The Friars Oak in Mid Sussex

Excellent food and service.. Hannah was very pleasant and helpful. The slaw and triple cooked chips were a great complement to the meal skewers

Really good food! Amazing customer service. Polite and not invasive😊 also dog friendly will be returning with small floof so they can enjoy the dog blankets and treats.

Great Roast, Great Decor and Great Service :-) We keep going back because it's a little gem in a place where there isn't many. It's also Dog Friendly as the staff are amazing. Thanks Jordan :-)

Excellent food every time we go. I can highly recommend the hot beef sandwiches with beef dripping sauce and fries. Lovely touch to add frozen raspberries to the drinks.

Pleasant welcome, nice atmosphere. Very tasty food and great service by Lucy. We look forward to going again. Have a great time in Belgium Lucy 👍

Beautiful food and great service. Jordan was lovely and helped with wine choice. The arancini was delicious and it was a comfortable setting. The Malbec recommended by Jordan was lovely

We came to the friars for our weekly meet up, food was very good. Shoutout to Lovely Hannah who served us she was very friendly and efficient. She is a credit to the pub. She Always spoils us and nothing is too much trouble. we will be back again soon :)

Absolutely love this pub! The staff are all super friendly, the decor is lovely and modern and the food is absolutely delicious - couldn’t recommend it enough! Only criticism would be that the prices are a bit steep - £9.50 for a small dessert was a bit much for us!

Really nice food and Jordan our waiter was lovely and helpful with making choices (I’m a nightmare making decisions) will definitely be going back

Great for families Food is always fresh Value for money Definitely worth visiting Took a shine to Jordan a very nice young man .

We have used The Friars Oak, Hassocks many times in the past. We always experience: Wonderful service! Great selection of food!

Perfect place for an evening meal, top food, lots of choice and great service from Chantelle. We'll definitely be visiting again!

Lovely lunch for our 20th anniversary. Staff were amazing and attentive. Really nice touch with our desert! Nicely priced and our server Hannah was impeccable 👌. Chefs Emily and Charlie are spot on in my view!!

We came because of the reviews. The service from Chantelle was excellent despite serving multiple tables and food didn’t disappoint. Every serving was great, highlight for me the crab cakes and crumble so delicious. Emily you have a real culinary talent. I am only sad this isn’t my local, well not yet!

Friendly, cosy pub with a good atmosphere. Unfortunately when we visited there were two large groups so it took an hour to get our main courses. However, when it came the food was good, service friendly and we’d go back when they’re not so busy.

Excellent food, excellent service and comfortable pleasing ambiance. Really enjoyed relaxing meal with a friend as a birthday treat. Mini pudding superb

Lucas our server did a great job but sadly the food was below par, cold and took a long time 2 of our first choices were not available We had a voucher that apparently was not valid within 24hrs of being purchased Bearing in mind our bill was £190 the very unprofessional manager argued with me that it was not valid! Anyone who has worked in customer service for any amount of time knows you would not argue with the customer I front of other customers over a tiny £10 ! She eventually agreed to take the money off but sulked and dumped the new bill on the table Disgraceful attitude and service from her and much praise for Lucas for taking the money and looking highly embarrassed After dining in the friars oak for a number of years after this treatment we will not be returning Very sad!

Visited on a Tuesday lunchtime and it was not busy at all however there was nowhere near enough staff! I stood at the bar waiting to be served a drink and food was being delivered past me but not once was I told “somebody will be with you shortly”! I eventually got my order in but I was very disappointed when my food arrived as it was not as described on the menu. When I queried this, the manager disappeared and I thought she might come back with an apology and explanation for why my food was missing some of its ingredients but she didn’t even have the courtesy to do so. Will definitely not be going again!

Regular visitors to this local, friendly pub. Food is amazing. Skewers are a personal favourite when wanting something lighter. Today served by Lucas with food by Emily. Highly recommend

One of favourite pubs in the area, great food and service. Pleasant atmosphere and friendly staff, had the steak and malbec pie which was delicious. Our waitress Tiarna was polite and efficient and we received a warm welcome from Laura when being shown to our table

Great service from Ellie. The food was fantastic and fresh. Super hot and tasty. Love this place. Thanks to Mark and Lou in the kitchen!

My wife had a butted chicken burger and I had a chicken skewer which were excellent. The staff were welcoming and the service from Laura was exceptional. The food was made by Mark and he should be recommended. We visit the pub on a regular basis and it’s recommended.

