Pelham Arms in Lewes

Wonderful Saturday afternoon lunch in here a few weeks back. Table by the fire, great drinks and burgers. All the staff were spot on too. Highly recommend

The worst and most expensive pub food I've had in a long time. We had the beef burger which was truly awful and almost inedible. The very small bun was dry, hard and obviously old. The two small beef patties were also very dry, overcooked, chewy and hard and there was not much other filling except sauce. The server asked me if everything was ok, I told him what I thought and he just muttered something and walked off. And all that for £18.50, one of the most expensive burgers I've ever had. The chips were ok. My daughter had the chicken burger which rather than being golden brown was a dark brown colour as it was completely overcooked and tasted burnt. It was horrible. This was followed by a ramekin sized fruit crumble. The topping was very dry, tasted burnt, and like sand in the mouth. The filling was overly sweet and jam like. Served with average custard, and £8. So over £26 for two courses of awful food. We'll never be going back that's for sure.

Friendly, warm and welcoming. Great choice of food and drink and acceptable waiting times when at peak capacity

Tasty menu and good beer selection.

Our recent visit to The Pelham Arms was a mixed experience. As a group of ten, we found it challenging to choose from the menu, which seemed to feature a lot of fried options—though perhaps that’s just our personal opinion. We also found the prices to be on the higher side. The service was notably slow, which was disappointing given the pub’s otherwise pleasant atmosphere. That said, it’s clearly a popular spot with the locals, which added to the lively vibe. While we enjoyed the setting, we’re not sure we’d return for a meal, as the food didn’t quite match the price and the wait time.

Great British Pub, with a scrumptious Sunday roast 😋

Very nice pub to have a Sunday lunch! Me and my auntie enjoyed a lovely meal, with great service, attentive and friendly, sorting out our fiddly order without questioning things. The Sunday lunch itself was great, and so was the lentil salad, all fresh and flavoursome! Highly recommend this place, especially with your dogs after a walk!

The Food is Brilliant but the table service was so SLOW the home brewed beer is very good a diferent taste but very nice and the dessert were huge

Outstanding meal. Fish and chips was brilliant and veggie burger pretty good too. Good choice for the veggies. Staff were great and the place has a good vibe.

Was sooooo impressed with the vegan roast selection and had such a yummy meal. One of the servers (blonde mullet perhaps??) was SO lovely :)

Absolutely incredible food, atmosphere and service. Can't wait to go bk again

Visited as a group of four on Saturday afternoon. We were really impressed by the food and quality of service (especially Josh and Florence) would 100% recommend

Good pub. Disappointed not to have had fish and chips having arrived a little late but the burgers were very good, especially the vegetarian one!

Very slow service there seemed to be mainly one guy doing the bar, taking table drinkd and food orders..Atmosphere was okay, glad there weren't more people in..The food when it arrived was very good quality and a decent portion size..The fish and chips are 3 fish coujons not as expected a single fillet..Why not say coujons on the menu ? In summary enjoyed the food ..Service could do with more staff at the table and bar...

Spacious but friendly pub. Excellent range of drinks (beers and gin anyway). Nice atmosphere. Menu looked good and the food smelt delicious, although we didn't eat. Recommended.

Was there on a Saturday evening and it was relatively busy but not hectic. A decent glass of wine but the food wasn’t good at all. Nice chips but the burgers we ordered were awful. Scarce meat, dry and overcooked. The garnish was awful and no sauces to speak of and lacking in flavour. Very poor indeed.

Very disappointing. To me, two goujons of fish and skin on fries isn’t what I expect from fish and chips in a pub. I’m not a big eater, but even I was left hungry by the portion size. This would not satisfy most people. I do suspect that they had almost run out of fish, but they should have said so.

A real foodie gem of Lewes. The Sunday roast is a must but also have great options during the week and regularly changing specials.

