old East London Line has been integrated into the new London Overground network, linking West Croydon Station to Dalston Junction via New Cross, Docklands, and Whitechapel. This service, which started in June 2010, uses new rolling stock with longitudinal seating layouts similar to those used on Underground trains, allowing for more standing room. It is operated by Transport for London as part of the London Overground scheme.

By tram

An old tramlink tram bound for Croydon

Tramlink, opened in 2000, is the first modern tram system to operate in London. Trams have destinations at Beckenham, Wimbledon, Elmers End and New Addington with all lines travelling through Croydon, on the Croydon Loop. They can also be used to reach the Underground in Wimbledon.

By train

East Croydon station, is the second busiest station in London, and the main station for Croydon. Fast trains run into the centre of London terminating at Victoria or London Bridge stations in about 15–20 minutes.

There are direct service connections to London Gatwick & London Luton airports. Journey times from East Croydon to London Gatwick airport range from 15 to 36 minutes, with an average of 13 services per hour during the day. The journey time from East Croydon to London Luton airport is approximately 66 minutes, with an average of 4 services per hour during the day. The train service for London Luton airport also stops at London St Pancras (average journey time approximately 40 minutes), providing interconnections for Eurostar services to Lille, Paris & Brussels; as well as national services to the north of England & Scotland. There are no direct train services to London Heathrow airport. Typical fastest journey time would be approximately 90 minutes, and involve at least two changes.

It was announced in January 2013 that an upgrade to the Thameslink service meant there will be a new tunnel link from St Pancras providing a direct route from Croydon via Hitchin and Stevenage to Peterborough and Cambridge, although this is not expected until between 2014 and 2019.

All services from London Victoria that head to the South Coast stop here. Journey times from East Croydon to Brighton range from 36 to 60 minutes, with an average of 9 services per hour during the day.

Services are provided by Southern and First Capital Connect.

West Croydon station—which features in the famous story "Casting the Runes" by ghost story master M.R. James—is an interchange station for train, tram and bus. Trains run into the centre of London terminating at Victoria or London Bridge stations in about 20–40 minutes. Services leaving London generally terminate at Sutton but some continue to Guildford, Dorking and Epsom Downs.

By bus

Croydon is well served by the London bus network, with a major bus station at West Croydon and a new one opening on the eastern side of Croydon next to the Croydon clocktower and Park Place shopping centre soon. Bus services in the centre of Croydon include, but are not limited to:

• Towards central London: bus routes 50, 60, 109, 250, 468, X68 (a peak time express service).

• Other routes: 75, 119 (Purley Way (Croydon Airport) - Bromley), 157, 197, 264, 289, 312 (South Croydon Bus Garage - Peckham, via Central Croydon, Addiscombe), 407, 410, 450, 455, 466, and X26 (West/East Croydon - Sutton - Kingston - Heathrow Central (Express)).

Get around

Bromley

Transport for London (TFL) manages bus services in Bromley and these are operated by Selkent and Metrobus.

Croydon

Croydon is mostly pedestrian friendly, North End the main shopping parade was closed for traffic over 10 years ago and most places can be easily reached on foot.

By taxi

There is a large taxi stand, served by black cabs outside the main entrance to East Croydon Station. The taxi stand is on the left hand side as soon as you exit the station. The taxi stand allows other local cab companies, etc to pick up the passengers from the same taxi stand.

By bus

Buses leave at West Croydon station, with most buses leaving Croydon stopping at the bus station next to West Croydon station. The other bus station is opposite East Croydon station on George street, although not all buses going past it stop.

See

Bexley

• 1 Red House, Red House Lane, Bexleyheath, DA6 8JF, ☏ +44 20 8304-9878, redhouse@nationaltrust.org.uk. Not open every day. A major building of the history of the 'Arts and Crafts style' and of 19th century British architecture. Has some interesting textile displays. William Morris lived here, the architect was Philip Webb, with wall paintings and stained glass by Edward Burne-Jones.  
• 2 Danson Park. A truly stunning yet under-visited park, next to Welling, that features a mansion house (Danson House) and boating lake.  
• 3 Woolwich Dockyard. Historic area for both ship and weapon-making. The Arsenal (of which the football club derives its name from) is little left, although there is an Artillery Museum and parade ground with attached garrison for soldiers which is sometimes used. Was used for hosting several events for the Olympics of 2012.  
• 4 Charlton House. A Jacobean manor house. Formerly housing a museum and archives, the mansion is now a community centre, and much of the former pleasure grounds are parks.  
• Abbey Woods. as the name suggests, woods with a now-ruined abbey (Lesnes). 

