FOOD + DRINK
The Ultimate Sussex Pub Crawl cont.
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Brighton Music Hall, Brighton www. brightonmusichall. co. uk
The Brighton Music Hall is a quirky and cool venue built within the old Victoria arches along Brighton seafront, which have been completely restored to their former beauty. As well as good looks and an air of modernity, Brighton Music Hall has Britain’ s largest heated beach terrace too, which means you can enjoy its enviable coastal position at any time of the year. In the summer, this is the place to head for free live music all day, every day with acts ranging from soulful jazz to fast-paced flamenco – it’ s eclectic, it’ s eccentric, and it’ s completely Brighton. To compliment a wellstocked bar, there’ s a restaurant on the first floor offering breathtaking views and a delicious menu( including cocktails) for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The Ram Inn, Firle www. raminn. co. uk
Firle is a happy, pretty farming community, and The Ram Inn has been at its heart for over five centuries. The pub is a large brick and flint building, but is separated into three main rooms, each of which has a fire that’ s lit daily during the colder months and is ideal for sitting by with a paper and a warming drink, or one of the many locally produced ales or ciders that they stock. The garden, with its gorgeous flint walls, is the perfect spot to catch some sunshine, and sat separately in what used to be the old stable and coach house, there’ s a fine dining restaurant and a farmers bar. The Ram Inn is a pub fit for everyone including families as children are more than welcome.
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The Griffin Inn, Fletching www. thegriffininn. co. uk
The Griffin Inn is a family business and has been since 1979 when the Pullan family took it over. Since then it has soared in reputation- with a fantastic atmosphere; incredible fresh food( locally sourced wherever possible); only the best local real ales; a wine list everyone can appreciate( with around 120 different varieties included on it); and the most stunning views from the garden( two acres of loveliness with views down towards the National Trust’ s Sheffield Park Gardens), The Griffin is now a destination in its own right. Should you wish to make a weekend of it, there are 13 well-appointed guest bedrooms, each one individually designed to make your stay just that little bit more special. There’ s also a wine club that runs on a regular basis and includes wine tastings, offering members the chance to buy the wines featured at The Griffin at wholesale prices.
The Cat Inn, West Hoathly www. catinn. co. uk
West Hoathly is a truly lovely place – a hilltop village in the middle of the Sussex countryside, it is an idyllic spot. So naturally, a pub in the heart of it is bound to be delightful and The Cat Inn doesn’ t disappoint. It’ s a cosy, traditional pub with oak beams and two large inglenook fireplaces for the winter, and an outside terrace on which to catch the summer sun. Real ale here is plentiful, with the majority of it provided from local breweries, and of course, English sparkling wine and table wine is available too. All the food is cooked to order and the ingredients are fresh and locally sourced wherever possible.
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