I only have 2 photos because all 10 of us has fish and chips but wonderful food! Wonderful service! Excellent atmosphere! A great choice if you’re visiting Lewes

Excellent service for Sunday lunch, for 6 people. Extremely friendly and efficient staff. Delicious food, locally sourced, beautifully cooked and well presented. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit.

The Pelham arms in Lewes is always a pub I have to visit when I'm in the area. I have been for just drinks and eaten there on a number of occasions and never been disappointed. The burgers are delicious, along with the specials I have also tried. The bar staff are friendly, the place is clean and the food is delicious, in a lovely authentic pub setting. If you're visiting Lewes, it's a must, in my opinion.

Food is honestly some of the best you will have in the south east. The onion rings are to die for. And I have had a lot of onion rings in my time! Sometimes the service is a bit slow, due to being usuallyvery busy, but they always have a smile on, always try and find you a place even when booked and are generous with portions. Abyss beers are excellent too. One of the few that don't give me a headache! What more could one want for??

Fantastic steak and chips and amazing roast beef great cooking. Eaten here a few times always good. Staff very friendly and helpfull.

Really spacious, attractive looking pub with friendly and attentive bar staff. Good choice of drinks, especially some beer I hadn't seen before on the taps. I'd definitely go back to try their food when the kitchen is open.

Best feeds I’ve had out in ages. A truly pleasant surprise. The Vegan and Gluten Free options were plentiful particularly the desserts which is unusual. The food was excellent. All washed down with a good selection of beers and an excellent Malbec. The staff were attentive but not over the top lending itself to a really nice evening out. Will be back for another roast for sure!

An excellent dog friendly pub. Friendly staff, friendly service and excellent pub food. Highly recommend.

Great little recommendation- up the high street and you’ll need a pint!

Food was really good, staff are friendly and highly recommended if you haven’t been to this pub & restaurant already whilst visiting Lewes for the first time. 👍👍👍 Giving it 5 stars and 10 out of 10 along with easy access by bus to and from Brighton, Uckfield, Heathfield, Crowborough, Tunbridge Wells, Ringmer, Hailsham, Polegate and Eastbourne on the Regency Routes.

Went Sunday evening, was the only place in the area we could find serving a Sunday roast past 5pm. We had roast pork and beef, both fantastic, cabbage especially. I would say if you're offering a gluten free alternative on the roast, it should be a gf Yorkshire pudding, not just removing a regular one from the meal. Dessert each too. Service a bit disjointed but very friendly. Would definitely recommend!

We booked the Pelham Arms for lunch for a party of eight people yesterday. We were having a civil partnership at the registry office so wanted to find somewhere nice for lunch afterwards. I was really impressed by the online menus and how well they catered to vegans as well as food intolerances, both of which applied to a few people in our group, but alongside serving very traditional pub fare too, so we made a booking. I’m so glad we did. The pub is so lovely, and the servers so helpful. The food was spot on. I would hugely recommend the chicken schnitzel in bacon and leek sauce, it’s massive, and I can genuinely say it’s one of the best meals I’ve had in ages. It all made a perfect day even more special, and I’m so grateful to everyone at the Pelham Arms. Thank you!

Welcomed with a smile. Really good food. Our party had burgers and fish and chips - delicious. Nice puddings too. Lovely staff.

We stopped here for a drink on the way from a hospital appointment A really lovely lady served us With a great bowl of chips 😋 A glass of prosecco and a real ale Very welcoming We shall be back for a meal on our anniversary in may

Lovely pub with cozy atmosphere. We didn't book ahead but managed to get a table. The food was great (day's special tacos and celeriac rosti) and the service very attentive and friendly from waiter to bar personal. We'll come back.

The best roast Sunday pub roast (pork belly) I have ever had (of about 50) (picture provided is of a different Sunday lunch roast also pork on the same day ). Prices reasonable and decent selection of beer. Nice atmosphere (fireplace) and child-friendly. Conveniently located after a day out on the South Downs.

