Cuckmere Inn in Down

Lovely evening meal here. The chicken skewers are great! Mini crumble and coffee to follow. Really enjoyed it. We had Toby serving our drinks and food and he was really helpful.

Nice relaxed lunch. Good attentive service. Restaurant rather quiet compared with previous visits.

My partner and I went to the Cuckmere Inn for dinner on Friday last week (8/11/24). We were served by Shannon. The whole experience was great. When we arrived we were shown to our favourite table. The ambience of the place was just right. Shannon, who was very helpful and friendly, promptly took our order: a bottle of Prosecco, chicken and lamb skewers, and sides for both. The drinks arrived quickly and the food followed shortly after. Both were very good as usual. All in all, a very nice experience for the end of the week, certainly made better by excellent service. Thank you!

Great food and brilliant service. Alex was 5 stars from start to finish!

The food was OK but not very hot. Service by Sarah and atmosphere was good. The views from here are amazing.

Attentive service from Alex. Great food and good atmosphere. Amazing location. Highly recommend.

Me and a friend stopped by here for lunch during the seven sisters hike. We had the greens & grains salad as well as the halloumi skewers which were delicious. Our waiter Tommy was very friendly and welcoming. If you are not stopping here while doing the hike, you are missing out and making a grave mistake.

Wonderful dinner - large portions, quick service, and kind & efficient staff - thank you Chloe!

Had a lovely evening meal here. Everything was to a very good standard, particularly the service. Clearly quality matters here.

had a beautiful meal & experience here. we were served by chloe, who was so lovely & welcoming! will definitely be returning!

First visit and was very impressed. Food was excellent as was staff especially Sarah and general service Will definitely return and will 100% recommend

Shannon was very friendly, thank you x

Friendly and efficient staff, beautiful roast apart from Lamb a little tough Amazing apart from that one issue

Shannon was an excellent waitress and the food was very good.

Went on the famous Seven Sisters hike and found ourselves going the wrong way, while correcting ourselves we stumbled across this pub and what a happy accident it turned out to be. Lovely pub with great staff and a great feel, perfect for a mid hike pit stop or even just for a Sunday lunch. Would recommend any and all future hikers to stop by for a pint, a packet of crisps and a chat. I know if I find myself on this trail again this is where I’ll be.

After leaving a bad review a couple of years ago, i have had to re rate. Lovely country pub. Staff very friendly and helpful. Food is great and because of this service I am a regular customer. Shannon, Dillon and Sarah Jane who is the liciencee have really made a big difference. Would definitely recommend.

The Cuckmere is one of favourite places to come, whether it’s just for a drink by the bar or outside, or coming for some of their amazing food. Service is always second to none, and especially if you come on a colder day, they have the fires on and it just adds to the atmosphere so much more. When I’m not here on a Sunday, I usually go for the pork belly which is to die for!!!

Absolutely amazing lovely family pub food is brilliant and service is absolutely amazing always go above and beyond. Highly recommend!

Portions were small with a high price tag Sadly disappointing

Had a great lunch with bro n the kids, our waitress was really friendly and food was great. Lovely Guinness too 🙌🏽 lovely drop 👌🏼

Great Sunday roast and fantastic service from Chloe, looking forward to coming back again soon.

We came for Sunday lunch which was very good. The staff are fantastic especially Dylan who was our waiter and went above and beyond to make sure our visit was perfect.

Overpriced food, definitely not worth the money as they did not have any of the items we wanted (and the food was cold) The meals we did receive had half of the ingredients missing. Staff rude and uninterested. This is the fourth time we have visited and it has been the same everytime. It is a shame, it could be a nice place.

