The Crown, Rye

Ten years later and I would say Steve’s review below largely still rings true. This is a bright modern Sports bar pub and although it looks like it’s had a bit of a make over in recent years the layout is basically unchanged from the description below with perhaps the addition of a couple of more screens. Keg taps with all the usual suspects dominate the bar and now there is a solitary ale pump from what I could see that was badged with Timothy Taylors landlord. My half wasn’t the best and I got the impressive that it’s not troubled much by the locals. It promotes itself as Rye’s number one sports bar but given that most hostelries in town focus more towards the tourist trade there isn’t a lot of competition for that honour, and the competition I did visit, such as the Pipemakers, didn’t do anything to make me believe they are wrong in that claim. I didn’t get the impression that they do food, so the only tourists the Crown will attract are those that want to watch their team whilst they are on holiday.

The Crown seems to be the pub of choice for the younger inhabitants of the area and there were twenty or so of them present during my visit on Tuesday evening. The bar runs along the left hand wall up to a sunken area at the rear where there is a pool table and a plasma screen along with an old piano in an inglenook on the rear wall. To the right of the entrance is a seating area where there is a jukebox on the wall that was playing loud dance music, much to the delight of the other punters. There is another plasma screen in the bar area and all three were showing muted Champions League football via Sky Sports. The bar is stocked with standard draught and one of the hand pumps was unused leaving Directors as the lone ale option. Out the back is a courtyard with a couple of café tables to accommodate the smokers. I found everyone in here to be friendly enough and fifteen years ago I would have said that this pub is the best Rye has to offer. Unfortunately Old Father Time has been beating me over the head for the past few years and my tastes have changed so I doubt that I will be returning here anytime soon.