The Pilot Inn in Eastbourne

Excellent Light Bites. Will be back again

Having been here many times they've gone with the "shrinkflation" flow 🤭ie. Up until 3 weeks ago their steak was a 10 or 12oz sirloin now only 8oz, but of course same price £31 so if you are happy with that then great. Otherwise nice place.

Fantastic food in a lovely setting, service was very very good as well, will definitely return

We had a lovely evening last night 29th March with special friends celebrating their 50th Anniversary x Fantastic night great staff. Great food. Thankyou Emma for your kind wishes. After speaking to our daughter we realised we know your mum & Dad I wished I had known last night You are so like your mum x our daughter danced with her. You also know our grand daughters from the festivals. What a small world x we will be back x

Fantastic pub in a great location !!! Food was absolutely amazing & the staff couldn't be more helpful 👍

We only had Sunday lunch after a long walk. Friendly staff good choice of food. Food was very good lovely roast and a pint what more could you wish for. Will definitely be heading back and would recommend.

Beautiful room and warm welcome!

Came here for a meal after a recommendation. The food was excellent and a great choice on the menu with varied specials as well. I went for the pork belly which was fantastic. Highly recommended if you are in Eastbourne

Good beer, a cute location and adorable beergarden 😍

Beautiful, lively, independent pub with great food and atmosphere! I booked my birthday dinner here after a walk across the Seven Sisters cliffs, and the staff ensured everything was perfect. Our waitress, Chloe, was lovely. I'm so glad I chose this pub over the others in the area. Long live the independent British pub! x

What an amazing pub! The staff go above and beyond to make you feel welcome and ensure everything runs smoothly. We celebrated my dad’s birthday here today, and it couldn’t have been better. The food was absolutely delicious, and the service was exceptional—every member of the team was incredibly helpful and attentive. On top of that, the pub itself is beautiful, with a warm and inviting atmosphere. Highly recommend for any occasion!

Nice place very good fish and chips.

Very nice modern rooms. Right in the road but still quiet. Right above the pub but can't hear it. People running the place and working there are very nice. Food very good

Food was very good. Probably the best in the area. One slight point was coffee macine was turned off before 8.45 pm. A slight downer but the food was lovely... easily the best belly pork I have eaten... superb. Lovely atmosphere but please don't stop serving coffee so early... will we back??? Oh yes this is such a great place.

Great food , great service 👍 . Would highly recommend .

Lovely service, Atmosphere and food. Really enjoyed our meal.

Today we visited the charming Pilot Inn, which we have been to previously, a few weeks ago. On that occasion it was pleasant and great service, and lovely food, in fact we liked it so much that we decided to come again. Today however, we had a totally different experience, we were over charged for swapping sourdough for a wrap, an extra £3, but we accepted it and carried on. We decided to have pudding today, service was slow but it was busy so we understood. When it came to paying the bill, we were accidently overcharged,  we understand that mistakes can happen especially when you're busy. We wanted to double check the refund has gone through before paying again as understandably we did not want to pay twice, the waitress Chloe said she would call the manager over. We understand this as she wanted to make sure everything was correct, The manager, Emma, came over to our table with what you would say 'an attitude because we had an issue with the refund. We settled the bill and said we would sort it between us once the refund had gone back into the accounts. Because of this incident we had rudeness from the staff, they were complaining about us and the lady on the door, when we left had the worst attitude, yet we had not had any dealings with her throughout this trip. She was the worst one of all by saying "Bye" in a sarcastic manner, and made me make the decision to do this complaint. This was completely disgusting to be treated like this, as anyone in our situation would have wanted to make sure the refund had gone through and not have to pay twice. The staff clearly need customer service training. If one person makes a complaint and you deal with it, it is settled, but if it is not dealt with, in order words, made worse by the attitude from the others in the team, that person will then tell others and those others will spread the word too. If it was my company, I would immediately ensure those staff on duty today receive adequate customer service training before you lose more customers. I would like to empathise, that Chloe made an innocent mistake and we do not blame her in any way, what we were appalled with is the disgusting attitude from others in the team including the 'manager' Emma.

Dog friendly - took my mini poodle, and she was well received - quaint restaurant/eaterie. Staff friendly, and the best part was being with my bestie, whom i haven't seen in person for a while.