Have been to the cuckmere on and off now for a while but since my last visit I’ve really been turned on to how amazing of an eatery it really is. My most recent visit I was greeted by a young man named Tommy. This very skilled individual was most pleasant and accommodating to all my needs. The food was alright. Anyway Tommy was very helpful and attentive ( with and impressive knowledge of the menu and elegant delivery of our food ) and made sure my companions and I were all taken care of. Will be back much more frequently in the future :)

Looks nice, but I get in really busy moment, had to wait about 60min for food, so i carry on with my walk

Went here for a drink with family today. I ordered a portion of fries that are £4.95. See the photo attached to see the portion size. It was 19 chips and they were pretty cold. I took them back inside and demanded a refund. Staff were apologetic and seemed to agree with me that it was a tiny portion for £5. They gave me a refund. A note to management… I know times are tough for the industry, but by trying to scrimp on portion sizes, you not only lost my £5 today, but also my future custom. If the portion had been even 50% bigger, I’d have been happy and that would have cost you next to nothing. Instead you’ve alienated me and the 4 others I was with. On the plus side, the pub is in a lovely setting and staff are friendly.

My recent dining experience at The Cuckmere Inn in Seaford was truly exceptional, made all the more memorable by the outstanding service provided by our waiter, Tommy. Nestled along the picturesque Cuckmere River, this charming inn offers stunning views that set the perfect tone for a relaxed, cozy meal. From the moment we walked in, Tommy’s warm welcome made us feel instantly at home. He was not only knowledgeable about the menu but also took the time to give personal recommendations, which were spot-on. His attention to detail was impressive — from making sure our glasses were always full to checking in just enough without being intrusive. The main courses were equally delightful, each dish prepared with care and beautifully plated. Tommy’s expertise shone through as he gave us insights into each dish’s ingredients and even offered wine pairings that perfectly complemented our choices. His enthusiasm for the food and genuine love for customer service were evident in every interaction, making our dining experience feel truly special. What really stood out was Tommy’s ability to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Whether it was his friendly demeanor, thoughtful recommendations, or his quick sense of humor, he truly elevated our evening from a simple meal to a memorable experience. It’s rare to encounter someone who so naturally combines professionalism with personal charm. The Cuckmere Inn is a gem in Seaford, with delicious food, a beautiful location, and a talented team. Tommy is undoubtedly one of their shining stars, and we look forward to returning soon, knowing we’ll be in such capable and caring hands. Highly recommended!

Amazing Sunday lunch, service from Dylan was great! Will definitely be coming back :)

Excellent skewers. Friendly service from Chloe.

Great service from Dylan! He looked after us and food came quickly. Everything was delicious, good portions! Thanks!

Great place , lovely food my steak was amazing cooked to perfection for me .. thank you chef, service was great too. Will be back soon .

Food was amazing,steak was perfectly cooked .. compliments to the chef on today.

Meatiest haddock ever and amaizing chips thank you very much guys :)

Was served by tommy today when at lunch today great and speedy attentive serivce and always polite when checking if food and drinks where on Would recommend resturant and tommy as your waiter

5* food was great and reasonably priced. Service was great all round. Was served by a chap named Tommy couldn’t fault him at all. Will definitely be returning

Great service and the food was amazing. Lovely location

Perfect place to pop in for a drink or food after a walk to Cuckmere Haven. Clean and presentable, friendly service.

We took friends who hadn't been to The Cuckmere for a long time, we were all very impressed!

Excellent food aswell as the service. Tommy waited on us and was very helpful with any questions we had

Disappointing meal, but a nice setting

I visited the the other week when passing by, lovely pub with a welcoming atmosphere. All staff were great! I got served by Tommy behind the bar, he couldn’t do enough to help and delivered great customer service, a very friendly guy! I will deffo be coming back.

Started my day with a scenic dog walk along the beach and ended up in the cuckmere which is dog friendly! Had a lovely meal great service and atmosphere.

Don't park here just to go for a walk along the Cuckmere River... there is a camera! Be aware you need to enter your car registration plate number at the bar. Pint of Harvey's, local beer was £6 ...oof! Busy on Saturday in October when I visited. At 2pm there was a 40+ minute wait for food. Better to get here early I guess! Beef sandwich was £12.50, very good. I'm sure it's absolutely heaving in the Summer. Great location. Do the walk to the sea and back!

Best meal ever ! Service was great

Lovely service we enjoyed the food , would definitely come again:)

Really good pies and ales Chloe was very nice and professional

Nice place, delicious food. Just what you need after a long walk. Very nice and attentive waiters. I forgot the envelope with the money, but it was returned to me. Honest people, this is worth something!

