The Devils Dyke in Mid Sussex

Just paid £4.40 for a pint of apple juice poured straight from the carton. When enquired further I was told in a one word answer inflation from the bar keep. After a second look at the menu apple juice doesn't have a price nor labeled on the menu. Just make sure you enquire the price before ordering anything.

The food is good. The atmosphere is pleasant; the view out the windows is superb. The staff do everything they can to make your visit enjoyable. Our server, Sally, was delightful. Definitely worth a visit. On a summer's day, you can spend hours watching the paragliders and stop in at the Devil's Dyke pub for something to eat and drink.

Delicious food & service was great Sally who served us was fantastic would definitely recommend going

Fresh food, well cooked and great service

Very tasty food and exceptional service from Sue will definitely come again soon. Worth a visit for the beautiful views.

Fantastic and plentiful Sunday lunch !!! Very good and attentive service from Sue and her team . Congratulations to chef Adam and his staff.

The interior is nicely decorated, they have some Christmas decks up, a little early but at adds a pleasant festive vibe. Service is great and the staff are friendly and helpful, ordering and paying at the table is also super convenient, however there’s a very obvious reason as to why you pay upfront…. The food is abominable, it’s mostly inedible, garlic flat bread must have been cooked last week and sat under heat lamp since then, calamari tastes off. The lamb shank tastes like cat food, half the meals comes with some blue bag, barely fit for human consumption, bodily fluid resembling sauce. It’s a Vintage inns and part of the giant wasteland of mass produced culinary grossness that befouls the British food scene.

Easy. Reasonably priced. Friendly attentive staff. Clean. Lovely waitress Sue was run off her feet and still Kept a smile. May be worth having a few more waiting staff :)

The service was awful! We have arrived at 2:36 and no one came to take our order until 3:20pm ( early an hour after) the waitress was not even making eye contact so we had to walk up To her. Tables next to us arrived after us and got their orders before. The food arrived at 4:10pm that was a long wait and no complementary drink or water was even offered. We will never ever come back! Also the beef was I Possible to eat. This was an awful experience with my mum Visiting from America.

Lovely food….shame about the service. We had a lovely family Sunday Lunch here today, with great company and a relaxed Sunday atmosphere, however the service was the worst we have experienced. We arrived just before 2.00 in time for our reservation and shown to our table straight away. Before we ordered our food, our server warned us there would be a bit of a wait. We weren’t in a rush so the 45 minute wait was not an issue. However, about 1 1/2 hours later we were still waiting. We asked our server how much longer it would be as was told “not much longer”. The food turned up after almost 2 hours, by which time we were all starving, even though we had taken up the offer of Olives and Garlic Bread. We thought that was complimentary as an apology, but it wasn’t. When it arrived, I couldn’t fault the food. It was hot and tasty, however the wait was unacceptable. If you are short staffed in the kitchen, get some more staff. The service in your sister venues (The Smugglers and Cuckmere) is so much better. I will seriously think twice about going here again if the service is this bad. I sympathise with the servers, it’s not their fault. They are working hard and doing their best The fault is with the management.

Sally made us feel very welcome and reassured us that we don’t have to leave because we had dogs. Our dogs are nervous dogs but sally could see we were getting a bit uncomfortable staying. The food was absolutely delicious a land served hot. For once a restaurant that knows how to serve hot delicious food. The lamb just fell off the bone. We had a lovely relaxing time when we first came in October and had an even better time on Saturday.The staff was so friendly and relaxed. Thank you to sally and the rest of the team. You are all amazing and we cannot wait to return again. The view makes it all special too.

I arrived to this pub after a long travel. The pint was totally flat and had to exchange it. Had to wait nearly 40 mins for the food. When it eventually arrived it was missing the broccoli. The actual food was … well what can I say apart from the fact that it was not worth paying £20 for.

Food was good Decor is really nice Staff were fabulous

Popped in for lunch mid October, Fish Pie & Haddock and Chips. Food very good, service first class, would highly recommend. 5* Thank you.