Had a great meal there yesterday food was fantastic atmosphere was brilliant. Staff outstanding very reasonable price will definitely be returning. Many thanks to all the staff at The Pilot for making our night very special

The Pilot accommodated us without a booking on this busy Sunday lunch. We are so glad they did. Exceptional pork belly roast. The crackling to die for! The decor is sumptuous, the staff friendly and very efficient. Will definitely be back, very soon. I would advise to book especially on a Sunday

A great meal with fabulous service in a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

We didn’t stay, only had lunch but the food is amazing and the staff are all very friendly.

Finished up here after walking the Seven Sisters - the pub was excellent and it’s perfectly located right at the end of the walk. Best pub food I’ve had for a long time. 7 clean plates, steak Pie, sausage & mash, and the pork belly were all insane. Lovely staff who were super accommodating. All food was good and great vibe!! Big portions too!

Charming traditional pub with beautiful windows and decor, the staff are really helpful and welcoming , we loved the delicious food and atmosphere. Was there at Christnas time ,so the decorations added to the whole effect. Will definitely return !

Excellent family lunch. Super atmosphere, large menu choices and reasonable prices, delicious food and fantastic service. We'll be back soon.

WOW What can I say as a family we went yesterday the 21st December. Everything was just fabulous, we were a table of 9 and all the plates were cleared. Seven of us had something different from the menu and everything came hot and looking just so mouth watering and scrumptious. All the meals were large and certainly value for money. The staff were polite/efficient, well groomed etc. Excellent choice on the menu. This is a restaurant that we will be top of our list for future family gatherings.

Lovely pub in the town. Staff were amazing and food was delicious. Not overpriced. I had pan fried sea bass and my friends had roasted belly of pork. Plenty of atmosphere and would definitely visit again.

We are loyal fans of the Pilot over many years. Just recently, it seems toi have lost its leading edge. Dinner for 8 and the meat was dry. Extra gravy didn't solve the problem. Sunday lunch for 7: fish and chips, game pie were fine but once again meat was tough. Staff replaced the meals but the second round was no better and had to be left. The staff and service were to the usual standards but not all of the meals. Have heard other clients with similar issues.

Come here every year with a friend for ‘our’ Christmas lunch. Warmly welcomed as soon as we stepped in the door, and brilliantly looked after by Chloe. The food here is really superb - and that’s why you need to book in advance - and that’s why The Pilot is always packed. I started off with deep fried Brie, was beautifully cooked with a lovely dip - then a huge Christmas lunch, which was a very big portion - and everything was cooked perfectly. Then panne cotta, which had red berries, nuts and crumbled biscuits, quite unusual but everything worked well and complemented each other. It was faultless and that’s why locals come back time after time.

Went on Saturday night , booked in the Barons room 7.00 ,main bar 5.00 it worked out amazing. Staff great ,food fantastic would highly recommend. Our friends travelled from Croydon ,they will be visiting again very soon

We ate at the Pilot Inn for lunch, what a delight!!!!

I wouldn’t recommend this pub. Went for a few drinks and lunch with friends and was met with some of the rudest and least caring staff. The drinks were over priced and not worth the hassle of talking to staff for.

Another exceptional dining experience. Chloe was amazing, she is a real credit to the Pilot Inn. The food was so tasty, all ordered from the specials board. We can’t wait to return, certainly Halloween was a great fun evening . Thank you Chloe. We can’t wait to return . All the staff are so friendly and welcoming.

I’ve known this pub for decades using it occasionally for a pint. Decided to try it again after a break for a meal with friends, I’ve got to say its the best its ever been, not a gastropub but great meals and its kept its pubby feel in the main bar whilst developing into a restaurant. Loads of investment shows, the back extension feels like you are walking into a country pub, well done you planners and designers, how do you do that? Chloe our server was lovely and I can recommend the steak and guinness pie, with good old fashioned chunks of carrot and potatoes. Beware the pie is filling! The pub is 1 minute from stunning views , its a real asset to our town wish I lived closer and I’d make it our local

Had a fantastic meal tonight, food first class as always! Chloe was looking after us and was exceptional. Highly recommended the Pilot it’s our go to place in Eastbourne.

