The Griffin Inn in Wealden - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

As others have noted, and we can confirm, things have gone backwards here! Used to be a notable dining destination but now it’s just another mediocre pub with high prices and poor food. For example, what chef puts monkfish tails in a dish, tail ‘n all, with the membrane still attached? That dish is £29! Sent back and to their credit didn’t charge. My plaice was stick thin and was surely too small to keep in the net. Service was polite and friendly but Youngs - you will have to do better than this!

The receptionist was excellent as we were celebrating our Golden Wedding anniversary the next day. The Menu - no difference between pub food and Restaurant food. I had pasta but I just couldn’t eat it. When it said Pork and Fennel stuffed rigalatto for £17, I was not expecting it to be sausage meat. The pasta was hard in some places. My husband had plaice which he said he had never seen one so thin, Our friends we invited, the menu choice was so poor, she had 2 starters. We had not realised Youngs had taken it over, so we will never go to a Youngs place again. The kitchen Floor looked untidy and not what we call hygienic. My friend was a chef and my daughter was a chef, so we know what we were talking about. We paid £165 for the room and that did not include breakfast. So this meant on our Golden Anniversary day, we left and had breakfast in a much nicer and cleaner establishment. Not that we expected it, but we weren’t even offered a free drink. We were so so disappointed.

I’m glad that we didn’t take the reviews on here seriously as we visited for lunch today and really enjoyed it! Beautifully presented roasts, tender pork with enormous yorkshire puds, sticky toffee pudding and strawberry pavlova- both obviously homemade were delicious. Middle of the road prices for excellent quality food. Hope to go again soon

Great pub with a beautiful outdoor dining space and garden. Staff were friendly and helpful. The menu offered a good seasonal choice. My friend chose confit of chicken leg with leeks and fries and I chose the warm veg salad, both £16. Unfortunately the veg salad was literally a plate with some roasted courgette and aubergine in the middle of it with a couple of olives in a pepper/tomato sauce. Not even an attempt to jazz it up with some rocket! Great location, great service, one good meal and one very disappointing plate of grilled veg.

We’ve been visiting The Griffin pub for over 20 years and the service and food have always been pretty consistent. Unfortunately since Youngs took over we have seen a steady decline in both. We visited for a special family occasion so didn’t want to make a fuss during the evening. Initially we were served by two young girls who were very pleasant and professional. For starters we ordered 2 trouts and 2 croquettes, tasty but very small portions. My mains was the fish bisque, I got 2 prawns, 5 tiny mussels and a thin piece of monkfish for £ 28.50(appalling) and a piece of focaccia which was dry. We also had 2 pork and fennel rigatoni, again, a very small portion and a meagre amount of pork, ( £17.50 each) one had obviously been left on the pass for to long as it was very dry on top. They were served to us by a kitchen porter who obviously didn’t know the table numbers as the two rigatoni’s ended up on someone else’s table. We had to shout across to him to say they actually belonged to us. One plate he did manage to place on our table, the other he passed it to myself to pass it along and grunted ‘here’. He placed his thumb in the tomato salad while putting it down(absolutely disgusting)If your going to send kitchen porters out to serve at least train them up a little. There’s nothing worse than being served by what seemed like a miserable teenage boy. Unfortunately for us the two girls who initially served us had disappeared to serve a large private party in the next room. Alex who’s also served us several times over the years has always been fabulous, unfortunately he can’t run The griffin by himself!

Delightful evening, superb service from our lovely waitress and server. Tasty food, good wine, lovely table and atmosphere. Thank you everyone.

The trout was raw and the and the main course of 'roasted' vegetables consisted of half a raw aubergine (about 3 pieces) and 1 piece of equally raw courgette, both so tough I had to use the knife. The appearance and texture was definitely not roasted, more like half boiled - they were rubbery and tasteless.

The food and drink were excellent as always. This is not a cheap place but in my view, it was worth the £210 price for four diners with three glasses of wine and some soft drinks, We had starters and main courses and three of us had dessert . My partner thought that his beef was not the best as it was a bit hard. The service was friendly but it was obvious that the staff were over-stretched. It took more than half an hour for the desserts to be served. I would certainly return

Chose the Griffin as a dinner venue on the way back from the Eastbourne tennis to Surrey, and chose it purely on location and reviews. We were not disappointed. This is a lovely, very old atmospheric pub with a great garden with fabulous views of the setting sun over the gorgeous Sussex countryside. This view reminded me of a scaled down version of the views you get when drinking or dining in the Cape Provence vineyards. Anyway, the staff were excellent, all young and local but they clearly had had a very busy day and were tired but they maintained their happy and helpful attitude throughout. My wife and I had the haddock and chips, which were very good; the cider based batter wasn't greasy at all. Our daughter had a salad which she felt the courgettes were undercooked. The staff immediately changed her dish and the manageress came and apologised, saying that some people prefer their vegetables undercooked. Understandable, but what a nice touch. Great work to all who work at the Griffin; I'm sure we'll be back and we've recommended it to friends. Thank you.

