The Bull in Lewes

Met up with some friends for lunch, which was delicious - the scallop starters was excellent. Great and prompt service offered by Olivia and very well looked after, again, by Philo. Thanks!

Enjoyed a fantastic birthday pub dinner with friends. Lots of gluten free options. Bravo 👌

Sunday lunch after a walk. Four of us. Great beer, impeccable service and perfectly cooked trout. Really excellent, thanks very much!

Philo makes the Bull! She is attentive, intuitive and always knows just what to recommend. She is a shining example to all the younger team members.

As always the Bull gets it right. Philo's welcome and smile makes us feel very special.Glad to call it our local all year round

Food was excellent and really good variety on the menu. Service was spot on and very friendly. Lovely atmosphere for a Saturday lunch - busy but didn’t feel crowded. Banoffee pie was the best I’ve ever eaten!

Both the food and service were very good. Sadly my wife’ flatbread was a little tough.

Natalie was Wonderful!! Give her a raise in salary!! Constant checking to see if we were “O-Kay”. Very Pleasant. She made our lunch very enjoyable. Too many screaming kids in the tables surrounding us. That made the atmosphere very uncomfortable. You should have a “Quieter Area” for older folks.

To be in a pub and be unable to order at the bar is very weird and the selection of beers is poor The food was good

Love this pub, such a nice atmosphere. Incredibly burgers and chips, which they do gluten free too.

We stayed overnight in a lovely room, very quiet. We had an amazing breakfast the following morning but unfortunately our evening meal.was far from satisfactory...My wife ordered Calves liver and it was served to the table inedible...It was just a lump of fatty gristle....In fairness the management reacted to the issue in a satisfactory way, but unfortunately the damage.was done....

Booked a table for Saturday lunch as a treat. When we arrived, we were not acknowledged or greeted. I tried to catch the attention of one of the waiting staff but they that didn’t work. Eventually a very surly woman rudely asked us to wait and eventually showed us to a table. We were on the point of walking out. However, the food was tasty and well presented although it is expensive. I doubt we will come here again which is a shame as we have eaten once before here and had no issues.

Delicious roast and great service (Waiter - Jamie P) Really good mackerel pate starter and veggie roast/pork roast mains. Good portion sizes. Nice Sunday atmosphere Thank you :)

Great pub, always busy, professional and friendly service, delicious food, can’t really ask for anything more.

The ambience and service were great. Good wine choices. The mains were excellent but the starters we chose were a little disappointing …the scallops were completely over powered by the garlic in the topping and the courgette & tomato fritters were lacking in courgette! Overall, a good experience though.

Sharing a luncheon date with friends enjoying delicious lunch cooked to perfection. Desserts scrumptious.

Superbe bâtisse dans le non moins magnifique village de Ditchling, rien qu’à voir le parking plein on est certain que la qualité sera au rendez-vous, et en effet la cuisine est excellente, de vraies spécialités de Pub anglais mêlées à la touche fermière et campagnarde, on se régale et on en redemande. Adresse incontournable ! Réservez si possible 😉

Had a lovely lunch at the Bull today - fantastic service and probably the best fish finger sandwich I’ve ever tasted! Would highly recommend

Fantastic Sunday roast with all the trimmings, a great selection of wines and very attentive staff. Also excellent value for money.

Food was good but not great - be prepared for London prices. Good atmosphere in this busy country pub situated in the village of Ditchling.

Beautiful pub with a great team and amazing food. Would have liked more vegetarian choice but loved what we had. I don’t want to recommend too highly in case it gets so busy that I can’t get back in! 😉😂

Lovely evening at the Bull pub in ditching

Weve just started visiting the Bull and we absolutely love it! Staff are very welcoming and accommodating, the service is fast and the food that’s delivered compliments the service. The menu is not overwhelming and every mouthful once served is a pleasure. The ingredients are fresh and local. We shall be back!

Went for a Sunday roast, had the vegan option..... Nothing to fault... Plentiful portion, cooked well, tasty main, excellent service. Side order of cauliflower cheese was excellent and enough to share between two as the first is quite large. Dining was well spaced so you didn't feel like your neighbours were sat in your lap which is excellent. Wait staff were attentive and friendly, a credit to the venue. Would happily go again.

