The Dolphin in Eastbourne - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Wonderful evening, accommodated us at short notice, great food and service, and our dog was very welcomed. Truly recommend.

Lovely establishment. Immaculate, with the cleanest toilets I think I have ever seen in a pub/bar. Friendly staff, lovely calm atmosphere. Thoroughly enjoyed our time there today.

Came in on a Tuesday evening, it was quiet. The staff are very friendly and welcoming. Plenty of choice when it comes to drinks. Didn't have any food so can't comment on that. Definitely a place worth revisiting

The beer is cold and delicious and the fries (chips as they say in the UK) were DIVINE! They have a solid kids menu so there was something for everyone in our group!

We came for a roast dinner yesterday and it was delicious. Included extra roast potatoes and gravy 🥰 which were excellent. Lovely service, pub was very quiet. Meat really tender, lovely well cooked veg but I would have liked a bit more veg served in my plate. But we will definitely return

Good vegetable Wellington and excellent choc orange tart. Hope their new board game Tuesdays succeed!

we went there in Eastbourne from London. Quite for couple and families

Had a party in the function room, the space was absolutely perfect - just some things to consider before booking. At the time of booking I was told that I could bring my own food in, that the tables could be removed from the back, and that we would have the back room and the garden to ourselves. A couple of weeks before the party they rang me and said that I couldn’t bring my own food in and had to use their buffet or no food at all. We arrived on the night of the party and nobody was available to ask what could be done with the extra tables chairs; someone eventually came but we found that only a small amount of chairs could be removed and that was that so we had to do a bit of table/chair Tetris ourselves. The garden wasn’t closed off, people were constantly walking through the party from the main pub which made a lot of guests feel uncomfortable. We asked a member of the bar staff what was going on with that, she didn’t know what to do - which is not her fault at all, fair play to her she hadn’t been there long, but I do think someone should have left some kind of instruction as to what was going on. Lastly, I spent £190 on buffet, granted it was a good amount of food for the money, but 70% of it was left uneaten, as there was no allergy advice with it, and it was so stale, cold, and thoroughly unpleasant, everyone was put off. I did my best to figure out what was what and tell people what was veggie friendly but with it being dark in there and no allergy stickers or flags, a lot of people didn’t want to touch it. It’s a good space, a really good space for a small party; but management/organisation is almost non-existent.

Good service, tasty beer and a smiling face

Should be a really great pub but…. Oh dear… the locals are rude and obnoxious, not great for a tourist location… ok! We won’t come again! Plenty of places in Hastings that make you feel far more welcome. Nice beer though

Hot food on cold plates and a bottle of Chilean Sauvignon Blanc which cost £32 for the bottle - so won’t go back

Lovely, atmospheric pub with friendly staff and a good choice of beers.

Amazing food had dinners and desserts. Absolutely fantastic, lovely thriving pub, very dog friendly. Wait staff very attentive and nice.

I liked it . Dog friendly. At the time I visited their kitchen was closed. It's a nice for a drink. Pint of Guinness is £6.25 there.

Unfortunately the food was way too salty. Nice selection of food but ask for no salt and add your own. Was unable to finish the chips due to the ammount of salt.

Down for the weekend and popped in for a drink. Very busy, seemed to be large groups but everyone knew each other so obviously a locals pub. That said we were made welcome. Nice to see a fire at each end of the bar. too warm to be lit.

On Sunday 5/05 early evening I had a table of six at around 4:20pm, table 15. We all had such a bad experience waiting for our food and such bad service. Four of us ordered fish and chips, one humous and one salad, this took over an hour to come, two came out after an hour then the next twenty minutes later another throw came out after they had finished their meal. We kept asking how long and were told that they didn't know where the food was and the lady was new. The service was awful and they were rude when we asking for an update on our food. The lady even said she only had one pair of hands when she bought the second to last dish and still waited for the last meal even though it was not busy. Overall it took the last person to be served 1hour & a half ! I have email the company but no reply to resolve the issue. Terrible experience, definitely don't recommend.

Quite busy on Sunday and that slowed the service down a bit, but the staff had been really kind and we had a good time! The pie was amazing! Mussels were great! Goat cheese mousse and pears was heavenly!!! Really recommended!!!!! 👍

Great pub with nice people both sides of the bar. Rachel, the landlady, is really committed to keeping great real ales...as well as a lovely pub, good food and a convivial atmosphere

The Dolphin is a fine pub, with a nice fire, friendly atmosphere, and the usual lively discussions at the bar. It has Harvey's bitter.

Lovely food (lamb rump divine!). We all had different roasts which were cooked to perfection. Reasonably priced. Service good too. Would definitely return.