We visited yesterday and booked a table in the Garden. In first look, it’s appears very pretty and the views are lovely. The pub has and outside bar and kitchen area where you can see your food being prepared and cooked. This is where it was apparent the staff have zero hygiene! Whilst looking at the menu to choose our food I watched the chef ( I use that term extremely loosely) preparing someone’s meal. It looked like a charcuterie board. Whilst preparing the bored he stared eating the ingredients, one for the board one for him. He prepared the food with no gloves, then started licking his fingers, touching food, licking his fingers again all while preparing customers food. It was absolutely disgusting! All the staff appear, dirty. Thier clothes are covered in stains and dirt. Anyone that eats here should be ware. I will be contacting local council environmental department as what I witnessed was nothing short of disgusting. If you have been unwell since visiting this pub, you know why!!

Had two great lunches at the Griffin Inn since lockdown lifted in April, both impeccable. The menu is great: we tried fish, meat and vegetarian options and the sticky toffee pudding is to die for. Just one piece of advice: if you book an outside table, do check where you will be seated as last week we ended up on a rustic tree truck style table which wouldn’t be to everyone’s liking - but did have gorgeous countryside views.

We have just had a wonderful evening with friends watching the sunset over the Sussex Serengeti at The Griffin. Although not on the menu, the chef prepared a delicious vegan meal for me of roasted cauliflower and new potatoes mixed with pesto, topped with roasted cherry tomatoes and asparagus. It was absolutely delicious. The service, food and atmosphere at The Griffin were great.

We had a really lovely relaxed evening after the hiatus of lockdown yet again.We were warmly welcomed back and sat by the cosy and inviting fire.The service was attentive,friendly and spot on as I have always found here.The staff really do work their socks off accomodating everyone and keeping in line with the new regulations,we felt very at ease and safe. The food was historic yet again!Lovely tasty lamb kofta with creamy moorish tzatziki, main of the roast turkey beautifully presented and plenty of it and the famous crab linguine washed down with a cracking bottle of wine from the Griffin's extensive wine list .Faultless!A big thank you to all !

Very underwhelming meal at fine dining prices. Starter of prawn cocktail consisted of 4 tasteless watery prawns (presumably just thawed), rather chewy tasteless squid rings, a few pickled mussels served on a bed of chicory leaves with a watery tomato sauce. The game pie very ungamey served with luke warm Stilton mash and some cabbage, had better at our local pub for half the price. Staff seemed disinterested when we expressed our disappointment. Meal for 2 people 2 courses with 2 drinks each came to around £100.

one of the best restaurant meals we have tasted of which we have had many everything was perfectly cooked and we will definitely be making the journey back there

Second visit here. Ambience is good, lovely old building. The usual Covid-19 preacautions in place, and although I understand why the need for a one way system, I didn't understand why you enter at the rear of the building and leave by the front. When you enter the rear you immediately hit a small corridor and bump into staff exiting the kitchens with plates of food.The pub was busy and full for a Sunday lunch, with tables spaced out. Staff masked and taking precautions. Service was friendly and efficient. Food was excellent. Good scallops with a good flavour celeriac puree. Roast beef (lovely big thick slices) and veg was excellent too. All the veg well cooked either roast or puree. Desserts bigger than they needed to be!Wines are expensive but good selection.Like this place. Will return again.

We have just returned from a lovely family break at The Griffin Inn, a fantastic base to spend a few days in the countryside. Staff were incredibly welcoming and helpful, and as well as being really high quality accommodation, the hotel is very well located for local walks and nearby Sheffield Park. Sadly, however, despite being renowned for its amazing food, as a diner who does not eat meat or dairy, I felt really disappointed with the options on offer. With so many pubs going to the wall this year, and others having to compete for every diner, I was surprised to see that not only was there no coding on the menu to account for any dietary requirements (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Nut Allergies etc), the Vegetarian options were limited and those that were there had not even been given any thought as to how they could be Vegan/Dairy Free. Not even the wondrous promise of a sweet potato soup, or a charred cabbage dish were considered for a dairy free option, as the chef appears to love chucking butter into everything. The restaurant also ran out of soya milk on our first day, and never made any effort to replace it thereafter, forcing us to buy our own oat milk to bring to the breakfast table! Vegan diets are no longer 'fad' diets, today it is a popular lifestyle choice for many, and with customers now demanding better food labelling in restaurants and cafes, to be truly best-in-class, the Griffin really does need to move with the times!

We have been twice to The Griffin Inn at Fletching over the past few weeks. Our lunches were wonderful. We were celebrating family occasions and the service was personal and indeed excellent, and the view across the Serengeti magical. The food was just extraordinary. Classic cuisine, beautifully balanced and planned for our functions. I can personally say that as a French trained ‘Chef de Cuisine’, I haven’t eaten any better for many years. The quality of the produce was outstanding, I have to say that the Fresh Tuna Tartar was beautiful and the quality of the local beef compared to Angus/ Charolais any day of the week. Steve from Eastbourne.

Hmmmm, marginally impressed! Food was good, but lacked the extra mile. The service was ok. This is a pub that locals favour, so I was a bit confused. Food had a high price tag (burgers £17), as did the drinks (£45 for an average Sancerre). As high maintenance as it sounds, I’m happy to pay the price if I get the whole package! Decor was dated, the toilets cramped and average (yes I’m one of those annoying ladies who likes a nice toilet!)In summary it felt a little like they were taking advantage of locals with money and lacked competition. So please can a decent high end pub in the area “Please Stand Up!”

