BITE user comments - sussex
Comments by sussex
We visited this pub early evening (a Thursday) and thought what a nice place this would be to come to at the weekends/busy nights. There was only one other person in the place but to be honest we have found most pubs are very quiet during the week, these days, especially as this is quite rural and it was relatively early.
We are due to move in to the area soon and were checking it out. Much better than the Netherfield Arms over the road which is stuffy, over priced and never very busy. So the White Hart was a pleasant surprise. The views are amazing and they have a lovely patio to sit and admire the view with flower tubs etc. Inside the restaurant and bar are very well kept, the sort of place you could take your mother without her turning her nose up! This is good because many places just can't be bothered these days.
There is still a seperate wet trade bar. Meals are not cheap but not too bad (about �9-13 with reasonable lunch time snacks too). Becks was �3.40 a pint. Looks like they have the odd event on too.
This is not a olde worlde pub inside but they really seem to make an effort to keep your custom. We are looking forward to returning on a sunny Sunday lunchtime.
2 Aug 2012 20:47
I have to say I do agree about the snobby locals. They seem to have a right chavy lot behind the bar these days too.
28 Dec 2010 19:04
Oh dear. You will see from my previous posts that we used to love coming to this pub. We have spent quite a bit on meals out here at the weekends and often stop by in the evening during the week. We decided to do our regular visit, Christmas lunchtime. We ordered our drinks and were surprised that the first one wasn't free anymore (we've been using the pub for years) oh well I suppose times are hard. Then we noticed that all the local horsey types started trailing in and were quite clearly being given their free first drink. So instead of staying for 3 or 4 we decided to move on.
Guess what? We won't be returning! Have fun with your local snobby set. Maybe they will keep you going with your newly advertised cheapy steak nights because it won't be us. We'll be calling to cancel our New Year reservation and going somewhere more friendly.
28 Dec 2010 14:32
Ye Olde Smugglers Inn, Alfriston
Great pub came here after being treated in a disgusting fashion at the Wingrove down the road and found this to be a welcoming friendly place. Good food and reasonable drinks. Great beer garden(s) and live music.
31 Aug 2009 19:21
What a change. My partner went to order drinks (pint of lager and a coke) and handed over a �20 note to the manager/owner? before being told that the change would be brought to the table. It didn't turn up and had to be asked for.
Meanwhile we sat down with our drinks on the terrace and was offered a menu to look at. Meals were �10 which was ok because the food looked very nice. Put the menus down waiting for order to be taken and the manager/owner? then finally came with our change in a dish but informed us that the table was reserved and walked off with our menus! How rude! We couldn't believe it. Nor could we believe it when we realised that the 2 drinks had cost over �9. My partner went to the bar area and asked a young girl where the bar tarif was and she said they didn't have one.
In the meantime the owner/manager proceded to sit on another table on the terrace with a friend and a glass of wine. What sort of place are they running?
31 Aug 2009 19:11
Sit yourself in one of the bay windows (if you can, it gets busy here) and watch the world go by. You might even see Chris Ewbank park his Hummer out the front and get swarmed with adoring fans (he loves it!). Food great, really cheap and cheap wines too. Beer good. Lovely panneled walls and pictures all over the ceilings, could give you a stiff neck looking at them all though. The sort of place I can take my mum to!! and have!
25 Feb 2007 11:13
Thought we would try something new whilst in Brighton. Friendly enough. Karaoke afternoon on a Sunday, brilliant!!??!! Unfortunately it attracted all the drunks which were surprisingly not all that bad at singing. One chap, who was dressed in Doc Martins with swastikas and SS flashes on jeans did a charming rendition of 'I fought the Law and the Law Won' by the Clash, how appropriate. Lovely pub, if you like that sort of thing.
25 Feb 2007 11:07
Nice bar and patio to sit on a summer day. The recent takeover and refurbishment must have cost a fortune. Although the focus has been put on making this a slightly more upmarket restaurant, drinkers are still welcome.
25 Feb 2007 10:45
Very small pub filled with locals. Just a pub, not a restaurant, but does serve reasonably priced food, although we didn't eat ourselves. Can't remember ever being made to feel so welcome by the barman/landlord? If you don't know anyone in town, go in here! They even suggest trying something different to drink if you want a change. A pub which is a breath of fresh air. It's a proper pub!
25 Feb 2007 10:40
Visited again and reminded of how much it smells of dogs although it was a wet day but the smelly dog basket didn't help. Also holds a strange fascination for clowns and other plastic ornaments.