Bromley

• 5 Chislehurst Caves, Old Hill, Chislehurst, ☏ +44 20 8467-3264, enquiries@chislehurstcaves.co.uk. W-Su 10AM-4PM, seven days during school holidays. A seriously underlooked attraction, the caves are not in fact caves but a twenty-mile long network of passageways, carved from the chalk deep under Chislehurst over a period of 8,000 years. Used as a massive air-raid shelter during World War II, the Caves are now a local tourist attraction. Tours often last for an hour, were you'll learn the fascinating history as well as hear ghost and horror stories. It can also be rented as a venue, and is used for by those into D&D 'cosplay' games. £5, concessions £3, under 5's free.   Nearby, the exiled Emperor Napoleon III lived in a country house, which is now Chislehurst golf club. Derwent House is also notable for its exquisite style.

• 6 Crofton Roman Villa, Crofton Roman Villa, Crofton Rd, Orpington, ☏ +44 20 8460-1442, croftonromanvilla@btinternet.com. Apr-Oct, Bank Holidays, W F 10AM-1PM and 2PM-5PM, Su 2PM-5PM. The only villa open to the public in Greater London. It was inhabited from about AD 140-400 and was the centre of a large farming estate. Today you can see the remains of 10 rooms protected inside a public viewing building. Remains include tiled (tessellated) floors and the under-floor heating system (hypocaust). £1, children £0.70.  

• 7 Down House, Luxted Rd, Downe, BR6 7JT, ☏ +44 1689 859119. Feb-mid-Dec W-Su 11AM-4PM, additional hours in spring and summer. It was at Down House that Charles Darwin worked on his scientific theories, and wrote On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, the book which both scandalised and revolutionised the Victorian world when it was published in 1859. Built in the early 18th century, the house remains much as it was when Darwin lived here. The rooms on the ground floor have been furnished to reflect the domestic life of the family and the first floor offers an interactive exhibition on his life, his research and his discoveries. English Heritage has restored the gardens to their appearance in Darwin's time. adults £10.00, children £6.00, concessions £9.00.  

• 8 Royal Waterman's Alms Houses, High Street, Penge. view from the outside only. designed by George Porter and built in 1840–1841 by the Company of Watermen and Lightermen of the City of London. The residents moved out in 1973 and the almshouses became private houses.  

• Petts Wood, cool place for a picnic, walk or camp.

Croydon

Because it was heavily bombed in WW2, Croydon features a patchwork of old and new architecture.

• The Whitgift Almshouses. Form a fine Tudor courtyard. 

• The Town Hall. Very impressive with a huge clock tower. 

• Clock Tower Museum. Exhibitions on the gifted black composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912) who lived most of his life in Croydon. His works include The Song of Hiawatha, a great favourite (before World War II) at the Royal Albert Hall conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent. 

• 9 Woodside Green. Visit for a villagy experience and go to the Joiner's Arms or Beehive pubs for a pleasant drink or meal.  

Croydon Airport, with the de Havilland DH 114 Heron alongside

• 10 Croydon Airport. London's former main airport, now disused and is now a tourist attraction.  

• 11 Museum of Croydon. A museum highlighting Croydon in the past and present includes the Riesco Gallery  

• 12 Shirley Windmill. Restored and the only surviving windmill in Shirley.  

• 13 Addington Palace. 18th century mansion in Addington.  

• 14 Croydon Clocktower. Arts venue, opened by Queen Elizabeth II.  

• 15 Nestlé Tower. The famous UK headquarters of Nestlé, one of the tallest towers in England.  

• 16 Fairfield Halls. Arts centre, which opened in 1962, frequently used for BBC recordings.  

• 17 Croydon Palace. Summer residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury for over 500 years.  

• 18 Croydon Cemetery. Most famous for the gravestone of Derek Bentley, wrongly hanged in 1953.  

• 19 Mitcham Common. Partly in the borough, shared with Sutton and Merton, this massive green space is good for quiet walks when the weather is nice and sledding when there's snow on the ground.  

Kingston

• 20 The Coronation Stone. Whilst not full of sights, an item of some interest is the coronation stone, on which seven English kings from Edward the Elder to Aethelred the Unready were crowned. The stone is located outside the Guildhall, and is close to the market.  

