Eastbourne
The Ship Inn

The Ship Inn

33-35 Meads Street, BN20 7RH, Eastbourne, United Kingdom

Pub • Sushi • Steak • Asiatic


"The Ship Inn is on Meads Street a relatively short walk from the sea front and the equally good Pilot Inn. However, unlike The Pilot, which is clearly a traditional pub set up albeit more run as a restaurant, the ambience here is totally different. If it’s not busy, your first reaction could be the same as ours that you had walked into a hotel lounge bar, as we initially came here on a quiet Tuesday evening when there was only one other couple in the central bar section and only a couple of tables utilised in the restaurant sections, and it certainly did feel like that. But then we came back to eat here on a Friday evening, and it was a totally different experience. You enter into the main bar section with its collection of bright blue padded seating on a green carpet that leads to the serving bar. Then behind partition walls on either side are the two dining room areas. Then beyond the right-hand section is a sizeable conservatory extension which leads to a decent patio beer garden beyond that. Three of the four pumps were in operation for our visits with Harvey’s Sussex Best and IPA plus Longman Long Blonde. I’d already had a pint of Sussex Best earlier in the day and had tried the Long Blonde in the previous pub, the Pilot Inn, so I went for the Harvey’s IPA. It was ok but not really to my taste. We had noticed the specials board by the bar and decided to go for a couple of deserts in the bar and they were good enough to influence us to return later in the week to eat here. On the return visit to eat I stuck to the Longman Long Blonde and it was as good as it was down the road in the Pilot. By this stage of our stay in Eastbourne we were a bit “chipped Out” so we went for the home made Lasagne which came with garlic bread. And both our dishes were very good. Add into that very good service levels from the lady working our table so I couldn’t find fault with this one. On the Friday evening, with every inside section full to capacity this pub had a nice vibe about it"

Toby Carvery

Toby Carvery

Willingdon Drove, Eastbourne, United Kingdom

Meat • Coffee • Drinks • Ice Cream


"On January I booked myself and my family of adults with a baby girl and newborn baby for a celebration dinner together to celebrate birth of new baby and my son’s graduation for the January. I phoned up and asked if we...could be put together or next to each other and got told ‘we can’t guarantee anything’ by Phil the manager and Karla. I was polite when I asked and explained it was a family celebration but no empathy from either members of management. When we all turned up on time I was told by both Phil and Karla that they had split our family and put us all in opposite ends of the pub as far apart as they could place us! In fact so far apart we were in different buildings! I immediately said to Phil ‘why would you do that ?’ I was devastated, we all were, I tried talking to Phil to help and move us nearer to each other but he refused. He showed no empathy or understanding and was extremely arrogant and so was Karla who was actually was smiling! They didn’t care at all and made no attempt to move us or my family even when a table next to us was free! I said to Karla ‘we will never come back here’she just smiled ! They made my son unwelcome when he walked in with a pram and his newborn baby son moaning at him about the pram space also. A member of staff called Willow went up to another son and granddaughter of months old and told him she could not touch the lights on a fruit machine she was under age ! My son replied to her saying ‘Are you really being serious she is only months old ‘. She clearly was not gambling ! This member of staff I have concerns about as I work in the child sector with early years children myself and found her to be very child unfriendly! I am deeply concerned how my family and myself were treated by a team of unfriendly staff who seemed to go out of their way to be unpleasant. None of us stayed to have puddings and had to go back to my home to be together, after family members had travelled far. I ended up shopping in Tesco for cakes to take back home to my family. This was meant to be a family celebration of a newborn baby, and graduation which Phil the manager knew as I had told him over the phone and also said family members were travelling a long way, earlier that day before we arrived. I would describe the Toby Carvery and these members of staff the most unfriendly restaurant for families to go to."