The Crabtree in Horsham

Had a really lovely evening and meal. The lady serving us was extremely lovely, polite and funny as well as being super attentive. The food options were really interesting and unusual and so delicious. But beware the portions are big ! Great little pub and would definitely visit again !

Decent roast dinners on offer for same price as The Grand Hotel Brighton, but there you get the service required to make a visit, an experience. The welcome is luke warm and zero conversation or communicative skills from the staff who are all very attractive young ladies, seem to be picked for beauty parade rather than to create a friendly atmosphere. Lovely old pub and nice Christmas display as you enter but a smile and some joviality would be a more important first impressions for me.

Family meal on Saturday lunchtime. Fairly busy, but not super packed. We seemed to have been sat in a corridor on lounge chairs, with small tables. Not ideal for a family lunch. Felt like maybe our booked table had been given to someone else and we’d been fitted in at short notice. One lady server was very nice and polite. The others though were brusque and unfriendly. Food portions were large, but quality was questionable. Fish and chips being the exception as this was very good. The whole place looked as though it could do with a bit more TLC. Maybe a pub which is trading on a good reputation from the past.

A very good roast dinner!!! Almost perfect. My only suggestion is that the cauliflower cheese needs to be bigger...

Right from sitting down to the end of the evening the team were friendly and welcoming. The complimentary masala roll and olive butter was a nice touch and then the food was spot on - and the level of service was maintained through the evening. Definitely a Jewell of a pub that serves great food and a fine selection of drinks to accompany it. What was also great to see was the locals enjoying an evening beverage. Go on well worth a visit.

Gorgeous pub with a really cosy atmosphere, the food was great and the staff were super friendly!! Drinks are also reasonably priced, we will definitely be returning!

Gorgeous pub with a really cosy atmosphere, the food was great and the staff were super friendly and kind!! Drinks are also reasonably priced, we will definitely be returning!

Sadly the negative reviews on here are very accurate. We waited far too long for what was incredibly poor food at very high prices. Burger was very dry, fish and chips very greasy and the kid’s garlic flatbread tasted off and was stone cold. The waiting staff were lovely and really made an effort but the food was just too bad. Also, the manager was really grumpy and shouted at people for leaving the door open (and then slammed the door shut very loudly) when they had literally just arrived and walked through it. To top it all off, a couple were seated by us who were simply awful and couldn’t hide their disdain that our young child was with us (it was 5pm and the place has a children’s menu so what do you expect). They were incredibly hostile and made rude remarks about there being a child near them. Not the pub’s fault but still totally killed the vibe. Will not be returning.

Terrible food, cold, tough and inedible roast beef. Front of house was condescending and unhelpful. We asked for a quiet table for older members of the party but were placed next to a large and very noisy family with no effort to rectify. It used to be a nice pub but we won't be returning ever!

I’m not a professional critic, but do eat out regularly. I hope this review is as helpful to the owners as it it to future customers. My family of 7 came for an early evening dinner, initial greet was prompt and friendly, but subsequent service a little surly and slow. Food was generally ok, but the roast beef was tough to the point of being almost inedible. Roast potatoes were anemic and undercooked, on the plus point the pork was good.

Lovely place to have a sunny Autumnal afternoon beverage! We didn't eat today, but the menu looked great, and the food that came out passed us, looked very good. Beautifully decorated inside the pub, and great beer garden, with friendly, efficient staff. Definitely a place to head back to. Thank you!

