The Dorset Arms in Wealden

The lovely staff here managed to squeeze me and my family in for a roast a couple of weeks ago and were very accommodating of my small children. Service was efficient and very professional, the pub was cosy and atmospheric and above all the food was top notch - the best roast I’ve had in years. We will be back!

As a very large family group .we visit this pub each year for our family christmas sunday club get together And every single time .the owner and all staff have been friendly .helpful an go above and beyond to make sure we are all well looked after .Hassle free .friendly and a lovely warm welcoming pub Food was great too xx

We had an evening meal for four. There’s a lovely welcoming atmosphere here, and we’ve eaten here several times before. The service is always really good, and the food is excellent. The curry I had was really great, a lovely meal for a cold evening. Would definitely recommend eating here.

Good food, reasonable price, cozy environment, friendly service from an independent pub in a historical village in Sussex.

This was such a homely and relaxing stay with the family. Stan made us feel at home and went over and above with his service. Beds were super comfy too. Would definitely recommend and would re-visit. Thanks for such a pleasant stay, worth every penny and more.

Great pub! Excellent food, friendly staff and an upbeat atmosphere. Highly recommended.

Had lunch here with my wife and my grandsons wife. Service was great with friendly and attentive staff. Food was well presented and delicious. We had our dog with us and he was made very welcome and there were numerous other people in the bar with dogs so definitely a dog friendly pub.

Cracking Sunday roast with really friendly service. Worth booking in advance though

We were a family of six, five of an elderly age. We had venison cappacio of which we had terrible food poisoning which is on going to the present moment, 36 hours later. I have written to the Pub but the Manager denies any responsibility for it. We have spent a considerable of money there, three courses, pre dinner drinks, a bottle of wine and coffee. I am very angry that this serious issue is being brushed aside, the Manager only responded after a second attempt at writing again. My concern is that other people , the elderly might have more serious effects.

Fantastic pizzas in the garden, crispy base, great choice of toppings and a delicious sauce. Lewis is a master pizza maker.

Awful experience in a quiet restaurant! Terrible service. Would not recommend.

Visited for lunch with husband and three dogs, who were allowed in on the wooded floor area. Everyone was extremely friendly staff and other guests. Was pleasant atmosphere and guests actually spoke to other guests. We chose to have the burger and chips. Local sourced beef , left slightly pink in the middle as it should be, well seasoned and a juicy burger, chips were cooked to perfection over all highly recommended. We chose this pub as not really local to us as they helped my husband a few months back, they gave him water, called an ambulance then taxi and looked after him after he was left stranded, they acted amazingly for which I’m extremely grateful. This really is a gem of a find pub which does go the extra mile to help people

Visitor/Guest in from U.S. My wife and stayed at Dorset Arms while visiting friends in the area. I wish we could give it more than 5 stars. The accommodations were very comfortable and quiet. We had both lunch and dinner in the pub and the food was amazing. Every employee we encountered was very polite and helpful. I rarely leave reviews when traveling, but Dorset Arms is just that good.

Delightful well run country pub. Good choices of beers wines .lovely open garden to sit in Supper was typical main course choices all top quality products, well cooked and presented .But not much vegetarian choice .Homemade fish pie was super, followed by a traditional English summer pudding and clotted cream . Beautiful hanging baskets outside Inhance the traditional look. Stayed overnight in the old school house at the rear of the pub ,an enchanting Sussex building .Immaculate rooms with good facilities.Ideal accommodation. Breakfast served in the pub ,delicious! A friendly well run establishment, great place to meet up with old friends .

Large olde worlde pub and restaurant with lots of character and also beer garden. Excellent food well worth stopping by.

The oven baked pizza are outstanding and come with a fantastic variety of toppings!