• The Thames. Kingston borough has recently put a lot of effort into redeveloping the riverfront, and it is an extremely pleasant way to spend a summer day. It can get very busy, and to avoid the crowds you can cross over Kingston bridge and walk along the quieter Richmond side. 

• Out of Order. For a good photo opportunity seek out the phone boxes, a sculpture by artist David Mach in Old London Road featuring a number of disused red telephone box leaning against each other like dominoes. 

Sutton

Interior of All Saints Carshalton

• All Saints Carshalton, West end of Carshalton High Street, opposite Carshalton Ponds, ☏ +44 20 8647-2366, jct@thewlis.org.uk. Historic Anglican church with a very ancient history. The church's website states that the church's tower in all likelihood dates from before the Norman conquest, and the first nave was probably built around 1150, though most of the present-day church was built in the 19th and early 20th centuries. (updated Jan 2016)

Do

Bexley

• Green Chain Walk, begins at the gardens by the Thames Barrier and is a leafy pedestrian and cycle path that continues deeper into the south-eastern suburbs. Can also check the pretty villages of Kent dotted around just outside London.
• Walk or cycle the Thames Path which follows the south bank of the river from Greenwich to Erith. Most sections are paved although there are some gravel/rough sections.
• Watch a football match at Welling United or Charlton Athletic.

Bromley

• Churchill Theatre. Offers a range of theatrical performances, including touring productions, performances by (very good) local amateur groups, and pantomime during the Christmas and New Year period (usually starring somebody who used to be in Neighbours). Bromley Little Theatre is close to the North Station. Bromley also has a medium-sized Odeon cinema. 
• Quaser, a laser-tag arena along Bromley Road in Downham, which is good fun for the kids or a rainy afternoon.[1].
• There is a large swimming pool in the Pavilion Leisure Centre, which has flume shoots and a wave-machine.

Croydon

• Fairfield Halls, Park Lane, Croydon, CR9 1DG, ☏ +44 20 8688-9291 (Box Office). Theatre / Arts centre. 

• BRIT School. Performing Arts and Technology school owned by the BRIT Trust (known for the BRIT Awards). 

• Croydon Grants. Entertainment Venue. Includes a large 11-screen Vue Cinema, The Milan Bar (a Wetherspoons chain pub), Reflex 80s Bar and Disco, Nando's and Tiger Tiger restaurant and nightclub. 

• Outdoor Spaces. The London Borough of Croydon has 120 parks & open spaces which you can visit freely. 

Sport

• 1 Crystal Palace Football Club, Selhurst Park Stadium, Whitehorse Lane, SE25 6PU, ☏ +44 8712 000071 (Ticket office). Crystal Palace F.C are a professional football league club. The club competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, capacity 26,309 (all seated), where it has been based since 1924.  
• Another popular south London side, with more of a family-feel is Charlton Athletic who play at The Valley, also 26,000 all seated capacity.

• Surrey County Cricket Club, Whitgift School, Haling Park, South Croydon, CR2 6YT. Surrey County C.C is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English domestic cricket structure. They play four home games away from the Oval (Kennington, Lambeth/South London) each season. Two of these games are played at the Whitgift School, the other two games are played in Guildford. See their website for fixture list. 

• Croydon Football Club, Croydon Arena, Albert Road, South Norwood, SE25 4QL, ☏ +44 20 8654-8555. Croydon F.C are a semi-professional "non-league" football club founded in 1953, as Croydon Amateurs. They compete in the Kent League Premier Division. Croydon Sports Arena is 2 minutes walk away from the Arena tram stop. They are somewhat overshadowed by Croydon Athletic though.  There is several other 'semi-pro' sides playing various divisions, in the southern suburbs of which they are named after, such as Welling United, Bromley F.C., Sutton United and Cray Wanderers - the oldest association football club still in existence in London. Tickets are typically between £3-10, which is far cheaper then watching Crystal Palace or a Premiership side, and arguably a more authentic experience, as you'll be sharing a seat (or more likely standing) pitchside, next to passionate fans, who help run or own shares in the club.

• Croydon Pirates is one of the largest baseball clubs, actually located at Roundshaw, just in the Borough of Sutton. They boast two diamonds and often host the London Baseball Tournament in August. They have a team in the highest division of baseball in the UK, which is still amateur. [2]. Similarly, there is Richmond Flames, which sport several sides in different leagues and play further afield in south-west London.

