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.

The Snowdrop Inn is a proper boozer, tucked away on the edge of Lewes. It's a little difficult to…read moreget to and parking is horrendous but it's worth persevering. The pub itself is well laid out with a square bar in the centre and lots of tables squeezed in haphazardly which make getting to the loo's a bit of an adventure! There is also an upstairs area, accessed via a very steep and narrow spiral staircase. I didn't investigate this time but apparently the area is nice, if a little treacherous, especially after a few vinos! The menu is very extensive, so much so that it's almost impossible to choose a dish. There are loads of veggie options as well, so useful if you're not a meat fan. I went for the lamb tangine but unfortunately they had run out, so I plumped for the roasted pepper and spinach risotto with stinging nettle pesto instead. A tasty dish, served with a couple of crispy goats cheese balls - ideally there would have been more of these but the flavour combinations were good and I was especially impressed with the pesto. Pretty much all of the main courses were less than a tenner as well so perfect for those on a budget. For pudding I went for the Banoffee Pie. Tasty, but I have to say it mainly consisted of cream, the other ingredients were a bit lacking. There are plenty of bar staff so getting served isn't an issue. No table service, order at the bar. Overall, a great atmosphere, good food with loads of choice, and all pretty good value.

This was our first meal is the UK and it was amazing. I had a portobello mushroom and Haloumi…read morecheese burger. It was pretty good considering that I thought the mushroom and cheese would be on an actual patty of meat. Live and learn. It was excellent though. It had a chutney on it that really made the flavor profiles meld nicely. They had a great variety of local and international brews. Very happy with the experience. Our hostess, Joanne, at our Airbnb recommended it. It was the perfect way to end a long day of travel.

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.

My friend and I share the same birthday in December and for the last two years have spent it…read moredrinking all day in Lewes. We always start at the Lewes Arms as they do serve the best pint of Harvey's in the World and it really is a lovely old cozy pub. It looks like its hardly been altered in the 220 odd years since it was built. They have a couple of 'ye olde' pub games like 'bouncing the penny into the hole' to keep you entertained as well as a dartboard. The pub also hosts the annual pea-throwing championships; the adult record being a massive 37 meters! The food here is really good. They cater for all tastes and appetites. We had the hamburgers last time and if you don't want to pig-out, you can just order them without chips for about £3.50. To sum up the Lewes Arms clientele, some time ago, the new landlord took Harvey's Ale off draft to which every single local and pretty much everyone in Lewes boycotted the pub until it went back on tap. People power at its most inebriated!

Visited for lunch with a colleague on two occasions now and, although not cheap, the food here is…read moreexceptionally good and the staff are polite, helpful and friendly. Would definitely recommend.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This place is great!!! The location is cute, and the building is unique with character. You can…read moretell that people really enjoy coming here. They have typical British pub food. I ordered cheesy bread and the shepherds pie. Oh my goodness... both were incredible!!! It was a weirdly cold day when I went, so the food was not only delicious but also very comforting. Coming here is a good time.

A great, slightly quirky, traditional pub in a great Sussex village…read more You won't find Chiddingly by accident - it's off a narrow lane off the A22, between Lewes and Eastbourne. The village itself dates back to Domesday and has a fine mediaeval church (worth a visit while there). In fact, the village has 55 entries in the listed building guide, so there's more than enough history to occupy the most hardened tourist before retiring to the pub for refreshment. The pub building dates back to 1774 (and possibly earlier) and is a Grade II listed building; the frontage of blue and red bricks looks suitably traditional, and through the front door there is a main bar area to the left and a wonderful snug room (with a huge fireplace) to the right. The interior is all wooden beams and stone floors, with a bar serving a good selection of real ales and generous portions of traditional pub grub, all with friendly bar staff. (NB The food is popular, so be prepared to wait at busy periods). Towards the rear of the pub, the walls are festooned with old pictures and photographs, and a motorcycling theme predominates: it is a well-known meeting place for bikers, and there's a club board by the back door giving details of events, runs, etc. Outside is a large garden, with lots of seating. The rear of the pub is decorated with old enamel advertising signs, covering every subject imaginable. Also at the back is the large, surfaced car park - perfect for rows of shiny (or, in my case, not so shiny) motorbikes. If all that wasn't enough, the pub also host a fortnightly folk and blues club (http://www.6bellsfolk.co.uk ) as well as its biker meets. Oh, and on my last visit, my mate and I (on our bikes) opted for 2 pints of soda and lime to quench our thirst, with a couple of packets of crisps. It came to £1.80. How great it is, not to feel ripped off with outrageously priced soft drinks! (Next time, though, I'll get someone else to drive so I can sample the real ales...)

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.