Amberley Black Horse in Horsham

Super food and super service from Amberley and fellow waitresses

Beautiful English pub in a beautiful English location. Staff very friendly and helpful, rooms are very comfortable and the food is very good with big portions and quality ingredients. This is my first visit and I already can't wait to come back

We stayed three nights and can report good and bad. The setting is lovely as is the space. And the breakfasts were good. But the pub looks like it is lacking management. The restaurant was at times chaotic with only one person who could take orders resulting in long waits as other reviewers have indicated. Strangely there were sufficient staff but the young girls could only bring food to the table or clear up. I would add that the four of us were all somewhat disappointed with the quality of the cooking in the restaurant particularly given the prices. There is no doubt in my mind that this could be a great place to stay but it desperately needs some leadership.

We had the most amazing night away . It was a birthday treat for my husband. From start to finish the whole experience was 10/10 . Lovely friendly staff , EVERYWHERE was spotlessly clean . The food was AMAZING best food we have had in a long time !we had the charcuterie board and mini Camembert for starter , My husband had ribeye steak and I had braised beef . Perfect clean room , friendly attentive staff. It was our first time here but we ate already planning our second visit .

Disappointing Visit – A Lesson in Complacency I rarely write reviews. I’m well aware how easy it is to fall into the trap of complaining from behind a keyboard, but in this case, I feel it’s warranted—and potentially useful for those running The Black Horse at Amberley. The gap between our expectations and the reality of the experience was so stark, it felt worth putting into words. After receiving a recommendation to visit, we arrived with genuinely high hopes. The setting is undeniably lovely, and the pub has all the ingredients to be something special. Sadly, it didn’t come close to delivering. Yes, it was Easter and understandably busy, but even with that in mind, the service was excruciatingly slow. It took 30 minutes just to place an order, and a full hour before a starter appeared. The staff, while not outright rude, were noticeably blunt—any apologies given felt cringeworthy and hollow, with little substance behind them. There was a clear absence of direction or leadership, and no one seemed willing or able to take control of the situation. We didn’t even make it to dessert. The experience had become so drawn-out, we simply paid the bill, appetite lost, patience thoroughly worn thin. It’s a shame, because the setting and décor of the pub really are outstanding. In fact, thanks to the excessive wait times, we had the rare opportunity to study every beam, brick, and lampshade in intimate detail. It was practically a guided architectural tour by default. What I sensed most of all, though, was complacency. I genuinely find myself wondering how the pub is as successful as it is. A good example: had we raised a complaint about the speed of service when placing our order, I would have expected that to be acknowledged and monitored. Instead, even something as simple as two scoops of ice cream took over 30 minutes to arrive and that was after starters that had already tested our patience, It was just poor, especially on the most basic levels of customer service. What makes the experience even more puzzling is the contrast with other places we visited during the same weekend—The Crabshack in Worthing and The Pig at Madehurst. The gulf in quality, attention to detail, and customer care was extraordinary. The Black Horse simply isn’t in the same league. I don’t write this with malice. I genuinely hope someone at the venue reads this and takes it on board, because with the right leadership and attitude, The Black Horse could be outstanding. But as it stands, I couldn’t recommend it .

Really nice place to stay. Everything was super clean, if you like birds and photography this is a good place to stay to walk around the area looking for wildlife. Staff were really friendly if not run off their feet a bit, think they could use a little more help! Still maintained a professional and cheerful demeanor in spite of being so busy.

Beautiful pub located in a small village. Parking is a bit tight, so best to leave some additional time to allow for this. Roaring log fires and a cosy layout inside. Seperate bar area and restaurant. Staff were fabulous. Well trained and attention to detail, which is hard to find nowadays. Smalled details such as cleaning tables and menus properly give it that professional touch. The food is excellent. We all had the steak pie, which was home made, with mash to accompany it, together with seasonal veg. Excellent starters and mains for the bigger appetites. Thoroughly recommended. Thanks to all at the Black Horse.

What an incredibly nice location, fantastic... Located in a small, lovely village, this lively "pub with rooms" is located in peace and quiet, although it is a bit lacking. It is indeed a pub, but that really does them a disservice because it is so much more than that. You can enjoy a delicious meal in a cozy atmosphere and then sleep wonderfully in beautifully renovated rooms in a good bed. All employees are equally friendly and cordial and nothing is too crazy. What a relief to hear that it can also be done this way in the catering industry, an example! We would love to come back when we are back in England, see you soon!

