The Ypres Castle Inn, Pub and Restaurant, Rye, East Sussex
The Ypres Castle Inn, Pub and Restaurant, Rye, East Sussex is one of my favourite pubs in Rye. A 17th Century pub with a gorgeous beer garden in the ancient town of Rye, this pub has always been the apple of my eye when i’m in town and tend to visit it often.
With local producers on the taps (and at the bar), this pub puts its producers at the forefront of what they do since the new manager took the helm a few months ago. Popular with locals and tourists, their beautiful garden sits on the steps beneath the ramparts of the castle tower at the south east corner of Rye’s citadel with a gorgeous garden overlooking the marsh and rivers.
The pub gets its name, Ypres Castle, from the Ypres Tower which is part of Rye Castle. As one of the cinque ports towns, Rye was given privileges in exchange for its support, and the defensive structure of Ypres Tower provided this support, so it felt fitting to name the pub after the tower. Names aside, the food and drink at The Ypres Castle Inn is exceptional. With well kept, locally sourced ales, ciders, wines and gins, there’s plenty of quality behind the bar, on the taps… and on the top shelf.
The Ypres Castle Inn puts its producers at the forefront of what they do, which is evident throughout the pub and restaurant. I have had the pleasure of meeting producers at the bar while walking me through their drinks, enjoyed perfectly executed British pub classics, and have also had some chilled wine nights when i’ve been here before, all great in their own right. The Ypres Castle Inn showcases a variety of local producers from Tenterten, Appledore and Romney Marsh, including wines from Chaple Down, ales from Old Dairy and ciders from Nightingale, there’s quality across the board, whatever your tipple is!
On one of my last visits to The Ypres Castle Inn, I had the pleasure of meeting Sam Nightingale himself. A third generation of farmers at the former Yew Tree Orchard, Sam kindly walked me through his own ciders, with the well informed manager serving behind the bar getting just as excited as I regarding the quality of the drinks they had on at the time. My favourite was a blush cider from Nightingale Cider Co, but they also have a rare perry on draft, which I tried on my last visit. Whatever you tipple, rest assured, you will always fine a well kept drop at The Ypres Castle Inn!
The pub’s low beamed interior and open log fire create a warm, welcoming environment for the winter months and boasts a lovely, well kept garden in the summer. I always have found this pub inviting, providing a place to hide away, in the sleepy ancient town of Rye in East Sussex… with a secret(ish) garden too!
A charming building, steeped in history, The Ypres Castle Inn offers a fantastic selection of ales and ciders, with the focus on local cask ales from Sussex and Kent and a variety of craft keg beers from around the UK. Both if their regular draught lagers are from independent German breweries, namely Oechsner Vier from a small town in Bavaria and Rothaus Pils from the Black Forest. With great food available and a charming dining area, the chef combines brilliantly executed pub classics with a number of alternative dishes too.
The pub is open from noon until late and the kitchen is open from 12pm to 3pm (Monday to Friday) and 6pm til 9pm Monday to Friday. The kitchen is also open throughout the day at weekends. Reservations with instant confirmation can be made here. Please note that you’ll be seated inside the pub as tables in the beer garden can’t be reserved.
Why not pop in for a drink and a bite, or head over to their website for more information.
