The Dripping Spring, St. Leonards-On-Sea

I am the new owner of the business, the pub is open and now serving real ales and have six ales on at the moment, more are coming. We have had installed all new cellar equipment and new lines, so all ready to serve good quality real ale and lagers, and ciders. We will be having beer festivals and cider festivals and special tasting days. A special real ale on every week with a offer on that ale. It will be a traditional pub with events and offers and nibbles on the bar through out the week and seafood and cheese and biscuits on the bar Sunday with meat raffle and bonus ball. All welcome and come and visit this quiet pub in St Leonard's on sea with a warm welcome.

This one really puts the 'house' in public house: 2 comfortably carpeted small rooms is, beer garden out back down steps excepted, all you get after you enter directly off the street. There's a central bar with serving area for each room. A row of 4 or 5 handpumps adorns each side. Not all of there were in use on my visit however, and the choice was regrettably mainstream (Harvey's, Bombardier, Ruddles etc); the Wadworth St. George's was on good form, so no complaints there and I do accept that the management may feel that pleasing their regulars is more important than appealing to the occasional beer tourist. I didn't check the menu but it looked larger than you'd expect from such a small place - one couple were getting their lunch when I was in and a poster promoted a weekly Tapas Night. A small crowd of chatty regulars and a friendly pub dog complete the picture so, all in all, it's worth the trek (or bus ride if you prefer) up from the station.

The Dripping Spring has an old school back street boozer feel and is split between the saloon bar on the left and public bar on the right. Neither bars are very big so I can imagine it getting a little claustrophobic at busier times, but there was no such problem when I visited on a recent Monday afternoon as the only people present were me, the landlord and an old local guy. The usual draught products are all available and I counted five hand pumps in the saloon bar. Two of these were unused and one was off leaving Cotleigh Barn Owl and Directors as the ale options. I was surprised to find another four hand pumps in the public bar and although two of these were off Harveys Best and Pride were also available. There is a dartboard that had some tables and chairs on the oche which could easily be shifted, but I wouldn’t wander in here on a busy Saturday night expecting to get a game. There are extended opening hours at the weekend, but the pub doesn’t open until 11:30 everyday. There was some very low back music playing during my visit and the TV was off with no sign of any sport advertised. There is a beer garden down some steps out the back where supervised children are allowed, but they are not permitted in either bar at any time. Although quiet I enjoyed my pint and would have no problem returning.