The Friars Oak in Mid Sussex

I really like this pub It’s lovely inside well kept and maintained The garden area is large and there is a patio area and a grass area too. The food is delicious. There is a great selection of beers and snacks. They even sell popcorn. I really need to come back and take so photos of the food and the pub. As I don’t go to the area much I do go there as much as I’d like. Would highly recommend. There is free parking and very close to the pub. Easy access and very easy to get to and find.

Took nearly 2 hours to tell me my Uber eats order was cancelled

Great place for a mid week meal with friends, lovely food, pleasant service, get yourself a Vintage card for some great discounts

Our waitress emly was brilliant she new everything so lovely

Nice decor, nice menu and friendly staff

we ordered sunday roast from here 2 weeks ago and was happy with everything. Sadly this week they failed to deliver one of the meals ordered and the side dish of cauliflower cheese was tiny compared to previous order, definitely not worth the price paid for it.

Popped in for drinks, great cocktails and the staff as friendly as ever

First time here lovely food staff and atmosphere

We were a party of 10, including two children, and had pre booked. The staff were very friendly and patient as one of our party had to finish a football match before joining us. The food was beautifully cooked and served hot. The staff were attentive without being pushy, and the service was very good. The toilets were clean and well stocked with necessary items. I can't comment on the price as it was a family meal for my Birthday.

Excellent food, log fires, cosy feeling, attentive staff, nothing is too much bother. We've always had a nice welcome and never had a bad meal. Thank you.

Food was very average and therefore overpriced. Nice pub for a drink but not to eat.

Good food choices, generous portions. We were served timely food very good.

Booked for lunch 18/2 and we were not disappointed, service and food was 100%, interior was beautiful, such a lovely place wish every village/town had this pub. Keep up the fantastic work as the place is so cosy and welcoming ♥️

We went there for Sunday lunch it was probably one of the best roasts I have had! Gorgeous roast spuds and delicious lamb rump. Service was spot on and friendly. Highly recommend.

Had dinner at the friars oak on Friday 7th February 2025, the food was excellent, the staff were so friendly and polite We had to return on Sunday 9th February to try there roast dinner, it was absolutely fantastic , compliments to the chef's! All the staff were pleasant and friendly, we cannot fault anything about this place. We are now starting to use it as our local, it's so hard to find a place like this, it has the fall package good food.clean tidy, friendly smart and polite staff

Food and staff are always fantastic. We always enjoy our time.

Nice decor and surroundings. Food of a good standard but a little expensive for lunchtime. Set meal options?? Slow cooked pork belly was nice but would have preferred the external fat to have been a lot more crispy. Too gelatinous for me. Staff very pleasant and courteous especially the young man. 😊 Re: toilets (ladies) a lick of paint around the hand dryers areas would project a cleaner environment.

Thank you Friars Oak! We have had the best meal I’ve eaten in forever and Laura, our server was so fantastic. She was attentive asked about our meal and checked if we were ok throughout our meal. The food! Well the food was phenomenal- the best I’ve had in a long while Thank you all so much. This was an impromptu night that’s ended up on of the best ever. Laura. You made it.

Had a fantastic roast lunch on Sunday at the Friars Oak. The food is usually very good but on this occasion the roast was at another level. Well cooked and presented. Excellent selection of vegetables and the meat was cooked to perfection. A call out to Louie the chef. The waitress Phoebe was very good too which added to the experience.

I booked us a mid-week dinner at this place. The booking was made via the Vintage Inns app which had advertised 50% reduction for the mid-week January bookings. Sadly, however the dinner was ruined by the terrible service offered by a young girl who evidently did not want to be there. The starter came with the main meal; pudding was missed completely. No questions regarding the melas could be answered ! One of the worst services we have ever experienced. When settling the bill, I had to specifically request to have the 50% reduction applied !! The 1st version of the bill was refunded whilst the 2nd version of the bill was NOT a 50% reduction. By then I just wanted to get out so didn't bother arguing the case. To top it all as we left, our waitress togethert with her friend, sitting at one of the tables, started to mock and laugh at us, although not entirely sure the reason for their amusment, which made my wife very upset. I just found their behaviour disgraceful. We won't be going back to the Friars Oaks in a hurry

An amazing quiz hosted by an amazing quiz master! Well done!