We visited the Pelham Arms today for lunch, and walked away so impressed. I’d called the day before to book a table, and was told they had a large party in, so to get a table as early as possible. This was totally fine, but unfortunately the traffic was against us (we were coming from an hour away to meet family). The staff were mega chilled when we arrived, and put us under no pressure to order, despite obviously being really busy. Every member of staff was super friendly, very happy to answer any questions, smiley – everything you want! There were nine of us, including four children who all ate free – this is really quite unbelievable, actually considering the quality of the fish and chips. My husband, who is a burger aficionado, had the brisket burger and said it was the best burger he had in really long time. I had the Thai vegetable curry, which I was a bit nervous about, but it was stunning. The staff were clearly pushed with this large group of people who then all ordered food – but you wouldn’t have known they were even flustered. We will be making the drive again just to come back. Thank you!

Gorgeous lunch, good music too Best sub sandwich I’ve had in a while + the fish & chips were delicious Lovely staff too 😄

Called up on Saturday (10th February) and asked whether they had space for 15 people to eat which they confirmed they did. Spoke to the Landlord who served us all drinks (over £200 for us all) and showed us to our seats. As soon as we sat down, he said the kitchen was closed and that the chefs are refusing to cook anymore food. His mood changed from happy, recommending dishes etc to 'Unfortunately that's the way it is' after taking £200 from us. Stuck up vibe and beyond a joke. Not a fan.

Great pub, superb ale & nice people. Update: small but innovative menu with huge portions & very sensible prices. The mains were different ama the puddings too die for. Very well kept ale and superb service from Lydia. It's not difficult to see why people recommend this pub.

I have been to pubs across the country, and this was one of the best. Amazing fish and chips, very crispy fish and delicious chips. Peas were nice too, and the brownie with vanilla ice cream was very hot, rich and for that reason I couldn't finish it 🤣 Doesnt mean however that it wasn't delicious Nice, humorous waiters and a pretty good atmosphere Was in a party of 10+ people for a birthday Visited 4th Feb 2024 Thanks for a nice experience and meal!

We really enjoyed our food - there is a specials board and the fish pie which was on it was excellent - full of different fish including prawns and was so tasty. Superb! It needs to be on the main menu! The burgers were also delicious. Desserts - good choice including gluten free sticky toffee pudding. The cheesecake and lime flan were also good. Service is friendly and helpful. If you book a table and want longer at it then just ring in advance which we did. Easy to park in the evening in the county hall car park opposite. Traditional pub at the top of the high street. Thank you for a lovely evening.

Popped in for a pint Just left. 4hrs later. Best roast in a long while, local produce including a Ditchling crisp white wine. But the best compliment must go to all the staff. What a welcoming cool bunch. Thank you!

We had a brilliant meal at The Pelham Arms. The menu is great, with loads of options for vegans and veggies as well as meat eaters. I’m a longtime vegan and the celeriac, spinach and chive rösti with salsa verde and roast parsnips was really special, as was the pear and cinnamon rice pudding. Portions were really generous. Everything was perfectly cooked and made from scratch - best pub meal I’ve had in years!

Better than Fork in town by a country mile. Excellent vegan options (like they've really thought about a menu) and non-vegan, high end food, decent portions and very reasonable. Vegan key lime pie, vegan rice pudding. Full dairy sticky toffee pudding. Everyone happy. Loved it.

After being let down by another restaurant we had to find somewhere else quickly to accommodate 9 family members Rang the Pelham and they managed to fit us in and organised a parking space a a disabled family member . Absolutely brilliant staff and very good food . Thank you all soo much for your help and amazing customer service We will return

Lovely foody pub. Staff are very friendly and there's always a good atmosphere. The building is beautiful too!

Wonderful pub with gorgeous beams, dog friendly, fab staff and the best burgers ever. Thank you

Nice pub with good food and great service. Key Lime Pie was a highlight!

Bit pricey for my budget but very good food and service great staff friendly attentive

The best pub we've been to in England, and up there with the best pubs in Ireland (from an Irish couple's perspective!) Home of the lovely Abyss brewery beer - so fresh, local wines - amazing, and the wonderful owner/barman Dave - so professional and welcoming.

