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Marketed as Lebanese restaurant
Originally The Crown. Re-opened in October 2014 as an upmarket restaurant, after having been closed for around 10 years. A sympathetic refurbishment has been undertaken that preserves the superb original late-Victorian features. The room on the corner has been preserved as a bar for those choosing not to eat. An outside seating area is available at the front, decorated with pots containing mature olive trees. Cuisine is Lebanese, part of the Maroush chain. A bespoke service is also offered for off-site catering.
Cask Ale was re-introduced for a few months in 2017, with a barrel on the bar with cooling-jacket. Sadly, poor demand led to its being taken out again. There are some mainstream keg beers plus Lebanese bottled beer.
Historic Interest
The Folly in the name refers to the false story that this venue was built in the late 1890s in expectation that The Grand Central Railway terminus would be built close by; and that Mr. Crocker committed suicide when this did not happen. In fact he died a natural early death and this is just an example of "fake news".
Three star - A pub interior of outstanding national historic importance
Listed status: II*
This pub has just about everything: mahogany woodwork, a marble counter, marble fireplaces and walls, original glazing and decorative friezes and ceilings.
Built in 1898-9 to the designs of architect C.H. Worley for the entrepreneur Frank Crocker, with no expense spared to fit it out with it also serving as a hotel and restaurant. Currently named after the original owner of course, based on the myth that he built this grand establishment to serve the Great Central Railway's new terminus, which in fact was built at Marylebone over half a mile away.
The front entrance leads into a spectacular dining area that used to be known as the 'grand saloon'. Here the highlights are a splendid marble counter rounded at both ends, a bar-back of two large arcade bays, a superb large marble fireplace with paired columns and hood, marble walls and an elaborate plasterwork ceiling and frieze with the detail highlighted in gold. On the left through double doors is another large dining room, but which was originally a billiard room. There's another marble fireplace in here, and although not quite as ornate as that in the 'grand saloon' it does have a decoratively carved mantelpiece. This room also has an elaborate plasterwork ceiling, but the marble counter is a later addition.
On the corner is a bar for those just wanting a drink, with 'Saloon' on the corner door. It is thought that it originally had five separate compartments, all screened off from one another, one of which was reserved for ladies. The original mahogany bar fittings remain with the bar-back having six mirrored bays and with a glazed-panelled door at its corner which presumably led to the manager’s office. All along the top of the back fitting are multi-paned mirrors. Above the door is a clock with the wording ‘The Crown Hotel’ - the original name of the establishment. This room also has a deep frieze and decorative ceiling with details picked out in gold.
Crocker's was a show-case Victorian pub of 3 storeys and attic, built in 1898-9 of red and plum brick. It has an elaborate, eclectic style to the designs (Oct. 1897) of architect C.H. Worley of Welbeck Street for the entrepreneur Frank Crocker. No expense was spared to fit it out and it served also as a hotel and restaurant, conveniently placed near Lord's cricket ground.
The front entrance leads into a spectacular 'grand saloon', as it was known (now the 'Marble Room'), which is set up for dining. Here the highlights are a splendid marble counter rounded at both ends, the bar back is of two large bays with the right hand one having an arch for staff to access the public bar, a superb large marble fireplace with paired columns and hood, marble walls and an elaborate plasterwork ceiling.
On the left through double doors is a large room (now 'Lord's Dining Room'), also used as a restaurant but, when the pub opened, this was a billiard room, accommodating two full-size tables: there was a platform for thirty people to watch the play. There is a not quite as ornate marble fireplace with a decoratively carved mantelpiece; the marble counter is a later insertion. Another elaborate plasterwork ceiling is another tour de force. When the hotel opened the restaurant was on the second floor and there was a concert room on the first floor.
On the right is the 1898 Bar, which it is thought had originally five separate compartments, all screened off from one another; but there is only two exterior doors leading into the room. One of these was reserved for ladies only. The original mahogany bar fittings remain. The bar back faces three directions with the left hand side having three mirrored bays and no loss of lower shelving to fridges but some replacement shelving above. Then there is a door with decorative multi-glazed panels which presumably led to the manager’s office (now a kitchen) and above the door is a clock with the wording ‘The Crown Hotel’. From its opening until 1987 the pub was known as the Crown Hotel. On the return there is just the mirrored bar back screen as the bar counter here has been cut back. All along the top of the back fitting are multi-paned mirrors. There is a deep freize all around the room with the detail picked out in gold. The pub was featured in the 1960s film ‘Georgy Girl’.
The name change arose because of a wondrously exaggerated story that Frank Crocker built this grand establishment to serve the Great Central Railway's new terminus. In fact this ended up at Marylebone over half a mile away. The story goes continues that Crocker went bust and then killed himself by jumping out of an upstairs window. In fact, Marylebone was a-building at the same time as the Crown and Frank died of natural causes at the tender age of 41 in 1904, a much-liked and respected member of the community. The website “pubhistory.com” quotes details supplied by a Moyna Wilson who states that in around 1924 the pub was run by Ethel Durden, Charles Durden, Bernard Barker and Clarence Barker as a family concern. Charles Durden later killed himself by jumping from the window on the corner, where the grand piano was (as opposed to a book by Richard Tames', which says that Crocker did this - this is wrong, it was my uncle).
Following ten years' closure Crocker's reopened in 2014 after restoration as a high-quality restaurant and bar – please note if you want to view the Marble Room and Lord's Dining Room you are recommended to visit between 12 and 5 Monday to Friday.
Crocker's Folly, St John's Wood