We were celebrating our friend's birthday and after a day out in London wanted somewhere nice to eat in the evening. Our friend suggested this pub as she lives nearby in Forest Row and hadn't been here for a few years. We took the precaution of booking a table just in case. We arrived earlier than we had envisaged but there was no problem and we were quickly shown to our table. Our server was Laura, who was absolutely charming and made us very welcome. The menu is not extensive but that makes choosing what to eat much easier. We had a couple of questions and Laura quickly checked with the kitchen before coming back with the appropriate answers. Very helpful. We all decided to skip the starters, although we were sorely tempted. My husband had the Steak and Frites, whilst my friend and I both chose the Sea Bass. All of these were absolutely delicious, good size portions and nicely presented. For drinks our friend had a blackcurrant cordial (she was driving), my husband had a pint of the guest IPA (which he said was lovely) whilst I had a half of Thatchers cider. Sadly we did not have any room for dessert although the choices looked very tempting! Thank you to everyone for a very enjoyable meal. We will definitely return again, perhaps having a starter and dessert and skip the main course next time? One word of caution: it is definitely worth booking in advance in order to avoid disappointment.

Great to see the brick oven blazing and delivering perfect pizza. Frutti di Mare is heaven. Lovely atmosphere in the garden and a perfect lunchtime and afterschool spot.

Great to see the brick oven blazing and delivering perfect pizza. Frutti di Mare is heaven. Lovely atmosphere in the garden and a perfect lunchtime and afterschool spot.

Flat iron chicken is superb, very comfortable rooms and lovely staff.

Great food. Good menu choices. Nice ambience. Plenty of easy parking.

Lovely beer garden and in the height of summer if you are lucky you may be able to order the trifle!!!

Only had drinks. £10.80 for a lager shandy and sparkling water, when I queried they said it's the price. Nice beer garden but a bit pricey for me.

Felt quite overpriced...breakfast was cooked to order, but wasnt hot when arrived, no explantion of how breakfast worked etc. Was slightly harried out due to sunday lunch

Absolutely outstanding food and atmosphere. Stake was amazing. And really delicious dessert

A delightful restaurant at the Dorset Arms which is a must if you’re in the area. The very friendly staff serve delicious food especially the venison steak pie which was just yummy - highly recommend visiting

A really friendly pub .. sadly I missed the food service which was a shame as it had been recommended to me..however I'll definitely be back soon to give it a try soon. They had a good reange of drinks and all were served with a smile :)

Just had a superb lunch at Dorset Arms, our first visit, with relatives. Lovely welcoming pub, friendly staff and beautifully cooked food. Two of us had the flat iron chicken and the other two, the rump steak, very tasty and chips to die for!! We will certainly return.

Spent the night for work. What an amazing surprise. The lady at the reception did upgrade our room. The room was big yet cozy. Very clean. Breakfast was especially great of a amazing quality. I loved the full English breakfast. The entire stay was just perfect and what an amazing staff you have there. I can't find anything negative to say, except, the night was 2 short and I wish I could stay one more night. See you soon Moria

Super friendly staff, lovely atmosphere, amazing food!

An absolutely wonderful pub with brilliant atmosphere and great drinks. A wonderful spot for drinks with the horses. Highly recommend!

This was our go to pub/restaurant for quite a number of years. We are very sad that is no longer the case. Expensive, even the bread! Salad very tired and service takes ages but on the whole the staff are professional and pleasant. Place much emptier than in past times. Really need to up their game.

Used this pub to start and finish a circular walk through the lovely countryside. This was on a wet Easter weekend. We arrived back at the pub for a 3pm drink. We had a large group including kids and teens, including some muddy clothing and muddy dog. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. The Harvey's bitter and the IPA went down really well.

We came here yesterday for Sunday lunch .This pub was recommended to us by a friend and we have been here many times and have had really good food . We were really looking forward to a good Sunday roast again . Sadly that was not to be, we were all very disappointed in the food . The starter and puddings were good . The beef was ok but extremely rare I would say . There are many people who dont like rare beef . There was also no choice on how we wanted our beef . The potatoes were hard and the veg looked unappealing. No flavour at all . Actually all the food was lukewarm and the potatoes were hidden under the meat , i think, to soften them . Also I asked the guy behind the bar if there was any cauliflower cheese and he said he would ask . He didn’t come back to me at all . It wasn’t as busy at that stage either . I’m writing this review because this pub is charging restaurant prices and adding an optional 12 and a half percent service charge which is very difficult to change without feeling awkward , so most people in my opinion have to pay this . I wanted to complain while I was there but it was my daughter’s boyfriend’s first time down south and I didn’t want to cause a fuss . I don’t know if this pub has changed hands recently but whatever the reason , I dont recommend this place for Sunday lunch anymore . I would like to end on something positive though …. The young girl who took out drinks , starters and main course orders was very pleasant .

