Royal Oak and Castle Inn in Wealden

Walked in the off chance on a busy Saturday lunchtime. The staff were so helpful and friendly, accommodating us quickly. Food was great, beer good. Pub also dog friendly. Would recommend after a visit to Pevensey Castle

We were booked for a table of 10 and the food was frankly damn poor at best. Considering the price of a main averaged at over £15. The pork belly was £18.50 and it was overcooked with soggy veg. My burger was tasteless, with some tired looking salad leaves and a handful of chips. Other meals were equally overcooked and poorly presented. Cod and chips were the fish was deep fried to oblivion and dry. Pies looked like they'd been cooked on the surface of the sun. Service was slow, and the meals took far too long to come out, not the wait time, but service to the table from the first plate to the last was far too long. There were two waiting staff who could easily carry 4 dishes between them and it took about 15 odd minutes to serve the table the food and one dish was forgotten and came out later than the rest. The meal was completed with typical ans frankly rubbish microwaved crumble/fudge cake options or ice-cream. Would not recommend for food nor will be be returning. If I wanted over cooked stuff and microwaved desert I could mess my own meals up at home for less money.

Birthday family get together. Really friendly staff even though incredibly busy . Food was delicious . I had the halloumi & beetroot salad followed by turkey roast dinner . Plenty of turkey. I brought a birthday cake in for my mum which the staff brought to the table with plates & cutlery & sang happy birthday. They couldn’t have been more welcoming. We will definitely be back . The atmosphere was good also. We saw a huge beer garden & people with their dogs in & outside pub. I personally wouldn’t bring to bigger dog inside because it gets so busy. Thankyou!

Went here with my elderly mum for Sunday roast. The staff were all super friendly and chatted to us every time they came to the table. The food was really plentiful and well cooked; they were happy to leave some of the vegetables off of my mum's plate as she wouldn't have eaten them. Lovely and cosy with a friendly atmosphere. Always enjoy coming here whenever I'm in Eastbourne.

Good local pub, I often frequent here for morning coffee and/or alcohol. Not huge inside, but the addition of the marquee at the side doubles the seating area. This outside space has external heating, which keeps the chill at bay and the rain off. Staff are always welcoming.

Fantastic night out with work colleagues!

We have just enjoyed a really beautiful Sunday lunch here, food was absolutely delicious and plenty of it. Service was super friendly and there was such a lovely atmosphere with lots of doggies too. Would highly recommend.

Disappointed with the quality of the food.

Fantastic vegan pie and really friendly staff, highly recommended in this beautiful location!

Very good food, and good service.

Food was yummy - interesting and different choice of food on the menu. Well worth a visit. Recommend the soup which was full of flavour - note this is a daily dish so depends on the day for which flavour. Another recommendation is Homemade Sussex Smokie - one reason for this being a return visit.

What a difference to the Smugglers down the road. Beautiful location next to the Castle, welcoming, you can actually drink and be served in the bar, just like one might expect in a pub and a great choice of beers for those into real ale, about 5 in all, including Long Man which is rapidly becoming a favorite. A beautiful garden and a covered area too in case it does get busy, something I might expect from a pub that thinks it’s a restaurant but this pub doesn’t take such a narrow perspective. Obviously this is run by someone who understands and respects the drinker as well as the eater, rather than treats them with contempt. Just wish we had come here first.

Lovely place for a drink and great food. The staff couldn't have been more helpful and the food was very tasty.

We went for a Sunday roast and pre booked a table online. As there were 4 of us we went for the roast dinner for 2 platter. Approximately £37 per platter. A selection of 3 meats - Chicken, Beef and Pork. Good service, friendly staff. Food was good.

Gone right down since we last went there. Will not be going there again.

Visited here on a Saturday afternoon. 5 in total. Was seated in the bar area. Very drafty as people were constantly leaving the door open and the wind was blowing through, not to mention people smoking in the orange gazebo so the smoke was blowing through. Not pleasant while you're eating. Food was nice. When desert eventually came, we had a very long wait for it, one of the party had the Waffle Nacho, it had sat a while because the ice cream had melted and was running off the slate plate, the boy did apologise but even so. He gave a fork to eat it with! Service was ridiculously slow. I think they actually forgot about us. The lady behind the bar was trying to serve a constant queue of drinks and tend to the seated customers......it wasn't good.

