The Welldiggers Arms in Chichester

A nice roast dinner shame about the Bisto gravy

I had a lovely stay here with my partner. The room and facilities were brilliant. The coffee with breakfast was my favourite.

We like to pop in for a drink or something to eat and it's always a first class experience! Delicious food, and lovely cocktails!!!

Great service, amazing vegan roast and the view is incredible

Good food, and location - worst service I have experienced in a pub for years. I won't be back ! Totally disinterested and absent staff - really poor and unnecessary.

Really nice staff & excellent welcome. The Signature room was lovely with extensive views over the South Downs. Breakfast & dinner on both days were very good.

Great food, great customer service and great accomodation

Delicious midweek lunch & discounted with loyalty bonus. Great spot with lovely views & perfect ambience.

Located near to Petworth and the lovely countryside, this pub has a restaurant overlooking the rolling green fields. Food was good, the room was also comfortable.

Lovely pub with gorgeous views. Food is always good, staff are friendly and a lovely environment. We are regular visitors and will continue to. Highly recommended

Not great guys long waits in between courses and some parts of your meal have been nuked on the outside as sat under the hot light for ages and cold in the middle plates are roaming hot seems to always 3 people in the kitchen not a clue what they are doing last chance I give this place its ashame as its a great location

Had a lovely supper here with my Wife. I can recommend the steak and ale pie. It was exceptional.

Great place to stay, good food and views over the South Downs.

Visited on 25/02/2024 and had a fantastic roast. All perfectly cooked and a good sized portion, with extra yorkshire puddings on offer too. Polite and attentive staff and nice atmosphere.

Went here for dinner no gas so had to go else where

Great food, we visited in February so we’re looking forward to revisiting in the summer to enjoy the views.

Went here for one drink and it's a hidden gem with a beautiful ambiance and a view. Recommend. Very friendly staff and character to the place. Will be back.

Great food good service well priced

Omg what can I say what amazing place I come here with my family and friends and the staff where so friendly and could not have done more food was amazing and the kids love there menu. All I can say is thank you for a beautiful time. And will Differently will be back again

Took my wife and son and daughter-in-law for a Sunday lunch yesterday 4th Feb and did not have a good experience. We ordered 3 roast beef and 1 gnocchi. My wife was served with 1 small slice of beef, I had 3 slices and all 3 dishes had almost RAW parsnips and two tiny roast potatoes on each plate. The Yorkshire pudding was so big it hid how little food was on the plates. The beef was fatty and extremely chewy. My son exchanged his roast for a burger. My daughter in law ordered the main dish of donuts and instead got 3 tiny ones( the wrong order). This was later taken off the bill £3.50 but to have spent £142 and come away feeling ripped off is not a nice feeling especially when I built up expectations of the pub to my family. Not going back and cannot reccomend.

Well what a find!! As a Butcombe Loyalty Club member we decided to try the Welldiggers Arms and we weren’t disappointed. On arrival we were warmly welcomed and shown to our room which was fantastic. Went in for Sunday Lunch, book beforehand if you’re coming as it was very busy, and was shown to our table which was right next to the window and we had an amazing view of the countryside. The food, probably one of the best roast dinners I have had for a long time and plenty of it. The afters of Biscotti doughnuts, toffee apple and pumpkin pie ice cream was a delight. A big thank you to all the staff who were very efficient, attentive and friendly. Well done and thank you everyone for a great experience.

Absolutely lovely place , staff were very friendly , food was superb and the view from room 1 was great . Will be going again .

I have stayed here a couple of times . I found the staff very friendly and the rooms are really nice . The breakfast was really good as well . Also the countryside around the area is beautiful.

More spacious than I expected. Good menu and service. The food was slightly more fancy than I expected for the price and very tasty. Brilliant view over the South Downs. The toilets were decent and clean too.

We had a lovely dog walk (in the rain) then popped here for lunch never knowing what to expect. We I can confirm head here, they are polite, welcoming, food is lovely and the setting is wonderful with views and space between tables so you feel private. We visited and will be visiting again. Thanks for lunch and chillax time.

What a view! A warm welcome from staff, heartening food and great wine. Returning again in a couple of weeks with another group of friends. Will post some photos next time!

I have had two fabulous lunches and a dinner recently at the Welldiggers, super service, super food, fabulous views towards the Downs. Extremely hospitable, we will be back, thank you.

Really nice pub, food and service were excellent

A beautiful location, amazing pub, stunning rooms, lovely food and service of the highest standard - I really can not praise the Welldiggers enough. What an experience for an unbelievable price. I will definitely be returning!

Food ok with average service. Not enough front of house staff. Outside area looks great but heating not working despite saying it was when booking.

Excellent food, with a very good selection of starters, mains and puddings. The space meant tables were well spaced with perspex dividers. Visit during the covid period. Service was fast. There were lots of other customers, but noise levels were good.

