Ye Olde Smugglers Inn, Polegate

Ye Olde Smugglers Inn is a centuries old property with lots of history and a brief description can be read on John McGraw’s photo of the A-board outside the pub. The bar is located to the left of the entrance and there is some seating around the side by the front windows. Opposite the entrance there is a large inglenook that is full of old odds and sods and to the right is some seating. The seating stretches up to the rear of the pub where there are a few steps and a conservatory has been built on the back of the pub. There is also a very nice enclosed beer garden at the rear. There is a very limited standard draught selection available from the bar, but some hand pumps are present which were drawing Harveys Best, Old Sussex, Hophead, Doom Bar and Old Rosie cider. Food is served and the mains came in at around the £8 mark, which is on a par with the other pubs in the village. I was surprised to read that they do a ‘Hawaiian burger’ for £9 that comes with a pineapple ring and Thousand Island dressing, what are they thinking! Accommodation is available and there is a jazz night on a Sunday each month, but it is not a set day so enquiries to the pub will have to be made for details. I liked it in here, but the seating by the front windows in the bar area smelt a bit of urine which I imagine is from a dog. Also, there is a dartboard on the wall, but the oche line faces a different wall and the background music was at an annoying volume where it cannot really be heard so one wonders what the point of it was. Taking everything into account I think that the positives outweigh the negatives and I would return for another beer if in the area.