Best Sunday roast from a Vintage Inn ever. We have done a few far and wide. Erin was great at the hospitality and is a credit to your business. Well done to Mark and Louie who were the Chef’s of the day. Tasty and well presented all round.

Went for a birthday celebration meal. The restaurant got busier whilst we were there and there was a large party too. The waitress was extremely friendly and professional. She was informed and helpful dealing with unusual severe allergies. Kept us updated regarding wait time as our order for mains had gone in after the large party. Could not fault her. Food was excellent, served hot and was very tasty.

Great customer service, really high standard of food quality. Highly recommend for any family. We were served by Erin & the chefs today were Mark & Louie.

Food fantastic! Thank you chef Louis! Service a little slow but Lucas very polite and helpful. Lovely atmosphere in restaurant.

Lovely food and wonderful service from Jordan and the rest of the team. Great spot for lunch with family and friends. We would come again if we are in the area

Love the pub and Lucas who served us and Harvey who prepared our food were outstanding. We come here quit often and is particularly good in the summer outside.

Good food, reasonably priced and great service from our server, Lucas, who was attentive and polite. Will certainly be back again.

Had a delightful Sunday lunch here this week. Quick service and amazing food - plus unlimited gravy! Genuinely one of the nicest pub meals I have had in a long time. The staff are all wonderful - special shout out to Laura on the bar and Ellie who served us at the table - they both looked after us brilliantly, they were super polite and attentive. Helpful hint - book early and get the stuffing wrapped in bacon on the side - it is absolutely unreal! If I could give it 10 stars I would!

We visited the The Friars Oak as a group of 6 on Sunday. On arrival it was very busy and there didn't seem to be enough staff to cope with the amount of people, it took at least 45 minutes to take our food order...

Sunday lunch. Service good and friendly, if a little slow, but food tepid at best and lamb portion small. Based on today’s experience not sure we would return

Only 1 meat available on the roast, multiple items unavailable, very slow service. Roast beef was amazing but both vegetables from the menu were replaced by green beans. Very expensive for what we got

Great service and good value. Lucas, the server was so pleasant and attentive and reassured my guest that the venue could adjust to her allergies - and they did. She enjoyed our visit. Well done Lucas!

The Friars Oak has a lovely light airy dining room. The Sunday roast was really good, fresh, the right amount of food. We’ll return for a lighter meal so we can sample the delicious looking desserts. Nice to see some original items on the dessert...

Lucas was our waiter. Had a really good dining experience, he was extremely polite and looked after us. I definitely recommend. Ps give Lucas a raise 😎👍👈

It was really good because the waitress was funny. :D It was amazing food made by mark and Charlie and Anita the waitress was wonderful (Reviews by the kids)

Myself & my fiancée visited The Friar’s Oak for lunch after having spotted the pub on a journey home a week prior. We found that this pub had a special offer on via the Vintage Inn app so decided to visit. We were slightly late...

This pub is very local and very welcoming. We usually just turn up and they always find a table for us. The staff and very friendly and helpful. The decor is tasteful. The food is good with lots of choice for every dietary requirement, even...

Always good service and excellent staff. Food quality always the same high standard with good size helping . Small sweets with coffee great idea , well done to all concerned.

My son and I walked in on the off chance and were lucky to get a table. Served by a really hard working team, our waitress Erin was polite and did her job very well. Food was lovely, could have been a little hotter but...

Absolutely fantastic service from Lucy and fantastic food made by mark & team ! Beef dripping sauce was second to none and a meal thoroughly enjoyed by both! Happy, easy atmosphere, recommend to all!

Saturday 13th. Unlucky for some i suppose. Got there at 1.30 lovely day sat in the garden which only had a few tables occupied and the restaurant indoor was no where near full. Got told there would be at least an hour before we could...

Good was good and the waitresses were very nice and friendly but the service was really bad and slow. Food took too long when the place was not busy at all as very few customers in a Wednesday night. We had to wait 40 minutes...

Brilliant service, fantastic food. We've been here a few times now and everything is always to a very high standard. Highly recommend the prawn and scallops.

Excellent service from Chantelle. Smiley, kind and very supportive. Thank you very much for such an amazing dinner. Best wishes, Liz

Fantastic burgers! Fantastic service- thank you Aneta!! The quality is the same every time. We are regulars and will keep coming back :)

Friendly and polite. Great service from Chantelle very tending and made sure we had everything we needed. Food was wonderful and the right amount

Lovely food, great selection and everything was delish. Chantelle was lovely as our server. Overall a fantastic experience. Will definitely be returning

Excellent service and food couldn't fault anything and would highly recommend it to my friends and others. We was served by Chantelle who is a very pleasant and helpful waitress. Food was cooked by Mark which was excellent.

