This was excellent. We ordered the soup of the day (broccoli/stilton) which was excellent and…read moreserved with a mini loaf of wonderful bread. I also ordered the calamari small plate (something tomato based) and my daughter had the short rib. Both were excellent. Nice atmosphere and friendly attentive staff.

A fantastic pub in the town centre which sells a range of Harvey's beers (brewed in Lewes) and has…read morea lovely roof terrace for sunny days.

Update: June 2009…read more Greene King sold the pub to Fuller's last Autumn, and on a recent visit it seems to be back to something approaching its old self: good choice of beers, and bustling with customers, but everything kept spick and span, and service was very friendly. Worth a visit! ***************** This historic pub, with its curved frontage and built into the ramparts of the castle, was a mainstay of Lewes pub-goers, a focus of community life and featured regularly in the 'Good Beer Guide'. All this changed when it was purchased by Greene King in 2006. One of their first acts was to replace the existing choice of beers with their own - those replaced including the award-winning local Lewes brew, Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter. Now, it may be just a beer to many, but it was an act of sacrilege here, and led to a boycott and a high profile media campaign to get Harvey's reinstated, which even reached the national press. Greene King relented in April 2007, and Harvey's is back on tap. But the pub hasn't quite recovered from this episode and, with the loss of many of the locals, some of the friendly and down-to-earth atmosphere has gone. That's a pity, because it's still a lovely old building, with a tiny front bar, and a rear patio (reached via narrow stairs), with a good choice of real ales - including, of course Greene King beers and Harvey's Sussex Bitter. Let's hope it can bounce back.

Amazing place, foood good, friendly service, hot waiters, cosy atmosphere Good and niceread more

This used to be a really nice historic old pub, with good real ale, really outstanding food, and a…read morelovely beer garden out the back.. Now it's just nice, having gone through several transformations on the food front, (first up and then back down-market). It's now settling back to more straightforward pub food (which we haven't yet sampled), and it still retains a good choice of real-ales. The staff seem friendly enough, but the atmosphere isn't quite what it was, with just the wrong sort of juke-box music in the background (to me, rock and historic pubs just don't gel). There are now regular gigs by live bands and other acts. Hopefully, it'll get back on its feet now that it has new landlords. It's situated on Lewes High Street, up St Anne's Hill away from the Castle area.

The Pelhams Arms is situated at the top of Lewes high street, but it is well worth a walk up the…read moreHill! There is a great beer and ale selection on tap and the decor is proper good old old beams, floor boards and sturdy wooden tables. There is a dining area and they serve food at lunchtime and then again in the evening. The menu is pub food, but pub food done well and you will get a hearty portion for your pennies. There are also a number of live music events held on Thursday nights and a DJ plays away the Sunday blues from 4pm. I would recommend the roasts and a good way to feel like you have got out of Brighton and done something worthwhile with a Sunday. There is also a nice garden out back that shelters you from the high street traffic, if you are there on a good day. A very nice pub that ticks all the righht boxes.

We were lucky to walk up ancient Keere street to find the friendly Brewers Arms on a Sunday after…read more5. We were welcomed, well fed, and struck up good conversations. Brewers Arms is a local gem full of heart.

This pub like much of Lewes is just oozing with history, oozing and oozing. The old tavern dates…read moreback to the 1500s and I was pleased to learn as I was sipping my pint of Harvey's best that the pub is not owned by any big chain, but is still a free house. The cosy bar, with it's open fire is perfect for those who've had a big old trample around the downs and are looking for somewhere to sit and have their pint. The beef burgers are made my Richards, the local butchers and are rather tasty, large affairs, which I would wholeheartedly recommend. Also if your looking to watch the footy, you can do so in the back bar. BONUS.

The Lansdown is where most people start their Lewes pub odyssey as its literally one minute from…read morethe station and very close to the 'Dripping Pan' (Lewes football ground). Its a relatively small boozer with some pretty interesting decor inside including a fake tree and a grim reaper skeleton hanging from the ceiling. It sounds stupid but it does work. The music policy here is great and they get quite a few local live acts to play now and again. They don't accept cards which is a bit of a pain but there is a cash-point just opposite the station when you come out so best to get your beer tokens first! Food wise, they occasionally have some nice cheese or ham rolls at lunchtime but these usually run out so best to grab a nice pie from a local bakers before.

