Best Pubs in Sussex
Published 19 November 2025

At the hub of a Sussex hilltop village, with a sunny terrace overlooking the local church, this reimagined 16th-century inn has all the nooks, crannies, inglenooks, oak beams and floral displays that you could wish for. Efficient, cheery staff keep things rolling along, bringing ‘pint milk bottles’ of water to each table as a matter of course. The place gets packed and everyone is here for the food – thanks to a confident kitchen that can deliver consistent crowd-pleasing dishes from a regular menu and a chalked-up specials board that included a tempting with a crab-topped crumpet with cucumber and almond cream.

Burgers, pies and battered fish keep the traditionalists happy, but there's room for invention too: a well-balanced goat’s cheese brûlée delivered on all fronts, with a fine lavosh cracker alongside, while cod fillet was perfectly pan-fried, with impressive accompaniments including a crayfish beurre noisette, silky-smooth celeriac purée, savoy cabbage and crispy Parmesan-crusted potatoes. Meaty choices range from Surrey ribeye steaks with peppercorn butter to haunch of local venison richly embellished with a braised shoulder tartlet, quince poached in mulled wine, potato terrine and a boozy sauce. And on Sundays, the prospect of three ultra-traditional roasts guarantees regular full houses.

The kitchen puts on a show when it comes to desserts: our deep-filled lemon tart had bags of citrus tang, with blackberry purée and blackberry sorbet on the side, while a dark chocolate terrine was lifted by a raspberry sorbet and maple-flavoured honeycomb. The well-considered wine collection offers oodles by the glass, including a range of Sussex sparklers.

‘Encapsulates everything I love about a pub – comfort, cosiness, and community’ is one reporter’s appraisal of this family-run red-brick watering hole that’s considered the beating heart of Hastings’ Old Town. It hosts many community events, exhibits local artists, and is welcoming to all ages (it even has a snug full of toys), all backed up by cooking that puts the emphasis on fresh seasonal and local ingredients served with minimal fuss.

The kitchen team makes everything in-house – we’ve had many an endorsement for the stuffed courgette flower with labneh and chips, served with mayo and ketchup that were ‘markedly homemade’, according to one reporter. In addition, the sensibly short carte ranges from bar snacks (say broad bean and pumpkin seed dip), via roast lion’s mane mushroom ragù with handmade gigli pasta to venison and red wine sausages with green lentil cassoulet, salsa verde and braised carrots.

And who could resist such a finisher as Pevensey Blue cheese with treacle tart and a ginger and prune compôte? As for drink, the selection of hand-drawn ales (alongside keg beers) is from mostly local breweries, while the wine list offers European and local vintages at sensible prices.

This 18th-century Grade II-listed village pub looms large in the life of Burpham. Community-owned and family-run, it’s renowned for its charming service and convivial atmosphere, while the interior is a pleasant mix of exposed beams hung with hops, wood-burners, and stylish contemporary touches. It's popular with walkers too, being about an hour’s hike from the South Downs Way. The pub's immensely likeable menus cover all bases, from chorizo Scotch eggs, a good cheeseburger, classic fish and chips, a selection of steaks and well-reported Sunday roasts, to modern brasserie dishes such as cod with 'nduja and white bean stew or raspberry clafoutis with fig-leaf ice cream. As for drink, there are local ales and a selection of sustainable, organic, and biodynamic wines.

On a rural stretch of road three miles from Rye, the Plough encapsulates many people’s idea of what a country pub should be like. A garden with ‘exceptional views’ beckons in fine weather and a convivial atmosphere prevails. Indeed, a complete lack of pretence is an undoubted plus, from the scuffed floorboards, plain tables and wood burners to an informal approach to eating – ‘delicious, seasonal and locally sourced,’ is how it appeared to one visitor.

The simple, good-value weekday lunch is well reported and is bolstered by a straightforward carte – a mix of pub classics (battered haddock and fries, Winchelsea lamb shoulder pie), and more complex combinations ranging from cured chalk stream trout pastrami with cornichons, cabbage and mustard crème fraîche to a ‘sensational’ main course of onion bhaji Scotch egg Madras with Bombay potatoes, mint yoghurt and greens.

Sunday roasts are reckoned to be ‘leaps and bounds better than anywhere else in the area’, with the Yorkshire puddings and cauliflower cheese (made with Sussex Charmer and Twineham Grange) singled out for special praise. To finish, the sticky toffee pudding has also impressed, as have the staff, whose warm welcome and good humour extends to small children and dogs. As for drinks, Harvey’s Sussex Best is on draught, while the compact wine list offers reasonably priced drinking from £27 a bottle. Accommodation is in 'the loft' – a self-contained flat above the pub.