Great food and lovely dinning room. Staff very helpful and friendly. Asked for no sauce on one of our dishes and it wasn’t a problem 👍

Came here for Easter meal, the 7oz steak was spot on, absolutely perfect at medium well done, the ham & cheese pie was lovely. Everything cooked beautifully. For pudding we had Honey Pot and Easter Bombshell was beautiful. The staff was absolutely lovely especially Rebecca who was our server, she made us feel at ease and comfortable the whole time ❤️

Great experience. Recommend and will return to see the garden in action in the summer! Will return for sure. Looks newly refurbished. Great staff.

We visited for an 11 year olds birthday. The staff were very nice but there was clearly not enough of them. Even booking at 6pm, our 11 year old waited 2 hours for his meal, which wasn't right when it finally arrived. Mostly the food was actually very tasty but it was just too slow to arrive. We even turned down complimentary dessert as one of our party was in their 80's and wanted to get home. The staff were doing their best and looked really stressed but Vintage Inn, sort it out, 2 hour wait in a half empty restaurant at 6 pm is not good. We won't be going back for his 12th birthday!!

Lovely relaxed environment. Chantelle was very friendly and efficient. I visit here often and the staff are always polite and friendly. Great selection of food and drink and the food is lovely.

Food and service is always good. We have eaten here multiple times…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Really lovely restaurant with a good atmosphere, We were served by Lucas who was really friendly and chatty which was really nice!

The staff are so friendly and the food perfect. Will definitely come again. The menu choice were different and exciting.😃

Aneta was so attentive and lovely! We were seated very quickly and the food was delicious . Drinks were topped up before they had been finished. Great night.

On the spur of the moment I took my wife for dinner. The food was excellent and the service from Ellie was also excellent. The pub is to be recommended. We will return again.

I had the steak and merlot pie, the ladies both had the pork belly. We are all too full for a pudding.

The Friars Oak in Hassocks is a very friendly gastro pub. We have eaten her many times and enjoy the varied menu. The food is always good and they also do a very enjoyable Sunday roast.

My sister, Aunt and I visited this pub on 20th January for lunch and all I can say it's disgraceful and certainly will not be returning. If you see another pub use it!

Fantastic,friendly and efficient service from Adam an asset to this vintage. And the food from Neil was very tasty and served promptly.

I took my father in law here today as it was my mother in laws birthday today who passed away a year ago. We always went out for a meal for her birthday so wanted to take my father in law out so we don’t forget her. We used to come here with her and she really enjoyed it here. We sat next to the fire and it was lovely as such a cold day. It was a really enjoyable meal and the staff are so friendly and very welcoming. Look forward to coming back again.

Had a fantastic Christmas Day lunch here. Food was amazing. The staff where all very friendly and helped to make the Christmas lunch one to remember. We sat by the log fire and where made to feel very welcome.I look forward to returning to The Friars Oak again very soon.

Had a great evening on Christmas Eve with the family. My brother said it was possibly the best meal he’s ever had. Adam was a brilliant server, very kind and good at selling cosmopolitans. Thank you for having us.

We have been going to the Friars Oak for the last 30 years, such a shame to see the quality go down hill so much. There was loads missing from the menu, what did come out eventually was appalling for the money. Dry chicken, overcooked yellow soggy vegetables, tasteless muck, 2 1/2 hrs of my life I will not get back. I do fully understand that businesses are struggling with staffing etc. but it’s not cheap and I would say the food in a Toby carvery or Harvester is much better at a fraction of the cost. There was too much choice on the menu that wasn’t available, reduce the menu down to something more manageable and please cook it better. Definitely give it a miss

Firstly I have to say the staff are excellent . But do have to admit the food wasn't that great roast potatoes not crispy, lamb very fatty and went from rare to well done , which is a shame as its a lovely pub .

Took my wife here for lunch, we were greated with a smile and really friendly staff. The premises is very well presented inside and out and there is plenty of parking. Food is really good quality, not the cheapest but really tasty and well presented.

Lovely food, fabulous setting & great staff. Will be back again soon. Never had a bad meal there. Really look forward to visits!

The food and service was excellent as usual. A great atmosphere and the prices are very reasonable for the quality of food and drink we received. By far my favourite place to come for dinner or just drinks.

Superb venue, staff were faultless and incredibly professional. Sadly, menu was limited to say the least. Food was overpriced, warm as opposed to hot and bland. In no hurry to return which is a shame as pub has so much going for it.