Disclaimer: This review has only be posted publicly after The Crabtree did not respond to this customer incident/complaint being sent via email (a month ago) which is appalling for a business. On the evening of Tuesday, 17 September, my partner and I dined at The Crabtree while I was on an invited press stay at Leonardslee House for the celebration of the Surrey Sculpture Society's 30th anniversary. As the CEO of a hospitality business, a freelance travel journalist and a child of a legacy family owned food and beverage company that has been established for over 50 years, I've spent my entire life around the industry and in hotels, restaurants and bars around the world. I must say as a 37 year old woman, my evening at The Crabtree provided a very unique first time experience for me - being reprimanded in an establishment of any kind. And I have had no shortage of dining experiences - from the highest (NOMA in Copenhagen, BRAT in London, Central in Lima, Peru) to my beloved local pubs. My partner, who very recently suffered the unfathomable devastating loss of her sister to cancer, and I were very quietly enjoying a lovely dinner at The Crabtree. I had occasionally sat on her lap while we looked at photos and videos of her late sister on her phone, while I comforted her as she is still moving through the bereavement and stages of grief. I want to be very, very clear that neither of us were drinking, shouting or kissing, etc. We were approached and told by the waitstaff (who are lovely by the way) that your GM demanded that I go and "sit back on my own seat across the table". Your staff told us that this was requested directly from the GM. Not only was your 'approach' condescending, humiliating and off putting, it was incredibly short-sighted as a business, especially in this economic climate where hospitality is struggling to hang on. Or maybe you do not wish to have our (future) business nor care to focus on long-term customer retention. That's fine, too. As businesses are about finding and creating solutions, a far more suitable approach would have been asking us if we wanted to possibly move to a more comfortable seating arrangement such as the couches towards the front of your restaurant where we could have comfortably sat side by side one another. I want to also point out that both personally and professionally I found it cowardly that your own GM could not deliver this message herself. I would never saddle any of my employees with something such as this. Despite this, we remained calm and even apologised, though we both were in a right stage of shock. We proceeded to order dessert and your GM kept her back to us the entire time and did not speak to either of us, not even when I said thank you. I've spoken privately about this matter with colleagues and will absolutely be sharing this experience more publicly and widely throughout my industry network, especially with the dozens of food journalists, travel writers, PR teams and restaurant owners and chefs I am profoundly lucky to know and have built trusted relationships with over the last decade and a half. With an establishment so concerned with its clientele and etiquette presentation, I must say, I find it quite humorous and wildly hypercritical that such a place would employ a forward facing individual, such as your GM, Helen Totten, who has a public Instagram account (had at the time but it was changed to private almost immediately after the email was sent )that not only displays imagery detailing an array of drinking games but also photos of her very own partner sat on her lap in a, gasp, restaurant/pub. I can't help but laugh. To each their own. A quick Google search pulls this up instantly by the way. In the end though, we left with anxiety around not being exactly sure what part was exactly offensive - was it because we were same sex? Interracial, as one of us is brown? Because I am American? If you're going to reprimand patrons, please do so with clarity. Otherwise questions of very valid discrimination arise. Do not worry, I absolutely will never step foot in The Crabtree again. That is for certain. I wish you luck as it is no easy feat to run a business in today's ever changing landscape.

I'm only giving a low score as the younger staff were really miserable. No greeting, no smiles, looked stroppy. No manners. Shame. This is a really pretty pub but probably won't be returning. Staff training!!

What’s not to love?! Visited for traditional roast lunch today. Ample portion of fabulous grub. Vegetables cooked to perfection, not too soggy not too crisp. Mahusive light Yorkshire pudding. I had the herb stuffed pork porchetta and number one son had roast beef and pork duo. Absolutely stuffed ourselves and thoroughly enjoyed it. Staff are very attentive (just the right amount). I highly recommend

After passing this quaint little public house many a time,my partner and I decided to pop in for lunch after a trip to the coast to buy some new furniture.We arrived and recieved a warm welcome from a nice lady,and after using the Toilet we were directed to our seats.Loved the decor!! Although the menu was very small there was enough to tease our pallet.The food was lovely and plentiful and enjoyed our visit very much. My only criticism was two guests in the bar area swearing all the way through our meal although this was not the fault of the staff and will not deter us visiting again.Thank you.

Really disappointed by our visit, had the special mackerel ciabatta and my husband had chicken schnitzel. Mackerel was cooked nicely, but too much bread for the amount of fish and the pesto was heavily salted, it came with chips and they were inedible with the high level of salt. Schnitzel was fine but dry, and came with leaves and 3 new potatoes in a Caesar dressing, which was unusual. Pleasant staff

We found this pub after staying at south lodge The staff are friendly and welcoming, the added bonus of cuddles from Teddy the dog, The food is amazing and we made full use of the happy hour cocktails, Good shout out to Helen and the team

Called in on spec on a Tuesday evening and had possibility the BEST steak ever!! My partner ordered the fillet steak with peppercorn sauce and I had the salt aged ribeye, absolutely delicious!! Service was great, very friendly and attentive, starters and deserts were equally good!! I was so impressed I purchased a gift voucher for a friends birthday present. Thank you Crabtree!!

We stayed at southlodge for our 40th birthdays and albeit an amazing experience we found the food very pricey! We had seen Crabtree on the way in so decided to try here and it didn’t disappoint! The food was as amazing and the service is incredible!! The lovely Helen and the other bar staff were so lovely, friendly and helpful and the lovely Teddy made our night too!! We even decided to go back on second night of our stay at southlodge and honestly it topped the first night!! Thank you so much to all at the Crabtree for making our 40th birthday so amazing ❤️

Perfect mid-week al-fresco dinner with the family. Great food, great service, great garden for couples and family alike

Having given a sterling review in May having been a few times I went with friends to celebrate a birthday. We waited at least an hour for our mains, one of which was steak which was so tough it was almost inedible. Because of the delay in service we were still there at 3.30 and loud music was played on the speakers presumably to drive us out which it did

We were staying in a place local and came here for dinner. The staff were really friendly and the food was amazing.

Currently waiting for a remedy of the inedible Steak Cibata we had to send back! That is after waiting for 45 minutes. Reading through the reviews this is actually quite common at this place and somebody else had the same complaint about the same dish. The staff are cold and not approachable especially when you already feel uncomfortable about sending a dish back!