Probably the worst Sunday dinner I've ever had. 6 October 24 Table for 4 Really, really poor service and inedible food. Despite email confirmation and reminders they couldn't find our reservation, which meant we had to wait. Eventually we were seated and I ordered turkey Sunday roast. When it arrived there was only half a slice of turkey and some crumbs. I asked the waitress if she thought that was acceptable for £18.50, she said no and asked if I'd like more meat. I got more turkey but quite frankly the whole meal was awful. The veg so undercooked it was inedible. The stuffing also undercooked and wrapped in bacon that was burnt black. There were no parsnips. I ordered pigs in blankets, half of which were also burnt black, the other half almost raw. The couple at the next table asked why I'd complained and said they'd had the same issues and sent food back. I've eaten here quite a few times but will not again. Which is a shame as I love the location, pub and outdoor space.

Had a nice dinner, we had the fish and chips and pie of the day (chicken and mushroom), large portions and tasted great. We also had a special soda which was delicious. Shannon provided excellent service, thanks again!

Honestly, I don't know why it got 4 stars but to make it clear, this should've been 5 stars, me, my parents and my dogs got here today and it was a very good welcoming, the staff is very friendly, the food is amazing, pretty quick service and the place is great atmosphere

Great pub garden. Superb views Excellent food and service

Lovely atmosphere. Gorgeous views. Food was delicious. I just didn't like the queuing to order drinks - then back to the end of queue to order food and then again for desserts. Decided to order coffee and dessert at the same time to avoid queuing once more. Maybe menus available while you queue so that you can order the food at the same time as you order drinks.

Surprisingly good, in the circumstances.

Lovely Sunday roast. Nice and inviting staff. Will definitely go again.

Good food and atmosphere, quick service, our server Tommy was very helpful and friendly. Great place to eat and have a drink after a walk around the area.

Been in recently for a meal on my own and asked the young lad serving me for a recommendation, he recommended the pie of the day (chicken and mushroom). Amazing service from Tommy, he was very kind and courteous.

Tommy served me Friday evening and his recs were perfect. My partner and I had a lovely time. Definitely coming back soon!! Great atmosphere. Awesome service. Ideal destination after a good walk about .

Been here severs times, never paper in the ladies toilets! Travelled for 2 hours to enjoy a long walk and the Moroccan sqewers, but they had run out, on a Saturday afternoon!!! Very disappointing. Wanted to order the mango meringue dessert, 2nd time in a row they had no mango!! Last time they served it with pineapple instead, which wasn't great. Such a shame as their foid is usually good, if they can be bothered to order enough to satisfy demand!

We had lunch at Cuckmere Inn after our walk through the Seven Sisters footpath. We had: Berry burst Greens and Grains salad with crispy duck Ham hock pie with mashed potatoes, carrots and green beans. Signature burger - prime burger with smoked meat, English bacon, and cheese with onion rings and fries. The food was fresh and tasty. Service was slow and inattentive. We had to ask another waiter to ask our waiter for the menu, water and eventually the bill.

Stopped off for a drink after a walk along the river. Outside terrace is lovely, with great views. Drinks nice; reasonably priced. Staff friendly. Menu looked great, we considered visiting again for food. However, what put us off was dogs sitting at and on (!) tables on the terrace, so we will not be returning.

I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Cuckmere Inn and I can't recommend it enough! Tommy, our server, was absolutely fantastic. He was friendly, attentive, and went out of his way to make sure we had everything we needed. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, and the food was delicious. Tommy's recommendations were spot on, and he made our experience truly memorable. If you're in the area, definitely stop by and ask for Tommy – you won't be disappointed!

Had the lamb, very chewy could not finish

Great food, friendly service, beautiful setting

Despite hearing poor reviews , we enjoyed a very good meal with friends, friendly service in a cosy corner.We will return, a good place to end a walk in the woods.