We had an amazing & delicious, meal 2 courses each including the Soup & Pie of the day, a Roast & a mini dessert & hot drink. Very good value, lovely surroundings very cosy, service was excellent even though the pub was full, would definitely recommend a visit & will be telling friends & family

Lovely pub! Amazing food and very attentive service.

Lucas was really helpful. He was patient when my son needed a little more time to order his food. He came back to ask us if everything was ok with the food. He wasn’t pushy just attentive. Hannah served us desserts and was equally friendly and helpful. Over all it was a great experience for my husband’s birthday and the food was delicious. Highly recommend.

My friend and I try to come every week we love the atmosphere , the staff are so friendly, food lovely and so hot

First time back after a couple of years due to bad service and food, it was a pleasure this time and will definitely be going back.

Stay lunch in middle of January and surprisingly busy. Good was amazing and the staff were lovely when you got to interact with them. Maybe it's my city impatience but trying to get someone's attention to even begin to interact with them seemed like hard work. (When we wanted the bill the people at the table next to us had to pass on the message after 10 minutes or so of waving when they weren't looking) Slight shame happened on a day that we needed quicker service. Would have even told them that if could get their attention! Good sign when a pub like this is busy but they weren't at all aware of their customers (also forgoe having another drink when didn't get served in time) Fingers crossed next time I come here for Sunday lunch I'll be staying local, because I could easily see myself a few hours more than we did...

Received a 50% offer by email off mains. So decided to take advantage of the offer, but regretted every moment. Drinks order was taken after 10min of being seated, took over 40mins to arrive. Our party of 4 decided to order Fillet Steak but was advised by the waitress " no steak left". Checked the menu again and re-ordered Prawn Kebabs, Lamb Kebabs & Sea Bass. This order took over 1hr for the food to arrive, everything was Luke warm and dried out. The Prawn Kebabs were so over - cooked you couldn't peel the shell off. All in all, we should have known better when tempted with the 50% offer, we won't be visiting again in a hurry. What's the chances of Steak NOT being on the menu everyday the 50% is running.

You really made our Christmas Day! The staff were so friendly and made the day relaxed an enjoyable and the food...wow Beef Wellington was always going to be a gamble but you nailed it. All the food was incredible and we will definitely be back. Can't thank you enough!

Party of 10 . We were looked after very well as the restaurant was busy. The food was lovely. Thank you. Our visit was the Sunday before N/Y.

Great food - lovely atmosphere.

Very friendly efficient staff. Good is good, not huge portions so no wastage. Hot and cold drinks are good too. Nice decor. Good parking.

Lovely food and absolutely fantastic service from Laura, who went above and beyond

I had not eaten at The Friars Oak before but based on other reviews and their interesting Christmas Menu booked a table of 28 for our Company Christmas dinner. From start to finish we were looked after very well by a dedicated team, who ensured all our requests were catered for; being, menu options, dietary needs, including coeliac's and several drinks orders. We had a great time and didn't feel pressured to leave. I have since had lots of great feedback from colleagues who attended and thoroughly enjoyed the evening. The Friars Oak will be on our option list for future staff events!

A poor selection of ales available, and lacking non-alcoholic beer options too. Food was cooked well and presented nicely. The portions of food were a bit small and basic for the price though.

We had a really lovely 3 course meal on New Year's Eve. The food was fantastic and the service was excellent. We have been to Friar's Oak for lunch and dinner a few times and always enjoy it.

Lovely Meal here tonight served by phoebe

Had a lovely meal here I had the pork and my partner had the sea bass and it was delicious

Food is always superb as is the service - always recommend you to my friends and family

Had a lovely Sunday roast, lots of options available but we went for the pork belly and it was delicious! Wide variety of food and drink on the menu. Great service and lovely atmosphere, especially sat next to the fire. Reasonably priced for the quality of the food.

