The Rainbow Inn in Lewes

Back in the 80s this was the top pub in the area. For about a decade now the place has changed management almost every year. For a while it was closed down. The owners (a brewery?) really need to work out what they want it to be - but that is probably housing. To key it as a pub they need to be less greedy. We visited on the day in April that it changed hands yet again. I wish them well but the welcome wasn’t great and they weren’t really ready for business.

Ahhh it's still there as ever. I used to go here once upon a time ago with my parents in the 80s they used to love it . So I had to see what it was like today. My wife and I really fancied the burgers and they did not disappoint at all . We had the cheese burgers they were thin double burgers and we both didn't want them to end they were so yummy the fries were seasoned to perfection with a lot of flavour. We picked a sunny Friday afternoon with great views of the downs that day from inside the pub . To finish we shared the profitarols and a Bailey's each. Lovely staff too. Nice pub with tasty food. We would definitely go and have the same again. Thanks to all Rainbow staff for a pleasurable experience.Rainbpw

7 of us ate here last night,all had something different to eat and everyone really raved about the food,clean plates all round!Lovely friendly staff and happy atmosphere, what more could we ask her x Thank you ,we ll be back x

First time going came up to see a friend. Hadn't eaten breakfast as I knew we were going for lunch. I ordered a burger, friends ordered bacon baguette and the other was camembert with bread. Service was lovely and friendly. Food was lovely. All the staff were lovely. Few hours later 2 of us fell ill. Upset stomachs and vomiting. We both had the vimto pickled onions and coleslaw, both our meals had to be prepared and cooked. So I spent my evening not very well and feeling very drained the next day. This was Wednesday 19th March. Something behind the scenes is clearly wrong for 2 of us to get ill the same time. Shame as we enjoyed it and said next time I'm up we would go again. I understand sometimes things happen but im guessing either some sort of cross contamination or washing hands may be the issue. Sadly I will not return. I don't like writing this as like I say we had a lovely time and enjoyed the food, but then we got sick. I wouldn't risk that again.

We ended up sick due to the food. Staff, place was lovely. We really enjoyed the food. But we got sick 2 of us a few hours later.

Just had a lovely relaxing lunch with 5 friends. The food was tasty. A selection of chicken bites, and whitebait. Mains were fish and chips and crispy beef and rice. Profiteroles, creme caramel and ice cream were the order of the day for dessert eaters. Very tasty and well presented. We go here regularly when we all meet up . We will be back.

Booked a table last minute and the staff were very accommodating. The carvery was outstanding with beautifully cooked meats and outstanding roasted vegetables. Our waitress Lauren was very attentive and knowledgeable. Will definitely be back 10/10

The food felt like a home cooked meal. So tasty and everything was bursting with flavour. The staff were extremely warm and welcoming and the portions were very generous. One of the better roasts I’ve had!

Went for sunday carvery did wait for 45mins to be called up to get our carvery, food was worth the wait. Service good staff friendly booked a table as can get busy on a Sunday

Excellent service, good food, very family friendly with garden play area in the back.

Food was really great, had the crispy beef and sesame prawn toast - delicious! Staff were absolutely lovely too

Ideal location - very adequate restaurant seating area - dog friendly. Knowledgeable staff able to accommodate dietary options (GF) and veggie. Delicious selection of veg in plentiful supply for self service accompanying enormous Yorkshire’s which left no room on the plate. Absolute favourite; garlic roasted potatoes with oven baked carrots and parsnips - excellent. We will have no hesitation in a return visit and heartily recommend this venue for dining parties, families or couples. Dog friendly - ample car parking - pleasantly located in rural location just outside Cooksbridge (Lewes)

Very pleasant staff, food is spot on. Cannot fault a thing highly recommended!! Best roast for miles. Carvery so you can choose what you want!

Visited for a second time today and once again very impressed with the food. Had the carvery and each vegetable dish had a twist so it all felt special e.g. garlic cloves roasted whole with the parsnips... Lovely! The cauliflower cheese was the best I have ever had. Well deffo be back another time.

Had an amazing carvery, and the chocolate cherry brownie just topped the whole meal off. What a lovely pub made to feel very welcome will definitely be going back.

