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

We visited the long man brewery for a tour and tasting. They were both excellent. The brewery is…read morefairly small and not that old, and the tours and shop started last December but it is an absolute must if you enjoy beer and are interested in the local history of the area. The tour guide was extremely friendly and knowledgable and able to answer everyone's questions. The tour itself lasted about 45 minutes and then you all sit round the tasting table in the shop to try 4 of the beers whilst the tour guide explains how each was made and tasting notes. They are also very happy to give you an extra glass of any of the beers you fancy drinking more of after the initial tasting. They definitely aren't scrimping on the beer available to you! Also part of the tour is a goodie bag to take home containing a bottle of beer and a long man glass, and you get 15% off any purchases you make in the shop on the day. It was really excellent value for money and a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours.

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.

superb brewery. watch out for the double stout! the open evenings are a must.read more

From the owner: Founded in 2004 we make craft beer with hops grown in Kent and from around the world. Our new Tap…read moreRoom and Shop opened in 2016 and we relocated the brewery to Westerham in early 2017. Pizzas on Fridays and Burgers on Saturdays 4.30pm to 8.30pm

Loved it. Awesome employees, awesome beer, and OUTSTANDING food. If I lived in Lewes, I'd be here…read moreonce a week or more. It was our first meal after touching down from the US, so thank you for an awesome first UK dining/beer experience!

The John Harvey Tavern is bang opposite the Harvey's Brewery and right next to the River Ouse so…read moreposition wise, you can't get much better than riverside ale drinking! Its a really warm (they've got a great woodburner), rustic little pub with friendly staff serving happy locals and first time visitors alike. They have a good selection of real ales and also some pretty hefty ciders. I never thought a 7.2% pint would actually taste nice but it does. Dangerously so! The food here - especially the steaks are excellent. Try a glass of the house red with a nice rare Sirloin and you won't be disappointed. They have live jazz every Wednesday night too, a lot less hectic than a night out in Brighton so worth a trip once in a while but I think lunchtime is the best here.

The Dark Star Brewery is a small, prize-winning Sussex brewer that was originally based at the…read moreEvening Star pub in Brighton. But owing to its tremendous success, Dark Star has moved up country to expand the premises for its wonderful work. If you can get your laughing gear round some of Dark Star's magical brews, do it! They are honest and original real ales and if you value artisanship, local businesses and brilliant beer they deserve your support. And Dark Star will reward your support with sensational beery goodness. I know some of their beers well. Hophead is their best known beer and you can find that in plenty of Brighton pubs including the The Lion and Lobster. It is, as you would imagine, a hoppy beer. Light and lively, it's wonderful on a warm summer evening because it's very quaffable and refreshing. One is never enough. Totally different: Espresso. It's a dark porter or stout. Black and rich and each bottle is flavoured with espresso coffee. You get a fleeting shimmer of coffee when you drink it. It's a wonderful and original beer. You can buy it by the bottle in Waitrose. And for summer 2010, seek out Argus Ale. Again, an exciting summer beer that's been developed in conjunction with the local Argus newspaper. Available in bottle and on draught in selected boozers (including the Evening Star).

This pub has a really nice atmosphere. The food is reasonably priced, the portions are massive and…read moreits delicious, and there is a big choice of meals too. The drink prices are reasonable. They always have things going on here too, whether its a race night or a live band. There is a garden, as well as a patio area out the back, which is really nice in the summer. Highly recommended.

My wife and I had lunch here and were pleasantly surprised. The staff were very friendly and the…read morefood was delicious. We would go back anytime!!

Took a bus up to Ringmer on an organised brewery trip. Not a bad day out at all!!! Not a good idea…read moreto drive as they are exceelent hosts with their sampling. The Turners have worked this farm for generations and have integrated the brewery into the farm and local community. They also have an expanding butchery and smokery business. There is a core of five consistent ales and they aim to supply pubs, clubs and other discerning stockist up to 25 miles. I quite liked their Golden Ale @ 3.5%.not strong but that suits me. Others went for the Best Bitter @ 4.1%. A really nice trip out and well worth a visit if you're in the area..