Great food and service but the place was cold and toilets...cold wet and poor quality

Cracking pub in stunning location. Always great service and tasty well presented food.

Excellent food and service. Lovely view from parts of the dining area. Warm, cosy and fairly quiet - no over loud music. Shame about the dilapidated appearance of the exterior. It needs more than a lick of paint.

It's a long time since I've eaten there but used to visit a lot. Visits were often for the views and history of the Dyke but it was a firm favourite with my family going back several generations. Cousins took photos for their postcard business in the 1920s and 30s. The views are outstanding and it has links back to at least the iron age. There were lots of attractions there in Victorian times, including fairground rides, the first cable car in the country and a steepgrade (similar to a funicular) railway which ran down into Fulking. The Dyke was so popular a regular railway line was built to link it with the mainline between Portsmouth (I think) and Brighton. That closed in 1938. Much of the route has been built on but there is a walk that does include parts of the original trackway. There is a recent, excellent book by Martin Easdown, which has lots of rare images and it is very well researched. It's called 'The Devil's Dyke - a Delightful Spot to spend a Happy Day. I thoroughly recommend it. Hardback copies sold out but a new paperback edition has just been published. Visited the pub for lunch recently. The food was good and the service but the premises look a but tired and neglected in places. Overall it is still good and the views are wonderful.

We had a lovely meal . Our waitress Sue was really friendly happy with a lovely smile. The portion sizes were really large & value for money with freshly cooked food.

Great night, great food and great service. Such a lovely place to eat out, the views across the south downs make it even more of a top place to eat. Can't praise the staff enough, Nikki and Rhi who waited on us were brilliant. They were so busy all night but served everyone with a smile, nothing was too much for them and provided the best service. Thank you both, possibly the best service we have experienced, a lot could learn from you both! And thank you Lottie who was the chef tonight. The food was spot on!!

Dog-Friendly Bring your furry friend along! The Devil's Dyke is a dog-friendly pub, so you can enjoy a drink and a meal with your four-legged companion

If you're looking for a traditional English pub with a friendly atmosphere and great food and drink, The Devil's Dyke is a must-visit. It's a local favorite for a reason. The staff is really helpful, patient, and welcoming to everyone, even large families and four-legged friends!

I had a good experience Cute staff and good food

We were seated looking at menus deciding food but it was on my mind how awful and in disrepair on the exterior of the building it alerted me to the interior too which was filthy. I was put off wondering about the cleanliness of the kitchen. We used the toilets and they’re Nutter so grubby and all the doors were blackened from dirt over time. It really is disguising! So we had second thoughts and left, drove down to the Royal Oak in Poynings and had a lovely dinner. I think it’s absolutely shameful inside and out of the building, I have no idea why Village Inn have left it to rot and get so dirty over the years.

We had Sunday roast and it was really good. Very tasty and just the right amount of food. Our waitress was brilliant, so friendly and helpful, expecially with the children.

A great place for a panoramic walk.

This place is always outstanding. The staff are brilliant and friendly. Sue is a star! She goes above and beyond! She always greets us with a smile and makes us feel welcome. This pub has excellent food. We go here regularly so have had most items in the menu! The roast dinners are one of the best I’ve had and the pies are also so brilliant! I could not recommend this place enough. The views are out of this world especially in a nice clear day. The drinks and food are delicious and overall the staff are all very welcoming. Thank you to the staff especially Sue!

40 minutes waiting for a horrible and cold burger. But lateness, my fault, according to waiter (I had ordered starters for my daughter instead of a main). No apologies at all.

We had a lovely family lunch. All the staff were welcoming and our server Ruby was friendly and helpful. The food was delicious, we all had something different and everyone enjoyed what they had. The view from what we could see was fantastic but the weather made it hard to tell. However, inside was comfy, clean and warm so we were happy to be there instead!