We love coming to the friars oak, the food is always amazing and the staff are lovely. Nothing is ever too much trouble. All meals here are good but the breakfast is my favourite. Would highly recommend this place.

Really lovely staff made this Sunday Lunch even better. The roast beef and belly pork were beautiful, accompanied by perfect roast potatoes and veg. The squid starter could have been a bit hotter and would have looked a bit more interesting with some sort of small salad accompaniment. Really surprised at the overall score of 3.5 as it was definitely more worthy of 4.5 - think a lot of the lower scoring reviews were before the new management took over. The interaction from the staff really made it for me!

Very good food. Wide-ranging menu, with something for everyone (including the vegetarians amongst us). Good wine list.Excellent, friendly service. Waiters and bar staff were fantastic, and the Maitre-d' could not have been more gracious and obliging.We received a warm welcome, and nothing was too much trouble. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend, and would certainly like to return. If you want to take a larger group for a celebration meal in a pub setting in Sussex, this is the place.

Came here for a birthday meal. Lovely interior, had a nice feel to the place. Food was delicious. Manager was running the shift well but as for front of house staff, they just didn’t seem happy to be there. No smiles or positivity, you could tell some of them don’t get along. I know hospitality is a stressful industry but it’s important to make the guest feel welcomed and have a reason to return.

Staff were very friendly and welcoming, and very professional. Drinks and food were ordered and came out very quickly and was delicious - happy to accommodate any requests given. Would highly recommend, food was very nice and hot when given to us.

Thoroughly enjoyable evening, first visit and we will definitely return, food and service excellent, thank you. Highly recommend

They try too hard to be of a good standard yet just end up over charging for standard food. To hear the waitress known as ‘Sammy’ constantly discussing how much she makes in tips is highly unprofessional and made me inclined to not leave any tip. The service wasn’t great, the food and drinks overly priced, £3.20 for an orange juice and lemonade - this wasn’t The Ritz! All the gear and no idea vibe. I had the super green house salad with salmon and it was severely undercooked - to the point it was still on ‘Blue planet on BBC’ with pickled/fermented vegetables to try and come across classy but in fact it was just a mix of the Tesco vegetable aisle with some ‘exciting extras’, which the staff presented as fennel? It probably cost about £3 to make but I was charged £11.50. The staff were more interested in their own gossip with other customers rather than making new customers feel welcome. I would give this a 0 star rating but the outside dining area looked good in the sun. I would never go back here and wouldn’t recommend it to feral animals let alone willing guests, unless you’ve got money to burn and are willing to go to McDonald’s afterwards - up the road, then turn right at the roundabout and it’s on your right.

Such a nice warm environment, our waitress Sammy was fantastic and very welcoming. The food was good, the place was clear & decorated well.

We travel 16 miles to eat here around 2-3 times a month. Never had a bad meal and always had a good friendly service. Quite surprised at the low rating unless covid has had an impact although we have been eating here for around 4 years (except lockdown)My favorite is the burger and the flowerpot for pudding. The different friends we have taken there have always loved the food and service and have had their own choice of food.Friendly staff. Mostly served the past year or so by Adam or Sammy.

It was very good food and service and the food we ate was really good good restaurant the chocolate brownie was esepecialy good

We returned to The Friars Oak yesterday after having such a wonderful experience when we visited during October of last year. Unfortunately on this occasion we are unable to say the same. On arrival, the member of staff was bubbly, friendly and very enthusiastic, she was very honest about them being busy and that there could be a slightly longer wait. Our food orders were taken and the starter arrived in great time, it was well presented and tasted nothing short of amazing! However, when our mains arrived (we had both ordered fillet steak) it was not so impressive. The steak at best, looked and tasted worse than a rump steak in a 2 for 1 restaurant. It was riddled with gristle and fat and just looked generally inedible. At £25 per meal, this was simply unacceptable. When we brought it to the attention of the waitress, she was understanding and took it away immediately. Upon return to the table and after the waitress had spoken with the chef, we were advised to choose something else off the menu as the chef had confirmed the other fillet steaks were of a similar condition. My partner had a burger and I opted for the ‘spiced’ halloumi skewers. Before reading this review any further, please consider what you would expect from ‘spiced halloumi skewers’…If you thought, peppers, chilli, halloumi potentially coated in some kind of hot sauce, this couldn’t be further from the truth. The halloumi upon arrival to the table was absolutely saturated in cinnamon. Was this punishment for returning our mains back?The strong smell was overwhelming and just not complimenting of the food. I enjoy cinnamon but not what I would want on halloumi! My partner thoroughly enjoyed his burger replacement, it was a messy but enjoyable eat! From observing the number of dishes that were sent back during our visit, we are confident that ours was unfortunately not an isolated experience. Taking into consideration that the server was so initially accommodating and friendly, we had already discussed that she was deserving of a tip, however, following the issues with the mains, we felt there was a complete change of demeanour which was such a shame. Overall, we are unlikely to return, this is unfortunate as we do hold such fond memories of the restaurant previous.