Super b reasonably priced food and excellent friendly service! Can’t wait to return and enjoy the great beer garden in the Summer! Good menu with interesting choices

We stayed a night in the Old School House Cottage and had a fantastic time. Quiet, clean, and homely. Waking up to the sounds of birds chirping and smelling the fresh countryside air was a treat. We enjoyed a delicious dinner at the pub the night before - full of charm and history. Highly recommended!

I have been to this pub several times over the last decade and sadly standards have slipped considerably. Good boozer, not good for food. Menu is limited and has not changed significantly but simple pub classics such as burgers were inedible and caused an upset stomach. Service was non existent had to go up and ask for bill etc, not the attention to care that this place used to be known for. Old food ( chicken) wedged in the grooves of the table made me feel sick. Raw meat deliveries also being made through the front door of the restaurant past the bar and our tables - no one needs to see the joint of sunday beef coming in past their table ( very off putting). Paid over £200 for 6 people really not worth it and sadly I don't think I will be returning any time soon. However, worth a pint just not food, which is a real shame as it used to be a very high quality.

Just had lunch here. Awful experience for a 79th birthday party. Also went here for another birthday in January and thought we would give one more chance after using this place for years. It’s like it’s changed hands but hasn’t. No service. Food was diabolical, had given two people sickness and dirreaheo almost straight away . Just not ok. No apologies no acceptance on how awful it was

Very poor service, amazingly slow, we waited over an hour to be served and then the food took ages. Our coffees came before our desserts.

Recommended by friends. The staff were friendly and service was good. I started with a scotch egg that was okay. I had fish and chips for the mains. The chips were off white and needed browned. The fish was a bit overcooked. I didn't recognise the type of fish but I did not particularly like it's after taste. The vegetables were fine. This plus two glasses of beer was £50. I thought that was extortionate for what I got and the quality of it.

Bread for the table came late after requests. Food in general was very good.

I was here on a date and we were given a nice table. Atmosphere is cosy and welcoming. Staff very friendly. I had the trout which really was delicious, best I'd had in ages. My friend enjoyed the Beef Bourguignon and seemed to have a large portion.

Visited for a birthday celebration Sunday lunch with family. The food was truly excellent; best roast dinner ever! We will certainly visit again.

Total disappointment. We chose this pub based on reviews and only think/ hope we caught it at the wrong time, not that there should be a wrong time. Sesame tempura tiger prawns. The smallest prawns I have ever seen, greasy (oil must be the wrong temp) and nothing to resemble tempura. Dense and horrible. We also ordered the bread with balsamic and oil. It was a glaze not balsamic vinegar so that was just sat at the bottom, just disappointing. Butternut squash and thyme risotto. The WORST risotto I have ever been presented with. I ate the whole thing as I was extremely hungry after a dog walk as it was edible but it wasn’t a risotto. It was so overcooked and had unmentioned beetroot through it which totally ruined the flavour of the overcooked butternut squash. Awful presentation, just awful at 19.95. Presto/ zizzi can do better with their mass produced food. They offer 3 steaks on the menu, my partner ordered the ribeye medium rare. It was so rare, not even slightly warm and we had to wait an age for a steak knife. No one asked us during if the food was ok. We were sat in front of the bar yet I had to stand up to order another drink. So so many better pubs around with brilliant service. They couldn’t have cared less, not even a hello on the way in.

The staff was very friendly,especially Darren but unfortunately we waited a hour for our food which was cold,the chicken sticky bites were tough and not succulent,my cheese and bacon burger was rock hard and the lettuce was not fresh,the prawns had no flavour in some kind of white sauce(cold)..the calamari was nice but the onion rings were very oily ..we were a group of 6 so we spent alot of money between us...such a shame as we drove down from London to spend Christmas eve with family and it was my choice seeing the menu online why Idecided to book online...as I said..amazing staff..but food let them down big time ...probably under staffed and was very busy today...unfortunately won't be back next time I visit my family in East Grinstead.

