please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Visited 14.8.15 for first time in years and what a surprise as a complete transformation inside to a very warm and welcoming décor & staff. Excellent well kept beer, wine including by the glass, and an excellent meal was enjoyed by us. By 7:45 all the tables were taken and the informal atmosphere was buzzing with everyone enjoying themselves, all types and ages, will certainly return.
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On my second visit I can report that the place had a similar feel to my last visit, however the barmaid was more freindly this time and I had a nice pint of British Bulldog
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Reading the reviews below, I expected this pub to be a lot worse than it actually was. It was lovely and warm inside, which was very much welcomed after a winter cycle ride. The beer was reasonable, I think I had a Spitfire, and I felt comfortable despite not being local throughout
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It's sad to see but I'm afraid this place has gone downhill, visible signs that this place is struggling and on my last visit they had run out of beer!!!! A pub with no beer? Also the place smells like a wet dog.
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Signs that the Chequers is deteriorating - overgrown garden and only 1 ale available. Gone are the days of changing guest ales it seems. Large TV screen now installed in bar area also suggests priorities for this pub are changing.
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Visited on a sunday afternoon - they seemed to have run out of a lot of things, and there was only one ale on (Harvey's) but the food was delicious. Service was friendly although it seems to be family-run so I suspect it varies greatly depending on who you get. Certainly better than the other options in Battle!
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No sign of "foreign" fags or rowdy kids, but this pub appears to be gradually going downhill. Used to be a cracker, but food now is very average and the beer warm and flat.
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Pulled in to the car park to find a man urinating up against the back wall then walked through a crowd enjoy some pungent "Herbal cigerettes" to enter the pub. Barmaid on duty busy talking and hugging a friend to serve, after she had finished she walked along the bar asking if the several customers waiting wanted serving, gave her my order to my amazment she then went and served another one of her friends instead ! My sister who had nipped to the loo returned to tell me they where filthy. We decided to try elsewhere. This used to be a lovely pub but seems now full of teenagers and the barmaid was more interested in talking to them then serving customers.
jcf65 - 23 Apr 2011 12:58 |
Had an excellent meal today, but was disappointed by the ale selection. On my last visit in Dec 2008 there were five ales on.
Today there were only two, and they were rather uninspiring - the ubiquitous Harveys and London Pride.
I'm afraid the rating goes down a notch..... 6/10
(Having said that, this remains the best pub in Battle by a long way)
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Fantastic little pub, great atmosphere and welcoming staff. As far as i understand, a new chef, with good ideas and a breath of fresh air. sampled the food and can say it was great. my partner had the classic pie, why i had the finest fillet of red snapper ive ever had. friday night steak night is great here aswell ive heard. will have to check it out. stop here if you want to aviod the other, "dirt" pubs in battle, and fancy coming somewhere decent. great pub, great restaurant. finally somewhere good in battle, nobles not included.
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Visited during the day. Friendly crowd and service. Decent prices too.
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like this pub, but def too many teens, service still could be better. went to my first quiz there tues, was terrible, spoke to the locals and was told only to go when ted was quizmaster, shame could have been a good night!
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This is my local (average 5 visits a week) and can generally be described as one of the better pubs in Battle. Normally a good selection of ales which are kept well. Derek, the landlord, has also been known to let me select beers from his brewery list (although for some reason he won't get in Abbot Reserve).
The downside to this pub is the admisions policy. Far too many gold bedecked gobby chavs on some evenings plus large groups of screaching 6th form oiks from the local private school.
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had lunch here over the weekend, food was ok but the service was rubbish, we ordered our food and was served way after the regulars that had ordered at the same time. barstaff were also unhelpful and the lager was flat, was really dissapointed bacause the pub had been recommended to us, even had to leave the garden because of the overwheming smell of tobacco(!!!) smoke
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Earlier in the year I said about this pub " if I had to choose one pub in Battle, this is the place", and today I had to chose one pub in Battle, so we came here. A good beer selection, and the food was good.
However I can sympathise with a previous reviewer - I didn't see, but heard the "braying donkey clientelle" only too clearly. And like so many places it does need to choose between "pub" and "restaurant".
Oh - and if you're going for the up-market restaurant trade, you ban the dogs. Fido isn't welcome. Nuff said ?
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The beer here was fine, the food even better. Didn't see the Duck or Grouse advertised so left with a small head wound.
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A pub that has lost its identity, it wants to be a restaurant but the braying donkey clientelle ruin the atmosphere, it has all been said before here but the ales are well kept, it's just a pity we didn't feel welcome enough to stay for a second pint.
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Nice ale but barstaff were rude and unhelpful but this of been because there was a wedding reception going on, wouldnt visit again plus the car park had so many cars in it, it made tescos car park look empty
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I was on the crawl as Manky Badger and this was the best we found in battle
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Four ales and Biddenden cider and pickled eggs. And smiling bar staff. This would seem to be the number one place to visit in Battle. A pint of �Director�s� was swiftly followed by a pint of �Summer Lightning�. If I had to choose one pub in Battle, this is the place. Head and shoulders above the rest. But in Battle, that ain�t saying much�.
