The Anchor Inn & Boating in Lewes

What a perfect place to meet someone for a date! We went for a walk in the beautiful countryside, along the river Ouse, then finished off at the Anchor Inn. The lunch was delicious and the service was excellent. Will definitely return.

Quiet Tuesday lunchtime. Saussage baguette was served quickly by a very smart young gentleman. The baguette had too much salt for me, but I could have asked for no salt. Lovely pub which has row boats for hire and a great garden.

Big car park, loads of outdoor seating along the side of the river, friendly and polite staff. Was my 1st time there but would definitely go back.

Nice traditional pub by the river with loads of outdoor space and boat hire! Decent point and a good roast too. Went on a summer Sunday and it was super busy but didn't have to wait too long for the food

It’s a lovely location but it has become neglected. Outside tables and chairs are dilapidated, rusty and dirty and the food very overpriced for what it was. Our roast today consisted of tough meat and overcooked or undercooked vegetables smothered in powder gravy gloop for just under £25 each?!! Will visit again but maybe we’ll stick to cheesy chips.

Well what can I say, brilliant pub, food was amazing, great service with such friendly staff, and the owner was so funny and welcoming, free parking, lots of seating Inside and out, you can even hire a paddle boat from outside of the pub 😎 easy walking distance from the boathouse campsite Edit: forgot to mention how cosy it was, lovely log fires took away the chill

What a beautiful pub. We only called my to look because my wife used to work there as a teenager and bumped into the owner - a perfect friendly welcoming guy. We ended up looking round and having a drink (mine was the best pint of Harvey's Best I've had for a long time). The menu looks great so that'll be the next plan, to eat there.

Lovely stop during a nice walk along the river. Food was very good and not overpriced considering the location. I’ll definitely go back

Lovely pub and scenery but huge downfall is there no is baby change!! We asked and they said there isn't any. Very poor in this day and age. Had to leave early to change her. Wouldve changed her in the car but it was a boiling hot day. Have built an outside bar but should really prioritise building an area with a baby change table. Won't be going back for that reason and think everyone with babies should know this before visiting.

Great fish and chips, probably the best I’ve had this year. Staff were very friendly and helpful. I would recommend.

Would like to thank Toby and all the staff for an excellent lunch today. I am always looking for a decent pie and today I found it ! Excellent company and good food .

There is nothing better than getting out of Brighton to float down a river on a sunny day (for me anyway!). The pub has a great garden and seating along the river (we didn’t have food), and the boats for hire are great fun. Highly recommend.

Nice food, lovely location, had a lovely and fun afternoon on the river after hiring out a boat with my children. Well worth a visit

Love this pub, such a beautiful setting on the river. We have never hired a boat, but it looks fun. The food is good, the fish and chips are excellent. We had a lovely meal in the garden, they have water bowls for dogs. Followed by a lovely walk down the river. We came home feeling very tranquil, relaxed and happy!

Beautiful out-of-the-way spot next to the river where you can hire rowing boats and enjoy a drink and something to eat. I recommend the baked camembert. Friendly staff too.

Charged me for three pints when i bought three Shandy's. Top tip for running a pub. Don't obviously rip off your customers.

We booked breakfast at this pub on the phone. We were told the pub served breakfast until 11.30am (which was when the lunch service started) and so booked for 10am. Half the party arrived early, half of the party arrived at 10.10am. We were greeted by the owner who acknowledged we had a reservation but told us the ‘kitchen is closed’. We explained that we had driven a long way, and had a reservation (which we had made only the night before). He didn’t care. One diner was 8.5 months pregnant and so we asked if there was any possibility that we might be able to order a piece of toast for her. The owner was verbally abusive and told us to ‘f*** off’. It is hard not to feel sorry for someone who is clearly so unhappy (read the array of negative reviews below…). However, as a result of his unkindness we wanted to take the time to warn others who might be relying on a booking they have made or may be thinking of using this pub for an important event. We only wish we had read the reviews on here beforehand! Note: you don’t need to eat at the pub to hire a boat.

Popped in for quick birthday drinks only negative is narrow road on drive in, but don't let that put you off. Although we didn't eat food, it looked good and smelled good .

Exquisite pub, management and staff are adorable and very professional. Food is stunning.. I KNOW that a lot of the vitriol on trip advisor is actually malicious, that picniccers start fires in the fields and riverbanks LEAVE LITTER and then get aggressive, defensive and immature

Awesome, Peaceful, tranquil, great food, watch out for the access road, take it SLOW!