Sarmonella infect after eating. Can‘t recommend.

favorite place wicked cocktails lovely ...

I think things have changed. Very strange menu, food poor. Stay well clear of the Croque Madame. Very slow service. Used to be very good but won’t be returning.

Despite the warm welcome a lovely setting, the food is very average and waiting time was awful! A real shame. Disappointed and won’t be coming back.

Great service and starters and mains were great size. Mushroom risotto was so so good and huge portion. Toilets were clean and tidy. Definitely be back.

Went for the last minute dinner on Thursday 11 July, arrived around 8 pm. It 9.25 pm now and we have just finished our starters. Service is non- descriptive. My soup was supposed to be served butter but was served with Meadowland margarine. When I questioned the taste the waitress insisted it was still butter. At the entrance it says Michelin 20222 and 2021. Definately not in 2024.

We had been here before and it was always very nice so decided to pop in for lunch. The menu was quite small but this often means the food will be of high standard. How wrong. I had steak, over cooked. I don't know if it had seen the Himalayan salt , I doubt it. Half a tomato, few chips and a small pot of something. No effort had been made to make it look appetizing. Not even a pea shoot. My friend had a burger. equally disappointing . On top of this it was very expensive. It was obvious it was not cooked with love. Shame, this could be sutch a lovely pub.

I absolutely loved the place, the food and the service. A perfect place for an informal lunch or dinner.

The greeting and outside table were fine,although cushions. would have been good and and it was difficult for the men to fit their knees under the table. The food was very disappointing. My Brother had the hummus starter....about half a tablespoonful of mediocre hummus with a great bunch of, albeit, nice fresh radishes, the deep-fried mushrooms had lost much of their batter, however, my pork belly was lovely. 3 of us had sea bass, 1 x overcooked fillet, the 'sauce vierge' was just chunks of raw tomato with a few stems of asparagus and just about cooked saute potatoes, for the outrageous price of £25 per head. The 4th guest was happy with her chicken. It was my birthday lunch from my Son and his girlfriend and he was treating my Brother who was visiting from France and happens to be an award winning chef. I live just a 5 minute walk from the Crabtree and would like to be a regular visitor but not based on this experience. I must be clear that the serving staff were friendly and efficient.

quick service, polite staff. Good size roast chicken with 2 chicken breasts. Plenty of vegetables with nice roast potatoes, carrots and huge Yorkshire pudding. Roast pork disappointing with one slice, which mainly consisted of fat and cost £23. I think they could have stretched to 2 slices to make better value for customer. It did have decent amount of vegetables which tasted nice.

Really excellent food for a surprisingly reasonable price. Good portions, lovely staff. Not stuffy.

Okay so we intended on going to another pub we had booked but could not park but we had passed this lovely pub on the way past so returned there and the lovely girl there found us a table outside. Initial impressions were very positive (a BBQ going) and lot's of plates coming out. Our expectations were very high. We were seen to very quickly but waited quite some time before food came out. The ladies of our group had roasts and they looked awesome with the biggest Yorkshire puddings I've ever seen but once they began it was clear that the beef was very rare even too rare for my wife who loves rare beef! However to me the rest looked great. Sadly we couldn't say the same for anything else. My fish and chips had to go back as the first was just batter or two little pieces joined together in the middle where the fish would usually be. It was hugely disappointing for £20!! Then my mates burger came and it was tiny, very wet with a tiny number of fries, (his face fell as it cost almost £20!) the plate was half empty. He sent this back shortly after sending mine back. Our daughter who is 4 got a kids sausage and chips (was with mash but they swapped it for us). This was the biggest insult, for £9 (£9!) she got two small deep fried sausages nothing special with a tiny number of fries in a small cereal bowl it was a joke. She had no way to even eat them being in a small bowl. We assumed the juice was included being £9 but no, that was an extra £3! Not even a side salad of any kind let alone a scoop of ice cream. Then my fish came back with the old chunky chips being refried to within an inch of their life and it was the worst ever just a load of hard greasy batter with overcooked fish so I ate what I could and that wasn't much. My mates burger came back but no better than before but ate it after we told him not to send it back. We got the vibe they weren't happy we sent our food back, the waitress asked how it was and we were very blunt; she gestured like it wasn't unexpected and later came back to say she had taken the fish and burger off our bill. I thanked her and told her she really didn't have to do that and hoped our feedback would help going forward. Despite the dishes being taken off it was still so expensive and really poor value for money. I just cannot fathom paying £12 for 2x sausages and 20 fries with some orange juice, It's a real shame, nice pub, nice staff but our food was both overpriced and lacking. The waitress said they were very busy and I understand the pressures in the kitchen but we left really disappointed and felt we had wasted £120. We actually laughed about it on the way home telling our daughter she ate the worlds most expensive 'cheap' sausages!