Great pub and hotel, we were really well looked after particularly by Olivia at dinner and Philo in the morning!

Really disappointed by our dinner here. Food is not worth the price! Fish and chips, Sausages and mash & Chicken pie were enjoyable but average, and gravy was cold. Unfortunately the Pappardelle was tasteless, no flavour of crab or sun-dried tomato or chilli, and only had 4 small prawns although labelled a prawn dish. Furthermore there were mushy peas all over the floor and stains on the wall that attracted flies during our meal which was annoying and didn’t feel clean.

Arrived 4pm on a sunny Saturday afternoon in September, really looking forward to it. Appreciate it was late afternoon but we didn’t have a good experience and left before ordering food. Didn’t get greeted. Staff looked uninterested. Sat in the bar area with no atmosphere and flys busing around our heads. When I mentioned the flys the staff response was - yes they love it here for some reason. We promptly got up and left. Could have and should have been a better experience. Just felt like it didn’t matter if we were there or not. Not a big deal but won’t be coming back anytime soon. Sorry if this is harsh but that was our honest experience, which I just didn’t expect. I hope you appreciate honest feedback.

We loved our stay at the bull. Excellent staff especially Philomena!! The only negative was our shower was for short people and my husband is 6ft 2”

First time we have been to the Bull for more than 20 years. Put simply it was amazing! Service provided by Philo with her unique dry sense of humour and her uncanny ability to anticipate just about everything we were to ask for. There was four of us. Two had the sausages, cooked perfectly and a deep brown colour with fresh flavour. The other two chose Henri's Kiev, no garlic butter involved here but instead high quality chicken breasts stuffed with ground savoury sausage and herbs, accompanied by a delicious selection of vegetables. All the dishes were presented beautifully. Pudding was a hard sell and three of us asked for an off menu single scoop of salted caramel ice cream. I went for the British cheese board....not too large but more than adequate...great cheeses and delicious seeded crackers with slices of fresh apple and sweet onions.

Booked for lunch, having never been here before. I can see now why this is such a popular destination! Great atmosphere in the old pub area, and with a large restaurant area to the side, there is ample room for diners too. We enjoyed our steak and trout meals. There is a large wine selection. Plenty of parking out the front, although inadvertently I think we parked in the staff car park, having come from a different direction - sorry about that! Friendly prompt service, would highly recommend.

The ambience in the extension is elegant, but unfortunately the chairs are too low to the table. We found the waiting time for a few olives to be too long at 30 minutes. The service seemed cheerless and the menu was also presented carelessly. Next time we'll look for alternatives.

Such a popular & busy place it was quite noisy, which is hard to manage but some people might hate the volume !

Wonderful short break in very comfortable surroundings, and with delicious food, all delivered with friendly, professional service. We were touring by bike, and our bikes were securely locked in an outhouse, prior to our attempt at the nearby Ditchling Beacon. Fantastic cycling all around Ditchling. Quiet country lanes and vineyards if you don't fancy the South Downs.

Food expensive but good,service was good, definitely recommend

It was my first time at The Bull yesterday lunchtime. We booked in advance and a table was ready for us inside. It was such a hot day we asked if we could sit outside, which was no problem. We were able to order our drinks and food at the outside bar, which was great. The roast beef meal was lovely and there certainly was plenty of food on the plate! The service was good, and the atmosphere was nice and relaxing. We will definitely be returning to this lovely pub.

Superb food! So nice to have a pub offering such a wide selection on a Sunday. Good for vegetarians too. Portions sizes are impressive and good value for money. Waitress was super kind bringing us ice for unwanted insect bites from our walk too. Will be back if we’re in the area!

We had a great time at The Bull: we had the home-made Chicken pie which was excellent. The staff were great and we loved sitting outside in the spacious and pleasant garden. Recommended.