Excellent pub and overnight accommodation. Food was great with some really different ideas on the menu, breakfast was plenty.... almost too much. Manager had thought carefully where to place us with 2 greyhounds and again at breakfast, it was not too much trouble with 2 big dogs! Staff so friendly and keen that we were having a good time. They were the same with everyone who walked in. Children and dogs are very welcome. Visited Petworth deer park and Arundel estate, both very near for long walks. Loads of footpaths surrounding the area too. Room was just enough for a one night stay with good quality the, coffee and biscuits in the room. Cosy atmosphere. A great place for a short break. We will be back

We had a really good Sunday lunch at the Welldiggers to celebrate my wife's birthday. Even with Covid restrictions the place was buzzing. The food was superb as was the service and the bill was very reasonable. A happy wife is a happy life...well done Welldiggers

Food and views were outstanding. Customer service was appalling. Not particularly warm welcome,After half an hour of waiting after my son had finished eating we had to find someone to get his ice cream and not offered any other desserts or drinks. We would probably have waited longer had my husband not got up to find someone. No acknowledgement as we leftThey state on their site when you book that there is a 90 minute limit to your table. We were there 2 hours and probably would’ve been longer had we not gone to find someone. Good job there were only about 3 other tables there

We came here yesterday (25th October) to meet some friends for lunch and have to say I (we) were thoroughly impressed. I read a few reviews saying it was very expensive and that the food wasn't great. Not in my opinion. The food was absolutely lovely (I went for the pork belly Sunday roast) and it was fab and plenty of it. One of our party is gluten intolerant and she had no problems, with the staff being incredibly friendly and helpful. In terms of cots, no its not the cheapest food in the world, the total bill worked out at about £80 a couple between the four of us, but that included a really good bottle of wine and a couple of pints of IPA, main course and deserts and coffees. Given that the food was so good, service excellent, ambience and views beautiful, we'll definitely be returning. As with all things in life, you get what you pay for. If you want a dull cheap Sunday roast, with shoe leather meat, then go to your nearest Weatherspoons. If you want a lovely meal and service then this is the place for you.

A warm welcome and a friendly and comfortable ambiance. The al-a-crate menu was reasonably extensive but I opted for the set Sunday lunch. Belly pork with the timings. My partner’s vegetarian options across the entire menu where disappointingly limited and where availed lacking in imagination and creativity. This despite the ‘Vegetarian Friendly’ self-description by the establishment. My initial choice of pork was returned and I found it inedible (tough) but it’s replacement ‘Roast Beef’ was excellent. However, my partners ‘Veggie Burger’ was very, very poor in both appearance and quality. Fast food outlets do better at a fraction of the price! The current leaning to a balanced vegetarian diet sitting alongside the more traditional meat based one is an opportunity that cannot be ignored. I think ‘The Welldiggers’ management may need to pick-up on this.

Booked a table for Sunday lunch on recommendation. However the menu was very limited . I am a vegetarian and was looking forward to a veggie roast but there wasn't one. I asked if I could have the roast vegetables but the chef couldn't do a vegetable gravy and I didn't fancy dry vegetables ! I opted for the vegan burger which really wasn't good. My friend ordered pork which was inedible as the meat was very tough. The staff were pleasant but sadly not attentive. On the plus side the venue was nice and a very picturesque view from the restaurant but I wont go there again.

Traditional pub with classy touch, attention to detail is reflected in the decor throughout.Staff were super nice and very attentive.Chef and team done a good job on cooking our Sunday roast and it more than met our expectations.Covid- Plenty of sanitation stations and distance well observed by all customers.Ample parking.Will 100% be returning at some point.Totally recommend.

We stayed at The Welldiggers Arms for two nights with our two dogs. We had Room 8, a very well-appointed room, overlooking the valley across to Petworth. The rooms aren't massive but are perfectly adequate and the bed was comfy. It was a shame about the black mold in the shower and the state of the carpet - but that is probably to be expected in a room that allows dogs. Its quiet, peaceful, and the pub more than made up for any shortcomings.The pub has been carefully configured to accommodate social distancing. And the food was delicious! We had two excellent breakfasts (included in the cost of the room) and two dinners during our stay. The fish and chips were excellent as was the beef burger; it was the small touches on the dishes that made them really stand out. The minted mushy peas for instance or the coleslaw in the burger. There is clearly someone in the kitchen with a talent for food. The staff were also super friendly - especially Rosie - and really did all they could to make our stay a memorable one. The pub serves as an excellent base for some great walking and the six-mile circular route mentioned on their website was particularly good.

Terrine - good Burger - would prefer a homemade Pattie & my bun toasted Wine -good selection & claret very quaffable Not all guests masked up enroute to comfort breaks Would have scored 4 if it wasn’t £40 a head

Location perfect for a few days walking in the South Downs. Rooms are comfortable with a great shower and large comfy bed. We had a room with a view which went we got a patio - the rooms at the back of the property are worth paying extra for as they are much quieter than the rooms on the road side. Food was good, although menu limited due to COVID

This was a birthday treat from my partner so (unusually) she was picking up the bill. I, frankly, felt a little embarrassed for her.On the plus side, the pub is in a good location with good views from the seating area. The service was fine. Nothing special but perfectly adequate.The menu was good and seemed quite extensive. The thing that particularly got me was just how expensive it was for nice (but not exceptional) food. People have already mentioned the £32 steak. What about the £7 starter that is £16 if you add grilled chicken. £9 to add grilled chicken? How on earth is that even remotely justified.Other prices aren't too bad but the portion size demonstrates their desire to push the boundaries of value.Yes, the place is nice enough but there is absolutely no justification for the prices. It's simply not that good and not worth the premium that they have attached to it.A can of WD40 on the food counter. What was that for?

