The Sussex Ox in Wealden - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Wanted this to be amazing! The setting and the location is so good, everything lined up to be amazing! Unfortunately the Sunday lunch with friends wasn't great. Firstly I have nothing against higher price Sunday lunch, but you need to get what you pay for, so having one carrot and a tiny pile of wilted greens for the veg is pretty poor. Across the four of us we had 2 beef, 1 lamb and 1 chicken Roasts. Wait time for food was around an hour.. The chicken roast was so dry my friend had to ask for more gravy to make it edible. The lamb was, unfortunately, 80% fat and gristle with very little meat to account for the price. Beef was tasty. Very tasty. Main issue is I asked for mine to be as pink as possible and Unfortunately no effort was made for that to be the case. No problems with drinks and the staff apart from the very slow service for food with no update. I hope this improves cause being as good as you guys are this is an easy fix

Service was excellent as usual but food was so disappointing. Much smaller portions than usual, so seemed expensive for what we hot. Lamb rump was fatty and VERY salty. We have been there numerous times and always enjoyed it. Best bit of the evening was the sunset over the Downs.

This pub is in a lovely setting and we have visited many times over the years. But what puts me off is the unwelcoming atmosphere from who I would describe as the landlady. This has happened before but we thought we would give it another try. After walking in the main door (because you can’t just walk into the garden anymore) we were met with a look that was what are you doing in the pub! The usual you have to wait at least 45 minutes for food etc etc. The unwelcoming atmosphere is a major put off, so disappointing and it’s not a one off!

Ordered mushroom burger and beef sausage with smoked tomatoes, both very poorly presented and lacked in flavour, very disappointing.

Visited Sussex with friends and found this gem on Google. The food was brilliant with a good selection of classy pub food. If we are ever back down that way will definitely be on the list.

Lovely pub and surroundings and friendly and efficient staff. The food is expensive which we don't mind if we feel that we are getting good value but the quality of the food didn't match the price we paid. Presentation and quality of ingredients is very much leaning towards "pub grub". The starters were ok but the dry ribs and salad with a few potatoes is not what my husband and I expected for the price for a main course. A few stingy bits of meat didn't justify the price. Desserts were ok. All in all the food and menu choices just didn't match the lovely countryside spot we were in!

Great location. Large car park. Drinks are very expensive.

Excellent find. Definitely coming back here again. We came down from London for a few days and found this pub for lunch on Google maps. We had the set menu lunch 2 courses for £20 each. Really tasty. Atmosphere was a bit quiet but that was fine by us and it was a Monday lunchtime.

Went to the Ox for lunch as it was Mum's 80th the day before. It was a lovely day so sitting outside on the terrace looking out on the downs with a cold drink & some fantastic food was right on the money. As always the food, service and drinks were first class. We will be back soon!

Amazing atmosphere in the middle of beautiful country side of East Sussex. Fantastic food. All from local sources of meat and plants. Good selection of wines. Friendly and helpful staff. I’m very impressed. Really recommend this place for dinner.

Lovely spot, great service, but the food was a bit disappointing. Courgette flower tempura starter was just a soggy mess, but tasty. Beef sunday lunch was nice, but came with a flabby Yorkshire pudding, which they replaced when i asked.

Sunday lunch booked. Table on terrace which was lovely. My fish and chips £20 was awful thinnest piece of dry, stale fish ever covered in mountains of batter, chips good.made a complaint and £20 taken off bill, thank you. My sons roast beef was less than average, flat Yorkshire pudding and lack of fresh veg, very dull and certainly not worth the money. His pudding came with strawberries and meringues, maybe two small strawberries cut up and five miniscule bits of meringue that looked as though they came out of a packet. Service was very slow and the nice waitress apologised. Such a shame as a lovely position on the downs. Never again and will not recommend.

I found this wonderful pub when I travelled to the area. I ordered the burger and the polenta cake. The meat was delicious and was perfectly cooked. Chips were so tasty and I could have ordered more. The service was amazing and staff very attentive and polite. The food made me think maybe I should definitely relocate!

We had a pleasant dinner here. Traditional British cuisine. The food was very tasty and well prepared. We booked a table for 20h30 and were rushed to do the order as apparently the kitchen was about to close. The pub has a patio with a nice view. Recommended.

