The Wilkes Head in Arun

I spend a lot of time at the Wilkes, but Id never call the landlord grumpy??? The foods better than what the king eats for dinner, pizzas are really nice. I’ve known the pub for most of my time now but nearly all the reviews I’ve read says the pub is dry,plain and miserable. Great pub Five stars

Saw the sign on the road stating food so we came down the narrow road to the pub. Entered into a small bar and all the locals sat in who all know each other. Stood awkwardly at the bar for over 5 minutes as Emily round the back , just to be told when someone did finally come they are not serving food. Lovely exterior pub, horrible service. New customers lost won't return -left without purchase.

Ok ish pub Visited yesterday no food as chef on holiday Landlord not over friendly Bit sharp and grumpy Can’t say I would recommend

I've lived in the surrounding villages for nearly nine years and haven't visited, so thought it was time. I did my research and found the reviews to be +++ First impressions, a lovely pub with good choices of gins and ales. The food menu was limited but i was already aware of this due to my research! I ordered the Blue Burger and hubs had the fish pizza. The food was presented well. Hubs liked his pizza. I didn't think much of my burger. Sadly, I thought it tasted like a very overpriced rustler burger. Soft with no texture or taste 😔 As said, the pub is really lovely and we did enjoy our date night. We will visit again.

2nd visit to the Wilkes Head- really friendly village pub reminiscent of how they used to be but seldom are of late. Pizzas were top notch. Really nice atmosphere. Liam is a great ambassador for the establishment. Our new local for sure…

Stopped for lunch with family including a child and dog...the food was yummy! All their pizzas are gluten free and they also do gluten free veggie lasange and linguini...our group had fish and chips, burger and chips and pizzas....they were all delicious. Nicely cooked fresh to order. The pub is gorgeous, olde worlde, the garden is lovely with a marquee and a childrens toy tree house and slide....our little one was entertained while we waited for our food. The area is so pretty with picturesque cottages and a lovely dog walk right next door to the car park. The lady serving was so friendly and really helpful even though she was on her own! A great find and one we'll return to I'm sure!

We have been going to the Wilkes Head for years and it has always been a pleasure. Gone is any vestige of home cooked food and sadly the offerings are now 'fast' and totally predictable.We went just over a week ago and were so disappointed. No longer is a ' Wilkey Burger' on offer, but instead, an overpriced and over cooked Gourmet Burger. Believe me there is nothing 'gourmet' about this offering other than the over imaginative price. We see no reason whatsoever to return.

Visited for Father's Day. We had a delicious lunch, and the staff were very attentive and cheerful. Plenty of space around each table. It all made for a very pleasant visit. Thanks to all the staff and chef for his excellent food. We will definitely visit again.

Everything seems a bit sad and miserable. The menu is really limited, ordinary and boring. Staff are pleasant enough but waitress told us they were not looking forward to normal opening as it would put pressure on them all. The pub is in such a lovely position and could be really pleasant with a more interesting menu, some home cooked food and happier staff. It just felt sad. Shame really.

Visited for the first time last night, a hidden gem! Food delicious and bar lady was lovely! We will be back very soon!!

Such a nice pub, has every ingredient with the exception of the most miserable barman I have ever met, completely got the impression that everything was an effort, no people skills and he was too good to be there. TURN THAT FROWN UPSIDE DOWN !! If your too good to pour a drink then give your career a THINK !!

Here is a pub that could benefit from some TLC. The garden was a bit unkempt and the interior was a tad gloomy. Food was OK though, and the barmaid was friendly and efficient.

A lovely pub full of character. Friendly staff, good home cooked food and an excellent pint of Adnams ale. If you seek the best in all an English traditional pub should be, then look no further. We have had the benefit of being able to visit this establishment on several occasions and have never been disappointed. It is consistently good, which few places achieve over a period of time. Well done to all involved and long may this be maintained for the benefit of both visitors and staff.

Real old pub down a lane large car park very small bar serving good selection of beers well serviced by friendly locals lovely cheese & ham toasties well worth a visit

It is hard these days to find a pub which is still mainly a pub and not a restaurant offering good real ales, so we were very pleased to find this traditional free house with no frills used by the locals. We have been here several times and the quality of the beer keeps bringing us back. There is a restaurant area available too, but the front of house is very much what a pub should be. Meat raffles on Sunday lunchtimes.