Such a lovely pub, great food, really delicious, had the ploughman's lunch, very nice. Staff all really pleasant, wish I could pick it up and take it back home with me to Hertfordshire

Unfortunately this wasn’t my first time here where the attitude was poor from people serving me. Certainly won’t be returning now.

Perfect place to hangout with your friends or loved ones on a rainy day, the location is perfect. A must visit even for a cup of coffee.

Best place I've stayed in for a long, long time.

Beautiful pub with lovely rooms to stay in. Great food and all the staff are very friendly. Can't recommend enough!!

A really lovely pub with fabulous food and great staff. Some, but not much, parking. Got there at 12.00am.

Great service and food ,will be back ,thank you

There is nothing bad I could say about this place. Ridiculously good rooms and food. The staff are super awesome and really accommodating. The courtyard is really cool and the whole atmosphere of the place is perfect. Also Bentley the dog is a highlight too!

I loved the Pilot Inn and main one being the staff. The manager at the front desk was very friendly, welcoming and helpful. I had stopped by the Pilot Inn after a beautiful walk from the Seven Sisters visitor centre, and my battery was dead, so they offered to charge my phone for me. I didn’t fancy the walk back, so I had a staff member come and talk me through the bus service back to Seven Sisters. Nothing was too much trouble for any of the staff. They are an assets to this beautiful pub/restaurant/hotel. The venue itself was really nice decor, spacious, nice vibe. And the food was delicious and came out quickly. I fully recommend to everyone.

Nice food, a bit squash together, friendly staff

Lovely staff, delicious food in a great venue

Went hiking from Seaford to Eastbourne and we had our stop at this inn to eat. The food is okay and not too pricey.

Great pub and good service. Fantastic outside seating garden.

Very friendly staff, great food. Wish they dont allow smoking near windows and entrance to the pub😅. We missed out on dressed crab salad.. looked good. Happy with our meal. Recommend booking, as we didn’t and lucky we had the last table.

Hidden on corner but worth a visit Food was good. Quite big inside well decorated. Dog friendly

Fabulous setting. Fabulous pub. Lovely staff. Good choice of Gin! 5 stars for the above. We went for the food. Such good reviews but very disappointed. The chips tasted of old chip oil. Couldn't eat them. Burger was OK. Pasta was box standard cheap dried off the shelf and almost no pesto on it and that was clearly out of a jar? It's not hard to make so why not do it especiallyat the pices you are charging? Would revisit but wouldn't eat unless I was desperate sorry. Not a good look to see kitchen staff out the front smoking every 5 mins.

Fabulous pub with great service and atmosphere. Can't wait to visit again.

Great Pub, Great Staff. However, the Landlord has absolutely no interest in anyone having a good time. In fact, he considers this a nuisance as he believes this gets in the way of the smooth running of his precious restaurant (which is OK, bus nothing special). Regulars and locals seem to be unwelcome, too. Many of whom have started drinking at The Ship up the road. Partly because it's much cheaper, but mostly because of the miserable atmosphere he creates.

Holy 🐖!! What a great roast pork and lamb!

Top quality dining. Beautifully presented. Highly recommend the Sussex Smokie, Ploughman's was great too.

These all are paid ratings, don't go here it's a scam

Great restaurant, good pub, lively place Where friends meet!

Absolutely amazing place! Stayed two nights in the B&B with my partner, ideally suited at the end of the Seaford to Eastbourne Seven Sisters walk. The staff are fantastic, genuinely impressed at how well they worked as a team and communicated so effectively. Great bar with huge selection of drinks, really good range of pub classics done well from the restaurant and the room we stayed in was perfect. Cannot recommend highly enough!

Good pub on the hill, clean rooms and tasty food

What a wonderful little pub, really nice design , lovely garden , fantastic indoors, nice staff too😉👌

- lovely staff - magnificant room - the typical english food We enjoyed our stay. ❤️ Greetings from Belgium! 🇧🇪

Lovely food and friendly staff.

The pilot inn was right next to the apartment we stayed in, so we went there one evening for dinner and drinks. The food was nice and the service friendly. The atmosphere was really lovely as well. We definitely enjoyed our time there.

