With its beautiful roof of Norfolk reeds and oak beams, this pub really is a charming place to head…read morefor a nice long lunch on a warm day. There's a huge garden to accommodate large groups and there's plenty of room inside the place too. The staff and owners are really friendly and can't do enough to make you feel welcome. Food wise, I can't recommend the steaks enough here. They source the meat locally and you can tell the difference in the flavour. The Sirloins are fantastic and the chef really knows how to cook it to order (you'd be surprised how many don't. Perfect place to head to on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

The Thatched Inn will always hold a little place in my heart. Aside from the great impression it…read moremakes on pulling into the car park, due to the exceptionally maintained thatched roof, it is the 'pubiness' that makes it a winner. Located on the fringes of Hassocks and overlooking a beautiful stretch of Sussex countryside (great for a post Sunday roast walk to preserve the waistline!), the pub has the advantage of space that Brighton establishments sometimes lack. You would be hard pressed not to find a parking space and the same applies to seating within. The pub provides a cozy bar including a pool table if you fancy stopping by for a swift pint, the 'Keymer' bar for a more relaxed beverage and a large, yet homely dining area if you have come to eat. I will come back to the food in a minute. In the summer, the expansive secluded garden is perfect for children to bomb about, or for those summer nights when the weather is pleasant (of course, a bit hit and miss in this country!). The menu is wide ranging (check the website for a current list of dishes) and offers traditional, quality pub food. A lot of the produce is locally sourced and cooked to order. Sometimes this does mean that you wait a little longer for your meal, but the wait is worth it in such a nice environment. This is a great pub to consider for a Sunday roast, especially if you live in Brighton and have access to a car. They will happily take bookings and also cater for private parties in the dining area. I would have liked to see a wider range of ales on tap, but they do try and keep a local brew or two in rotation. Aside from that, expect your regular range of alcoholic tipples on offer. Many moons ago, in my youth we used to walk to the Thatched from Burgess Hill for our Friday drinking sessions and I would still make that walk! I guess the one negative is the location if you are without transport, but if you do make the pilgrimage from the station, I believe you will be glad that you did.

A wonderful country pub that is a real family favourite for Sunday lunch. There's an ever changing…read moremenu with lots of local fare. The helpful staff are vey happy to help you choose and there is a good selection of homemade dishes for the kids too, alongside the traditional items like Roasts. Good selection of real ale is available too. Best of all, for those of us who like such things, it's slap bang next door to the Lavender Line steam railway. A roast and a vintage loco? Everyone's happy.

I love this place, proper village pub with home-cooked food and fantastic beers and ciders on tap…read more You always get a warm welcome here from the pub owner, his wife and their staff, whether it's your first visit or you are a regular. My favourite is the vegetarian inferno burger, which comes with a pile of proper fat chips. About a million miles from being a gastro pub and all the better for it!

This pub was the stopping place for Pilgrims in 1510 travelling between Winchester and Canterbury…read moreso is really steeped in history and oozes character with it. Since then, not surprisingly its come a long way! Its now a top destination for a relaxed and friendly night out. The food is top quality and in no way pretentious. Last time I ate there I had the chicken liver pate served with red onion marmalade to start followed by the pan fried calves liver which was so tasty! If you get there early enough on a Sunday to sit outside and enjoy their roast dinner, the view is beautiful and makes the whole experience really special.

Well-known gastro-pub in an idyllic countryside setting, close to the slopes of the South Downs…read more The hamlet of East Chiltington is situated at the end of a small lane, and can be a little tricky to find. Once there, the path to the front door is lined with a dense 'hedge' of lavender, providing an aromatic and sensual welcome. Very clever... Although I'm not a fan of gastro-pubs generally, I'll make an exception here, partly because it's still quite a nice pub despite the emphasis on food (although the space inside for drinking only is a bit limited), and partly because the setting is so peaceful. They do a couple of well-kept and reasonably priced interesting real ales (served straight from the barrel), several local ciders and they have very extensive wine and whisky lists. It's possible to have a light snack rather than go for the full-on dining experience: the 'Blackboard Menu' has smaller dishes between £4 and £10, including a five-cheese Ploughman's lunch for £8.45. The full menu is more expensive, but is highly regarded - expect to pay about £40-£50 a head, including wine, for three courses. A fixed-price lunch menu is popular with business types, at £15.95 for three courses. The web-site gives lots of detail on the food. The atmosphere is a combination of rustic setting and professional service: I found the staff willing, knowledgeable and friendly. There's both a terrace (at the rear) for dining and small garden at the front (dining only at lunchtimes). The only quirk I didn't understand is that they specify exactly what you are allowed (and not allowed) to eat in the garden, on the menu. The area has a dense network of public footpaths through varied countryside, if you want to walk off your indulgence afterwards...

Amazing food and service. Charming grounds and location. Staff and management are warm and…read moreaccommodating.

1/2 Moon is a foody pub - you can sit at the bar but any more than 3 people and you're blocking the…read moreroute from front to back. Food is OK but expensive compared to other similar venues locally - the food is the same as the other pubs in this small, local chain. Not sure this is a good thing as, surely, most people choose a venue on it's food and this takes away that choice... They do offer a Dining Club discount on food (must include a main course) of 10% - this is Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and 'a steak for a tenner' deal on Thursdays. The whole pub is undergoing refurbishment in early 2024 inside and out which is great news as it was looking a bit tired when we last visited. Better weather sees the use of the large field for parking and al-fresco dining which proves very popular, especially at weekends as the pub is located in the South Downs National Park and is just a (steep) walk from the South Downs Way.

