We happened to be here on the 27th of May, a bank holiday in the UK, so we were very grateful to find somewhere as nice as this to have lunch. We were on the back patio area which was fine, nice ambiance, you order at the bar. Nice selection of local ales and beers, and some wines. We ordered the mozzarella salad with fresh tomatoes, Chicken salad and fish. Everyone was very pleased with their selections. The mozzarella was tasty as were the ripe tomatoes with balsamic, the fish was fresh caught, and the chicken salad with cashew was wonderful. Im really glad this historic venue was such a good experience and didn't just rely on its history and not its food. read more

Nestled on a cobbled street in old Rye is this wonderful, friendly, hotel/pub. Arriving by car we found that the entrance had been blocked off until we mentioned that we were staying overnight. 'Drive through and see the man by the car park'. What a jovial character he was, even carried our cases. A gem. Shown to our 4 poster bedded room was an experience on its own. The woodwork in this building was outstanding as was the bric-a-brac all around. Wonderful room once you got used to the fact that the floors are not level. Standing up, initially, was difficult and that was without a drink. Which led us to going back down to the bar for a snifter. Here I discovered a new vodka to me, Mermaid Salt Vodka. Thought I'd try it and it was 'unusual' as it left a very slight salt water taste on the tongue after a while. Before dinner I decided to have another. The dining room was a sight to behold. Wonderful white linen and a beautiful plate as a setting. Obviously a pre-empt to a wonderful meal following. And it was. Starters of scorched local mackerel and cod brandade fishcakes. Thank goodness there wasn't a rush as they were delicious. Main meal of shared rack of blackface lamb, wonderfully pink and not over cooked. Couldn't finish the whole rack but we did give it a go. All helped down with a bottle of Lychgate Bacchus from the Bolney Estate. I finished with a selection of British cheeses and a port. Now ready for a good night sleep if the ghosts of this establishment allowed it. Yes, it is haunted. My partner was sure she saw someone while in the bar and heard footsteps during the night. Breakfast was, as dinner, superb. All local produce which, to me, is important. Service throughout our stay was second to none. A wonderful overnight stay and a thank you to all staff. read more

This is a review for the Inn itself. Book a room and table for dinner and soak up the atmosphere I booked a twin room for 3 nights in April. I'm very familiar with the Inn, but have never spent a night there. I found the specific room I wanted online, and then made the booking over the phone, requesting the room. The staff are really helpful and pleasant. Our room was wonderful, in the roof, over the main entrance. The floors creaked and you will find the odd web in the beams, if you really look for them. But for those who want to step back in time, it's one of the most charming places to stay. The bathroom, thankfully, wasn't like stepping back in time, with nice products and piping hot water. The head boards were antique, as was all the furniture in the room, but the mattresses were new and so comfy. We had reservations for dinner each night and the rooms are all B&B. We had drinks in the ancient bar and read up on the history of the place. The only way our stay could have been improved, would have been by seeing one of the famous ghosts we'd read about. I was delighted to see the dining room full each night. The food they serve is really high quality and looks as exquisite as it tastes. They have a great wine selection too. The staff are young and chatty and after three breakfasts, three dinners and three night's sleep, it really felt like home. read more

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I stayed here for one night over the Easter weekend. When I booked I asked which room I was getting (my other half wanted to stay in one of the famous haunted ones!) - I was told one room but then when we arrived we were in a different one. Fortunately this one also had a haunting story attached to it so it was ok! We were at the back of the hotel which was nice and quiet - except for 1st thing in the morning when the bar cellar below us was restocked... The room itself was lovely - full of old beams, a 4 poster bed and a good shower. On the downside - the staff were hit and miss (some were quite odd!) & breakfast wasn't very good (burnt toast, harassed looking staff, bland salmon & eggs) However it was overall a very good experience - the character of the hotel/rye making the odd negative disappear. read more

On a rainy Saturday afternoon in Rye, the restaurant here seemed to be struggling for customers. So although they usually have a very limited lunch menu, they enticed our group of 16 to stay for lunch by letting us also choose from the a la carte dinner menu, which had a lot better veggie choice and seemed much more reasonably priced given most of us were after just one course. The interior is just as olde worlde as the outside looks, and I don't think any of the decor has changed for the last 50 years at least. It's a bit of a maze inside too so I found a gorgeous inglenook fireplace in the bar area first which it was hard to tear myself away from - and meant the dining room felt quite cold to start with once I found it. It warmed up a bit once all of our party and a couple of other groups arrived (though you can't beat coming in from the cold to a roaring fire in the hearth ;). The staff were so lovely and helpful, letting us mix and match between menus and bringing out a high chair for the latest 9 month old addition to our gang. Though they were a little naive on a few things too, like not knowing what was in some of the dishes or bringing out milk with mint tea(?!). I was really chuffed with my fish and chips, as it was a good sized portion and a pleasing chunkiness of chip. The burgers also seemed to go down well elsewhere. I was sympathetic to the veggies of the group though - well the halloumi burger looked great, but the lentil and kale stuffed cabbage leaf that one mate went for looked about as good as it sounds (ie not very!). They could do with a bit more lighting in the daytime I think, a few candles perhaps, just to make it a bit warmer and cosier. That was the only thing missing for me - otherwise well worth the trek up the cobblestoned hill! read more

We went for Sunday lunch in the dinning room ordered three lamb roasts awful the lamb was tough as nails not edible sent it back for the roast beef which wasn't much better the service was marginal they must have been rationing the bread to barely got some the food,service and atmosphere is tired after 100 pounds and not a care about the bad food I wouldn't recommend or go again I wouldn't have given it 1 star if I didn't have to. Good luck. read more

This is one of the most beautiful buildings in Rye, but I'm evaluating the pub since I didn't stay in their B&B. The pub has a poor selection of beers and the service is just average. It's very small and although the large fireplace makes it a nice view, it also leads to a strong smell of smoke inside the pub. I had one beer (which I didn't like) and left. read more

We went for a late-ish (for Rye) dinner on a Saturday night. It is a fun location and I would like to go again if I am ever back in Rye, to check out the bar and lounge areas. The food was good, much of it locally sourced, and well-prepared. The dining area has a lot of character, which counts a good deal for me. Table service, however, was being run by very young people, presumably university students on summer break, which was not optimal. While I don't like service that hovers, I also don't like having to repeatedly flag down staff. I would go back, but with lowered expectations so that I don't get annoyed. read more

Went back in time to smuggler pirate days over a great lunch. Cramped quarters in the bar but total historical ambience and tasty food! Definitely worth a trip. read more