Delicious meals, super friendly family owned, cosy fire, great drinks. When I first moved to Chailey years ago I found the food below par but then came back to try again a year ago once it had been taken over, and it’s improved so much. Couldn’t be happier to have the rainbow as my local.

The table was booked, and the sun dial over the entrance door indicated that we had arrived on time. We were greeted by smiling staff, always a good sign, and shown to our table, drinks were ordered, and we waited five minutes or so for our turn at the carvery. There was a good selection of roast meats, beef, turkey, ham etc .... I selected two portions of beef ..... yes, it looked that nice..... and a yorkshire pud. You then served yourself from a selction of veggies, roast potatoes, parsnips and carrots, cauliflower cheese, green beens, peas, all freshly prepared...... lashings of gravy, a dollop of horseradish sauce and I was set to go. It was delicious: ..... we all probably ate more than we should ... but it was nice. The deserts were all homemade ... the poached pear looked scrumptious and the profiteroles were to die for. Simple and freshly cooked food, attentive and friendly staff made for a perfect Sunday lunch, thank you.

The Rainbow pub in Cooksbridge is a real delight, serving fabulous food in a lovely warm bar with roaring log fire. They provided a welcome refuge on the first snowy night of the winter this week when I was forced to stop in gridlocked traffic on my way home to Lewes... and what a great decision I made, turning my car around and entering this delightful pub to get out of the traffic! I sat by the fire and ordered their cheeseburger with bacon, served with chips. It was simply the best burger and chips I've ever eaten... not your normal tired old burger from a freezer, but freshly made by their personal supplier of minced beef. The chips are made with 13 different spices and were just so tasty. I promised the barman, Harvey, that I'd come back with my wife on Saturday night so she could taste the food too... and we've just come home after yet another gorgeous dinner served up by Claire, Harvey's mother. I highly recommend this pub if you're thinking of visiting Lewes or nearby Brighton.

Stopped off for weekday lunch and it was nice and quiet as we were the only ones in but staff were friendly, service was fast and it couldn’t have been nicer

Just been there for few drinks... the Family running this place is so genuine and really good in customer service. I called them earlier to ask if they had a fireplace and they prepared it for us upon arrival. I have worked in hospitality all my life and it is becoming rather difficult to find good hospitality nowadays... Cosy pub, with really genuine people in it. Loved it. Will be back for lunch for sure Thank you

First time we have been here and we would definitely come back again.. I had the burger and chips and my wife had the roast carvery.. food was delicious and plentiful .good value for money.. Thank you to the lovely staff! See you again soon

We had our works Christmas party at the Rainbow last night a very warm welcome from Claire Phil and Harvey. A lovely meal enjoyed by all excellent service will be back

Popped in for an impromptu spot of lunch as it’s nearby Sheffield Park & close to Lewes. The pub is welcoming, cosy sofa in the bar area with a lovely log fire. A good selection of beers and wine and the food was particularly good. Service was and well priced. Thoroughly recommend & we will go back when we are next in the area.

Food was first class. We went for the small plates and everything was tasty and well cooked, prices were very good. Good selection of wine. The only quibble would be having to pay at the bar after the meal, which is very small and was quite crowded.

First time here it was a definite 5 stars for me. I will be returning .

Wow what a fantastic place . The meal was amazing everything you would want in a Sunday roast . The staff were very helpful and friendly. Thank you for asking fabulous time

A lovely, friendly atmosphere and excellent food. You’ll find everything you’d want in a good old English pub! Open fires, good beer and great food.

We called in here as a stop over. Storms and floods made a 3 hour journey a 6 hour journey. Yet, there they were, with a welcome and Phil watched me back to park up. We were 45 mins late for food but they fed us. The burger is probably the best I’ve ever tasted. The beer was great. The chat to Phil, Claire and Harvey great. Best stop over we’ve done and will pop in for a burger on our journey back.

Went for supper had the sweet chilli beef second time I have had this dish so tasty. Also the bread and butter pudding best I have ever tasted. Claire and Phil make you feel so welcome.

