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The Jenny Lind, Hastings
Hastings
TN34 3EW
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Steve of N21 left this review about The Jenny Lind
This is another decent ale house on the Hastings Old town High Street. Dating from 1851 when it opened on the site of the Bell, an old Hastings Inn dating back to the Reformation of 1600, this two-room pub is named after a famous mid-19th-century Swedish opera singer for reasons I couldn’t ascertain. The long and roomy front bar has a bit of an ale house vibe about it, with limited seating and plenty of space for vertical drinking and then the back bar is warmer and cosier with a real fire and a bar billiards table tucked into one section. Beyond this is a terraced garden behind the pub which would be a pleasant spot on better days than the one we experienced.
The front bar supports an impressive row of 10 ale pumps, but closer inspection reveals that the house ales of Longman Best Bitter and GK Abbott were doubled up with one on and one with a coming soon tag, then an additional coming soon label and one reverse clipped meant there was actually six ales available. These included Longman Session Pale Ale and Wantsum Brewery Black Pig alongside the house ales.
On 1st September 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2111 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Jenny Lind
Not a particularly attractive pub externally but more interesting inside, a long front bar with servery to match and a smaller more intimate room to the rear. I didn't note all the beers whilst there but there was plenty of choice, my choice was a very acceptable Pig & Porter Jumping Frog. The pub experience was a little dulled by the Covid rules but obviously a very good pub.
On 13th October 2020
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1872 recommendations about 1845 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Jenny Lind
A decent sized pub this one comprising of a long front bar, with a raised area at the far end along with a fireplace, this section also had an old petrol pump displayed in the right hand corner. The back lounge also had another fireplace and a bar billiards table. Eight ales and two ciders to choose from on our visit. The only slight problem was waiting to get served on our Friday lunchtime visit. There were two barmaids on duty and both of them were trying to light the fires, one girl in the back lounge and the other digging out the ashes from the fireplace in the front bar. Both of them seemed oblivious to customers waiting at the bar. When we eventually got served we went for the Franklin's Lawless and a Black Cherry Mild, I have to say the beers were worth waiting for.
On 5th November 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Jenny Lind
Picked the wrong time for my first visit to this place, which was absolutely rammed due to the Jack in the Green parade temporarily stopped nearby and although there were plenty of staff they were struggling to cope. However, I did eventually get a pint of Franklins Thr33 Pint Five, one of a very good selection of eight real ales available from the ten handpumps. I also noted that the main front bar was decorated and furnished in an alehouse style, with the smaller rear bar being more traditional in appearance.
On 19th May 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The Jenny Lind
A good beer pub down in the Old Town. Two rooms, either side of the central bar, with a fair amount of old woodwork and a couple of real fires. The cosier room behind houses a bar billiards table. A splendid range of 10 mainly-local beers on handpump, plus four boxed ciders. The beer seemed to be in excellent condition, noting Cask Marque accreditation and regular GBG entries. There are signs to a garden upstairs, but not visited.
On 21st January 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Jenny Lind
I had a few beers in the Jenny Lind last night, which was my first visit in four and a half years. The interior is much as I described in 2011 (below) with a long thin front bar to the left of the entrance and on this visit I noticed that the area to the right of the entrance is in fact a stage area. A band was setting up for a set which started at around 21:00. The hand pump count at the bar has been increased to ten which were all drawing different cask ales. There are also two Westons cask ciders available. Hot food is not available due to “many superb restaurants in the Old Town area”, but there is an extensive bar snacks menu. At the rear of the pub is the Old Peculiar Lounge, which is in fact a back bar with additional seating and a bar billiards table.
On this visit I did visit the beer garden which is reached via a staircase that leads to six hotel rooms above. This area consists of a split level patio garden with seating and some covered tables. The group I was with were very comfortable up here until we had to move due to a smell of gas from a neighbouring property!