This establishment which used to be one of our favourite locals has had a complete revamp as a gastropub also now offering accommodation. It's lost a little of its old run-down old world charm but the new extended building is tasteful and they have done a nice job of opening up the garden to magnificent views over the South Downs. Food was some of the best I have had in a while, would have been a little on the expensive side without the "help out" discount. Dessert took for ever to come but was worth it.

We were one of the first guests after lockdown and these guys are doing it well. Everything from the booking process, arrival through being seated was conducted carefully and with ease. Fabulous staff here, great service, ambiance and most importantly excellent menu and food. A great place and well worth a visit.

Firstly...This place is such a lovely and scenic pub/hotelMy partner and I stayed here for the night - didn’t realise it was on the EOTHO offerThey worked so hard all night, we waited a little while for drinks and did mention to them that we were waiting half an hour for them however they responded quickly and brought them over. On reflection, I soon realised that they were so busy ensuring everyone on other tables had there food delivered hot and ensuring that they had the best experience that drinks were probably the last thing on there mind (good customer service) in my honest opinion. Food was absolutely lovely and served hot Excellent value for money.At the end of the dinner, they stated they had taken of part of the bill due to the wait of the drinks. We declined and paid in full as the food was delicious. They did state that they had less staff due to the current climate. On reflection on this, made me think that these guys had worked hard all evening and food was so lovely. Thanks guys for a lovely experience, had been here before and enjoyed it even more the second time.Would recommend staying in there b&b as absolutely beautiful and excellent value for money.We will be returning. Thanks very much :)

We were really looking forward to our stay here on Bank Holiday Sunday. The thought of a nice, relaxing stay in a country pub, with drinks, food and comfortable accommodation was sounding so sublime. My daughter booked the room on our behalf but I called the central reservations number to book dinner for 7pm. The lady I spoke to at Central Reservations was quite disinterested generally, but did confirm there would be no issues in our booking for dinner. So, fast forward to our arrival at around 5.30 on the Sunday. The dining area was quite a hive of activity and a helpful and smiling young lady took us to our room on the first floor. As she handed me our key I said we’d be down later for our 7pm dinner date, to which she explained that the restaurant closed at 6 and the pub closed at 7! So, the best she could suggest was come down ASAP if we wanted to eat! We went down almost immediately, not what we originally had in mind but needs must! A table was presented immediately and we looked through the menu. What should we have? Roast beef with all the trimmings? Or maybe the Slow Roasted Pork, again with Yorkshire’s, Roast pots etc etc. Or, alternatively, roast chicken, or Chateaubriand ..... decisions decisions. Our waiter came across and whilst chatting told us rather brusquely that no roasts of any description were available, or their veg or even the Chateubriand (@ £60 for two!)He then confirmed that the whole pub closed at 7 and that was rather it! I countered with the news that I’d booked dinner with their Central Reservations for 7 and that we’d booked into a pub for a rather pleasant and relaxing evening only to be told that this was not possible as closing was 7. Reminder, this was Bank Holiday Sunday!Not perfect!...... back to the food....we both ordered smoked salmon for starter... And it was. ok. As there were no roast options I ordered a brisket burger that I could have had more use in soling a shoe. But to be fair my wife’s Steak was cooked well and she was quite satisfied. We decided not to have a sweet. At the end of our evening meal we were asked to order breakfast for the morning, why? I’m still not too sure. In short, we both ordered, using their description, “Dippy Eggs”.... guess what...they were dippy once but not when we received them.So, the room in this pub costed us £210. The meal was almost £100 with wine and the pub duly closed at 7! What a total disaster. We do tend to stay way fairly regularly, but we can assure anyone and everyone that this is certainly off our list. Not recommended in the slightest. A real shame.

Came accross this place while out on bikes for the day decide to stop for a drink and some lunch beinging lunch time, Kitchen was not open, made do with drinks and chrisps. Ordered pint of coke with no ice, recieved small coke with as much ice you can get in a glass with just a couple of mouths of coke, not on really. Beautiful location with stuning views, homever the ambienceof the place and the not quite up to scratch service did not meet expectations.

I booked a table here for my husbands 60th birthday. On our arrival, no sign of any Covid precautions except the very few staff wearing gloves.....Lack of staff was the biggest problem,due to long waits for food and wrong drinks orders being delivered. This pub was very busy,I assume due to the 50% eat out deal at the moment. But,as previously stated we only ever saw the same 3 staff who could not cope with the amount of customers. The food was average, well cooked and hot to the table but nothing special. Chocolate brownie for pudding but served alone, why no ice cream? When 2 of us had crumble which came with custard. The starters were a bit small and nothing to rave about....This pub needs more staff or to take less bookings during the ongoing Covid situation. Lastly, why ask during booking if it is a special occasion,then never alude to it again? A disappointing birthday meal.