Oh Bison Beer! Why have I only just found you!? *sadface*…read more Apparently they have been open for just over a year now and I've walked down East Street soooo many times over that period but completely missed this place. This is my perfect idea of Saturday afternoon shopping! (Sorry Churchill Square). Not only do they stock ALL of my favourite beers/breweries from Beavertown to Cloudwater, Flying Dog to Wild Beer and lots more....they also brew their own which tastes pretty good too! We stocked up and purchased 10 bottles and was given a loyalty card. Every £15 you spend you get a stamp and you get something for free after every 3 stamps which is pretty good going. They also sell Growler's where you can fill it up with their own beer or they have a couple of others on draft too (Cloudwater last time I visited but they change it regularly apparently). The only thing that was a little bit off was the service, the lady was nice enough but she seemed to spend more time helping a guy who walked in asking 'Do you sell any proper beers? As in like Fosters or Carling or something?' Perhaps she realised that he needed a lot more help :) But it would have been nice to chat to her and get her opinion as an expert on perhaps beers that they stock that we've never tried before and/or learn a bit more about their own beer. But she did give me a taste of the latest Cloudwater on draft....and anyone that feeds me Cloudwater is all good in my books. A solid 5 stars for me for the selection of beers and their own brew only, hopefully the service will be 5 star worthy too next time we visit as I can see this place being somewhere that we will be visiting a lot! *happyface*

The Bison Beer shop had a very bright and inviting feel to it and on either side were rows and rows…read moreof bottled beers and obscure ales. They've got so many you could have a different one each day of the year. At the end of the shop closest to the front door they had a very welcoming bench, made, we were told with reclaimed timber from Brighton Pier. On the black board at the back were bright yellow messages and illustrations in their signature style. We glugged back the Bison's Beast Street ipa and to me it had an elderflower taste (that's a new one on them). Great little shop with a huge selection of craft beers and a massive crowdfunding campaign. They hope to raise funds to turn an abandoned listed building into an independent pub.

Middle Farm is a really lovely farm in Firle, near Lewes, and not far from Brighton. I've often…read morevisited purely for their amazing farm shop, which is packed with tasty locally-produced goodies. However, Middle Farm is also a working farm, making it a great place to take children. There is an outdoor playground and a nature trail and of course all sorts of exciting farm animals for the kids to learn about, including cows, chickens, pigs and donkeys. You can even watch the beautiful Jersey cows being milked! Adults, be sure to check out the cider shop, home to a large collection of draught ciders and parries, from all over the country. . Magners drinkers beware- these are real ciders, meaning they can often taste quite farmy- personally I think most of them are delicious, but they can take a bit of getting used to! Apples are pressed on site to make delicious Sussex apple juice- there are often demonstrations going on outside in fine weather. There's also a café serving cream teas and other cakes and treats as well as an outdoor picnic area. Middle Farm can serve as a great pit stop either before or after a walk, as there is beautiful countryside surrounding the site.

I like to eat a variety of animals and dairy products. Which is not to say I find quite a lot of…read morethem pretty damn cute, just that they have the misfortune to taste great with gravy. Middle Farm is a brilliant showcase of animal husbandry with the townie family in mind (wellies are not essential, but certainly useful). It is a working/show farm combination, and if you so desire, you can buy some of the local produce at the nearby farm shop - albeit at some pretty racy prices. So what have they got? Enough to give Noahs ark a run for his money I would say: Piggies, Llaamas, Goats, Cows, Wabbits, Peacocks, Ferrets and some (seriously) funky chickens to name a few. Quite a few of the chicken and bantam breeds have free roam during the day which really adds to the all-under-one barn roof kind of feel to the place. There's also play areas a restaurant and, as mentioned earlier a really fantastic farm shop. Your children/inner child will not be bored.