I came to this establishment with a friend and my 3 year old autistic son . I don't take my son many places as i always have anxiety he will disturb other diners and customers as he wants to run free and can't sit down for long at all . Sally and her team were amazing , giving my son a closed off area as his safe space to run around and get stimulation without disturbing other customers and most importantly easing my anxiety . Also i ordered my son a child's meal which i had no expectations of him eating as he has severe food aversions . Low and behold my son sat and ate his food . O believe this was due to the fact we had been made to feel so welcome , that my son was so comfortable he actually ate some real food . I highly recommend this pub and the team . i would say this is most likely the most autism friendly establishment for children i've ever visited . Also food was amazing . Had the best experience here today and will definatly be visiting again . Thank you for an amazing experience.

Sally gave us lovely service really made the trip lovely!

What an an amazing lunch. Fabulous food. But what made today very special was the incredible service delivered by the gorgeous Sally and her team. We cannot thank you enough finding time to teach us how to use Vintage Inns app. And still run orders and serve. We will visit next year. Make sure your still there. Chef! Top notch. Fab food at a great price. Highly recommended. Love to all the team.

Used to come here every week, very neglected now and understaffed.

Sally is the best server I have ever experienced. This is how service should be! Friendly, polite, funny and charming. She is an absolute star. The food was incredible too!

One of the best gastro pubs in area by far, the best view, the best food and the best service. I want to say a HUGE thank you to RUBY who served us. Ruby looked after me and family on my birthday dinner. She was out of this world, made us feel so welcome, appreciated and was so engaging. Can't thank you enough.

Sally is what hospitality all about! She was most attentive waitress I’ve had in a long long time! Constant communication through out, chased up a drink that hadn’t taken to long and even gave my little one a small treat out of a tin when we left. Me and my Nan both spoke about how fab she was.

Lovely pub at the top of the hill with tasty food and excellent service.

Great service, crumble is brilliant

Super friendly efficient service from sally, thank you, food was excellent, great chicken pie and lemon tart dessert.

I came to this pub when visiting devils dyke. The experience was made sour by the bartender who had left the bar unmanned for about 5-10 minutes, then took 10+ minutes to make lattes. I was waiting for more than 15 minutes just for bottled drinks, then he comes back and serves a couple that came in after me. I ended up leaving because the service was so poor and all I wanted was two bottled drinks from the fridge. When I tried to tell him I had been waiting before them he just rudely dismissed me and said something like 'Erm well I didn't see you waiting before them'? Why would I lie about that? I really didn't appreciate being accused of being a liar. The customer service other than this guy was actually pleasant but this ultimately made me feel very unwelcome. Hopefully you do not have to deal with this bartender who wears yellow tinted glasses.

The star is for the waiters and barstaff who are always pleasent. We live nearby and often pop in for a drink after a long walk. Once a year we might order food becuase we are ravenous from the walk, but each time we do we remember why we swear to each other we won't do it again. The menu is broad which should be a red flag, and it is. Everything is frozen, tasteless and unseasoned. The "salad" that comes with various snacks and meals is always old and turning with no effort or garnish. Triple cooked chips are in no way triple cooked. It's sad that Gordon Ramsey retired becuase this place would make a great episode. I dread to think what he'd find in the back of the fridge. It is truely disgusting. I don't enjoy writing this, as it's so local and I would love for the food to be good here, but the lack of competition nearby has let this place become complacent, and I imagine it makes money either way. If you as a manager/owner care for some advice, put the rediculously broad menu in the bin, fire the "chef" and throw away your microwave. Select a style and a small number of dishes and make them count! I can't tell you the number of friends and family I have warned off eating here, and I would love to see it turned around. Oh and while your at it, give the pub a lick of paint and some tlc. You have an insanely good location and right now it is squanded.