Had high hopes for this stay; we booked a 'luxury room' on Hotels.com that had a picture of a roll top bath in the bedroom. We were told we booked a 'room with a view' (which wasn't an option on Hotels.com). We were given a room with a shower and courtyard. Our private courtyard hadn't been cleaned at all by the housekeeper. There were dirty tissues/rubbish/ full ashtray - we complained and the housekeeper came round and cleared it up. There was unfortunately an ants nest in the courtyard that made it impossible to sit and relax as there were ants everywhere. The walls are so thin and so it was incredibly noisy we could hear all of our neighbours conversations and the busy road outside. Stained carpets and holes in the front door of our room.Didn't see one single staff member wearing a mask or visor and whilst they seemed to change gloves whilst serving food; we didn't see any tables get cleaned down after customers had left and new ones sat at the same tables. There was also a significant shortage of staff so service was slow. The staff were however friendly.We had lunch, dinner and then breakfast the following morning and whilst the majority looked pretty on the plate it was average, particularly the breakfast with the smallest piece of toast cut in to tiny strips to dip in your egg.Poor housekeeping in the pub generally, dirty toilets first thing in the morning (when we were the first ones to arrive) and a dirty nappy in the car park.

If you like being called 'guys' or 'dudes' and told everything is 'cool' with 'no problem' then this is the place for you. Sadly this approach isn't one we enjoyed. We were left for ages until we had to call a waiter over to take our drinks order and then food order. According to him we could have ordered it all on the app . The menu is small and at first glance reasonably priced. Our friends ordered the special Fillet steak but didn't ask the price. Big mistake. Other mains dishes are around £14 including a rump steak. Portion sizes are OK but plates are small which makes the dish look bigger. We had a shock when the bill arrived as the fillet steaks were £32 each! Even some good quality London restaurants don't charge this amount. Whilst they delivered the plates with bare hands when they came to collect the plates they put rubber gloves on at the table. Not very professional at all

My wife booked this venue for our anniversary and requested a window table which we were quite happy with. The waiter was professional and attentive suggesting the nights special although not advising us of the price. We decided to order the special of fillet steak complete with a purée together with some vegetables and potato. We also selected a bottle of Chablis and sparkling water.The meal was served in a pasta bowl which seemed very strange and the fillet steak was quite thin. The whole meal and wine was average at best and we decided not to stay for coffee but return home for another glass of wine.The bill was requested and when it arrived we were absolutely shocked at the amount (£128) which felt far too much for what we had ordered. This is essentially a country pub and you would not normally expect to be charged central london restaurant prices.We would obviously not return or recommend to our friends this venue.

What a great place this is! We stayed for a couple of nights mid-week and enjoyed it so much, that we’re already going back again to explore the countryside even further. There are numerous walks available in the vicinity of the inn, you can go exploring Petworth and it’s attractions (the main one being the Petworth House, but there’s also a great selection of antiques shops and art galleries) and if you fancy a swim, the seaside is only half an hour drive away. Our room was located over the main bar/restaurant area, but there are also some chalet-style rooms adjacent to the main building. Plenty of parking space available. The pub/restaurant downstairs is very spacious, with all the social-distancing rules being observed. There is also a large outside dining area, with some truly stunning views over the gorgeous countryside. You can order your eat-in food and drinks from your table using an app, which we found very convenient. The food was fantastic, so full of flavour and made with top quality ingredients, and the puddings were simply to die for. Our room was very clean, comfortable and tastefully decorated. A large double bed, good quality bedding, nice big tv, well stocked refreshments tray. The en-suite bathroom was massive, with a lovely big bathtub, fluffy towels and free toiletries. The only downside was that the room was facing the street, with a fair amount of traffic since early in the morning, so not ideal for light sleepers. On the plus side, it was shaded from direct sunshine, so it stayed pleasantly cool in the hot weather. There are rooms on the other side of the building, with views over the fields, which I suppose don’t suffer so much from the traffic noise, but are in direct sunlight all day. The wifi signal was a bit hit-and-miss in the room, and so was mobile reception, but it didn’t bother us much. The breakfast that was included in the price was one of the best full English we’ve ever had in our lives. Fantastic products, with a special mention of the bread and black pudding. But what we liked the most were the staff there. They were all very friendly, helpful and professional, but most importantly, they were simply so so effortlessly nice, chatty and bubbly, and made you feel well looked after. Their customer service skills were exemplary and they all deserve commendation.

I travelled with my son on a das and lads short break.When we arrived at the bar we were greeted by very friendly staff, booking in was professional, quick and easy.The room was a good size and spotlessly clean, the bedlinen faultless and the wetroom was immaculate.The beers and lagers are well kept and reasonably priced.The food was very good and service attentive without being obtrusive.Breakfast, smoked salmon and scrambled egg on sourdough was excellent.We will definitely be back because we did not get to Arundel castle, but that is something to look forward to later in the year.