Most of London's sporting venues are within easy reach of Croydon, via public transport.

• 2 Wimbledon - Lawn Tennis Championships, The All England Lawn Tennis Club, Church Road, Wimbledon, SW19 5AE (ake tram from Croydon to Wimbledon, then either use special bus service or short walk using directions provided on website. Typical journey time should be no more than 30-40 minutes), ☏ +44 20 8944-1066. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, held each year over a two week period in late June & early July. T.  

Kingston

• Bike along the riverside. Follow the Thames path to Richmond upon Thames, Kew (home of the botanical gardens) and beyond into Barnes and Putney. In the opposite direction you will find Hampton Court, which has open air picnic concerts during the summer months. 

• 3 Chessington World of Adventures, Leatherhead Road, Chessington, Surrey, KT9 2NE (From the South, take M25 junction 9. From the North, take M25 junction 10), ☏ +44 870 999 0045. 10AM-5PM (winter), 10AM-8PM (summer). Theme park, zoo and sea-life centre. £23 over-12, £16 under-12, discounts for families and groups.  

• Football. Football enthusiasts can catch two clubs that play at Kingsmeadow, also known as the Cherry Red Records Fans' Stadium due to a commercial sponsorship deal. 
  • AFC Wimbledon, ☏ +44 20 8547-3528, +44 20 8546-9582 (tickets). Founded in 2002 by former fans of Wimbledon F.C. when that club received approval to move from London to Milton Keynes, where the club is now known as Milton Keynes Dons. After a series of promotions in the following years, AFC Wimbledon are now in Football League Two, the fourth tier of England's professional club system. 
  • Kingstonian F.C.. Formed in 1885, playing in the Ryman Premier Division, three promotions away from AFC Wimbledon. 

It is possible to also still see speedway and dog-racing at Wimbledon stadium, which is in the Borough of Merton.

Buy

Bromley

Each of the towns and villages in the borough has its own distinct high street but Bromley High St remains the main shopping centre and runs the length of the town. The northern section is mainly comprised of a cinema, specialist shops and restaurants. As the high street gets to the Market Square, there are a number of pubs. The central section of the High Street, between Market Square and Elmfield Rd, is pedestrianised.

• Bromley Charter Market (In a car park behind Bromley North Station). Th. 

• Farmer's market. At weekends. 

• Glades shopping mall (Runs parallel to the east side of the High Street). The bulk of the better-known stores are in this area. 

• The Mall (The southern section of the High Street, which runs down to Bromley South Station). Does not get many shoppers. 

• Time Trek Cute little comic-book shop near Bromley South station. Has imported manga and action-models too. TK Maxx is a large department store for great-valued clothes nearby.

Croydon

Croydon is one of the top 20 retail destinations in the United Kingdom, it has two large and a smaller shopping centers. All the major chain stores can be found in Croydon, along with most department stores.

• Centrale Shopping Centre, North End (Close to West Croydon station). M-W, F Sa 9:30AM-7PM, Th 9:30AM-9:00PM, Su 11AM-5PM. Shopping centre opened in 2004, situated on 4 floors. Shops include House of Fraser, Debenhams, Next, Zara, H&M, French Connection and Aldo. The Food Gallery is on the top floor of centre and includes a wide variety of restaurants. 

• North End. The shopping road in Croydon 

• Purley Way (To the south west of Central Croydon, but still in the borough). A retail-heavy road including large stores such as one of the four IKEA's in London, a B&Q warehouse, TK Maxx, Vue, Megabowl, Mothercare, Argos Extra, Sainsbury's and more. Retail parks include Valley Park, Purley Way Retail Park and Croydon Collonades, Waddon Goods Park. 

• Supermarkets. Include, in Croydon, Sainsbury's (Whitgift Centre), Tesco's (on Brighton Road 5 mins walk from town cntr), Lidl (West Croydon), Marks & Spencer (Whitgift Centre), Waitrose (East Croydon), Tesco's (Purley), John Lewis (Purley Way) 

• Surrey Street Market. Market which has a Royal Charter dating back to 1276 linking it to the Archbishop of Canterbury. 

• Whitgift Shopping Centre, North End (Close to West Croydon bus station). M-W, F Sa 9AM-7PM, Th 9AM-9PM, Su 11AM-5PM, Bank holidays 10AM-6PM. Main shopping centre, situated on 3 floors and used to be biggest shopping centre in Europe. Shops include Marks & Spencer, Boots, WHSmith, Sainsbury's Central, Mothercare and Books Etc. Various restaurants and cafes throughout the centre. 