Once again, great food, staff and atmosphere with views of Pevensey Castle.

Wonderful venue, very friendly staff, food was delicious, the onion rings were especially tasty.

Lovely home cooked mince pie was massive with veg and gravy. Beer nice price longman £5. A pint. Staff very friendly pub very spacious in and out big garden to sit in .

So much to like about this place. First, the easy online reservation for a restaurant table. Second, the wide choice of good quality food on offer. Third, excellent presentation. Fourth, friendly and efficient service. Fifth, very reasonable prices. Sixth, great atmosphere and location next to the castle. This will become a favourite when we are in the area.

Popped in for a quick drink and stayed for the afternoon. Food was amazing. Staff very friendly and a superb atmosphere. Will definitely be back

Had a lovely evening in the Gazebo for my godsons wedding. Fantastic atmosphere. The gazebo was dressed beautifully. Staff fantastic and very helpful. Lovely location

We had such a lovely lunch here today, the food was absolutely amazing and although the pub was extremely busy on a sunny Saturday the staff were all so polite and attentive, especially Kim and Hannah behind the bar. We will definitely be returning, please keep the halloumi burger on the menu it was delicious!

Good food - the gluten free battered cod and chips was a real bonus! The special fried courgette bites were appreciated by many in our group. The gluten free sticky toffee pudding is amazing - don’t think you need the mini fudge cubes on it though. It really doesn’t need them as the sponge and sauce is delicious. Good choice on menu with some large and small portions offered. Enjoyed our meal thank you.

Can't fault the place. Good prices to...

Lovely little pub. Big garden with play area for kids

Went for a Sunday roast whilst staying away in the area. Food was very underwhelming and portions were very small, if I had not ordered and paid for a standard/adult roast I would have thought it was a child’s portion. Looking around the other tables, I wish I had ordered one of their other meals which looked a lot better and larger….. very disappointing Sunday lunch

Arrived to late for lunch but afternoon snacks really tasty. Recommend the Pea & mint soup - really delicious 😋

Came in for quiz night and had a lovely evening - even better that we came 3rd! Great food and very attentive staff, will be back for the next one :)

Idealic location opposite the castle with an amazing beer garden. Food was perfect as was the service. Would recommend without hesitation.

A friendly pub with a large garden area right next door to Pevensey Castle, we visited at lunchtime and found a seat although all seats in the Conservatory/ Awning were reserved. The parasols didn't fit the table and seats very well, a few people kept swapping seats because of this. Also some of the picnic benches were very low and became uncomfortable when we came to eat, as you were squashing up your tummy 😔

Came for dinner for a planning meeting, food was really good, nice sized portions, and tasty. The downside to my visit was when attempting to start a tab was told 'people who sit outside must pay with their order', that's fine, bought drinks and went to find a table and browsed the menu. Came back to the bar to order food and waited for another customer to order their drinks... Who then went back to sit outside without paying. When I asked about the policy to pay when sitting outside I was told 'they're sitting outside, but different'..... Different? Was there actually a policy?

Very relaxed atmosphere serving good size portions of food. Excellent facilities for dogs. Plenty of dog bowls and water. Large car park nearby

Good food. Nice garden. Very friendly and welcoming staff.

Warm welcome. Dog friendly. Great food. (We had the beet roast and the homemade pie (with beef)). Good choice of glutenfree, vegetarian and vegan meals and options. Large (beer) garden. Good selection of ales and other drinks. The only minor point to mention was the kitchen exhaust that made quite a bit of noise. Hence the 4 stars instead of 5. (Should have been 4.5 stars, really)

Awful meals no good waiter man dirty clother and cheat cook. Never again back.

Lovely food and atmosphere at this local pub! Came for a meal with a hen party and staff were kind and accommodating! Lovely cheese board!! Dogs welcome and looks like they have some cool events too like autism coffee morning & quiz nights! Bit of a mix up as they brought out meat sausage for my vegan friend but apologised and fixed it quickly!