The pub was lovely setting with an lovely atmosphere to it. Staff were very friendly and approachable during our stay. However we raised an issue with the management about the kitchen extractor fan making the whole room especially the bed shake and vibrate. We understand they have to have it on whilst dinner / cooking was needed but we had to ask on the first night to have it lowered at around 22:30 which they did but we felt it was a inconvenience for them to do so. Then the second we had to ask again to have it lowered and got much of the same response this time at around midnight. All in all the pub was lovely but we feel that when the kitchen is finished with the fan it should be lowered to allow guests to get some rest. The price we paid of around £176 a night we feel we should have got a better nights sleep then we did both nights.

Unfortunately this has happened to many times. Expensive, rude & unwelcoming staff. Go up the road to the Sportman Inn and enjoy a proper welcoming pub. I now will never recommend the black horse, always go to the sportsman. Such a shame, the black horse has its priorities in the wrong areas.

5 Stars – A Great Stay with Fantastic Food! We could tell right away that the kitchen really runs the place—and that’s a good thing! Every meal we had during our two-day stay was absolutely delicious. Despite reading some negative reviews about the staff beforehand, we were pleasantly surprised by how smooth and positive our experience was from start to finish. Yes, the front-of-house team seemed very structured and followed strict rules, but we actually saw that as a plus—it made things feel well-run and efficient. The rooms were lovely, the bed was super comfy, and the whole place had a warm, welcoming atmosphere. It was also incredibly dog-friendly, which made our stay even better. Nothing to complain about—we’d happily come back!

We visited this restaurant for dinner and were really impressed with the quality of the food – the pie was delicious and well-prepared and the apple crumble had a unique topping. However, the service left much to be desired. While the staff was friendly, the pace was incredibly slow. We had to wait a full 25 minutes just to have our dessert order taken, which really took away from the overall experience. We had to keep flagging down a waiter to ask. Upon receiving our meals, the waitress did not come over to ask how are food was. We arrived at 6:30 PM and didn’t leave until 9:00 PM, much of that time spent simply waiting. Great food, but the service needs serious improvement, especially if you are putting a discretionary service charge on the bill, which we did not pay.

Amazing restaurant, had the best venison pie the other day - highly recommend!!

Service a lot to be desired. Our pakora starter was uncooked/raw in the middle. The fish could have been cooked a little longer. It was difficult to get off the bone. Peppercorn sauce is too watery and not really tasting of peppercorns. Just a beige sauce. The truffle fries simply had truffle oil drizzled over them giving them a soggy texture with no real truffle taste. Beautiful setting. So so setting. At one point the chef came out and shouted at the serving staff. Even if justified, it didn't look very professional.

Loved everything about this pub! Food, ambience, staff, decor, location, just fab!!! Popped in to see if we could book for lunch and we could! Amazing menu. We had pub classics but there were many more adventurous options to try. The staff were all lovely and very friendly and service was very good.

From the moment you walk in, The Black Horse wraps you in warmth. The service is seamless and attentive without fuss, genuine smiles at every turn. The food? Pure comfort, crafted with great care and served with pride. It’s the little touches: a roaring fireplace, the staff remembering your name, laughter echoing from the bar and you leave not just fed, but cherished. It’s the same every time and where every visit feels like coming home. ⭐️

Absolutely beautiful village pub! Has lots of different seating areas and is beautifully decorated. The staff are so friendly and welcoming and the food is amazing!! This isn't your typical pub food, more restaurant quality which is reflected in the price. They source most of their food locally too! The garden areas are really great with really comfy seating! We came for a drink in the afternoon and then booked in for dinner later that evening! We really loved it here and if we lived nearer would be back all the time!

Took our 3 month old for an experimental trip to the country for a few nights - with success! Gorgeous place, gorgeous food and lovely chats with Emma over breakfast!

Came in for some drinks and cocktails and was pleasantly surprised with the selection of local ales and gins. The barman was really friendly and made our short experience really worth while. The menu looked amazing so we will definitely be to try the food

The stars are for the food- the chef is keeping this place going. Front of house is very poor. We sat an hour waiting for two Sunday roasts. Took around 40 minutes for anyone to take a food order. Lots of staff- poor system.

