The Cross Inn in Rother

Table of 6, we were put on a very small table for 6 people, we had hardly any room to manoeuvre. All the roasts arrived but had to wait ages for gravy to arrive and other accompaniments, the young lady dealing with us was very polite and helpful. Service was very slow, only seemed to be one young lady doing everything, and it wasn’t even that busy, but food was great, although carrots were floating in oil. Unfortunately, whole experience of dinner was spoilt by obviously locals playing cards talking loudly and shouting at each other and swearing, we did have a young child with us had no respect for people whilst eating. The food was good but put off going again as felt the experience was spoilt by the locals especially the very loud lady in a baseball hat that didn’t fit her head! Such a shame as would like to go back.

Wow such a great meal. Stuffing balls, roast lamb, crispy potato’s. Cali cheese, honey carrots! Definitely try this! Make sure Lou is cooking

Heard good report about meals, so decided to go for lunch with my friend. Well we were very very disappointed. My friend had sausage and mash with onion gravy, she said no seasoning and sausages not fully cooked. I had what was meant to be a steak and ale pie with mash and vegetables, well what can I say it seemed like a mince pie where the steak had been cooked so much that it was pulp instead of chunks and the ale hadn’t been cooked down enough. No seasoning with veg and the pastry of the pie had a funny taste. Also no gravy offered. I would definitely have to say will definitely won’t be going back.

Really warm welcome but expect a wait for food. 9 of us came and we had a lovely time. All, but one meal, were delicious. The one meal we were unhappy with was rectified. Very friendly staff and locals. Quite expensive for what you get but nice to meet locals.

Very disappointed.. very messy, full of rubbish all around in the back garden.. food average.. pizza advertising on wood fire but no oven at all just frozen pizzas and expensive for a pub. .no welcoming staff and Gent toilet on the passage with door completely open show a man urinates , embarrassing!!! I read good reviews but I honestly think they are not correct at all.. probably made up. Sorry to write this but was not a pleasant visit.

Emailed to book a table for two for dinner at 6 p.m. on a Sunday. Booking confirmed. When we arrived they told us that they stopped serving food at 4 p.m. We had to drive to 3 different Pubs before we found one that wasn’t fully booked.We were lucky to find somewhere else very good and got the last table there.

The Cross Inn is a lovely little pub which dates from the 16th century. The food is fantastic, the owners are very friendly, and the locals are loads of fun to chat with. A big plus for us were the sweet dogs that sat with their owners! We’re here on holiday but will definitely be back!

Nice pub, good food and clean toilets Amazing view, Nice atmosphere, good music, delicious gin tonic and kitkat

Four of us had a very nice lunch at a reasonable price. Staff were very friendly and helpful. The food was very nice and the inn was clean.

Have had lots of very good meals here! Good drinks selection, lovely garden. Welcoming staff. Nice locals. Generally a really nice local pub. Best in the area

We read the reviews online and as we were down the road Glamping we decided to bite the bullet and head to this lovely pub. Friendly and warm welcome when we arrived, food was excellent well worth the prices, drinks really good. Made to feel like a local. Will definately come back if that way again

stop there on our way home . the staff were very friendly. the food was great. we had the burgers . nice to know they are home made. robin the proprietor was very nice told us about the pub .

We were staying at Lordine camp site round the corner and had friends up for the day so thought we would try here. Friendly staff, great food menu, all 8 of us enjoyed our lunch. Food was lovely, I recommend the grilled chicken burger special and steak & kidney pie very good as well. Also saved us later in the week when we ran out of ice.

Lunch took half an hour to arrive..........3 of my friends thought it was average...my burger was very dissapointing......The plastic menus..needed a good clean.

......not a fake "olde worlde" excuse for a pub beloved of brewery"designers". Beautifully frayed round the edges-glorious open fireplace with mini tree trunks crackling away: hops adorning the beams: cheerful friendly service and good food, all topped off with some humorous banter from regulars at the bar.Bet the place hums at the weekend!! If you want a tarted up gin palace this place ain't for you!!

Tried the Cross Inn on our way back from Hastings. We had passed previously and thought of visiting. On this occasion very glad we tried it and were glad we did! We had a late lunch (2:30) and were attracted by notice that they served all day. We were welcomed by Robin who was happy to chat whilst we looked at the menu which was uncomplicated proper pub grub. Beer selection too was excellent and well-kept,both lagers and ales. We enjoyed cod and chips and Gammon with usual trimmings and both were nicely cooked. Food here is wholesome and whilst portions were not large, it was very good v.f.m. All in all we had a lovely lunch and afternoon, in a very welcoming village pub!