You order all your food, drinks in advance and pay, incl service using the app, very frustrating and not what you want to do when dining out.!! Service (think bringers and takers of food) was OK but not attentive. Food was quite nice but nothing exceptional.Feels like an 'eat in takeaway'

Friendly staff, efficient service and very good food (Sunday roast and the sea bream) made for an enjoyable visit. Pub has a lovely location and has set up well for these difficult times.

Met friends for lunch here on Thursday; half way between us and when lat here 15 months ago had a great occasion; but not this time. Coronavirus precautions unobtrusive.The food is excellent, great ambience. wines good but all let down badly by poor service. Having organised ourselves with a nice bottle of Rose and the menus we eventually had to tell the waiter when serving someone else that we were (over) ready to order; there was an extraordinarily long time before the food arrived and the explanation we were given was that he chicken and leek pie took then longest to cook. If it takes that long take it off the menu. There was no one keeping an eye on the tables to see if finished or anything more was wanted and we had to go in and tell someone we were (over) ready to order desserts. The lack of continuing attention to tables was notable and we gave them the benefit of the doubt that they were short staffed that day. But when paying the bill and explaining why we were deleting the service charge instead of apologising for the delays an attempt was made to say we were wrong and to justify the level of service. They seem to have forgotten that in the service industry service is King.

We booked a night away thinking we’d enjoy a few drinks, dinner and a fabulous sleep.If sleeping is a priority, this place is not for you. The pub is at the side of a road which becomes a race track at night – cars and motorbikes. The noise was horrendous.We paid £200 for the room for one night. We were expecting quite a luxurious room. The room was fine, nothing fancy, but very hot and stuffy. The rooms are on the ground floor, so it’s not ideal to open the windows, plus if you do, the traffic noise is even worse.We had a little patio area which looked across the south downs – lovely view, but the patio hadn’t seen any attention in quite some time and was full of weeds.The pub – fabulous location to admire the views. With Covid restrictions, you have to use the app to order. The app was a bit of a pain, but understandable in these times. However, which each drink you order, you will automatically be charged a 10% service charge. Service is slow.The food was good and the breakfast was great. While we were having breakfast, you could hear and see the motorbikes still racing around the road.We left feeling very disappointed as it was our first break away on our own for a very long time and we were so desperate for a good sleep. We arrived home more exhausted than when we left!Great location to sit and admire the view, very expensive and very noisy.

We were charged a 10% service fee just for having a drink here. Avoid at all cost. Waited 15 minutes at the table before being asked what would we like to drink, then took another 15 minutes to serve it.

Have just returned from having lunch at The Welldiggers Arms with friends who we haven’t seen since lockdown. This was also our first meal out since March! We have previously eaten here & enjoyed our time.Today was no exception despite the concerns about eating out again with new guidance since some restrictions being lifted.From a very warm welcome & throughout our lunch, the staff were delightful & couldn’t have done more to make us feel at ease during these changed times.The food was good & enjoyed by all. Plenty of outdoor space & spotless everywhere.We will be back!

I was really looking forward to catching up with my friend for dinner and we meet here, as it is halfway for both of us. The service was slow, I had to wave at the staff to get attention, to understand how to order food. We couldn't get the app to work and asked for menus in the traditional way. I had to wave again, to get attention and ask for some drinks. The waitress said there was no wine list. I asked how we would know what was on the list? My friend suggested a rose, which the waitress recognised, but did not tell us the price. Which was disappointing. I had to wave again, so we could receive our drinks. The food came and the waitress told us the plates were hot and then tipped the plate and the hot chips fell into my lap and some on the floor. They were hot! The waitress did not apologise, but, took my serviette (which was fine!) and picked up the chips from the floor. And walked away. I was surprised and disappointed. The chips were crispy and delicious. The fish was delicious. The wine was delicious. The Eton Mess was tasty. We asked for the bill and saw the wine was expensive. We paid and left. It is such as shame as we enjoy the location and the food, but, this time, the service was appalling. Why wouldn't she apologise for spilling chips onto a guest?

Booked a table for Wednesday night, car park busy, waited to be seated , shown to a table out of the way, in the bar area, given menus, not a great choice, limited menu, we were told this is because of social distancing in the kitchen, fair enough.Chose a salad each, both ok quite nice, then my husband had the burger with cheese and bacon, he said it was over cooked, I had the rump steak, that was fine, my husband asked for another glass of wine when the main meals came, it never arrived, we finished our mains and waited and waited, no one came to clear plates or ask if we would like a dessert, the 2 staff were both working hard there was just not enough of them and as it’s bookings only they would know the restaurant would have not have coped, the girls had to waitress ,make drinks plus also organise people with booked rooms! Consequently service was severely lacking, asked to pay the bill, it came with a 10percent service charge added, I informed them I wasn’t paying for that so had to wait longer while they changed the bill, you can’t add a service charge if this is not provided, we are in the restaurant trade , the owners here need to support their staff and hire some more or get in there and do it themselves, won’t be back, Squire and Horse at Bury last week was fab, better menu and great staff and service!

