please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Not that much seems to have changed from the reviews below, it seems.
We called mid-afternoon last Sunday, and came upon what seemed to be a restaurant business, and apparently quite an intensive one too.
There are a few high chairs at the bar, in two of which we sat. That would appear to be it for non-diners. There was little change, from twelve pounds, for a pint of ale and a glass of wine.
I don't know if there was more to it than we saw, but six is as good as it gets from me from that. It's an old place, but with smart modern fittings.
The customer's springer spaniel, on the floor at the bar was amiably patient, mind.
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Over priced, bar manager was rude and when we said we were staying at the White Horse was pretty much ignored by the two ladies behind the bar from there on. Menu looked pricey and variety was limited. Overall a poor experience, overpriced, staff were rude and the manager seemed to have no Customer Service skills. Will not return to this pub again!!
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Nice looking place, large but with some quiet corners.
Had 4 ales on when I visited: Harveys Best, Timothy Taylor's Landlord, Sharp's Doombar and Arundel Trident. I tried the last one and it was in good shape and very tasty. However, the beer was extremely expensive with prices comparable to those I would expect to have to pay in Central London.
The menu was interesting but pretentious - this could not be described as pub grub. Again, very expensive, even for a sandwich.
A nice place but check you have enough in your wallet before you try it.
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Overated and over priced. Evening meal of Chicken dish consisted of 2 slices of chicken on salad leaves for �15. Would not go again, very disappointed after long wait for food. Terrible value for money
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Have been in twice recently. The first time I walked out after being ignored for ten minutes by the two women behind the bar in the restaurant area, yacking about rotas. The second time they weren't doing food as they were too busy.
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I called in back in 2006. It was packed to the rafters indoors therefore we had to sit outside, which was not convenient as it was rather chilly. There was no overhead heating on the canopy, which was a slight downside. However, the food was freshly made and well cooked, as well as being reasonably priced. The soup of the day was served with a large chunk of crusty bread, and the burgers were cooked fresh and were not at all greasy. The Harveys was certainly well kept, and the tab for 2 people consisting of 2 starters, 2 main courses and 2 pints of Harveys came to a total of �33. Definitely worth visiting again in the future.
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Called in again on the 2008 annual London / Brighton bike ride. Been before about two years ago and it has had a make over. Very bistro like now and very pleasant too. Agree with earlier comments about prices - indeed they were having a garden BBQ and had slashed prices on the blackboard menu by 50% as food just wasn't selling. Ber was Harveys and Landlord, both OK.
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this pub is nice. the chips are nice, as is the beer.it is near nice places to walk if you aren't 157. over all, this pub is very nice.
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As locals my wife & I thought we'd give The Bull a go for sunday lunch, having not been there for years but unfortunately we won't be going back.
I can't comment on the beer, as I was driving but the food was distinctly disappointing. It's a pub that's selling average food at restaurant prices. I echo the previous comment about the stuffed lamb - two thin slivers of okay lamb with a small selection of okay veg, at the princely sum of �13.00. My aged mother cleared her plate leaving plenty of room for dessert (& this from a lady that's not known for her large appetite). Thank goodness we didn't take our teenage boys otherwise it would've taken three main courses just to fill them up - & I am not exagerating. You can tell from the decor in the gents that it's ot ideas above the ability of the chef. Having said that the service was great...
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horrible pub, service is awful, especially at the weekend. You can tell the landlord is just out to fleece your money. Arrogance is abound!
anonymous - 16 Oct 2007 18:28 |
Much, much better now the non-smoking rule is in !!! Traditional village pub with good range of beers,,, Taylors Landlord was very drinkable . Small terrace and a bit further away is a secluded garden.
anonymous - 5 Sep 2007 22:17 |
Nice pub with rural feel. A bit more up market than some of its local rivals, but well worth a visit. Nice beer, nice staff, nice village and friendly natives.
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After a long walk on the Downs I was looking forward to a good lunch & a pint in the great outside space this pub has. The pint was ok, Timothy Taylors. Good temperature and taste.
As for the food, my veggie companions had whole Camambert oven-cooked in it's box with a tomato/apricot salsa and ciabatta. They said it was great but could do with a bit more bread. And at �8.50 was quite reasonable.
I ordered saddle of lamb with stuffing, roast potatoes and vegetables. The 'saddle' was actually 2 thin slices and the whole meal was lukewarm. For �12.50 I'd expected better. Banoffee pie was great and gooey, however another dessert (I forget the name) was advertised with a biscuit but they'd run out. This wasn't mentioned when ordering.
Ok pub, but will try somewhere else for food next time.
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Harvey's and guest beers. Charming country pub. Awesome food! Beautiful village. I loved it. Full of character. Well run. Great for walkers - there's even a hot rail in the toilets to dry out damp clothing!
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great food and beer and when it's not too rammed it is a lovely place to spend the afternoon, especially in winter when the fires are going.
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Quite a decent pub, did a lovely pint of Harveys. Food was good, but rather pricey and took absolutely ages to arrive - it took us three and a half hours to get fed, with half hour wait for puddings. If they could sort it out, they'd be laughing.
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Maybe I was spoilt by having just been in the White Horse, but I did not like this pub. The Taylor Landlord was OK, I suppose, and there were three other handpumps, but the atmosphere was weird. Seems to have been refurbished and the decor and furniture don't seem to go with the old building.
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A great place to visit. We used it as a refeshment stop on the London to Brighton Bike ride on 18 June. Despite the chaos of hundreds of cyclists gagging for a drink the staff were calm and professional, helpful and amusing. The Harveys was in excelent condition and the Landlord superb. So too the bodily landlord, with a fine sense of humour. Lovely pub.
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Gets very crowded at lunchtime, imaginative, wide range of food although sometimes the quality is a bit hit and miss, sometimes gorgeous, sometimes bland. Quite expensive
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Agree completely with the foregoing comments. Food is excellent - a cross between 'hearty' and 'gastro'. A bit pricey compared to others in the area but worth it for a treat. The bar with the open fire is very dark - we needed the candles to read the menu! The place fills up fast - virtually empty at noon and packed by one. There were people waiting for our table when we left and others waiting for our car space outside. Very enjoyable experience.
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One of three pubs very close to each other in the very ancient village of Ditchling. A very old building houses two bars; the one I chose had bare floorboards and wooden furniture and was lit with candles as the night drew in creating a very nice atmosphere. Several ales on handpump, Harvey's Bitter and Taylor's Landlord were both superb. Well worth a visit.
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Lovely old world pub with open log fire and fine beer. Also a wide ranging menu of good food. Nice if simple garden with wooden seating. Plenty of parking available.
Dave Cumberland - 12 Oct 2004 20:59 |
