The Half Moon Inn in Lewes

Great food. Note they have a Sunday menu with roasts, different to the normal menu. I've attached a picture (November 2024). Normal menu not served on Sundays. The food was exceptional. I had the vegetable soup with bread and it was beautifully flavoured with lovely soft bread and butter. Others ordered the burgers and said they were very good. You have to try the cheesecake with the mango sorbet. Staff were very attentive but needed to give us a bit more time after we'd sat down to order drinks and when paying the bill (we'd not finished eating). They did say they were new and were still very polite. Unfortunately there were a number of tables with families whose children were running about the place. They spooked my dog and we're very, very loud. This ruined the atmosphere for me though I understand there's not much the staff can do about this. The pub was very warm temperature wise and with scenic surrounds. Dog friendly throughout. They have a mini golf course which we didn't have time to try. Will go again!

Beautiful countryside pub for lunch, good location for South Downs way. Food excellent, beer selection decent as well.

Nice pub and feels lighter and brighter with the referb. Went for a Sunday roast. Staff were lovely and attentive. A little disappointed however that there was no nut roast on the menu for our vegetarian dinner. Sadly the chicken was dry which was also a shame. Otherwise a lovely meal.

We visited the Half Moon in November for a relaxing family meal. The service in the bar was great, nice selection of beers. The food was however very poor, we ordered ribs which came with sweet corn that looked weeks old - shrivelled and nasty, and the ribs were so tough they couldn’t be cut. The staff were friendly and helpful when we complained and they did take these items off our bill and replaced with alternative food. Although they handled it well, this food should never have left the kitchen and even the replacement food was average at best. So, I’d avoid this place if food is what you’re after, but go there for a nice beer in a good pub.

We had lunch here as part of a walk along the South Downs Way. The staff were incredibly friendly and the food was delicious

Wonderful pub. Will definitely be back!

Bar staff had a huge row with the chef, the front of house staff all walked out, they also the only ones who had the codes to the till. All made for a rather crap evening.

Been here in several occasions normally off peak periods so service is good. Front of house staff are friendly and drinks reasonably priced. But main food seems a bit expensive for what you get. The place is nice with decent outside seating. Came today while not super busy was told it would be around a 40 minute wait which is fine. However, ended up being about an hour to come out. Kitchen should also consider their window opens onto the outside seating area and all guests can hear their arguements and colourful language.

Further edit- no contact a week and a half later. Will not be visiting again. I really hope your team are better supported going forward Edit- thank you for responding. I am unable to reply to supply my email address so hoping this reaches you- jamierfox1986@gmail.com. Thank you A thoroughly disappointing Sunday lunch, celebrating a special 40th birthday. A blisteringly hot day and only two members of staff (front of house) who were obviously left up the creek without a paddle- I really felt for them. We had pre-booked a table inside. 2 mains already unavailable at 12:30 and the roast pork not available. A dry pie “of the day” which was clearly cooked from frozen, despite being reassured it was hand made that morning. The roast chicken was really basic. Hard roast potatoes which had been heated up (I suspect again from frozen or bought in), watery bland gravy, soggy veg and not an ounce of seasoning in sight. Even the salt sellers on the table had given up and were full of moisture and rendered useless. I will say, the chicken roast had half a chicken on the plate which was very generous but sadly, flavourless. A bit of salt and pepper on the skin, perhaps some garlic and thyme would have improved it somewhat. The manager took our comments on board and kindly reduced the bill to reflect our comments which was appreciated but we would have rather paid full price for a delicious meal given the occasion. Such a shame!

Lovely pub! Very nice lunch out with large group of friends for a birthday - staff were very patient as some were running late etc. Really nice food though could do with a couple more vegan options. Drinks a little on the pricey side. Charlotte was super friendly and helpful, a real asset to the team :)

One of my favourite pubs. Great food , Excellent WAP beer and a huge dog friendly open beer garden with views of the South and North downs. Plus mini golf ! Fab.

Lovely pub setting, service was excellent, food was excellent, highly reccomended

Lovely beer garden in the shadow of the Downs

Good pub, good beer. Played mini golf here and had a good time. Loads of parking, big enough for a caravan. So close to the walks along the downs

Me and my Husband visited this beautiful little Gem on Wednesday and we were not disappointed, the pub has a Huge garden with a big kids play area and a mini golf course perfect for the summer. Although He was Very busy and seemed to be Alone the Manager Tom was extremely professional and could not do enough for us. The food was Very good I had a lovely salmon salad and my husband had the fish and chips (it was the size of a whale) We will definitely be returning to the half moon soon.