Service was awful, drinks took 20+ minutes to get to the table and had to ask for them multiple times and then got overcharged for them. Food was nice but not worth what I paid for it. Family had said their food was tasteless. All adults got their meals and then my child had to wait an extra 5-10 mins. Service charge of 12% was also added to the bill automatically. Will not be returning.

A wonderful stay and celebration meal. Very thoughtful and attentive service and a lovely room. We shall definitely return.

Fantastic food, proper posh pub grub very reasonably priced for the quality, great beer and wine too !

Good food, nice room, pleasant staff. The pub is situated on a busy crossroads in the middle of Ditchling, so there can be quite a lot of traffic noise at all hours. Conveniently situated for where we wanted to go: Wakehurst, Nyman's and the Raymond Brigg's exhibition, plus a return to a part of Sussex we hadn't been to for some time-'much changed' I'm afraid! A bit expensive we felt, although this isn't a complaint, but probably more reflective of the times. All in all, an enjoyable couple of days, thank you.

Nice outside garden, and if the parking is full there is a free car park just on the other side of the road behind the village hall

Romana served our table fantastically. Great food and a great hostess. All the food was to a high standard and all the staff made us feel welcome

Not bad, but expected more based on Michelin recommendation and prices. I’ve had better dish from my neighbour grill. Very average but too high prices.

We had a great 2-night stay. Our room was very comfortable with thoughtful touches. When we arrived the bedside lamps were switched on, the radio was playing and a Dyson fan kept us cool over the very hot weekend. The bed was very comfortable with lovely sheets. Breakfasts were great and we had an evening meal there which was also delicious. The staff were very attentive and charming. I wouldn't hesitate to return.

Amazing food, great for dogs, overall a great place to eat.

Visited on a Friday night. Was busy but not overly. Staff are lovely and the food is amazing. Good portions too. Don't let the facade fool you as is like the Tardis; much bigger and modern inside. Will definately come back when we are next in the area.

We have a family wedding in the village and all met for dinner the night before. I booked a table for 11 and when we arrived it was a fabulous long table in the middle of the restaurant. The service was excellent, the food came quickly and was all delicious - fish and chips, steak and chips, Chicken Kiev, Goats cheese salad, moules, and the Banoffee Pie was out of this world. We had a really great catch up and the wine list was very good. A really great evening. Thank you. We had a night cap in the bar after too!

I was camping with my family close to here and we popped in one sunny evening. It's a lovely large pub, with an amazing beer garden. The food was really nice, and the service was good. We all enjoyed our meals, I would definitely recommend.

The staff were friendly and attentive. We had the steak sandwich which was really nice, will definitely be back.

We had a lovely meal with friends at the Bull. The food was outstanding, the staff were knowledgable and friendly. Would definitely recommend and will be going back.

We had an outstanding night at The Bull last Thursday. Jamie was exceptional coordinating our room and making dinner arrangements, making us feel like VIPs. The Beef Wellington was the best I've ever had, leapfrogging my previous fav at Gordon Ramsey's Hell's Kitchen, for top spot. The next morning, we were greeted by Filomena who made us feel like we were guests in her home and then proceeded to serve a top notch Full English breakfast. My only regret was not booking two nights!

For the second time in 8 months, we were guests at the Bull! First time was in November, to visit our son who studied at the University of Sussex and just 2 days ago for his graduation! 🧑🏼‍🎓 Both visits were great! In November we enjoyed the cosy pub, with fireplace 🔥!!!, and room 2, supercool decorated and very comfortable and this time we enjoyed the lovely beer garden 🍺 and stayed in room 5 and 6, same beautiful style. Both visits we enjoyed good pub food, nice beers and wines and freshly cooked breakfasts! Miss Maple says: Thank you Philo! When back in the region, we’ll definitely visit again!

I’ve eaten and drunk at The Bull before and enjoyed it immensely, but this review is more in the way of a big thank you. My car had a puncture nearby a few days ago while I was on my way to pick up my father from hospital. Phil, one of the managers at The Bull, was extremely helpful and not only let me use their phone (no mobile signal in Ditchling), but even assisted me in changing my tyre. Turns out he’s an ex tyre-fitter! Useful chap to have in an emergency.. Anyway - thanks so much, Phil, for all your help. Crisis averted.