Great place, great atmosphere.lovely cosy fire 🔥 🔥🔥🔥

Faultless. Super friendly, nice clean tables, professionally staff, well laid out and spacious and also dog friendly. We had the carvery which was fresh, tasty and hot. The meat (I had turkey and gammon) was moist and tender, roasties were lovely and I don't know what they did to the parsnips but I'd go back just for those. 👍

This is a fantastic, family run pub. If you are in the area, you must visit. The staff are great, the food is amazing, and the beer is delicious. This is a perfect place to stop off for lunch or dinner if you are walking around Ouse Valley. It's very reasonably priced too, and only a short walk from the train station.

Turned up for the Thursday bike night and it was fantastic! One of the best burgers I've ever had and a superbly well kept pint of Harvey's Sussex. Lovely staff too 😁

I’ve lived in the area for 18 years and have always been meaning to try here, I booked a week in advance for Sunday early evening as I know it’s a popular pub, we both opted for the carvery and WOW!! So tasty and fresh, great selection of meats and you can go up again for more potatoes,veg etc, the cauliflower cheese was just amazing, the best I’ve ever tasted!! Was a lovely atmosphere aswell. Also the waitresses were so friendly and polite and explained how they come and get you when it’s your turn for the carvery so there isn’t a big queue. Will definitely be making it a regular thing. We will be back 😀

Family of 6,tonight great atmosphere amazing smash burgers and grazing board.little gem in cooksbridge

The best carvery you can eat in Sussex. Lovely homely atmosphere, very polite and helpful staff , delicious food. We have been going to this pub for a several years, always happy with everything.

We booked here for lunch, on a Saturday afternoon. Service was superb and very friendly. The menu features some delicious pub classics, but also features a grazing menu of small plates and an enticing smash burger menu - something very different. As a group we ordered a selection of dishes from the main menu and the grazing menu and the food was excellent. The sliders, wings and tater tots from the grazing menu were perfect portion sizes for a lunch, while the halloumi open sandwich had a very generous portion of halloumi, the nachos were very well enjoyed and the curry vegetable tempura was light, crispy and very flavoursome. Excellent food, excellent service and an exciting menu - we will be back for sure!

simply amazing - proper country pub , dined in the garden and chose grazing menu .. food was top notch and service was excellent.. family run pub and would strongly recommend .. and the doggie was treated as well !!

Lovely food staff excellent. Well worth a visit

Great pub and lovely hosts. I'm fairly local and have tried most Sunday roasts in the area. The carvery at the Rainbow is the best for miles around. Harveys beer on tap too.

Really nice lunch in the garden. Good varied menu and reasonable prices. The lady behind the bar was lovely and so patient with my niece and nephews. Will deffo visit again.

Recently had another excellent carvery. I like the fact that they invite your table up, rather than joining a queue. It's a reasonably small place with a smaller offering but everything you need is available and prepared by a clearly passionate team. Young wait staff are very efficient and proud of the fact all of their desserts are home made - the neopolitan cheesecake on the special's board at the time of our visit was certainly experimental... Car park fills quickly when busy so expect to be on the grass in front or along the adjacent (quiet) road.

Popped in and found the pub had been taken over by new management, really good new menu and the staff could not be faulted, defiantly be back!

Really good burgers. Vimto pickled onions, yes really, are amazing. Really friendly staff. Go.

Nice People, Really Great Food and Drink, Atmosphere is Relaxing

Been twice now for the Sunday carvery and both times have been blown away by the food and the service. Can't wait to go back and try out the other menu's through the week!

We visited the pub with our camper and found it through britstops. Incredibly friendly reception by the owner. Really cosy pub with very good food, we loved the home made chili fries and nachos, but all the food was delicious! Nice little outside play area which the kids loved and overall just a great experience! We can only recommend it if you want to visit a truly great little english pub/restaurant with very friendly hosts!

A very lovely pub, great food. Just a small car park so had to park on the grass behind it.

What a Gem of a place. Stayed overnight in our Motorhome, made extremely welcome. Phil and Claire amazing hosts. Food not your average “Pub Grub” all home made and fresh. Only 20 minutes away from Newhaven Ferry. We will be returning.

We booked a last minute table for my sons 21st last night and we all left thoroughly satisfied. The food was outstanding and the prices were very good. What stuck out to me the most was how friendly they were such lovely people can't wait to return and try something different.

Popped into the Rainbow with my family on the way back through Sussex. A lovely family run pub, with a nice beer garden and an area for the kids. Great food, friendly staff and nice atmosphere in the pub. Would highly recommend for drinks, food or a special occasion.