Had an absolutely delicious lunch here today. Food, as always, was delicious & beautifully presented. The staff very friendly & super helpful. Don't know why we've left it this long.

I had lunch in 'The Crystal Palace', a glorified marquee behind the pubm, which seemed to be popular with several other groups of customers. I was on my own, but was well looked after by the staff, who were great. I had a very good lunch, finishing with a fabulous sticky toffee pudding with (cardoman?) ice cream.

Wednesday lunchtime on a fine October day. We were greeted and seated in the dining room. The pub seemed quiet, even for mid-week. Only two other tables were occupied. Drinks orders were taken an swiftly delivered. Fresh Harvey's bitter and a glass of champagne. The fizz was £11 and we later discovered that the 'online' wine list had it as £9.90. This was very odd as the price of champagne has not risen (the French have a glut) and pubs/restaurants are enjoying Covid-related generous tax breaks. The price should really have been LOWER.The service was initial good. 'Popcorn of monkfish with cocked was very good but the goose fillet was coarsely chopped, bland and nothing like the French interpretation. One main course was a monkfish maze, weighing in at an eyewatering £25. As it included houmous and two other dips, we were pleased to see the menu offering flat bread. None came. I had to go to the kitchen to request some. It needed toasting, so the main course was not that enjoyable. The other 'main' was mussel tagliatelle. When served the waiter said a side dish for the shells would be forthcoming. None came. Once again I had to don mask and go to the kitchen. The pub was almost empty, so there was no excuse! All this might seem small beer, but the prices rival nearby Gravetye Manor. A real cash cow, the Griffin.We all have our little likes/dislikes. I hate flimsy paper 'napkins'. To have these at such an establishment was disappointing, especially with mussels that cannot be eaten in a dignified manner without a decent napkin. There wasn't even a finger bowl.Nice, friendly staff, but meal was let down due to lack of attention to detail.

Live locally and know the clientele. Food prices outrageously over priced for what you get. Especially when all pubs and restaurants don’t pay business rates until next year and only pay 5% VAT on all sales. £18.50 for a chicken burger...come on!!

We’ve been going to the Griffin for many years and have always loved it. The menu is always interesting, the food wonderful and the wine list amazing. The staff are delightful and the view can’t be beaten.

Love this pub!!Great beers.The food is always fabulous.Inside it has cozy seats & in the winter open fires. Sometimes they have someone playing the piano, which is very cool.The large garden out the back has stunning views.The staff are always friendly.Highly recommend The Griffin.Peter

Went for our anniversary on 1st September. Heard good reports so gave it a try. Service was adequate. My wife was happy with her meal. I however was not happy with mine. Ordered the cod and chips unfortunately was served what can best be described as the smallest piece of cod in the ocean. Too pricey for what was served. Will not be returning.

We went to the re-opened Griffin for lunch on my birthday at the beginning of August and all breathed a huge sigh of relief to be back! We all felt very comfortable and safe with all their Covid precautions and the staff were amazing, very helpful and friendly. We sat on the terrace and although the pub was very busy we didn’t feel rushed or neglected at all. The food was absolutely delicious, tempura prawns with miso dressing, whole lemon sole, perfectly grilled and a superb creme brûlée to finish off! I can’t recommend this place highly enough. Well done to everyone, we’ll be back soon!

Had a meal at the Griffin Inn as we were staying at the Inn and as the weather was nice we had a table outside.The meal itself was delicious and the beer was good too.Set in a relaxing location I would be happy to eat there again.

My husband and I recently had a terrible experience at The Griffin on what should have been a special evening out for our tenth wedding anniversary. We left bitterly disappointed and hungry! Although the setting was undeniably beautiful, we found the staff to be very slow, (taking over ten minutes to show us to our table, during which time we were entirely ignored). We were also not offered drinks until we asked if we had to order at the bar.I am vegetarian and gluten free, which I accept can be difficult when eating out, and I therefore always check there will be food I can eat before going somewhere. On this occasion my husband had enquired at the time of booking several days before and been told that my dietary needs would not be a problem and there would be lots I could choose from. The reality was very different. There was nothing on the menu to indicate what was suitable for anyone with any specific dietary needs so I had to ask the waitress. Having spoken to the chef, she informed me that I could have the soup and, as there was nothing on the regular menu I could eat, some sort of posh omelette. No other choice at all. To make matters worse, I was initially told by one waitress that I could have gluten free bread to accompany my £8.50 small bowl of soup, but when the starters arrived there was none. The second waitress did not apologise for this and when I asked her about it she was very dismissive.We made a decision to cancel our main courses and leave after our starters as I was made to feel like a total inconvenience and there was such limited food I could eat. This is not what I would expect from an establishment that markets itself on its good food and charges quite high prices for pub meals. I would like to add that I have never before felt the need to leave any pub/restaurant mid way through a meal. I have emailed the pub directly to explain how disappointed we were at the service we received and give them an opportunity to explain. It has now been over a week and they have not replied.