I was charged extra for chutney which I complained about so they let me off !!!

Reviews looked amazing and tough to get a table so a good sign….On arrival there was a distinct damp smell a bit like a wet dog which was a bit off putting ….service slow but helpful and informative ,pork was delicious,veg small but ok,potatoes rock hard and I suspect left over from the lunch service,veg ok,gravy good,my wife had the beef which was great,same comments on the potatoes,not cheap and not very good,sad really,the ambiance was promising,didn’t quite work

A busy pub and their roast dinners are popular.

Best roast I've ever had (except my mums!!). Absolutely delicious veggie Wellington and cauliflower cheese, and others also enjoyed the roast duck and roast pork. Lovely beer to drink and all in front of a cosy fire. Thanks so much!

What a disappoinment. The place looked tired, the tables were sticky, the choice of draught beers was poor, the atmposphere was non-existent, the dishes were over-priced, not 'proper' pub food, more dressed up to be something it wasn't and certainly didn't live up to the hype on their website. The Irish coffee was virtually undrinkable and after 2 attempts to make it, it was still undrinkable, as was the Americano. Suggest they also look at the spelling on the board outside! Had booked to visit a second time, now cancelled.

First visit today but will definitely return

The fish and chips were superb; three small fillets of cod in a light crispy batter, very good fries and plenty of them, plus outstanding home-made tartare sauce (Mmmm!), and mushy peas. £18, so at the top end of today's gastro pub pricing for this dish, but worth it. But a 250 ml glass of Shiraz was £10.50. This is bonkers, in my humble opinion. Other drinks ordered were similarly expensive. Net result? We didn't order a second round of drinks, and neither did we order sweets (£8), despite the latter having been highly recommended. "Do the math", as the Americans say; if the wine had been £7.50 a large glass, and the sweets had been (say) £7, we would have ordered two rounds of drinks instead of one, and as a consequence we would have each ordered a sweet. So increase in revenue to the pub from our party of four would have been no less than £46, while the incremental cost to the pub would have been a fraction of that sum. Added to which we would be back there in short order. That's what's known as win-win, Mr Pelham. 😉 Think about it....

Absolutely fabulous Sunday roast experience - one of the best I've had in recent memory. Despite it being a busy, busy lunch service, the staff were all very attentive and positive. The cognac I had with dessert was even served on a tumbler of hot water! The vegetarian wellington was top notch as was the sticky toffee pudding. Great selection of local beers including lovely stuff on cask. Prices all very reasonable for 2023. We parked right across the road in the council office car park which is £1 Saturdays and free on Sundays. Worth going out of your way for a roast here, we will definitely be back, hopefully soon.

Was so happy to come into this pub and experience their amazing customer service. I was treated with care and their food was top notch! Thank you to the Pelham Arms!

Very average pub with average food . The roast lacked flavour and the 10 hour slow cooked pork was very dry . Quite a few of the drinks that we asked for from there meny they said they didn’t have 🤷🏼‍♀️. We asked for some extras which never arrived . Wouldn’t rush back .

Absurd. Guinness costs around £5 a pint just about everywhere. Already eye watering but good god, this knocks London prices into a cocked hat. This is ridiculous. And the explanation that it’s the kind of barrels we get…

A friendly and tasty place to eat and drink.

Absolutely amazing every thing was so good would definitely recommend!!!

This was a great find, really friendly staff and the food was brilliant, we both had the vegan curry which went down a treat.

Really good food, decent selection of beers

A great characterful pub within walking distance of Lewes High Street. Staff were friendly and polite. Great selection of drinks and food on offer, including from local breweries. It was a Sunday, so we had roast beef and roast pork, they were delicious, good quality ingredients, and the portion size was fantastic. We would recommend it to anyone, and will definitely be returning. The only thing I would suggest is that you don't charge customers for extra gravy that they may want, this should really be reflected in the price of the meal. We've been to many establishments, and this has never been the case.