Waited too long for the meal, very so cold unable to take our coats off. Food was in some cases inedible and some just tolerable. Really spoilt a family celebration. Don't bother going here.

Menu not exiting and small. We had burgers, they call them patties Tough as leader and small. Wine just OK. Waitress unpleasant. Want go back.

Visited here for breakfast which was delicious and very filling , staff were very friendly and helpful , definitely visit again

A good 'proper' pub. We popped in for a quick stop and ended up getting food as well. Staff were great and genuinely helpful, lots of drinks on tap, two gardens, ample parking, quiet rural location....what isn't to like? The Cross burger really is tasty, chips not required as this thing is a monster! Many thanks to the great staff.... (And Dave :) )

Stopped here on the way to a wedding looking for food.

Came across this lovely old pub by chance, made to feel very welcomed by bar staff. Food was fresh and tasty. We will be going back to this place as it's a hidden gem.

We stopped off here for dinner as it was close to our camp site. The pub is lovely and relaxed, all the staff were really friendly and welcoming!

A group of 4 of us visited for the 1st time on the way home from the May Day motorcycle event in Hastings. We were made very welcome by both locals and staff including good banter from the latter. Two had the lamb and mint pie which they really enjoyed and said that it had plenty of mint something that is not always the case at other places they have eaten the third had a tasty gammon steak and I had the Cross burger and chips which was excellent but too large for me to finish. This may have our first visit but we will certainly be back although we live in Ashford and Deal

I have only had christmas dinner here....twice, but what I had was very good and very tasty. Service was brilliant and the price was reasonable.

Ended a treasure hunt here and had lunch. Really impressive Sunday roast - beef rare, home made horseradish, red cabbage, gravy to pour yourself, crunch roast potatoes and yummy veg. Kids loved their macaroni cheese & fish finger sandwiches. Busy buzzy atmosphere, traditional pub well worth a visit.

We must have visited on an off day. The dining room was in darkness last Saturday lunchtime. Only the public bar was open. The seating was as basic as the few meals on the blackboard, but the real problem was the loud tv. It was in the middle of the room and had a group of men gathered around it watching football. We would have had to speak loudly to have had a conversation over a meal. Sensibly, we left for a more welcoming pub in nearby Bodiam.

Hadn't booked so were pleased that they could fit us in. Food very good. I had the cod and chips, the batter was crisp and not greasy. Only slight down was that as we were seated in the bar, a family with 2 very barky dogs sat behind us, not only did this make our elderly aunt jump each time, wasn't impressed that the larger dog was allowed to put it's paws on the table. Another time we will book and see if we can get a table in the restaurant area

Called in for a breakfast on way to a regular client meeting. Greeted very warmly by a polite young man who seemed interested in me being there, nice change from other places.

Extremely friendly country pub serving good selection of beers and wines. Good pub food well presented at good value. Staff were very friendly and we will certainly return.

We've had a few lunches at this unpretentious village pub now - and enjoyed every one. They have a great menu, give a warm welcome, and offer great value. Parking is easy - and the pub is only 5 minutes drive away from Bodiam Castle if you're a visitor to the area.

Een gastvrije pub. Ze hebben een goed ontbijt (niet op alle dagen) en prima avondeten met het standaard pubfood.

Cuatro de nosotros comimos aquí. La Harveys estaba bien cuidado y la de las comidas era típico de un menú de bar. No es un extenso menú, pero normalmente es una buena señal. Muy amable camarera.

Lugar encantador, el personal es muy amable, buen ambiente y tenía muchas ganas de una buena comida. Pero pedí gambas y servían bolas de cosas breadcrumb recubiertos spongey que no guardaban relación con ningún scampi que he tenido antes. Fue horrible. Es una pena que...

Decidimos ir a la cruz como a menudo se ha visto cerca tuve que servía comida, pero no lo probé. La comida era el estándar para un pub, pero el personal del bar era acogedor y amable y nos dirigió a los asientos del restaurante,...

Almuerzo antes de salir para Londres, las cenas de asado son excelentes en términos de cantidad y calidad, también hay una buena selección de cervezas. Un popular pub de Bodiam y el castillo. Volveríamos sí.

Aparecimos aquí esperando la comida era todavía se sirve después de las 3 pm y eran recibidos en un sitio encantador y amable lleno de carácter. La comida era casera y deliciosa con los 8 de nosotros pidiendo una variedad de comidas, incluyendo algunas de las especialidades del día. Nos quedamos muy impresionados con todo y pensé que los precios muy razonables. Nos hubiera gustado haber ido por el asado los domingos! Sin duda alguna volveremos la próxima vez estamos de camping.

