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The Snowdrop Inn, Lewes
Lewes
BN7 2BU
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Snowdrop Inn
With the nearby Beak Brewery Taproom closed, we headed to the Snowdrop, which was my favourite pub in Lewes when I last visited this end of town back in the summer of 2016.
The pub has gone drastically downhill since then. 5 years ago there were 6 real ales and a real cider. On this visit, there was just Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter & Burning Sky Plateau, with no real cider. I opted for the Beak Parade from keg, which was an eyewatering £7.50 per pint.
The interior of the pub is still very nice, but not as popular as the last time I came. With a much reduced beer selection and exorbitant pricing, I can see why.
On 30th August 2021
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Snowdrop Inn
The building itself isn't anything particularly remarkable but the setting catches the eye with the pub backing on to white chalk cliffs.
Inside as noted before is quite quirky, a quality I quite enjoy in a pub, plenty of oddments on the walls and hanging from the ceiling, the bar front boldly painted would not look out of place on a narrow boat and indeed there were a couple of knitted dolls of Rosie and Jim sat on a nearby piano. Seven handpumps and beer line up much more up my street than the bulk of Harveys dominated Lewes,Five beers were on from Siren, Pig & Porter , Gun, Wild Beer and Burning Sky, the Aurora from the latter was a decent drop.Certainly a pub worthy of returning to.
On 19th July 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1871 recommendations about 1844 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Snowdrop Inn
I missed this one when I was in Lewes nearly five years ago, so when my cycling route to the South Downs youth hostel took me near enough to give me the excuse, I decided to call in. (Getting out of Lewes again was another matter.) I have to say I was not as impressed as I had hoped to be. Perhaps it was being there on a Monday afternoon, after what may have been a heavy weekend. Suffice to say there were only two ales and a cider on the row of handpumps (sorry, didn't count them), these being Harveys Sussex Best and Burning Sky Plateau. Having said that, the Sussex was in good condition though very expensive on my scale of reckoning: £2.15 for a half. Despite all this griping I thought this was a very nice pub that, if I lived in Lewes, would be frequently visited.
On 11th May 2019
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3734 recommendations about 3471 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Snowdrop Inn
Excellent traditional pub on a road now bypassed by the nearby Cuilfail Tunnel. Very characterful 'U'-shaped interior full of pictures, breweriana and diverse knick-knacks, and the sculpted metal creatures on the outside are worthy of note. Also has an upstairs room, accessed by a narrow spiral staircase (or ordinary steps at the back if you don't fancy the challenge). Features a small patio on one side, and a larger beer garden on the other. Decent selection from six of seven handpumps - including the seasonal Harvey's Bonfire Boy in addition to the inevitable Best - but I went for the Burning Sky Plateau (£3.80). Given its quirky nature, it comes as no surprise to find that it is home of the legendary South Street Bonfire Society.
On 13th November 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8089 recommendations about 8089 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about Snowdrop Inn
This is I suspect a former Watney's pub on the southern edge of Lewes that would have been a main road pub prior to the construction of the Cuilfail Tunnel thirty five years ago. It is impressively overlooked by the sheer chalk cliffs on the West side of Cliffe Hill, which as noted below provided the pub with its namee all those years ago.
Inside it's a poky little place with an Island bar and a couple of cramped staircases leading to an upstairs area which I didn't investigate. The whole place seemed to be covered in bric-a-brac. It was fairly busy on my visit but on a warm late September afternoon most folk were taking advantage of the patios on either side of the pub.
One side of the bar has seven hand pumps which had Burning Sky Plateau & Aurora, Harvey's Best, Fyne Avalanche, Downlands Root Thirteen, Gun Milk Stout and a cider. I went for the Burning Sky Aurora (£4.20) which was in excellent condition but a bit pricey.
I noticed that this place is a regular live music venue which may not suit everyone. I found it a bit cramped but the beer choice and quality was excellent.
On 1st October 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Snowdrop Inn
This is a welcoming and comfortable community pub on the edge of town in the shadow of the impressive chalk cliffs. The main bar is a single room with a central island servery which helps split the room up, creating various seating areas around it. There is woodblock flooring with lots of dark beams on the walls and ceiling. The seating is, for the most part, standard tables and chairs of varying sizes, making it ideal for those who want to eat, of which there were a great many on my early evening visit. All manner of pots, pans, kettles, tankards, birdcages and the like hang from the ceiling and fill the window sills whilst an upright piano can be found in the rear corner near a collection of children’s toys. There are bits of brewerania here and there, although it’s not an overriding theme, with numerous pump clips lining the servery. There is a second seating area upstairs which, given the popularity of the pub, presumably gets a lot of use. You can access this room via a tight spiral staircase near the front door or a more conventional staircase at the rear. It’s a square shaped, wooden floor room with lots of large rugs to help dampen the sound. A large map of Sussex, split into six separate frames, hangs on one wall, whilst bunting and ship’s rigging hangs from the beams. Customers who spotted the lizard sculpture outside the pub, which is made from old car hub caps, will recognize some more of these creations on the front wall. There’s a large grandfather clock on one wall, plus a dartboard, board games, book swap and a number of sewing machines in the window sills.