Had a great Sunday lunch here whilst on holiday in Pevensey, we chose the sharing platter which at £39 for two was a bit pricey, however the food was amazing and we both ate our fill washed down with some Inches cider!

We walked to Roac from Eastbourne as it was a nice day,stopped for lunch. We both opted for a prawn sandwich, the menu states the rolls are from poppey seed (Eastbourne bakery), however the bakery may wish they weren't named on the mend as both our rolls tasted dry and dated. The prawns were certainly few and far between, picture added. Shame as it's a nice pub on summers day, just drinks next time, I think.

Portion sizes tiny thought I ordered from the kids menu

Lovely pub in great location. We only had beers and cheesy chips but the chips were amazing and the beer pretty good (selection not my favourite but not bad).

Had beautifully cooked Roast today for our Anniversary, staff lovely. Highly Recommend.

Stopped for a drink after the castle tour and ordered food as well. Friendly place with a great atmosphere speedy service and sensible prices. 5 star

Nice pub/restaurant next to the castle in Pevensey Village. The bar and restaurant are quite small but a good choice of drinks and food are available. In terms of atmosphere, that's difficult given our visi was early on a Tuesday evening. This establishment offers special events which are wellvsttendedxandvoffer a great experience. On this occasion, our waitress made the evening as she was friendly, attentive, and professional.

Lovely place, good food. Staff friendly and a really lovely atmosphere.

At last! A great pub and restaurant that welcomes dogs near to my home. I have passed it countless times, but not been in until recently. Will definitely be back for more. Great food with a decent choice on the menu, welcoming staff, efficient service, clean and sensibly priced.

Lovely location, dog friendly restaurant. Service was excellent, staff were very friendly. Food was amazing. Thank you.

lovely lunch today , food was excellent with some well kept Harvey's bitter. Huge garden with some under cover. Good gluten free options. Rolls are very good, chorizo fries and large fish and chips (gluten free). Very dog friendly, water and treats supplied

Excellent food, I had the pie of the week which was great. In our opinion everything is fresh, prices are good and the service/owner is very nice. highly recommended

We had the beef burger and chips, beetroot and squash roast and a chicken roast. Very pleasantly surprised as able to get a table even though Fathers day and busy and it was a last minute booking. Although cheese board wasn't on the menu as a dessert we asked and they accommodated and it was large and lovely. Cheesecake was homemade and lovely. Staff very friendly, attentive and dog friendly with lovely garden in fantastic location. Would highly recommend as a lunch or dinner venue and especially lovely in the summer. 5 star. Opposite castle. We sometimes find it difficult to find a good restauran.

My favourite place to go for a Sunday lunch, dog friendly,lovely staff, warm atmosphere, great outdoor space. What's not to like. Will def be back

Popped in after visiting the castle on a Sunday lunch time, most tables reserved but the friendly staff got us a table for two. Had a Sunday lunch, which was delicious however for the price thought the portion size could have been slightly bigger. Nice atmosphere, friendly staff and good food.

Ice cold shandy and a pleasant garden. Castle to view and country walks.

Fantastic service we turned up 1805 on bank Holiday Monday kitchen closed at 1800 but the chef agreed to stay and serve us great food

Great to have option of eating under cover outside so we could enjoy the fresh air. Food was lovely with specials also available.

Wonderful staff and so welcoming!! Love the fact it's so dog friendly inside as well as outside. Food is delicious!!

Love this pub! We ate here on 3/5/24 and again had yummy food. Starters were Satay chicken, so lovely because instead of a boring skewer, it came in it's own little dish with a lovely side salad, it tasted absolutely lovely, tender chicken pieces and plenty of sauce. Then we had the Cajun chicken for mains, again tender and delicious with their fab rustic chips. The staff are great and the pub has a lovely friendly atmosphere. Thank you and we will be back soon!

Avoid avoid avoid …went out for a family meal with the dogs such a disappointment since the new chef has joined. Starter. Thai chicken satay - after the second attempt this is what they brought out, chicken was deep fried from frozen then went swimming in peanut butter, it was not for human consumption. Main course - fancy stale sour dough roll with a cremated beef patty however the salad and dressing was to die for… When I complained to staff I was confronted by an aggressive lady who told me I’m an old fuss pot they have never had a complaint before and that it’s the second dish they’ve cooked for me, no refund offered we won’t be returning.