Lovely pub by the River Ouse. Great to hire boats to paddle up river. Lovely Sunday roast beef. Burgers fell apart a bit though.

Love this pub,great home-made fresh food. Where it is situated is beautiful. 100% would recommend. You can paddle board on the river down to the pub!! Perfect summer day put xx p.s. Leave your boards in the field. Don't take them into the pub garden xx

Average food, awful AWFUL host. Wish I never had spent my money here. He’s a rude, shouty man. Didn’t want children playing in the garden at a FAMILY pub. Bar stuff were nice and food average. Definitely over priced. Won’t be returning.

Awful awful landlord. While there are footpaths on both sides of the river, he has put up signs forbidding any 'boat launching' from his land. If you have paddled from Barcombe Mills and have come out of the river to bypass the weir, expect to be accosted by someone from the pub asking if you parked there and then forbidding you to put your boat in the water. We saw him cross the river once to harange a couple with a baby who were just sitting down and giving the baby a drink, accusing them of having a picnic. When we mistakenly ate there some years back before we knew better, he could give Basil Fawlty a run for his money.

Accomodating and attentive service. Excellent meal enjoyed by everyone. 12 of us visited on a Tuesday for a lovely walk, followed by lunch. Great setting and friendly staff. We will certainly be visiting again. Thank you

Ah amazing pub in an idyllic location. With the trip for any out of towner and local alike. The food & beer are excellent and the boat trip completes the experience. Highly recommended.

I absolutely love this pub, it's such a lovely layout with great food choices, we visited lunchtime and headed out on the rowing boats for an hour which you pay for at arrival, there was no wait for this and about £8, we then enjoyed the large garden area to sit and eat in after, it's a great family spot and I highly recommend a visit during the spring/summer season when the boats are running, it was so tranquil and peaceful! :)

Horrendous experience , ordered a roast sat outside alone waited 2 hours but food still had not arrived but after I had been to the ladies having left my dog at the table saw that my wine had gone . Other customers suggested I go inside to see what had happened to my roast dinner , I discovered that my lunch had been given to another customer after my table was “ cleared “ so wine gone as well ! I was then told they would ‘do what they could” but really they were in charge of the boats ! Boat guy came to my table and said that the person serving had gone to a special school and that I was meant to accept the situation because of his education ! Cancel Fathers Day if you have booked this year 2024 because it is total chaos in the place for Sunday lunch . This was sadly my recent experience of the pub and I have so many previous happy memories of the Anchor Inn with my late husband that have now been completely crushed !

We went on a busy Sunday, the service was great considering how busy they were. All very young but professional staff. The food was delicious (we had 2 roast beef) a really good roast. Location obviously beautiful! We will be back for sure, thanks all!

Food was superb in the pub, service was excellent. Lovely Saturday evening sitting outside enjoying the riverside atmosphere whilst enjoying our dinner.

What a delightful find! Will most definitely be returning.

What beautiful pub with great food! Will definitely be going back in the summer :))

Appalling - we went for drinks as a large group at the pub and then afterwards they tried to stop us having a picnic ima nearby field, on a public right of way, saying it was their land. Outrageous to do this to paying customers and have absolutely no right, legal or otherwise, to try and stop people enjoying the right of way.

very nice place with nice owners had a lovely time. will go back.

A lovely place with stunning views but that's where the fun stops! My wife and i ordered the burger and i dont honestly know if it was even beef, it tasted like the rubbish you would buy from a burger van at a festival. The bacon was like hardboard and the burger seemed as if it had been reheated, the cheese was hardly noticeable and over all the entire meal was horrible. I only ate mine as i was very hungry but my wife couldn't eat hers after only two bites. My daughter had the kids meal and wasn't impressed either. The meal and drinks came to just over £60 I have never left a bad review before but this took the biscuit. The only thing that was decent were the chips and you dont need to be Gorden Ramsey to get that right. The young man that served us was very welcoming and polite but i would not return!

Lovely spot by the river on a sunny day. Will be back when the boats are out. The country lane leading to it is extremely narrow.

Beautiful place. Well worth the only bumpy road to get there. Staff friendly and accommodating, great portions of yummy food. Great to see the landlord looking after the up keep of the premises and it's surroundings. Boat trip was a great addition to our day. Highly recommend it. Thank you for a memorable last day of our holiday journey home.

Food served fast and was great quality, staff were excellent. Great pub worth the drive down, or row if you come by water

Food was delicious, enjoyed every mouthful

Good pub with consistently great roasts!