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Went here for lunch between Christmas and New Year. Pleasant traditional pub with 3 real ales on, I had a pint of Adnams Broadside which was very passable but not spectacular. The food was similarly very passable but nothing to write home about. The pub was quite busy for a lunchtime with several people eating and generally had a good atmosphere. Bar staff were welcoming and overall impression was of a pub that is worth a visit if in the area but not one to seek out.
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Very good pub with friendly staff. Excellent selection of 5 real ales, the Harveys bitter was wonderful.
Floyd - 12 Jun 2007 12:54 |
A charming little pub. I didn't eat here but many other people were doing so it can't be bad. Worth a couple of pints.
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Another pub visited for the first time on a night out.
Food very expensive for a smokey pub. Certainly would not eat here with the louts shouting at the football on the TV
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What a gem, great character, great atmosphere with superbly kept real ale, Tanglefoot, Harveys & Broadside. Our stay there (five nights) was fantastic, beautiful clean bedrooms, great breakfast and perfect Hosts - well done Julie and Derek - a truly wonderful character filled pub with attentative staff.
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How can these people possibly say this !Me and my husband went there for a peaceful meal but ended up having a take away back home ! It took 45 minutes just for the first course to reach our sticky table ! we left immediately when we discovered our starters were stone cold ! i was appalled
anonymous - 11 Jan 2007 21:30 |
I like this pub and I enjoy dining here, the beers are well kept and the service is always with a smile, it changed hands, so what, now it is better than it was.
anonymous - 21 Nov 2006 08:11 |
Alyhough I haven't tried the food myself I have heard some very good reports about the high standard of catering at the Chequers and the owners are very nice people to talk to, plus the pub itself is charming 9/10
anonymous - 20 Nov 2006 09:36 |
We revisited this week, it was better than the last time, may just have been teething problems, recommended now.
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Well I must say that I think this pub is very nice, I have bben there twice in the last month and enjoyed myself thoroughly, admittedly I did not eat a meal on either occasion but the place is very friendly 8/10
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Our first visit here for over a year, still a pleasant pub but dining is definitely a less enjoyable experience, bland is the word that springs to mind, the pub seems to lack identity at the moment and has some less than salubrious clientele.
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I took a party of 16 there for Sunday lunch. The place was packed - we had reserved tables in the restaurant - the food was excellent (especially those lamb chops)with hot veg cooked just right. With Derek now in charge of the front of house and a good chef in the kitchen, you should give it a try.
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I used to like the food here very much, it was one of my favourite places to visit whenever we came to stay, I hope it recovers to its old standards soon, very disappointed.
anonymous - 26 Oct 2006 10:00 |
In my opinion the food before was miles better before but the people who run it now are friendlier with "all" the customers and not just the regulars, others may disagree but I think it will or must get better soon.
anonymous - 25 Oct 2006 07:30 |
Unfortunately in changing hands this pub has suffered severely. It used to have very good food but now the food is passable at best and overly priced. The beer selection isn't to bad but the pub seems intent on having "theme" nights in an attempt to get customers in.
(For anyone who misses the food the former managers have brought the Blacksmiths pub in Ninfield)
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I went here last week as a "treat" it's nothing like it used to be, the food is nowhere near as good as it was the last few times I went which was last year. I don't want to go back again.
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Its ok, nothing special. Four real ales - Harveys was fine, food expensive and suspiciously brought out very quickly. Nice location, but on both my random visits to this pub on saturday evenings, half the pub seems to be swarming with the tracksuited local chavs, with mobiles and dogs.
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This is a beautiful little pub restaurant steeped in local history, it has a warm friendly welcome and a pleasant ambience that cannot be instilled, the lunchtime trade is quite brisk whilst the evenings are more mellow and easygoing. Under new ownership this year the pub is quietly developing into a pop-in must when visiting Battle. The food however has a long way to go, it aspires to great things but in reality does not live up to the promise, a halfway attempt at being a gastro pub without the food level required, whilst attempting to hold on to it's previous reputation as "Good Pub Grub", in reality it has become neither. However what the pub does do is serve good beer! in a relaxed and genial atmosphere, friendly chit-chat is easy to come by in the bar with attentive and positively welcoming staff. Well worth a detour on the way up or down to the coast from London or further afield.
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Dating back to the 15th century, this small friendly pub at the end of the High Street offers a couple of beers (London Pride & Harveys Best) as well as tasty food, and makes a good watering hole if you've just visited Battle Abbey. Naturally there are beamed ceilings and open fires, as well as a little terrace out the back. Across the small car park and down some steps is more garden seating, although you'll find the promised view of the site of the Battle of Hastings is now blocked by the trees.
Robin - 14 Aug 2004 07:51 |
