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Victoria Hotel, Eastbourne
Eastbourne
BN22 7BU
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Blue Scrumpy left this review about Victoria Hotel
Victorian corner local located in a residential area, but still close to the seafront and the busy Seaside road (A259). My Monday afternoon visit was shortly after 3pm, with the pub not long having opened. Two other customers were present, along with the young barman who was sporting a black eye from a rugby match. The card machine had been left off charge overnight. So, I'd almost finished by the beer by the time I paid for it. By this point, a few other locals (all still blokes) had arrived, in addition to a dog.
Whilst I didn't venture to the room at the rear, the one at the front was very impressively decorated. TVs for live sport didn't spoil the decor particularly, and they were switched off in any case for my visit.
Being a tied Harvey's house, the Sussex Best Bitter is their regular ale. In addition, they also had Wild Hop & Old Ale. I can't say that I was too enamoured with my Wild Hop and a quick look around confirmed that I was the only one drinking the ale. Perhaps this is the reason why the pub has been missing from the last 4 editions of the Good Beer Guide. Weston's Old Rosie was promoted above the bar, but I couldn't see any evidence of it actually being available.
Nevertheless, I found this to be a fairly friendly neighbourhood local that is certainly worth a look inside, if only for its impressive front bar.
On 10th October 2023
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about Victoria Hotel
This was the closest pub to our B&B during our recent visit to Eastbourne and we utilised it for an early evening beer on a couple of evenings before moving off into town.
A good traditional interior which is unchanged from previous reviews and is as described below, it was a bit quiet on our mid week visit, with just a couple of old boys in but not so on the early Friday evening when we popped in when it was standing room only and quite an eclectic mix of locals including what I took to be quite a mature hen party group.
This is a Harvey’s house and the same three Harvey’s beers as per the previous reviews were on and the Armada was a very well kept pint.
On 14th July 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about Victoria Hotel
Occupying a street corner position in a residential side street a block or so inland from the sea front is The Victoria Hotel, a fine, welcoming, traditional, community orientated, local.
It’s a Victorian era pub with a door on each street, indicating a former multi bar pub. We now have a comfortable, carpeted single bar pub with a semi circular central bar servery. The interior features gold, floral wallpaper, a number of old pictures of Queen Victoria, a high burgundy coloured ceiling and the trademark large arched windows. Hanging from the ceiling is a collection of jugs and these extend to the shelves round the perimeter of the room. The seating area is divided into small semi circular seating areas with padded seats. High up on the bar back is a collection of beer bottles. Old small circular photos of former kings and queens etched into the windows add to the traditional feel, although these are obviously not original. Reminiscent of Eastenders, a bust of Queen Victoria occupies a prominent position on the bar counter. Overall, the pub still retains something of a feel of a pub from an earlier, maybe better, era of pub going.
A separate room at the back of the pub – probably the former official public bar – is more basic and contains a pool table and a Toad in the Hole game. On the walls here are the usual photos of a selection of other Harvey’s pubs. A door here leads out to a pleasant outside seating courtyard area.
The Victoria Hotel is a Harvey’s tied outlet which, on my visit, was serving Best, Old and Armada. Beers sampled were in good form, as befits a CAMRA Good Beer Guide regular.
A page in the pub menu exhorts me to “why not visit our other pubs in the area – The Heath, Haywards Heath and The Alma, Uckfield” which, noting that no reference is made to Harvey’s other Eastbourne pubs, suggests to me that the two named pubs are under the same individual tenancy.
Accommodation is offered, but, despite the name, this is first and foremost a fine, traditional pub.
This pub was specifically recommended to me as one to prioritise when in Eastbourne. I’m well glad that I made the effort to seek it out and I’d be looking to return when the opportunity presents itself.