We arrived somewhat late with seven adults and three young children. We were shown into the private function room and was quickly served by a very bouncy, very nice polite waitress. Unfortunately for us we were a bit late for the lamb roast dinner, so we all opted for the chicken. After about twenty minutes, we were all served with a very ample chicken roast dinner with all the trimmings. The most impressive, was a very flavourful gravy. It was so nice my granddaughter was sticking her finger in it and she is not a gravy person. The children's menus were Mac and cheese, also very nice and ham egg and chips for our little one. I think the most spectacular pudding was a very, very large mixture of ice cream, marsh mellows chocolate chips and god knows what else that was eaten by three of our members. Highly recommended was the apple crumble. In all an excellent lunch in a beautiful location. Highly recommended.

Food menu basic pub food but we had the Sunday lunch, it was very nice, good sized portion and a steal at 7.50. Staff very attentive and locals really friendly. Will visit again.

We came here a couple months ago and I never got round to writing a review as we have been very busy with move to Wales, new jobs etc. Found a note in my purse with Staple Cross written on it and recalled such a good experience that I just had to write a review.My partner and I are both experienced caterers (gourmet vegan mostly) and are often disappointed when we eat out. The Cross Inn obviously prepares meals fresh whilst you wait. This means it takes a while for food to come out but it was very much worth it. I think we returned twice more as it was so good. There was great vegetarian options as well as meat dishes that we found rather tempting too (though we are generally vegetarian).Great atmosphere, friendly owner who is clearly very hands on. nice decor and great restaurant garden space for kids to play in whilst parents relax with a drink or meal.Would definitely go out of our way to come hear if we were hungry and in the area.

I've put October because that was our most recent video but we are in atleast twice a month!! Most recently it was for the homemade stone baked pizzas and they are amazing, we've tried most of them now in our little group of 4 along almost all of the menu and none of us have ever had a bad meal, it's very reasonably priced too!! I think we've visited maybe 15/20 times now and are still eager to go back, lovely staff, friendly landlord and beautifully decorated and looked after.

We returned to the Cross when we found out that it had changed hands. As evidenced by my previous review our other experience was not great. However, we came for dinner at the start of the summer and it was really very nice. So friendly. Fish and chips and a burger were found to be yummy! Good quality food at very reasonable prices. We have since returned in September and it is still good. We have not tried the pizza on a Friday night but hope to soon. Feel glad of a decent pub in our local area again. Well done to the Cross!

The Cross burger with a side of sweet potatoes was awesome. I love this pub and their food. I will not be needing dinner after this lunch.

A great visit had by all,, we have visited 3 weeks in a row for the lovely served and cooked pizzas in an oven cooked pizza oven! A lovely range of pizza's suiting children and adults Highly recommend!

We were planning on eating here with another couple but when we asked for the gluten free menu the waitress jabbed at the main menu and said grumpily this is it. Before we had decided on what to eat she asked if we were ready and we said not yet she spun round on her heel and said loudly OK. With this we decided to go somewhere else.

Just popped in to try out this lovely old pub had lunch brilliant menu with all the favourites good value too. Will definitely return to try out Pizza night and the Breakfasts!

Delicious oven baked pizza (new outdoor pizza oven) made to order. Excellent value for money with choices for the whole family. So good to see families young and old enjoy the start of Friday night pizza night at The Cross Inn. Well done to Robin, Ben and the team. See you next Friday!

Lovely old pub. Good pub food. Relaxed atmosphere. Staff and punters are very friendly always happy to help in any way. Beer always good. The garden is wonderful in the sun and great for kids to play in. Can't rate it high enough.

Warm and welcoming, filling breakfast, highly recommend. Lovely family run establishment located in the countryside

I took my Mother and Father along with my Wife for a lovely Ploughman's lunch which brightened up a rainy day. We all thoroughly enjoyed our food.

I am reluctant to give a poor review to this pub as I believe it has been saved from extinction by community action, which should always be encouraged. However when we visited on a recent Sunday lunchtime, there was very little evidence of "community" drinkers or diners, indeed few people at all. Our welcome was half-hearted and the food was bland, tasteless, which opinion seemed to be shared by at least one other table. Whist the dining room is old, the décor is very average and lacking in atmosphere. A great shame as it would have been nice to find a good pub close to Robertsbridge where we live.

It is a simple pub in a nice surrounding with walking distance to Bodiam Castle. The wall paintings were very nice.

We went as a family of 5 and really enjoyed our time there. The food was fantastic and we all ended up trying bits of each others food, as we all said how great our dishes were. We got great service and will certainly go back.