The staff are lovely, however unfortunately the food was subpar. The food took over 45 minutes to arrive. When it came, my dishes were only warm and my friend's dish had an incorrect side. A waitress replaced the side for him quickly, which is great, however the replacement neither looked nor tasted good. The presentation of my dishes didn't look very nice, but I unsure if this is standard or if the presentation was simply off on this occasion. It is a shame because this is obviously a lovely pub, but next time I wouldn't bother with food for the price that it is. Parking was difficult but that is to be expected on a bank holiday.

The food was very good we had the pie and the signature burgers - the service was so bad, staff were rude, food was late, no apology, when I asked eta of the pie as everyone had finished their burgers the wait staff told me they didn’t cook it !!! And sent the manager over and again no apology and no eta of the pie ! But it finally arrived and tasted great ! Probably the worst service I have ever had which is a shame as the food was good 👍

Awful food, poor service - never again. Ordered a selection of bar snacks and sides - took over 40 minutes to arrive and were very dissapointing. The calamari resembled pork scratching the whitebait were so overtired the “fish” was dry and powdery. The chips were overcooked and greasy- left a strange taste in your mouth. The chorizo bites were ok as were the chicken strips and the drinks but a complete waste of money

Well, looked nice but… Just arrived after a long travel of 8 hours with my father & my 5 years old kid. In the process of ordering food and drinks, I nicely asked if my little boy was allowed to eat his little food we brought along with us (children and food is not always easy, even more with foreign food), but it was refused, even not outside on the bench, despite we ordered food and drinks. so my boy eats in the parking. Just had to cancel the order.

I love this place devil dyke its so beautiful up there

Short staffed, poor food and the actually restaurant dirty needs a good clean and remove the cob webs

What a shame for such a lovely friendly pub, views are spectacular, but the food was a massive disappointment, we had the Sunday trio, and apart from the pork belly, the rest was inedible, the potatoes were tasteless and barely cooked, the veg, you had to literally saw through it, the stuffing was just a runny mush, the Yorkshire pudding was stone cold, for £63 which did include two starters , was so disappointing, the service was excellent, but I can safely say, I will never go back ,

Rating very low due to poor service received. We went on a Monday evening with relatives and despite that it was 19.30pm they already closed kitchen, we were told to move to another area as they were cleaning tables and preparing for next day. Instead of having views of the downs, they told us to use the tables facing the bar or on the back. Really bad customer service. The whole point of this place is to enjoy the views while eating or having a drink. Closing the kitchen at 19.30pm is not very good signed, even more during summer hours when a lot of people want to pop in for a nice eveneing meal in a really prime location.

Glad we arrived 20 mins early due to parking being extremely limited very busy possibly due to the fact of the sun being out. Entered the pub and had to ask about our booking as no one welcoming guests in. I asked at the bar as i had booked a table and was told to go and wait by the laptop. I had asked for a table with a view if possibly but we were seated away from the window. Restaurant is very hot and stuffy as no windows can be opened which is a shame, quite a few customers wafting menus to cool their faces, any chance of air con??? Our server Ramona was efficient and did have to inform us that the bar didn’t have any elderflower syrup so i was not able to have the drink I had chosen. I chose to have an Long Island Ice tea couldn’t taste any spirits and my other guests couldn’t either so I was disappointed with this. 3 of us had trio of meats & 3 of us had Lamb rump, the lamb was a bit tough to be honest but tasty and wasn’t very hot when it arrived, but we did enjoy the meal as a whole. Deserts were delicious Mango Eton mess i would recommend. Toilet’s are filthy and could do with a good clean and this is not just due to being busy and used a lot this is ground in filth edges cubicle doors and the ladies smells. Staff in general were efficient however we did ask for our bill 3 times before we finally got it and it took 40 mins for someone to come back to us. Ramona was lovely the only thing I would mention is that 2 of my guests found her terminology Luv , oh bless ya and hun a bit familiar but this didn’t bother me & the younger girls leaned over my guests rather than walking round to place down the plates of food, but the older staff didn’t.. I would recommend your pub and enjoyed the food and experience just a few tweaks and you would get 5 stars from me . Thank you

Sunday roast pork belly was 4 bites big for £17. Outrageous! Perhaps I'll give it another try next year.

