Dunes Bar, Rye

Adjacent to a large council car park with extortionate parking prices is Dunes Bar and Restaurant. Out the front there is a decked area with some tables and chairs that face the high dunes over which one has to climb to reach the sandy beach. Inside the bar runs along the right hand wall and along the left is a step up to tables that were set for dining. At the rear there is a larger restaurant area that is open from 13:00 until 16:00 and 18:00 until 21:00. My visit was on a recent Wednesday afternoon so I only saw the lunchtime menu where prices ranged from £5 for a filled baguette to £12 for a smoked salmon salad. The bar is stocked with standard draught and two of the three hand pumps were unused leaving Otter Ale as the lone cask option. None of the other five customers were drinking the Otter so I decided to have a Peroni. At the front of the bar area are a pool table and a poor picture quality plasma screen that was showing muted vintage golf via Sky Sports. I imagine that this place is a nice spot for a quick bite to eat on a sunny afternoon whilst visiting the beach with the family. That said I wouldn’t go in here on my own just for a beer again, especially as the much better Green Owl is just up the road.

A large seaside pub with hints of Meditteranean aspirations, Dunes is a late 20th Century building just behind the sea wall and so well placed for the beach. A large central bar is orbited by smaller snugs around its periphery, and there is a good sized covered terrace to the front. The majority of the clientele seemed to be in the inert over-seventy bracket, the muzak chosen especially for them, four large ceiling fans redistribute the stale air, while the ambience is a fusion of 1960s club med and care home. A pool table dominates one side of the bar but one wonders whether it gets much serious use. There is a wide, reasonably priced food selection on the menu, but I didn't try it. The only ale on was Speckled Hen whose lifelessness matched the rest of the pub. It's OK to drop in for refreshments if you're passing, but it's nothing about which to write a postcard home.

great pub.really freindly staff.food was of a really good quality.really big portion size.got to go back there.would recommend it to anyone.10 out of 10 for me.!!!!!!!!!!