Great place for food. Staff were super friendly and food was brilliant.

The food was good and friendly staff

I love the Bull and food has been great on previous visits but shocked to find 17.50 gets you a processed, probably frozen, burger. For this price I’d expect a homemade beef patty and perhaps locally sourced as well. Lessons learned when the highlighted features are that it’s a dairy cattle burger (I mean, all burgers are by definition this?) then I should have realised it wasn’t homemade, organic or anything else worthy of mention. Disappointed and felt ripped off.

Slightly disappointing experience at The Bull. We were asked to vacate a table that had “become reserved “ 10 minutes after we had sat down. Not a big deal in itself, but the mannerisms of the waiter turned it into a disappointing experience, which it needn’t have been. A “sorry, my mistake” rather than a blunt request to move elsewhere would go a long way… other waitresses/bar man were much more professional. Food was tasty, but I ordered a chicken burger and the lettuce was full of grit and soil. Clearly it had not been washed. Apart from being unpleasant, this can make people really unwell. I expect better quality of service and food handling for the type of restaurant.

Wonderful food (beef strips salad, halloumi burger, eton mess), friendly service but we were sat in the restaurant bit (vs cosy pub bit) and atmosphere was lackluster. Our total came to £60 (without alcohol) which we felt was extortionate and on par with London prices.

Free parking, nice beer garden, good food (only lunch and dinner, maybe will write another review on the breakfast). They got good value for lunch menu with decent food. Been to The Bull Pub for a several times, probably this would be the last time. Lunch and dinner were good quality but poor service this time. You have to order your own food and beer if you’re sitting outside but still got charged 10% service for more than 4 people. Even though you have to remember your own table number. The staff won’t let you order if you don’t remember it (even unintentionally). They didn’t try to help you at all. I have been to a cafe with much more outdoor seats and customers, they would have their own methods to sort out. Keep this up, they wouldn’t really care about customers and service.

Good food and atmosphere as it always has been but lately it has become very expensive for what feels like smaller, poorer portions. £20 for Camembert that’s usually not runny or over cooked is extortion. £14.50 now for my glass of wine!! This is a local village pub that charge me more for wine than London! Staff are great always. Seating still a nightmare if you don’t want to sit in the restaurant but great outdoor area in the summer. Slight edit to review and rating following the response. I actually meant £15.50 for the wine having checked the menu which is even more ridiculous! A large glass of wine is a perfectly normal serving in any pub but I appreciate the judgement and education on volume in your reply, thank you! In addition I understand the cost of food has gone up but a Camembert is still £3 from the supermarket so for the mild strength one you serve I’m sure you’re getting it cheaper than that at trade please don’t try and justify such a huge mark up! No other pub locally charges this much for it. Instead of defending it just think about it, your customers are entitled to believe things are expensive (price is a regularly raised matter in these reviews).

Jamie was so attentive, such a friendly young man, really looked after us

Lovely pub food in a relaxed atmosphere.

Despite our booking not matching with the system in the restaurant, we were very quickly catered for and a table found for our party of 8 (not sure what would have happened if the table wasn’t free, but wasn’t the case this time thankfully). Service very friendly (depending on waiting staff), drinks served quickly and food lovely and hot and delicious.

Most of our mains were good. Very disappointed in the kid's Mac and cheese though. Tiny portion for £8 and really not good at all for a simple dish.

Thoroughly enjoyed our lunch at the Bull. My parents were very impressed with the quality of the ingredients and all enjoyed our individual meals. The pub has a lovely clean modern décor and is a very comfortable place to have a relaxed meal. Highly recommend.

Lovely meal for four people at a very busy time. The young staff serving were very efficient and helpful. All I can say is well done and thank you...

Very good food, prompt and polite service, good value for money and a pleasant atmosphere. Highly recommend!

Lovely food, brilliant service, couldn't have been.