Great food with delightful service

Lovely pub. Good food and friendly staff. Will be back.

Came for one of the Wednesday steak nights and was very impressed with the overall experience. Steak was perfectly cooked and delicious, staff were friendly and attentive and the atmosphere was pleasant. Will be returning

Staff were lovely, the area we were placed was very wet as had leaks in the roof. Left something behind, emailed the pub with no reply. The food was OK, lots of fat on the chicken, due to being part of a large group we were also charged more then the regular menu price. Wouldn't return foe a meal but everyone was nice that worked there.

Stumbled in here midweek after a long walk in the surrounding beautiful countryside. Cannot fault the quality of the food although the vegetarian in our party of 4 did find the selection a bit limited. Beer was equally good! Service missed getting five stars as our food order was slow to be taken. Staff friendly and helpful so I am perhaps being a bit pernickety! Overall though I would recommend and we will be back.

Went for lunch on a Monday in winter and couldn’t believe how busy it was, luckily we had booked. Service was rather slow but we put that down to the volume of customers, and as it happened it didn’t matter to us. Like a lot of pubs these days, there are no sandwiches or ploughman’s etc at lunchtime, so if you want those you should go elsewhere. We each had a main course only and these were very substantial - a local venison burger, chicken in a creamy tarragon sauce and local venison cottage pie, which was sublime. The chicken was a little overdone and the accompanying dauphinois potatoes meant that it was all very rich and creamy, perhaps not the best accompaniments, however they were listed on the menu so can’t really complain. There was a roaring log fire and the whole place seemed welcoming with lots of olde world charm. As someone else has commented, you are only allowed to take dogs to tables which are not in the carpeted part of the pub, so you have to make sure you make this very clear when booking if you will have a dog with you. All in all, a good lunch in a very nice setting and I would go back.

Booked a table for 7 and told them we had two greyhounds which was told was fine When we got there we were told we couldn’t take the dogs to the table we had been designated When I asked ti sit elsewhere we were gives a table but told another party was booked on two hours I asked they they be given the table we were originally allocated After 90 mins we were told we had to leave in ten mins as a party were waiting when my 32 year old son objected the manager was very rude I will never be going back to this pub having been going for years I will find an alternative as this was the worst service from a very up market??? Pub that I took my French friends to, they were appalled

Went for our birthday, lunchtime meal, couldn't have been better looked after by Lyn, unexpected glass of fizz and candles in the dessert. Food was very good and I can recommend the three small desserts on the menu. Would definitely visit again.

Very disappointed. Had fish and chips. The fish was well overcooked and curling at the edges and tasted off. Mentioned to the waitress who came back saying the chef insisted the fish was fresh. Not convinced as we saw two other plates of fish being returned. Having said that my leek and potato soup was nice as was my beetroot salad.

Beautiful setting. Booked for a Sunday lunch as we were child free and wanted to spend some quality time as a couple. The whole experience was over in 35 mins. We felt rushed and once seated our order was taken within minutes. Food was delicious but my husband still had his final mouthful of food when the plates were whisked away and he was asked if we wanted dessert. He had to swallow before answering. It was a real shame as it's expensive and we felt disappointed with the rushing of it all. Cosy Sunday date with my husband was what I was hoping for. It was not the experience I had hoped for.

Consistently good food, great traditional pub

Nice pub, but the good wasn't so great. My chicken wasn't fresly grill -was a bit stail

Dorset menu is coming back strong again. Good menu to select from. Every dish came out perfectly cooked and presented today. Looking forward to the next visit.

Excellent service and excellent food! Will definitely return soon. Great job Dorset Arms.

Stumbled upon this pub whilst out exploring the local area. As it was lunchtime we decided to pop in to see if we could get a cheeky bite. As it was a Friday afternoon it was relatively busy but straight away we were met by a warm greeting and staff accommodated a table for us and our two young children including 1 high chair. Service and food was impeccable. Lynne especially interacted so lovely with our two young children and her customer service was fantastic. All the staff were warm and welcoming and the food was delish! Will definitely be back! Thank you for a wonderful lunch!

