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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Gardener's Arms, Lewes
Lewes
BN7 2AN
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Gardener's Arms
Luckily for us we visited here on Thursday night and pretty much had the place to ourselves apart from a couple of locals popping in, who were friendly and chatty. There was a beer board above the end of the bar stating the brewery ABV and price. Six beers on handpump, Harveys Bitter and Porter, Gun Brewery On the Plush, Hogsback Tongham T.E.A., Tring Death or Glory and Three Acres Polar IPA. There is a photo on the wall in the front bar of the Queen when she made a visit to Harvey's Brewery.
On 21st April 2025
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3644 recommendations about 3644 pubs]
Tris C left this review about The Gardener's Arms
This seemed to be a traditional little pub with ‘Normal for Lewes’ customers, long and thin with dartboard to the rear.
Our crawl survivors congregated outside for the duration of our visit, overlooking a pleasant semi-pedestrianised road.
I went for the Harvey’s Porter, £2.80 a half and nice.
Certainly one for a crawl at the very least.
On 18th April 2025
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2207 recommendations about 2164 pubs]
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Gardener's Arms
A narrow,thin ale house with bar at front stretching back to a rear sections and lavs with a few metal seats at the front outside. Bar blockers dont help when its popular . Ale choice on my visit Tring Death or Glory,Burning Sky Dark Mild,Harveys Traditional Draught,Hogs Back TEA (lacking condition ,NBSS 2.5) and a porter I failed to note.This was at the end of a crawl and I may have missed some detail but the ale choice seemed a little disappointing.
On 12th April 2025
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2936 recommendations about 2936 pubs]
Will Larter left this review about The Gardener's Arms
Towards 6pm with a train to catch is probably not a good time to call in here. The service we received was very good, but a group of customers sat in front of the hand pumps were not helpful, telling us to look at the blackboard, which on examination was out of date. We had the Hogsback TEA, which was good, and the Burning Sky Dark Mild which was ok. Perhaps the beers are better when it's not the last pub of a long day.
On 11th April 2025
- rating: 6
[User has posted 4273 recommendations about 3935 pubs]
David Walton left this review about The Gardener's Arms
Agree with all the comments below (or at least the three that I are visible prior to my review). Would definitely add my vote with this being the best traditional pub in Lewes, or indeed the Lewes postal district). A pretty straightforward, quite small boozer, which is aided when the weather is a bit better by drinkers happily extending to the small space at the side of the venue or on the small pavement area out the front. The servery is against the left hand wall in the middle of the single, rectangular room, with stools around the bar and the prize table in the front window. There are some rather rustic wooden benches at the back of the pub, with a well worn and much trod upon red carpet on which site a couple of tables and some small wooden stools. Heavy red velvet curtains retain some of the musky odour in these nether regions of the pub, OK they are by the somewhat agricultural conveniences but that doesn’t really matter here. Pictures from bonfire of yesteryear adorn the walls along with a dartboard that barely seems it is useable where it resides unless there is a local version of the game where you throw diagonally at the board.
The hand pumps sit on the side of the servers greeting you as you enter and deluding my visit the six offerings were the Pale Ale from Gun Brewery, the Valley Bitter from the Nether Valley Brewery, the MIA a hazy pale ale from Shiny Brewery, one of my favs, the plateau from Burning Sky, the goes without saying Harvey’s Sussex Best and a black Cherry Porter from Goldmark. Keg offerings (as they are relevant to some who quaff here) were Fosters, Guinness, K1664, a Scottish cider called Thirstly Cross.
Been here many times over the last 10 years Lewes has been local to me at the weekends. This is a great pub and I will return year many more times hopefully.
On 27th September 2024
- rating: 8
[User has posted 631 recommendations about 631 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Gardener's Arms
A proper traditional alehouse style boozer, basically two roomed but walk through with the door removed. both ends of the pub were fairly busy with locals,daytrippers and beer tourists alike. Seven handpumps split between the two sides were offering Harveys Sussex Best and Harmony,Gun Parabellum,Rother Vally Hoppers Dry Ale and Old Dairy Blue Top, Sandford Reserve was the Cider. All in all an excellent pub.
On 8th September 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2151 recommendations about 2118 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Cask Fan left this review about The Gardener's Arms
Certainly a proper traditional boozer and a haven away from the bustle of Cliffe High Street. But a bit smelly and I don't think cleaning is their top priority (see photo). Interesting choice of ales.
On 2nd July 2022
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 46 recommendations about 37 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Gardener's Arms
The Gardener's Arms is the closest any Lewes pubs get to being a proper town alehouse. Whilst being very close to Harvey's brewery and stocking their Sussex Best Bitter, it is a free house and has a few guest beers.
The pub has 2 rooms, with the rear one being larger than the front one. Conversation reigns and you will soon find yourself getting into a chat with some random locals. As the previous reviewer states, there are also some metal table and chairs in the passageway to the side of the pub. With the sun peaking through, this is where the majority of customers were on our Saturday lunchtime visit. It also seems to be a place where children are now allowed, as they're certainly not allowed inside.
Guest ales were Rother Valley Northiam, Errant Claw of the New Sun, Only With Love Let's Go IPA & Tring Toto. A further handpull in the rear bar had Gwynt y Ddraig Ancient Warrior.
CAMRA discounts are now offered, but not widely advertised. We overheard somebody else asking when ordering our second round.
5 years on since my last visit, I think this is still just about the best pub in Lewes. We actually returned later in the evening to find Pitchfork having replaced the Tring beer.
On 30th August 2021
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3040 recommendations about 3038 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Gardener's Arms
This two bar compact ale house sounds unchanged from previous reviews, except for the fact that in these covid social distancing times, aluminium tables and chairs have been added to the front and the sideway of the pub to increase the number of seated punters it can accommodate. Fortunately for my visit it was a fine weather day and most of the afternoon punters were utilising these, so I managed to grab a table in the back bar and listen to a few of the locals bemoaning the fact that the famous Lewes Bonfire celebrations for 2020 had been cancelled due to the current pandemic.
It was good to find bar service in operation rather than table service and also good to find all six handpumps in operation with five ales and one cider available. Alongside the ubiquitous Harvey’s Sussex Best was Dark Star Hop Head, Godmark Black Lion Porter, Gun Brewery Pale Ale and Oakham Attila. I initially went for a half of the 7.5% Oakham Attila, but actually preferred the Godmark porter, with both beers in good condition.
I saw enough of this pub to know I would like it here when it can function properly with vertical drinkers filling the gaps between the limited available seating. Oh for those days...
On 16th November 2020
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2236 recommendations about 2098 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
BRUMMIE STEVE left this review about The Gardener's Arms
Love this pub and would certainly be a regular if I lived in Lewes. Great choice of ales and very reasonably priced to, they even offer a Camra discount. Always very busy and a good friendly crowd which is'nt always the case with pubs in Lewes. This is a proper pub a little rough around the edges but that makes it what it is, much better pub then the nearby John Harvey Tavern and The Snowdrop.
On 20th November 2017
- rating: 10
[User has posted 39 recommendations about 39 pubs]