The Waterworks, Rye

We paid a visit to this micropub on two occasions during our stay in Rye and found it being well utilised. Initially we visited late on a Sunday evening in time for last orders and then returned the day after on the fine August bank holiday Monday lunchtime, when at a time some of the other hostelries in town were sparsely populated, the Waterworks was even more banged out both inside and outside, proving there’s no demand for real ale nowadays (sic). To be fair, alongside the 10 ales from the barrels behind the bar there was seven ciders available from glass demijohns in the fridges and a good range of artisan gins. It looks like the outside seating is expanded for fine weather days with stools and beer barrels with soft tops and additional benches and was accommodating quite a few for our visits, probably more than were fitting inside. Internally it remains the eclectic mix of junk / antique shop strangeness as described in the reviews below, with everything you sit on, at, or touch, is priced to go. I will have to reevaluate my understanding of the market pricing levels of ‘retro’ furniture though as I wouldn’t have given you £3 for the battered old table we sat at, let alone £30. The available drinks options are now displayed on the large chalkboard on the left-hand wall as you enter and for our visits the ten ales included three of their own Brews, three from Hopfuzz, two from Tonbridge, one from Brewing Brothers and one from Romney Marsh Brewery and covered a good range of styles. I tried a couple of the house brews as it would have been rude not to and they were very good. For the ales this is one of the best micropubs I have visited, but I just prefer them to have more of a pub character than a junk shop to drink them in. I was tempted to review it as an 8, but any establishment that uses a Doombar ale pump as a toilet flush deserves the extra point.

There's just a small seating area at the front of this micropub, which is located in the town's old waterworks and has also been a soup kitchen. With the rain pouring down and with tables undercover reserved, our only initial option was a table in the rain. However, the landlord soon appeared and shifted a few people around to make room for us. It was shortly before 6pm when we arrived and it soon became apparent that neither of the two reserved groups were turning up for their 6pm bookings, meaning he didn't need to throw anybody out! The beer list was on a laminated A4 sheet of paper. Ales were Goachers Sussex Gold & Special (DSB), Three Legs Mosaic & Oatmeal Stout, Romney Marsh American Pale, Brumaison Best Bitter & Old Dairy Milk Stout. Ciders were Kent Cider Company Waken, Lemon Cider, Rhubarb Cider, Mango Cider, Elderflower Cider, Strawberry Cider, Toffee Apple Cider & Spiced Cider, Nightingale Tenterden, Double Vision Medium & Norman Hunt & Sons Medium & Vintage. The interior could be viewed on a visit to the toilets. It is a wonderful mishmash of curios, which are probably mostly antiques. Despite the rain throwing down and the chilly evening temperatures, I really enjoyed my visit here and am already contemplating a return visit very soon.

Great setting for a micropub well described by Ray below. It was rammed when I got there with no inside space available so had to take my pint of Gun Babylon Project outside to drink detering me from a second beer. Not the best Micropub I visited that week but not bad.