The Anchor Inn & Boating in Lewes

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

Lovely pub but drinks quite expensive

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.

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.

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

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

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

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!!!

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.

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

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.

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

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!!

Lovely place but poor beer selection.

Great little tucked away pub, in an idyllic location this is why I gave it three stars, if I was rating it on the food alone I’d struggle to give 1 star. The eating experience was woeful. Ordered two of the signature burgers to be presented with an over cooked patty, dry, tasteless topped with a piece of bacon that was like charcoal so overcooked it was solid. We ended up eating the fries and salad but diguarding the burger. Such a shame if the food had been better, I’d not hesitate in upping my review. Will return but for a drink only.

A beautiful pub, well looked after, relaxed atmosphere, great food, I enjoyed the Anchor burger today. There must have been a few people leave without paying as we had to pay up front but no problem, a nice visit as always.

A lovely pint in the sunshine 🌞

Simon( owner/host with the most/chief potwasher ! ) you are my knight in shining armour ! I twisted my ankle on a walk to The Anchor Inn today, Simon made me a cuppa, iced my ankle and drove us back to our car !!!! We also had a great lunch there too, thanks we will see you again 🙏🏻

We randomly ended up at the anchor inn whilst driving around looking for a pint, and couldn't have been more surprised to find this little gem. A long one way track down we weren't expecting much but we found a bustling pub with a large front and back garden that backs onto the river, where you can rent boats out hourly. The food was decent, the staff were really friendly and helpful even with the big crowds enjoying the sun and there were plenty of seats to accommodate. There are also plenty of nice walks surrounding which you might as well enjoy whilst you're there, we will certainly be returning.

The Anchor Inn is a superb pub! We went for Sunday lunch and all of our meals were absolutely perfect. The staff were incredibly welcoming and so polite. We enjoyed it so much that we went back 2 days later without the kids! The setting, boat hire, food and staff were faultless. The owner was delightful and even gave us a lift back to Lewes Station for free. Can't wait to go back.

Have eaten here often. Always good.

Harveys bitter is delicious. Had a ploughmans lunch which, although a bit expensive, was fresh and plentiful.. Delightful old public house in a lovely setting. Will be back.

Had phoned up the previous week to book a table for our family get together to be told by a rather abrupt man that I would be fine to just turn up as they weren't taking bookings. So 3 cars drive down an extremely poor kept lane with potholes the size of craters that went on forever to be meet by the pub all locked up on Tuesday lunchtime. After asking at the local shop where to go they recommended the Anchor Inn at Ringmer, a short drive away (all on main better kept roads) who we had the most wonderful meal with. Don't bother with this over rated pub who according to the locals pick and choose when they open, despite saying on their website they are open 7 days a week, if you want to guarantee to have a meal with them! Go to the Anchor Inn at Ringmer instead, thank you for the recommendation to the lovely staff in the local shop!

MY wife and I visited THE Anchor Inn today for a day out in the countryside, AS we arrived the place is very clean and tidy and the staff were very welcoming , They have plenty of seats outside to enjoy a good meal or have driinks in the garden and plenty of seating available inside with a nice open fire burning in the bar , WE ordered 2 coffees and sat out by the river enjoying the peace and quiet and lovely views of the countryside, We ordered food which was very nice and moderetly priced, I had the anchor burger & and chips, which was very nice & my wife had the risotto, which was very nice too, We had a few drinks and the ventured out on a boat down the river, which was £16 for 2 adults an hour & (£4:50 for children) the staff were very helpful and pleasant, We had an hours boating and enjoyed our selves had fun and laughter on the river just what we needed, went back to the anchor had a few more drinks then went for a long walk across the fields enjoying the fresh air & peaceful surroundings walked back to the Anchor Inn for a few more drinks and left , WE had an awesome day out today. Thank you for your hospitality thanks guys we had a great day out, The weather was kind to us , and we will be back in the future 😀 HOPEFULLY WHEN THE WEATHER WARMS UP. we will recommend this lovely Anchor Inn to others for its outstanding beauty and its welcoming staff & very good food options. boating hire, which is something different to do as a family or couples . They open normally at 11;30 am

Great location serving good pub grub. The staff are friendly and helpful.