Just brilliant 👏, Great atmosphere and friendly staff at the Dolphin Pub in Eastbourne! Delicious food and cozy vibes.

Came for event in back area - LOVED the food - the mini burgers WERE AMAZING > my ONLY :( was the maddening lack of no-alcohol options . For a town pub I expected a 0% cider range, maybe a 0% cocktail or something - even Chalk Farm has 0% Gordons gin - Definitely something for you to work on :)

The Dolphin is a very pleasant friendly pub with good reliable food menu. It’s dog-friendly and that’s a great asset. I don’t particularly like background music anyway, especially if it’s a bit intrusive but that’s my only gripe.

My meal this evening at the Dolphin was simply delicious. Everything was perfect. I can’t wait to return. Highly recommend.

Pint of Long Man and regular Sauvignon £14.95?....Next time and same round, £11.70?...questioned it. ' the first one must have been a large glass'.. .it wasn't!.. poor service and the two staff seemed inexperienced.....expected better from this pub company ....

Gorgeous food provided by New chefs Sean and Mark! Dined this evening, top notch calamari! Always fantastic service at the bar. Beautiful, traditional and calm environment. New part time chef Mark is a big hit for us. In personality as well as the great food! Cheers guys. We will always come back!

really good!! great prices and drinks, always welcoming and lovely staff. great atmosphere and lovely outside area. Great pub in eastbourne one of my favourites as a local!

Enjoying a meal with my pool team starters homemade hummus and Gazpacho lovely, a fantastic range of lovely food produced by the new Chef here at the Dolphin Shawn Wheeler done an excellent job, I had chilly chicken wings and a burger, but the pork belly was to die for, and you must try the scotch eggs excellent Thank you from all the Hurst Arms pool team and my self Adrian Straatman Licensee of the Hurst Arms in Eastbourne.

Lovely place, brilliant atmosphere. Got surprised with the perfectly seasoned hummus and flat bread, had the dry rubbed chicken wings (which are to die for) they had the perfect crisp and was also full of juice and flavour.. had the steak and Guinness pie as the main.. safe to say it’s one of if not the best pie I’ve had in the area, good choice of beer and wonderful staff 11/10 couldn’t recommend more

An excellent meal with my pool team from the Hurst Arms in Eastbourne A wide selection of great food and very presented by the new chef Shawn Wheeler wonderful menu great chicken wings and calamari pork belly burger great starters Adrian Straatman The Hurst Arms in Eastbourne

New menu is absolutely fantastic. Lovely food nice atmosphere. Make sure you're hungry if you're dropping in!

We were staying in Eastbourne for the weekend, with our dog, and The Dolphin came up on a search for dog-friendly pubs, so we booked a table! We chose to sit in the bar, rather than the restaurant, so it was a little noisy as it was a busy Saturday night, but the atmosphere was warm and inviting. I had some difficult food requirements, and they couldn't do enough to help me! They took the time to discuss what I was able to eat, and disappeared into the kitchen to consult with the chef, coming back with a solution that perfectly met my requirements, and was delicious when it arrived! My husband's meal was also delicious, and we would not hesitate to visit again next time we're in Eastbourne!

Lovely pub with friendly staff. Real fire. Very cosy. Great location. Recommended.

Really nice little pub however the toilets are disgusting 😕

Good selection of wines and beers and good food cooked in house

I booked this pub as it seemed like it did traditional Sunday lunches ( as well as other dishes ) I had 2 friends visiting from Brighton . I have passed by before but not been in . We all ordered something different and my friends added 1 of each of the side dishes . Drinks were brought to the table first followed not too long after with the food but minus the side dishes , the server owned up to the error and said they would not be on the bill so satisfactory resolve I guess , they did turn up as we were just about finished . Unfortunately as I was 90% finished I found a long black hair stuck somewhere between my glass and on my plate so not sure if it arrived with the drinks or the food and why I hadn’t seen it earlier (I was most probably too busy talking ) . I know many people would have complained it did cross my mind but we’d already had one issue and I didn’t want to do the classic of almost eating the whole dinner before complaining . It’s a nice place , nice ambiance ( apart from noisy child nearby cant be helped ) nice food , friendly staff . What is the resolve ? Wear a hair net I don’t know it was an unfortunate incident it wouldn’t put me off going again . I only knocked off 1 star I know many would have knocked off several more these things happen and it’s my honest review .

Lovely Christmas Menu three course meal - the food was plentiful and delicious - the cheese board was massive!! Could just do with a wine list but the staff were so friendly and accommodating - will definitely be back again!

Nice atmosphere and some great beer!