Lovely location, great food and service was good too

It was 25 years + my last visit here. Changed a bit. Had the mushroom burger, absolutely delicious. Chips were great and the Silly moo cider was amazing. Staff were so nice, Loos were spotless. Nice atmosphere. Great all round.

My wonderful girlfriend introduced me to this place and if I could I would eat here every day. Powerful land here, ancient land. Great food, locally sourced. You have to book in advance on weekends and it is easy to get turned away if you come on impulse - it has happened to me multiple times. I wish I was best friends with the chef. I don't begrudge them that I've twice driven forty minutes to be told there's no table. I still love it and will continue to love it. yum and friendly staff. And just round the corner from The Long Man of Wilmington.

Disappointing compared with previous visit. The menu has been reduced a lot and some portions were quite small. Don't care for food being served on boards. Style over substance. Some dishes were good but it was very mixed, whereas the food was excellent, with good portions, when we visited in the summer of 2022. The bread was very dry and butter topped with salt wasn't great. We do appreciate that costs are much higher than 2 years ago and we're used to making allowances for that. I think the fact there were fewer customers despite it being a Friday night, is a bit of a reflection on the quality. The weather probably didn't help but even so it was disappointing overall.

Down narrow winding country lane cross your fingers nothing coming other way , But definitely worth the experience a nice old building with good parking, staff were friendly the food was good maybe a bit on the expensive side but I understand all locally sourced so perhaps the reason

Myself and my husband were very much looking forward to a Sunday Roast at The Sussex Ox. We arrived at 12.45pm, our table was booked for 1.00pm. We were seated immediately and offered drinks. We placed our food order and weren't served our meals until nearly 1.40pm. The meals themselves where very tasty, but meagre portions and the roast potatoes were more like scraps than potatoes, four tiny little pieces. The waiting staff were inattentive, though there were many on duty. It was very obvious that some of them definitely didn't want to be there. We were not asked if we would like to order more drinks. Desserts were ok. The ice cream was lovely, but you can't really go wrong with that. The apple crumble cake was very disappointing. We had to call members of the waiting staff over at least 3 times to ask for drinks, the bill and to actually pay the bill. We left disappointed and hungry. In fact, we stopped off at The Star in Alfriston for a cream tea. Much better service and value for money. Would never go back.

Five of us booked in and had a meal tonight, initially impressed with the place, menu very limited and pretty boring. No fish, only one veggie choice ( a cauliflower thing that was dry, uninteresting and pretty awful). Asked for a gravy or similar, No offered a small pot of mayo. Three had shepherds pie that in fact was steak and mash pie and was small but good. Just a small bowl of a dark cabbage. Why no fresh veg from local English fields ? Pudding was small & stodgy with small scoop ice cream. Bill with beer was £202.42 They added a service charge which I totally disagree with. We thought we’d discovered a gem but sadly none of us want to go again,

Awful and embarrassing! We visited the Sussex Ox a few days ago with some friends having been several times before. We ordered drinks and gave our food order. After 40 minutes no sign of any food, no explanation, no apology, no enquiry, even though both staff members were passing our table every few minutes. When we enquired about the food they said they would check. After another 10 minutes they can back and said there had been a mistake and that our order was being dealt with. Again no apology and want to recognise there was a problem, in fact the reaction from the staff was very care free and rude. One member of staff who took our order didn't even engage and made excuses why she could not speak with us. After another 20 minutes no food had arrived and as we had been there for 90 minutes already decided we had no choice but to leave. I can honestly say i have never been treated in such a way by anyone in the 'hospitality industry' what is any business with customers so you need to look after them and care how you treat them. We will not be returning and i hope this post warns other customers to stay away.

Great atmosphere and gardens, we came lunchtime, not busy. Asked for some cheesy chips to go with our drink, we were told as there was none grated we could not have any !!! This would have taken no longer than a minute to cut some off and grate it . Sound like they will cater for dinners but not snack ! Also the place only had a few customers, don't know what the problem was. No fork offered with our plain chips, and no serviettes to use .

Gorgeous views on a sunny day, surrounded by countryside. Lovely venue, brilliant Sunday roast, lots of great local Sussex options to eat and drink.

