The Crown

‘Where to start,’ wondered one reporter, adding ‘it’s always a brilliant visit whether I’m perched at the bar reading a paper, sharing a meal, or working my way through the beer pumps’. Something about the Crown hits exactly the right spot. It’s not just a pub but a real community hub, ‘a place people want to return to again and again’. The Old Town location feels like a local’s secret, and the interior is very artistically scruffy but quirky – distressed wood tables, mismatched chairs, plank floors, local artists on the walls. Food is the main draw. The kitchen keeps things simple, looks to the locality for ingredients yet mixes up influences in a true 'modern pub menu' way. Everyone enjoys the beer-battered fish-finger sandwich with chips, but there’s also venison kofta with tzatziki and pumpkin-seed dukkah, as well as handmade tagliatelle with courgettes and Twineham Grange cheese. To drink, there are local cask ales and a short list of reasonably priced European wines – and you can pop in for coffee every day from 11am. A true asset.