The Dolphin Inn, Hastings

This is a fine old Fisherman’s pub, opposite the famous tall Fisherman’s nets huts and the shingle beach where I believe they still have the largest beach launched fishing fleet in the UK. Unfortunately, its prime location does mean it’s a bit of a tourist magnet in high season and as mine was a late lunchtime visit it was full of people dining and quite a few families included. But difficult to complain as on this occasion I fitted the tourist definition and they are renowned for their pub food rating very highly for it on Trip Advisor, and especially the sea food dishes, as the product come direct from the fishing fleet each day. The interior is as well described by PSM below, but we actually chose to visit here as, on passing we spotted a bench being vacated on the excellent small front facing terrace and decided to grab it to celebrate the fact that the sun had just broken through for the first time that day. Fortunately, real ale is as much a focus as the food and all six handpumps dotted along the bar were in operation with Harvey’s Sussex Best, Youngs Special, Dark Star Hop Head, Marstons Pedigree, Surrey Hills Brewery Sheer Drop and 360 degree Brewing Fast Back American Pale Ale. I did notice they offered a paddle of 3 1/3 measures but we went for halves of the latter two and they were in very good condition. This was a very good and well run food and ale pub in the tourist section of Hastings and was probably our second best preferred pub of the day after the FILO.

Official site of The Dolphin Inn - thedolphinpub.co.uk

Official site of The Dolphin Inn - thedolphinpub.co.uk

A very busy pub as described by Ray and Graham below, the six cask beers on were Youngs Special, Harveys Sussex Best,Dark Star Hophead and APA, Rother Valley Hoppers Ale, the choice was welcome given a lot of surrounding pubs were Shepherd Neame owned. I had an enjoyable couple of pints here.

An excellent pub, despite being in the touristy bit opposite the famous fishing sheds. The interior is a fairly standard seaside type, with fishing nets and other nauticalia around the two rooms, either side on the bar. There is a patio area at the front, raised above road level. But what it does have is that feel of a lively, well-run pub, with a good welcome. A fair range of beers is offered, at time of visit including 3 Legs Black, Youngs Special, Harveys Sussex and Long Man American Pale. That they take their beer seriously can be seen as the pub has also won various local CAMRA awards.

Located on the seafront opposite Hastings' famous fisherman's net huts (and the modern intrusion of the Jerwood Gallery), the Dolphin is a great example of how a traditional fisherman's pub can be updated for a contemporary audience. A small front patio with limited seating gives some great views out to the aforementioned sights and the sea beyond, making it a good spot on a warm day. Entering into the left hand side of the pub, you find yourself in the smaller of two bars where a compact square servery in the rear right corner has a board to one side listing the full range of ales available. It's a quaint little room with some rather cramped back to back pews under the windows on the front wall and a selection of standard seating options down the left towards the rear. As you might expect, the room is decorated with plenty of seafaring bits including ship's wheels, ropes, lobster pots and the diverting sight of a fishing net hung from the ceiling and full of various plastic fish. The main bar is through a doorway to the right, where a larger room can be found with the servery along the left hand side. The choice seating options here seem to be the smart banquettes along the right hand wall which look very comfortable and stand beneath a great collection of vintage advertisements and a ceiling covered with pump clips. Plenty more nautical themed bric-a-brac can be seen around the room and there are some very attractive partitioning screens here and there with a wave shaped motif carved along the top of each. A few people outside were getting stuck into some no nonsense pub grub, but I didn't see a menu, so I'm not sure how the prices compare. The pub has been a leading light in Hastings' ale scene for a number of years now and the boards next to the bar detailed a good selection from established favourites and some obscurer micros. The full range on this visit was Youngs Special, Harvey's Sussex Best, Tonbridge American Pale Ale, Arbor Blue Sky Drinking and Trade Union Pale Ale. I gave the Blue Sky Drinking a go and it was a lovely pint in excellent condition, whilst my Dad's half of the APA was also top notch - some excellent cellarmanship on show here. This place was relatively quiet when we visited on a Sunday afternoon, which is a shame as I imagine it could be the sort of place that really gets going with a good crowd inside. I thought it was a very nicely presented venue, making good use of its history and location to create an interesting and comfortable environment in which to spend some time, with great quality beer as a bonus. I'm not particularly familiar with the Hastings pub scene, but I'd be surprised if there were many that could better this place.