I recently celebrated my birthday with a group of friends for drinks+nibbles and could not fault the service and quality of the food we ordered - It was delicious! High praise to the Chef and the Bar and Restaurant Staff. 👏

Absolutely 10 out of 10…. Welcome was outstanding!! Drinks were delivered with a smile 😃 Food was spot on! Was only driving through but will definitely put it on my favourites on my Sat Nav definitely worth a detour!

Superb meal and quality accommodation. Highly recommended

Great pub with great food. Wines a little more expensive but all good. Classic pub menu as expected. See it scores 4 star rating on most things. This is a strong four star rating & at the top of 4 star. Great setting & staff are friendly. You will not be disappointed with this venue trying to do the job properly

It was a pleasure to stop and have a few drinks at the Dorset Arms. An elderly Chap was very quick to assist in opening the door in order for me to carry out my drinks. I asked about the pub and he was able to give me lots of knowledge of the area and the pub. Such characters are few and far between now days...wonderful old fellow. We'll certainly look forward to going back for meal and hopefully here more about this wonderful pub.

Lovely old pub with great drinks, food and service.

I stayed here with my children and sisters and we all had a lovely time! The food was delicious, and the staff were very friendly and welcoming. The grounds were beutiful, and we enjoyed a lovely walk in the evening. The breakfast was also good. Highly recommended!

I came here with my family and the food and service has definitely improved. i had the korean chicken it it was lovely 😊 i would recommend this to anyone looking for lunch / dinner

Exceptionally good food, we had a fantastic meal Highly recommend

Nothing short of superb! We arrived not expecting anything more than average, but then to be blown away with excellent food and very endearing service. A big thanks from us for such a lovely evening

This foodie pub is a great place to eat put. Never been before but will return. The service, food and atmosphere were very good.

Been here. Many times with friends and twice in the last 6 weeks. First experience was poor but I thought I would give it another go. Food is good to outstanding, in particular scotch egg(seems to be smaller!), duck was well cooked and recently had a special of plaice which was outstanding!! Dated wine list…very Francophile with all the classic french wines represented in some form…its 2023 there is much more to wine than France. Staff is mostly students or young people competent but inexperienced. The older man on the bar is ever present, friendly and very welcoming. Explained the wines to me including wine making techniques really well. There is another older lady who appeared to be dressed in trainers and striped shirt and on this occasion trainers again and what I could only describe as culottes flying at shin high!!! Dress code has slipped but this still worth a visit….decor looking dated but still homely. Worth a visit if only for the food which is still a high standard.

Brilliant cozy pub. food is always amazing and staff are always friendly. The pizzas in the beer garden are brilliant.

I was taken there as a surprise present and I have never been so disappointed with the service. The food was amazing but over priced when I heard how much my granddaughter paid. The waitresses were kind to me and the men behind the bar were so lovely & welcoming. But, I did not like the older lady, who I think was in charge. She seemed to be very aloof. She showed no interest in our party. I would not want to come back here again.

The food and general country setting is great, however the following do let it down and need improvement, particuarly given the prices. - Service: Throughout your visit, you're served by almost all staff working that shift. Subsequently, no rapport is built and theres no way of them ever knowing when you were last asked whether you want a drink or how the food is. - Decor/tidy up: It's shabby in parts. The gun room has ceiling stains. The carpet in the main restaurant looks grubby and in the 'garden room' there's a plethora of things that shouldn't be on display, i.e. parasols etc. - In need of some light background music for ambiance. The above does let the Dorset Arms down and it would be great to see these acted on. Come 2025 when the Pig opens in Groombridge there's going to be stiff competition for sunday lunch in the parish. I'd get ahead of the game!