Kingston Upon Thames

Kingston has the most extensive range of shops in the southeast of England outside central London, and is very popular, especially at weekends. Virtually all major chains have branches, as well as several independent shops and boutiques.

• Bentall centre, Clarence St. Biggest shopping mall. Four-storey mall, which is anchored by a multi-level department store, Bentalls, which sells high-end fashion, home ware and specialty food products. John Lewis is the other main department store in town and is noted for quality. It has a branch of Waitrose supermarket in the basement. 

• Fife Road (Between the Bentall Centre and the railway station). Several clothing boutiques. 

• Kingston Marketplace. The marketplace was historically at the heart of Kingston's prosperity, benefiting from a Royal Charter forbidding any other markets within seven miles. Today it mostly sells fruit and vegetables, although there are some other stalls. There are also occasional visiting markets from France and Germany that sell regional produce and takeaway food and drink. 

Eat

Bexley

• Real China along Bexleyheath High St. One of the best buffets in all of South London. The sumptuous interior and atmosphere will have you believe you really are in China!

Bromley

• Cinnamon Culture, 46 Plaistow Ln, Sundridge Park, ☏ +44 20 8289-0322. Stylish Indian restaurant not far from the town centre. 
• Abbaye Belgian Restaurant (242 The Glades Shopping Centre) and Belgo's offer 'Belgian' mussels and draught trappist beer.
• Pan-Chicago American deep-pan Pizza.
• There is a large choice of typical restaurants you would see on most High Streets, such as Zizzi or Pizza Express, with some good curryhouses spread around like 'Tinga next to the Odeon Cinema. Opposite is Taste Buffet, which has standard Chinese dishes, but the friendly service lends a personal touch to your dining. £6.40 Lunchtimes.

Croydon

Visitors are often surprised by the variety, quality and affordability of Croydon's restaurants. Whilst the pedestrianised centre is overflowing with chains, the High St and South End Rd (south of the flyover) has an excellent selection of independent places, which is (sadly) becoming a victim of its own success, and itself is beginning to be taken over by the chains.[3]

Budget

• Cafe Giardino, Centrale Centre and Whitgift Centre. Italian. 

• Cafe Santa Fe, 201 High St, ☏ +44 20 8688-6717. 

• Chicken Cottage, 263 London Road, ☏ +44 20 8689-1666. Fast-food chicken and ribs. 

• Fatty Arbuckles, Valley Park, Purley Way, ☏ +44 20 8680-4717. American Diner. 

• Noodle Time, 56-58 George Street, ☏ +44 20 8681-6598. Noodle Bar. 

• Yo! Sushi, 21 North End, ☏ +44 20 8760-0479. Sushi bar. 

Mid-range

• Addington Village Inn, 36 Addington Village Rd, ☏ +44 1689 842057. Various. 

• Aphrodite Greek Taverna, 19 Westow Street, ☏ +44 20 8653-9895. Greek. 

• Beefeater, 419 Streatham High Rd, Norbury, ☏ +44 20 8764-1671. English family pub chain. 

• Chat House Tandoori, 14-16 Brighton Rd, ☏ +44 20 8680-5719. 

• Chiquitos Restaurant & Bar, Unit 3 Valley Park, ☏ +44 20 8686-8341. Mexican. 

• Little Bay Croydon, 32 Selsdon Road, South Croydon, CR2 6PB, ☏ +44 20 8649-9544, croydon@littlebay.co.uk. M-Sa noon-midnight, Su noon-11PM. Three-course meal £11.00-16.00. There are live opera performances on Monday and Wednesday evenings, and live folk music on Saturdays. There are interesting murals on the toilet walls (at least in the men's) which might not be suitable for children! f. 

• Nandos, 26 High St, ☏ +44 20 8681-3505. Peri Peri Chicken. 

• Nandos, Hesterman Way, ☏ +44 20 8688-9545. Peri Peri Chicken. 

• Ocean Fish Restaurant, 56 Lower Addiscombe Road, ☏ +44 20 8406-3634. Seafood. 

• Old Orleans, City Limits Colonades Leisure Park, ☏ +44 20 8225-1900. American. 

