Rye Waterworks Micropub — Restaurant in Rother

The Waterworks is a relatively new micropub in the picturesque medieval "model" town of Rye - the first in all of East Sussex. Housed in a historic building (as suggested by its name), it is a cute and charming place full of good beers - and the best intentions. I spoke to the son's owner when visiting in August 2018, about the long gestation period that lead to turning an antique shop into a micropub (slash, antique shop - you can still buy furniture there), the administrative problems - e.g., they won't get a license for brewing their own beer at present. Chalk boards identify the beers that are currently available. They were all real ales at the time of my visit, and of course they're rotating. The emphasis is very firmly on locally brewed ales, from small brewers within a radius of a few miles of Rye. Thanks to a train cancellation my visit lasted longer than expected, so I could try quite a few beers. All of them were fresh and well-kept, which did not surprise me in any way. The prices are also very moderate, consumer-friendly. The rustic décor and the old building add a lot to the charm of this pub, and I only wish them the best in their endeavours.

Rye as a town is certainly worth a visit (I've been there 4 times now over a period of 34 years), it's a must-see for many tourist groups in search of historic England. Incidentally, a group of Austrian bus tourists dropped in when I was there; their guide wanted to show them what real English beer tastes like (as opposed to the mass-produced lagers offered at the more conventional free houses). It turned out to be an acquired taste for most of them, as there's certainly a learning...

While visiting friends in East Grinstead I was taken for a day out to Rye. We visited The Water Works Micropub on the junction of Tower Street and Rope Walk. I have to admit that this was the most fascinating micropub I have ever been to. Not massively big inside but building has an interesting history. In 1620 it was a Horse Powered Waterhouse, 1907 a Soup Kitchen, 1976 a Public Toilet and in 2018 became a Micopub. It also is a bit of an Antique Shop as nearly everything inside is for sale. The table we sat at was for sale for £45 and one of the chairs £15. There are a few tabkes outside as well. Importantly it had an excellent choice of beer straight from the barrel, cider etc. They also served locally produced Pork Pies and Scotch Eggs for £4.00 each plus a selection of cobs. Much to my amusement the toilet chain in the gents was a beer hand pull with Doombar on it. Brilliant. The staff and owners were very friendly and chatty. Would love to go back but would definitely...

Rye's only micropub, and there is no doubt it is popular. A very eclectic interior where seemingly everything is for sale (pictures, furniture you sit on, etc.) and the staff are friendly enough.

I'm sure if you have limited experience of micropubs and small local craft breweries then this place will seem like a beer drinker's heaven. I come from a part of the UK where there are more than ten pubs within a five mile radius that serve superb, interesting and cutting edge cask and craft beer, and I found the offering here quite underwhelming -plenty of brown beers that were all very similar, and not a Citra hop in sight. There are 71 breweries in Sussex alone producing beer right now - how about a bit of a wider choice?

I can only speak as I find, and at the end of the day I go to a pub for the beer. The selection at the Rye Waterworks just doesn't...