The Coney

The Coney isn't trying to be anything it's not – it's a straightforward roadside pub that's been around long enough to become part of the Coney Hall fabric. You pull up to this huge building on Croydon Road and immediately notice the uninspiring sign that just says "The Coney Bar and Restaurant," which tells you everything you need to know: this is a place about food and beer, not atmosphere or pretension. The interior is exactly what you'd expect from a converted roadside pub – open plan with various vaguely defined seating areas, quarry stone floors, and a bar that looks like it came straight from a hotel chain.

What sets The Coney apart is its commitment to being a proper restaurant first. The food menu is substantial and the place is clearly set up for proper meals rather than just quick pints. The patio area offers decent garden furniture if you want to sit outside, though you'll be staring at four lanes of speeding traffic unless you're lucky enough to snag a spot away from the road. Inside, you'll find everything from banquette seating under the windows to a large restaurant area with standard chairs and benches. The odd winter sports theme – skis on the walls, snow shoes mounted as decor – is clearly a holdover from the parent company Mountain Range Restaurants, and while it makes zero sense in suburban Bromley, it's become part of the place's charm.

It's not going to win any design awards or impress food critics, but for locals who want a no-nonsense pub meal without the fuss, The Coney delivers. The atmosphere is staid and unexciting, but that's sometimes exactly what you need after a long week. Just don't expect the Oasis greatest hits compilation playing on the TV to transport you anywhere better than West Wickham.