Well where to start. First the good parts. Ended up with three fish of the day (cod) and chips and peas. Chips were nicely crispy and plenty of them. (Too many for me) Batter for fish nice and crispy too. Now the downside. There was a specials board with beef and mushroom bourguigon. Two of us order it but very soon the waitress returned to say there was barely one portion left. We had arrived at opening for lunch!? So changed to stand in three fish and chips and one ribs rack with seasonal vegetables. Three fish arrived but no peas either frozen or mushy. (What pub doesn’t have frozen peas?) A smidgen of salad three or four leaves and a quarter of a tomato present on the plate as a sub. Ribs ok and greens and carrots ok shared with me as I have a kind Son in law. The waitress was full of apologies for a chef away sick and lack of menu availability. (Not her fault) She reduced the price of overall cost substantially which helped but was accepted but not what we wanted. Also first glass of Longman Blond was iffy. A second out of the tap proved better. Overall a future reference. Don’t go on a Monday. Evidence was number of patrons. We should have realised on entry.

I've been to this pub several times over the years & have never been disappointed BUT..I have just returned from a Saturday lunch & this time was not such a pleasant experience. We had to queue for approximately half an hour to order our food & drinks. There were people queuing who only wanted a drink who then gave up & left. Yes, it was a Saturday and obviously a busy time but it was badly organised. My food came out about 15 minutes before my friends. I wasn't given cutlery, or offered any condiments. My friend who was still waiting for her meal had to find some on a spare table. Whether this was due to staff sickness/ shortages, I don't know but there definitely needs to be a review on how this pub is run at busy times of the week.

Very messy outside in the garden. Cigarette ends everywhere and no ashtrays. Tables and chairs dirty of birds excrements. I bit too pricey drinks. It doesn't have a good atmosphere at all.

Decent-looking pub, mediocre food. The fish and chips' peas were raw, the chips half so. The fish was decent, but that's not a great lunch.

Many steps into one of the entrances

Shockingly bad Sunday roast. Tiny portions, very little meat, overcooked and (for what it was) very expensive. Nice location let down by the food unfortunately.

After all these bad reviews gave it a go . As heard they have new head chef and management . Food 9 out of 10 Service 8 out of 10 Coast 10 out of 10 Affordable pub where bill came to shy 80 between 3 of us with 5 drinks 3 mains and pudding. Was it worth it ? Yes Only complaint was food portions was too big. Worth a visit local rural pub who works with local businesses. Plumpton wines , local butcher and fishmonger give it a go. !!

I was given a job here, went home from uni for two weeks, came back asked for a shift, got completely ignored then removed from the group chat. So unbelievably rude.

Staff were helpful and friendly, only had a light lunch, but very tasty

Me and my parents had food here tonight , all of the food was great and it is such a welcoming pub! Specifically Darren was amazing , he was multi tasking throughout the meal and gave us the best service possible throughout!

Reaaaally overpriced and average food. Sent my burger back

Nice gluten free pale ale from Hepworth Brewers available.

Great place with outdoor fun for kids

Friendly foke, nice beer and tasty grub. A cracking pub

The food here is very mediocre. Nice pub, staff fine, but the food was really disappointing. In particular, don't have the loaded chips, really not nice. Won't be eating here again. If you do decide to try it, take a coat as it was cold and we asked if there was any heating and were told no.

DOG FRIENDLY!!! 🐶🐾 This place is literally so amazing we stumbled across it searching for a dog friendly place we can go and I'm so glad we found it!! When you pull into the carpark and look at the building it looks like a homely little cottage so beautiful 😍 When we arrived all the staff were welcoming and friendly. Food was so fresh and so tasty. Steak didn't have any fat on it nothing worse than having a chewy bit of gristle 😋it was perfect !! We had a little robin outside the window who kept trying to fly to us through the window lol so cute. Definitely recommend this place will be back!! Thank you!! ❤️❤️

The Half Moon catered for us after a local funeral. The manager did a fantastic job. She went above and beyond to make the day stress free and relaxing for us. The food was delicious and to gather round log fires in the cosy pub with spring flowers on all the tables, was just what we wanted. We were really impressed and would highly recommend both the food and the welcoming atmosphere.

Stopped for drink and snacks after a hike on the downs. Lovely pub with great atmosphere and log fire.