Good food and friendly service. Can get very busy. Great for river boating.

What a lovely hidden gem! Right out of the way, and nice and peaceful. Lovely friendly staff, and beautiful views whilst having a bite to eat! Very picturesque. Had an amazing ploughmans, very tasty and good price. How a country pub should be. Will defo be visiting again!

Best roast dinner for miles! Great location for dog walk and sailing down the river.

Best pub burger for years washed down by lovely pint of best.

It was closed when we visited but I'd like to come back because it's beautiful. Even has it's own boats by the river at the rear of the building. It's located way off the beaten track but we'll worth a visit.

Lovely setting but slow service and flat coke in a dirty glass . Waited over an hour for a bowl of chips . Annoying barmaid who's every other word was love 🤣. Where are you love? that's great love, thank you love, will be with you shorty love ,OK love love love love love love love . For the love of God learn some now words love 🤣🤣

My family and I stopped in this pub for lunch after doing part of the Barcombe Cross circular walk and brought our 2 dogs with us. The pub was really cosy and had fires lit throughout. The food was absolutely delicious and the staff were incredibly friendly as well. I would definitely recommend this pub and will return in future!

Wonderful ad-hoc meal here after a nice country walk. Super service, very friendly. Ploughman's and a pint was rewarding.

The staff could not have been more welcoming. Despite having suffered a temporary set back with their kitchen equipment they still managed to feed us all very well. Be cautious about where you park; the Thames tide can come in rather quickly.

We came here a few months ago on a camping trip and had excellent service from Bea :)

We’ve been meaning to visit this pub for ages having heard of its great location. Arrived for a Saturday lunch to find the car park gates locked. I jumped out of the car and approached the pub whereupon a man flung open an upstairs window...

Phoned Thursday to book for 11 people. Advised 3 people with ceoliac can u accomadate, we can.. Great. Arrived at 3pm. Can we barcadi, lime and soda, run out, half bitter shandy, only large bottles..Pink Gin and lemonade. Any raspberries, sorry run out. Next drink,...

This old pub has an amazingly picturesque setting beside the river. And in the past I have loved visiting. However the latest landlords seem to think they own the river. Any kayakers or paddle boarders not using the pub’s boats get a very unwelcome reception....

Terrible pub very nasty owner don’t go there not worth it there are much better pubs

Blessed with a sunny day this pub is in an idyllic location off the beaten track, or at least a long narrow and fortunately peaceful narrow lane, with the riverside path adjacent to it. Today it was simply tranquil. Late in the season so only...

Lovely pub/restaurant on the river,boats can also be hired.

We were a group of six ladies walking in the area. We’d popped in to say we’d be back for lunch in about an hour or so after our walk. Due to walking further than anticipated we were later than planned so I rang ahead...

Fantastic day, attentive staff, good portion sizes. Mixed roast was superb, kids meals were great too. Late in season so not too busy, and we were able to enjoy this beautiful setting.

I had amazing vegetarian roast, my partner had chicken roast. Good price, friendly staff🥰

To busy on a Sunday afternoon, setting is beautiful.

We were lucky enough to have our wedding reception at the Anchor and couldn't have had a more perfect venue. The staff are the friendliest most attentive people you could want and the venue is just beautiful. Food was incredible and customer service is out of this world. Can't say enough about how great they are as it made our day perfect. Lauren,Toby,Bee et al your are stars.

Very cosy country pub with welcoming staff.

Beautiful place for a wedding day.

Update 11.09.22 Had a very average overdone and overpriced Anchor Burger. Two burgers and two pints,. £41!!!!!!! Kitchen closes early on a Sunday and so do the boats. Turned away 25 people in the boat queue. We didn't stay for drinks, as we needed to eat. They should have a barbecue, especially bank holiday weekend. The road in and out is a bad one, wouldn't want to do that in the dark. A car in front went down the ditch and was on two wheels, we had to help and rescue them.