Having emailed feedback to the Sussex Ox directly twice now and having had no response you can read my thoughts as they’re not bothered seemingly. We dined in the evening to celebrate Father’s Day. We were all rather disappointed with the quality and presentation of the food. Notably, we had the strong impression that it had been prepared and cooked for lunch service and kept warm all day. The roast potatoes were overly hard on their outers, the roast chicken was dry, the Yorkshire puddings could have filled potholes and the gravy was extremely salty and beefy which didn’t go well over the chicken and the cauliflower had lost much of its texture and taste. With the pudding, the rhubarb in the pane cotta was wooden in taste. From the menu two of four starter choices were unavailable which was a shame. Service was polite and professional, no complaints there at all, although notably at no point were we asked whether we enjoyed the food. Perhaps if we’d been able to get a table at lunchtime the experience would have been quite different but kept warm and reheated food is not acceptable especially when paying a good chunk of money but we left the pub with a disappointing Father’s Day experience.

Very nice atmosphere and delicious vegan dish.

Stopped off after seeing the sign on the A27. So glad we did. Warm welcome and great food! Definitely worth the short diversion!

Having heard great things about The Sussex Ox, we gave it a try on our recent visit to the area. It wasn't bad but certainly not as good as its reputation indicates. Starters were nice, but of the Mains: a) The Chips in my wife's Fish and Chips were significantly over cooked. b) The Ox Liver Dish would have been better if the Mash Potato was Hot rather than luke warm A place like Sussex Ox should be applying better standards than this in my opinion.

Really delicious food - had the crispy lamb starter, chips and spanakopita, all were delicious. Nice local ales, quick service, beautiful location and scenery.

Quaint hidden gem with beautiful scenery and excellent food that was flavorful and pipping 🔥 hot.

Came for a lunch time gathering, table booked and allocated outside but with the inclement weather we opted to go indoors and forego the stunning view of the downs. Our host found us a little corner spot, there was some fussing over the seating but we finally settled in. Waitress popped over shortly thereafter and drinks ordered...local Long Man brews on tap or Harvey's...went for the obvious choice of Long Man. Menu has an interesting selection of pub classics but given the Gastro pub twist. Dishes between £18-£25 pound or there abouts. Ordered the Lambs Liver, most of the rest of the party went with the trout, fish and chips or burgers. Food arrived after a while, and oh dear...whilst it tasted great, it wasn't what I'd term 'hot'. The trout and samphire looked amazing and no complaints there, although it was recommended by the waitress to order a side of potatoes which everyone did. Burger was just a burger. Again, not hot. My feelings on this place was that whilst accommodated, I didn't feel welcomed, whilst the food was great, plate warmers might help if spending a long time 'plating up'...or was this just an off day? (Edit: looks like on other reviews, the temperature is a thing. Also, just noticed the random chip that was free with my meal on top in the photo)

It was hard to disifer some of the descriptions of the dishes. The cooking was good but we were expecting "crispy lamb" to be more like burnt ends than a rissole texture. Very nice pub with a beautiful fragrent garden. The trout was very nice too. Service friendly and efficient.

We cycled over, had a great meal in the garden. Staff were friendly and terrace was a nice place to sit and eat.

Lovely country pub set in beautiful countryside. I was a little disappointed with the menu by the relatively narrow choice of mains but the Ox burger I had was top class. I had the apple cake dessert which was a bit underwhelming. To my mind it was rather insubstantial and bland. What's wrong with a decent apple pie and custard?

An idyllic country pub. On a beautiful day in May we sat outside and admired the views, whilst being served excellent food by enthusiastic staff. Definitely returning in future.

Love it here. Amazing views and atmosphere! I ensure to visit every time I am around.

Lovely welcoming pub. Sadly we had a very poor Sunday lunch. We had chose and it was chewy and tasteless. Vegetables weren’t great either. Will try again on a weekday. Sunday service seems very hard to sustain at good quality.

Great little gem tucked away overlooking the downs

Popped in for a vastly overcharged pint on cycle ride. Can see why was the only customer. Suspect they charge the 'we got away with it in covid so let's carry on' service charge on even drinks. Nice garden and views though

Lovely Sunday Roast, great service, definitely try the smoked tomatoes and house made ricotta for a starter if it’s on the menu- you won’t be disappointed!