Had a drink in the back garden overlook hills. Spacious outdoor area with a great view. Didn't explore inside...

We went to the griffin as a group and sat in the garden which has stunning views! Excellent service and even better food. The Gambas was delicious. We were so well looked after that we stayed and sat in the sun for hours! Brilliant pub would recommend to anyone! And will be going back soon.

A very disappointing one night stay. Our room was in desperately in need of an overhaul. It was tired and basic. The bathroom was tiny and like the room it really needs money spent on it.We were on the ground floor and completely overlooked by the busy beer garden. The staff were unhelpful and inexperienced. The last point is that, as far as I could tell it would appear Covid-19 hasn’t happened. Out of 20-30 staff that I saw over the 24 hours we were there I only saw one person wearing a face mask. There were some token arrows to direct the flow of guests but everyone (staff & customers) were ignoring them. No hand sanitizer on offer or additional cleaning of tables etc.Luckily we had booked dinner at The White Hart in Uckfield and was so impressed by the service, the food and their attitude to COVID-19. Couldn’t fault them and we had a great meal.This is the first time I have written a review on Trip adviser but I was so disappointed. I would avoid staying at The Griffin at all cost.

So many friends and relatives have raved about this place that I made the trip from London down to Fletching to check it out. I even booked a room so as not to be pressured into leaving too soon. So with the weight of so many rave reviews burdening my thoughts I can reveal. THIS PLACE IS BRILLIANT. the food quite superb. Possibly the best "pub" meal I have ever had. I know some will say this is a full blown restauarnt masquarading as a pub. But the excellent Harveys beer showed that real customers and real ales are still very much at the forefront of the offer.On our early July visiit everyone was still coming to terms with the social distancing aspects of reopening after the lockdown. I understodd we were their first hotel guests since March 19th over 4 months earlier. Hats off to their social distancing measures even though it meant a long walk back from a trip to the toilets.

We ate at the Griffin a few days ago and it was so disappointing ! Haven't been there for about 4 years and wont bother ever again. Food really overrated and really expensive. Menu looks and sounds amazing but my Linguini was very sad, I knock up a much better dish at home in about 10 minutes. Not too sure where they get their prices from for very mediocre food !!!

We've been meaning to try the Griffin food menu for a while, having visited several times for a drink over the past few years. The views over the Sussex countryside from the garden are stunning and the general ambience is great. Taking advantage of the 'eat out to help out' scheme, we booked a table for dinner at the earliest opportunity in August. The staff were, without exception, welcoming, friendly and attentive throughout the evening. We sat on a table in the delightful patio area directly outside the pub, which was busy but well managed in terms of social distancing etc. I'd had a look at the on-line menu the previous evening, but I hadn't realised (my own fault entirely) that it was a 'sample' menu and, unfortunately, a few of the dishes I had fancied were not available during this particular service. However, the actual dinner menu contained several dishes of interest, albeit at relatively high cost. Not being prepared to spend almost £30 on my first choice fish main courses, I opted for a Burger at £17.50 together with a modest vegetable based starter at £9.50. Sadly, both dishes, despite the premium price tag, were in my opinion of anything better than decidedly average quality. Not bad, but certainly not great and not worth the premium price tag. I've had much better Gastropub type burgers in the £12-£13 range. The starter didn't live up to the exotic menu description, being very bland indeed. My wife's experience was similar with her £20 Chicken Salad i.e. nothing special for a dish that would cost £15 max elsewhere. In summary, the food was OK but significantly overpriced. We would not eat there again. It's simply poor value for money and we will not be going back. You can do far better elsewhere in this area. Oh, and the drinks were excessively expensive as well e.g. £5.50 for a pint of draft lager.

Ate here twice in a four day stay in area. The food was all fresh, perfectly cooked and served by friendly, charming staff who could not have been more helpful. The menu changes daily but highlights for us were the plaice, cod and lamb rump. Desserts are fabulous. Just go.

We booked a table here following a recommendation. On arrival we stood and waited to be seated, three staff walked past and eventually we had to call out to one of them to seat us. Unfortunately lots of people smoking around us so we moved onto the bottom lawn which was beautiful. Again, we had to call out to a passing staff member to order drinks, oddly coke and lager was slightly warm and wrong gin arrived. Again we waited and no one asked us what we would like so we had to call a staff member over, getting slightly irritated by this point. My sons child’s pasta arrived, covered in Parmesan so he couldn’t eat it. We waited another half an hour for our burgers (there’s hardly anything on the menu and didn’t fancy spending £35 on a steak) again had to ask a staff member where it was. It suddenly then arrived with an apology that there was no bacon and onion relish, the burgers were all cold, no lettuce/tomato garnish in it, just a cold burger with cheese on in a brioche bun that felt stale to touch and not warmed on the bbq with cold potatoes (apparently supposed to be warm) and two tiny dollops of salad at a cost of £17.50! To say we were disappointed was an understatement, an hour an 15 minutes later and to be served that! We said we didn’t want it and left. Never have I ever had this experience when eating out. It seems that this pub had a sense of grandeur, I don’t understand why at all, terrible service, overpriced and low quality uninspiring food means we definitely won’t return. We are lucky to have some amazing pubs locally, we will stick with those.