Decided to go back to a childhood pub where my parents took me and a friend is the chef. Absolutely fantastic lunch. We decided to have a nice Harvey's bittershandy and both decided to have the steak and kidney pie with kale. It was absolutely delicious. Remind me of my past and when I first started out in catering The waitresses the lady behind the bar they will very friendly and the service was 100% and more. The food was more than 100% and I so recommend that anyone try this restaurant and pub. I'd like to go back and try their roast in it on a Sunday, but best to book up. If you want to go on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday evening or day best to book. You can find this pub online by googling it. I hope this helps and that anybody goes really enjoys it and leaves a review because the food is amazing and so was the service. Thank you Dorsey Arms for making my day so special

Oh dear...a lateish Sunday lunch admittedly (2.45pm) but long delay while 'more chicken' was cooked...They shouldn't have bothered....Flabby, unappetising and unsophisticated ...and £20 for this. Obviously frozen cauliflower pieces....very disappointing

Overpriced, small portions. Much too expensive for what was served up. Food was OK but no better than other nearby pubs and far pricier. Wine was reasonably priced. Service good but we will not be going back due to the poor value.

This should have been an easy 5 star review. The cottage was excellent (except for the dust and ridiculous shower attachments) and dinner was superb, served by a friendly waitress, aided by a very professional barman. Breakfast was a disaster. No fruit, no yogurt, no...

The Dorset arms is nice but not nice enough for the price. They offer some good dishes and the food is good quality (lovely beef) but definitely overpriced for what you get. The service was friendly but waitress didn’t seem to know what was on her own menu which was odd. Two of our party ordered the burger which was outstanding. The roast lunch was good but definitely not excellent. Desserts were good, but again, not exceptional. Our table top was decidedly wobbly and because it was the top, it couldn’t be stabilised by wedging something under a leg for instance. That’s just an intense irritation to diners and should not happen. It’s a traditional pub in nice surrounds but just a bit lacking on the finer points to make it worthy of a higher score.

Really nice country pub with a traditional feel. Good food and very generous portions.

The food was absolutely amazing with generous portions and a great menu. Service and atmosphere we also great aswell. Perfect

Beautiful looking pub but sadly the service and food was not very good the day we went and was very expensive. We had to ask for our order to be taken after waiting for ages then it was a long wait for the food to...

Loved our evening and cosy ambience.

Yes yes yes. Freehouse with full service a la carte restaurant. Great location on Buckhurst estate. Worth a visit come rain or shine.

Very relaxed country dining experience. Excellent food.

Wonderful pub in a lovely setting. The main dining area is comfortable but refined, and there is a large garden behind. The food is good quality with a broad selection of modern British bistro dishes alongside classics, at a fair price. The staff are friendly and professional.

Beer (Harvey's) very well kept. Food, although good, certainly not as good as it was when it was outstanding. Scotch egg starter and salmonm main both lacked seasoning and a bit of wow factor.

Great foe Lunch with very good food and beer - Harvey's- staff very friendly Will return

Stayed there for a night. The cottage/inn was quaint and cosy. Loved the quiet countryside with all nice smiles from the staffs. Had a 3 hour walk at the old railway not far from the inn.

The Dorest is a fantastic building and cozy pub. While you are there you can witness in real time how the rich get richer. Apart from the normal menu, they also sell their own beef from the Estate. 4 pack of burgers is £5 (on...

Lovely accommodation and wonderful food. A warm cosy establishment.

I have been here a few times and it was good, but the last stop (Mar 2023) was really, really good. The food was cooked perfectly. The flattened chicken could have been the best chicken I have ever had. We also tried the Gravlax, which...

I have been here a few times and it was good, but the last stop Mar 2023) was really, really good. The food was cooked perfectly. The flattened chicken could have been the best chicken I have ever had. We also tried the Gravlax, which was incredible as well as the Bavette steak, which was also cooked perfectly. The team of servers were attentive and friendly and the rearranged tables gave the place a really cozy feel. Thank you Dorset Arms!!

Great food. Friendly and efficient staff. A very pleasant lunch.!!

Lovely homely country pub. We didn't eat, but wish I had, the food looked delicious.

Good menu and food, well presented and served.

Posh, characterful country pub, with great food. Best Sunday roast I have tasted in a long while. Not cheap, but worth every penny.

Very impressive menu (if you're into traditional pub food).

Friendly staff, cosy pub with nice wood fire and dog friendly. Had a very delicious lunch there (Confit duck + cabbage + mash) washed down with a pint of Harvey's best bitter ale. C'est la vie. I hope I am in the neighbourhood again in the future as it makes a great pitstop lunch experience.