On 1st January 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Victoria Hotel
Having enjoyed a pleasant stroll along the seafront in the unusually hot October weather, we made a short detour to this fine Harvey’s pub for a bite to eat and some much needed liquid refreshment. The pub has a traditional two room interior and the entrance takes you into the warm and welcoming main bar which has a slightly opened out area to the left with a fair bit of seating and numerous pictures of Queen Victoria. Additional seating is provided opposite the bar counter and this area was full with people enjoying the Merseyside derby on a TV screen mounted on the front wall. The second room to the rear of the main bar was almost entirely filled by a pool table and has a very short stretch of bar counter. A door at the back of the room leads to the garden, although it initially appeared to be the door for the gents, which are actually located just beyond this doorway. The patio garden gets its fair share of sun and I found it a nice spot to enjoy the last few rays of sun of 2011.
There were three Harvey’s beers on when we visited - Best, Old Ale and Armada (£3.35), with the latter in excellent shape. Another handpull was dispensing Old Rosie Scrumpy and menus throughout the pub listed the full Harvey’s range as being available in bottled form. The food was very reasonably priced with most mains around £7 and I thought the portion sizes were rather generous. I had the chicken which was very nice and great value for money.
This is a really friendly and well run local's pub of the sort that I would be quite happy to while away an afternoon in and it is well worth seeking out.
On 15th October 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Victoria Hotel
A backstreet Harveys community local which nonetheless is only a short walk from the seafront. The exterior is in good shape and the interior doesn’t disappoint – it has plenty of character, decorated in shades of blush red and gold. Pictures of Queen Victoria abound on the papered walls. Four Harvey’s ales were on the go along with two real ciders in Old Rosie and Thatchers. Interestingly there were also loads of Harveys bottles so I tried a nut brown ale, which was OK but suffered a bit by being served at room temperature. The ales served up elsewhere to my fellow crawlees all ticked the box. There are two rooms, a large main bar, with a smaller room to the right rear which has darts and a pool table (though I wouldn’t fancy trying to play any arrows given the proximity of the pool table). I saw no sign of the bar billiards table mentioned elsewhere, which was a shame but there was an upright piano which I assume is serviceable and is available to play. To the rear of this room is a tidy paved rear courtyard. There were plenty of customers at 5pm on a Saturday evening and quite a number of them were tucking into the grub on offer and/or watching the football. Most of them seemed to be locals so this is obviously a successful pub.
All in all, this is a solid place with a lot to like. I would say it’s worth seeking out if in the area and I would return next time I find myself in Eastbourne.
On 23rd August 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5089 recommendations about 5072 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ron Neesam left this review about Victoria Hotel
The best pub in Eastbourne and possibly Sussex. Dog friendly - free biscuit for well behaved dogs - and family friendly with lovely garden. "The best pint of Harveys best bitter in Eastbourne"- 'Sussex Drinker' (Organ of CAMRA Sussex Spring 2011). Food available Thurs, Fri, Sat evenings and Sunday lunch. Hilarious game of "Play Your Cards Right" Sunday evenings.
On 10th March 2011
- rating: 10
[User has posted 5 recommendations about 5 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Victoria Hotel
A fine community pub - one of Harvey's treasures. A full selection of the brewery's beers was available, including the special Star of Eastbourne ale, although several barrels had to be changed as the thirsty Camra AGM delegates were getting through their pints very quickly. First class.
On 19th April 2009
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about Victoria Hotel
This is one of the better pubs in the area that has a good local client base. Being a Harveys’ pub it isn't surprising to see four of their ales available alongside Fosters, Kronenburg and Guinness. It’s not much of a selection if you're not into real ale, but I’ve never had a bad pint in here. I've eaten here once and the food was reasonable for the low price paid.
The main bar area is at the front of the pub and there is a plasma screen for showing Sky Sports, but it can be escaped by sitting at the other end of the pub away from the noise. There is also a room at the rear of the pub which houses a dartboard, pool table and bar billiards. This room leads onto a courtyard out the back with some covered and uncovered seating.
The governor seems like a nice bloke and I would recommend this pub to others.
On 12th August 2008
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5249 recommendations about 5217 pubs]