Average pub grub, they sometimes do a Sunday roast too (but we've not tried this). We've often visited for a few beers and ended up eating. They have some London wine bar type light bits as well as meals.Our only complaint was that they don't seem to serve food every day. When we were moving house we'd arrived ravenous only to be told there was no food today. This happened several times and a little annoying due to the very out of the way location!

Fantasieloze pub met beperkte kaart. Gekozen voor een pie. Moest kennelijk van nul af aan worden bereid. Duurde veel te lang in een verder bijna lege pub. Andere gasten hebben bijna net zo lang op hun toetje moeten wachten. Kwaliteit van de pie was ok. De groente was uitgesproken slecht. Niet echt een plek om naar terug te verlangen.

This historic coaching in can date it's history back 600 years. It is set in the quiet village of Staplecross, Sussex. You approach through a nicely fenced front garden, ideal for the evening sun. The bar is vibrant with a good selection of beer, wine and spirit, including some locally brewed ales. There is a separate restaurant for a more formal or intimate meal, however we ate in the bar area. The bar menu is traditional pub grub with a good selection and very reasonably priced. The deep fried brie had a particularly fine coating showing that it was definitely hand prepared rather than from a box. Presentation throughout was pleasing. We'll definitely be back!

We enjoyed an evening meal here the service was friendly and prompt.We spoke with the owners who have only recently taken over the business. The menu at present is standard bar food but was cooked well and presented nicely. They have future plans for a more extensive restaurant menu. Good range of ales and had a live music which added to a good atmosphere.

New owners shows great promise, Traditional pub and now doing food. good parking and just a short trip from bodiam castle

Hungry and passing on the way back to our holiday accommodation we decided to stop for food. Lovely, freshly cooked, no frills pub food. Very friendly and excellent service.

The Cross Inn has a new chef serving great food. Only one other customer when I visited on a Friday lunchtime, which is a shame. Give it a go - great food, great beer (Harveys), great interior and a large pub garden.

Having cooked Sunday lunch for my family for over 25 years its often a disappointment eating sunday lunch out. However, this is not true of The Cross Inn. My husband and I went for Sunday lunch today, I had the roast pork with crackling and seasonal vegetable (the chef had taken the trouble to remove the skins of the broad beans, lovely), my husband had the roast lamb with seasonal veg and mint sauce. Both plates of food were beautifully presented (something that is often overlooked for a Sunday lunch service at most restaurants and pubs). For desert, I had the rhubarb and panacotta with rhubarb granita and rhubarb jelly. All made freshly by the talented chef who resides there now. What a fantastic treat. We couldnt believe the standard of food at such reasonable prices, defintitely will be going back, thank you for a lovely lunch and a lovely venue with a great atmosphere. This place is going from strength to strength, definitely one to watch. Make sure you book to avoid losing out on a rare treat.

We had a really fantastic lunch at the Cross Inn. We had been eager to try the new menu and we were not disappointed! I had the mackerel pate which was lush, my partner was greedy and had a slider burger as his starter ( a great little nibble if you are in for a drinkie at the bar ). The mains again were perfect, the cod cooked to perfection with cauliflower 'cous cous' with spinach, chorizo and a sweet lemon dressing. The homemade burger was especially yummy with the homemade burger sauce and brioche bun. You can see the chef goes the extra mile to make the dishes unique and special. He even came out to personally check everything was satisfactory, where we took to quizzing his dishes and picking up some cooking tips. The Panna Cotta was beautifully presented and so tasty, a lovely end to a faultless meal. Service was lovely too, smiling happy staff! We will definitely be back for more soon!

New chef Jake Parvin served us beautifull food! By far the best food we've had in a very long time from any establishment.

Supper last night at The Cross Inn. A lovely sunny evening, and two of us decided to try the new menu at The Cross in Staplecross. I had the Ham Hock terrine and my partner had the Smoked Mackerel Pate (both made in house) delicious. Served imaginatively on wooden platters, (not usually my favourite method of serving, but for this treat, perfect)Onto the main and the Best End of Lamb was simply the best meal I have eaten out I can recall (Except for lunch at The Square, London). I really cannot reccomend the food highly enough, its a real find. My partners had the Cod for main dish, and that too was delicious. We just about managed to finish the plates off, but left feeling completely satisfied. It was a quiet evening yesterday at the Pub and there were maybe 8 other guests there, three dining other than ourselves. Service was polite and friendly and the whole place really has gone from strength to strength. Definitely one to watch and I would strongly recommend you give them a try. The food is so far above the standard you would expect from a good pub restaurant, I am sure they will be winning awards for their new menu. The chocolate cake and pistaschio ice cream for pudding finished the evening off perfectly.

