BITE user comments - ropey2
Comments by ropey2
Expensive food & drinks, loved by DFL's. Opening hours suddenly much reduced and now don't open until 5pm Mon-Friday. Website suspended and pub now up for sale - yours for £960k. Owners lost imterest? More money to be made from rural DFL's at Laughton.
15 Aug 2018 19:14
The Old House at Home, West Wittering
Well John, how about posting an up to date review yourself so the rest of us can read about what it is like now?
8 Dec 2016 17:27
Closed and converted to housing with the approval of the Parish Council. Another one lost.
2 Dec 2016 19:36
Interesting last two reviews. Captain Ralph's views are perhaps based on the basis of a single visit. Wipers Tom's comment seems to be more about 'Spoons as a brand. Hailsham has 5 pubs, 2 are Harvey's tied houses (both of which serve a very good pint, let it be said) and of the three other pubs one sells.....Harveys Best, the other might offer Doom Bar if you're lucky. The only pub that offers a different range of ales (AND real cider) is 'Spoons, and a very well run place it is as well. Three regulars (Abbot, Ruddles and, not my favourite, the ubiquitous D(gl)oom Bar). In addition there are two or three guests, always a LocAle from brewers such as Dark Star or Long Man, plus one or two national (or international) breweries. The real cider choice is always excellent, up to four at any one time -Gwynt Y Draig 'Black Dragon', Thistly Cross 'Whisky Cask' and two from Westons - 'Marcle Hill' and 'Old Rosie' Ralph complains about 'language' in some of the drinking areas, its a pub Ralph - would you complain about all pubs on the basis of some adult language! I can say that the clientele on a recent lunchtime visit (every table was full) was a mixture of young families, the 'grey' pound customers, and some of the 'regulars'. All of whom were impeccably behaved (including the young kids)! The beer quality is always of a high standard (and i've taken the time to talk to the staff about their cellarmanship and beer quality - the ultimate benchmark of a GBG entry). Whether it meets other reviewers 'mysterious' expectations of a what makes a good GBG pub is another matter...
30 Nov 2016 15:57
As has been said a v. long bar with plenty of hand pumps, half to two-thirds in use when I called in. Very nice pint of Loch Lomond brewery Silkie Stout. I thought £4.15 was a bit steep though - but that was before I went in The Junction!
20 Nov 2015 19:10
The Junction, Clapham Junction
Pleasant enough Taylor Walker corporatised pub close to station but rip-off prices. £4.30 for a pint of 'their' Westerham brewery brewed 1730 Pale Ale. A decent enough session pint but I'd say worth about £3.60. No idea why Clapham pubs are so expensive. See also The Falcon.
20 Nov 2015 19:06
The White Horse Inn, Bodle Street Green
A good time for an update as the previous owners have recently retired after many years in the trade. The new owners have created a pleasant outside seating area leading to a garden which the new owner tells me he hopes to have ready for next spring. There is a new food menu which Mrs Ropey and I hope to try out soon though our most recent visit was after once again after enjoying a walk in the beautiful East Sussex countryside. Enough of the non-beer stuff, the tried and tested formula remains of two well-kept real ales. Well kept Harveys Best and when we visited Elgood's Buzz Light Beer, a honeyed golden ale which, on a warm and sunny day was excellent. Weston's Stowford Press for Mrs R. This is still a delightful rural free house.
12 Sep 2014 21:09
Great atmosphere (we called in on what was obviously a locals quiz night) and quality beer. It's possibly a little churlish to say that it was a choice of golden ales or golden ales as the Entire Stout wasn't on.
17 Dec 2013 19:09
The Horns Lodge, South Chailey
Called in recently for lunch before strolling around beautiful Sheffield Park. Four real ales available, always Harveys Best and one from the Dark Star range plus two guest beers. Real cider is also always available and that was Mrs Ropey's choice this time who said that the Janet's Jungle Juice was superb. I had the Dark Star APA and Plain Ales Inntrigue, both served in very good condition but then that is to be expected as quality is always high here. On the food front we both had the home cooked Chilli con carne which had a twist of lime juice and lime zest in the recipe - delicious. Well worth a visit if you are passing.
30 Apr 2013 20:19
Surprised there aren't more recent reviews!
Stopped by for the village bonfire event - this is Sussex after all. Good to see a rural pub busy and I enjoyed a couple of pints of Harvey's Bonfire Boy (the guest ale appropriately enough) served in good nick and which went down very well to accompany a very good firework display.
27 Oct 2012 20:29
Called in for a midweek meal with Mrs Ropey. Welcoming fire burning in the hearth and the Steak and Ale pie was excellent but this isn't a food critique site so to the important stuff....