An inviting pub / restaurant. Plenty of food and drink options at a reasonable price. Excellent service in very pleasant, clean and tidy surroundings. Tables cleared promptly and staff checking in with you to make sure everything is as expected. Have been to the Friars Oak twice in the last week and probably again in a couple of weeks time. Staff are hard working, efficient, kept on top of things and very friendly and nice. Lots of seating and private areas if you prefer that. Recommend a visit, even if it is to pop in for a quick drink without food.

One of my favorite pubs to visit. I think they could do better on the allergy menu, otherwise I'd give it a 5. They do offer lots of vegetarian options.

We booked a table of 20 for our company Christmas meal. Excellent food, huge portions, top notch and friendly service. Thank you so much for having us :)

Lovely ambience and very friendly staff

Excellent Sunday Lunch, fantastic service from the moment we arrived to the goodbye when we left. Food was good, pub was busy and had a relaxed vibrant atmosphere.

We went for brunch with Santa this morning, the staff and Santa were amazing, our daughter even received a free gift. We often come here for dinner and roasts, the food has always been brilliant.

I’ve been going to the Friars Oak for about 8yrs on and off. I have found of late the service is awful. Waiting so long for everything. The staff are very pleasant but having to wait so long to even get a drink is so annoying. I have decided not to go back.

Excellent meal, friendly staff, great atmosphere.

Lovely food and staff were extremely helpful and quick with serving drinks.

Great time, reasonably priced, lovely atmosphere, the tables don't feel crowded, everywhere has its own private space

Good food, good service, nice atmosphere.

Nice venue. However service was very slow. We arrived for our booked table, at 12.30, which was in the lower half of the pub. Lots of empty tables. We were seated and asked what drinks we wanted. The drinks arrived. After a while we were asked for our meal options. We then wanted and waited, before food finally arrived an hour later. The venue was also cold enough for me to have to wear my coat, until I requested that the radiator behind me was actually turned on. The food was good when it did finally turn up, but I doubt I will return.

Frequent customer so it obviously ticks lots of boxes for me. Nice surroundings and warm feel to it Service always on point. Food generally good and varied menu. Nice range of beers and lagers.

The best Sunday roast I've had in a long while. Healthy portions, beautifully cooked and as good a gravy as I've ever tasted. However, we had to wait over an hour for the main course to arrive and 45 mins for dessert. Worth the wait, but pushed our patience, and those of the diners around us.

Food was delicious but sad to see they’ve reduced the sizes of the portions since the new menu has come out. Staff are friendly but didn’t know how to use the Vintage Inn App so didn’t get my coupon. Other than this, really enjoyed the food and service.

Had Sunday Roast here recently.The lamb and beef roasts were excellent. Generous portions, perfectly cooked meat. Potatoes were a bit soft. Roasted veg good too. Hot food and hot plates. Quite expensive. All roasts came in at over £22. Good ambience, lovely comfortable area, very dog friendly too. Service a bit slow, but it was very busy. Would return.

Nice atmosphere and tasty food. Good service.

Food was okay. Service was good. Very long wait times. Won’t be back again

Came down for the quiz, lovely food great selection of beers, the servers were very welcoming and attentive

First experience of Sunday lunch at The Friars Oak. Really impressed, food and presentation was excellent. The staff did a brilliant job, nothing was too much trouble so hats off to them. We'll be back.

Our sever Bella was so friendly and gave some lovely recommendations an asset to your restaurant. Food was superb

I've lived near this pub for a couple of years but never visited due to the limited vegan options, particularly for kids. It's definitely improved but you'd want to like butternut squash! It features on the vegan starter, two mains and wrap. The festive and Sunday menu (both the same), also have a squash starter and main. There is also a rather pricey veg curry that doesn't have it. Whilst there is an extra charge to add chicken to it on the set menu, this isn't reflected in the regular menu where the price is the same. Despite the squash prevalence, the chickpea squash burger was surprisingly good and makes a change from fake meat, and the chips were freshly made. The pub has a nice ambiance and great service. Hopefully there might be some alternative (not all squash!!) options in future, and some non-dairy ice cream (not sorbet) would be great.