Took my family for Sunday roast - pleasant interior. Poor service , never asked if food was ok - my roast pork was inedible - hardly cooked and as it was belly pork the fat was rock hard . Yorkshire pudding hard and burnt a puddle of gravy and roast potatoes tasteless. Very disappointed- I told the manager who could t care less “that’s how the chef serves it “ and have no other complaints - laughable !

First time having a meal here, after previously visiting for drinks. Welcoming, nice atmosphere with cosy rustic decor. Great menu, with lots of on the day specials from local produce. We will come again

This poor excuse for a pub/restaurant needs to be closed down. They completely ruined our NYE get together by moving the goalposts on children’s menus. They then had the audacity to not refund our deposits when we had to cancel! I also agree with previous comments about the staff. They need a long course in the study of customer service. Enough said. Will never visit this establishment again, and I urge others to do likewise.

We attended this pub to celebrate our anniversary and spent money on cocktails, bubbles, wine and a steak meal - all of which we enjoyed in the cosy and pleasant surroundings. However, our experience was badly tarnished by one or two dismissive and downright unpleasant staff who openly mocked guests. Such a shame.

Rude atrocious service. Booked dinner here for our wedding anniversary. Pub is beautifully decorated and the food is reasonable but the staff are awful. Said things like "don't know why guests order cocktails when they can see we are busy" despite cocktails being on menu. The staff were rude to us, unhelpful and actually laughed out loud directly at guests. We were asked twice to pay our bill and despite being asked about the occasion on booking, no recognition of our anniversary. Would not return.

Stayed one night en route to a family event. Attractive building. Nicely refurbished. Friendly staff. Very good evening meal for a reasonable price. Would definitely return.

Me and my girlfriend, arrived in Amberley for the Maverick Trail run race on Friday evening and had booked two nights at this magnificent pub, the Amberley Black Horse! Our experience was just incredible. We were initially astonished by the beautiful village and the architecture and location of the Pub! We were greeted by Joe who was extremely kind and helpful throughout our stay and then Gee took over for our check in. Gee was super kind, knowledgeable and positive during our entire stay. The room was very warm, clean, quiet and cozy. It had everything you needed. During our stay, we dined twice and we are so happy we did as Chef Tom cooked some of the most delicious LOCAL and homemade food we had in a long time. His fish reminded me of home (and Greeks take some pride in seafood)!! Joe, Tom, Gee, Annie, Stacey and Grace thank you for the unforgettable experience and we cannot wait to come back! 5 Stars! ☺️Erin & Themistoklis

Lovely atmosphere great waitress & good food … Only trouble is there is no car park so you have to park up the road & they are smaller roads than normal! Also we tipped & then noticed when we got home that they had put a service charge on so I emailed to say that I wasn’t happy that we had not been told about this & was happy to tip but paying double was ridiculous & they understood & refunded the service tip Happy to go there again

gorgeous pub with a lovely cozy interior in a pretty village. all the staff were polite and friendly, and greeted me and my partner with a smile.

Restful and lovely pub in the midst of the gorgeous pillage of Amberley. Lovely and relaxing walks around the village and the 12th century church is a delight.

Family birthday dinner. Arrived at 5 pm served at 640. Average food assume we’d been forgotten. Had to ask to order drinks then ask to order food. Despite the long wait we were not checked on. Average food. Chaotic waiting staff managed by a manager who was dismissive and rude. Very disappointed as previous visits had been good hence the booking due a family birthday.

Very nice food, it looked and tasted very good.

My husband and I had dinner last night. We are so impressed with the quality of food, flavors and presentation. We are very thankful we were able to enjoy our evening enjoining a delicious meal.

After an extensive search for a suitable place to celebrate my partner's 70th birthday celebrations I settled on The Black Horse in Amberley. I wasn't disappointed this stunning pub with rooms above has been elegantly restored to beyond it's former glory by Emma and her Husband. We received a warm welcome and nothing was too much trouble, the breakfast and drinks were really good. It's situated in the heart of one of West Sussex's most beautiful villages and popular with walkers. We'll definitely be returning.