If you coming out of Lewes Station and head over the bridge to the right, you won't be surprised…read morethat one of the first things to come into sight in this alcohol fuelled country is a pub...The Lansdown. Unlike most establishments that have cropped up and then eventually become the norm, The Lansdown has a genuinely warm and welcoming character to it-speaking of character, it has a bloody great tree through the middle of it (not actually real but so?). What more could you want? A comfortable nature and tree, Well some beer would be nice also...you're in luck. And completely out of the blue, some man bought me a pint! That never happens-well sometimes it does but he didn't look like the sort of bloke to want anything back.

Came to this pub/brewery after visiting 7 Sisters Cliffs…read more Wonderful beers and excellent food. Very welcoming service and food came out fast and servings were very large!

Dreadful company. For three and a half years Harvey and Son chased my partner and I - both…read morepensioners - for damages over a road accident that never actually happened. In fact, the 'accident' was staged by one of their own employees. Harvey and Son took the matter to court, served us with legal papers and pursued us till just before the case was due to be heard, then dropped the whole thing when their witness - their own employee - refused to testify. Since then we've had no explanation from them and no apology. My partner has been beside herself with worry. Are you proud of your company, Mr. Jenner?

Landlord Assaults Women…read more Two female friends and I went into this pub for a drink on Friday December 1st 2023. I was posing for a picture with some inflatable penguins that were part of the Christmas decoration display. As I turned away, the landlord, a man in His mid-50s, kicked me hard in the backside. When I turned to ask him what he was doing, he told me he was the landlord and seemed proud to have kicked me. He did not apologise or seem at all sorry for kicking me. My friends and I left soon afterwards, feeling shaken. We genuinely were not expecting, having gone in for a drink and a little dance, for one of us to be kicked. We felt that if there had been a man in our group that this would not have happened. It felt misogynistic, it felt really odd and it absolutely ruined our night. We were not rowdy, drunk or destructive. The landlord seems unhinged: he is willing to physically assault paying customers. I can only wonder how long the pub will remind in his hands, as he behaves this way. Women, I advise you only go in here with a man. Or, probably best, don't go in at all. There are so many great and atmospheric pubs in Lewes, where women can go without the fear of being kicked. Avoid.

Large and popular pub with sports TV, located north of the town centre, below the castle…read more The building was built in 1838, but the interior has a modern feel, with wooden floors, and a mix of big wooden furniture, sofas and armchairs. There's a large bar area at the front and similarly large room with pool table off this, and a smaller third room at the rear of the bar. There's a small outdoor patio area at the rear and a function room for hire upstairs. They serve Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter and Timothy Taylor Landlord, and at least one guest beer, and traditional real cider. They serve good pub grub: soup, a range of starters (£2.50-£3) sandwiches, filled baguettes, jacket potatoes, and around half a dozen mains with a veggie choice, for around £7. Despite being so large, the pub does get very busy, especially for major sports events. The clientele consists mainly of genial generally twenty-somethings.

The Gardener's Arms is regarded by many real ale fans as the best pub in Lewes, and has a very…read moreloyal following. Situated on Cliffe High Street, down the hill from the centre of Lewes, this small venue is functional and down-to-earth. The many regulars here give it a very 'local' feel, but it's friendly and certainly unpretentious. It can get a bit smoky, but that'll not be a problem after the July ban*. The staff are very committed to their real ale, and it's superbly kept. Harvey's Best Bitter, from the nearby brewery, is always on tap, plus five guest beers. The breweries represented regularly here include Archers, Dark Star, Squirrel, Weltons, Custom, Cottage, Oakham, Grand Union, Hog's Back, Hepworths, Kings, Hampshire and Northumberland. There's a choice of real ciders too, and a limited range of bar food (pasties, pies and the like from a local butcher). A good spot to rest your feet after a tour of the historic and picturesque towns of Lewes and Cliffe! From 1 July 2007, smoking indoors will be banned in bars, pubs and restaurants in England.

A large selection of local ales and ciders, I'm especially keen on the Black Rat cider and after a…read morefew potent pints, things can get a little hairy. It's small and cosy with a warm and friendly atmosphere full of nice old buffers. It looks and feels like a place that has taken many people's afternoons from them when they'd only drop in for a swift half. God bless you Gardeners Arms.

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.

Pleasant really is a pleasant place to go for coffee and freshly baked sweet and savory yummies…read more They also sell artisan bread and groceries, so sometimes I stop in to buy some leeks or a big, delicious round of sourdough. The staff and Sarah the owner are very welcoming. It's one of the treasures of Lewes, in my opinion.