The Ship Inn, Meads, Eastbourne

I can certainly relate to the comment below about this one feeling like a hotel lounge bar as we initially came here on a quiet Tuesday evening when there was only one other couple in the central bar section and only a couple of tables utilised in the restaurant sections and it certainly did feel like that. But then we came back to eat here on a Friday evening and it was a totally different experience. You enter into the main bar section with its collection of bright blue padded seating on a green carpet that leads to the serving bar. Then behind partition walls on either side are the two dining room areas. Then beyond the right hand section is a sizeable conservatory extension which leads to a decent patio beer garden beyond that. Three of the four pumps in operation with Harvey’s Sussex Best and IPA plus Longman Long Blonde. I’d already had a pint of Sussex Best earlier In the day and had tried the Long Blonde in the previous pub, the Pilot Inn, so I went for the Harvey’s IPA. It was ok but not really to my taste, so on the return visit to eat I stuck to the Long Blonde and it was as good as it was down the road in the Pilot. On the Friday evening, with every inside section full to capacity this pub had a nice vibe about it and the two home made lasagne we went for hit the spot as well.

The comfortable lounge bar seems more hotel than pub, but The Ship certainly came across as more drinker-friendly than the nearby Pilot (hence no review). 3 ales on the pumps, plus a couple of slightly more crafty options among the usual options on the taps. My Harvey's Old was, I suppose, reasonable enough (Harvey's Sussex & a Long Man being the other cask options). Not that busy on a late Saturday afternoon, but it was a good enough pit-stop and the wi-fi came in handy.

Official site of The Ship Inn - shipatmeads.co.uk

Official site of The Ship Inn - shipatmeads.co.uk