We went to the Well Diggers to get our first proper break away from the kids since the Covid nonsense kicked off.We were seated out the back so got to benefit from the beautiful views, but that’s largely where the fun stopped. The breads we had for starters were borderline stale, and when we asked for some butter to go with it the waitress forgot to bring any back. This would be excusable if the pub was busy, but at this stage we were the only customers here... literally.Having put the starter behind us we looked forward to the mains, the burger with added bacon (£1.50 extra) and the Bream.The burger arrived looking pretty good, but the half rasher of dry bacon on the side was worrying. Picking up the burger it was immediately apparently that the bun was old and stale. After a couple of bites I decided to return the food to the bar, something I shouldn’t have to do as the waiting team should be coming round to ask how things are. After a few mins they brought my food back and had simply dismantled my twice bitten burger and put it back into another stale bun.In the end I ate only the burger, which itself tasted like a Tesco value patty, and left the bun. When I fed this back they offered us our coffee... on the house. Well, a meagre gesture, all things considered, offering the cheapest items for free.I almost don’t want to say it, but the black coffee was burnt and bitter too. A real shame as the marketing they do, and the general look and feel of the place is really promising.Just seems to be lacking any form of care, attention and pride in what they’re doing.

Stayed overnight and had dinner on a Sunday. Rooms fab, pub is lovely and interesting wine list and good food too. It had obviously been really busy but staff were friendly and efficient - again at breakfast certainly working long hours!Definitely a find for an overnight stay with great views over the South Downs- highly recommended.

I thought the pub was absolutely beautiful- decor & the views - very lovely!!! Menu- I thought quite limited and all quite heavy. The food was good, my snack of cod cheek and my partners scallops were amazing!! Mains- plaice- was ok, I had asked toSwap the potatoes to the Parmesan mash which they did but the mash had no Parmesan and no seasoning My partners lamb dish- he rated 9.5/10 My mother in law had cod- looked lovely and she was impressed but we had to order extras for her dish as only came with veg, already quite expensive for a cod dish so that isn’t ideal!The main thing that let this place down was service, we waited just under 25 mins to be asked for our drinks order and they hadn’t arrived by the time the guy came back for food orders!After presenting our mains he didn’t come back once to check if everything was ok, o couldn’t even see him to get his attention as I would have then asked my dish to be tweaked They weren’t very attentive throughout which is a shame but they were busy- ish and so perhaps just needed another member of staff Definitely will return here!!

Visited for a Sunday Lunch today and was disappointing. The lack of any form of greeting didn’t make for a great start to our lunch and the quality of the beef we both had wasn’t as good as previous visits either. Our first choice of wine and our first choice of beer were also not available due to “ordering issues’ (which has often happened here before). Staff were young and enthusiastic but the lack of a manager probably put them under too much pressure and as a result it was all a bit chaotic. Not a great experience today, will give it a miss for a while.

The pub has been renovated. Has ample parking and a beautiful setting with good interior.The food is very good although we could not say it was plentiful more like starters.We could not find any prices on the menu and when we got the bill I was a shocked at the price, very expensive for what we got.The menu is small and basic specialized menus.The staff are very polite and professional.Due the the lack of food and being very expensive we will not be returning.

3 of us went for a midweek lunch in February. The restaurant area of the pub was really quite full. I am not suprised. The staff are lovely, the atmosphere is warm and welcoming and the food is simply great. So much better than the highly prized Horseguards Pub & Restaurant nearby.The menu is extremely imaginative and the portions generous. We washed the food down with the house red wine - a really exceptionally good Italian.The pricing of the menu is more than reasonably.Highly recommended.Will I go again? Absolutely.

Having spent the last two days at this establishment I have a few suggestions for the management. First of all have some hangers in the room,secondly have a wardrobe to hang your clothes instead of hanging your clothes on a peg!The bar staff should be more attentive!!

My partner and i decided to go somewhere special for Valentines Dinner and stay over. The Welldiggers Arms looked really special, so we booked for dinner and a room.Upon arrival, was shown to the room and left to it.On arrival in the restaurant for Valentines dinner, there was no one to even greet us. We had to flag down the only waiter we could see to get his attention. After being seated, it was a long wait before waiter even acknowledged us , eventually asking what we'd like to drink. After that it was too long a wait for order to be taken for food. we waited around 25 minutes for our starter to arrive then nearly an hour for our main course. During all this time we found it impossible to get attention of the waiter for anything. I didn't even manage to get another glass of wine with my meal. We noticed other people constantly looking around for waiters attention, and this is not what you would expect from a supposedly good restaurant. In fact we were so fed up for our main course plates to be cleared that i got up and took them to the kitchen myself ! Not even an apology ! By this time we were so upset at such appalling service and still waiting for someone to even ask us if we would like dessert that we simply gave up and left the restaurant. What i don't understand is, how can this place be charging £40 per head for one of the worst service restaurants i have ever experienced in my entire life?We were not asked if 'everything was ok with our meal' neither were we looked after in any way, shape or form. It was as though the waiter and other one member of staff just didn't care. One other thing id like to point out is that nothing in the restaurant suggested it was Valentines night. No red rose on the table, no red napkin, nothing, as if no one could be bothered to put any effort in. Even the music was absolutely dire. A very very poor show, appalling service, unprofessional to say the least. Being strongly in this field myself, i feel etiquette training would be highly beneficial to the staff here.Lighting in our room was very poor and had to use torch on our mobiles to see. There was no mirror in the room to blow dry your hair, so we wished we had bought an extension lead so i could style my hair, using the mirror in the bathroom. The bed was lovely and huge but was simply spoilt by having a double duvet inside a super king size duvet cover, so comfort was impossible. A constant bright green light on the ceiling that shone all night long, along with an intermittent flashing red light too, didn't aid a restful sleep. The cleanliness of the room was not up to standard. At £115 for the room alone, i surely would not expect to see a ceiling full of cobwebs hanging down. The window in the bathroom too, was filthy. The housekeeping staff obviously need training on how to clean properly. Really disappointing to say the least, and i certainly wouldn't recommend Welldiggers.