25 Feb 2007 10:29
Have visited this place many times and sampled the excellent food and quaint querky atmosphere of this untouched village pub. However, on a damp a dreary winter evening all of this changed. I asked before ordering if they took a debit card, this was accepted and a tab set up. We had had a couple of drinks when I realised I was feeling unwell and we decided to go home. The barmaid was sympathetic but explined that our drinks did not amount to the �15 minimum required to pay with a debit card. This was not explained when the card was first accepted. I explained that we didn't have enough cash and hadn't banked on needing to leave early. The barmaid still refused to accept the card, forcing me, as the only cardholder to drive a 10 mile round trip to a cash machine (recommended by the barmaid), leaving my partner as 'security!' until the bill was paid. This, the barmaid explained, perhaps not in the way her boss had intended us to be told, was to discourage people who were just coming in for a drink, hmmmm another pub aspiring to be a restaurant we think. We haven't been back.
25 Feb 2007 10:22
We love this pub, this has become one of our regulars, friendly, unpretentious(?)staff, food has been great and extremely good value. Good selection of drinks and priced just right. Music adds to the ambience as do the candles when the lit at dusk, just perfect.
25 Feb 2007 10:05
Decided to drink here on a Saturday lunchtime, big mistake. This pub is really a restaurant. We were asked if we were eating when trying to find somewhere to sit, when we said we were just having a few drinks, we were herded to the back of the pub which was more like a scruffy living room where people were sitting whilst choosing their meals. Had the impression, perhaps I am being paranoid, that we were outcasts. Coffee took forever because they were busy concentrating on the food trade. I was drinking coffee because although they had a machine for mulled wine, they had no orange slices to put in it, sorry but mulled wine has orange in it!!!!! not lemons!!! When we suggested that next time we bring our own orange the barman agreed, well guess what, there won't be a next time.
25 Feb 2007 10:00
The Horse and Groom, Rushlake Green
Decided to give this place a second chance,ordered a coffee and was charged �3.10 when questioning this I was told that it was real coffee. Granted it was served in a small cafetiere but this only held enough for a mug. Being that I like my coffee and can usually tell good from bad, this one didn't match the price tag. I've had better coffee from from Brighton Station for �1.30. The lager my partner had (Oranjeboom) was ok at �2.70ish so being the responsible driver and going for the non-alcholic drink I felt a bit cheated, and no it's not that posh in there but I have to say a very nice cosy setting. Something strange we did notice, many of the men wear pink or red, is this some sort of bizarre club or have we missed out on the latst fashion craze?
25 Feb 2007 09:45
Great! Full of atmosphere and quirkly, friendly landlord and cheap great food. Live music fridays, saturdays and some sundays in the evening plus sunday lunchtimes for jazz.
1 Jan 2007 14:52
The Horse and Groom, Rushlake Green
Arrived on Boxing Day, trying to find a pub that was open through the afternoon. Noticed several cars outside so wandered in to see if still open. Took some time to get out of anyone if they were still serving as landlord just stood there and finished his cigarette instead of apologising straightaway and explaining to us that they were now closed. What did he think we were standing there for?
1 Jan 2007 14:25
Lovley pub, cheap prices and a lovely mulled wine. Cooked the camembert in the box for too long but all other food has been excellent
31 Dec 2006 19:28
Having ordered a very overpriced house wine I asked for a splash of lemonade to make it more drinkable as it wasn't going down too well (surprising for me as I normally drink anything!) and was shocked to be charged another 50p for the priviledge. Maybe I should have complained a bit more about it but maybe if I was behind the bar I would have not charged or would have automatically offered the customer something else something else.
Funny how you don't forget these experiences and pass them on to friends and others though.
31 Dec 2006 19:12
Lovely atmosphere and great food, fairly well priced and beautiful garden in summer. Drinks are on the expensive side though.
31 Dec 2006 19:01
Great unpretentious pub, good value food and large portions.
31 Dec 2006 18:56
Definately more a restaurant now. Went for a quick drink and surprised that we were unable to sit at any of the available 3 tables which were reserved but which no one sat at for the full hour we were there. Won't bother again.
31 Dec 2006 18:55
Friendly enough but decor feels like someones lounge about 20 years ago
31 Dec 2006 18:48
The Counting House, Eastbourne
Great pub and lovely sunken garden feel in the summer when outside.
31 Dec 2006 18:47
Gone down hill a bit since the new management took over. Can't get the mulled wine machine working properly ie 3.55 for a small luke warm glass of it and that took three mebers of staff to get to that stage!
31 Dec 2006 18:45
The Royal Oak, Whatlington
New to the area so we thought we had found a lovely old pub that could be our new local. Visited several times then saw they were doing Christmas Day lunch. Tried to book, not very busy on most visits but they seemed to be working hard to keep going with wine tastings and music events. Told, sorry Xmas Day full, oh hang on might be able to fit 2 in after all. Will give you a call. Weeks pass with no messages, are we getting lunch sorted? Left a message in the end, time is ticking away, are we getting lunch on the day? No reply, week passes again, ok I'll call you again, oh sorry....... can't fit you in after all. So when were you going to call and tell me so we can make other arrangements? Maybe less chatting to the old locals in your almost bare pub and get on with being more organised!
12 Dec 2012 19:51