Having visited here many times, and never had any problems, I thought I would bring my daughter here for her birthday. She has severe anxiety issues and I chose you because of the atmosphere and I knew you would be able to facilitate our needs. Upon arrival you sat us in the best place possible as per our request. We placed our order and waited. My order and my son in laws order arrived first. My daughters arrived second. Ours was piping hot, whereas my daughter took one bite of her chips, which accompanied her fish finger roll, and found them to be tepid. We called the waitress back and she said she'd get another portion sorted straight away. My daughter then went to take a bite of her roll and discovered the fish was cold too!! This is not what I expected of you. I have eaten here on many occasions and have never had any issues with your food. This was a terrible experience for me and my daughter and somewhat humiliating for me too. I feel very let down by the entire experience. This was supposed to be a birthday treat and ended up being a farce.

My delivery time was constantly moved back, eventually resulting in my food being an hour late. When it arrived, it was all cold and my delivery driver told me he had been forced to wait 40 minutes by the restaurant. Also, the bread they provided is stale. I will not be ordering from here again and I expect a full refund.

The brunch here today was absolutely delicious! The service was excellent and it felt really warm and welcoming in there.

Good food as one expects from Vintage Inns, fast and friendly service and a really lovely setting especially in the garden on a sunny day.

Good service, comfortable dining area, reasonably good menu.

Visited here for Saturday lunch, beautiful setting, but the place was total chaos. Booked for 2pm, waited a while to get our drinks ordered, then ordered one small dish each (6 people). At 2.55, two dishes arrived, half an hour later the other four dishes arrived. Most of the dishes were not as described and the soup was simply embarrassing, about one spoonful. There were clearly not enough staff for a sunny Saturday afternoon, and obviously the kitchen was in total meltdown. To add to the misery, one of our party had an allergic reaction to the flowers on the table! Have given 2 stars, as the manager was very apologetic and dealt with our complaint well. We love the area, and would hope to return, but wouldn’t want to repeat this miserable experience.

The people working at this pub were so disrespecrful. I've worked in a pub, resturaunt or whateved you'd like to call it before. One of the number one rules was to always serve a customer first even if you are attending to the bar errands, and the guy at the till (with the billie eilish tatto) ignored my boyfriend and i until he was done or satisfied with whatever. Then as i was leaving the girl and guy gave us a look and i asked the girl for a plastic cup, keeping in mind ive been here previously and asked for a plastic cup before, and they said we don't do them. Really?! What pub doesnt have plastic cups. We ended up leaving with the impression that they were racist.

Me and my partner found the staff to be very rude, on a past occasion the were very nice but the last time we had a guy with tattoos and girl serving us and the attitude was terrible! Stood right in our face and didn't acknowledge us for what seemed like 10mins while we were waiting to be seated or served and had no manners! We left with the impression that they were racist as we have had racist encounters in East Sussex before. The customer service was terrible which is a shame considering the location, the service literally stopped us from buying food and more drinks!

Chain style pub/restaurant in the Cuckmere valley. Serves standard but well presented, standard "pub grub." Staff were very friendly and helpful and food was of good quality and well cooked. One thing, but probably unavoidable due to its position, is the use if the toilet facilities by non-diners - a constant stream, dogs and all!

Told thar the pie of the day was cheese and mushroom ..when it actually was ham and cheese ...not good when you're a vegetarian

I came here for lunch with my family, very accommodating staff, we ordered a couple meals and all really enjoyed them! Great taste, lovely presentation and was piping hot. Would definitely recommend this for families.

The Service was good will definitely come back I’m from far to visit

My partner and I visited the Cuckmere Inn for a light lunch after a nice walk on Beachy Head. First impressions was a lovely pub and beautiful beer garden overlooking the oxbow river. It was fairly busy but I imagine it can get rammed, on a weekend or with good weather. Ordered drinks and sat in the garden pint of Sussex best and a medium pinot, decided to order lunch ordered Belgian fries, calamari and chorizo sausage, We were told there could be upto a 30 minute wait which we were fine with, so we ordered another round of drinks and a coke. After 45 minutes nothing appeared however we had noticed people who had arrived after us were already eating, and subsequent people that also arrived after us were all receiving their orders. I popped to the bar to ask on our order and the barman said the calamari was just finishing off again. 40 minutes later still nothing, so we decided to leave with no food and a round of drinks barely touched. On the way out I told the barman to cancel my order to which he replied "oh really sorry". No refund offered no explanation. I didn't make a scene as there were families present. Safe to say not a good experience. Very poor customer service and that comes from a former publican.