I went here to celebrate my mother’s birthday with family. From start to finish, I have to say that it was absolutely perfect. The staff were very friendly and efficient, the food was really delicious and plentiful (we all had something different and everyone was delighted). I didn’t think my first course of roast lamb could be beaten but the chocolate mousse and coffee icecream dessert easily matched it! The food is nicely presented and a BIG notch above similar eateries. The decor is smart rustic - cosy and comfortable. Storm Ciara prevented us from enjoying what are normally lovely views of the Downs. We felt it was excellent value for money. The only downside is that it is over 2 hours from where I live and so can’t visit more often!

Myself and my husband decided to visit this pub after a lovely walk round Petworth Park. We were warmly greeted by the staff and immediately shown to a table by the large window. The window looks right out over the downs, it was a very impressive sight and a lovely setting to enjoy a meal. We decided to have starters, the mushroom tart was absolutely delicious. We then both opted for steak, both steaks were cooked to perfection and the accompanying bits (chips, mushrooms etc) were very flavoursome. We don't normally opt for pudding, however, having had such delicious food so far decided to try it and we were not dissapointed. I would thoroughly recommend the Welldiggers Arms to anyone looking for fantastic food in a beautiful countryside setting. We will definitely return.

Met by Laura with a big smile and was seated in the bar area as I have a small dog. Delicious steak sandwich and fries with good quality condiments followed by a gorgeous chocolate mouse and ice cream. Can’t wait to come again.

Love the location and look of the pub. There’s a good atmosphere. The food was also good but there was a major issue with service and total lack of knowledge or understanding of their own menu and helping with dietary requirements.

The reviews weren't so good we nearly cancelled but so glad we didn't. the Sunday roast was superb with great service.

We visited this place after going to Petworth house. Beautiful interior, friendly staff and fabulous food. The Sunday menu is 2 courses for £23 or 3 courses for £28. The food was of fantastic standard and their open kitchen allows you to see the food being cooked fresh before your eyes. We will definitely be back.

Came to the Welldiggers for Sunday Lunch. Lovely sunny day, pub busy, warm and welcoming, the food was ok, asked if the rib or rump were rare and the rather disinterested waiter eventually told us they were both rare to medium, we stressed we would like it as rare as possible and ordered one rib and one rump. When our roasts eventually arrived (we had to to and ask where our food was after a very long wait) both cuts of beef were in fact well done - no pink whatsoever! One of our party had the pork which was OK but extremely fatty for Loin, however on a good note the Yorkshire Pudding and cauliflower cheese were delicious. The service was very poor, we had to ask for many things which are usually offered, horseradish, water, gravy, desert and any fairly elementary questions asked, the waiter had to go away and find out “what is the soup” “how is the beef cooked”, “what flavour ice cream do you have” etc. This place could and should be so good but please do something about the service.

No greeting, slow and uninterested service, poor wine selection, tepid and bland food. Large party took priority over our table and seemed to be having a good time. No apology wont be going back.

Lovely venue with fabulous views, the food was delicious, although the beef was overdone for our liking, however, the flavour was excellent. Once AGAIN, the service was dreadful. It is so disappointing, this place has everything going for it and the service should be better. The truth is that we would go more often if we could rely on the service being better than this

Was invited to a friend's 50th Birthday in December and it was amazing. The food was first class and the staff were so friendly. My wife has an intolerance to alcohol in food and, as as the birthday cake had something in she couldn't have, the staff asked the chef to make her a souffle. This was completely unexpected and just added to the special evening that we had. Thank you so much for going the extra mile for your customers.

We had my partner’s 50th birthday at the Welldiggers Arms on 30th of Jan. There were 31 of us on a T shaped layout. I have to firstly say that they coped very well considering the amount of us and to my knowledge the food was nice and hot for all of us. My turkey was lovely. We paid for the table wines, port and cheese which was plentiful. They did tell us that there had been a delivery issue with their wine but they had a good alternative. All in all we had a great evening and we have booked a further event later in the year. Well done.

