The Mermaid Inn, Rye

A cracking heritage pub located on one of Britain’s most picturesque streets. This historic coaching inn has a beautiful timbered (pre?) Tudor exterior which gives way to a multi-roomed interior with a real plush old skool feel. There’s tons of carved dark wood panelling, carpets, big hearths, old nick-nacks and a couple of lovely garden areas – lots to explore and multiple visits would reward fully. Three cask at the bar in the shape of Harveys Best, St Austell Tribute and a house beer Mermaid Ale at 3.8% - WhatPub says it’s Youngs so I guess a rebadge of Ordinary - in good nick (NBSS 3.5), served-up by be-penguined staff (it is an upmarket hotel, I suppose). A mixed crowd, with confused foreign tourists, a few locals and a few of the local upper middle class with a broomstick up their back end; indeed a couple of tea-sipping Pooteresque ladies were not enamoured by my presence in one of the rooms and even less so when some working class tourists from Essex also joined. Overall this is a lovely place with good beer and well-worth a drop in to sample. Unlike some others below, I would call in again.