Booked dinner for a special occasion. Table we booked was lovely, by the fire (as politely requested in booking). Got moved after 10 minutes as a ‘dog friendly’ booking has superseded our booking, apparently. Very disappointing from that moment onwards - staff defensive and rude about the fact they moved us; we did not expect a freebie/ money off, just a genuine acknowledgment that they had messed up. Food was good but staff/management attitude was really disappointing and kind of ruined the night. Three different staff members came to tell us “you’ll get nothing of the bill, there was nothing wrong with the food”. We were not disputing that, just would have been nice to have met a a manger who accepted a genuine mistake and made a goodwill gesture. Left in tears.

Outstanding Sunday lunch, you surpassed yourselves today. As always, great service, beautiful food.

Luxury dining at the end of a great circular hike around Amberley

I had an amazing stay at the Black Horse recently. Great people, tasty food and cosy rooms.

Really enjoyed our visit great food great staff ,seriously feel that two of your reviewers had obviously visited a different pub!

Stopped off on a busy Sunday lunchtime and although two large parties were due to arrive , the manager found us a table in the restaurant. The staff were friendly and courteous, and the food excellent. Have to say the steak and mushroom pie was delicious. I would say prices are slightly higher than average, but comparable to other ‘gastro ‘pubs in the area. Gorgeous pub inside , dog friendly and situated in a beautiful village. Really enjoyed the experience.

Love it. Beautiful village. Great pub, most dog friendly place and people we've ever been to. Nice room. If you're tall it's an adventure. Very friendly staff.

We really loved this place after traveling through many places in Sussex and Kent and London. It's recently updated and looks beautiful inside and out. The room was up to date and comfortable, and the food in the pub was fantastic. We had the risotto and the meat pie with the house salad and crumble and chocolate cake for dessert and all was delicious. Staff and management were helpful and kind and I just wish we could have stayed longer.

Food fine but dining room difficult to access by those with limited mobility and 12.5% 'staff gratuity' added to final bill without prior notice when paying by card

Great place to go for a meal👍..only down was asked for English mustard but was forgotten???? Asked again and got only a tea spoon sizes portion in a ramekin????lots of steak but no mustard ??? ¹... .place has a lovely atmosphere too it and look great inside....busy! Book your table 👍🙂

Fantastic Pub in one of the most picturesque villages in Sussex. Fantastic service and a menu overflowing with exceptional specials, making any choice agonising. Settled on a rib of beef Sunday roast and wasn’t disappointed. Great wine list to boot.

We came in for dinner Monday night without a reservation and were told to take a seat in the bar area as they prepared a table for us. The barman was very friendly and welcoming. When we were eventually sat the food was amazing and service quick even with a busy restaurant. I had the chicken which was to die for and everyone was very happy with there own meals we had no room for dessert but if it’s like the rest of the meals we will definitely be coming back for some.

We have been to this pub about 6 times. The first time was quite lovely, since then the service has been appalling. Every time you walk in there you feel as if you are inconveniencing the staff, they are incredibly unwelcoming. The manager is so pompous. We kept going back as it was conveniently located and the food is quite nice. We kept hoping for a better experience but today was the last straw for us, they are rude, smug, and just generally not nice in there. So we left and went to the Sportsman’s Inn up the road instead and it was simply wonderful, the staff are amazing, the food delicious, we loved it and left a big tip. We will not be back to The Black Horse again and we will be telling all our friends and family to avoid it too!!!

Just home after our second stay. The staff are lovely, food is yum and surrounding countryside is gorgeous. Am sure we’ll return next year.

This was honestly the best Sunday lunch we have ever had (that we didn't cook ourselves!) The staff were extremely attentive, and the food: Stunning rib of beef, cooked to a perfect medium rare. So much choice of veg, all done perfectly. And everything washed down with lovely Amberley Ale. True 5* experience. We will be back.

Everything you’d want for a traditional English Sunday roast. Fantastic food, venue and staff. Location amazing too

Thursday lunchtime, the place was empty and remained so for the 2.5 hours we were there. But the staff wanted us to sit on the smallest, worst located table insisting they needed to keep the 50 better tables free incase people turned up! With a lot of resistance she agreed to a decent table. When will the service industry realise its the customers present that are important, not ones that might turn up? The food was good and it's an attractive pub so 2 stars, but the attitude of staff means we won't be returning.