• The Spreadeagle, 39-41 Katharine Street, ☏ +44 20 8781-1134, spreadeagle@fullers.co.uk. Food served M-F noon-3PM, 5PM-9PM, Sa noon-9PM, Su noon-6PM. A Fullers' "Ale & Pie" house serving up fresh, homemade pies and other pub classics, along with a great selection of cask conditioned ales. 

• Tiger Tiger, 16 High Street, ☏ +44 20 8662-4949. English. 

Splurge

• Auberge, Units 2153-2156, Whitgift Centre, ☏ +44 20 8680-8337. French. 

• La Brasa, 108a High St, ☏ +44 20 8760-9610. Argentinian. Winner of numerous 'Best local restaurant 200x' awards and is a real gem - small and unpretentious and serving flavoursome steaks, chicken and other delights. They buy good quality meat which actually has some taste, and it shows. 

• Croydon Steak House, 31 South End, ☏ +44 20 8688-8422. 

• Frankie & Benny's, Valley Leisure Park, ☏ +44 20 8760-5021. Authentic Italian and American. 

• Paradise Island, 67 South End, ☏ +44 20 8688-9848. Seafood. 

Kingston

The area of Kingston of New Malden has a sizeable Korean population and there are a large number of restaurants along the High St. Korean barbecue, such as galbi or samgyeopsal is available in numerous places. Another option is bibimbap, a mixture of various vegetables, rice and chilli paste.

Sutton

A French restaurant in Sutton High Street

Sutton town centre's range of restaurants has expanded greatly in the last ten to fifteen years, and there are now culinary offerings of French, Spanish, British, Mexican, Malaysian, Thai, Japanese, Pakistani, Portuguese and Turkish cuisine, as well as the more longstanding presence of Italian, Indian and Chinese eateries. You can't miss them, as they are mainly concentrated in the area to either side of the mainline station. Cream of the crop for fine dining is undoubtedly Brasserie Vacherin, listed in both the Good Food Guide and the Michelin Guide.

• Brasserie Vacherin, 12 High Street, Sutton, SM1 1HN (turn right out of Sutton railway station; it's just 50 yards from there.), ☏ +44 20 8722-0180. French.  This is one of four restaurants in London run by renowned chef Malcolm John. If you want a fine dining experience, this is the place to head for. For starters maybe choose crab ravioli or Atlantic prawns and for main course grilled lemon sole - these are exceptional. Likewise the desserts of crepe suzette and the cheese platter. But it's all good from the meat to the fish to the vegetables, as they know what they're doing here.

• Uno Tapas, 19-21 High St, Sutton, Greater London SM1 1DJ (turn right out of Sutton railway station; walk about 100 yards down Sutton High Street, crossing Sutton Court Road. The restaurant is on your left.), ☏ +44 20 8661-9477. Spanish.  A popular meeting spot in the town centre, this place is always buzzy on account of the tasty tapas on offer here. It's very large, so you should (just about) get a table without booking.

Drink

Bexley

There are micropubs in Eltham, Blackfen, Sidcup and Crayford.

Bromley

Borough-wide, Bromley's town centre drinking establishments are generally the sort of generic chain fayre you would find anywhere. However, away from the centres, there are good pubs, many in the traditional vein.

• The Anglesey Arms, 90 Palace Rd, Sundridge Park. Traditional feel, friendly staff and good ale, albeit a bit on the pricey side. Shepherd Naeme pub. 

• The Prince Frederick, 31 Nichol Ln, Sundridge Park. Allegedly the only pub named after George II's son, Poor Fred, Prince of Wales. It has managed to retain its traditional feel by maintaining separate saloon and lounge bars. A good choice of ales and lagers but no food. Greene King pub. 

• The Red Lion, 10 North Rd, Sundridge Park. Some christen this the best pub in Bromley. A friendly atmosphere, good quality ales and decent, affordable pub food make this an excllent choice. Greene King pub. 

• Sundridge Park. A small neighbourhood just to the north of Bromley, has retained some well-liked, traditional pubs. 

Croydon

• Bar Red Square, 63-67 High St, ☏ +44 20 8688-1020. Wine Bar. 

• Black Sheep Bar, 68 High St, ☏ +44 20 8680-2277. Alternative and very friendly rock bar which provides a nice change from the rest of the town centre's establishments. Very cheap drinks until 10pm most days. It is a members bar but arrive with any form of ID and you will be signed up for free and allowed in. 