Just had the best Sunday Roast I can remember, absolutely wonderful and all served with brilliant hospitality, thank you and we will be back soon

Lovely pub tucked out the way perfect for a summer's day. The burger was very tasty and fries were tasty, but a little over priced for what it was.

I love this pub. It's in a lovely part of Sussex for a walk, the pub has great staff, excellent food & you can hire small boats to go up the adjoining river. Would recommend to anyone

Always a delightful pub by the river. Obviously, better on sunny dry days. I recommend the boat hire for a little 'messing about on the river'. It's also a great wedding venue. On my most recent visit (Sept 2023), the food was 'OK', but expensive for pub grub.

Great location on the river, definitely hire a boat for a leisurely row up the Ouse. Then back to the pub for a well earned pint and food.

Stunning setting... just wish they had more/better planet & animal-friendly (vegan) options. So sad that in this day & age they couldn't even offer a coffee with plant milk. Come on team Anchor Inn, you can & should do better!

A great hidden gem to sit back in the beautiful Sussex countryside. Food was lovely and stunning setting sitting right next to the river. Plenty of parking and outside seating. It was our first visit and won't be our last, lovely to find a proper country pub.

Me and family were having lunch at the Anchor Inn on Saturday 16th September 2023, the pub have a dog friend policy. The Pub have their own dog walking around the grounds freely, my 3 year old went to stroke the dog & it turn to bite him. I went inside to speak to the bar staff explained what happened & i asked them to take their dog inside, their response was “i’ll try”, no apology, nothing. 2 minutes later the dog is continuing to walk freely outside, with children outside. I then sat down & asked to speak to the manager who then came over to the table, i spoke about the situation & he apologised and took the dog away, there was no worry or empathy, he didn’t ask how my Son was, seeming not bothered. Very poor from the place.

Me and family were having lunch at the Anchor Inn on Saturday 16th September 2023, the pub have a dog friend policy. The Pub have their own dog walking around the grounds freely, my 3 year old went to stroke the dog & it turn to bite him. I went inside to speak to the bar staff explained what happened & i asked them to take their dog inside, their response was “i’ll try”, no apology, nothing. 2 minutes later the dog is continuing to walk freely outside, with children outside. I then sat down & asked to speak to the manager who then came over to the table, i spoke about the situation & he apologised and took the dog away, there was no worry or empathy, he didn’t ask how my Son was, seeming not bothered. Very poor from the place.

Can't comment on food, service or atmosphere as arrived at 5pm ( 1 hour before closing ) to find it closed! Not impressed as we made a special effort to get there and its in the back of beyond.

Great crayfish salad. Friendly staff. Will be back 🙂

Drinks are to expensive, and it's off the beaten track,but if you can afford the rip off prices and the journey its very nice

Fantastic pub in a truly beautiful location. We were made to feel so welcome by Simon, and his team were friendly and efficient. We sat out in the beautiful gardens watching the boats up and down the river. So peaceful. Would definitely recommend. Don’t listen to the negative reviews.

Went here for the first time on Sunday. While it was busy, there was still lots of seating to choose from. We sat overlooking the river watching the hire boats going to and fro from the launch deck situated in the pubs grounds. The Landlord was a very welcoming, and went out of his way to chat with us on a couple of occasions. We didn't eat anything during this visit, but the food we saw looked and smelled good. A very enjoyable four hours was spent here.

Lovely pub but drinks quite expensive

Absolutely terrible service. Big queue, no urgency at all, took forever. Accidentally order a coke instead of a diet and apologised and ask to change it back to a coke, this was before I'd even paid. he said only if I could find someone that'd pay for the coke that he'd poured. Never heard anything like this at a pub before. Only thing this place has going for it is the river.

Pub dog attacked our dog ,which was on lead, pub dog roams the gardens . BEWARE Terrier

Very busy when we got there (2pm on a Sunday so understandable), had to queue for half an hour just to order, then wait another hour for the food to turn up. But there is still no complaint about that, the food was great, the views were lovely and so was the pub. If you don't mind a wait you'll be fine, but if you're in a hurry don't go at peak times.