The ale selection is a big draw and I found six ales with two from Harvey’s (Best and Bonfire Boy), two from Dark Star (Hophead and APA) and two guests (Hammerpot Bottlewreck Porter and Oxfordshire Marshmallow). The APA was in great shape and went down very easily. The keg range was pretty good too offering the likes of Brooklyn Lager and Delirium Tremens among others. A real cider was also available.
I thought this place had a really nice feel to it with the good food, beer and ambiance drawing a broad range of customers. It may be a little way out of town, but I would say it’s well worth making that bit of effort to seek out and is an essential addition to any serious crawl.
On 30th November 2012
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
paulof horsham left this review about Snowdrop Inn
Perennially popular pub a little out of the town centre. Microbrewery ales, usually including Sussex favourite Dark Star as well as interesting imports on tap (pretty sure I remember Brooklyn Lager & Budvar Black, but don't quote me on it). Food is good quality without veering into gastro pretensions. Staff are knowledgeable and up for a chat and recommendation on both beer and food.
Definitely worth the short trek down South Street (look out for the blackboard at the end of the street advising a 400 metre walk - that is pretty much the distance).
On 30th August 2012
- rating: 8
[User has posted 453 recommendations about 425 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Mark Davey left this review about Snowdrop Inn
The "steel crocodile" is actually plastic and made from several dozen old wheel trims from Vauxhalls, renaults and Rovers. This superb bit of artwork kind of sums up the pub. Quirky comes to mind, but the real gem is the beer choice. I would say that in my opinion, this is the best beer pub in Lewes and not a drop of Harveys in sight! Amongst the fizzy stuf was Dilirium Tremens, a brew that I have heard much about but never tried. We asked for a sample and the bar maid was only too happy to oblige. Excellent pub, well worth the short walk from the centre of town. Will call again
On 30th August 2012
- rating: 9
[User has posted 292 recommendations about 276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about Snowdrop Inn
Totally idiosyncratic local on edge of town. The earlier reviews sum it up, and it doesn't seem to have changed much. The pub fits in well with the rather bohemian (hippy in old money) feel of this end of town and is certainly different to anywhere else. Clientele would be described as 'cosmopolitan' in CAMRA-speak. Very pleasant though, and food and beer certainly up to scratch. This one IS worth a special trip to. Oh and I forgot to mention the steel crocodile...
On 19th July 2011
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about Snowdrop Inn
The Snowdrop Inn is located at the foot of the chalk cliffs in Lewes and apparently gets its name from an avalanche that occurred on 27th December 1836. This was caused by a week of very heavy snow and eight people were killed when the debris came crashing down upon the workmen’s cottages on what was Boulder Row and is now South Street. Long gone is the destruction as the Snowdrop stands between two large lawn beer gardens that are full of picnic tables. Inside the pub there is an island bar that is stocked with a couple of Meantime products and some other interesting keg beers. I counted seven hand pumps which were drawing some Harveys beers alongside a couple of Dark Star brews and a couple of guests that I had not heard of. The furniture is made up of wooden tables and benches and there are a few knickknacks on the walls. A rainbow painted cast iron spiral staircase leads upstairs, but I did not venture up there so I’m not sure what secrets it hides. There is live music most nights of the week and during my visit on Thursday evening there was some folk music being played on guitar and some sort of bagpipe shaped like a sheep. Food is served and there was a smell of fish throughout the pub, but I didn’t see anyone eating or spot any menus. There was a good mix of people here ranging from Sussex yokels to ramblers and the younger inhabitants of the area. The staff were also very friendly which created a very relaxed atmosphere. This pub is certainly worth the walk from the Station and I will return when possible.
Also, a big sign outside this pub indicates that this is the headquarters of the South Street Bonfire Society which is involved in organising the Lewes Bonfire night which is the largest in the country.
On 6th July 2011
- rating: 9
[User has posted 5233 recommendations about 5201 pubs]