• Green Dragon, 58-60 High St, ☏ +44 20 8667-0684. Pub with an eclectic but very good natured crowd. Live bands and DJs some nights of the week. 

• The Spreadeagle, 39-41 Katharine Street, ☏ +44 20 8781-1134. Good place to get a pint with a tasty pie. 

Kingston

There are a large variety of pubs and bars from cheaper chain pubs such as Wetherspoons to the trendy riverside bars. The main club is Oceana which is always very popular and attracts a great number of people from surrounding areas. Oceana's popularity of late however has taken a nosedive due to a widely publicised murder, their close neighbours 'The Hippodrome' is now considered the place to be.

Sleep

Bromley

• Avis Hotel, 33 Rodway Road, Bromley, BR1 3JP. Mid-range. 

• Bromley Court Hotel on Bromley Hill, is an elegant old-time place, that has been taken over now by Best Western.

• Bickley Manor Hotel, Thornet Wood Rd, Bromley, Kent BR1 2LW

• Sundridge Park Manor Hotel

Croydon

There is a wide range of accommodation for visitors to the London Borough of Croydon. The Tourist Information Centre promotes establishments which are members of the National Quality Assurance Standards Scheme. Each establishment is inspected annually by trained assessors from the AA, RAC or English Tourism Council (ETC). Members of the Quality Assurance Scheme are graded according to quality, facilities and level of service. The grading is denoted by stars (H) or diamonds (¨). Any establishment which has no grading is not part of the Scheme, therefore quality cannot be assured. The AA, RAC and English Tourism Council (ETC) have joint grading schemes for hotels, guest accommodation and self-catering. Hotels are graded from one to five stars. These indicate the quality, facilities and level of service. The more stars the higher the quality, level of service and range of facilities offered. Guest accommodation includes guest houses, bed & breakfasts and some hotels. They are graded from one to five diamonds. All establishments must meet minimum standards for facilities and services. More diamonds are awarded for higher standards of quality and customer care.

• Aerodrome Hotel, Purley Way (Next to Croydon Airport), ☏ +44 20 8680-1999. Luxury hotel, recently re-fited to become a luxury hotel. 

• Express by Holiday Inn, 1 Priddys Yard (Central Croydon), ☏ +44 20 8253-1200. Built in 2003, new and modern. 

• Jury's Inn, Wellesley Rd (Central Croydon), ☏ +44 20 8448-6000. Modern hotel. 

• Premier Inn, The Colonnades Leisure Park (West Croydon), ☏ +44 870 990 6554. Hotel which offer warm and cosy rooms. From £40. 

• Premier Inn, 104 Coombe Rd (South Croydon), ☏ +44 8701 977 069. Hotel which offer warm and cosy rooms. From £40. 

• 1 De Vere Selsdon Estate, 126 Addington Road, ☏ +44 20 8657-8811, fax: +44 20 8651-6171, selsdon.reservations@principal-hayley.com. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. 

• Travelodge, Norfolk House, Wellesley Rd (Central Croydon, next to Jury's Inn), ☏ +44 871 984 6318. Cheap and modest. From £40. 

Stay safe

Croydon

• The Purley Way is a difficult place to get about by foot: some areas can be reached by tram but the park is designed for cars.
• Avoid flashing valuable possessions in the town centre to avoid attracting unwanted attention.
• Croydon town centre becomes very popular on Thursdays with TigerTiger open to under 21s, and its weekends with a multitude of popular bars in the town centre. Always prebook your taxi for safety on a night out because the local London Black cabs are very expensive. That said, the night bus network in Croydon is very good, and the vast majority of journeys will be completed without incident: as ever, common sense applies.
• It is advised to be cautious in this area as it can include a rough element.

Go next

• Chartwell, Westerham - during the summer months bus 246 runs from Bromley to Chartwell (Oyster cards accepted).
• Kent - accessible from various railway stations in Bromley and Bexley.

Routes through South

Leicester Square / The City ← Wimbledon ←	N  S	→ END
END ←	W  E	→ Southwark-Lewisham → East End
Central London ← Greenwich ←	NW  SE	→ Dartford → Dover
Central London ← Wimbledon ←	NE  SW	→ Weybridge → Portsmouth
Central London ← Lewisham ←	NW  SE	→ merges with → Channel Tunnel/Dover
Central London ← Lambeth ←	N  S	→ merges with → Gatwick Airport/Brighton and Hove