Was gifted a voucher for The Crabtree and this was our first visit. Unfortunately we felt the menu was limited and overpriced. The pub looked quite tired and lacked atmosphere. The damp ceiling stains and cobwebs were a little distracting. The steak I ordered was inedible as I couldn’t even chew it, so left it. The waitress refunded it for me, but I wasn’t offered an alternative and was left with a small handful of chips and a tomato. Shame as myself and my husband were looking forward to a rare evening together. Personally, I wouldn’t risk returning.

Lovely quiet pub in the heart of West Sussex, we were sat in a lovely table in a nook near the back of the restaurant. I had the fish of the day which was absolutely delicious and the sauce was absolutely to die for! I enjoyed it with a lovely glass of wine which was recommended by the manager Freya, she was super attentive and lovely to talk to :) We will be back again in the near future so we can try another delicious meal! Will certainly be recommending to friends and family

Delicious Sunday roast with fabulous madeleines for dessert, warm welcome and friendly service. Dog friendly. Will go again and recommend to friends. Charming.

We didn't eat so no food rating but a lovely pub and the menu looked great. We will return, to paraphrase McArthur!

Lovely meal, warm and friendly service and really nice atmosphere. Successful meal with a 2 year old and a newborn so that’s saying something! Thank you .

I’ve been to the Crabtree a good few times through the years and have always loved it! In winter they have the fires going and in summer the gardens over look beautiful hills and are a little sun trap! The food is always locally sourced, ultra fresh and delicious with something for everyone. The roasts are also done to perfection on a Sunday and is perfect for the family. The drink range is wicked and the service has always been five star. I love champagne with friends here too It is slightly pricier than some places and you should always book as it’s so popular but overall you pay for what you get, can’t fault it!

This pub is very expensive went for Sunday lunch £24 for roast dinner 1 semi thick slice of lamb 2 roast potatoes 2 small chunks of carrot 2 slices of parsnips and a small amount of cabbage, the Yorkshire being big gives the impression of dinner being big. Better value at Bolney Stage. Will not be returning.

Great homely place, I felt comfortable going in on my own food was great

Went for Sunday lunch, a nice place but very expensive how can they charge £24 for the Lamb when you get 2 roast potatoes 2 chunks of carrot 2strips of parsnips and a small amount of cabbage and a very large Yorkshire pudding, the size of the Yorkshire gives the impression the meal looks big, and the roast beef is £21. I will not return not at these prices.

Went there for a family lunch. The food was ok, atmosphere was underwhelming with quite loud music. Very popular with local families, so don’t expect a peaceful quaint experience. Not for us again- sorry.

I booked the 23rd march for my 50th birthday celebrations (yes the actual day of my birthday!) at the crabtree .On my original reservation i put a note that i was celebrating this big milestone. My sister also called in advance to see if they could do something special to note this occassion. We were met by staff who were unattentive and preferred chatting in groups of 3 rather than take a drinks order which we had to ask for eventually.There was no "happy Birthday" and when paying bill we mentioned that this was a special event well noted to them in advance. They begrudgingly bought out a plate with a candle stuck in a piece of malt bread ( that went with the cheeses desert) and a scrawled happy birthday on the plate .They staff were more interested in leaving for the end of their shift. I was notably deflated and disappointed and wish i had chose somewhere else to celebrate my special day. Will not be recommending to anyone .Highly disappointing all round

Decided to stop for lunch, & seeing a Michelin sticker on the door expected the food here to be nice. However we were extremely disappointed as the special we chose a Ciabatta with steak & horseradish with skinny fries was not up to the mark. Cutting through some of the meat was almost impossible as it was so tough & inedible. We mentioned this to the waitress when she asked if all was ok & were told she would sort something out. Nothing happened so we continued trying to eat what we could, leaving a lot on the plate. I asked for the bill with no reduction or apology & when we asked to see someone the Manageress was extremely rude & reluctantly gave us a discount saying that we should have made mention, which we had before eating it all which we hadn’t.The place was cold along with the atmosphere. There was a guy with chefs/cooks clothes on who we could see through the window of the kitchen area, who seemed to spend a lot of time by the back door on his mobile phone & wiping his running nose on the back of his hand, instead of dishing up edible food, very off putting. Service was poor for which you are charged for & I would not recommend.

Went for our anniversary dinner - very cosy spot .. roaring fire .. lovely pub atmosphere. Service was great - our waitress was lovely and was happy to make recommendations. Excellent food. We had super fish and mushroom pasta for mains - both really good. Dessert was beautifully presented and lovely end to our meal.

Fish and chips good. But dissappointed the bottle of wine that we ordered was switched for a more expensive one,which the waitress failed to mention . Consequently, we declined to pay the discretionary service charge

Brian's new place to have a pint

Had heard generally good things about The Crabtree so decided to pop in for a Saturday lunch but left fairly disappointed. Service was very slow (there for three hours for a main and dessert for four) and multiple mistakes were made, including swaps for allergies being forgotten and sauces left off. Besides that, the food isn’t much to write home about, especially for the price. Badly cooked steak, not great cooking on the veg with the lamb and a plate of ‘gnocchi’ that was basically potato croquettes. Would avoid.