We actually ate here twice yesterday - snacky lunch in the bar and then a bit more in the evening! Every time we’ve eaten here over the past few years we’ve had a great experience and it’s become a firm favourite. Food is very good - heartily recommend the ‘nibbles’ which are quite substantial and they usually have a good main course fish option too - and delicious puds. Many ingredients are locally sourced which is a bonus. Atmosphere is relaxed but with good attention to detail and service is great (always with a smile). We’ll be back again soon!

Lovely food and country atmosphere

The staff is not very nice and welcoming, the atmosphere seemed very tense. We decided to go somewhere else

We had lunch here on our holiday. Such a lovely place. Breathtaking views of the Cotswolds. Nice atmosphere and the food is top notch (especially the chips).

Lovely setting and lovely building. Food was pretty good but pricey (had roast beef - cut of beef wasn’t as good as would be expected for price) Service was however appalling. Slightly overly smug owner/manager initially and then all the service staff were similar (girls possibly all under 20) and lots of them but not really doing their jobs well, too many standing around sipping on drinks and just generally quite slow to bring things (drinks, take orders, even to find the card machine at the end). Tip was already included in the bill, remove that and then assess if as many tips are given then train the staff…. Great venue but experience ruined by poor service. (see also other recent one star reviews at the same venue by others)

Stayed here with my family for my wedding weekend. Really lovely rooms, servers were lovely, but there was a bit of miscommunication about checking in and out when we initially booked, so maybe check this if you need an unusual check in time (I would also recommend checking this information closer to the booking or getting it in writing). This was resolved but a bit of a wedding stress the week of the wedding for me. Staff really went out of their way to accommodate us which I was grateful for. Breakfast was good according to my family.

First time visit. After paying 15.55 for a beer and medium wine we sat opposite the bar. The bar man continuously picked a spot on his arm and at one point used the knife on it, which was used to cut fruit after. He also picked at his nose when not serving. I must say I have never seen anything like this and it totally put us off our drinks. We left after one and will not return. If someone from health and safety was there they would have a field day. We love to visit village pubs and this one has been let down by one person!

Give this place a wide berth. I notice on here they make no attempt to placate people who've had bad experiences. Four us arrived around 1.30pm on bank holiday Monday to see if we could have a late lunch. We were shown to a crowded dining room that was noisy and hot. Elsewhere there were empty tables in the bar area and a second dining room that was empty. Our request to sit elsewhere was begrudgingly accepted. The table we pointed to was 'for people with dogs' so we were shown to the empty dining room. It took at least half an hour and an attempt to buy drinks from the bar (refused) before our drinks order was taken. Another 10-15 mins before the drinks arrived. For an August Bank Holiday Monday the place was not overly busy. When the drinks arrived we asked if we could order our food. No, that was someone else's job who'd be along soon. Soon turned out to be another half an hour. Waiting for our food order for another half an hour we were on the verge of leaving when it eventually arrived. I don't eat big meals at lunchtime so I had ordered the roast tomato and pepper soup with bread. The soup was ordinary and the piece of bread so small I could have eaten it whole without it touching the sides of my throat. Overall all of the food was at best ordinary, at worst poor. Someone wrote on here that the culinary ambition is way ahead of the culinary competence. That nails it for me, and then add in the appalling customer service. As though we were non people just because we asked to sit somewhere different to where they wanted us. Food overpriced too. Pretentious. Stay away.

We stopped for an impromptu dinner on Sunday. We had a delicious rib of beef roast meal with a lovely selection of various vegetables. We decided to have a pudding as they looked nice and we weren't disappointed. We were looked after very well by the staff. We look forward to visiting again.

Exceptional venue with pleasant and highly trained staff (a rarety). Beautiful surroundings in a truly idyllic setting. Can't wait.to repeat the experience.

Lovely place to stay, eat and drink in a picture postcard perfect village setting.