Stopped for lunch en-route from Devon to East Sussex and had a hearty lunch accompanied by some delicious cloudy ale – all served by friendly welcoming staff.It's just off the A27 and was well worth the 4-minute detour. Plenty of parking immediately adjacent to the pub garden.It’s a great shame that this lovely old building and its gardens are looking a bit neglected as it has the makings of being a smashing little pub.Despite this, if I am passing this way again, I shall definitely pop in for a meal.

From the minute you drive into the car park and you are met with a broken chair overgrown boarders / edges and dead plants in pots you probably realise that the inside is going to be the same and you won’t be disappointed. This pub could be so lovely it’s not traditional it’s neglected it needs a good coat of paint and a good clean it’s a shame that no money has been put back into this lovely old pub

Always spoilt for choice at The Wilkes Head, just passing nearby but called in for a quick one, choose the American Pale Ale but could have had any of the six which were on tap yesterday.

This pub has a great selection of beers which vary all the time! The staff are friendly and the roast dinners are delicious. The chefs special sausage was amazing too. It has a lovely fire and a big garden for those summer evenings! I would highly recommend

my family dont come here as much but everytime we do we feel welcomed and all the staff are lovely to chat to. everyone is very friendly and the food is great

Roaring fire, real ales, the real deal. Hearty food to go with it, this is the perfect local for a traditional English country pub, on the outskirts of Barnham and walking distance from the train station. Mainly locals, it’s off the beaten track in the picturesque village of Eastergate, with flint thatched cottages, farms, horses & tithe barns around.

Attended Saturday from lunch time & really enjoyed it, I will be back. Very relaxing although by 8pm it was too crowded to move. Beer was varied, a lot of lighter choices.

Always a joy to come to this pub. Usually a great selection of beers although at this event there were far too many pale ales and citrus beers-where were the traditional English bitters (none at all). Sad that I was sent to the bar for a beer, queued for ages to find the beer I wanted wasn't on! Went back to the bar later for a different ale and queued again and when it was my turn the barman said sorry and went to change a barrel- I went home. Great pub, great beer festival but too busy and too many minor problems. I don't expect to wait ages to be served, nor to have to fight through crowds to part with my money and why a limited selection of beer i.e. pale ales.

Very off the beaten track but a lovely find. We had nice freshly prepared meals. Small menu but good choices. The actual pub is very small and has a good selection of ales. Moving through to the bar to sit and have a drink after dinner, it was chilly. Other than this it would have been a 5.

Whilst on holiday we were recommended the Wilkes Head its a local pub which is obviously enjoyed by the local community... the menu was basic pub food but when it arrived we were impressed with the portion size and presentation all in all a very enjoyable overall experience xx

We ate here and was dissapointed with basic food , nothing fancy and believe expensive for what it is, food came out was very basic and i could of done better myself at home. Pub is however nice drinks are good, just a shame food is dull basic and pricey.

Prob the best Sunday roast ever eaten out the veg were perfect and the beef was excellent with a really good size portion excellent value for money. Service was good even though very busy.

This isn’t a place to get pine infused ice cream or ceviche but it’s a lovely local with a good log fire, warm and welcoming atmosphere

A lovely pub. Great beer and a cosy and welcoming atmosphere. Good job too as it's now our local. We'll be back... lots.

Having visited this pub for lunch or dinner over the years before watching our footie team play at Bognor Town we were anticipating the normally good food.

great pint with many on offer though coffee not so good ..Stop for lunch but kitchen closed for anual holiday

country pub went to meet up with friends, had ham egg and chips which was good and service was quick. pub was busy for a Friday afternoon and very friendly

Como es habitual, tuvimos una experiencia excelente en todos los sentidos la comida, el servicio, el entorno, la amplia variedad de menús y un precio muy bueno. Jane le encanta comer aquí una vez haya comido en el Wilkes cabeza verá por qué.