Had a nice Sunday lunch. Was quite busy so probably worth booking a table beforehand. Lovely service great atmosphere new chef. Well worth a visit.

really good wholesome food. Fish is to die for. Service is nice and friendly, beer and wine on offer are a good choice. The chef is brilliant and will come out to chat and seek feedback. I never hesitate to recommend Castle Inn. Opposite Bodiam Castle.

Good to see a small interesting menu reflecting local produce, rather than being bombarded with the usual long winded typical pub food that is usually on offer. Well done to all concerned.

Saturday evening supper in March was a really lovely surprise. Not the most pretty place form the outside, but a genuine old public house that serves food. Inside though its delightful. There is a real feeling of warmth and the roaring fire with its deep set inglenook and pew seating was a great place to sit and have supper. They also have a lovely dining room that is not your usual pub restaurant affair. Its pared down and rustic decor give it a genuine feel and its a room that would be a perfect location for a big family gathering.For food I started with one of the delicious pub snack "sliders" american style mini burger with a few french fries (a small dish) the burger was delicious, toped with finely cut fried onions and served in a miniature brioche bun. Main course was the salmon with brocolli stalk and orange salad , with a caper, anchovy and shallot dressing. For pudding, white chocolate and cognac mousse with dark chocolate sauce and coffee granita, a fantastic invention. All topped off with a lovely double espresso coffee. Overall, the food, the atmosphere and the service was just lovely. will definitely go again. I write this review in the hope that they get enough business to continue to grow (food is relatively new addition under the new owners) but also hope it doesnt get too busy as its a reall favorite of ours now. And we are picky customers.

I have just had the most fantastic meal for a long time, I don,t often get the chance to take my parents out and was so pleased with the food and atmosphere.The service was also spot on.Thank you all for making a fantastic mothers day.S.C.

Fabulous food and great service. Went for Sunday lunch with family thoroughly enjoyed it. Menu choice was good, even for a Sunday lunch. Option of two different roasts, one vegetarian option and 6 other choices. Highly recommended.

We have lived in the area for 20 years and made our first visit to The Cross Inn one Saturday before Christmas with friends. As there were a couple of Christmas events going on in the restaurant and function room, we opted for a table in the bar. With two large parties the bar was initially very busy, and we were advised by staff that our orders may take a little while; in the event the service was nicely paced but we appreciated being kept informed. The menu was small but the quality was excellent and being food loving folk, we did not find this an issue! The belly pork was a particular star of the evening for three of us. The staff were friendly and helpful, the surroundings were very convivial and we were impressed with the Christmas decorations which gave the pub a very festive feel. The Christmas spirit was topped off at the end of the evening by a visit from a group of local Mummers. All great fun and we look forward to visiting again in 2015.

I recently ate at the cross inn with my family. We all loved the changes that have been made and really enjoyed the experience and food! After dinner we sat by the welcoming warm fire and played cards! Great night had by all thank you jack!!!!!

We live locally and knew that the pub had changed hands. What used to be predominantly a drinking pub is now being billed as a place to grab quick quality pub grub. Firstly the sample menus on the website bore very little resemblance to the menu at the pub. There really are not that many choices on the menu. We ordered burgers and the sausage and mash. The burgers were very nice as were the chips but were served on pieces of wood the chips in a small metal pail, which for a country pub is a bit pretentious. The sausage and mash were ok....but the gravy was tasteless despite being full of onion. Portion sizes were ok. The service between when we placed our order at the bar and when we received our meals was very slow. It took 30 minutes and we were the only ones in the pub eating. The dining room was very cold. After we had our desserts ( which were mediocre) the electricty went out in the pub for about 10-15 minutes which meant we weren't able to pay our bill and leave. All in all it took 2 hours to have a couple of rounds of drinks and a meal....bit slow for us. Would we go back again? Probably not. An average experience and loads more places locally to choose from that are better. There's potential there but more needs to be done to cater for the people that are diners not drinkers.

My partner and I were on our way to a fancy dress shop and thought we'd stop off by chance at this pub on the way.The pub is full of character, large rear garden and the lady working was warm and welcoming.They have a large menu with lots of choices and a vast range of drinks.I ordered a baguette (which was lovely) and when going to use the ketchup the bottle exploded all over my legs and the lady who served us was quick to grab me a cloth and help me out. : )Will definitely be going back.

We visited for the first time one Saturday afternoon. There was a private party i the garden, but the staff said that we could still use the outside area. However we needn't have worried as there was plenty of room in the pub and outside at the front there were tables and benches. We booked for dinner and the menu was very reasonably priced and varied. We all enjoyed the food and there was live music in the pub. Great service, friendly staff and regulars in a picturesque setting.