Myself and my partner had lunch today. I chose the special starter of the day..poached egg truffle hollandaise grilled asparagus….it was amazing. Then followed by special of the day pork. Unbelievable lunch. We live in the village and go there as a treat. Well worth every hard earned penny. I voted for you and I’m so glad you won. Well done to all the team at the Black Horse. Especially Tom the Head Chef .x

I cannot say how GREAT THIS PUB IS. The food by Tom leading the chef’s is outstanding. And Hayley running front of house is superb so organised nothing is ever a problem. Thank you so much for making our evening so special.❤️

Just came to Amberley out of the blue and what a little find, only had the one drink but plan on coming back for some food

In my opinion the best food pub in the West Sussex area currently. Excellent service, food very well done and the garden and interior decor are exceptional

Having heard about this gastro pub and staying in Arundel for a few days, we were quite keen to get some lunch here. We got the Sunday roast - beef was rare and cut in big chunks, couldn't even cut it. Had to send it back. The Yorkshire pudding was burnt. Prices are extortionate and added a 12.5 ''discretionary'' service charge, which made you feel bad if you were to choose to opt out. The service was poor, owner seemed to have hired mostly young girls, who didn't know much about anything. Waiting times are terrible. Outside table cramped into each other, can't have a conversation. Deserts are common, nothing special. Paid over £110 for some Sunday lunch with some desert, wine and beer. Will never go there again. Seemed pretentious and misleading.

Had Sunday roast which was basically rare. Waited forever to be served, service very slow and unprofessional. Overpriced and pretentious! Will never come back!

We have recently returned from an overnight stay at the Black Horse and already want to book a return trip. The whole experience felt like such a special treat and we cannot thank the staff enough for making our stay so enjoyable! Our room was perfect - it had a cosy, country feel yet felt clean and modern. The real star of the show is the restaurant; we shared some delicious dishes and both agreed that the steak was the some of the best we have ever had. The service was attentive yet friendly and relaxed, and we did not feel rushed or under pressure at any point (and we certainly took our time!). We also asked to move our dinner reservation back by an hour so that we could enjoy some drinks in the beer garden and the staff were more than happy to accommodate our request. Breakfast service was also faultless and, especially given that we came at a busy time when all rooms were booked, cooked to perfection. We only wish that we could have stayed a little bit longer, but we will be back!

Barely any signal on my phone in that location, but staff was absolutely fantastic. Friendly, accommodating, and helpful. Beautiful place to rest and relax in!

All I am going to say is Johnnies Special Pies, if you are going to the pub and you are going to eat, have a pie, they are what a pie should be, lovely chunks of meat, properly filled, served with veg, mash and gravy. Hong Kong Johnny is a great host. Great location, great outside space and great staff, relax and let people eat outside. 08/07/2024 - went for lunch today, The Pies are still great, but I chose to have Fish and Chips today, the fish was lovely, the mushy peas spent a little too long on the pass and had a crust, and most disappointing were the chips, they were not chips , they were wedges of potato with skin on, I did tell the waitress and she insisted on bring me a new batch, which were exactly the same. If I wanted fish and wedges I would have asked for that, but I wanted chips, crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, just normal chips. Come on Hong Kong Johnnie, the team can do better, after paying the bill , nobody asked how my meal was, did I enjoy it? Was I coming back soon.? Please don't lose it, the Black Horse was one of the last good pubs in the area.

We stumbled on this place last week as it’s the only pub open on a Monday. A less than gracious welcome followed by a chap with a clipboard staring vacantly at an empty restaurant deigning to find us a table. After about 10 minutes we were seated , and then ignored for a further 10 minutes. At this point some random German lady was seated at our table as well??!!!! Our drinks eventually arrived and our food order taken. During this period of time the German lady had ordered, been fed, and started chatting to us whilst we were eating. Our croquettes were nice, our mains were average at best, im assuming my gravy had evaporated in the period of time it took my food to arrive. How 3 grown adults can make serving 9 tables seem so stressful amazes me, especially when they happily tell you about it. If you do go , take a measure with you as I’m fairly sure my glasses of wine were way undersized. The highlight being that for 1 starter, 2 average mains, 2 small glasses of wine and a beer, we were charged £85.00! The 12.5% service charge is also added on without consent. Overall, bloody awful, either cook for yourself , eat at the cafe in Amberley , or wait until Tuesday and go to the George. On leaving an hour later, there were still only 9 tables and the service was still awful.