Great service and the food was delicious.

Had a lunch post hull walk - good food and service for the most part but beware the very bland Welsh rarebit - poor choice of cheese makes this very flavourless. Burger was good - well seasoned, juicy, fresh salad, decent burger sauce, fries were superb - double or triple cooked, crisp and delicious.

Very nice pub with well presented and tasty food and good, local beer

The New Manager was brilliant, such fun, efficiency and welcoming. Even praised my singing 🌟🤭 Would highly recommend

Following a blustery, wintry afternoon up at Ditchling Beacon how lovely it was to nip 8 minutes down the road for a hearty half of Harvey’s and a bowl of cheesy, chunky chips! A most welcoming haven topped off by sitting beside a warming log fire! Most delightful!

Went for a family meal on boxing day, fast service but ring ahead to reverse a table. Food was mostly okay with vegan and coeliac options but the pie of the day wasnt great.

We came for lunch. A warm inviting atmosphere on a cold day. A good menu and excellent food. New manager who made us feel welcome. Nice and efficient service. We will come again.

Great for couples and family meals. Staff are friendly and really went the extra mile to help us and make our stay a good one. The food is really good and the portions are generous. My family and I had a really good time! I would highly recommend it.

Thoroughly enjoyed our Christmas dinner well presented very tasty good size portions friendly staff thankyou for the perfect lunch we all enjoyed it

Had Sunday lunch here with a friend, the roast beef was appalling, more fat and gristle than meat, roast potatoes were pale & soggy and the veg were very watery. The dessert of apple crumble and custard was good but not worth the price of £7. The building itself which is very nice in a lovely setting was pretty cold and not too clean, thick layers of dust everywhere. The only saving grace for this establishment is the staff who are very friendly but we certainly won't be eating here again.

Got to say what a great pub the atmosphere,service and especially the food, decided to go in Sunday last and will definitely be going back next time with the family

Great food (salmon and steak pie) and service. Hot chocolate was actually hot rather than luke warm which is today's norm

The perfect country pub with a fantastic food and service. The manager is simply fantastic and helped by even better staff.

Had a lovely evening meal with family . Can't fault the place. Good food, reasonably priced, great friendly service, chilled atmosphere.

Dirty pub, bland food, dry meat. Landlord runs around the place in a panic like a headless chicken. Expect your drink to be served in a grubby glass and your food to be of a low standard or forgotten about. On your way in to the pub you get a good look into the kitchen, it isn’t pretty. The whole pub needs a deep clean and the outside areas are not maintained. Wooden furniture is rotting and falling apart, plenty of trip hazards. The staff are nice but it’s such a shame this place isn’t being run well.

Nice pub with lovely art, but small portions of food, nice staff but the're not sure what they're doing and don't clear the tables inbetween courses. They just serve you the food at the same time they take your dirty places, all a bit amateurish to be honest.

Lovely, cosy pub. We walked from Lewes and then booked the Flexibus to pick us up from the pub car park and take us home.

Off the the chance visit but really pleased. Delicious food, very friendly, lighting levels perfect,nice and cosy. Will definitely return. It says Brighton but it's Plumpton.

Great pub to round off a walk over the downs. Ales properly kept and served by friendly staff. Definitely coming back for food next time 🙂.

Great pub, I didn't have the food but looked good. Good selection of ales and lagers. Very friendly staff. Would recommend.

Such a shame no one seemed to know what they were! Sunday lunch should not be difficult but this pub certainly made a right mess of it. Some of the poor staff seemed almost in tears and management were trying to be helpful but not really getting any where fast. The roast beef was obviously sliced and then cooked again for some reason, oxo cube gravy, soggy roast spuds and we had to order the children's ice cream three time. It took 40mins to produce 4 single scoops and it wasn't even busy. Really disappointing

Turned up here on a Thursday evening 9/23 feeling exhausted and wandering where to stay the night whilst hiking the South Downs Way. The guy running the place (not the landlord) was extremely welcoming and got a pint in my hand fast. Making sure I was comfortable and happy all the time. He helped me find a place nearby where I could put my tent and took time to talk to me about my adventure. It also turned out to be ten quid steak night. Great place. Great people.