WOW!! What a find while out on a long Summer stroll around Eastbourne. The place from the outside bathed in sunshine with all the flowers looked So Inviting that we were unable to pass by. The place itself inside was just incredible everywhere i turned there was something else to see. A lovely garden too. We sat down with a perfect Ice Cold Aspall's Cider each. We'd skipped breakfast & were looking for somewhere to eat. The second the wife said Look! There's Ham Egg & Chips on the menu, the food was being ordered!! The wife had a really Top Notch Prawn Cocktail. The owner was a lovely woman & the Blonde lady behind the bar couldn't do enough for us. We were so impressed with the place, the staff, the food & the drinks that we were soon enquiring about staying for our Wedding Anniversary in December. We'll 100% be going back.

Amazing food, friendly staff, and the rooms were really fancy and looked beautiful

The staff were very friendly and a very nice clean pub to visit

Second visit - excellent service, ambiance and food.

Lovely pub with friendly and welcoming staff. The food is amazing and the Guinness is top notch. Nice relaxing atmosphere. Highly recommended

Beautiful rooms, delicious food and super friendly service!

We had lunch here post rock pooling at Holiwell. We took the Dotto along the promenade from the pier and walked up to the Pilot Inn and asked for a table for 11. We got two great spaces in the back garden. Food came quickly and it was delicious! Highly recommend the burger. My mother-in-law had recommended it to us and our whole table listened to her! Great ambience and vibe. Check out the artwork all along the hallways, super lol.

Booked 2 nights on Booking. Com, i then phoned to confirm, spoke to Michaela who then confirmed those dates weren't available, she would ring back, but didn't, so i rang again and was promised a call back, you guessed no call back, so i booked some further dates, rang to confirm, asked to speak to the Manager Lisa, was told she will ring you back, didn't bother to ring me. So cancelled my booking. So beware. dates you think are available are not they can't be bothered to ring you back. There loss, if thats their attitude to new Customers, do you really want to stay there?

My review is just of the pub itself not the rooms/accommodation. Recently made my first visit here and can only say categorically 1st class. The food is excellent, the staff very friendly and helpful, other local customers also contribute to a very friendly and relaxed vibe. Pricey, but that's a big plus from my point of view as there was not a single yobbo wannabe anywhere to be seen, just all decent polite friendly people unlike many town centre pubs these days, throughout the UK. The pub is literally just a few hundred yards from the Sth Downs, so is the perfect place to go after a good 2 hour walk up the hills etc.

A fantastic cozy pub, and the room was also fine. Nice modern bathroom. The food in the pub was delicious. We were able to sit outside on the private terrace.

How have I never been here before, I'm not local but even so. Anyway will be definitely be coming back just my idea of a great pub.

Nice pub with pretty beer garden. Good food though bit of a wait as very busy.

Great food and atmosphere, the staff were very friendly and our food arrived 10 mins after we ordered!

Fantastic food and friendly staff! Beer garden is lovely. Powerful hand dryer in bathroom.

We had lunch here today. Service was excellent. The surroundings are really lovely. But the food tops it off, so good. I had the pie. It was actually a proper pie, none of this in a dish with the pastry missing at the bottom. Served with a choice of potatoes, I had the new potatoes. Also came with a nice selection of veg. My husband had the lemon sole, he said that was really good. The rest of our party had sea bass, a burger and lasagna and there were no complaints from anyone. Good quality, good value, great service. We would definitely come here again. Highly recommend.

Lovely lunch with my parents but my dessert was awful. No taste.

Recommend booking a table for dinner. We popped by on Wednesday evening but didn’t manage to get seats. Made reservation for next day and had a lovely dinner. Definitely recommend the ale pie. Staff is polite and attentive.

Always a great place to stop off after a hike and always brilliant food

After a 5 hour hike, I was in need of refreshments. Stopped here and have to say the staff were really great from the lovely lady on reception helping me to find the number 12 bus and her colleagues. Such a friendly, inviting place Next time we will book for food.

Excellent food and service Rhiannon looked after us well. Some may find restaurant next to garden area a little noisy due to construction but decor good. If car park full free spaces in nearby roads but time limited

Checked the night before our stay and was told that check in was at 3pm. I said not a problem but we would be arriving at 10.30am and parking the car in the car park. I was told that was not possible!!! When we arrived we were told it was ok. When we finally checked in at 8pm, no polite “Good evening” or “ how are you” - all a little curt. Some of the staff need some hospitality training. Room was small but modern. Price of £145 for one night was steep as breakfast was extra.