We came today after visiting Barcombe Mills and having good recommendations from friends, the location was lovely but sadly I can't say the same about the food or service. We arrived after midday and ordered some roasts, by the time we got through our friends most of the roasts had run out which is completely fine however the burger orders that we put through were very disappointing. 2 came out very fast and were fab however the third there was a clear difference in quality, the meat was hard and almost tasted like a cheap processed one. When we complained that there was a definite, noticeable and disappointing difference we were met with rudeness. However another burger was offered and was clearly better made. One of our party (we were 8 people) never had their burger turn up, after asking about it 3 different times we were told 'we didn't get a ticket' there was no apology or reasoning. Once we all went though proof that we had paid another burger was made, but it was now half an hour after all of us had eaten and there was not a single apology. If I am going to be honest, I never write reviews or even comment on poor service but this one shocked me. Maybe it could be a lovely pub when not so busy but please, if you like to enjoy being a valued customer then please don't come here.

A great place to bring the family for fun on the boats and then a pub meal and beer

Awful. It was a hot day, but there were hardly any umbrellas to sit under, we went on the boats and were charged an extra 15 minutes while we were waiting to get out of the boats, and worst of all, the owner was very unpleasant, bigoted, self centered and money grabbing. Definitely will not be coming back.

Sat outside and had a baguette.. Really nice atmosphere and great food.

Best plowmans we ever had fantastic trevxx sue see you soon

Nice afternoon lunch in the garden, lovely setting and a nice relaxing atmosphere. Food was great also

Still lovely, even 25 years after getting married here! No toilet roll in the ladies though and it didn’t look as though it had been checked recently which let it down a bit

Beautiful location and a delicious roast dinner.

Only had a drink after doing some rowing

This little pub is in a beautiful setting in the middle of nowhere, drinks by the river or u could go for a boat ride prices for an hour are £8.00 per adult £4.oo per child lunhes look amazing prices are a little high but sizes of the meals make it worth ever penny lovely atmosphere inside pub. Nice staff. We will definitely go back this time we will have something to eat .

Beautiful experience at The Anchor Inn. Olly was our waiter and very pleasant to talk too! A very cosy relaxing atmosphere . There is also a boating lake where you can hire boats and row your troubles away.

Went for a walk around Balcombe Mills and popped in for a drink. Although it was breezy, we sat outside by the river and watched people on the boats. They were available to hire for £8 an hour, I believe. Looked like fun!

Great pub! Went out on the boats and had a lovely roast and chat with the owner, who was sooo nice. Definitely recommended! Lovely place to eat, staff are super lovely.

The barman seemed like he wanted to be anywhere but where he was, and communicated like a moody teenager. Won't be going back.

We decided to stop here on our dog walk as it looked lovely. I ordered from their light snacks menu - baked Camembert at £8.95 and some focaccia at £5 plus a pint of Harvey’s and a larger shandy. I paid by phone and thought nothing of it, I wasn’t given a receipt or told the total. We waited for 45 minutes for our food, but it was good…I had also been back to order 2 x sausages for the dogs, which I paid for separately and advised that we already had an order. The sausages were another 30minutes. I expected them to be freshly cooked because of the wait…they weren’t and had obviously just come out of the fridge. Once home I checked my banking app, I had been charged £28.90 plus the £4 for the sausages…that makes 2 pints for £14! I have either been overcharged or ripped off!

Pub agréable où il est possible de louer des barques à rames. Ce pub se situe au bord d'une rivière, en plein milieu de la campagne. Il y a aussi beaucoup de place pour se garer. Ce pub dispose aussi de 2 grands jardins. Les plats sont bons mais les prix sont un peu élevés.

We had planned a birthday walk along the Ouss with lunch at the Anchor. It did not disappoint. Lovely food, friendly staff and a beautiful Riverside location.

We stopped here for a drink, staff very friendly and helpful.

Absolutely stunning pub. First visit and loved it so quaint and very family oriented.... Boat hire too

Arrived mid-week for a late lunch with my husband and two young children. Food was in-edible. Burger was burnt to a crisp and ‘home-made’ pies were congealed inside with dry meat (obviously been frozen). When we said we couldn’t eat the meals we were told ‘it was the last meal of the service, and it was what is was and there will be no refund’. No manager present, and barmaid was obnoxious, rude and raised her voice several times in front of our children. Will NEVER go back or recommend to anyone I like!!!

We had a great afternoon rowing down the beautiful river, and then had a drink and chips in the garden bar. Friendly atmosphere.

I love this place. From the beautiful location, to the excellent food to the fact you can hire out a row boat to paddle down the river; this place is perfect for anyone looking for an out of the way pub in the stunning countryside to meet with friends, family, or just to take the kids out. Would highly recommend.

Was closed at 5pm despite "open" stated on website.