I have visited before just for a drink and always found the pub warm and friendly. We decided to take the plunge and book for dinner - was better than expected - it was Fathers Day and we could only get a table for late afternoon / was 100% worth it We had a couple of drinks in the bar area whilst waiting for our table - we were concerned as heard another customer saying they had been waiting nearly 2 hrs for their main course - to hear the same bar man who had been not very friendly or helpful to us - what do you want me to do about it ! This got us worried as it was very busy and seen the wait staff were really rushed off their feet. But glad we waited - the Sunday lunch was fabulous/ everything cooked exactly to our liking - then the crumble desert - well this was the best crumble I have had So from our initial unease whilst waiting at the bar mainly due to one of the bar staffs un-friendliness - it turned out fantastic It was very very busy and the wait staff serving the food where run off their feet but still service with a smile - 10/10 for the wait staff, chef and kitchen staff Would highly recommend and will definitely return for dinner

Scot the barman was very patronising and as it was our first visit to the pub it will be our last. They need to change their bar staff as he is the first image you get so not right for front of house.

Lovely lunch, beautiful pub in splendid setting. Staff fantastic - bright, responsive helpful, knowledgeable and welcoming. Will aim to return.

Good pub in a beautiful village. Had Sunday lunch there. Good well cooked and presented food. They don't stint the portions. Good service.

The Sunday roast at Amberley Black Horse Pub is always exceptional! From the moment you walk in, the cosy ambiance and inviting aroma set the stage for an exceptional meal. The roast itself was perfection – tender beef, fluffy Yorkshire pudding, and flavorful vegetables. The attention to detail and quality ingredients were evident throughout. I highly recommend a visit!

Amazing food and friendly staff !

Great service and amazing food. Can’t wait to go back.

Delightful venue, lovely staff, delicious food, what more is there to say!

Our second visit to the Black Horse, this time with friends visiting from the continent and making a party of eight. Excellent service and superb food, our selections ranging from scallops, risotto, steak, fish, pie and duck, through to a variety of lovely desserts. Casual dining in a relaxed atmosphere, superb food, friendly and efficient service - add some good friends and it's absolutely a "best of times" experience.

Its hard to park but a beautiful pub with open fires

our favourite pub to go to, always a friendly reception with a large wine list and two open fires, perfect for winter

There is no car park and the small narrow local road was crammed with cars. When my wife parked opposite the pub there were no yellow lines or restrictions, the owner who has decided that he decides and not the law where you are allowed to park on an unrestricted public road, very off. He made her move her car. This alone would put me off coming here , however in addition.. Our room was really hot at 23.5° the shower water was not hot which really is a basic requirement. There were no drawers or space to put clothes, and just a few hangers on the wall. Our room was right on road so people walking by could look in. I was told there was no breakfast available before 9am which as I was walking the south downs way was very inconvenient especially as this was included in the room rate and by the time I was notified it was too late to cancel as the cancellation policy was the worst of all the other hotels I had booked along the route. The owners told me they have difficulty getting staff and were worried that their staff woukd walk out if they were asked to come in to prepare breakfast from 8.00am. The worst aspect of this pub with rooms is not the restaurant or rooms which could with a few tweaks be improved but the owners attitude to customers. They clearly have not heard of "the customer is always right" or " give the customer what they want" In my view this was the worst place I have stayed in the last 25 years, and I will definitely avoid it in future...

Food and service exceptional - it's really a gastro pub. Restaurant well set up. 3 stars for location is only due to very restricted parking but the food is worth the parking hassle.

Had lunch before visiting Amberley Museum. Great value and good quality.

Absolutely outstanding lunch!! We booked a table for 6 (4 adults and 2 children, plus 2 dogs) for last Saturday and had the most amazing experience from start to finish. We were sat in the snug as we had the dogs but the fire was roaring and it felt lovely and cosy. We struggled to pick from the menu as everything sounded delicious. The food arrived in good time and was all fantastic. The children's food was a good sized portion and all cooked fresh. The service was great, the waitress was attentive and chatty. The building is beautiful inside and out and we will certainly be coming back again soon.

Pleasant country pub, comfortable but in my opinion expensive and disappointing. I had the “pie of the moment” which was very basic. My other half had a superfood salad with smoked trout and was happy with it, but for the price I would have expected something much more sophisticated in both cases.

Cozy! Lovely staff! 1st class roast and the fish special was skate!

Nice food, really lovely and homely inside. Great for a cold autumn/winter day

Food was outstanding, really outstanding. Staff very helpful and friendly. Enjoyable stay.

