The Royal in Hastings

We had a lovely meal for two for my partners birthday. Set price Monday to Thursday. The chef knows his stuff as the food was flavoursome and cooked to perfection. We had Sea Bass, and for dessert (save some space), I had baked custard, plum and honeyed oats it was delicious. My partner had the chocolate torte. Both desserts you savour every mouthful as so tasty.. Lovely atmosphere and friendly staff. Definitly recommend :-). Quality food reasonable price.

We have eaten here several times. On our last visit we pointed out to the waiter that on a previous occasion the buttered cabbage was not cooked, It again was not properly cooked, along with stem broccoli which resisted all of my efforts to cut it with the poor quality cutlery provided. Waiters are the link between customer and chef/cook. Your waiter could not have cared less about our concerns.

August 30, 2024 Very good "New Britsh Pub Food"! Very creative! Very clever! Good food quality! Very friendly staff! We are thrilled and not for the last time here! Be sure to reserve! It's impossible to get a table just like that! We felt this after our trip to London 2 days before. Nevertheless, they quickly made us two cheese plates with crackers and pickles - even though the kitchen was already closed! So nice!!!

Fabulous service, really great menu and ambiance. A real treat and becoming a firm favourite. Thanks for the delicious food, will be back soon and highly recommend!

This time we went when England were playing in the Euros, so it was pleasantly quiet. When we've been before it has been busy, which I think is their normal.

Yum yum yum Lovely place Lovely food

We were a party of five for an evening meal. I found my starter a little on the small side, and the main course a bit expensive because the potatoes and veg are side orders! However, there was a very good wine list, the staff are exceptionally attentive and charming, and the whole place was impeccably clean, and welcoming with an excellent ambiance about it.

Lovely restaurant with great atmosphere in the seaside town

Food was nice but the meal sizes are small for the price. Service was friendly and helpful. It was very busy the night we went, so we had a longer wait for our food than is probably usual. Not many vegetarian options. London prices

An amazing pub!!! the dishes are excellent, the service adorable!

Best restaurant in St Leonards - contender for the best in Hastings.

Never in my life have I felt so ripped off. I can’t call the dishes we were served meals, £28 for fish and that’s all you get no other component quite literally a fish on a plate, £19 for one sausage and 2 spoons of lentils and the only 2 side options were chips or a bowl of cabbage at £4 each. We had 3 courses each and left feeling hungry. This place used to serve up really good food nice size portions for a fair price, now it’s poxy portions and an astronomical price. Service wasn’t bad as such but I wouldn’t say it was good either. I definitely won’t be going back at all

A very disappointing Sunday lunch. The Royal really need to up their game on the food to justify the prices they charge. Still hungry after three very underwhelming courses. Everything was presented very well, but the substance of the food was lacking.

Absolutely lovely dinner, particularly the fish dishes. My mother said it was one of the best meals she had had in her life - and she's been around a long time and had many many meals! We all also very curious to try the parsley cake with lemon curd and glad we did as it was absolutely fabulous. Friendly staff and relaxed atmosphere. Really enjoyable - thank you very much.

Simply put, outstanding! Thank you to James and the team.

Great pub, with fantastic atmosphere and staff. My only gripe would be I was after old school roast lunch.. eg Roast beef with all the Trimings..

Food was generally quite tasty, though portions of many dishes were very small for the prices charged. £8 for a small portion of potato soup with no bread is very steep. I had a two course lunch plus a side, but didn't go home particularly full. This might (just about) be tolerable if service was consistently good, but it sometimes seemed to come with a sneering, passive aggressive undertone. Our booking had mentioned a pushchair, but upon arrival it was strongly implied that this wasn't the case. There is one woman who partly served us who was extremely polite & helpful, so it has to be said, depending on who you get, service can be extremely good.

Very good to eat if you have to catch a train. Something expensive, but good quality.

Food tasted decent, although very sparse and slightly odd roast (only sides served with half a roast chicken were buttered greens and leeks with new potatoes (no roasties, no carrots, no parsnips…). It was however delivered (after a very long time waiting) with a cold side dish of salted pretentiousness. I get the impression that the patrons felt I should feel “lucky to be there”. I visit a lot of high end places and have seldom experienced such haughty snobbishness. Lacks atmosphere and would not recommend a visit.