This pub is a work Friday lunchtime favourite and we head there every Friday at 13:00pm for our lunchtime pint to finish off the week.

Nice place, good staff and food , nice place for a Sunday out

Lovely country pub with great service and delicious food....need more of the potatoes on the roast, roasted

Very enjoyable meal. No pressure for table. Nice relaxed atmosphere. Kebab skewers were very good

Had sunday lunch - for was OK. Service was good.

Lovely place, great staff and delicious food!

Lovely evening here with great menu choices. Had quite a wait between our starters and mains which was disappointing but our lovely waitress Bella kept us informed and was very apologetic which made a difference. Will return.

The service was great. Unfortunately, that’s where the good news ended. Both my partner and I can 100% genuinely say that’s the worst food we have ever been served. My sandwich was a hot drip beef brisket that was clearly several days old. It was dry and the bread was stale and comprised of 2 incredibly small end pieces. My partner had a Margherita pizza which instantly tasted like cleaning fluid and her triple cooked chips were raw in the middle, which would suggest they weren’t triple cooked. The food was inedible and we sent it back immediately and then left. It is by far the worst meal we’ve ever had. I would never recommend this establishment.

The Friars Oak was a great finding. We ordered the lamp rump, which was tender and very tasty. The portions are fairly ok, although the cauliflower cheese was quite small. The atmosphere is very cosy, but the waiting times were quite long. We waited over 30 minutes for the food. Other than that, it was a great experience. If you are not in a rush, this is a nice spot.

If you're the sort of person that marvels in a long wait for food to arrive, bags a thrill from paying £15 for a bowl of leaves (oh sorry, plus 7 lentils) or seeks the illusive greasy film over your pudding, I would highly recommend the friars oak......Go on, you know you want too

Visited for a celebration, staff are very welcoming and helpful. It was slightly confusing when roasts were served as a gap on all plates. It wasn't until the last one was delivered that we were told the remaining vegetables would be coming separately. The portion of veg for 3 people was quite small, and carrots were slightly undercooked and very crunchy. Parsnips were soggy. Yorkshire puddings were hot and miss in terms of cooked through. I had lamb, which was quite pink in places, leaving it very chewy. The roast potatoes, however, were lush. I noticed others complained about parts of their meals but that was only in our section and not just mains. There are dog water bowls and treats for your four-legged companion, of which we had one. Overall I would say that we had a reasonably good experience, and if the food had been a bit better it would've got a higher overall score. The atmosphere is very nice and the pub is also very clean and well lit.

First visit back here for us in a long time. A quiet Monday lunchtime so not busy at all. We were both very pleasantly surprised with the food, both of us taking from the set lunch menu. Starters and mains well sized, presented nicely and very tasty. I doubt it will be so long before we are back.

Lovely food and fresh veggies. Service was a little slow but overall very good and will visit again

My favourite pub for food. Every time I go it's good

Food was delicious. Just love the feeling of the place

Wonderful! We popped in to have a look after the refurbishment. I had the cod gujion wrap, with chips and lime and chilli tartare sauce, my grandmother had the melt in the middle salmon cakes. Gorgeous. Very reasonable prices and the food was to die for, tasted fresh as though they'd caught it this morning. Coffee was delicious and they catered for my lactose intolerance with ease, also we got 3 cups out of a teapot of earl grey (served with lemon of course!). The interior is done with skill and finished to a high quality whilst retaining the original features of oak beams, I could quite happily sit here and relax with a book all day!