I was trying to book a table for lunch for a group of 10-12 after a walk. I went in at about 2.15 to book and see the menu. I was told rather bruskly that they had finished serving but I asked for the menu anyway and was left in the bar. I waited for someone to come back and then left. So instead I rang them to see if they could accommodate us at 1.00 and was told yes of course but couldn’t book it until I had exact numbers and there was no possibility of a provisional booking. I rang back 2 days later when I had ascertained exact number and was told I had to pay £10 per head ‘deposit’ for my group of 12, they could only accommodate us at 1.30, and they wanted menu choices. I baulked at this as I had not been told this when I rang the first time and asked - what if someone only had soup and it didn’t come to as much as £10. I then went back to the group and asked them to transfer £10 to my account and menu choices. Unfortunately- or fortunately my photo of the menu wasn’t clear so I went on the website to find the menu and found that they required a minimum of 2 courses for lunch! Why hadn’t any of them told me this before? I rang them back yet again and said surely this wasn’t a requirement for a Tuesday lunchtime? Yes it was - so I canned it and went somewhere else. Thank goodness - no ‘deposit’ ,no menu choices, and I could book the table for exactly the time I wanted. I think they will have lost a lot from this fiasco as we are all local, and won’t entertain going there again and word will get round.

Was a beautiful spot to stay, the staff are all super friendly and accommodating. The dinner and breakfast we had were both delicious. The room had a fantastic charm to it whilst still having all the modern luxuries the only downside was the shower had no base/partition in it so the water just leaked across the entire bathroom floor and into the edge of the carpet of the room but we notified the staff and the said they would look into it and apologized for any inconvenience. The only downside on the service was on the morning of our departure we arrived at breakfast 10min early of our booking time which seem to annoy the staff member handling breakfast alot more than one would expect. We politely apologised and returned 10 minutes later to find 4 other couples seated with drinks and one table even had food which led us to believe these tables would have had to have also arrived earlier than the booking time so abit strange than they where allowed to sit and we where not. This then meant we where the last to receive our meals and we waited a fair while for the rest of the tables to receive their meals. Other than the "odd" experience at breakfast the Amberly black horse was a wonderful place to stay and the village was picturesque and a fun place to go for a walk and do some exploring highly recommend!

This one time jewel in the south downs crown has allowed its crown to slip. 2 out of the 4 dishes we had were sub standard and the waiting staff we so inattentive that for the first time in years we didn’t leave a tip. Very sad to see this pub go so down hill.

Had a lovely nights stay here after completing a leg of the south downs way. Staff very welcoming, room beautiful and the restaurant food is delicious. Some lovely savory tarts for sale at the bar and a Special shout out to who ever makes the scotch eggs ....divine and a runny yolk!!! I'll be back for more!

I'm glad we booked before reading the somewhat mixed reviews. We were warmly welcomed and shown to our table. The restaurant was very clean and has a traditional decor. We were well looked after and were not rushed into ordering (we did take our time ordering!). The menu was good, but could have a little more choice. The food was tasty and good sized portions. The specials board was not extensive. We did not have to wait too long for our food. The price was OK (£40 a head (3 people) - main, pudding, 2 soft drinks and a large glass of white wine (the wine list was ok). I would book again and would recommend this to others. If you want a walk before or after, Amberley is just the place. Beautiful village right on the South Downs.

I think the very mixed views are a fair reflection as our experience was very mixed. We walked in for lunch and despite lots of staff around and lots of empty tables it took them a long time to get us a table, in part due to them not using all areas. The wait for a table was longer than suggested with limited comfortable waiting space with our drinks as they have gone for a trendy look with form over function. They very clearly prioritised those with pre-bookings, as we were only seated and served after some late bookings arrived for their tables and had their orders taken first. Our food was very good though, once we were eventually able to order it was then served with further delay. A shame really as overall it just all felt a bit careless as the village itself is so popular and pretty they can get away with it.

Lovely menu options and a perfect setting for lunch. We had a two-course lunch and it was delicious, beautiful mushroom and truffle soup and the roasted half chicken was yummy !! Highly recommended.

Overpriced and poor quality food. Inattentive, uninterested staff. The Bridge Inn just a short walk away is much better.

Cajun burger was amazing, lovely setting. Was pricey though