The food is fine but £45 for a Chicken Sunday Roast for 2 was ridiculous given the lack of quantity and strange choice of sides that come with it. £60 for the roast and two small cokes + service was a joke. Sure it was tasty but the lack of meat for the price was really not worth it. The main issue are the staff. We waited a good 45-mins to get served after ordering - no acknowledgement or apology. They seem very frosty - not one smile and the main server seemed to constantly be enforcing rules, especially about where my dog should sit. Just made the whole experience uncomfortable to be honest as I was constantly on edge about whether my dog was in the way (even though a dog opposite us literally had a bed setup in the main walkway between bar and table area). At one point he interrupted my conversation to tell me to move my dog. Just felt very unwelcome the whole time we were there and having spoken to other locals about it since we visited, they all have been saying the same thing. Don’t think we’ll be revisiting again anytime soon, which is a shame as we want to support local businesses like this but if that’s the way we are going to treated and spoken to as locals then we’ll go elsewhere where we know we’ll get much better service and value for money.

Great place if possibly a bit pricey? Would go again!

Very nice Sunday lunch (smoked cod’s roe starter, delicious pork loin with anchoiade for main). Great atmosphere too

Lovely evening out with friends, good vegan selection and the cavatelli was excellent...portion sizes not quite enough for bigger appetites 😂

If they said, you can judge an establishment by its sausage rolls, then you'd be very happy with both the sausage rolls and the rest of the pub.

Bit of a mixed bag really. Some delicious dishes but also some I could’ve knocked up from a jar in five minutes. Would’ve been four star but the 12.5% service charge was ridiculous for what is essentially a pub - 30+ quid on the bill.

Not the cheapest gastro pub in the area,but the food is outstanding. It's worth it! Lively buzz and all tables booked.

LOVE The Royal. Great people, food, drink and atmosphere.

A little noisy for us however a lovely venue for a birthday meal. A tad expensive and served without potatoes or vegetables (additional chips and vegetables are available on request). Nevertheless we had a lovely time and got to sit for 2.5 hours for which we were extremely grateful.

Very nice food. Friendly staff.

Not sure why this place is regarded that great. First of all a lot of the staff are rude, and appear to regard themselves as too cool for school. They need a reality check. Secondly the food is ok. Some could be considered good but some not so. I have been three times now and I just do not agree with this place getting 4 stars, definitely not 5 stars. I find the Sunday roasts particularly disappointing. That boiled cabbage they serve. It’s like something out of the 70s. As for the holly grail of a roast, the yorkshires are soft and spongy. Moving away from roasts their other mains are ok. But that’s it they are ok. Go to Bayte for something high end. Or Heist for something more casual.

Inedible food as far too much salt. Manager was rude aggressive and arrogant.

Always very nice. Seasonal food, well cooked and presented. Food never lacks flavour. Bar has a good choice of beers. The decor is lovely. Nice large spacious tables. The restaurant has the largest ceiling rose I have ever seen! Be prepared to pay London prices though. I always feel a bit ambivalent about this as it does prevent a lot of original locals being able to afford it.

We love high quality food but this place seems to have lost their way and has become way too poncy with a limited menu. I think they've even stopped doing roasts which were brilliant last year. They offer about 3 cocktails on their menu and won't deviate from this and serve a classic cocktail even though they have a full bar to do it from. Good customer service is severely lacking. The female waitresses used to be great but the last few visits we've had male waiters and they almost seem to look down on the people they are serving! They definitely don't deserve the 12.5% service charge they whack on. With Bayte now just down the road I imagine business here will struggle unless they make some changes. It's a real shame.

Took my partner here for a birthday meal and we were really impressed by the food and the friendly and helpful wait staff. They were happy to accommodate my dairy and gluten allergies so there was plenty of choice. We especially enjoyed the smoked mackerel, duck, and puddings. We’d really recommend a visit!

Lovely pub and nice enough food,but bordering London prices and pretentious food dishes make this a muddled experience.

Great place top bei, great place top eat.

Interesting menu, and all our food very enjoyable. Great service.

Sticky tables maybe a thick varnish but didn't feel great nice pub though

Light lunch for two of cods’ roe pate and soused mackerel (the winner). All beautifully served, delicious and well presented. Go there!

Had the lamb, delicious. Been 5 or 6 times. Chilled place, welcoming. Always top-notch food. Highly recommend.