My friends and I had a lovely time grabbing lunch at The Friars Oak. The menu featured a wide array of options, including Halloumi Fries, Calamari, Chorizo, Flatbread and Beetroot Dip and Cajun Fries (all of which comprised our order). The food came quickly, and was all cooked to perfection and well priced. For the above dishes and 4 coffees, our order totalled around £37. We will certainly be returning to try other options on the menu that caught our eye!

1 1/4 between corses cold staters not great

We had a family gathering here after a funeral and it was perfect. Thank you.

We went for lunch on a Saturday with family. Food was really nice. Service was good. No complaints!

Brilliant experience with good food

Went for a family meal on a Monday lunch time. Service was very slow mainly because there seemed to be a lack of staff. Only 3 people appeared to be covering the whole restaurant. Ordered our food and after waiting ages (we were not the only ones waiting ages) asked what had happened to it. It then suddenly appeared, it had obviously been sitting under the hot lamps as the plates were very hot and the food dry on top. Had a beer (Hophead) but that was flat. All in all disappointed with the place, I don't blame you the staff as they were doing their best. Obviously a management issue.

Went to celebrate Granddaughter and son-in-laws birthdays Booked in party of 7 for 7pm waited to be seated then ordered starters and mains waited about 20 mins for starters finished starters and then waited for main course 9.10 still waiting Service was terrible so cancelled meal and left . Will a long time before we return if ever No apology just shoulder shrugs

Food was excellent and the staff were very excellent too. Helped with all queries in a polite and efficient manner. Nice to see staff that are obviously enjoying their employment. You must be congratulated for making their place of work very satisfactory

Really nice place and good food and service

Excellent service and excellent food I eould definitely recommend to my friends

Service and atmosphere was exceptional. I was comfortable and throughly enjoyed the food.

Slow service in a empty restaurant, 2 and a half hours to have a meal and dessert ,no more than 4-5 tables to serve so were hardly busy. Food was average,lacked flavour and seasoning, over priced for what it was. Dessert took 30 minutes from ordering to arrive which consisted of a sticky toffee pudding and 3 scoops of ice-cream, good job we weren't in a rush! Food out of stock ,wanted pizza and garlic bread,neither of which was available due to a dough shortage apparently, not sure why a chef can't make an easy dough recipe???? Wouldn't be in a hurry to go back!

Sadly, the worst meal i have had in a long time. The pub is all very "style over substance" with a fancy app which you can order through, sadly the food does not match the modern tech. We had to wait nearly an hour and a half for 2 main meals, after going to enquire where our food was after 45 minutes we were told it would be ready in the next 10 minutes. We waited and waited and then after 1 hour 15 minutes i asked again, at this point they said they were sorry and offered us a complimentary pudding, it would have been better to offer a couple of free drinks as we had to purchase 2 rounds just while waiting for dinner! When the food finally arrived i would have hoped they would have made sure it was really spot on but the chicken burger tasted like it had been in the fryer for the entire time i had been waiting, it was dry and virtually inedible and the fishcakes tasted very cheap and were cold. Unsurprisingly we did not take the option of a free pudding and left after our meal. We would definitely not go back.

First time we have been to this pub and so glad we stopped off for dinner while travelling through the area, the service and food was amazing and the pub was so dog friendly, loads of dog's in the pub and friendly people who love dogs our little pooch was spoilt with kindness and strokes ,staff was amazing 👏

Great food. Sunday roast was delicious

Very efficient service with a smile and amazing roast turkey and lamb with a side of cauliflower cheese. Very generous portion size. Lamb nicely and rare with soft yet crunchy veggies. Splendid gravy! Lovely dessert, a little on the £££ side but still very good. Cheese could do with a little relish to compliment. Would definitely recommend and be very happy to return.

The best I have had in a long long time.

Great food and service. Lovely airy restaurant.

Really nice pub friendly staff, only had a drink so can’t comment. lovely beer garden on a nice sunny day would definitely recommend

Excellent service and wonderful food

Food could be better, reading curry very dry overwhelmed by the amount of rice, the prawn skewers once shells removed there was little left

Staff were lovely and the food was great. Not too pricey and very good value