please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Finally we found a pub that was open to round off our Sunday evening visit to West Sussex. Although it took an eternity to be served. One guy seemed to be ordering for a few thousand and the lager being ordered by the next customer seemed to be suffering from an excessive amount of gas. 10 minutes later and the landlord finally got around to serving me. Having all of this time had allowed me to spot the Biddendens Cider in a (probably fake) wooden keg in one corner of the bar. Unfortunately, this bearded fella informed me that it was past its best. The fallback was Three B's Stoker's Slake, which was a very nice substitute. Other beers on were WJ King Kings Old Ale, Plain Ales Intrigue, Harveys Sussex Best Bitter & Hogsback HBB. This single room pub is still worth a visit and has a very nice location, if you can put up with the lack of serving staff.
|
Fond memories of visiting here for the bar billiards (none now, sadly).
|
Very disappointed as it looks beautiful from the outside but one step inside and you are confronted by a wall of smell which put me off from eating. But stayed for a drink which i had a soft drink which was served in a wine glass enough said. I love an old pub but this was like going back in time in a bad way .
|
A sort of timeless atmosphere in this place. Nothing hurried, nothing much has changed in years I would guess. Very nice bar staff and the 4 generations of friendly pooch. Beer range very broad considering its not a busy place, tucked away in nowhereland. The Palmers bitter was in v good condition, and there was Harveys Old and Sussex bitter as well as a Mild. Food very good quality. So nice to find this sort of pub still exists.
|
For the real old village pub goer, this is a bit of a gem, it's a bit higglety-piggilty in some ways but the food is superb, ale well kept and the staff a bit of a laugh. It's about 9 months since we last visited but I'm sure little has changed. If I remember correctly, the landlord has been 'in post' some decades now. It's the sort of place I would recommend to tourists to Britain !!!!!!
|
Really enjoyed our Sunday at this pub. Great roast and even better beer choice and quality. Served by the owner who made us very welcome. Its a quiet pub with no music but plenty of good hurmured conversation with a wide variety of locals and vistors from futher a field. Did all they could to make our large party welcome moving tables etc.
Enjoy - We did!
|
Very poor. Visited on a quiet Saturday lunchtime (16 people in bar). Food arrived over an hour after ordering (2 ploughmans, one prawn cocktail, 2 fish & chips), despite only four other people dining at time. Burnt bread and chips. We did receive apologies from the new barman, who had only started that day, and rather than make a fuss in the pub, decided to ring the owner when home. Unfortunately, no apology and he was extremely confrontational, excusing the poor service on the bais that he was alone in the kitchen. Very disappoiting food experience - even more disapointing was the owner's attitude to our complaint.
|
Last pub on our Dark Star brewery trip on 4/7/09 only cut short by our coach driver wanting to go home. Excellent pub with a landlord who looked genuinely pleased to see us. Lovely setting with lots of greenery so if you're stuck in a city for most of your life this is an excellent place to come and sample good beer at a reasonable price. Just for the location the best pub we visited today. 9/10
|
Well worth a visit. Good beers, friendly staff. I didn't eat but the menu looked enticing.
|
Excellent ale, food and atmosphere. Its one of the last remaining genuine pubs which has been run by a landlord and landlady for the last 25 years and it still has a great family & local feel to it.
Not sure why people don't think it caters for vegetarians?? And as for the comments about the gents? How many gents toilets do you know in country pubs that are that clean?!
Anyway, love this pub!
|
Excellent place, most of it feels like it's barely changed since 1950.
5 good ales on offer, including a mild. Don't be put off by the King & Barnes sign outside, it isn't K&B on the beer front.
A great one to find in the summer for a session or to relax in. Recommended.
|
I've been to this pub a few times in recent months, and have always enjoyed the visit. It can sometimes appear a little dark and dank, this doesn't bother me but if you like bright pubs with lots of noise then best avoided. But if you like a nice beer and fancy a better choice that some pubs offer, it is highly recommended. Last time I went they had five to choose from, all well kept. Landlord was friendly, and the ladies toilets were clean (can't speak for the gents, obviously!). Have not eaten there so are not sure what the food is like but it always smells divine. Gladly for me i'm not vegetarian so Will definately try it sometime.
|
I always visit this pub when I�m down this way as they always have a mild (usually the excellent Arundel Sussex) as well as several bitters. One bar pub for locals and visitors. I never eat here because there is nothing vegetarian on the menu and asking about this I was offered �an omelette�.
|
Went to Five Bells at Easter when staying with friends.Thought it was over rated by other users .Went back recently and more dissapointment !Food was OK but over priced and really really long wait .Pub was dirty , just look at the gents . Difficult to get a beer as very few staff.Pub will be OK for ale fanatics but overall annoyingly dissapointing !
anonymous - 19 Jun 2007 17:19 |
I haven't, regrettably, had a chance to visit the 5 Bells for over 2 years, but I feel that in view of what has been said below, the experience has not altered. It is run by a very outgoing and hearty landlord, who has made significant improvements to the pub in recent years by adding accommodation via an extension that was fully in-keeping with the pub's exterior.
The location is not in truth far from civilisation but it does feel marvellously isolated and rural. It offers a selection of 5 cask ales (always well-kept in my experience even in hot weather; the heatwave of '03 seemed to present no problems), and an excellent menu of high-quality food, much of the ingredients being locally-sourced. The fish dishes, in particular, are really excellent. It may be the case that veggies are poorly catered for; frankly I have little concern on this front being a confirmed omnivore. I can at least vouch for the quality of the vegetables served with meat or fish dishes!
The pub is well-heeled, tidy and clean without being at all antiseptic or pretentious. A lively mixed crowd seem to populate it, and all in all this is a worthy outlet to visit if you're in this area.
|
Proper old fashioned country pub with decent honest home cooked food and good choice of independent real ales to choose from.
Worth a visit if you can find it.
|
Excelent beer choice & quality - the only ale I've drunk during the summer heatwave recently that was cool enough. Friendly atmosphere
|
Nice friendly pub. Recommend.
|
Lovely pub. Hard to get to without a car or risking life walking on narrow unlit country lanes. Always a choice of about 6 different beers usually including a mild. Don't eat if you're a vegetarian; there is absolutely nothing on the menu for you
|