Personally had a bad experience with my family. In terms of customer service and what it offers is way too expensive. Basics were missing during our dinner.

Best pub food I have ever eaten

This is probably the best pub in Eastbourne, situated in Meads at the foot of Beachy Head. Always a warm welcome, bar staff are excellent but the thing that sets this pub apart from anyone else is the amazing food. Huge portions, freshly prepared and a nice mix of traditional pub food and specials. Have had their Chicken Tarragon recently which was amazing and more recently, a huge pot of Moules Marinere that was better than anything eaten in France! Well done The Pilot team👏👏👏👏

Didn't stay here (although have previously and rooms were lovely) but decided to leave our hotel to dine here and I'm glad we did! Extremely well run with plenty of attentive staff. Very good atmosphere. It was busy but we called ahead and they found two of us a table in the bar with no issue.

The Sunday roast is sublime along with its generous side portion of seasonal vegetables. The waiting staff are warm, friendly and efficient. I would highly recommend a visit if you're in the area.

Really good pub with great food. The interior is amazing. Polite staff. This is the second time I've been here and the steak and Guinness pie was just as good as the first time. Quality. Can get very busy so book a table.

This is probably one of the top five pubs I have ever visited. And I speak as a publican of some 18 years. Super friendly staff, who are always happy to help. Great drinks, superb decor and although I didn't eat on this occasion, both my brother and I are determined to return to sample their Sunday lunch. UPDATE: Well, we did return for lunch but on a Saturday afternoon. My brother, his wife and I booked a table for lunchtime today. My sister in law had a chicken meal with chips, my brother had cod and chips with peas and I had steak and Guinness pie, with mash, red cabbage, carrots and green beans. We all agreed that the quality and quantity were outstanding, my pie was astonishingly tasty and in all honesty it was almost too much...but I soldiered on and managed to finish everything. Meals averaged out at £17.50. Drinks were extra as was coffee. My brother paid for everything and told our waitress that had she not added 10% to the bill, she would have received 15% from him. Astonishing quality fare and I highly recommend booking...but best reserve a table...this place is VERY popular and well supported. A massive recommendation.

Odd experience. We popped in on Saturday morning, doors open, 3 men enjoying drinks at the bar, and a young lady eating at the bar. After waiting for about 5 minutes the young woman explained they weren't open, despite being open to some. She gave some odd excuse about doing the books but we were off by then. Never again, if you want books to do in future I'd try a little harder with the customers that make that this possible.

Had a fantastic stay here this week, stayed for one night, staff were very friendly and atmosphere in the bar was excellent, the room was clean and had all the essentials. Food was some of the best we have ever had, proper heartwarming pub food but such a good standard. Location is excellent, short walk from front, parking is limited though. We will definitely be back.

Stopped for a delicious sunday roast at this friendly pub

We visited for lunch with a toddler and dog. Friendly service and delicious freshly cooked food. Interesting interior and nice garden area.

Only booked one night but rebooked immediately for a further two nights later this summer. Super accommodation, most amazing food - (steak pie) - friendly and professional service. Highly recommend!

Very big portions and all was very good. Definitely would come back.

First time visiting the Pilot today despite living nearby for a few months. We should’ve visited sooner! A 10/10 visit. Staff were very friendly, food and drink were good and, best of all, there’s a lovely resident pub dog called Bentley who was an absolute delight and loved having his belly tickled. 🥰 Will definitely be back!

Beautiful place to come visit this afternoon.... 😍 lovely garden area.... even attracted beautiful wildlife which was lovely to watch from a distance in the beautiful flowers surrounding the garden. Bright and vibrant, Food was absolutely delightful. The pie was the best pie iv had in a long time ! My son loved his mac & cheese and all the staff and customers where very friendly and in aw with him. Spectacular place to spend on a warm almost summer evening...... ☀️ Thank you for having us. 😊

Absolutely fantastic experience in the pub (did not stay in the hotel). Delicious food and cocktails. Really nice and quirky interior. Amazing staff - friendly, helpful, knowledgable, always there when you need them.