Reservamos para 6 a almorzar en domingo de Pascua. Cuando llegamos, estaba claro que había olvidado que estábamos llegando y nos dijo que tendríamos que esperar un rato, que estaba bien. Nos pusieron en el área pequeña cerca del bar y todos estrujada en una mesa pequeña, que de nuevo estaba bien, aunque hubiera preferido haber estado en el otro restaurante.

La comida estaba buena, aunque las patatas como ladrillos. Cuando mencioné a la camarera nos dijeron que ella no les Cook. Actitud general de todo el personal fue mediocre, teniendo en cuenta que era un grupo de 17 y pasamos un montón de dinero! Cuando llegamos nos encuentra nuestra propia mesa y no fue hablado una vez (Orden y pagar en el bar). Esto es probablemente por qué el personal es tan grosero que no están esperando una propina!

Fuimos un sábado por la tarde con algunos amigos, la cerveza era encantadora y fría en los calurosos días de verano. Propietario era muy acogedor y nos cuidaron. Por desgracia, mi 'amigos' resultó ser idiotas así que mi compañero y yo nos fuimos temprano, pero...

Mi dios la chica bar realmente necesita para aprender a sonreír! ! ! Tan displicente. ! ! No, no hay vinos dardos, aparentemente robado! Sólo un ambiente miserable! No vamos a volver y es nuestro local! ! Por favor, que su personal estará encantado de trabajar! ! ! !

We booked a table for 8 of us for Sunday lunch and were glad we booked as this pub was really busy. And now we know why, friendly, nice atmosphere, and great homemade food. We sat in the dining room which was less crowded than the two bars which were full of drinkers as well as people eating. Dogs are not allowed in the dining area but are allowed in the rest of the pub. The food was chalked up on the board and was a choice of about 10 dishes. In our group we had battered Plaice & chips, chilli con carne, suet steak & kidney pudding and lamb shank roast. All very generous portions and delicious. Prices around £10-£13 for mains. Highly recommended - but book. Oh and they had a meat raffle too!

My family and I had booked a big table for my dad's birthday one Sunday afternoon. They kept the kitchen open just for us on this special occasion.The staff were friendly and accommodating, and the pub had a lovely cosy feel about it. A proper old country style pub! The food was brilliant. Piping hot, big generous portions and absolutely delicious. As soon as it arrived there was silence across the table from how much we were enjoying it! We all had different meals and there wasn't one complaint. Good value for money too! Nothing was too much trouble and we thoroughly enjoyed it.Very highly recommended and I will definitely be back! Thank you xx

I've been for lunch/dinner/evenings at the Wilkes since I can rememeber. Whenever I go back to Barnham to visit my folks I'm treated to lunch there. My Dad has been a "local" for 20+ years and the food, beer and atmosphere is always great.

Nice old building, guest ales, nice staff.Chose something from the menu that I'm always looking for the best, this time a goodaverage was achieved may be they are bought in, maybe next time, and yes we willvisit again, I'll ask some more searching questions.Still worth trying, it may "suit you sir".

Visited apparently nice pub for a beer festval. Food and beer being served in the area we were sat in. A dog was brought in which urinated over my fiancee's chair, narrowly missing her.Dog urine can transmit disease to humans - eg leptospirosis.Female bar staff refused to properly clean area, dog owner's boyfriend blotted most of it up to be fair. But not disinfectant.Food is being served here - obviously not from the floor, but her attitude was dismissive and not customer focused.Staff need better training. Don't think I will be going back.

During a stay in Avisford we visited the Wilkes Head, after finding the pub the previous year. Quality and quantity of food served remained consistently good and the pub being dog friendly meant that locals dropped in on their walks. Small lounge, larger dining area with a homely feel. Reasonably priced.

First time in the area and visited this pub earlier this month and have to say what a find its out of the way but after asking the local Indian Basmati they told us that it's the best pub in the area and they wasn't wrong, beautiful garden locals were friendly but only reason didn't give a 5 star found the staff/owner to be not as friendly as expected.

Brilliant Sunday lunch for my mum's birthday. Food great, service fab, garden lovely with a play house and slide. Value for money -definitely! X

This is a lovely traditional pub, great for eating or drinking or both. Good sunny outdoor garden a tented area if it a bit cold, (and the kids still want to play. Slide/climbing framemail and a sand pit.