Decided to book for my wife’s birthday lunch.. debacle from start to finish.. tried sitting us in bar area in dark corner with tiny table, finally got moved, forgot to process order waited 1 hr 20 mins for my 3 year old daughters food, then about 1 hr 45 for our mains, my wife had soup to start as did i and she felt ill after so had to take the main home after all that! Took money off bill as good will gesture but very disappointing. Doubt il go back

Lovely restaurant and location, all looked good for an enjoyable evening.

Booked online back in November for New Year’s Day lunch with my lovely wife. My booking was flagged up by email the day before, good reminder system. We were looked after by 3/4 staff, all very attentive and helpful. Restaurant was nice and warm. Food order was taken promptly and served promptly too. The food, I had Venison, was excellent. We both had a very nice meal and enjoyed our visit to The Welldiggers.

Our party of four arrived at the restaurant at 12.20 for a 12.45 reservation and decided to have a drink. We waited at the bar but there was no bar staff. After a few minutes, I had to go in search for someone to serve us.

A small group of us had booked lunch as a pre-Christmas get together - the restaurant wasn't particularly busy so I can't blame the very poor service on that. We waited over an hour before our orders were even taken...and even a few drinks didn't turn up until we were nearly through the main course. Two hours after we'd arrived we were finally served our main course yet there seemed to be a number of staff milling around so it wasn't down to being short staffed. There appeared to be no Manager or senior person managing the service or staff and random children and adults kept appearing behind the pass which was behind our table. We even witnessed a waiter tucking in to his lunch in full view of our table (there is an open kitchen at the restaurant) - whilst we were still waiting for our food. It all just seemed a bit odd and very disorganised.

Wait staff gave every appearance of first day on job - without having received training. No obvious duty manager. Nice looking menus but food not up to scratch - bland pate, very disappointing plaice, boring burger .

My Husband and I were very fortunate to be treated to a delicious evening meal here with friends.

Visited here as a last minute choice on a quick visit to Petworth from Newbury.

We visited in November for lunch and an overnight stay. Excellent food, nice rooms, really friendly and professional staff. Great breakfast. Highly recommended.

It’s been years since the last time I wrote a review but this time I just felt that there was something to be shared and acknowledged for this restaurant.

looks promising bud sadly real poor delivery on many fronts, useless front of house, a real cant be arsed attitude from the staff and the food was distinctly average, wont go back again, food arrived cold , I mean how hard can it be to serve a hot sunday roast?

Booked early evening for small family table. Service was excellent, attentive and friendly - we know how difficult it is to get reliable staff expecially for a fairly isolated country pub/restaurant - but the lasses who attended our table were first class, wish I'd got their names.

We stayed in the room with the bath and it was beautiful! It was small but plenty big enough for our one nights stay! We are in the restaurant which has such a lovely feel with the big windows looking over the fields! Lovely dinner and also the Breakfast was lovely too...

Lovely old pub serving great food with a fantastic view. Good menu but slightly on the expensive side.

Each course absolutely delicious. Lots of little extra interesting bits on the plate making it all fuse together. The wild mushroom and Jerusalem artichoke gnocchi was exquisite. Earthy flavours but gnocchi light as a feather. Loved the duck spring roll. Good flavour with a little kick from the herissa. Packed with duck this was an excellent starter.

The Welldiggers Arms has loads of character and is in a location with wonderful views that we used on the way to Goodwood a couple of years ago. The food this time for dinner was of a good quality and well prepared and presented, but definitely not pub sized portions. Service was average and we felt a bit rushed, but strangely there were still empty tables throughout the evening? The kitchen could be seen to be visibly closing down from about 21-30 which might be why we felt rushed? Overall, not as good as before and a disappointing experience at high prices for a local pub restaurant.

Untrained but friendly staff. We ordered a screw top bottle of red wine. When it arrived shortly after the order we noticed that the bottle have been opened and the top of the screw top did not match the bottom, When queried the waitress said she had opened it to allow it to breathe. A second bottle ordered later also came opened.

My husband and I took two visitors from Dorset to the Welldiggers for lunch. Whilst the food was excellent and the view beautiful, the service left a lot to be desired. One of the dishes was served in a muscle broth, but there was no bread to soak up the liquid or even a spoon! None of the waiting staff were keeping an eye on our table, even though they were not busy. 15 minutes after being given the dessert menus we had to attract their attention to order a dessert. The waitress asked if we would also like tea or coffee, which arrived quite a while before the desserts. We did not leave a tip and are unlikely to return.

A lovely view, but the experience was ruined by poor service. We waited a long time for our food, although it was not busy on a Wednesday lunchtime, and were then served in silence - no smile, no eye contact. We were not asked once whether everything was satisfactory. A request for mayonnaise resulted in a tiny pot being being plonked on the table without a word.

Located in Petworth, within the South Downs National Park this charming 4-star hotel is a great option for a great meal and night of sleep. The restaurant has great food options that will make everyone feel happy and comfortable and you can finish off with a desert and a glass of Port. The bedrooms are small but cosy, with some really nice details. As a plus, he rooms in the back have an amazing view to the countryside. The Full English Breakfast won't let you down and the coffee is really good!