The Royal Oak Inn
East Lavant, West Sussex
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'So good to have this pub back to its best!’ noted one visitor to this archetypal country hostelry not far from Goodwood. Picture the scene: a cute, whitewashed cottage located down winding Sussex lanes, with fine-paned sash windows, a slate roof, ‘the fires still lit’, standard-issue black beams, scuffed wooden furniture and stools at the bar. Nothing is over-dressed or manicured – and that applies to the menu of down-to-earth seasonal dishes cooked with generosity and a refreshing lack of flimflam. The pub’s signature Scotch eggs always go down well (especially the subtly spiced version with lamb merguez sausage and dollop of creamy feta ketchup), although readers have also praised the ‘divine’ crab scone with pickled kohlrabi. A recent inspection meal yielded some fine examples of ‘quality pub cooking at its best’, notably a braised short rib expertly glazed with BBQ sauce and served with crisp, crusty chips and some ‘really fresh’ coleslaw. There are dry-aged steaks too and fish specials from the South Coast boats (perhaps roast cod given a spin with ‘nduja, white beans and braised fennel). To finish? There’s ‘fried custard’ with poached rhubarb and stem-ginger ice cream, although readers also like the chocolate mousse with Earl Grey ice cream and boozy prunes. Superbly kept local ales vie with a well-priced, well-structured wine list featuring 20 by the glass.