Took my mum there for her favourite scampi & chips.I had the seafood platter, fantastic! A mixture of butterflied prawns, whitebait, fried fish, calamari with bread & butter and sauces.

Wow ! How do you do it ! The place was packed with only two waiting staff - efficient, pleasant service, family atmosphere, everyone from new born babies to grans and gran dads, Eastergate was alive in The Wilkes on Mothers Day! The menu choice was very good - sensibly structured - i.e. not too many choices - so no long waits and when the food did come it was superb. The Lamb Shank and the Sea Bass cooked perfectly, service beautifully timed and quantities just at that perfect point of "well sufficient" but not too much :-)

We went for dinner at the Wilkes for the first time last night. We only live round the corner and go frequently for a drink in the beer garden when the weather is good.The pub has a 'proper pub' smell which takes me back to the times we visited our local pub when I was a child. The Wilkes is exactly as a local pub should be: friendly, warm, inviting and it never pretends to be anything it's not. We were served by a really friendly lady at the bar and our waitress was great too, both warm and welcoming. I ordered scampi and chips and my husband had roast beef. Both meals were delicious and portion sizes were perfect. We had desert (chocolate fudge cake for me, brownie for my husband) and it was gorgeous. All in all, it was a great meal and fantastic value for money. We'll be back very soon, so glad to call the Wilkes Head our local!

Just had another delicious meal in a warm, snug and friendly atmosphere. We were made to feel very welcome, the log fire was delightful and Katie who served our food was bubbly and helpful. Calamari, goats cheese, scampi and Wilky burger with a couple of pints all smashing and best of all there is a winter sale on and it was an absolute bargain!!!! Thanks Wilkes Head team - you are doing a great job and we consider ourselves very lucky to have you on our doorstep when so many village pubs are disappearing! Keep up the great work! If you haven't been yet why wait? Book now!!!

we just went in for a glass of wine, we had Sunday lunch, entered the raffle, won a prize, and thoroughly enjoyed the friendly atmosphere

Great food & very friendly & helpful staff.Go there if you are in the areaLate lunch was not a problem.

This is a real pub - log fire, real ales. Exceptionally warm welcome, very friendly staff. I had my dog with me and she was given a treat ! Great pub food. Can't wait to go back. Highly recommend. We were there on a rainy day and sat in the bar, but they have a separate restaurant and a large garden which will be great in the summer.

Popped in today with my father and wife for a meal. Good basic pub meals done well and very pleasant and helpful lady behind the bar. Recommended.

Visited today for a pub lunch. Food was very good, and plenty of it. Drinks were also very good, I loved the guest ales, and the staff were very friendly and helpful. The pub is traditional and unspoiled with a lovely snug next to the open fire.

We were staying in Fontwell and walked out to this place, lovely little pub, very friendly, good home style food, making it a nice chilled afternoon/early evening

Been meaning to visit for a long time and should have gone sooner.Don't let the first appearance put you off, push on and eat here.Good range of beers and good, plentiful, fresh cooked food.I had ribs and my wife had BBQ chicken and all was well cooked and tasty.Will definitely be going back.

As we both work on a Sunday daytime most pubs have stopped serving Sunday roasts by the time we can get out. We tried the Wilkes head as they start serving again in the evening from 6.30. I booked a table and we set off. I was a little concerned that we may get what was leftover from lunchtime but I needed had worried. My wife and I both had a mix of meats (Beef, Turkey and Pork).....I believe this was £11.95 a head....and the portions were enormous. Homemade yorkshire puddings (Essential!)....a huge amount of meat accompanied by piping hot veg (served seperatly) and all on hot plates! Perfect! Service was very good and friendly. We will certainly be going again but would recommend booking as it was getting quite busy. Excellent find.

We took a detour on the way home from Chichester to Horsham to try out their Sunday roast. We have been here a few times and the pub is good with excellent local ales and a good traditional atmosphere. Unfortunately maybe as we arrived mid to late afternoon on Sunday the roast wasn't as nice as the pub deserved. I went for the trio of meats and the serving sizes were huge, plus drowned in gravy. We both couldn't finish and we only managed half the veg. We said we would give it a second chance as we like the pub.

Great little pub, brilliant staff, excellent unpretentious food, nice beer garden , well worth a visit , best in the area.