Lovely location, nice pub but let down by seemingly inexperienced management and untrained staff - all seemed nice people but out of their depth. Food is good in places but you know they could do better. Dishes available and then not the next minute. Nice roast however shame the brownie desert was massively overcooked and burnt on the bottom

Friendly welcome, shown to table (booked for 9, was laid for 7, squeezed 8 around) and given menus then it kinda went a bit random after that. Food took a while for order to be taken then delivered. Waitresses seems either new or inexperienced so not going to fault them too much but never quite felt order had been taken down or when food and drinks would arrive. Desserts were delivered a bit haphazardly, had to ask for spoons. Starters plates not cleared before mains arrived, had to use same cutlery, empty glasses not cleared. Just lack of attention to detail. Manager I presume was keen to check everything was OK within about a minute of mains being placed, a bit soon to answer. Roasts were ok, potatoes not especially crisp, meagre crackling with the pork. Overall prices are pretty good so can’t grumble too much but left a bit disappointed. I know hospitality has been hard post-COVID to find good staff especially for a place in the middle of nowhere.

We came in here for lunch the other day, thoroughly enjoyed the food especially the rib of beef which was cooked to perfection. Said we will come back before we leave and here we are. I had the Rib eye which once again was cooked perfectly and my wife had the Lasagna and that was lovely too. The host on our lunch visit made us feel very welcome and equally the host tonight was more than welcoming. The pub itself is beautiful. Great value for money huge portions 😃 😊

Overpriced food and mean portions. The place has seen better days, it feels a bit run down. Inside it smelled strange, a bit musty and of cleaning products. But, the young team of staff working there on a Sunday was great - very enthusiastic, energetic and helpful.

The website said food is served on a Sunday until 6, when we arrived, a sign outside said until 8pm however when we got there at 17:30 we were told the kitchen shut at 16:00/16:30.

Very friendly and helpful landlord. Excellent food.

Lunch today with 5 friends. It's a nice atmospheric old pub. Unfortunately I could not eat my meal as it was too 'spicy' for me. A Cajan chicken burger. I did ask (twice)before ordering whether it was 'hot' spicy, or more flavour type spice and was assured not hot. Unfortunately it was much too spicy for me and I did have to leave it three quarters uneaten. I did not ask for a refund as felt partially my fault for ordering. However Landlord insisted I not pay for any of my meal. He went above and beyond. I am assured by others that the Sunday roast is great so will go back. His actions and kindness make up for the meal. A colleagues Octopus was 'amazing' I was informed. So difficult for me to give a star rating., but hosting was 4 star.

Lovely pub in an idyllic location,food was okay. I was however left feeling confused. We were greeted by who I think was the manger,but then left waiting for a drink when bar staff were obviously busy, does he not know how to pour a pint!!!

Really nice interiors and friendly professional staff. Great for a Sunday roast . Food was delicious! Loads of space for kids to play in the back garden. Perfect location for walks on the south downs way too. We had a great time. Thanks

Lovely pub and bar staff. Manager was rude to his staff. Shockingly so. Greeted us but then left us waiting. Very busy and understaffed, not managed well.

Friendly staff, but I feel that it was a bit of a panic there. Food was ok but our order got mixed up so had to wait for two of the mains to be cooked and nothing offered as an apology at all. Shame it could have been better.

Really nice pub, just happened to go in on Steak Night!! Good value! And a nice play park across the car park for the kids to play on

Went on a Sunday, given menus upon sitting down. Went to order and then told its the wrong menu, only food on board is available. Not a great choice, so ended up eating chips and onion rings. Totally embarrassing as I had invited family down. Won't be returning to this awful pub.

Had a lovely lunch under the South downs staff were brilliant food good and a lovely garden with a bar and golf course

We all had a great lunch. I had the gammon egg and chips, I had three huge slices of the leanest and tastiest gammon ever, it was delicious. Highly recommended.

Very friendly local pub. Good welcome to us and our collie. Good varied menu, including vegan options. Nice cosy atmosphere inside and great garden. Thank you.

Stopped here for lunch and was reasonable, good value for money though. Beers were very good and staff friendly despite being busy and quite stretched. Recommend as a good pub with friendly atmosphere.

Great Lunchtime Bites. Very tasty and well presented food. Nice tables to sit outside. Dog friendly

Nice pub but a bit dark inside, even for a pub. Beer garden was pleasant though and drinks were well priced.

Pleasant staff, however the food, overall, was dreadful. Watery pasta, that looked like a tin if tomatoes had been poured over it, lasagne looked straight from the microwave. Have visited this pub several times previously and the food was pretty decent. The kitchen really keeps to improve and it's currently not good value for money at all.