Roast Potatoes tasted like frozen ones , Food not very hot . Doubly the price of other pubs which serve better food . Tiny amount of substandard veg and the top of the pork belly was not crispy . Feeling extremely ripped off , refused to stay for more drinks or desssert and the service charge is ridiculous

The standard has really dropped. We have visited the Sussex Ox alot over the years and was once our preferred pub to eat at. But on our recent visit our burgers were so overcooked you could hardly cut though them and we were both ill after eating them. It felt like they were yesterdays burgers that had been reheated. I don't think we will be returning to eat again which is such a shame as it's a stunning setting.

Burnt burger, so hard I could hardly cut it. Waited so long for a replacement that my partner had finished his fish and chips. The manager couldn't stop grinning which was trying given the standards of the kitchen. The second burger looked OK but this time the chips were barely cooked and I'd lost my appetite. He comped the bill but didn't seem to get how badly sending out a cremated burger reflected on the pub. We won't eat there again. Pity as its a nice place with a lovely garden.

Really nice pub and food. Sunday Roast was very good, enjoyed it all. Just a tip, always give an extra jug of gravy with the roast!

Although the room was far from full we waited an age for our food. When it came my Camembert and crisp sourdough sandwich was very disappointing. Certainly not worth anything like £13.

Seriously overpriced pub food. There was very little customer service / no sauces, napkins or drinks brought to the table. We had to ask continuously for things and in the end we just ended up getting our own cutlery. We arrived at 8:30pm for a table we had booked and it was quite clear from the moment we sat down that the staff were ready to leave. Do not advertise a pub as serving food until 9pm and closing at 11:30pm if you want to close at 8:30pm. Do not accept anyone entering the pub, (bringing you custom), if you cannot welcome them and serve them grace and respect. We spent over £200 and still didn’t get the mustard / cutlery or napkins (and it wasn’t self serve) ? Zero music, or any background music, to the point where it was actually awkward and again, we felt like we were in the way and shouldn’t have been ordering and eating food. Madness - complete lack of service and care and we will not be returning.

The Sussex Ox has been one of our favourite pubs for years. But It has changed, we were very disappointed with the overpriced substandard food we had today. As it goes, it was just edging on edible, but not to be repeated. It was small portions, and being hungry we ate what we wanted. This was our first return visit since last August. And we were so surprised at the limited menu, all our Favourites have gone. The Burger was overcooked, not lovely and juicy as we'd like.....and the cottage pie and potatoes on top were dried out, not fluffy, it was chunks of stringy beef, not mince,..with no wetness from any gravy. The food generally was dry and felt like it had been lying out for ages, none of it tasted fresh at all, and we were the first customers in to order. We came away feeling sad that it was lacking what it used to be. Mmm not so good today! Shame! Will we return? who knows, bad day at the office maybe..

We’ve had a run of average meals out recently, so we were delighted to have a really good meal. Went out for a Sunday meal. For mains the 3 of us all chose the hake, with which we were delighted. The touch of chilli was perfect and the dish was well put together. We had a good mix of starters that we all shared and finished with a pudding and cheese board. We will be back.

Oh dear. What has happened to one of our favourite pubs? We had a family lunch in January and it was excellent. Eleven of us went today including five children under nine and it was very disappointing. We had nibbles and drinks which came quickly, then waited 1hour15 minutes for main courses - we were the first customers. Five very basic burgers with flabby frozen chips, skirt steak (delicious but lukewarm) which should have been served with cabbage purée but came with wilted greens, and fish and chips. Just as well the children were patient. Felt sorry for the waiting staff who were very good, they knocked off drinks and nibbles without being asked. We didn’t stay for puds. Hopefully this is a glitch, as this has been a very good pub for years.

We had been here a few years ago and decided to pop in again as it was sunny and we remembered they had an outside deck. They had refurbished the deck (and inside areas from what we could remember) and placed comfortable seating in the garden and we had a pleasant hour enjoying our drinks. However, we were a bit perplexed as to how 2 halves of the cheapest ale and an elderflower drink could come to £10. Turns out the Folkington’s elderflower drink was near £5, which had I known, I would have chosen something different. Living in the South East we are used to high prices but that was excessive. Visiting pubs/gastro pubs/restaurants quite often, we know what other establishments charge. Sadly, so many places aspire to ‘upgrade’ to the word ‘gastro’ through their menu and environment, and then slap several pounds on food and drink. So transparent.