Lovely place to come and relax for pub lunch, great food, carvery especially

Can it get any better than this ?

Lovely couple pints at this sweet local pub. A happy return after 9 months of travel.

What a lovely place. Fantastic carvery and such friendly staff. Thank you for a great afternoon out!

The smash burgers here are truly exceptional. Service was a. absolute delight and the Harvey’s Best perfectly served.

Visit the Rainbow Pub on the way back from Sheffield Park. After hearing good things about it. We had a great meal for starters, whitebait, chicken wings and prawns, all amazing. We ordered Beacon Chesburger and Chicken Burger and Wow, real French fries, toasted bup and the beef was outstanding, the Chicken was again a whole piece of meat wich is very rare this days. We are blown away by this food 😋 And I had to try a dessert, chocolate fondant with vanilla ice cream, incredible 10/10. Great owners and friendly staff. Toilets clean and fresh, loveley garden outside. Go and visit this great place, best meal we had for years 👍

Visited the Rainbow inn a couple times now and both times have been a pleasant experience. The staff are so friendly and welcoming, the carvery/food was sooo tasty. Clean environment. Will recomend to anyone thinking of coming. Also dog friendly which is perfect. Our puppy sausage even got some turkey today! Can’t recommend enough!

Staff very welcoming, food great ,service efficient, And made My dog Bernie very welcome .

We visited yesterday with friends and family (7 of us) after a recommendation from friends. I have to say from the moment we walked in we were welcomed, taken to our table, informed of how it works with the carvery. The waitresses were all lovely, helpful and nothing was too much trouble. The food was incredible, proper home cooked fresh, lots of choice of veggies, meat was spot on as were the puddings. It was that good that we’ve booked to go again next Sunday. Very reasonable price wise, well worth a visit.

Pop into the rainbow for a evening meal while we visiting the area. Friendly staff. Relaxing atmosphere, great food. Well presented. Very tasty. Would definitely visit again if in the area.

Professionally run pub yet friendly and relaxing. Decent food. Great carvery.

Amazing food, lovely atmosphere and great value for money. Staff were wonderful too, would definitely recommend to a friend, and will certainly be back many times!

Had a wonderful meal. Mussels in white wine, flat iron cheese burgers, their special buffalo chicken bites. Fantastic service staff so attentive and professional. Definitely recommend great value.

Really disappointed at the food here. Very poor quality chicken, I’d love to know what part of the chicken it came from because it it was the toughest most horrible lumps of chicken I have ever eaten in a curry. The Thai red curry left a lot to be desired, very lazy just a sauce with nothing in it apart some awful green beans thrown on top of it as an afterthought. The other main liver and bacon was no better, burnt on the outside and raw inside, with a sweet sickly sauce. Complained to the very nice understanding staff, was offered a free coffee, but just wanted to get out. Left most of the meal, I noticed the woman opposite took hers home for the dog. No offer of a reduction in the bill, full price charged..should be ashamed really. Don’t like writing bad reviews as we should be supporting good local pubs, but avoid this one.

Super food - we went with friends and 1 chose from the menu and 3 had the carvery. Very friendly and helpful staff and the Rainbow is really dog friendly (there are good local walks to help develop a thirst!!) There is a secure garden at the rear. I would recommend it and look forward to another visit.

We had such a lovely evening meal here. Absolutely delicious food and very friendly staff. The beer was excellent kept too. Very highly recommended. Can’t wait to return.

Visited yesterday and we all had the Sunday carvery, was delicious couldn’t fault it. Great choice and all really hot. Friendly staff, will be returning again.

I recently spent an afternoon/evening here to remember a much loved father,grandfather and father in law.The new much improved decor is clean,bright and inviting,also love the new lighting.Lovely friendly staff.I've booked to come back for the Wednesday carvery in a few weeks time,you do need to book as it's very popular,especially on a Sunday.Looking forward to having a drink in the garden when the weather improved too

What happened to this restaurant? As it can certainly no longer be described as a restaurant. Historically it was lovely! We popped in as passing by, decor is awful, didn’t look clean or inviting, staff not very friendly.. We both ordered the steak sandwich, meat was full of gristle and very dry, mine had string in it! Presume it was left over from last Sundays carvery. Its dryness was attempted to be hidden by covering it with lettuce. To top it my bread had mould on the bottom. Chips were ok but coated in paprika. The “Chef” walked in & out of the kitchen in filthy trousers. Most certainly will never return! Such a shame as it used to be so nice….