Excellent service from Sue the waitress, food good ,Stuart eas the chef.

Just amazing! We were there on a foggy and rainy day, but sooo glad we stopped in for some tea and pudding! Very friendly staff and amazing pudding!

Since my last visit, service has really improved. Amy was really friendly at the bar and we didn't have to wait. The outside could still do with a good bit of TLC.

Dirty pub and roast more like a school dinner. Great location - shame about the rest.

I went here when it wasnt very busy at all but it still took 50 minutes for 2 portions of chips. After 25 minutes of waiting we went to ask what was taking so long and were told there was an ‘accident’ in the kitchen coincidentally straight after we ordered. First of all, if there was an ‘accident’ someone should have come to tell us there was a delay, and secondly, other people who ordered after us were still receiving their food which included chips, so this was a lie. We spent £15.24 for 2 pints of pepsi and 2 portions of chips which were TINY (probably about 8 chips) and a lot of them were black in the middle and disgusting. The cost is ridiculous considering the wait and how poor the food was. The only positive thing about this place was the bartender who was lovely.

Very tired decor. Filthy dirty seating. Slow service.

Excellent service, very friendly and attentive waitress named Sally, can't fault her. Lunch was superb, with amazing views of the Downs. Highly recommended.

Fantastic experience, and excellent quality meal. Thanks Sue for your great hospitality and thanks to Stu for your tasty dishes!

Really lovely food and location, Sue and the other waitresses were lovely! Had the turkey roast which was delicious and friend had the sea bass which was also delicious - thank you Stu! Lovely experience, only downside was the toilets felt a bit worn in comparison to the rest of the building.

Excellent family Sunday lunch as ever. Great waitress Ruby very efficient and friendly . And chef Stu even came out of the kitchen to discuss my food allergies. What service.

Really great food and lovely service. We were served by Sally who was really friendly and attentive. The food was great quality and quickly served, but we weren’t rushed away which was really nice. There was a big choice on the menu and so will definitely be going back.

Worst possible experience we've ever had in a pub in England. Our food took exactly 1 hour to arrive and it was only started and sides, also the waitress was extremely rude, and the food came cold. I don't recommend it. The pub is beautiful and location is amazing but unfortunately we won't be back.

Had a lonely lunch today ! Sally was so lovely ! So cheery and welcoming ! Thanks for a lovely lunch experience Sally :) Had an amazing ‘Grain and Greens Salad’ tasted amazing !!

Sally was fantastic server, clean, warm and friendly environment. Big portions of tasty food with a reasonable price

Lovely place to stop for a drink and some food. Area is outstanding. I gave 1 for service to reflect the moody, rude, obnoxious women who served me at the bar pretty sure she was manager .laugh!! Think daughter serving aswel. Both Passive aggressive obviously has issues. Staff who bought the food over though were lovely

Waitress and food were brilliant welcome was insulting!

Really lovely! The food was excellent, as was the service. I would recommend making a reservation to avoid the disappointment of missing out.

First-Class meals served in a First-Class manner

Been here a couple times after a hike....make sure you book, it's very busy for a reason! Food is amazing, great atmosphere and excellent service. Had quite a long wait for the meal last time, but servers are friendly, calm and informative so it remains a good experience and the food is worth waiting for. We'll be back

Sally was very welcoming and very friendly and the service was great. Stuart was the chef today and was spot on with the food we all went home happy and full . We will be going back soon

Good food and good service. The outside of the building could do with a face lift, looking a little dilapidated.

A lot of items from the menu were unavailable, however the food that was available was excellent, service was fantastic. Just don't set your heart on something from the online menu as they run out of popular dishes very quickly.

The cashier staff were unfriendly serving without a smile and was rather hostile. The food choices were average.