We choose this venue for a small lunchtime family gathering. Warm, welcoming and a relaxing atmosphere. Service was good, as was the food and the smell of the log burner on a rather wet and dismal day was delightful 😊

Looks like someone read my last review – the change is instantly noticeable. The staff were warm on arrival and attentive throughout the meal (there was a power outage the night we ate and the staff seemed unfazed by it – well done). The food was generous and well-presented. The place was buzzing and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Recommended.

Table booked for 2pm for a family meal but it wasn’t ready. Had to wait until nearly 2.30pm to sit down. Quickly ordered but our main course didn’t come until 3.40pm. Drinks were ordered and forgotten about, had to ask for cutlery several times. We had planned to have pudding but were running out of time by then and weren’t confident it wouldn’t involve a long wait too. On a positive note the waiting and bar staff were very friendly and apologetic but were clearly run off their feet. The pub was very busy, tables squished together, hard to move about. I felt that the pub was trying to fit in too many covers to the detriment of the service and quality of food.

Here for lunch, food OK, needs more plant based and fresh options.

We were recommended to this pub after some previous good experiences from other family members. Being once a Michelin star establishment we had High hopes. What a let down! We arrived on time at 2 pm and were shown to the table. Menu issued and a glass of water served, which was a nice touch. We did take a little extra time to choose our meal - probably 10 - 15 minutes whilst sipping our wine - the waitress had asked us twice. 'If we were ready'. We ordered squid and corn ribs to start and the rib eye steaks for mains. The starters were ok but nothing really special. The corn ribs were different, which made a change. The wait for the main meal course was at least another half an hour. The mains were served and medium rare and medium were in fact well done and medium ish. The thickness of the steak was about 20mm at best. These steaks should be 25 - 40 mm. (was one cut in half to accommodate?) May have just reached 8 oz at best. (not as per menu's on site.) These were £30 each. There were only 8 chips and three large onions rings. No taste of pepper in the sauce. No colour on the plate - tomatoes or peas would have enhanced the dish. The waitress asked and we replied that the steaks were not cooked exactly to our liking but as they were so tender we said not to change them. We did have the offer though. In an attempt to compensate for the over cooked steak an offer of a desert on the house was offered and accepted. Couldn't believe the size of the desert - sticky toffee pudding. 100mm high x 100mm long x 75mm high. The chef doing this was not a clever move. Not only was my wife over faced with it, it was dry, but our thoughts that the chef had a bit of attitude was confirmed. He was certainly being patronising. All in, a pretty bad experience. I feel for the waitress as she was the only strong positive of this establishment. I do hope Management take some interest in these comments and take them on board, as they should be taken as constructive. At the end of the day reviews of this type will etch into the revenue and eventually the collapse of a business that should otherwise be a great success with little more effort. I agree that not all the customers can be satisfied all of the time (if they are so pedantic) but the aim should be to satisfy all. Total cost £120.00 including bottle of wine. £27 Lift your game. Put a smile on your face even if you're having a bad day. Sack the chef Managers comment would be appreciated.

Nice little pub! Love a pub lunch! Burger is a must!

Gorgeous pub with cosy wood burners. Great fish and chips!

Great Sunday roast dinner, friendly staff and a log burning fireplace. It doesn't get better than this.

I was hoping for a nice lunch because our friends had said how nice it was. The pub itself is actually really nice and I couldn't complain about the waiting staff who were very attentive. Unfortunately this wasn't matched by the quality of the food. Three out of the four of us ordered liver in a sauce which sounded nice. Unfortunately when it arrived all three of the meals were only lukewarm and we sent all of them back. As the liver was full of sinew and was unpleasant I said I'd have fish and chips instead which I'd seen someone else have and looked lovely. The fourth meal, (Sea bass) was fine. We then had to wait about 45 minutes for the replacement meals to arrive. To be honest when I looked at the fish and chips they then sent out I actually thought it was a joke. It looked like the meal had been scraped out of the bin. As I am diabetic I had to try to eat some of it before I became a medical emergency otherwise I would have sent it straight back as well. As it was, two chips and a bit of the fish was all I could stomach and I left the rest. I asked the waitress if we had been pushed to the back of the queue and she said they were very busy and were trying to fit us in. One of our friends liver was virtually inedible and she left most of it. The other liver was ok. Would I go back or recommend this place? Not on your life.

We came out on a horrible night (weather-wise) to meet some friends as The Crabtree was about "half way" for both of us. We had not been before, but our friends had .... a very long time ago ... We had a really great evening .... excellent food, lovely staff - thank you!!!

Excellent family lunch. We had a really tasty main and pudding. Very friendly and attentive staff. Lovely log fire providing a great atmosphere. Nice wide choice of food items. All the food we ordered arrived hot and was so tasty.