The Griffin is a great pub and well run. The staff are well organised and motivated and the whole place gives the impression of being run as a tight ship. Stayed a couple of nights and couldn’t fault it. Look forward to returning there.

Having eaten and stayed at the Griffin many times over the years I had not been back for a very long time so I invited a friend for lunch. The service, food and drink were very good although the prices were on the high side. The landlord was very loud and over the top and seemed to be more interested in regulars than in other guests which was slightly irritating and you felt a bit rushed to vacate the table. I will visit again but not in the foreseeable future.

I live locally and would love to be able to write a rhapsodic review about our lunching experience at the Griffin but cannot. We expected things to be a little 'rusty' post-Covid and made allowances for that but, for a pub that sells itself on its 'fine food', our experience in that regard fell far short of expectations.Greeting and service were fine and the dishes arrived promptly. But my souvlaki was cold and the meat was as tough as an old boot. Our London friend's fish was just OK, but relieving us of 24 pounds for it was just ridiculous. All our main courses were north of 20 pounds each and (just adequate) desserts more than 8 pounds each. All told, for 3 main courses, two desserts and 2 glasses of wine the bill was 100 pounds. A half-decent London restaurant can do a two-course set menu for 20-25 pounds per head quite commonly. Admittedly with higher turnover.Of course life has been tough during the lockdown and I do appreciate you need to get back into business by making some money but, alas, I won't be back.

To echo others on here. The Griffin Inn looks fabulous especially on a warm summers evening. The garden is stunning, the staff are efficient and professional. The food however is poor and the chefs clearly need either need retraining or a much simpler back to basics menu. The starter was good.,., although small. The main courses were all served with a cold salad that was tasteless and did not compliment the main. All in all I wouldn’t bother with food it’s simply not good enough.

Had heard really good things about The Griffin but sadly won't be returning. I'm not sure I've felt less welcome at a hotel for a while. It was very clear throughout our stay thay the locals/regulars got the majority of the service and attention. Appreciating that they had only been open for a few days we were still surprised at the very limited menu - nothing for Vegans and only 1 thing for vegetarian. No notes on allergens. When I asked one of the waitresses for their only mainstream lager I was told it had sold out 'because they had been very busy' in a pretty unpleasant tone and that approach continued throughout our stay. During the evening meal our waiter spent a good 15 minutes sat with a trio of locals at their table and was even served by one of his colleagues whilst we sat with empty glasses and dirty plates. They had only been open 4 days to be fair. Not only is the menu limited (no child's menu) but they have increased their prices by about 20% - the steak was £35 and that came with a bit of greenery and a few chips and a bone marrow - which was good unless you were gluten-free ( there was no alternative offered). The room in the main part of house was nice but the shower pretty much useless and unfortunately as it was at the front of the building we were woken up pretty early. The walls of the rooms appeared to be pretty thin as we could hear a lot of what was going on outside.Overall we found an expensive restaurant with a very limited menu , a pretty cold reception and an average room. A real shame as we wanted to support our local establishments particularly the Freehouses.

A beautiful setting with spectacular views from the garden and a really authentic inn feel coupled with a nice menu.We had tuna tartare to start which was excellent and then my wife had papadelle pasta and prawns - very good. Only thing avoid 5 stars was my souvlaki which was a little dry but the side dish of flat bread and pulses was very good.Service very friendly and very well set up in respect of CoVId. Would return!

Had an amazing lunch here. Food was first class!! Service was also excellent. The manager made us feel so welcome considering we arrived at 2pm but that didn’t seem to be a problem. Would definitely recommend & return ASAP!!

Went to the Griffin today for Sunday lunch. The various reviews suggested that this would be an event to savour. The reality was a disappointment. The starters were good, with a decent range of choice.Main courses were selected from a limited list, roast, fish & chips or veggie. So from a small range it shouldn’t be difficult to provide quality.Having asked that parsnip and celeriac be left off of my roast, it was an unpleasant surprise to be served celeriac and an unadvertised bed of cabbage, another food item of which I am not fond.The beef was stringy and the roast potatoes a strange texture which made them hard to cut and lacking any real flavour.Had the food been better, I would have been willing to tolerate being squeezed into a tiny space. That meant that my chair was constantly banged into, most annoying. Not what I want when I am hoping to enjoy a pleasant lunch out.The staff were perhaps the only positive which could be taken from the visit. Decent and attentive people.Being charged £30 a head for two courses, I would expect a greater quality. I can produce a far better meal in my own kitchen, without being knocked around.Sorry but The Griffin didn’t even come close to our expectation.

We stayed here last week..... Very pretty bedroom delicious breakfast but rather disappointing supper.

Greeted by a very friendly man, happy to serve us. The food was outstanding as was the service will definitely return . 10/10

Not your typical pub. Good service from young attentive waiting staff. Great flavor to all the dishes. Portions on the large side but whats not to like about that! A very good wine list for a country pub.

Had not been here for years, it was good then and even better now. Lovely food, great service and atmosphere. Will be back if only fir the amazing Newhaven Cod and chips!