What a wonderful welcome we had when we dropped by this pub. We found a table by the open fire which was burning logs on a crisp, cold November Friday night. The pub is very dog friendly and the landlady behind the bar is very friendly. We will certainly return in the near future. They also offer guest beers

Very friendly staff, made us very welcome. Made alterations for a children's menu and catered to his every need. A baby change table would be handy but I was able to make do. We will return again. Great pub, reasonably priced and good atmosphere.

Went there because it had a fireplace and I was very wet from the rain. Stayed for the excellent food and ales.

Not great for vegans. Vegan fish and chips came with a calamari stuck to the batter!! Manager apologised and said they’d make it up to us, not heard anything. Vegan food should not be prepared nor cooked it’s non vegan food.

What a wonderful pub. We went on a busy Friday night. Fellow customers were very friendly. Great beer; not had Breakspeare's for ages. Pub itself has loads of character; wooden panelling and stained glass windows. We'll be back.

Well, quite a way from home, Eastbourne to attend a wedding and have a week's holiday. We were in this pub on Sunday for a drink and decided on having a meal there tonight. I had an excellent steak n mushroom pie and my partner had beefburger and chips . I have to give the food 10/10 . It was very good and very hot . It's a little off the seafront but well worth a visit for their home cooked food and friendly staff. Five stars

Super Pub, sehr einladend und freundlicher Service. Gute Auswahl an Getränken und Speisen.

Cooper ainsely great worker very quick service

the bar staff here are just fantastic. drinks - great selection. Brakespear pub and a top one at that. very good vibes Tierney does a great coffee as well as offering super advice on local attractions. i will look forward to the DJ Martin and a lov fire come the winter months

Lovely food, great decor, a little expensive but it is worth it. Staff are efficient but not chatty.

Old style pub with friendly staff

Lovely pub, staff very welcoming and dog friendly

The service is beyond average, our taxi didn't come and Rachel suggested to pick us up in person!

Visited this lovely pub after a wedding at the Town Hall yesterday and the owner couldn't have been more helpful in accommodating a fairly large crowd including children. She then organised taxis to take us to our venue and went above and beyond. You are a superstar and sorry I didn't catch your name 🤩🤩

This is a lovely, friendly wee pub, with a good selection of beers and drinks ( a taste of Cruzcampo was offered, as my nephew hadn’t heard of it!), a pleasant seating area outside, and splendid staff. They were not at all nonplussed when we descended on them, adults, children, pushchair, the lot, and were really ‘ over and above’ helpful. The little amount of food we ordered was fresh and hot. Special mention to Rachel, who did a great job getting us taxis to our wedding reception. Location is great, especially for the Town Hall. A visit is highly recommended.

Service was awful, staff member was very rude when I asked why they didn’t have baby change (considering they host family events, I was at a wedding reception). I had to change my baby on the floor, food was pretty tragic and staff very visibly unhappy and unwelcoming. Wouldn’t recommend.

A traditional local . I've not eaten here but the menu looks good . The real ale is kept well the best I'd had all day so we stayed.

This seems like a nice pub atmosphere wise however the food was really bad on the day we visited. Unfortunately it was during their veggie/vegan food promotion which I was really looking forward to and booked the evening off for. None of the food was seasoned and the main dishes did not really taste of much. I'd give it one more try as maybe it was a one off, perhaps it was a busy evening.

A does-what-it-says -on-the -can sort of pub, has traditional pub feel, nice landlady, good beer and food. Would use again.

We found it quite hard to find a nice pub in Eastbourne, this is as close as we got!

We decided on curry night 8.50 For what looked like dinner in a bowl for an eight year old ni garnish no thought was warmed up I think as the rice was stuck together or worse microwaved. Cheap cuts of grisly lamb lots of chunks it was well seasoned I liked the popadom but never again we loved the roast we had here not the curry awful

Great food, generous amounts. Really friendly staff and best of all dog friendly. Would recommend.

Bought my first illegal pint here 34 years ago! Since then it's changed for the better and staff were really friendly. We found a table with some board games next to it in a cupboard and we used the giant cards...as giant fans because it was so hot in there!! But we had a great time and Harvey's pint was lovely.

Staff friendly, they are dog friendly and the beer was great

Great pub good choice of real ales friendly staff

Great roast that we pre ordered as a large group.

The staff were very friendly and nice and food was great as well too. Me and my partner both had the pie of the day and the portions were quite big. And another amazing thing is that this pub is dog friendly. We will definitely be coming back when in Eastbourne!