1st time we have been here didnt know this splendid pub was here. Thanks for putting board up at the end of Church Lane.Beer and food was most enjoyable we will be back.

Cracking Pub, Great Beer and Food! One of the best pubs within a ten mile radius. Better than all of the pubs in Chichester (I know, we did a pub crawl one week and the out come was that we wished we had just stayed in the Wilkes head!)

Hidden away from the main road, this is a perfect country pub. Friendly staff and good value for money, it was ideal for us.

Very average food. Stuck in the 90s. The burger did not have any edge of creativity. You can certainly do better in your kitchen. My partners lasagne wasn't much better and she is not one for complaining. I think it's a case of open the freezer and stick the fryers on. Most disappointing.

So nice to go to a welcoming traditional pub. Cosy inside and good garden which cater for those with children and dogs. Food is reasonable and good. Children's menu available. Bar stocks a fair choice of quirky real ales too. Very enjoyable and relaxing.

By far the best pub in the South!!! Friendly staff, lovely food, great ales and a homely atmosphere!!! Try and catch one of the Beer Festivals, you won't be disappointed!!!

Amazing staff and fantastic food! Brilliant selection of real ales. We have moved further away from this pub, but my husband and I always try and go regularly because it is so good. Can't beat a burger and a pint here!!

Really enjoyed the Sunday roast and the food is home cooked...that is what I like the best! We have lived in the area for 20 years and The Wilkes Head is our local pub. It has a cosy atmosphere inside and in the Summer you can sit outside with plenty of space. There is a good parking area for cars.

Stopped here after trying two other pubs which might make it easy for dad's wheelchair... So, this pub has an "accessible" entrance which the barman kindly showed me, and then he and his staff were most helpful in helping to get dad situated.Food was simple and straightforward, hot and delicious -- good pub food at its best. And pretty well inexpensive too. The beer is always excellent here -- it's been Sussex Pub of the Year (CAMRA) several times. Well recommended by me. And especially good for disabled people.

whilst house hunting my wife and i, together with our two muddy spaniels, called into the Wilkes Head for a spot of lunch. we were greeted by a friendly barman who wouldn't take our money until we were ready to leave but did insist on making a fuss of the dog and gave them some biscuits. A fantastic pint of real ale (a wide selection available, too much for a lunchtime) and two sandwiches large enough to think they were pretending to be a full meal later, we didn't want to leave but had to. it wasn't just the catering that impressed us though, we found ourselves chatting to several of the customers who all turned out to be regulars, not visitors like us, and yet we felt as welcome as if we had been customers of the pub for years. we loved it, and were so impressed with our visit we bought a house just round the corner, that way we can guarantee we will be back, again and again! Well done Wilkes Head!!

We visited here while staying with my mother-in-law over New Year. We needed somewhere that would take our dog, and wasn't too far to travel, so this was ideal. We sat in the bar, where dogs are allowed, which was traditional and cosy with real ales and a log fire.The service was friendly and professional throughout, and nothing was too much trouble. The food is good honest pub grub, nothing more, nothing less. I chose the cod and chips, which was tasty and enjoyable, without being outstanding - hence four stars rather than the full five.All in all, very pleasant and we'd certainly return in the future.

I try and get to this pub as often as I can (which isn't enough!) because the ale is simply fantastic. The staff are always amiable and attentive, and the customers are mostly locals which makes for a very friendly atmosphere.I recently ate out, choosing the Rib Eye Steak, and whilst the experience wasn't the best I've had, the food was priced keenly, and the standard was good. Certainly nothing to write home about though. On previous occasions I've eaten the burger, which is really quite tasty.They seem to have a thing for American Pale Ales at the time of writing which I don't particularly like, but that's a personal taste, and there are loads of other ones to drink If you like real, grown up beer, then this is the place for you. Highly recommended!