Had the Steak and Stilton pie. Amazing food. Highly recommend!

I was shocked to find the gammon, eggs and chips cost £18 and was just raw ham, one boiled egg cut up into 4 pieces, about 8 dry chips and a handful of salad without dressing. I asked if the egg would be fried and the lady told me they don't fry them, I was confused but was ensured it was an ordinary gammon and eggs. I was very disappointed, it was dry and tasted of nothing. I wouldn't recommend this place at all, it's overpriced and the food is awful.

Had a lovely Sunday roast, served by a friendly blonde haired girl, although the brunette server could do with some customer focused training

Great beer garden, great food and nice atmosphere

Another lovely English pub. Slightly remote, directly opposite the ruins of Pevensey Castle. You should definitely combine both visits. Very friendly staff. We ate fish and chips. Was delicious. Also available in gluten free.

Staff were amazing. The starter which was the pork belly was amazing too. However our mains were not. Me and my partner ordered the ultimate roast. When it arrived. The potatoes were burnt. We were lead to believe that you got 3 meats. Turns out it was a choice of 2. However when we ordered we weren’t given the choice and then when we mentioned this we were told they had ran out of the lamb. The beef and pork were so dry. The pigs in blankets were the smallest, driest cocktail sausages with no bacon. We were both starving as had only eaten breakfast and were saving ourselves for this “ultimate” feast. My friends pork was also dire. The kids ham egg and chips came with a boiled egg? We were all so disappointed that when one of the staff came over to ask. We did say that it was ok and whilst still talking the waitress just walked off. That was only one member of staff. However the rest of them were lovely and went above and beyond. Just a shame the food was a let down. Especially when you pay £38 for a sharer roast. Beautiful grounds though.

Fantastic food loved it .friendly place..would recomend this place..bar staff and service staff 100% well done and thank you

I wasn’t hungry so I ordered two starters, the soup and the ribs. Turned out the portion was pretty decent and the food was DELICIOUS!! Very happy about the choice! Would definitely recommend!

Good Pub, good beer and good atmosphere,

Small Fish and chips was dreadful I’ve had before and was nice. There was hardly any fish and soggy batter chips were more like scraps. I told waitress it wasn’t nice. She can back and said chef would mention it to fishmonger ?? Great. Won’t eat in there again It was yesterday about 1pm I’ve had the fish and chips before and it’s been nice but yesterday was awful. Regards the chips perhaps you could have offered normal or rustic.

Lovely pub, lovely food but disappointed for our 2 small dogs. Advertises dog friendly with treats for them but no-one offered them any treats.

At last! A great pub and restaurant that welcomes dogs near to my home. I have passed it countless times, but not been in until this evening. Will definitely be back for more. Great food with a decent choice on the menu, welcoming staff, efficient service, clean and sensibly priced.

Friendly pub. Feels like a local. My sausage and mash had an onion chutney, as well as rich gravy, which was a nice touch. Long Man ale on draft. Great location if you're visiting the castle.

Gorgeous little pub. Lovely staff. Lovely buffet. Made our grandad's wake a lovely place to be. Will visit again when in the area

Went there for Burns Night. Menu did not live up to expectations and the 'compère' didn't seem to know that if you hold a mike in your hand you don't have to shout.

Fabulous food , and will return, great staff , and a lovely setting 👍🥂

Staff lovely, dinners good , to many bones in the salmon dinner , need to be salmon fillet not a steak . Pie lovely. The only issue was the puddings. They were cold and should be warm. 3 of us are a little disappointed . But I would go there again.

A pleasant pub that does good food. Served by friendly staff. It is situated right next to the entrance to PEVENSEY Caste so the area has an ‘olde worlde’ feel to it. You can sit inside to eat or if just looking for a drink there is the bar area or there is also a covered outdoor area if fresh air is what you seek. In the summer months you can eat and drink in the large garden which makes for a nice setting.