We have been to this pub quite a few times over the years but it seems to have gone downhill quite a bit in the last year, which is very disappointing. the food was extremely average - I hope it was just a bad day for them rather than something fundamental.

Great country pub with decent menu, polite staff, plenty of space for kids. Could do with a better selection of beer.

Lovely Setting with gorgeous views from the top field. Beer a little on expensive side, food was decent. We were served by a lovely more mature lady who couldn't do enough for us. thank you

Doesn't look like much from the main road, but it's nice inside and has a big extensive beer garden out the back.

Food excellent, service good (Darren was very attentive). But the inside space is tired, old and quite unpleasant. There were slug trails of the carpet, didn't feel clean. It's a shame as the food was so good and the chef went out of his way to accommodate us.

Hadn't been here for a few years and wondered how it may have changed after COVID. I'm happy to say I was pleasantly surprised that it was still a great place.

It's an alright place in the absence of other choice but not that great an experience - at first they weren't sure if they could accommodate us due to being busy but the place wasn't even half full, had no idea of the waiting times, then it was all served reasonably quickly. But the portions are very small/inconsistent with the pricing - e.g. do not order the fishcakes as you'll get two smallish cakes on a bed of a few leaves and no chips/sides. Certainly doesn't justify the £18.

Awesome Ambience and great food.

The worst stake and ale pie I ever had... avoid at all costs! Decided to sit in the garden on a table with daughter just to realise it had broken glasses

Nice traditional pub. Decent food. Cozy place.

Went with my wife (reviewer Billie beneath) 4 months ago and it was amazing. See the review from then. Sadly this time (party of 5) we were hugely disappointed. To be fair to them, it was an extremely busy Good Friday and the staff were all stressed out, but we had booked, so... 🤷‍♂️. Anyway, food and drinks took ages to come, some meals were cold and some were incinerated. The manager could not have been nicer about it all but when paying 20 quid for a burger and onion rings you want something spectacular. And this was not. A shame as we're locals, but if we go back it'll be for a drink only.

Love this place. They made room for our food orders even after the cut off for the kitchen. Really friendly place.

Massive garden. Slightly overpriced mini-golf. Kids' playground and massive garden. Will go back

This was our second visit to The Half Moon Inn. The food has been consistently good, good portion sizes and priced right. Service wasn't particularly fast, but I put that down to the fact that the food is cooked to order and is fresh. It is worth the wait. I will definitely be returning. 🙂

I would like to thank Dareen and pat for a fantastic evening, the food was excellent as was the hospitality and our dogs were welcome to. So thank you so much and we look forward to seeing you all soon. We will highly recommend you to all our friends and family

Lovely food. Decent prices. Friendly staff and dog friendly which is always a plus. Lovely place for families, kids and such a warm friendly place

What a disappointment. This pub could have been so much better. It's rather run down. It was cold,. It has an open fire and a big log burner. Both of which were unlit ! The Landlord was friendly but seemed out of control. He kept rushing around seemingly in a panic. The whitebait starter was £8 . It consisted of eight headless fish, outrageous. Although the price was reduced to £4 after my complaint. The landlord told me that several people had complained so this was not a one off event. However the Fish and chips was excellent, even though the fish was covered in salt despite requesting no salt. Lots of carpark space and kids activities. Also quite a lot of outside seating. I won't be rushing back. This place needs to get it's act together FAST!

Nice atmosphere, shame about the beer/ ale selection.

Nice and cosy pub but I wasn’t blown away by the food. Pie & mash was £16 and reasonably small in size. Tiny portion of vegetables and mash made the presentation lacking. Friendly and welcoming staff however.

Really friendly staff, a beautiful gem of an inn

Lovely pub in great location with friendly and efficient staff. The outside decking would be great if there were not an unusual smell at the far end. The fish and chips were really good and roasts were ok.

Great Sunday roast. Friendly staff and the Bedlam ale was in top form. glad to be back!

Whilst working here the dishwasher was broken and I was told by managers to give unclean glasses to customers. I worked long shifts each day of the weekend when they were short staffed on short notice and then fired without any cause and ignored when asking for an explanation.

Good service, busy and service was still good and staff friendly. Very dog friendly.

Myself ,my husband. My mum and Dad went for lunch. Absolutely amazing very generous portions of food. Lovely cozy warm pub on what was a very cold day. Fantastic service. Darren our server was great. Would definitely visit again. Well done to the half moon we had a lovely time there. Thankyou 💖