This is a beautiful pub .we had a group booking for a birthday celebration. I was initially annoyed that I had to book on line for rooms and dinner as I really wanted to talk to a human , especially as I had little things I needed to sort out. I eventually was able to speak to the events manager Vikki who was really helpful so that made everything easier . Getting hold of anyone at the pub on the phone was a real issue , as a friend also found out wanting to send the birthday boy something. I was lucky I had Vikki to talk too . The food and waitresses were excellent but I didn't like how , after we'd finished our meal and were all sat drinking and chatting it felt like they needed us to go. We were interrupted to be asked about settling up for the food and drink .. it was a great atmosphere but It sort of cut short the evening which we felt was intended . The rooms were gorgeous but I feel one big negative was not having any complimentary water in the room apart from the ones included in the amply stocked fridge for you to buy. There was a great range of drinks and nibbles but pricey as per . Th breakast in the morning was fab again with a great range to choose from . I would definitely stay here again but I think a few PR skills need to be better . We spent alot of money that stay and probably would of done alot more if we weren't sent to our rooms 😅I hope this doesn't offend as it's not meant to .

Really good food in a friendly and stylish environment

A little stunner. Amazing steak sandwich and lime and soda. A session pub.

Feedback that hopefully will help the kitchen! Lovely atmosphere, friendly attentive service :) And… Food a bit underwhelming. Menu options and variety of prices and options were great, but reality was a bit less so. Beef salad was ok, but the salad was massive and just not that tasty or varied ingredients. Looked lovely... Good fish and chips, but both curry sauce and mushy peas were so so. Hope to see the Bull return to past glories soon!

Service from Philo was excellent, she was attentive, helpful and friendly - thank you to everyone for a lovely lunch.

I love the modern extension to what is a very old building. It's light and airy, with attractive white floor tiles and clean lines that make a stylish interior. The portions are very large (I'm glad I took a doggy box!). I had a vegan pie, which was lovely - nice tasting without being too spicy. It came with green cabbage and roasted carrots & parsnips. A touch of another green veg instead of the parsnips and mash would have been preferable. The service was very good, especially considering it was a busy Sunday lunchtime. My Dad was put off by the fact the table top was very sticky. It felt as though it needed a wash with a very hot, soapy cloth, rather than a spray that just smears any spilt drinks (though I appreciate all pubs and restaurants do this).

Did a great job hosting 12 of us, with 4 dogs and 8 bikes. Good beer (Harveys), and big portions (for those that had been walking, cycling it was much appreciated).

The Bull in Ditchling looks welcoming and inviting from the outside and is somewhere I’ve always wanted to go. I easily booked a table for Saturday lunch on their website, and received confirmation quickly. The follow-up text the day before to confirm is good. The restaurant is modern and beautifully decorated which provides an excellent atmosphere. I didn’t hear any ambient background music. This would be a nice small touch. The burger ordered was delicious, well presented and was honestly one of the best pub burgers I’ve had (trust me, I’ve had my fair share). It’s simply, but very well done. For the price, I would have expected a side of homemade coleslaw, or something similar as £18 for a burger and chips is a little steep, but worth it. The service was mediocre, with the word “mate” and “guys” being used a lot. Maybe it’s just personal preference, but I don’t feel these phrases to address guests is appropriate in any F&B establishment. Nice touch asking guests for their allergies. Some of the other staff members service tables seem soulless, and didn’t seem like they wanted to be there. I will absolutely be back, and I really want to try dinner, and the Sunday roast.

Nestled amongst some lovely vineyards but lack of local wines

We had the Sunday roast, vegan burgers and fish and chips; the food was delicious. The Staff were very welcoming and the service was great. Look forward to coming back again very soon.

Really enjoyed the trout dish but could have done without the shallots. Service was great 👍

Enjoyed a lovely meal here on Thursday eve, the food was delicious (bavette steak), the service was fun and friendly, and the setting was cosy. Never disappointed when I come to The Bull.

Love it here. Food is always good and a lovely, friendly, cosy atmosphere prevails whenever we've eaten here either inside or out. There were a few issues with our order today but it was resolved graciously by our server and without asking she arranged for the particular item to be removed from our bill as one of our party had to wait quite long for his meal to be cooked as his had been served to another table! No worries, it was resolved with little fuss and we will still come here whenever we climb Ditchling Beacon, which is a few times a year!

