The World's End Patching — Restaurant in Arun

Review of The World's End, Patching – 5/5 Experience

Nestled in the picturesque village of Patching, The World’s End is an idyllic countryside pub that more than lives up to its name. With its charming exterior, warm interior, and welcoming staff, it offers a quintessentially English pub experience that’s hard to beat. I recently had the pleasure of dining here, and overall, it was a delightful visit that I would recommend to anyone passing through or looking for a cozy spot with plenty of character.

Atmosphere – 5/5

The atmosphere is undoubtedly where The World’s End shines brightest. From the moment you arrive, you’re greeted by the inviting façade of this classic country pub, complete with climbing ivy and rustic brickwork. Step inside, and you're wrapped in a sense of timeless charm—wooden beams overhead, a roaring fireplace (when in season), and a mix of antique furnishings that give the place real soul. The pub is spacious without feeling cavernous, and the layout encourages both intimate dining and relaxed group get-togethers. There’s a clear attention to detail that elevates the entire setting, from the vintage décor to the ambient lighting that makes you want to settle in and stay a while. Whether you're looking for a lazy Sunday lunch or a cozy evening out, the atmosphere here is flawless.

Food – 4/5

The menu at The World’s End offers a tempting range of pub classics with a touch of refinement. I went for the fish and chips, one of the staple dishes I always use to measure a pub’s kitchen. Presentation was excellent, with a golden, crispy battered fillet perched atop a generous portion of chunky chips, served with mushy peas and tartar sauce. The flavor was there—fresh fish, perfectly seasoned batter—but the texture of the fish leaned slightly too far on the crispy side. While some might enjoy that extra crunch, it did slightly dry out the fish and detracted from the overall dish. That said, the chips were excellent, crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside, and the peas and sauce were well-balanced. Other dishes spotted at nearby tables looked equally appealing, and I’d certainly be eager to try more on a return visit.

Service – 5/5

Service at The World’s End was impeccable from start to finish. The staff were friendly, attentive without being intrusive, and genuinely seemed to care about the customer experience. Our server struck the perfect balance of being professional yet personable, and we were never left waiting too long for drinks, food, or the bill. It’s always a pleasure to be looked after by a team that clearly enjoys their work and takes pride in maintaining high standards.

Overall

With its unbeatable atmosphere, solid menu, and excellent service, The World’s End in Patching delivers a near-perfect pub experience. While the fish in the fish and chips could use a slight adjustment to avoid over-crispiness, everything else—from the setting to the staff—makes it a destination worth revisiting. I’ll definitely be back. P.S.- sugar cubes are nice

Rating: 4.5/5 –...

Staff friendly enough but the quality of the food was at best, not great. We had some "nibbles" which were ok although the hummus was watery and pretty tasteless. I wonder if the chef spooned the decorative loose chickpeas from a tin without straining them beforehand leaving a small puddle over the surface of the dish. For mains we had two flat iron steaks which were the highlight of the meal. We both ordered these with the mustard and tarragon butter. The butter was solid when it arrived at the table. We would have had to wait some time for that to melt which meant that the flavours we'd chosen were not at all present in the meal. The steaks were cooked ok but why was mine scored with a blade in criss cross patterns over the underside? Random. The Frites were also Luke warm and not at all crispy as you might expect. My daughter ordered the fish and chips which again was ok although the cod was overcooked, i.e. it wasn't flaky and bounced when removed from the batter and dropped from a couple of inches. My son ordered the sea bass which was slightly more expensive and quite frankly it was a total disappointment. The bass was way overcooked, almost tasted like it had been in a deep fat fryer. It had an indistinguishable sauce over it and was served on top of the stodgiest risotto (?) I have ever seen. Really bad bit of cooking. In fact....pretty unbelievable. Anyway, having appeased the kids by all sharing the best bits of each dish we decided not to part with any more cash. I feel somewhat guilty about not leaving a tip but I felt slightly rinsed already. I know it's pub food but £18.50 was what the bass dish cost and genuinely if I'd seen it before ordering I would absolutely not have ordered it. I like supporting local businesses but until someone works there that is able to look at, and taste food before serving it, I won't be returning. This, on a Saturday night. Bonkers. The restaurant was busy which means that thousands of pounds will have been spent tonight on really sub-par food. Maybe some people like it (somehow I'm sure we won't be the only disappointed covers tonight) but honestly, it's not worth the money. I didn't want to embarrass the kids by complaining. In future, we will try to find something that displays a little more care and attention in it's delivery. If I built a wall as badly as the food was prepared tonight, I guarantee the building would collapse. Seriously - the prices do not reflect the quality. I would avoid for now. Perhaps when a new kitchen crew are brought in we might return. Shame because it's a great building with huge potential. If you're reading this as someone who visits this place more frequently and you disagree with what I'm saying, you clearly either don't value money or you have no sense of taste. Management, check the food before...

Never in our life have my friends, my wife, or I been made to feel so unwelcome by a waitress. Upon arrival we were shown to our table by a pleasant lady. We asked if it was OK to shut the adjacent door as it was cool. “Of course, no problem”. Then 2 minutes later along came the waitress who was about to ruin my friends birthday meal. From the very first word it was clear she was in a foul mood, and had the most miserable persona and poor attitude any of us had ever experienced in a restaurant. She was clearly not happy at being there and it showed. We ordered drinks which when mine arrived was wrong so I pointed out I had asked for a pint of lime/soda not a small one. She snatched it from the table, no apology, and took it away. The replacement was virtually thrown on the table. We all looked at each other. 10 mins later she came back and without a smile or any pleasantries, just a “what do you want?, and you, and you” etc took our order, again with a sour face, and an unpleasant demeanor. We all felt very uncomfortable and commented after she stormed off how unwelcome we felt. A few minutes later she came past and opened the door we had closed. After she had disappeared my wife got up and closed it. When she reappeared she saw the door closed and as she walked past us she muttered under her breath “for gods sake”, which we could clearly hear, at which point she slammed it shut. We were all absolutely gob smacked. We decided to leave as by this point we were all feeling uncomfortable, and I was fuming, so I went to the bar and I spoke to the friendly lady who had originally met us. I explained I wanted our drinks bill but did not intend staying for the food. I was asked why, and as I was in the middle of explaining, the rest of my party arrived, and shortly after she walked up and abruptly said “whats the problem?”. I said “you are” telling her I had never experienced anything like it. She then, aggressively, in front of what I believe was her boss, said “you had attitude towards me first”, so I asked her exactly how she came to that conclusion. She then said, and I quote, (now very aggressively) “ Of course the customer is always right aren’t they” after which she stormed off. The other lady, who was clearly very embarrassed, and was very apologetic and said we didn’t have to pay for the drinks so we left. It appeared that this was not the first complaint about her. Even writing this now I am struggling to comprehend what we had experienced, and why she would be in a customer facing service industry job as it is clear she would do nothing other than lose customers, as she did today, costing her employer a financial loss for the drinks and food that was wasted and...