Jolly Sportsman

Tucked down a one-way lane amid the South Downs, this former Victorian alehouse is owned by seasoned restaurateur Bruce Wass who has an intelligent grasp of what people want to eat – smoked haddock fishcake with poached egg hollandaise, perhaps, or pheasant salad with pears & pecans, followed by 28-day aged rib-eye with hand-cut chips or cod fillet with coconut curry sauce, basmati rice & mangetout bhaji. Ingredients are sourced with unusual care, & desserts are well worth saving room for – apricot, walnut, ginger & toffee pudding, say. Eat in the bar, restaurant, terrace or garden, explore the range of microbrewery beers, & don’t miss out on the 200-bin wine list. Although just 20 minutes from Brighton, this is a world away from the big-beach bustle.