Queen’s Head at Icklesham – Hastings Battleaxe recommends

Just a quick note about this nice old pub, the Queen’s Head: the menu is extensive, the food is excellent, the beer is good, and the bars are comfortable.  
     The other morning we went to Rye and then called in at the Queen’s Head
for lunch.  I had sea bream and Philosopher had liver and bacon – both
excellent. I ended up ordering Greene King Abbot instead of the weaker IPA and
slept for the rest of the afternoon.
     We have been on several occasions for Sunday lunch with friends. It gets very full and you have to book

Queen’s Head, Icklesham

one of two sittings – it always surprises us that even when a mob of people all piles in at once the kitchen can still produce the food remarkably quickly. Battleaxe has less and less patience with places where you have to wait ages for your food.  There is no excuse for it.
     If you do have to book, don’t ask for a table right by the fire – it gets too hot.
     We have never yet managed to go on a hot day and sit outside – the view across to Rye is fantastic.
     One of my favourite things in the pub is the notice in the Ladies: ‘Bee swarms collected’.  How often do you suppose anyone would notice a bee swarm assembling on their apple tree, then casually drift out to the Queen’s Head, call into the Ladies and see the notice just when it was needed? Or perhaps you’d see the swarm outside your house, remember where you’d seen the notice, ring the pub and ask someone to pop into the Ladies and get the number for you?  Or perhaps….I dunno.

Bee swarms?

     I think my next big blogging task will be to produce a guide to pubs and restaurants in and near Hastings – the posts I did on best shops and garden centres were both massively popular. However, I think Battleaxe will need help with this task – she would be both alcoholic and obese after personally sampling every one. I started the research for best fish and chips back in the summer, but got fed up of eating them……
     Please, Hastingas, let me know your favourites. Preferably post here as a comment, or else on Facebook, Twitter or email.

View from the pub

6 Comments

  1. scrappyjacky
    January 10, 2014 / 5:42 pm

    I have to second your opinion on this pub….it's one of our favourites as well.Perhaps you should be starting a 'pub sampling' sub committee at the W.I.

  2. Stephanie Gaunt
    January 10, 2014 / 6:24 pm

    Good idea Jackie – any recommendations from you?

  3. glamgran62
    January 12, 2014 / 5:14 pm

    Agree about the above. The Ship at Winchelsea is very good at lunchtime and you can park. Haven't been there in the evening so can't comment on that . I always like Porters in the Old Town. Love the atmosphere and good place to meet friends. Food is good. For a special treat the Wild Mushroom at Westfield is excellentAngela

    • Stephanie Gaunt
      January 12, 2014 / 5:28 pm

      Thanks for that GlamGran!

  4. Rosemary
    January 14, 2014 / 10:11 am

    Dear Stephanie – thanks for introducing me to your blog. It will be interesting to find out more about Hastings and the surrounding area. I have stayed in Winchelsea which I love and have also visited Rye but I am not too familiar with the area. I shall have to make a note of that telephone number for bee swarm collections in case I need it!!!

  5. Stephanie Gaunt
    January 14, 2014 / 1:24 pm

    Nice to hear from you, Rosemary – I will enjoy reading about my old haunts in the Cotswolds

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