Visited for a Sunday lunch treat, excellent service as always. Staff friendly and attentive. Gorgeous home made foccacia bread as an extra treat when we sat down for our meal. Wonderful atmosphere (except for the screaming crying child but that was out of the staff's hands)

Monty, the Girls, The Kitchen Crew......All dedicated to good old fashioned customer service. Get Here, For any `Occasion.....Special or otherwise. `Idyllic, Safe, Fine Dining, Discrete and other worldly, Old Worldly.....Superb, Magnifique, quality from every angle. And the Girls behind the Bar. Charming, s well

Incredible food, great staff, lovely atmosphere, had an amazing Christmas gathering and from now on is the only place to eat out.

Often drive through Fletching and have always thought that the pub looks lovely from the outside. The interior did not disappoint. Staff friendly and helpful. Above average pub food, very good price for the quality. My wife had crab linguini, I went for the venison sausage and mash. Will go again.

We had been at Sheffield Park when the rain started and it was 1.30pm. Checked my TA app and found the Grffin near me. Phoned and yes they are dog friendly in the bar areas. When we arrived a most warm welcome was had. A tall fellow found us a table and it was the last one. It was out of the way which suited us. Our starters of sweet pot soup and a baked camembert was excellent. Our mains of Gurnard fillets on Spanish black rice with clams was exceptional. My main was the local venison casserole which had the most amazing flavour and it was fantastic. My wife said she had never had fish so nice. We finished on a lemon possett, whow so lemony. A beautiful meal in superb surroundings, will definitely go back.

A classic olde village pub. Beautiful inside, warm, cosy whilst maintaining that classic olde worlde feel. We visited on a Sunday, and had pre-booked a table. It was busy so recommend booking. There were lots of people eating in the bar area, plus a separate slightly smarter restaurant with table service. Good selection of (local) ales too.

No vegan options?! Shocking. I was told that vegan options would have to be discussed with the chef as they don’t offer any on the menu...

Large family group for a special occasion lunch. They couldn't have been more accommodating and the food was exceptional. Lovely place with good humoured, helpful staff.

We visited this pub for a wedding reception and it was outstanding, the food was fantastic and the venue is fabulous with amazing outside space.

What an amazing time we had her on my wife’s birthday. Beautiful pub and dining rooms where staff and food are nothing sort of exceptional. If you’re in the area or not! Make a bee line to get there - wonderful..

The food at this pub is not typical pub food. The quality of the food its cooking and presentation are on a higher level. The service was attentive and balanced.

The Griffin is superb, wonderful atmosphere and staff and fabulous food ! Absolutely delicious leek tart, fish and chips and gambas. I can’t praise the food highly enough, great too that there’s good vegetarian options. Griffin, keep doing what you’re doing, we love it!!!

We had drinks and crisps in the garden of this charming pub. The views are stunning. We did not really see the inside as it was a warm and lovely sunny day and the garden was so pleasant. We will certainly return.

The Griffin Inn is the only place to eat in Fletching for two reasons- it is the only place and for every aspect of dining it is the best. The service is exemplary the meals are ... well we stayed two days and are still undecided which meal to choose, the whole menu is terrific. Our accommodation is extremely comfortable and the gardens, surrounding area just beautiful. Highly recommended for a romantic visit or business retreat, anything actually.

We thoroughly enjoyed our evening at the Griffin. The food was good and service was fine. The main selling point was the views from the backgarden. They are beautiful in the sun!

Comfy, old fashioned village pub, dog friendly, decent food and a fantastic garden with extensive views over the Sussex countryside. We hadn't been for 15 years, which was silly - we'll go back!

The Griffin Inn is also in a lovely village, with a free car park just opposite if there’s no easy place to park in the street - a real bonus.

Great environment and excellent food completely spoiled by casual, sloppy service which was completely unsupervised. When staff are more interested in chatting to each other the guests are in trouble.

Came here with my husband and in-laws for my father in laws birthday and honestly I wish I lived closer so I could come back every day!

The food and drinks are excellent and only enhanced by the very helpful and friendly staff. Highly Recommended

Some friends of ours recommended that we stop by the Griffin Inn for a bite to eat. We planned our long country walk so that we would end up here. They also recommended that we book. We didn’t but if you don’t mind sitting in the bar area then you don’t need to. That said, the restaurant and terrace area did look very nice.

Went here with friends early Friday evening having been told by them that the food was extremely good although a little more expensive than usual.

lovely garden, beers and food - the outside setting is lovely and the old building is very charming with friendly and efficient staff. The food is top quality, you pay slightly more than most other local places but its well worth it. Will be back with friends very soon.

We have been coming here for the last 5 years, it was by far the best pub not just for drinking but for food. It always had a great ambiance and a real local community feel but so sadly things have changed, different people, different ambiance.