Booked a table for 4 and we was by front door very cold with draft and no heating ask waitress if we could be moved as spare table come up ! Reply NO this table reserved ! Rude , But on looking waitress heard this and come over and said we got table near back room fire Result ! We all ordered Sunday Roast apart from one as Veggie , Quick service , Poor portions indeed couldn’t believe it child’s meal especially £16 per head had to ask for more gravy and sauces ie horseradish ext this was not acceptable especially with reviews prior in which we traveled 25 miles to try this place ! We had couple of friends to join us just for drinks in which we spent over £140 for the hour or so we were there ! Food was not we really expected sorry very poor shame !

So relaxing. A happy, peaceful place

Nice old pub, I had a very tasty fish goujon sandwich, priced about right, my friend had a beef and horseradish sandwich which was apparently nice but a bit chewy. Would recommend and would go again.

Warm and friendly pub with attentive and cheerful bar staff, very much improved since the previous nasty owners. The food here was very nice. I really enjoyed the Smokey and Darren liked his moussaka too. Everything was cooked perfectly and the portions where just right. Puddings sounded great on the menu, they have a large selection of homemade ice cream and other delights but I was to full to try them. Fantastic beer garden. They have added a large markee area out the back to provide more seating in bad weather and it's a huge improvement. Also a pleasant little hut for smokers which is just missing a heater to make it perfect. Loads of parking. Great for walkers and dog friendly.

Excellent little village pub. Good range of food and drink, quite reasonably priced and the staff are excellent. Great place to refuel after walking round the castle for a few hours

Lovely grub Lovely people Lovely service But don’t get a roast dinners in a bowl

Incredible. Staff go above and beyond. Beautiful food. Lovely atmosphere. Stunning views. Worth a visit

Delicious food and lovely beer garden with small play area at the back. We ate outside under the covered area.

Fabulous food. Pint and a castle

Great pub, friendly staff, great pub food, lovely beer garden.

As a recently diagnosed coeliac it was great to find such a good friendly pub that has a wide range of gluten free meals .

What a find! Not your usual pub grub, there’s specials with a twist! We went on Fish Friday, and my wife loved it. I had lamb burger which was delicious! Go if you can!

Excellent traditional local in the shadow of the castle. Good play area for kids in the nice garden.

Excellent friendly pub. Lovely garden and covered terrace. Dropped in on the off chance and was delighted, will be retuning.

The pie was amazing 10/10 Certainly not 3.1415

Stunning food. Perfect for anyone visiting Eastbourne and the surrounding area. Best onion rings i have ever had. I can't stress enough how happy I was with the food.

I would go again. Very small inside with very large garden.

Great for outdoors and indoors, lovely atmosphere and accept furry friends too

Really lovely place with a huge garden and great service, everyone who served me was lovely - great ice cream too!

Fun local hostelry with great beer garden, pleasant decor and efficient service. Bottle of white wine was a good one and good value, goats cheese salad generous and tasty, and Mr S enjoyed his fish and chips. Later as the evening cooled we transferred to the cosy indoors.

I visited The Royal Oak & Castle at the very end of a weeks visit to Eastbourne. After disappointments in many establishments during my holiday at least I returned home in the knowledge that good food, excellent service and very clean surroundings do exist not far from Hampden Park where I was staying. My Sunday Lunch was an absolute pleasure and the caramel ice cream was superb. The staff were very proficient and each gave service with a smile. Unlike establishments I visited earlier in the week there wasn't a scrap of food left on or around any of the tables in The Royal Oak and Castle. Clean conditions, excellent decor and a well behaved clientèle made my visit a very positive and memorable dine-out. The Guinness was first class too. It is obvious that in this delightful pub standards matter and perhaps pubs with a lesser standard should visit the establishment to see how service should be delivered. A very big thank you from Peter of Shropshire.

Lovely busy public house. The staff are incredibly friendly, helpful and efficient.The garden is delightful. Always a pleasure to visit.

A nice place to visit for a quick social & bite to eat

Lovely pub, pleasant staff and great food. The beer garden is a work in progress but still enjoyable with views across to Pevensey Castle. Plenty of seating inside and out. Well worth a visit.