A fabulous tasty meal in cosy surroundings. 1 x Monkfish..1 x lamb..1 x beef.

The location is lovely, in the countryside looking out at the South Downs. The interior is quite quirky, but homely. It is very quiet inside, some ambient music would create a more relaxed atmosphere. The menu is interesting, and the ingredients are good local produce. I found the food to be presented well, it was tasty, however the portions are on the small side. The staff are efficient and cordial. I would definitely return, but it could be better.

Pretentious…over priced and ridiculously small amounts of food. 10% service charge rude! Not impressed I’m afraid not the right setting for pretentious food. In a country pub you expect pub food! It’s not a restaurant. Know your market!

Lovely pub with friendly staff. Had to wait ages for our food to arrive and when it finally did it was luke warm at best. Used to eat here regularly and the food was always quick and piping hot!

slow service - waited around 40 mins between starter and main course! the fish and chips was good but the roast dinners were canteen-standard, small portions of over cooked meat. spectacular view though - but the quality and wait time was not reflected in the price

Having been a few weeks ago for Sunday lunch for the 1st time,couldn't fault it,superb and good portion sizes. Went again today and sadly disappointed, portion sizes shrunk dramatically, and asked for a bit more cauliflower cheese and £5 was added too the bill. Which was taken off once we mentioned it. The food was OK just not as good as last time,but apparently they have a new kitchen team,so let's hope things improve?

New chef, best sunday roast I've had in ages. Beef and pork truly delicious (only mains our table had) and some nice creative additions to the menu for starters and light bites. Floor service was a teeny bit slow but there were two v large tables in and it was sunday. Who's rushing?! And it didn't feel like everyone was on top of each other which it so often does for sunday lunch.

What a lovely setting with great views. Delicious food cooked to perfection and decent portion sizes. We ordered the sausage and mash, haddock and chips, orange chocolate moose for dessert! The staff were attentive and friendly. A little pricey but top quality ingredients and clearly skilled chef behind the scenes. We'll be returning to try out a couple more dishes no doubt!

Sadly the restaurant menu was really pared down compared to our precious visit and there wasn't much we fancied from any course so we went for the more pub food menu and didn't go for a starter or pudding as nothing really grabbed us. The food was delicious, and I had a delicious alcohol free cider, and the service was lovely.

The food was AMAZING! Apparently they have a new chef and I think this may well be a restaurant to watch...everything we ate, from the Slow-cooked Crispy Beef starter, the Hake and Caramelised Fennel main dish, and the Barbecued Purple Sprouting Broccoli side dish was just delicious - definitely one of those meals when you try and slow everything down to make it last as long as you can. I ordered the Butter Roast Cabbage with Root Vegetables and Broth out of curiosity (I'm not a veggie but I like to try new things) and it was so good that I haven't stopped thinking about it since! It can be hard these days to find somewhere decent and inventive to eat without wasting your money, and it's an absolute delight to find this place. Also, very dog friendly with a lovely open fire and a relaxed, non-pretencious atmosphere. Can't wait to plan our next visit - very well done to the kitchen staff and thank you for a wonderful meal that we'll remember for a very long time! :)

Small portions, over priced and 10% service charge slapped on the bill. Wouldn’t go back. Staff friendly. Forget the gastro.

A great pub if you want to experience some the best Sussex produce available. The lamb fritter was sublime and highly recommended. The pie was one of if not the best I've had in the UK. The burger was good but not quite on par with the fritter and the pie. Service was great and the atmosphere was very welcoming.

Checked it out as a venue for family get together Passed with flying colours. Have made a booking for birthday celebrations.

Yet another fabulous Sunday lunch.The later sitting,5pm,really suited us. Took grandson ,son,and wife and everything... food,fire,table,and service was spot on. Second time i,ve had the sunday lunch and won,t be the last.

Booked for lunch. Great service and were fortunate to be seated by the fire (very much appreciated on a cold day). Both had the lamb burger. Excellent food. Service was polite, friendly and helpful. Lovely to see a range of customers from walkers to families and couples of all ages. Definitely recommend and will be returning. Thank you.

Excellent quality food and fast, friendly service. Nice atmosphere and reasonable value too. Will be back!

Nice place. Food could be a little better but a decent menu.

Lovely country pub with wonderful locally sourced food.