Lizzie was brilliant. The food was superb. This is a must visit.

We went to the Bull on Easter Sunday in the evening, wasn’t too busy, I ordered the beef roast and my wife had the veggie roast. Food came out quick but the veggie roast pie was cold and took the food away and replaced with a new roast, this time it was hot. My beef was really fatty, the potatoes were firm and dry. We did get a reduction off the bill. We have been going to the bull for years, we will have a break and try again another time.

Beetroot and vegetable pithivier was very disappointing but the trout was excellent

Wonderful stay - the staff are really friendly and helpful and go way beyond what is expected. Rooms cosy, beds comfortable and food delicious with good portion sizes.

Very disappointing. The menu sounded interesting but the food did not live up to expectations. Interesting that the bar was full but the restaurant was empty when we visited. Other places we’d tried in the area were fully booked. Despite being empty, it was 15 minutes before we were able to order drinks and that was only because we noisily got the attention of a server. There was a QR code under the dead daffodils to place orders, but with no phone reception on either of our networks we couldn’t use it. You can only use their WiFi by giving away a load of personal info which we didn’t want to do. The Bull gives the impression of being an independent pub/restaurant but is actually a Youngs pub masquerading as something else. So shortcuts on food quality, harvesting of personal data, overpriced mediocre wine, typical of large chain

Lovely comfortable stay, excellent food and drink. Friendly and welcoming team. Thanks for a great visit!

Such a gem in Ditchling! Lovely little village with an amazing pub/hotel. Delicious food, great selection of drinks and a really comfortable stay!

We had a delicious Sunday roast to celebrate Mothers Day and the service was really warm and friendly

The ‘private dining area’ was booked for 8 of us as a belated celebration for my father’s 90th. Compared with previous‘excellent’ meals at this venue, the catering standard of all the meals were very disappointing. My husband and I had travelled from Cheshire for this celebration so it was doubly disappointing!! My father’s meal was sent back to the kitchen as it wasn’t cooked properly, it was still poor and he ate virtually none of his meal. My brother’s meal was also left uneaten due to undercooking. My pie was okay but had more sauce than meat. No one wanted to spoil my father’s evening so ‘complaints’ were kept to a minimum on the evening. A popular dining venue, but maybe ‘complacency’ is creeping in?

Booked with a friend for a Sunday roast, and was not disappointed! We both went for roast beef, which was unbelievably tasty - plenty of veg and roasties, we got cauli cheese and pigs in blankets as additional and I’ve never had better. Service was quick and friendly, attention to detail was up there. Very impressed and can’t wait to go back.

We had a good lunch in the old part of the building. We both had onion soup and then my husband had roast pork and I had salmon. The service was good and the atmosphere cosy.

The food was excellent, the service very good. However the pub had many dogs whose owners in some cases held them on their laps, or on the chair. One small dog barked a very high piercing bark about every 5 to 10 minutes while we were there. This affected our enjoyment, significantly, and caused people to have to speak louder to be heard, and gave me a headache. Suggest asking owners not bring dogs that cannot lie down quietly, and not to have their dogs up on the chairs . Need a reasonable dog policy. Not a relaxing experience.

Booked a table in advance and sat in the bar area which had character and ambience. Our server was friendly and polite. My husbands steak was cooked to perfection and I highly recommend the homemade chicken, bacon & leek pie 😋 We will definitely return when staying in the local area 😎

Stayed at The Bull for a birthday mini break. Great room which was perfect for our 2 dogs; lovely, friendly staff; and good pub grub served piping hot every time. Would recommend.

Lovely meal, food was delicious and wine was great

Roast potato’s felt hard and not fully cooked. Compounded by lack of gravy to hide this. Atmosphere was lovely.

Great Sunday lunch for 8 diners. Food was excellent as was the service. Staff kindly accommodated a birthday cake we brought along. Made a special birthday very special. Thanks!

Excellent dinner for five. Very good service and obliging staff. The room was full but tables well spaced out so not overcrowded.