Blue Bell Inn, Cockingback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
My accommodation for the night after walking the South Down Way.
Its more of a restaurant than a pub. What's its got going for it...
Superb Rooms - nicer than most hotels
Good Food - although I gauge a place by the price of the cheese and biscuits. £8.95 would get you a lot of cheese at the Co-Op.
Exceptional breakfast.
Now the bad news - there are no real ales on the pumps. But they do have a barel of Ballards Best Bitter on a shelf behind the bar. It seemed a decent enough pint, but had little life it is - presumably missing the whole pump action effect you get from a hand pull. I moved onto San Miguel. Its a crime to charge so much and not get the ceremonial glass.
Some photos at my walking blog - http://mappiman.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/020915-cocking.html
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Popped in for a quick pint as I was out on the mountain bike and happened to be passing.
Seems more of a restaurant, as my eyes scanned left and right across the bat - not a hand pump in site. Asking what beer they had, the landlady mentioned the had a Hogsback TEA from the cask. Not being big on beer the TEA wasnt in great conditon. Totally lifeless without a hint of conditoning.
Having said that, the landlady was very accomodating, the interior was neat and tidy and I should imagine its great if you want a nice meal with a glass of wine.
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Hving driven past this pub for many years, observed several metomorphoses but never called in, my wife and I decided to stop for some lunch yesterday. A lovely ambience inside and a warm welcome from the hosts. A superb lunch which showed obvious classic training, beautifully presented without being ostentatious. Perhaps the lightest tempura I have ever seen, and the home made rolls were pretty good too! Although I am not a beer drinker, I had a couple of glasses of TEA which in the words of the host, were 'pleasant on the palate'. Competitively priced, they deserve every success - I shall return and I recommend any others to try The Blubell at Cocking. Bernie Stevens. 23. 10. 10.
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Despite having lived only a few miles from the Blue Bell, we had never ventured in until last week. It's been shut for quite a while, and now it has re-opened, we decided to try it for lunch. The menu is pretty varied, offering a good selection of steaks, game, and seafood, plus more standard fare, all locally sourced. The wine list was also quite extensive, offering everything from 'everyday' wines to the absurdly expensive!. We both opted for the pork belly, which came with cider chutney, and a fantastic (and huge) selection of fresh, beautifully cooked vegetables. We were so full, that we didn't even get as far as the pudding menu -very unusualfor a pud fan like me! We will definitely be back, but this time we will starve ourselves first!
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Now re-opened as a Restaurant with Rooms. Not a pub anymore. RIP
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soon to reopen as a foody type place
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Now closed. Very, very closed
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We just stayed at this pub. The rooms were barely adequate - very plain with stained wall and non closing window. The towel rail had fallen off and not been replaced, leaving holes in the wall. Not good value or a particularly nice stay. Perhaps because of the overall grimy appearance the pub was empty for all of Saturday evening apart from six people (including us two). Food was fine but the ambience was cool to say the least. Breakfast was at nine, even though we'd have liked it a bit earlier to get on our walk - literally cooked breakfast put on the table at nine with cold toast and no pleasantries. Choices of accommodation are very limited when walking the South Downs Way and this one, which looks nice on the website, was disappointing.
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Shame its been modernised, the floors are out of charecter. Too much magnolia.For a very small pub, it seems very open with no sence of privacy for customers to sit in a corner to chat etc... And it never seems to be open?
It is good for providing accomodation though. And the food prices are reasonable.
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Well the pub was not open when we arrived, I think it keeps traditional hours! We returned and found the place to be uninspiring, apparantly you cannot guarantee a meal as they often dont open the kitchen. We did not put it to chance and went down the road to the Greyhound (superb meal).
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The Blue Bell is pine furniture and wooden floors in the modern style, but does boast a Bar Billiard table and darts.
Greene King IPA & Shephad Neame Spitfire in better than average condition but an unispiring selection.
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