Great food, great staff, slightly chilly in the dining room.

A lovely place for a country pub lunch. Highly recommended. Went for lunch with a friend of mine. The service was spot on and the food beautifully cooked. We sat by the fire which was a perfect addition on a cold, wet day. A must for a great meal in wonderful surroundings.

We have various food allergies in our family and it is rare to find places where everyone is well catered for. Every family member had multiple suitable menu choices, which was so wonderful, and the food was extremely delicious too. The staff were friendly and did a fabulous job at managing all our needs. Thank you for a really lovely family meal. We will be back.

Our lunch was mediocre at best and poor quality for money we spent. Wines are massively over priced. Won’t eat there again.

Lovely countryside setting, tasty food and friendly and efficient staff. Cosy atmosphere and dog friendly - what more could one ask.

Great meal even if the lighting was a little dim which made reading the menu tricky but that might just be my age.

Had a family lunch for 6 on a Saturday and it was v quiet (only 2 other tables) very dog friendly and the food, service and value were superb. The venison fries were a revelation

First visit. Great food, service was good. Didn't like the service charge being added to the bill. I like to leave my own service charge. Will be returning 👍

It was a family dinner and the whole thing was delightful, the welcome was warm, the service was excellent and the food was delicious. This place has a reputation for having excellent food and it really did not disappoint, I was far too interested in eating my food than taking pictures of it but my halloumi fries and Thai green dipping sauce was a plate of pleasure, my main of chilli roasted squash was super yummy and my dessert of pear and pecan tart finished the meal off perfectly! The chips that came with my parental’s and partner’s dinner were a thing of delight, chunky and chip shop style and so good, I ate quite a few of them too! I cannot recommend here highly enough, if you ever get the opportunity, come here!

Wonderfull chef Really delicious game tasting menu

Food pretty good if a bit pricey, good local beer. Would go again.

Outstanding organic meat cooked to perfection.

Food was perfect Service was perfect The customer service was perfect and polite I would definitely make my way back there just for the roast

Traditional Sussex pub serving excellent locally sourced food and warm hospitality. I look forward to my next visit.

The best pub food around. Have been a couple of times now, and the beef chips are a must! Had dessert there twice now, not as good as their savoury items but still tasty. Great range of local alcohol, particularly the dancing dog rosé. Really lovely pub garden, good staff.

No complaints! Excellent live music the night we went (often last Friday in month)

A very nice country pub, good food, good service, nice pub, clean and welcoming, great selection of local beers, local wines, all meat reared locally, so definitely worth a visit, and we will definitely return.

Beautiful terrace with great views of the South downs, food was excellent and service was surprisingly good..

Best burger I've ever eaten 😋 😍 Best pie my wife's ever had 😋😍

My dad and I had a fabulous lunch today at The Sussex Ox. Great food, fabulous service and a fantastic view of the beautiful Sussex countryside. Would highly recommend ❤️

Great local food, brilliant ale's local too. Amazing surrounds. Loved it.

The Sussex Ox has a quite specious garden. The staff is helpful and smiling. Prices are a little higher than an average however watching the sunset with your loved ones make it worth. They are also using products of their farms. I definitely recommend this place

It’s so rare nowadays to go out and have a faultless meal but our whole experience here was exceptional. The food was amazing, the staff were friendly and helpful and the chips were perfectly crispy!

Really great roast with fantastic veg including amazing cauliflower cheese. They have moved to a new potato variety for the roasties which is much better as a texture, but could be crispier. However everything else so good made up for it. Good friendly service and nice atmosphere. An excellent country pub worth visiting.

Nice settings friendly service great watching the sunset food was great ,cocktails lush

Really nice place, lovely staff, really like the burguer, a bit expensive though

Pretty countryside location, plenty of car parking, friendly welcoming staff, excellent food and drink, definitely will go again!

Excellent service, interesting and well executed menu. Went for a large event (wedding) that was very well handled. Great location but difficult to reach - book taxis well in advance if necessary.

Their pie is amazing. Desserts were great. This is my third time here and on my last weekend I tried a few other places nearby but nothing came close to the standard of the Sussex Ox. Thank you

Great food,nicely priced and a lovely venue.

Great country pub with large garden

One of the best steak pies I’ve had, the sauce was fantastic. The friendly staff and warm atmosphere made it even better.