I do not understand why the previous people have written such a harsh review about the service they received yesterday? We have been coming to the pub for many years and the service received is always friendly and professional. We had a lovely meal on New Year’s Eve evening which considering how busy the pub had been all day the team did an outstanding job. The beef wellington was perfectly cooked encased in flaky pastry, the roast potatoes crispy on the outside fluffy inside and a plenty of delicious rich gravy served in individual jugs. The DJ provided a fun atmosphere and we also had the chance to deafen everyone with karaoke. Thanks everyone for putting on a great evening !!

We turned up for our NYE lunch with our 3 kids but had made the booking for 4 as our step-daughter wasn’t due to be with us. We needed to squeeze one more in and the hostess was so horrifically rude. She made us feel like we weren’t wanted or welcome and smirked at us as she reluctantly said we could go to the table. She genuinely thought about refusing to let us in. The only extra space required was for a high chair and there was plenty of room. But her demeanour was so awful it completely ruined the special family meal before it had even begun. So we left the restaurant. The hostess did the pub out of around £300-400 of revenue. I also explained to the bar staff, two young girls, why we were leaving and they found it funny and laughed in my face and I then heard them laughing to the hostess who returned from reluctantly getting a high chair. It’s probably the most awful customer service I have ever experienced and I won’t be back. As someone in the hospitality industry, I’m well aware you take revenue when you can get it and this wasn’t an imposition on The Crabtree. It could easily have been accommodated. But we won’t return to be treated by dirt. Big mistake.

Excellent visit marred only by a long delay for our main courses.

Went for family early Christmas meal with my son and daughter inlaw and my 3 year old grandson. When we first arrived I was put on alert about the staff as waiting to be seated my daughter inlaw was barged out the way with no excuse me or sorry as a member staff got past. Sat down order taken drinks and starter ok took a while but you expect that nearly Christmas. Well waited nearly hour and half for main that is ridiculous and especially as have a 3 year old. Not acceptable would of sat better with me if they even offered a free drink why we waited but nothing. Then waiting for the bill after asking for it another 30 minutes the girl asked us to wait another minute then began serving a big group of men waiting at bar for drinks. So waited a bit after a while I went up and said we are going all had our coats on waiting not good enough surely we should of been looked after took seconds to pay where they took ages to do the mens drinks. We were there for about 3.5 hours with 3 year old. Service not good enough staff didn't even say goodbye when we left. Food was the only good thing that was good but made the experience flat because of service. Not first time we been here very disappointed as was my get together with my family

It's a lovely pub, full of interesting nooks and crannies, fires, beams etc. The pub was busy with a buzzing atmosphere. Service was good, very friendly staff. Considering how busy it was, they did a good job. I don't eat meat so always interested to see how much effort is made for vegetarian or plant based options. The main plates lacked options (nothing plant based for a main) and creativity for me. Though the food I ordered was nice. It's a lovely venue, I really liked the staff. Though I'd look for a menu change to visit again.

We had booked a table for 5 of us at 5.15pm early so we could enjoy a leisurely meal and drinks before heading off to Leonardsee Illuminations booked for 19.45. We ordered drinks, and our starters arrived shortly after our food order was taken. We then found ourselves waiting over an hour for our mains, so we asked a waitress where ours was, as the other tables around us were being served theirs, despite all having arrived some time after us! She returned and apologised that the bigger table nearby was being served first, and we would be next ...ten+ minutes later for 3 plates, a further wait for the remaining two. My partner and I both ordered the venison rump from the Christmas menu, His portion clearly was smaller than mine, with two small stacked 'steaks', unlike mine with a thick rump, it was tasty but lacked any vegetables, it was only served with 4 new potatoes, a single mushroom and grilled cherry vine tomatoes (4 on my partner's plate). So some 'greens' would have been welcome. Our friend's vegetarian options arrived with a burned pastry crust hidden under the gravy and a small thing resembling stuffing crumbs supposedly 'cauliflower cheese'. We asked for more cauliflower cheese, but it didn't arrive. We called the waitress over to make a complaint to management, she said she would go and ask, returning to tell us the general manager was in the kitchen, and would we like her to come out? - like she'll come out only if she really has to? When the manager came out in a very surly manner, she was clearly set for an argument rather than any apology and compromise. We stated our issues as detailed above. Apparently, the cauliflower cheese is supposed to be a crumb ‘for texture’. Then she had the audacity to tell us that (as per the times she had on our order ticket), our 1 hour 20 minute wait between courses was acceptable. It was now 7.20, and we'd only just finished our mains, and we asked what chance was there for us to have any dessert in the time we had left? To which she replied it would be at least another 10-15 minutes, so her recommendation was to not bother, as we should have made better plans and arrived earlier if we needed to be going elsewhere! We replied we'd been there since 5.15, only then did she agree to any reduction in our bill! So we clearly weren't going to get dessert, we asked for the bill the cost of one main was removed. The bill itself was also extremely confusing to enable us to spilt it out between us. Having now read other recent reviews, it's clear that customer expectations are not being met. We had clearly been forgotten, and our plates rushed. If you want to enjoy a 3 course meal, please allow yourself at least 3-4 hours and be prepared to be disappointed with little or no compensation without a fight. Customers here do not come first.