Six of us and the dog booked for Mother's day Sunday carvery. We were slightly apprehensive as we are not from the area, we should not have been! We all opted for the carvery. This was one of the best!! There was a choice of beef, gammon and turkey. All the usual trimmings. Of particular note were the cauliflower cheese and the carrots, both were superb!! The gammon was excellent and our son reckoned it was the best he had ever tasted. This was the ultimate accolade as he is very much a food critic! Staff were very friendly and attentive. The Rainbow comes with the highest recommendation from all of our party - including the dog!

First visit to the Rainbow. Great carvery for Sunday lunch. Excellent food and great service from the staff. We'll be back.

We had a late afternoon carvery which was delicious. Service was excellent and very friendly. We would definitely return.

A Group of us booked about 4 weeks prior; pre-ordered our menu choices; arrived as planned at 12.15/30pm. Appalling/chaotic service. One friend had to leave without her main course at 2.15pm. to collect children from school. We got away at about 3.15pm. without any desserts. Not good.

Just finished up a delicious carvery lunch here. Staff were absolutely lovely, even getting us a box of scraps for the dog! Food was brilliant - the beef and gammon were cooked to perfection. Roasties also 10/10. Will definitely be returning :)

Just back from a wonderful carvery experience . I rarely write reviews though eat out often.( always mean to then get sidetracked) . Always happy to praise when there, for good food / service , but will equally politely raise if food or service lacking. BUT had to write a review today as whole experience was faultless. First went 2 weeks ago with friend for lunch .I chose Thai curry , friend a burger . Warned the curry was hot bit omg so tasty and friend had burger which she said was one of the best she'd had. And lovely welcome and service despite it being 10 mins to lunchtime service ending . Never felt rushed. So today took parents hoping it lived up to previous experience and wasn't disappointed! 3 carvery's - eveything exceptionally good , but big shout out for roasted pots , carrots and Parsnips...oh and Yorkshire puds ( but all faultless) . James (i think ) so friendly and more than happy for one of us to sneak some of the roasted garlic bulbs ! One lotus biscuit based cheesecake ( popcorn garnish went down well) and one perfect poached pear with sorbet , both delicious ( 1 of us too full after carvery). All food delicious and beautifully presented . But the biggest shout out must go to staff . Our waitress ( sadly forgot to get her name as too distracted by each mouthful of lovely food ) was fab - attentive , friendly but not OTT. The staff in my opinion made the experience and genuinely all looked happy and wanting to be there ( sure working on a Sunday is not 100% top choice of places to be . ) So it's 5 out if 5 from 3 very stuffed customers 😁 will definitely be back soon . Thanks to all the Rainbow Team !

We went here for the first time last Sunday. I have to say it was fabulous! The service was second to none, the atmosphere was great. I'm quite difficult to cater for being coeliac and dairy intolerant but the chef and staff did everything they could to accommodate me and my food requirements. As a group we had the best time. We will definitely be going back as often as we can finances dependant. In fact we have booked for my husbands 50th in April and I cannot wait! Thank you to you all ❤️

Spent a delightful evening at this family owned and run pub. We were greeted in the carpark by Phil as we'd phoned ahead and agreed we could stay over night in our motorhome. A very friendly welcome and evening chatting with staff and locals. We had a meal too. Very delicious. Highly recommend for a warm welcome and very tasty food.

Good food served by nice, attentive staff. Recommended.

Such a lovely pub, staff are welcoming and friendly, the food is fantastic and delicious, we keep coming back and back, can’t get enough. We highly recommend a visit

We went and had a dinner at the pub. I had the buffalo chicken burger and my husband had the wings and ribs. The wings were undercooked and the taste was sour. Really unpleasant. Despite this the staff were very friendly.

Great pub. The burgers are amazing. No complaints from our large group! Service was lovely and the pub was clean and spacious.

Popped over to the Rainbow Inn today as I’d seen the burger ribs and wings menu on their social feeds and it all looked a bit too good to be true…. Ohhh myyy dayyyyys! It’s not too good to be true. It bloooming IS true! Absolutely BANGING ! Best ribs wings and burgers this side of St Louis.