Having read some of the reviews on here I was surprised; I have visited this pub a few times, and have found on every occasion the food and beer to be of the highest quality.The burger in particular is one of the best I have had in a pub, and represents great value for money.The true plus point of this pub has to be if you are an ale enthusiast-this pub features in CAMRA almost every year without fail, and is frequently crowned the best pub in Sussex. The ale selection is always top notch, and changes with reularity, meaning there is always an exciting range of flavours to try, perfect for people like me who enjoy a pint or three! There is ample parking, and the pub itself is very traditional and English, which I like.Sunday roasts also offer good value for money, and frequently myself and my wife will eat lunch there on a sunday to save washing up and cooking!Thoroughly recommend this pub, I would definitely give it a try despite some of the reviews, you may be pleasantly surprised!

The staff well rude at the bar we won't go there again( we've reserve a table the staff well rude at the bar and we didn't stay to eat )

Having read various reviews I felt confident suggesting to friends that we visit, how let down can anyone be? Whilst the food was reasonably priced I felt it was inferior quality which is such a shame because this lovely pub has such a lot to offer, plenty of space an excellent smoking area and really excellent friendly staff. There is nothing that some good quality home cooked food couldn't put right. Personally I think the days of people being happy with frozen lasagne and fish are gone, give the menu a bit of thought and this pub will be an amazing success

great place can fault it, definatly coming back in the near future i advise this to everyone who loves real pub's.

The Hotel receptionist where we were staying pointed us in the direction of this country pub and I was glad she did although there was a private party in the resaurant we sat in the bar and were made very welcome by mine host and the bar staff, good selection of bar food and daily specials guest beers will point our local friends in there direction

Went there for an evening meal. Nicely decorated olde worldy pub. Had a beer festival on that evening by chance. Steam engine etc. Menu was pretty simple but there was enough there for us to choose from though a couple of more interesting dishes would have been welcome. Beer garden was busy with people out for the beer festival and a band playing under a canopy. Owners trying hard obviously. Staff were under pressure from more drinkers than normal I guess but didnt stop them smiling.

It is a nice pub to have a drink at but not sure I would eat there as it seems a bit grubby. Could do with a spruce up.

We all arrived approximately 12.30, and was busy with the local residents, as we had two toddler's with us we had to negotiate our way to the dining area with the odd tut in attendance, the senior waitress was curt and a bit deadpan who seemed unaware of what the menu comprased off, however the food was good and reflected value for money, after an hour we was asked to leave the table to acomondate another booking so we adjourned to the garden yearning to finish off our drinks. A plesent afternoon but won't be looking to go back in the near future.

I visited this pub a couple of times with a friend who lives nearby and we had a very pleasant time. The weather was nice so we sat in the big pub garden to enjoy our drinks. The Sunday roasts here are lovely. The staff are friendly and the garden is child friendly. Will definitely visit again.

We ate outside as it was a nice evening, though it got a bit chilly around 9pm. Food was pub classics (burgers, steak and kidney pud, fish n chips) but correctly cooked and served with a smile.

Visited here with 6mth old daughter, dog, wife, mum and dad for a meal. Food was great quality of good portion size and at a reasonable cost. Good selection of beers and drinks as well. Friendly staff as well. Would certainly revisit.

Lovely place to escape tp for a drink and food at reasonable prices. Good pub garden and play area for kids.

Turned up unannounced and asked for a table for 4. The landlady could not have been more obliging, sorting us with a table, drinks, menus and a tab in quick order! Overall her attentiveness was spot on....efficient and friendly but not 'in your face'. The food...it's pub grub. If straightforward pub food at a fair price is what you are after then this place works. Our only comment was that every dish came with the obligatory pile of salad, undressed. Ham, egg and chips. And salad. Scampi and chips and peas. And salad. Drop the salad and let the food do the talking!

A great selection of real ales, with new ones to try on a regular basis, regular beer festival, regular entertainment, monthly acoustic music club where anyone can join in, great roast dinners, and a good selection of pub food most of which is under £10. The staff are friendly and welcoming, as are the locals. Lucky to have this pub a short walk away!