Very slow service, table not ready at reserved time. Over 1 hour 30mins to be served with food. Steak was then served overcooked. Disappointed and other tables in the restaurant all experienced slow food service and sent food back. Waiting staff very apologetic but clearly there are kitchen issues to be resolved.

Won’t be going back!!! An hours waits between starter and main course being served. My main finally arrived burnt and swimming in gravy ( possibly to disguise the burnt offering ). The cauliflower cheese expected with the dish was laughable and what was on my plate was crumbly and dry. I was told when complaining it’s offered for texture….I pay for taste not texture! The manager needs lessons in public relations as they were very offish after we asked to see them regarding our service and meals ( other friends had reason to complain ) Possibly one of the worst experiences of eating out I have had. Oh and the food is very overpriced for the standard offered.

It's a lovely pub, full of interesting nooks and crannies, fires, beams etc. The pub was busy with a buzzing atmosphere. Service was good, very friendly staff. Considering how busy it was, very pleased. I don't eat meat so always interested to see how much effort is made for vegetarian or plant based options. The main plates lacked options (nothing plant based for a main) and creativity for me. Though the food I ordered was nice. It's a lovely venue, I really liked the staff. Though I'd look for a menu change to visit again.

2 years ago, I gave this place a 5 star review and we've been going back ever since.....that was until Friday this week, where we had such an apalling experience, we won't be back again. We arrived at 7.15, and whilst there were still empty tables available, there were no menus to provide us with. It took 10 minutes to get 1 menu, and we had to ask for it. We were seated in the area out the back that was like sitting in a freezer and when the poor elderly ladies on the table next to us said when they left that they were freezing they were advised that they could have had the heater put on for them. The heater wasn't put on for another 10 minutes!! Someone coming to take a drinks order took 15 minutes from sitting down. So we waited, and waited, and waited.... 50....50 minutes(!) after being seated, we were told our food would be next, only then to be told 2 minutes later after the couple on the next table had their starters after waiting 40 minutes (for whitebait and pate 🙄) "we're just serving a table of 6, then yours is coming" Thoroughly disappointed, and we won't be returning. If there was an option for 0 stars they would have had it

We arranged for a family gathering of 11 people and one dog. The staff sat us a large table and Olivia looked after us very well throughout the meal. All diners with varied courses said their food was excellent. Even the dog (well behaved) was given a bowl of water. Very minor niggle was that several people had to contend with table legs. We have been to the Crabtree before which led us to return. It is a convenient location with good parking.

My and my husband went here for a birthday lunch with his mum and our daughter. We booked a table for 3.15pm and the menu looked amazing. Just as we arrived two groups entered before us. One a big group of 9 and another a smaller group of 4. the big group of 9 apologised for being "a little late" and asked to be seated. My husband overhead a conversation between staff saying that they were in fact over an hour late. Despite, this and despite two more groups behind them - they were seated, then the next group whose booking was also at 3.15 were seated. When it was our turn to be seated, strangely our table table "wasn't ready" and we were asked if we'd like to take a seat and have a drink while they reset the table. A little put out, but going with it, we said ok and then a few minutes later we were sat at out table. Not too bad then. Nope - our food took over an hour to come out. Whilst the three roasts were good (apart from the fact that I got no horseradish sauce, the beef wasn't medium rare as promised and a load of salty gravy had been tipped over my food) - my husband's burger was burnt. It was not pleasant but as he was hungry he ate as much as he could. So any other time I can imagine this place would be a wonderful setting for a regular Sunday lunch - let alone a birthday one - as long as you don't mind gravy being poured all over your food. BUT one decision about a large group of people who were an hour late, who should have been asked to wait while they seated customers who were on time, on what was clearly a very busy day, tainted our experience. Nevertheless I left a small tip (not the "discretionary" 10% though), because the service was great, and the food (apart from the burger) was tasty and the atmosphere was enjoyable. Would I go back? I'd have to think about it. Suggestion to front of house team: if someone is over 15 minutes late in most eateries - they normally forfeit their table precisely so that on-time customers don't suffer. :(

The main courses did look OK on the plate however we thought the menu was limited and it would have been nice to preview the menu before booking. The desserts were just average and at £8 each the portions were small and didn’t feel special. Wine menu is changing so review what you order against the bottle that arrives.

Short notice lunch at The Crabtree, very accommodating. Just finished off wedding at South Lodge over the road needed sustenance after tiring week. Lovely roast beef lunch relaxing atmosphere 😎 👌 Will try and keep it a secret.