Perfectly served straight from the cask in the cold-room the Harvey's Best, Old, and Star of Eastbourne were all in top condition. Always worth making the effort to get here.
27 Oct 2012 20:22
A recent visit, also on the local Ale Trail and I have to say this pub was in a different class to the others - unfortunately a class well below. All the other pubs had at least 4 real ales available, including a minimum of one guest ale. This pub had just the two, the same two as always. Don't get me wrong, Harveys Best and Tim Taylor Landlord are fine beers in their own right but neither were anything other than of average quality on my visit. For a pub that is both in the GBG and on the Ale Trail a lot more effort is needed to justify inclusion in both.
17 Jul 2012 13:44
A little pricey, even with the very welcome benefit of the CAMRA 50p discount still means a pint is over �3. Nevertheless, quality and service is above average - the South Downs Brewery's Devils Dyke Porter was a beer I hadn't tasted before and very good it was too.
17 Jul 2012 13:11
Called in recently, this pub is a new addition to the local CAMRA branch Ale Trail route. A good selection of real ales (5 i recall) and both the Otter Bitter and Skinners Betty Stogs were in good nick. Food was tasty as well - try the falafel burgers.
17 Jul 2012 13:05
The Plough and Harrow, Litlington
Agree with halfabitterman - Hophead was superb on a recent visit, after a walk from Alfriston along the Cuckmere.
30 Mar 2012 21:44
The White Horse Inn, Bodle Street Green
Called in for lunch on one of those wonderful sunny days this week - the food is well presented and reasonably priced. Best of all the pub doesn't fall into the trap of offering too many real ales that wouldn't turnover quickly enough. Unsurprisingly, Harvey Best is the permanent (and a good pint it was too) with Wells Bombadier as the current guest ale - also well kept. Stowford Press, Mrs Ropey's favourite, was the cider. Reasonably priced and with a friendly welcome. Traditional opening hours during the week but this pub, set in the heart of beautiful East Sussex countryside, is one of those worth seeking out and using lest we lose them.
30 Mar 2012 21:41
Couldn't agree more with the recent comments. A bunch of us out-of-townies called in as part of a crawl of half a dozen pubs we hadn't visited for a few months but the landlord remembered us from our previous visit and made us feel very welcome. Excellent quality Seafarers and a pretty good pint of Adnams Bitter as the guest ale.
21 Jul 2010 20:26
Called in recently and had a couple of excellent pints of Brains Rev James. Landlord v. knowledgable and chatty. Quality beer, quality pub.
8 Jul 2010 21:59
Right with you there Ramone!
This will be the start and finish for a bunch of us next week when we visit Brighton for an afternoon crawl.
8 Jul 2010 21:57
The Kings Head, Lower Horsebridge
Called in midweek. Much improved inside and it looks like there is work going on outside to the beer gardden. Friendly, chatty staff and as the Harveys old was still available had a nice pint of 'Mother-in-law'.
6 May 2010 21:22
The Fifth Hants Volunteer Arms, Southsea
I'm an infrequent visitor to this pub but my, how far has this place fallen!
Sunday lunchtime visit, public bar had a group of lagerboys. Stood waiting for 10 minutes whilst the barmaid worked out that they wantd 6 pints of fosters and a guinness. After managing to cope with that difficult order, two of her friends came in the pub and chatted away to her. When i said 'excuse me, can i get a drink now' she completely blanked me and started serving her friends. Decided to leave, won't be back (i'm sure they won't miss me) 0/10.
13 Apr 2010 13:01
Had an hour to kill around London Bridge station last friday lunchtime week so called in for a first visit to this pub (and also the Market Porter q.v.) Simple two bar corner layout, nothing flash or fancy - thank heavens! The Dark Mild was very good and reasonably priced at �2.90.
12 Apr 2010 10:42
This pub has reopened. Mostly kegged lager/cider/smoothflow stuff but Harveys Sussex Best is available at a reasonable �2.50/pint and not too bad either. Given its location slightly off the main drag its clearly a 'locals' boozer. Landlord made us welcome.
5 Apr 2010 21:48
Been in a few times. Above average quality Harveys at under �3 a pint. Thatchers gold cider for the wife - none of that Strongbow s***e
3 Apr 2010 14:23
Visited recently on a Friday afternoon with a couple of mates before heading into town. Quality Harveys in tip-top condition. Friendly welcome from landlord.
3 Apr 2010 14:16
The Corn Exchange, Hailsham
Reverted to it's original name of The Crown. Part of the South Coast Inns chain who have refurbished the place. It now has several B&B rooms & the nightclub has gone. Good food menu. Much friendlier and more welcoming. Usually one or two real ales available from the Molson Coors list. Decent choice for lager drinkers too.
19 Aug 2022 14:58