Various events are held here every week with a leaning towards live music. On Tuesday nights there is a quiz and the pub billiards team plays on Wednesday evenings. There is an upstairs dining room that I imagine is available for hire. Not on a Monday or Tuesday evening though when this area hosts belly dancing and Qijong Meditation classes, obviously on the separate evenings. The Jenny Lind does not open until midday and has an hour extension until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
A loyalty card scheme operates where Doubloons can be earned for money off beer and the bar billiard table. When using the loyalty card for a discount on beer I think that it is 10%, i.e. buy nine pints and get the tenth free.
I found the governor to be extremely friendly and professional, as were his employees. I would have no hesitation in returning here for a few more beers and if I was a local resident there is no doubt that this would be my local pub. Rating upped from 7 to 9.
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On 23rd February 2011
The front bar in the Jenny Lind is quite long and narrow with high tables and banquette seating to the left of the entrance and a fireplace and piano to the right. The bar at the rear is made up of conventional seating and there was some very low background music playing. To the side of the pub is a smoking area that has railings up to separate it from the street outside and there is an advertised beer garden that I did not visit. I found the service to be friendly and the Guinness was well served. There are more standard draught products alongside Amstel and five real ales from differing breweries were available.
This is certainly one of the better pubs I have visited in Hastings and I would have no problem returning.
On 10th October 2015
- rating: 9
[User has posted 5254 recommendations about 5222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
paulof horsham left this review about The Jenny Lind
Considering the Jenny Lind markets itself partly as a hotel, I was expecting something a little less, I don't know: grungy. Loud (not deafening, but not background either) reggae was playing as I entered, although the music selection did vary considerably during my visit. The front bar (where I spent my time) features lots of bare boards, stools and high wooden tables. This is a bright airy room, looking out onto the busy (with people, not traffic) High Street. Behind the main bar is another room, which seemed a little gloomier from what I remember.
At the bar, there's seven pumps; two offer Theakstons products (including Old Peculier) while the rest are more locally focussed, several serving ale from Hastings Brewery - my Pale was a little cloudy but tasted just fine. Prices are reasonable too, starting at £3.19. The lager range is pretty standard, but I did note a triple font for wine.
It may sound like I wasn't too keen. Not the case - I'd definitely recommend this one for a Hastings pub crawl, but it's certainly more pub than swanky Hilton.
On 1st May 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 453 recommendations about 425 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about The Jenny Lind
The Jenny Lind wasn't on our radar of “to do” pubs for our Hastings mini crawl but a quick glimpse of the 5 hand pumps through the window deemed it worthy of a lucky dip visit. The interior consists of 2 bars, the fairly straight forward main bar at the front and a smaller paneled bar at the rear. The place has a slightly scruffy feel with random furnishings and features that include an old upright piano, open log fire and, for some reason, an American petrol pump. Music flyers and promotional cards are dotted about across the window sills advertising whats on in the pub (live music often a feature) and the town in general. Stairs lead up to a surprisingly attractive split level beer patio with probably the world's largest pub umbrella. There are views of the cliffs in the distance and I could happily spend a few hours here listening to the seagulls. The aforementioned 5 pumps offered Courage Directors, Deuchers, Doom Bar, Youngs and Old Peculiar which probably as good a range of Ales as you will find in town. Quality was fine and the prices were a bit more reasonable than some of its competitors. For a warm August Saturday night it wasn't too busy or rowdy and all in all, it was a bit of an unexpected bonus. Certainly a place I would add to my Hastings recommendations.
On 24th August 2009
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Manky Badger left this review about The Jenny Lind
The Jenny Lind is somewhere we normally walk straight past on the way to and from the FILO, but today we popped in for a pint. A pint – we could have had half a gallon here. Five hand pumps is more than you'll see in very few places outside London.
This is a pub which will certainly be added to the Hastings list for future visits.
And it's got two separate and distinct gents toilets. Two – I counted them. How posh is that?
On 26th February 2009
- rating: 7
[User has posted 155 recommendations about 154 pubs]