We visited The Crabtree for my Mums 90th Birthday. There was just under 30 of us and we were looked after perfectly. Helen had set up a room for us in a horseshoe arrangement which meant we were all able to see and chat to each other. The food was well cooked and of an extremely high quality and it was served in a very professional and friendly manor. We received regular check ups on how everything was and whether we required drinks etc. From the very first communication about the availability of table space to the settling of the bill , we received first class , courteous service. We will definitely return. Thank you very much All at The Crabtree

I had heard good things about the Crabtree but until now had not experienced the restaurant itself. Booking was easy. On arrival we were shown to an excellent table in a fairly small but interesting room which looked out on a mass of greenery. The...

Lovely place and food is good but fairly limited menu choice

Terrible service. Food sent back because it was cold. Empty glasses left on table throughout meal. Several requests for water. Hot side dishes from oven left on table without giving out so friends had to get up with napkins to get them. Will not be...

Really nice lunch here, good quality food and staff were really friendly and attentive. Will definitely be coming back soon. Thank you!

i saw a michelin star award for 2000 and something so i thought this should be good, well it didn't deserve a michelin tyre the food was comparable to the turkey i the movie in national lampoons, batter was overcooked with a minuscule of fish in it, chips were raw when i complained i was given 10% off the bill and an offer of more chips. sorry never again.

Called into the Crabtree on the off chance and although the restaurant was quite busy they found a table for us. Food and service were first class so we’ll be back soon.

As has been noted elsewhere, they do a great deal to promote their mention in Michelin 2021 but that’s all it was, not a “bib gourmand” and certainly NOT a Star and it hasn’t been continued this year and for good reason. Half the staff...

Very quaint pub. Staff exceptional, very accommodating, polite & always smiling.

Guys, what have you done to this place? It had gone from being amazing place with delicious food to serving average burgers and fish&chips. Last summer we visited numerous times. This summer we came once - awful food. Will not going to come back. Maybe just for drinks...

It's such a shame that after such a wonderful meal and great service, there were £16 worth of drinks added to our (which were certainly not ours, as we did not order any beer) bill, even after giving the staff a generous tip. It was partly my fault for not checking the bill properly before I paid up and left. Such a shame after a pleasant evening and it makes me reluctant to return.

We went here in a group of 15 people, and were asked to pre-order our food, which was a little annoying. Twice during the service, we had two meals that were forgotten, which meant others were finished before their meal had even been served...not ideal. The meals were discounted from the total, which was very nice of the pub, but a shame it happened. Overall the food was fine, but the service was poor.

We have been here several times over years for dinner and lunch. Until now it has always been good, not cheap, but good. We took friends there Friday evening for dinner, thinking it would be a good choice, based on past experiences. It was not!...

We couldn’t be bothered to cook tonight and had heard good things about the Crabtree so we decided to go and try it. I’m coeliac so was pleased to see a few things GF on the menu. The staff were friendly but the food was...

Just as others have noted, menu on here is NOT priced as the one given us in the pub. Twice as expensive in fact on arrival. Lackadaisical service yet three ladies to serve and us the only party in. Nice regards disabled people in our...

Lovely meals Excellent service.

We stopped for a Light lunch on the way back from Gatwick. The Food was OK ish ,Charcuterie was thick chunks of Italian sausage and some other meat I didn't recognise, salad so so. beer £7 a pint !!! twice the local average. Service was...

My friends and I had a great time here this weekend. The food was excellent and Freya who served us was so helpful and professional that she really made our night. Well done Freya and the team, we will definitely be back!

If I could give no stars I would. Terrible doesn’t come close. How they had the nerve to present me with a bill ?? They acknowledged there had been a problem crossing out service charge. Two hours waiting for the main. Microwaved odd tasting overcooked dry burgers with a few uncooked hard chips. No salad in sight !! My roast was ok but I have had so much better. Obviously they forgot us! No apology just glared at when I asked if our food was coming ? Please don’t waste your money. So sad it promises so much although menu rather sad but honestly very very poor.

The best scones in West Sussex!!!

Celebrated my mum’s 80th Birthday at the delightful Crabtree this year. Helen and staff made us feel so welcome and nothing was too much trouble. The food was beyond excellent, all our expectations were met and we would undoubtedly recommend anyone to this well-run, well-situated...

Absolutely brilliant place. We were looking for somewhere to eat with relatives over from Canada. They found us a table for 7 at very short notice (1/2hr) The service and food was great and good choice and value for money. Our Canadian cousins were very...

Went for a Sunday roast during our stay in Horsham. Was very excited after looking at the website and the pub has Michellin star. Once arrived table wasn’t ready which was fine -we were happy to wait. Prices on the menus was like £4 more...

Came again to try a roast dinner this time. What can I say was blown away once again. It was the best roast dinner I have ever had. We both had the beef and it was phenomenal. Potatoes was perfect!. Everything on the plate was...