Excellent burgers, helpful staff, great range of beers and drinks. A gem of a pub.

Lovely pub. Accommodated us at last min for a Sunday roast. Really friendly staff and nice selection of vegetarian/vegan options and desserts, too! Great drinks list with lots of local stuff available. It’s on the pricey side but I think given the current economic climate and cost of quality produce that’s to be expected. Would defo return :)

Gorgeous burger and some lovely beers on tap. Friendly staff and all round, good evening.

Asked for Zinfandel Rose, got something like a dry Pino blush, couldn’t drink it, they said this was the only Rose they had. Asked for a pink gin instead, no didn’t have it so in the end had a lemonade. Asked for non alcoholic cider - NO we asked if the did sandwiches - NO We left and just asked for the drinks bill, one pint draft larger, one zero alcohol larger, coke and lemonade £20.25 what a joke, we were probably charged for the wine that we did not drink Main meals may be good but wouldn’t return to find out Drove out to Ringmer and found a great pub with lovely Plowman’s great price

I had dinner with a friend here. It was very burger centric so that's what we went for. I was super pleased with the quality of the food. Burger sauce looked like was made from scratch. Double parties. Great fries. Our waitress was friendly and attentive. Great atmosphere too. The pub has quite a classy feel with nice down lighting.

Excellent pub, beer was great (try the sour). Food was amazing. Slightly mishap with our order but quickly rectified. Staff couldn't be more apologetic. Excellent experience overall.

Considering the Pelham serves one of the most expensive roasts in Lewes one would expect it to be of higher quality. Unfortunately the potatoes were hard and not crispy or fluffy inside and the beef had a chewy texture. The vegetarian cheddar wellington was however delicious and there were no problems with service. Left full but slightly disappointed. I do hear that their Gourmet burgers are sublime so perhaps avoid the roast dinners.

Great pub, awesome roasts and friendly, efficient service. Can’t fault it!

Friendly team, lovely pub, great food.

Lovely friendly staff. Had particularly delicious fish and chips. The chips were the best we've had for a very long time.

Food has always been good. Be aware though that the prices for beer are off the scale! How can it be reasonable to charge over £17 for 2 pints and 2 packets of crisps? The beer tasted good, Abyss Hazy IPA. But not that good. There is no price list on display so you don't know how much it's going to cost before you order. So, I'm going to do the only thing I can which is to take my custom elsewhere. It's a nice pub but the prices are just wrong. There was an article about it in the local paper but I had thought that the crazy prices were for niche beers from rare breweries. You have been warned!!

Lovely food, lovely drinks, lovely staff.

As usual a great meal at a great pub. The Pelham is always a good place to go if you want some nice food in a nice place. Would 100% recommend

We had and end of term family meal here last night and it was perfect. As ever, a great atmosphere, cosy, classy and relaxed but not noisy. The food was excellent (burgers, fish tacos, with interesting twists on great pub staples) as was the wine (first time in years I’ve asked to see the bottle so I can track down more - French Sav Blanc). And the service absolutely hit the spot; friendly attentive timely but not overly fussy. We’ve lived in Lewes for decades now and The Pelham Arms remains our firm favourite. We’ve very lucky to have a great pub like this in our town.

Booked in rather late so could only get a reservation at 3.15 for lunch so I was concerned that they would have run out of some meals & that the food would be past its best - but I needn't have worried. All that was gone was the cauliflower cheese & everything was as fresh as could be. Six of us had a variety of roasts - beef, chicken & pork & it was all excellent. Light & crispy Yorkshire puds, lovely roast potatoes, fresh greens, tasty gravy. One friend had cheesecake which disappeared very quickly; my son & I shared the British cheeses with fruit, celery & crackers; the cheeses were in perfect condition & a generous amount. An excellent low alcohol beer. The only disappointment was the house red which was pretty horrible; I should have asked for something else but we British are not very good at that are we? The service was efficient & friendly. All in all very good indeed.