Don’t go there! Overpriced and mediocre. Food is way too much money for what it is. £19 for 3 leaves of salad what a rip off ! Building is not suitable to be a pub unless you like people sitting on your table while trying to eat. Service is appallingly slow. Honestly one of the worst pub I’ve ever been to. We definitely won’t be back. —————— Well management’s reply says it all! Don’t do McDonald’s but pretty sure it’s better value for money with a nicer service !

Lovely venue, easy parking, good food in a lovely, well kept garden, followed by an idilic row in one of their rowing boats up and down the river that backs onto it.

Beautiful pub. So relaxing. A hidden gem.

Amazing outdoors space, right by the river with plenty of seating and dog friendly. Food was great, although maybe a bit overpriced. All the staff were so friendly and accommodating and very efficient for how busy they were. Will definetely be going back 😊👌

Stay well clear ... It's like you are doing them a favour by giving them custom. Rude horrible owner. Didn't realise you can own a public river 😂. The food was cold and it took for ever

Love this pub, after a swim and a walk, a swift pint and cheesy chips! Phwoar!

Cutlery should be served with serviettes. Other than that u could not fault.

Great venue, great food and scenery. Can't wait to come back

Came for our daughter’s birthday for some lunch and a trip on the river. When ordering drinks and food I noticed the following which really disappointed and disturbed: - Flies all over the inside of the pub - Served coffee in greasy cups - Drinks glasses had lipstick marks on and seemed greasy - Plates similarly greasy and dirty looking - Aphids all over the table (our daughter asked me what the green bugs on her plate were). I don’t even want to think about the state of the kitchen, with the flies and the obviously broken dishwasher. This made the whole eating and drinking very unpleasant which was such a shame on our daughters birthday! We then went rowing. The life jacket situation was a joke. The one we were offered and given for daughter to wear had a broken zip. The strap had to be improvised and wrapped several times around her waist to keep her life jacket on. Luckily I am very confident on water. When arriving back at the pub after rowing the till was quite busy. Bizarrely a man leaned out the first floor window (the owner I presume) asking if I was being served. What a strange way to offer customer service! Surely, as the owner you’d be downstairs supporting staff if it was so busy that you’d think it appropriate to shout out a window at customers. This just seems like such a reckless way of running a pub which due to its location has such a good potential. In hindsight we should have left at the sight of the first flies and dirty coffee cups. But with an excited toddler birthday girl it didn’t seem fair to her and I chose to give the benefit of the doubt. My advice would be to steer clear of this unhygienic and completely disorganised place unless you’re planning on making a film a bit like Fawlty Towers, in which case you might come here for inspiration.

Terrible grumpy landlord. Would not eat here if you paid me

Always our favourite thing to do after kayaking! Beautiful pub, beautiful food!

The owner of the bar was offering Chilli shots out too unsuspecting customers, not pre-warning them that said shots were so hot they were causing people to be sick while others were trying to eat. People screaming because they got it in their eyes. He did pop over during all the commotion to tell us how much fun he was having however and was all laughs as his customers were in agony. Once it all calmed down and people were able to talk a bit more rather than apologize he flagged in a customer that had just arrived to give him one so clearly was just enjoying watching his customers in agony. Not a huge problem among friends but a pretty dangerous game to play with strangers/customers. Food was alright.

Lovely walk along the river followed by a leisurely lunch in the pub garden in fabulous sunny weather.

Hottest predicted day, so expectations were set as busy, that we were cool with. Ordered food and drinks, all a good standard of delivery, food was great. Disappointment was getting more drinks, having to join same food queue and 25 mins later, we got served. Maybe a suggestion for your next busy day, having more staff serving, waitress collecting empty plates/glasses but taking drink orders too. More staff behind bar or how about opening outside existing bar for drinks only. So many people left the queue or premises due to waiting for another drink. A shame to disappoint customers and not make the most of a busy day for business.

Fantastic place and a great location, too. We took a break here during our walk along the river.

A beautiful little pub in a countryside setting with a river running next to it. Great local beers and ales. The service was very good too! Next time we come we are going to try our hand at boating in the river !

Really nice pub by the river! The staff were friendly too. I would say they could’ve had a better beer selection on draft.

The rudest, most aggressive pub you will ever have the misfortune to come across. Hates everyone, especially river users who dare to think about visiting a riverside pub using their own river craft! Overpriced angry shouty landlord likes to threaten River paddlers and stop them getting to the pub to spend money in it!!

Completely overrated and not worth the effort. We went for a pub lunch and wasn’t impressed by the owners attitude towards customers