Good service, lovely food very professional Adam was an efficient waiter. Thank you would definitely come back again.

This was our second time at the Friars Oak and we were not disappointed. The staff were so welcoming and gave such good advice. When the food came we were so pleased with our order that we have kept talking about it for days.

Having had a very nice lunch here late last year we decided to revisit - what a mistake.Whereas last year there was a very wide and interesting menu now it is very narrow with mostly burgers, steaks and fish and chips.The staff were very pleasant though

Absolutely incredible food and even better service, Sammy looked after us and I’ve never been happier with the company, whatever we wanted she prioritized. Thank you Friar’s Oak and thank you Sammy.

We hadn't visited before, but certainly will again!! The food was brilliant. I had the duo of pate followed by belly pork..both beyond sublime. I heartily recommend.

Came for a drink and a bite to eat with my lady. Enjoyed a drink outside then came in after it got cold and was seated with Cally.She has a wonderful way with guests and we throughly enjoyed her company during the evening. House burger was excellent. Fish and chips was wonderful. And the bottle of bubbles? It did the job ;) Many thanks to Cally and the team at the Friars Oak!And Cally, we will be back to enjoy your company soon. Hopefully you can join us for a glass next time!

The food was just what we wanted hearty and delicious. Holly the manager is always so welcoming and always has a smile! Would definitely recommend !!!

We have been here twice now and both occasions have been really good. The staff are so friendly and helpful. We bought our baby and dog both times and they couldn’t be more accommodating. There was a smaller menu this time than last which was a shame. Last time I had one of the pizzas and it was one of the best I’ve had. This time we had house burgers and they were tasty. It’s just an all round nice place to go.

We walked in for a pint without booking. We were greeted by friendly staff who were actually pleased to see us. I ordered drinks and on impulse asked whether food was on. The barman said well we are supposed to be sticking to booked tables as we are short staffed but let me ask the kitchen. At which the chef himself came out and said he'd be pleased to cook for us. I only wanted bowl of chips but without a grumble he promptly served us with an outstanding bowl of hot Belgian chips. Absolutely brilliant. Really appreciate you working after such a difficult time. Can't wait to go back x

Came in for dinner on a warm Saturday evening - very nice outside area which is popular.Actually sat and ate inside, food and service very good. I'd say it's probably upper mid-range, not cheap but good value.Had the pate starter and flavours all very good, tried the Halloumi skewer and enjoyed the sweetness to the sauce. Also had to have the belgian fries as well - very minor criticism is chips were slightly undercooked.Menu not huge but dishes are well thought out and presented very well. Really good selection of drinks and staff very friendly.Will return.

Food was delish. Our waitress was fantastic and accommodated all my needs perfectly! The vibe and atmosphere was just fantastic. A 5 star place!

A disappointng menu with no inclusive veggies or salad served on the side. If you order the chicken it comes with a limp bit of spinach and a few soggy chips served in a teacup of all things. Who the hell wants 8 chips and no veggies with their meal? I won't be back.

The whole experience at The Friars Oak was excellent. A family gathering of 19 after not being together for so long was made such a pleasure by the staff. Charlie and her colleagues worked so hard to make sure we were happy, the service was without fault. The food was lovely and the evening was a complete success. Massive thank you to all the staff, you are a top, top team.

Pickings are slim at present for decent outside seating establishments. Friars Oak is both comfortable and aesthetically pleasing. The patio heaters take the edge off when the evening cools down. As usual, our server was great. Friendly, helpful and informative. The food was great, however! Yet again, the chip quantities are very poor. I raised the issue last year on trip advisor and was assured that this had been addressed. It would appear not. The chips are delicious but but very sparse. Why eateries feel the need to present them in cups, I will never know.

Food was lovely. Roast dinner defeated me and couldn't eat it all! Sammy was a great waitress! Sat outside enjoying the sunshine! Good value for money.

lovely atmosphere, food and service! Leah & Kira are lovely and made our evening! Thanks so much:) We will be back!