The Old Court House, Westfield

I can't praise the staff of this pub enough. I took a party of 30 hungry and thirsty walkers to it this last Saturday; admittedly I had phoned up to give a day or so's advance warning, but they were happy to let those who had bought their own sandwiches eat them in the garden and eat, while those who ordered food (about 20 all told) got good honest pub grub quickly and without fuss, despite their being suddenly run off their feet. Beer and service excellent: 10/10.

20 Apr 2010 00:04

The Ypres Castle Inn, Rye

Can only confirm and amplify what has been said about this pub. I took a party of 20 potentially high-spending Londoners who had been on a walk into this (largely empty) pub last Saturday evening; but for whatever reason the landlord decided we not his desired clientele and so were not welcome in the pub, but were "allowed" to use the garden.

It's the second time in a similar situation that I have had to deal with this man's Fawltyesque combination of rudeness coupled with a misplaced sense of his establishment's worth, and there shan't be a third. The tragedy of Rye is that he probably makes enough from one-visit daytrippers to keep the place going. For everyone else, one word: avoid.

19 Apr 2010 23:58