Waited 50 minutes for food. Only got served after going to the bar to enquire where our meal was. Very expensive and food not good. £4.50 for side of macaroni that was about a tablespoon in size. £11.50 for a fish finger sandwich: chips ok but been sat a long while, bread very dry, not buttered. Tiny amount of tartar sauce only in one half of the sandwich and one bit of pea shoot with one bit of soggy battered cod . My roll amd plate had splatters of someone elses tomato sauce on - either not cleaned or contaminated. Really not acceptable for the prices. Refunded for the fish finger sandwich which was good, but no offer of a replacement or good will gesture.

Excellent, the food super the service was great it's a reel lovely place. We will be going back there again it's worth the drive any time. Thanks for a lovely afternoon 😊 .

I came in the other day for a family meal the food was amazing and at great value. I Would definitely recommend to friends and family to come in and visit.

On this occasion, didn't have food but it was a lovely atmosphere and the service was good.

Helpful and friendly staff front of house but food took forever to arrive. My fish and chips was OK but scallop dish dreadful and so called king prawns tiny. Offered a refund on this part of the meal and that was at least something. Something not right here.

Music great food not so good very small portions and not value for money

The music was great the food not so good very small portions and the pudding were cold ie crumble not great for the prices was expected a much better food 😫

A lovely lunch at The Cuckmere Inn last week. My Mother and I had a fabulous afternoon, the food was delicious and we really enjoyed the outside seating area to relax and enjoy the sunshine.

We almost didn’t come here because of the negative reviews, but I’m so glad we did! The place was so cute, cozy and inviting. The food was incredible — we got steak, chicken burger, and the halloumi fries (must have). The beer and cider were so refreshing and crisp and the service was quick and efficient! i honestly couldn’t complain at all and hope to be back there soon

Had a lovely dinner here with friends, made all the better by the waiter Harry who was very friendly, helpful and professional. Thank you

Walked for 4 hours to get here. Was told that they were too busy to take orders and we'd have to wait 45 minutes until 3pm. When 3pm rolled around they then said they were only taking food orders from reservations.

Cod was amazing, best cod i’ve had. will definitely come back

Service at the bar was quick but my dads wine was awful, and there was a half hour wait before they would take anymore food orders it was medium busy but surely they should cope. Anyway did us a favour as we had a wonderful meal at the fairly new Pablo Picasso in seaford

I’d just about given up on rare steak’s as so many are cold. Not at this establishment, the steak was absolutely beautiful. Very tasty and hot. The rest of the food was a delight also. My wife loved her Chicken Parmigiana and adored her sticky toffee pudding. Dillon looked after our needs and was very friendly. The Doom bar was good. Atmosphere fantastic entertainment great. Good parking. Overall excellent. Definitely will be going back. Thank you 👍

Great place, amazing views, good choice of drinks. Wasn't a fan of their chips though.

Came in today, not been in for a while but food was amazing! 5* (has the chef been changed?) Highly recommend!

Food was terrible. Ordered the brisket sandwich, the bread was light rock and everything was cold. Replacement was not much better. Good for a drink

Lovely staff couldn’t fault the food, amazing chefs!! Not a bad word to say!

We did enjoy the place and the food, but 2 of our friends did not receive their order, they only got their starters. They asked about it, but it was already too late and decided to just cancel the order. Also, all of our orders took a while to be served.

Delicious food, great customer service and atmosphere. We will be back.

The staff were too leisurely considering there was a queue to order food at the bar. The side dish of mac&cheese was so small we sent it back. It cost £4.25 for what it looks like literally two bites, I understand it is a side dish only but what they brought out was a joke. Sadly we had already settled the bill at the bar so we still got charged for the side dish despite sending it back.

Berry cider on tap tastes is a bit better than cheap lemonade. Amazing fish and chips! Aubergine dish was perfectly comforting along side garlic toast. Nice reward after the hike

Amazing service, great food, and good choice