A very friendly pub. We just had drinks and there was a good selection of wine, beer and cider and we were all happy with our choices. Staff were very friendly and despite not being local, we were made to feel very welcome

Interesting pub with loads of character and decent ales

Was looking for somewhere for my wife and I to eat last night and so glad we chose this pub. The bar staff were all amazing and my dinner was the best I have had for a long time. Wish I had a pub like this near to where I live.

We booked a table for 4 people at 830pm - once seated we were told there were no burgers, nor fish dishes or charcuterie- which other than pies didn’t leave much so we left without eating. Such a shame as we were looking forward to it.

Beautiful pub pleasant service.

Cosy pub. Had a few drinks after a long walk in Eastbourne. Did not eat but the food looked lovely . Open fire and traditional feel.

An amazing experience. Nothing was too much for the staff. We had someone in our party with unusual food intolerances. The manager went through the menu with our party member, disappeared off to the kitchen and came back to advise what was safe and what they could adapt to fit our needs! We sat in the rear which was a beautiful setting. Not from Eastbourne but would definitely go back and eat here.

Great service and food today. We were a party of 6 adults, 1 child and twins in a big pushchair. They accommodated us straight away and went that extra mile to serve a special meal for one of the adults with a food allergy and provided highchairs for the twins and crayons for the child. Very friendly, only down side was that there were no baby changing facilities.

Sunday Lunch overpriced . Roast potatoes rock hard meat tough and tasteless .Staff informed but not interested very sad 😔

Wonderful atmosphere, we had a reception here that was a brilliant night

Great atmosphere and delicious pub food, will come here again.

Slightly limited but tasty vegan options. Friendly team and traditional interior.

Nice burger and fries, friendly staff and good beer!

Good honest pub grub with a friendly service & great beer choice. Warm welcoming atmosphere & friendly service

OK pub, not a lot of non alcoholic drinks. Food was average, nothing special

Food was amazing and staff were lovely, venue was beautiful. All family and friends loved it. A big thank you to management and staff at The Dolphin!

Shut at 8pm New Years Eve! Why be a Publican if you don't want to work? Strange. No premium lager.

I went with a friend for Christmas lunch and the whole experience was wonderful.There was a very pleasant atmosphere,attentive,friendly and professional staff and excellent food and drinks. I look forward to visiting regularly.

12 of us shared christmas dinner with a table booked for 7.15pm. The first course arrived at 9.15pm, the second at 9.45, and pudding at 10.15, by which time half of our party had left. The food was high quality and tasty. Just too slow.

Christmas meal - the turkey was a turkey roll. Two of the smallest pigs in blankets ever. The cheesecake was apparently vanilla but had no taste. Or texture. Was more like a mousse. Should have known when told they weren't serving the rhubarb compote as "when they opened it it wasn't up to our standards". Which begs the question based on the rest of the food just how bad was it? Plus, what do you mean when you opened it? If you get ready meals in, maybe an idea to order in roast dinners from Cook so there's some flavour?

Mum and I visited the Dolphin for the first time upon hearing good recommendations and we weren't disappointed. The food was absolutely delicious and the staff very polite and friendly. Being a very cold day, we occupied a seat by the fire and could have quite happily sat there all day. Will definitely return again on our next visit to Eastbourne. Can thoroughly recommend 👍

Great wee pub. Nice and warm on a cold day and the staff were lovely too

Meal was disappointing. Husband had pork with no crackling. I had lamb which was fatty and grisly. Carrots hard and other veg not hot. The roast potatoes were good. Poor selection of draft beers (I dont drink lager)

Tasty roast here served till late.

They do a lovely tequila lime soda

Large selection of drinks to try makes this a fun night out. The staff were very friendly and the atmosphere felt fun and safe. Nice place to have a drink.

Absolutely banging lunch had here we are both very happy thanks team x

Great quiz night. Lovely staff and atmosphere

We had wonderful meals here. They were dog friendly and also catered for my gluten free diet. In fact, they had run out of one of the gluten free ingredients but instead of removing the meal from the menu, they went out specially to buy more. We thought this was wonderful customer service. Everyone was so nice and friendly and also made a huge fuss of our dog who loved the attention! This is definitely somewhere we recommend.

Friendly intimate main bar, good selection of drinks and good service

Great pub with live music from "Love Action" that night

Good beer and nice staff. Had a few dishes off when we visited which limited choice and the food is a little on the 'well-done' side but it is nicely presented and prepared and very tasty. Good seating and a lovely ambience. Garden is just a yard but quirky and fun.

Delicious fish cake nicely served in charming traditional pub. Excellent Prosecco...

Came in for a drink had some time to kill so decided to have food (light bites). Unfortunately didn't have our initial choices. However, we did have the sharing platter of ribs & wings which was delicious. Great food good bar staff.