Grounded At The Forge in Lewes

Just got home after visiting this establishment for the first time an hour ago. First. The plus point. It was a beautiful day to sit outside with a coffee. Now the downside. The service. Went straight to the counter upon arrival. Notified that it was table service. Nothing unusual there. Sat down just 30 feet away and waited. I think you know where this is going. Counted just 10 people outside. So not busy. A family arrived 10 minutes after us but only had to wait 10 minutes. We waited half an hour to have our order taken. Even worse. After 25 minutes we managed to get 1 of the 2 servers attention and requested 2 coffees and 1 tea. She gave us a menu. We said thank you but there is no need as we simply want 2 coffees and 1 tea. She said that somebody would be back to take our order. Even though we had already said why we were there. Anyway 5 minutes later our order was taken. And 20 minutes later we received our tea/coffee. We left after 10 minutes and so we can’t say that the brief enjoyment outshone the wait. If I can offer just 1 piece of advice it would be to simply improve your observance in the same way that a good bar person will roughly know who arrived before who and who should be served before who. If in doubt then there is nothing wrong with asking who is next? Minus points for simply taking the scatter gun approach to serving. And being busy most certainly shouldn’t ever have any bearing on whether a newcomer is served before the table beside them who have been waiting. And waiting. And waiting.

Was a sunny March day and popped here for some lunch as as lovely and sunny to sit outside. I think when we return would come more for a coffee and a snack such as a cake or croissant rather than lunch.

Second time of visiting and the last unfortunately. Staff very friendly but it is so expensive for the quality received and length of time waiting for your order. I paid £64 for two cream teas. It consisted of one bagel each, one scone, jam & cream and a slice of cake. Unlimited tea but they only fill the pot half full and it’s so weak. Also luke warm as it sat on the counter for 15 mins before the guy delivered it. Not his problem as he was operating front of house on his own. When adding up the cream teas items separately it would have been £9 cheaper!!! On my first visit I had a cheese scone which was toasted- that usually means it’s stale and a way of using old stock up. Very cold inside, they supply blankets but they look like they need a good wash. Nice vibe but lacking attention to detail.

This is a lovely cafe with friendly staff and good ambience. However it’s really expensive and the last 2 times I’ve gone here to get cake I’ve been wildly shortchanged. Example are buying and paying for 5 cakes and getting home to find I’d been given 4. Had to go back and ask them, and in fairness they were very good about my lack of evidence and gave me one additional cake. But what a hassle…More recently got take away cake and it was £5 per slice (more expensive than lewes flint owl!!) only to find the very thin slice I was given for my money made worse by the end of the slice having fallen off and not being added to the box! If you are going to charge London prices I think the attention to detail and portion sizes need to be more generous …

I've been coming here once or twice a week for over two years, so i can certainly say it's one of my favourite local cafes. It looks so reserved from the outside, but is stylish and cosy inside. Pros: - Delicious coffees - Food is a good mix of healthy and sinful - Menu gets new options regularly enough to stay interesting - Cakes and pastries are always fresh - Friendly staff, make an effort to remember regulars - Car parking right outside - Background music just right, not too loud - Outdoor seating and shade in summer Cons: - Historical building is a little chilly if you're by a window, but they have dozens of soft blankets for chilly knees - Popular enough to be busy, so you might get a sofa seat that's a bit tricky to eat at if you want a meal.

Lovely cafe, with good food, atmosphere and customer service. We very much enjoyed our visit and were even given a little birthday treat. Makes all the difference.

Stopped here yesterday for brunch en route to Sheffield Park. I had the bacon sarnie and my husband had New York bagel. Both excellent - bacon with no fat in fresh bread with freshly prepared lettuce and tomato, and my husbands New York bagel was fabulous. A little gem of a place with excellent staff who are passionate about what they do, and wonderful food. We’ll be back.

Lovely cafe with fresh, delicious food. Relaxed, comfy and a lovely feel to the place inside and out. The staff are lovely and make a effort to really get to know their regulars. I quickly felt at home after a couple of visits but go regularly with my dog. ( dog friendly) would recommend the Welsh rarebit, best I have ever had.

Great location and service, we have homemade pancakes with bacon and lashings of maple syrup and a quiche salad with excellent! Great service and very dog friendly with outside space

This gem is an absolute credit to the owner who has brought this little gem of a place to Ringmer. The coffee and food is of a high standard as is the service. Just a really chilled out place to go. They have started to do food evenings with visiting vans of quality food. Highly recommended

We popped into this quirky cafe for breakfast one rather nippy day. It was quite cool inside as well. Staff were very friendly and helpful. There were some tempting sweet treats on offer but we went a bit more traditional. My wife had a bacon bagel while I had a topless bagel which was the top and bottom of the bagel with bacon and eggs on both bits. The bacon was really crispy which, to my mind, is perfect. The eggs were suitably runny. It's not a typical cafe but well worth a visit.

Fabulous building. Warm welcome…really lovely staff. Great ambiance…lovely buzz in there. Fabulous menu. We were there for brunch to break up a journey. Both dishes were SUPERB! I had egg/cheese crumpets…completely delicious! Jane had potato waffle with bacon, lettuce and tomato…equally delicious! Great coffee too. Superb place. Wholly recommend.