Ok. Here’s the thing. This place you are paying for a typical Sussex countryside old pub.. beautiful village stunning old pub in spectacular gardens and views over Sussex hills with lots of seating! Problem is if I’m paying £16 for fish and chips I’d like a good portion with amazing food! Not really the case. The food isn’t bad and all what seams home cooked but we waiting OVER 1 and half hours for our main course! And every single time the my husband went in for a drink it’s took 30 - -45 minutes to get a drink! So I basically sat alone for most the experience. There was no salt and pepper on the tables so when I asked a waitress for some after waiting 1 and half hours for my fish and chips it was then a further 15 mins before I got it. I don’t like to moan and ruin someone’s future business but when I spent £120 not including service for fish and chips and a steak and a pavlova and cheese in a pub you would want to be blown away. I left feeling robbed and actually not very satisfied. But hey they are always rammed busy so maybe I’m just the odd one out who feels irritated by the experience! What I will say is I witnessed three other people complaining about the wait! And one trying to cancel food because they where just not prepared to wait longer. Now if this changes and they have some salt and pepper on the garden tables and quicker service this review wouldn’t be wrote. But even then would I be back....... maybe for the views and a glass of wine?! I will say though the waitresses where very charming and polite. Just wish I didn’t feel so robbed and compelled to write this review.

16 of us arrived on mass yesterday for the garden BBQ following a family birthday. The menu, food, staff & service were faultless. I would highly recommend this pub & when we visit Sussex again we will be going back! At no point were we made to feel uncomfortable or hurried being such a large group in fact if it had been warmer we would have stayed all afternoon! Thank you to all the staff you were amazing.

Visited again today and was impressed as always with the level of service, quality of beers, and the food served. A real gem in the Sussex countryside with an amazing garden overlooking the South Downs. Will be back again soon!

Visited with my wife to celebrate our anniversary and not only was the food excellent but found all the staff to be very pleasant and attentive....portions they serve are excellent and hot with good presentation.....we went mid week and I can imagine at the weekend it gets very busy....great character pub in the country......give it a try.

Went to griffin today...........They had an outside BBQ............ordered our food and gave our table number..............We had a Burger................after what seemed 15 mins............no one shouted out our number, and we were sat right next to the BBQ..........I went over, and saw a young girl, with her long hair blowing all over the place in the wind, with a plate of food on the counter in front of her............I stood there whilst she attempted to keep her hair back, and whist she was talking to other people, all the time she was talking to other people, she was playing with the food on the plate, she was moving the salad around, she was moving the burger bun around, and kept pressing the burger bun down again and again..........I said , "i think the food you have just been playing with , with your hands is mine"...........she scowled at me, and I said, "can you at least change the Bun, after you have been playing with it and pressing it down again and again"?.............none of the staff had gloves on..........to be honest , I did not really feel like eating the meal, after this..............she changed the bun, again, with her hands all over it and her hair blowing all over the place.............catering staff should wear gloves?.............catering staff should not have long hair blowing all over the place..........very off putting, and not at all appetizing meal............felt like asking for my money back, mediocre burger, rubbery, and small, for £16!..............staff need training?

It was a Friday night and my friend and I fancied a meal out. I’ve been to the Griffin many times but it was a first for my friend. I can honestly say this is one of my favourite pubs, the team who work there are friendly, the food is amazing as is the atmosphere and the garden is a great place to chill out in the summer either for a BBQ or just to have a drink, enjoy the view and even stay late and watch the stunning sunset. The interior of the pub is cosy and has a separate restaurant. We ate in the restaurant - please see photos. The bill for two people consisting of 2 starters, 2 mains and 2 pink peppercorn G&T;’s came to £70. Now looking forward to my next visit.

We were allocated a room in the Coach House with a large adjacent garden overlooking the 'Sussex Serengeti'. The weather was excellent and we were pleased to relax in the garden. Breakfast and dinner menus were excellent as were the choices we made,.

We chose The Griffin for dinner to celebrate my husband’s birthday as we had previously stayed there, albeit we arrived too late to eat. We arrived at 7 and were the only people in the restaurant at that time, and although our starter came out as expected we then waited over 45 minutes for our main to arrive. The food was at best ok and although my steak was cooked to perfection and really nice, it was let down by tasteless, undercooked “chips” and a barely dressed salad which was mostly rocket and there was too much of it. Not worth £25! My husband had seafood linguine which was very oily and contained far too much garlic. However, if we had thought the wait for our main was long we actually never got offered a dessert menu and eventually my husband went to find a waitress and said that as no-one had asked if we wanted anything further we would like the bill. She kindly reduced it slightly which was a welcome gesture, but having sat there for over 2 hours and then leaving feeling so disappointed has ensured we won’t go back again and will not recommend it to anyone in the future.

We have stayed at The Griffin on several occasions and have always found it reliable. We are always well looked after and the rooms are comfortable and well equipped with coffee and tea available. The breakfast menu is extensive and both ‘The Fletching’ breakfast and the Eggs Benedict are highly recommended. The dinner on both nights we stayed was also good and the tuna Nicole’s, the fried fish and chips and the crab linguine were excellent. The menu was different on both nights. The service was good with good humoured friendly attentive staff. In our opinion the restaurant was good value for money.

We visited for Sunday lunch on a very busy day with a garden trail in the village. The car park is fairly small but there is a village car park nearby plus on street parking.

I had booked a one night stay, because we were going to visit Sheffield Park .

Just wanted a light meal as we had already planned an evening meal with friends locally. Visited here a couple of years ago with same friends after visiting Sheffield Park, and have been wanting to come back ever since.