No place to seat. No help from the staff. Left hungry within 3min.

Sad to have to change my review, I've been a couple of times and it's been lovely but recently was a rather poor experience. Very under staffed at the time, hoping it was a one off!

Roast dinner was fine but could have been warmer. We were warned about a half hour wait for food but after 45 minutes had to ask where it was it was then "hurried up" so not great.

Very good food and service. Great steak and desserts

We booked restaurant for an evening and upon arriving, nobody greeted us. We finally spoke with a lady by the bar who told us they only have basic foods, “nothing good”. Was spoken to in a condescending tone and was forcing us to order straight away, apparently the kitchen was shutting and there is no mention of this at all on the booking. Needless to say we left. Horrified to know that this person who we spoke with was actually a manager. Feel sorry for some of the staff that has to work with characters like this. Waste of time and journey, only positive is actually the seeing the views outside devils dyke. Food - go somewhere else plenty of better pubs / restaurants in the area.

This will be the last time I ever eat in this place unfortunately I asked the waitress for what starters she recommended . That was my first mistake as it turns out she has the palette of a 5 year old when the food came not only was it the most bland Mac and cheese I've ever had it was stone cold the same as the garlic bread . Then I said to the waitress I just wanted my money back don't not come here for food

We came by on Sunday to grab a roast and were lucky enough to grab a table for two without a booking. Our server Ruby was cheerful and helpful and we felt well looked after at all times. All of the staff that we interacted with were pleasant and helpful. The mini chorizo starter dish was fantastic and kept our hunger at bay while we decided. Lovely dipping sauce too. The Roast was very nice. We went for the Trio, which is a bit indulgent, but that's what Sunday roasts are for. I had a nice glass of Malbec to go with my food. It was a surprisingly spicy tasting Malbec, but that suits me fine. No room for desert. Maybe next time. Now to go enjoy the best part about this pub, the incredible views and walks around the Dyke.

Great pub great location and lovely staff especially Sally who was our waitress! Very good service with a smile.

Obviously busy, but still made to feel welcome and valued by Sally our server. Service was brilliant from her and the young gentleman ( I didn’t get his name, but so polite and enthusiastic) Food was lovely, hot and prompt. Would be good to have basic lighter lunch options on menu, jacket potatoes etc, everything was very dinner based

Really nice meal, excellent service by Sheila

Will enjoyed our meal. Food was very good. Sally our waitress was excellent and outstanding and deserves a bottle of champagne.!

Great food, great service from. Sally. Many thanks.

Our server Sally was absolutely fab with the kids and made us feel incredibly welcome. Lovely way to spend a bank holiday afternoon

Fantastic lunch with wonderful friendly service from Sally

Service from Sally was excellent

The most lovely staff - very welcoming and attentive. Views of the the downs is lovely and the Sunday roast was good!

Lovely meal, wonderful service. Pleasant atmosphere. 👍👍👍

Amazing to all, a must for everyone, and gorgeous views.

A lovely meal with beautiful views. Thank you to our cheerful waitress Ruby 🙂 - all the food was delicious so thank you also to chef Stu.

Sally and Stuart were exceptional! Made us feel welcome from the minute we walked in. 10 out of 10 for attention to detail and attentiveness. They welcomed our friend's Great Dane, Frankie, with such warm-hearted cheer. It was prefect ending to a perfect day! Thank you Sally and Stuart! See you both soon again!

Amazing food and amazing service from Sally

Sally was an amazing server, made us feel really welcome! Lovely food and great view from the pub too :)

Friendly staff and great service from Sally and great food from the chef Stuart

Great pub. Sally was an excellent hostess and Stuart’s food was delicious

Ruby was amazing! So bubbly and friendly, really made the experience better!! Her recommendations were top tier.

Amazing service, fast and super friendly. Sally was very sweet and looked after us. Food was amazing cooked by our chef Lottie. Thank you Will be back again