Wonderful country pub located in the rustic village of Danehill. The place dates back to 1847 and…read morethey have tried their best to retain as much of its old charm as possible. There's a huge maple tree in the 'adult only' sun terrace (its nice not having screaming kids interrupting your lunch) and from the front garden you get a lovely view of the South Downs. The food here is out of this world, I tried the pork loin the last time I was there and it was excellent (again, the views only added to the enjoyment). This establishment is in the AA pub guide so can get busy at weekends so if you're in a large group, it may be worth booking in advance.

Gastro pub with a Michelin star standards food! We called on a Saturday evening, very last minute…read moreand they managed to accommodate us for a meal! Menu is daily, for starter's we tried Lamb cheek and tongue with rocket and also king prawns with chilli glaze. For main we opted all to have the salmon and the food was cooked to perfection, display on the plate deserved an art award and taste was simply to ones requirements! They have a nice wine list and also have daily specials board! Deserts menu alters as per daily menu and be aware there is no mobile phone reception, which makes it more of a unique place! You forget your phone existed and dig into some tasty food!

So it doesn't take Einstein to work out where this establishment got its name from. Its a really…read moreimpressive pub set at the foot of Lewes' chalk pits that they used to mine in the 18th Century. Its about a mile outside of Lewes so its a little bit quieter than some of the places in town but I think that's great now and again when you want to get away from it all and just take in some beautiful surroundings. The food is all home-cooked pub grub, not too many frills and fancies but its reasonably priced and really tasty. There's some nice beers on tap that I would highly recommend you enjoy in the beer garden which is actually set in the chalk pit itself!

The Chalk Pit Inn is one of those pubs with that little bit more, than just good food or beers. Set…read morewithin the disused chalk pit, you certainly get a unique location to enjoy a pub lunch or a pint. Be warned that you will need a car to get to it, as it is far enough out of town (on the road to Haywards Heath). The pub has a rustic feel and a timeless quality that you seem to get at country establishments. They have a nice range of ales on tap and serve staple pub grub. Whilst the pub is on the edge of a busy road, the gardens are set back in the actual pit and this makes fora lovely location for a summer lunch. Keep in mind that the pub does have limited daytime opening hours during the week, but on weekends this won't be a problem. If you are in Lewes, it's only a 5 minute drive and a nice break from hectic weekend shoppers.

This place must be an absolute gold mine as every time I've been there people are queing up to…read moreorder food. We've been a couple of times for Sunday lunch and both times were excellent. The pub is absolutely beautiful and if the weathers good enough, the gardens are lovely. The decor inside is a good mix between typical warm old pub and modern contemporary. Food wise, I had the roast beef and it was definitely the best I've had pub roast wise, perfectly cooked. They have a really concise wine list to hand too with some really good French Bordeuxs available.

Stopped by for a quick lunch on a Saturday. Prices were fair for excellent quality food,…read moreparticularly if you take the set menu. Good local guest beers on tap too.

Great pub for a drink in the garden. Some of the friendliest staff and fantastic outside space…read more Only had a round of drinks but the menu was good and the food that was going out to other tables looked and smelled amazing.

5 star service , food and setting. Welcomed as soon as we got into the pub, food arrived quickly…read more Staff friendly. Gardens are immaculate and pretty. Lovely peaceful setting and you can hire a boat on the river! I'm surprised this hasn't had good reviews posted

A horrendous, depressing and dispiriting pub…read more The Anchor is blessed with the most wonderful location in East Sussex, deep in the countryside and next to a river. You can hire boats, there's a kitchen and a choice of ales... well that's the theory. The pub has almost zero stock of drinks, the food is re-heated cardboard lifted from the nearest freezer and microwaved in seconds and the boats are inconcievably expensive (and I mean inconceivable - you can read the price, calculate the hourly cost for your party, write it down, paint it on the side of the boat - it won't work - it is so expensive your brain will refuse to take it in - you can simply not conceive that hiring a boat would be so expensive). And then there's the service... I've been to the anchor four times over the years and on recent occassions I have been left with the feeling that my presence at the pub is nothing more than an imposition, a liberty that I dain to visit their establishment and what's more try and buy a drink (or maybe even some crisps - I ask you) from their pitiful selection. Last time it was a lovely summer Sunday, at about 7pm - so like an idiot I thought "Let's go to the Anchor, they can't do it to us again". There were about a dozen people there... I left the family outside in the garden and went to the bar... and waited... and waited... a phone was ringing on an on... so I waited... and waited... eventually the 'landlord' came out, answered the phone, muttered to his mate and then looked at me with a sneer. I asked for a drink, he looked disgusted at the idea. "We're closing" "Can I get a drink for my kids?" "No" "Please..." No response. He just ushered me out, shut the door and locked it behind me. Leaving my family and a dozen punters and family confused and annoyed to wander off and find a real pub. So overall - expensive, rubbish food, no drinks, rude and horrendous service. Add to that the fact that the landlord has been known to search people's bags in case they are daring to bring their own food to eat on the boats, the benches outside the pub or even on the other bank (!) - whiich he doesn't even own. My advice - do not visit. You want to boat on in East Sussex - build one for yourself it cheaper and more pleasant!