Really nice dinner and great service. Would highly recommend

Lovely place, great food, friendly staff.

Lovely building. Food ok not much choice.

Everything was fantastic. Can’t wait to return

Good food, smiling staff, good atmosphere

You won’t find a better restaurant around! We couldn’t fault our experience here, it was absolutely incredible and delicious, smallish menu but everything on the menu looked divine! We will definitely be coming back soon!!

Perfect food, perfect service. Amazing restaurant. Great music!

Great food and good service. We had the lamb to share and the chocolate fritters which both came well recommended by the waiter. The lamb was extremely tender and the romesco very tasty. The baked onions were my favourite. The ice cream was the highlight of the dessert for, complimenting the fritters really well.

That was the best pork belly I've ever eaten, great food, very cleverly balanced! You should definitely stop by here if you are in Hastings. The service and atmosphere were also great, I will be raving about this evening for a long time.

Popped in on sunday lunchtime.Hadnt booked a tabke,but they were happy to serve us.Had a lovely meal,lovely staff..if ever in Hastings again will pop in.Thankyou The Royal...👍🏾

I agree with the previous comments, service is unkind and impolite, I’ve been here for a drink before with friends, had an emergency and needed to use their facilities, asked super politely, explained it was an emergency and was turned down with a grin.

Trying to elevate local pub dining from a convenient location, next to the train station. Has a short Sunday lunch menu that delivers less than the prices and descriptions suggest. Attentive service.

Stopped for a quick pint and cocktail. Would highly recommend the place.

Food amazing, full of flavour. Staff friendly and welcoming. Relaxed and calm environment even though it was fully booked on Saturday evening. Look forward to returning.

Limited uninspired menu Strong mustard dressing added to food which was not on menu They replaced it but other lunchers almost finished by the time it came Wouldn't recommend

Odd place, was really quiet but not empty but had little atmosphere. Had a bottle of wine and was told they were closing early as the restaurant had no more customers. At 9:30 on a Friday. Okay then..

Perfect place to have a drink while waiting for your train, nice atmosphere inside. Food menu a bit off putting, as I couldn’t recognise the items on it, had to Google half the menu (bit too la-dee-da for me)!

Service was very good. Not sure what to expect as just walked in. Menu was interesting. Ordered fish and lamb and the flavour combination was good. Really pleased.

Nice food, atmosphere and service! I recommend.

Great atmosphere, food and staff.

Nice food and pub but overpriced in my opinion.

Came in for a quick drink as it’s a pub, sat down and was asked to move 5 minutes later as that area was closed. They need to be clearer and more easy going. Had to move by the door where it was cold, not coming back, felt unwelcomed and awkward. The whole place felt pretentious

Excellent service and tasty food 👍🏇

Wonderful food for both meat eaters and vegetarians, super friendly staff.

Poor service from the team on the offset. So much so decided to leave. Unfortunate because previously this was a great venue.

Utterly delicious food, a refined take on British pub food, and came quickly!

First dinner here but not last! Everything from starter to dessert was unbelievably tasty, good portion sizes too - I was stuffed after the crazy good rump steak, not usually my favourite steak but here - WOW. The smoked duck starter was amazing too. The service was attentive and friendly too. I don't know why I waited so long to eat here, I heard the portions were small for the price - not true. Now my favourite place to eat in St Leonards/Hastings, what a lovely surprise! No more pricey than other good local restaurants in the area, but just way more impressive. Thanks, the Royal team for an amazing first impression!

I've been to the Royal twice now for drinks and both times recieved frosty service from the same bar manager, presumably because I had the audacity to only want a drink and not food. Also both times, we were asked to leave at 9.30pm because the diners had left, despite the opening hours being advertised as 10pm. They even turned off the music, just to make us feel super uncomfortable and leave early! It's not a pub, it's a restaurant and it really should be more honest about that. I won't be going back.

Great pie and lovely service to go with it.

What a find! The food was excellent, the staff were very attentive and friendly. Will go again.

Such a classy pub. Belongs in Brighton or London. An absolute local gem. Food is fantastic - booking required in advance. Staff are incredibly friendly and accommodating.

Excellent modern British food an awesome wine list. Staff are very friendly and accommodating. Don’t pass it up if you’re heading out of Warrior Square station!