Service a little slow, but food was fantastic and staff very friendly.

Bloody awesome! The burger was sensational and the staff were so nice and friendly. We were with our 2 young kids and all made to few very welcome! Will Definitely be coming here again!

gteat sunday lunch . big porshions

We had three Roast Beef- melt in the mouth meat, plenty of it. We ordered extra gravy & cauliflower cheese, which was one, if not the best, we all had with a Roast so far. The gravy boat was huge, all vegetables were cooked to perfection & the Yorkies were also perfect. Service was quick and very friendly. I was impressed with the alternative meals on the menu, the lighter roasts looked perfect for the summer. Selection of beers & wine very good and I do love the interior of the pub- the old fire place is beautiful, as is the rest of the pub. Highly recommended as parking no trouble across the road at County Hall (at least at the weekend). You could taste the passion for food in every mouthful- will definately be back to try the week menu as well. Selection of deserts was also impressive and mouthwatering. A true gem for food & drink in Lewes!

Not recommended. Nice pub with small garden but very poor food. Cajun chicken burger was undercooked and oily with way too much salt. Nonplussed staff service.

Lovely pub, well run and very attentive service. Great quality food and genuinely pleasant staff.

My partner and I had an amazing lunch here. The food was top quality and the wine was excellent. We were recommended an English wine, which was lovely.

What an amazing place- the food was incredible- the brisket burgers absolutely top notch. Great atmosPhere, friendly and extremely helpful staff. This was a real find

Had a lovely walk around Lewes and a good pint. Saw others eating lunch. We were too late as it was nearly 4pm Sunday afternoon. Friendly staff accepted our booking for dinner at 6pm. We continued our walk. Sampled a couple of near by pubs...

I went into the Pelham Arms and booked a specific table by the window for Sunday lunch. When we got there we had been bumped to a table by the e toilets. Food was edible but bland and monochromatic. I wouldn’t go there again.

we were stable of 4 for lunch and it was lovely. Quite a simple menu with all the old Pub lunch favourites; Having noticed some delicious plates coming from the kitchen with very generous portions, we opted for the "Soup and Sub menu" which comprised...

Fantastic Sunday lunch. Really nice food, drinks, service and atmosphere. Difficult place to leave. Thank you to all involved for a lovely Sunday afternoon, highly recommended.

Lovely old Lewes High St pub with welcoming, friendly staff. The Sunday roast was really great: copious, freshly prepared with four vegetables (butternut squash purée, shredded cabbage, roasted carrot and roast potatoes) beautifully presented alongside an enormous homemade Yorkshire pudding plus a generous helping of...

Nice pub, good service, bad vegan roast - advertised as a wellington but it was a 'bubble and squeak roast' (?!) when it came out. I could go through each bit but basically none of it was any good. Also, vegan doesn't have to be...

The staff were friendly and helpful but sadly that's where it ends. They were playing the most awful music that was so inappropriate for Sunday lunch. Food choices were very limited and there was no atmosphere. We couldn't wait to leave

My wife and I ate here today. My wife had the lamb and I had the flank steak, followed by the cheesecake. I can honestly say it’s one of the best meals I‘ve had in a pub or restaurant. The flavours were wonderful. We’ll be...

Most pubs I visit and ask for low-alcohol beer offer Heineken Zero, that's it, which makes me feel most unwelcome. Can you imagine going to a pub, asking for a pint and being offered only one type of beer, and that not even your favourite?...

I was really surprised with how good the Pelham arms was the other night. It is a pub I have been to before but never really considered eating in there. But my friend booked it for our monthly catch up and I am so pleased...

Cosy olde worlde atmosphere, lovely dark ambience from the delicate lighting. Superb menu and excellent cooking make this one of the best dining experiences in Lewes for me. The toilets need some attention and that carpet needs burning... but this didn't detract from the experience....

Came for lunch with friends after a walk through Lewes. , se had the meat and cheese board to share , very tasty , good service and nice ales