Nevill Crest And Gun

The Mark Cross Inn

➤ Mark Cross Crowborough, East Sussex TN6 3NP, Wealden, United Kingdom

Beer • Pizza • Steak • British

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"I typically avoid restaurants that are labeled as gastro, preferring pubs to be more traditional and restaurants to be separate entities. However, The Mark Cross Inn has merged the two, functioning more as a restaurant these days. Despite my initial reservations, I was pleasantly surprised by the tasty food and enjoyable dining experience I had with a group of 8. The service was friendly, the atmosphere was family-friendly and relaxed. Some of the dishes were served in a quirky manner, such as chips in small frying baskets, which I found charming but others in my party found unnecessary. Main dishes ranged from £10-£20, with options like steak burgers and battered cod being more budget-friendly. Overall, I had a lovely meal and would recommend The Mark Cross Inn for a casual lunch or family meal."

The Abergavenny Arms

➤ Frant Road Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN3 9DB, Wealden, United Kingdom

Pubs • Beer • Wine • Hotels

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"We used to frequent this pub often in the past, but heard that it had changed ownership, so we decided to meet our friends here. We were excited to catch up with friends we hadn't seen in a while. However, when we arrived, my husband inquired about their ale selection and was informed they only had Harveys with no other options. The server who brought our drinks had dirty fingernails, which was off-putting. When it came time to order food, one of our friends asked about a Christmas menu and was told it needed to be pre-ordered, as stated on their website. Despite our frequent visits in the past, we had not checked the website. The food was tasty, but the service was lacking. We had to request drinks and were not asked about our meals once they arrived. At 9:40, a lady approached us with the bill and informed us they were closing soon. When we asked for another drink, we were denied. My husband requested to remove the service charge, which caused some tension with the lady taking payment. She questioned why he wouldn't pay it, stating that everyone charges it, which we found rude. Overall, the poor service has discouraged us from returning or recommending the pub to others, despite the delicious food. It's disappointing, as we had hoped the new management would focus on attracting and retaining customers."

Abergavenny Arms Pub

➤ Frant Road, Wealden, United Kingdom

Pub • Fish • Meat • Steak

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"The Abergavenny Arms in Frant is a stone’s throw from Tunbridge wells, surrounded by stunning countryside scenery. The interior boasts classic country pub vibes, with cosy décor with an elegance brought by the natural lighting on a bright day. To start we had a Selection...of Homemade Breads with Cultured Butter and Marinated Olives. The breads were like an armadillo, with the ideal crusty outside but soft and fluffy on the inside. The cultured butter was heavenly, our particular favourite was the wild garlic butter which was a lovely green in colour and beautifully fragranced. The olives were some of the biggest we had ever seen and were deliciously marinaded. The starter of Roasted Scallops, Charred Cauliflower, Pickled Golden Raisins, curried Puree, Crispy Chicken Skin, which is a bit of a mouthful to say, was the incredible. The flavours worked together perfectly, the chicken skin was a personal highlight for the dish and tied the curry flavour of the puree together with the meaty monk fish cheeks. The Roasted 2 Bone Rack of English Lamb, with a Lamb Faggot, Braised Barley with Celeriac Puree Lamb Jus seemed a strange mix. To me, the dish seemed to have a lot of components that didn’t seem to work together. The lamb itself was delicious, it was succulent and tender, perfectly pink in the middle however, the lamb faggot was overpowering in a way that ‘trumped’ the rack. The braised barley was an interesting side, but perhaps would have been better paired with a lighter meat, such as chicken or even fish. The Abergavenny Arms serves quite possibly the best steak dish I’ve tried in a long time, and there has been many! The Roasted 40 Days Aged English Sirloin, Smoked Creamed Potato, Ox Cheek Croquette with Mushroom Puree Beef Jus is, in my opinion, worth every penny. Each component in this dish added to the overall feel of ‘fine dining’ with each part being just as important as the next. The steak itself was cooked to perfection, the medium rare meat was incredibly tender, and every bite melted in the mouth. The Ox Cheek Croquette is something that could be devoured on its own, with this dish, it really was the cherry on top! When you think of fine dining, you often think of tiny portions or that you’ll need at least 10 of each to feel full, but that is not the case here at all. We ordered a couple of sides with our mains, just in case! The Smoked Bacon and Leek Crumble was superb, it was creamy and flavourful and the crumble on top added a different texture, which was very welcome to the creaminess beneath. Overall, The Abergavenny Arms is a gorgeous country pub with a menu that compliments its charm. The staff are friendly, polite, and very conversational. You are made to feel very welcome here. We enquired about the origin of the produce, particularly the meat, and were assured that all of the meat is locally sourced, which adds to the sense of locality that the venue offers."

The Junction Inn

➤ Station Road, Groombridge I-TN3 9RB, United Kingdom

Pub • Fish • British • Malaysian

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"of 24 we kept the watch of my mother and cecilia and tony prepared us nice eating. a nice mix of sandwiches and really delicious Asian finger food that went very well with our guests. there was a lot of food and tony and cecilia also went out of the way to accentuate last-minute requests from our guests and to deal with special nutritional needs. we had the pleasure of having a nice, hot sunny day, and since the functional space emerges on a sunny lying surface and a large garden with tables and benches, it was perfect for us. the children's play equipment also went down very well with my two little children. it was all perfect for the occasion. many thanks to cecilia and tony. the best wishes, jeremy."

The Lazy Fox

➤ Tunbridge Wells Rd, Rotherfield, United Kingdom, Mark Cross United Kingdom

Fish • Meat • Pizza • Cheese

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"Lovely decor and warm atmosphere. Plenty of seating inside and out. Car park can get full quite quickly though and annoyingly, as with all the other elite pubs they never seem to change their menu. Anyhow, food and drink all very much enjoyed and service was quick and friendly. They are dog friendly too not a vast option for dairy free and gluten free needs. But they did say they can adapt dishes to meet requirements which is helpful . Price per person: £20–30"