The Rainbow — Restaurant in Eastbourne

Considering its location, The Rainbow is far steeper priced on drinks than any other old town pub. However considering the broader location of Eastbourne I would say for top end dining the food prices are fair. For pub grub, which it is, the prices are high. You can't help but feel, that in food and drink prices, you're paying for the new renovation there. A renovation which doesn't serve function in keeping all outside diners warm. I was cold for my entire visit today.

The facts of my visit speak for themselves:

I arrived to my table at 1800 to a pub with all tables full under booking. We ordered some food and drink and during our order another waiter came to our table and told us the kitchen was closed and we may only order pizza from the outside pizza oven. At 1915 not one table had their food, the table beside me had been told an hour after their order that the kitchen was closed and only the outside pizza oven was able to cater to them. By 1930 people started to make jokes across tables about the service. When we finally got our food 3 of 4 pizzas were served to us and the 4th, which was only rembered after asking twice, came 35 minutes later. We pre payed for our food so walking out wasn't much of an option.

At £12 a pizza (and over £5 a pint) we expected something of reasonable standard somewhat resembleing a gourmet Italian pizza. What we got was a pre cooked soggy dough base, and I use the tearm cooked lightly. With a bitter under cooked tomato base topped with under cooked vegetables/meat and cheap imitation mozzarella for topping.

Drinks took on average between 15 and 20 minutes to reach our table.

I was disgusted with the lack of responsibility or even acknowledgement held by the pub for the shocking service, waiting times and quality of food received by everyone in the pub on my visit. Especially given the extortionate prices.

What a shame a local old town pub that used to hold a sense of community will soon be derelict and...

Wow. What a bloody disaster that was. Booked a table for my teams Xmas party and it was pure chaos. Poorly managed and what a shame. Though they sorted out a mistake on my end swiftly the rest was atrocious. Ordering drinks took way too long, lost tickets and pure confusion. The food was the worst I’ve had in a pub. Multiple dishes either missing items (stuffing, pigs), cold and steaks badly cooked. We had what we called ‘mystery meat’ on our plate because we genuinely couldn’t work out what it was. I felt like I was asking for the world and I even kept apologising but all I wanted was the absolute basics. The young lad serving ended up confusing us all by not knowing what he was serving. The deserts looked incredible and plating was perfect, to taste it was awful. We didn’t pay for our puddings and sent them back. Some cold some hot, the carrot cake we called curry cake because what on earth was that. The only reason I gave gratuity was down to the young lady (waitress) who was the sweetest. She deserves the full £28 tip I left. Everyone else needs rehiring immediately. I struggled to find anything right with tonight’s booking. I think the worst part is that my team are from a hospitality background and we’re therefore even more gracious because they understand the struggles. I told them this evening just how lucky I am to have them. Retrain your team and get more...

Came here with family after a few recommendations. It's a nice looking place with a good outdoor space and a little play area for kids. I remember coming here a bit when I lived in the area and it has smartened up a fair bit.

Service was ok if a little bit slow but the main problem was that the food was not very good at all.

Pizza bases are not made fresh, despite their claims (think 4-pack frozen mini pizza bases from the 80s/90s). The macaroni cheese was an unbaked gloopy congealed pasta mess which tasted literally of nothing. The buns for the burgers were the cheapest type of rubbish - that kind of white fluff that you buy in packs, lasts for 4 months but disintegrates when exposed to any type of temperature change. The Sirloin steaks, while cooked quite well, were just a bit unloved, sad and grey.

I have observed the worrying trend of pubs like this pushing the prices of main courses higher and higher towards £20 and beyond while seemingly not paying any attention to the quality of food. I was left thinking of all the really good places we could have spent that kind of money without having to experience this kind of...