Fantastic night at the Royal! Great food, service really friendly and efficient and the interior is gorgeous, lots of wood, beautiful green, candlelight and a fire. Would 100% recommend.

Great atmosphere, excellent staff and food was really good. Portion size just right to allow you to enjoy all courses. Highly recommend

Nearly 6 quid a pint is a tad pricey, but they have done a good job... only had the one drink, but we will be back to try the food. Must remember to book as it gets quite busy, so I've been told.

Great service and lovely food - would highly recommend!

The beef and Dauphinoise was delicious and the dessert was spectacular too. Couldn't fault a thing and already thinking of an excuse to visit from London again, soon. It's set a high benchmark for 2023.

What great job with the interior it’s been done really well such a nice pub! The food was great unfortunately my mains of cuttlefish and mussels was a bit watery and bland I couldn’t fault the rest of the food. Definitely be back well done 👍🏽

We just had the most horrendous experience at The Royal. We had a table booked and I went in with my two daughters (7 and 9 years old) and our 17 years old dog (they allow dogs). As we came in my old dog did a tiny little poo and we were immediately shouted out in front of my two girls and the whole pub. I went out with the dog and my friend was cleaning the poo inside. I went in to apologise and the chef or manager was really rude swearing at me in front of the girls and telling me my dog was disgusting and I should leave. He obviously has anger issues but we should have not been treated like that. Really horrible experience!!!!!

Does not have Sky sports as mentioned on Google. Wanted good food and the England match, very disappointed as could have planned to go somewhere else

Wonderful food this evening. This really is a fabulous place to eat. Consistently outstanding food on every visit. And you won’t get better service. Anywhere.

Heaven on a plate - as always. Best food. Best service. Best ambience.

Had an outstanding lunch here, all the courses were memorable. Still dreaming about the rump of beef with bearnaise. Big venue with decent bar and as outlined above, the food is excellent. Great place for meeting people or larger groups. All the staff were lovely as well. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend or return.

It's not a public house as I think of one. It's a place to eat with a few chairs and seats for drinkers. Not the type of hostelry one associates with the pub trade. The drinking area was sparse not inviting like a public house would be. There were a lot of people who only seemed to be coming in for food.

Went here for my 40th bday. The food is really nice, a touch of class in the meals. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. Would definitely recommend if you are looking for something a little upmarket and yet still traditional.

I’ve eaten here twice in the last year or so and I really rate The Royal as probably the best restaurant for the money within thirty miles. I generally feel disappointed when I eat out because I prefer my own cooking but this is one of the few gastro pubs I know of worth the name. The current chef isn’t quite as adventurous as their predecessor (last year the menu was a little more adventurous with flavours) but the execution remains impressive. The confit duck nicoise was fresh and an intelligent twist on a classic, the fritto Misto was perfect; the batter crisp and light, the saffron aioli unctuous and happy making, the bavette steak full of flavour and the chips outstanding (don’t underestimate great chips). Service is spot on, appropriate to a pub, friendly and present without being intrusive. I think me and The Royal are going to be an item…

Only popped in for one drink whilst waiting for a train. Friendly staff.

Good quality food at a reasonable price - these are 'down from london' folk and the place gets busy fast - need to book but worth it - I'd say its best at lunchtimes

Lovely food, friendly service, would highly recommend to anyone!

Fantastic food and service. Even tweaked a meal for the little one. Thank you x

For a meal with a friends, Sunday roast or eve an afternoon tipple this a great destination. It’s in a colourful town, my most recent trip involved been recited a poem about princess Diana by local.

Very tasty meals! The soup I had was French style, The chips was very thick and crispy, local fish was super. They has many reasonable but good wines. It was unexpected fantastic things because I though it was just pub.

Great find when visiting St Leonards. Friendly table service and a huge variety of drinks. Will definitely come back to try the food.

Food was much higher standard than I expected, not traditional pub. Super lovely staff. All in all an excellent experience

Absolutely 5 star food & brilliant service. Could not be better. Just had Friday lunch with some friends.

Delicious, clean, and comfortable ambiance. Highly recommended.

Still a bit tatty and not in a great part of St Leonards. Wine was very nice, but very expensive. All alcohol really expensive to be honest, and not really worth it

Bit Gastro but the service is always first class.

Always outstanding food and service. James and his team were incredibly accommodating to the large group we booked for lunch over Easter.

Great food, wonderful staff, good range of drinks.