Terrific Sunday roast, everything fresh and well cooked, highly recommend

Had a great evening celebrating our Ruby Wedding anniversary. Food an Staff excellent

Highly recommend the Sunday carvery. Fairly priced at £16.95 for two different meats, Yorkshire pud & help yourself to a wide array of beautifully presented roast potatoes & veg. All hot & delicious. For the hungrier there's a larger plate at £19.95. The pub has...

First time visiting today. Carvery was the best I’ve had. Everything was cooked well, can’t fault it. Dessert was ok, unfortunately the sticky toffee pudding was dry and poached pear was bland. The service let the whole meal down though. Asked for a fruit shoot or equivalent for my 2 year old - the waitress said we have apple juice in a carton - obviously meant just apple juice from a carton as arrived in a half pint glass (not suitable for young children to pick up) then the same waitress said that because one of us on our table had ordered a meal instead of carvery she would come and let us know 10 mins prior to their meal coming so we could get our carvery and all eat at the same time. She didn’t let us know so his Thai curry had come out and by the time we came back from getting our carvery - he had finished his meal already. Also other little things that let the service down. Then when coming to pay for the bill we all over paid slightly to round up and left a tip on top to then be told we hadn’t paid enough. When questioned (the same waitress as earlier) said she may have miscounted and not to worry about the extra. By this point we felt awkward paid the difference and left. Little things can be overlooked, mistakes can happen but when you’re doing a good carvery(again it’s the best we’ve had) and the service is the part that lets it down - the whole meal becomes disappointing!

Lovely pub with a friendly welcome. We all had sandwiches which were lovely. Excellent service too. Dog friendly made it a perfect stop for us all.

Well, what can we say about todays Sunday carvery other than it was possibly the best we've ever had. From the no 20 foot queue for food as they have a table system in place to go up to the serving counter, the service with...

Absolutely diabolical, came down from Dorset to go out with some friends for a nice meal before Christmas, to young ladies were rude and shouldn’t be working in hospitality with such poor attitudes, had to wait 30 minutes for 4 garlic breads, one never turned...

Fantastic food. Food for all great vegetarian options. Burgers for all, beef, chicken vegetarian. Thai curry was delicious. Homemade deserts lovely and definitely different to other pubs around

Burgers are to die for , chips are amazing. You need to try the beetroot and onion starter omg

Absolutely diabolical, came down from Dorset to go out with some friends for a nice meal before Christmas, to young ladies were rude and shouldn’t be working in hospitality with such poor attitudes, had to wait 30 minutes for 4 garlic breads, one never turned up, it was only us in the pub at the time, first of our mains came out, chips look like they were yesterdays ones, other mains came out 10 mins later as the chips had ‘fallen on the floor’ so they had to do us fresh ones. All in all absolutely disgusted with the whole experience, will NEVER come back nor will I recommend any of my Sussex friends or family to come here!

Friendly staff. Fantastic food & service. We had: goats cheese beetroot & onion ciapattia starter, Thai curry, beetroot & chicpea/oat burger & desserts. Will definitely go again.

Unreal service and banging burgers, beers were unreal and the bar staff were so friendly, + guiinness was unreal

Met friends for Sunday lunch - we opted for the carvery. It was SO delicious! Cooked to perfection, such a wide variety of veg. Friends had meat option and I had the nut Wellington - lovely filling, flaky pastry. Staff lovely and friendly. Have recommended to others and will definitely be back!

Had not been to this pub for a few years happened to stop in on the way home from a day out and pleased we did. Very friendly when arrived were not actually quite ready to do food but got us in and got the...

It was our first time visiting The Rainbow and what a visit. The food, the service and the price were all spot on. Lovely big portions, so big we had no room for dessert but this is a great excuse to visit again very, very soon. Well done

The updated decor looked wonderful, the staff were friendly and attentive and the food was incredible. We had the carvery and everything tasted so fresh and delicious. I couldn’t believe it was their first day back open after being closed for so long as it...

Fabulous Sunday Carvery here today. Great warm welcome. A choice of meat with all the vegetables and sides you could want, beautifully cooked and with lashings of gravy. So glad to be back!