|i don't like leaving bad reviews and have left writing this one a good few days, but unfortunately my recollection hasn't softened. We'd booked for lunch on a weekend. We found The Wilkes Head is a busy pub in Eastergate which seems to cater closely to a clientèle of regulars. We've never been before and the staff seemed to be bemused that we didn't know where anything was, where the menu was, how to order, or where to sit. Not very welcoming and we had to keep going back to the bar to ask things as the wait staff pretty much ignored us. Nevertheless we eventually managed to find our table extract this information from them, and get some drinks from the bar.My shandy had something nasty floating in the bottom of the glass, I had sat down and had a couple of sips then noticed this large brown fuzzy, thing (about the size of a large pea), sunk at the bottom in there, which frankly, made me feel ill.I took the drink back to the bar and spoke to the bar staff who didn't appear to care at all. I complained and there were some glib comments from them about "should have charged you extra for it" and "it's probably just yeast". It wasn't yeast (in a lager shandy; how often do they do a line pull?) and at very least I should have got an apology for such an unsanitary experience. But nothing. While this was going on another customer commented that she had had a dead bee the bottom of her glass a few months previously. A bee. The barstaff offered no comment to this. Maybe it's just normal.I was not keen to order food at that point and would have actually just have preferred to have left, but I was in a group who were settling in. We had booked in for 12.30 and had arrived a few minutes late. By 1.20, almost 50 minutes after we had first sat down, someone came and took our order. There were people who had arrived after us who had already been served their food.20 - 30 minutes later it arrived. I was really fearing the worst, but actually it was quite nice. Decent sized portions, nicely cooked meat and crispy potatoes with lots of gravy.We all finished and after another good long wait someone asked if we wanted desert. We probably would have had desert but we had by then been in there for two hours, and just wanted to go, our son who is a preschooler was also going mad with boredom. So we left. If you are a regular and they know you are a regular, this place is probably ok. I will give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that whatever they had served me in my drink was a one off (not including the other person's bee), but they handled it dismally, and our table did not get the service that the people who were known to them were getting. Which is unfair.I won't be going back.

Went to the Wikes Head last Saturday night with 8 friends for a Birthday, we had been there about a month earlier for another Birthday and we liked it so much that is why we decided to book another meal there.It was much busier this time as the previous visit was on a Tuesday night but still it wasnt crowded and we did have to wait a little longer for the food to arrive to the table.Nice spacious dining room with plain wooden tables create the county feel and stone flagged floors in the bars.Nice selection of Real Ales on tap, i had Ringwood Best Bitter on the first visit and the Oakleaf Brewery's Neptune Ale from Gosport on the second visit, both nicely served in straight glasses.There was a specials board up in the bar and then a main menu which i noticed had changed from the first visit.Had a chicken, ham and leek pie on the first visit which was packed with filling under a nice flaky pastry topping, my only slight criticism was that the sauce could have been a bit more creamier and thicker.No such problems with last Saturdays the steak and kidney pudding which was absolutely delicious and came with its own little jug of rich gravy. Both meals came with nice chips and peasManaged to squeeze in desserts on both occaisons, profiteroles first visit and strawberry sundae on the return visitMains were around the £9- 12 price and desserts £4, not overly expensive but for good quality pub you dont mind paying it and the real ales were about £3.50 which is what you normally expect to paySo i would Reccomend this nice pub in a rural setting off the main road, would be nice to go there in the summer to see what the garden is like.

Two of us go to a different pub every month for pub grub and some real ale. Last week it was the Wilkes Head, for the 1st time. Well worn, old style pub, which adds to character. Friendly staff, good selection of real ales. Bar food very good and must say one of the best burgers I have been served for a long time. Good portion of chunky chips were also good. Ample car parking and a nice outside seating area. Will return.

Nice sitting outside in the garden having a couple of drinks whilst on holiday. Good selection of beers that are kept well. Nice clean glasses too.

The food is the usual pub fayre and on that basis, it is quite good. But the best thing about this pub is the real ales. Very friendly staff and lovely old pub - very quaint. Garden and play area for the children. Regular live music.

What do you want when you go to a pub for food? - good pub grub, good beer and nice atmosphere.This pub has all of them. The food is freshly cooked, tastes great and the portions are of a good size so you feel like your getting value for money. Would definitely recommend

Has been run for a while by an enthusiastic landlord and finally won Camra pub of the year (Sussex, western). Has an excellent range of local ales along with the usual lagers. Food is good and well priced. They are not aiming for a Michelin star but your here for the beer. Inside is warm and cosy and good atmosphere. Happy staff and they allow dogs in the bar.