My mum and I went to the Griffin one a Saturday evening as it is known locally for being a good pub (we live in Uckfield). We went in the summer on a nice evening and sat outside in the beer garden, which was in a lovely natural setting. It is quite large and had several tables, but could imagine at busy times it would be quite crowded. Be warned as well that the pub is dog friendly and there were lots of dogs in the garden (which didn’t bother us) with their owners, although they were all very well behaved. The inside seemed a more moderate size, but with a traditional pub interior (with pictures of Prince Charles and piers Morgan visiting on the wall!). We didn’t book in advance but were just able to give our table number at the bar and order our drinks and food. We both had a glass of pimms, but looked like they served a good range of beers and other drinks. The menu is quite limited, with a small selection of dishes and only the risotto available for vegetarians. The price was a little steep, and although the food wasn’t outstanding it was tasty and freshly prepared. We thought it was worth the price for the lovely surroundings and service. We also ordered the sticky toffee pudding and tart tatin which were both really tasty and homemade, rather than just being defrosted or out of a packet. Would recommend to anyone local or in the area to visit for a meal.

Had a lovely walk around Fletching and enjoyed a great lunch for 2 in the bar with the dog! Booked for Saturday night with the sons who came down from London for the weekend. Really nice food and a very decent, value for money, wine list, expert sommelier too!

Stayed here for a night over a weekend whilst having dinner on The Bluebell Line (old train, can 100% recommend), so we didn’t eat dinner and I can’t comment in respect of that. Guest rooms were well presented, clean and tidy, comfortable beds and a general good vibe. For our experience I have 2 criticisms though. Firstly, our room had no hot water for the shower on the Sunday morning, I reported this on checkout and was promised a follow up but nothing has happened since. Hot water is a basic for a B&B; and the system failed due, I believe, to insufficient hot water capacity for all the rooms. The second problem was the price of drinks - we sat for a few hours in the afternoon of our arrival and paid almost £15 for a round - 1 beer and a large glass of white wine...... c’mon guys, you’re not in central London, you’re in leafy Sussex - get real ?

If the score 4.5 was an option then I would go for that. The food is very good and the service whilst not perfect is friendly and welcoming. The rooms are well appointed and comfortable. The garden etc is excellent and given good weather, a great place to enjoy a good drink and nice meal. I just feel there is ‘something’ not quite there but don’t know what it is. I will definitely return as it is also good value for money so whilst I can’t ‘fault’ the visit (and thus gave it the full 5 stars), it may just be that the younger element of the staff just need a little more ‘finesse’.

Business lunch with the wife. Food was excellent. Crab Linguine with samphire sooo more’ish. Definitely recommend. Will be back!

So what can I say, I arrived and was greeted warmly, I worked in the bar and enjoyed the fast Wi-Fi and lovely surroundings. Our first evening meal was as amazing the staff looked after us. We are currently enjoying a crafty pint in the garden. I will return with my partner to enjoy the chic rooms.

The key to this visit is - would I visit again in the near future? And the answer is probably not. Why, you ask. Well although all the ingredients for a great experience are there, I was left with a feeling of disappointment. We were in a group (our friends made it fun at least), but our share of the bill came to £115 for 2 - we had a starter and main each, and shared a dessert with a nice bottle of Spanish white, and a coffee. The main course for me was a pork roast which was huge - just too much really - the pork was overcooked, so a bit tough. The character of the Griffin is great, and the service very good - but I personally know of a couple of other venues which I would prefer to go to just 15 minutes away, where I would enjoy the whole experience a bit more.

Excellent lunch on the delightful terrace. We can recommend the roasts, the vegetarian risotto and the wonderful desserts. The service was very good and all in all we enjoyed The Griffin very much.

Long long time since we have been here, but glad we did, good pint of Harvey’s, roaring log fires, excellent Sunday roast beef, great staff & service - long live the british pub

Stayed one night going to nearby gig at Trading Boundaries. Small but comfortable room, nice enough bathroom, they have loads of staff all of whom were very pleasant. Breakfast was included and would certainly be happy to repeat the experience again.

Stayed here for 4 nights whilst on a course nearby, it was their number one recommendation. The pub is warm and friendly and the Harvey’ bitter very well kept., always a good sign when the beer is well kept.

Attractive old Inn with great views from garden good atmosphere.Warm welcome on arrival.

There was a time when this was a “go to” place to eat for us so, when passing close by, we decided to visit again. However, what a disappointment! Fish with no flavour coated in greasy batter and a dry pasta dish which was very poorly seasoned and containing only two very small pieces of courgette. Poor service too. Shall not be back n a hurry.

We stopped here for a bite to eat, on our way to view a property in Maresfield. We did not have very long and were looking for a sandwich, ciabatta, something like that .. but although they certainly have a bar, they don't have a bar menu, only a full lunch/dinner menu. We had to have a starter each which took quite a long time to arrive and were not really very filling at all. The food was pricy but good.

Gorgeous views from the back garden but I wish some adults, or even one, had come out to monitor their kids. They were even in the Pimms/Champagne tent smashing glasses :/