White Hart Netherfield — Restaurant in Rother

My only experience of this establishment was to be told that I couldn't eat in the main dining part of the pub because I had my dog with me. This is a pub in the country, apparently owned by farmers. I was shown to a small area devoid of atmosphere, or the view that we had additionally come to enjoy while eating; it was too cold to eat outside. The main interior dining area has a very light coloured carpet and was virtually empty. There was another family eating in the tiny bar with their dog and while my wife and I decided what to do, another disappointed couple were shown to an area by the rear door (also with dog), my point being that we were obviously not the first people to experience a bad idea executed badly. Their website is far from clear: If booking the restaurant, please let us know if you intend to bring a dog(s) as we have specific dog friendly seating. Whilst I hadn’t actually noticed this when booking online, after we had left, it read like there is seating in the dining area where they prefer dog owners to sit. It doesn't say they take the diner to a small bar at the front of the pub, through a door, separate from the rest of the establishment. In my experience if you are dining away from the staff, there is no service, unless they happen to remember. Nor do I don’t find it relaxing to sit in a small bar full of dogs, whilst trying to eat lunch, we left. This is the only pub I have been to near Battle, Hastings, Rye & St.Leonards that is snotty about dogs, treating dog owners like second class citizens. I have always found pubs in the countryside had a tolerant attitude to dogs, but there is always one...I won't be rushing back. Lastly, carpet in a public dining room and very pale carpet at that; if they used a designer, maybe it was their first job out of...

Two day ago my wife and I went to the White Hart in Netherfield. And what a disaster it was. We got there at about 2.40pm it was empty apart from one couple who left soon after we arrived. I ordered one pint oh Harvey’s, a large glass of Sauvignon blank and two ramekin of peanuts. It came to £25.80 Somewhat surprised of the amount charged I said, in light hearted manner, I'm not surprised the Pub is empty. Anyway we sat down and my wife and I discussed the amount we paid. Not loud not in a derogatory manner, just a quiet conversation with my wife. We are local and normally we pay about £15 to £17 for the same. Unbeknown to us, the bar man was eavesdropping on us. A few minutes later he suddenly appeared in front of us, accusing us slugging off the Pub. Ripping the pint from my lips and the glass of wine from my wife, throwing £25 on the table and asking us to leave. First of all this was a private conversation with the barman eavesdropping on us with nobody else nearby. In fact the Pub was empty. I have lived in the area on and off for some 40 years and I will make sure that every Pub and everyone else knows about this...

Staff & food - very good , no complaints. But had Xmas meal for 8 & plenty of leftovers (especially as 1 person paid, but didn’t come as ill) which we wanted to take home for our dogs. The pub markets itself on being v dog friendly & run by people of farming heritage which is one of the reasons we liked it, but apparently the chef forbids “doggy bags “ & to back this up the kitchen apparently doesn’t have any containers of any description for putting the leftovers in! Fortunately I had a suitable container in my truck so I was able to scrape the leftovers off the plates (in the restaurant rather than discreetly in the kitchen). The chef allegedly being worried that someone would take the food home & eat it themselves & then sue him doesn’t really sound like it would stand up in court! I also don’t like being lied to re “no containers in the kitchen at all!” I would have preferred “we just don’t want you to do it!” For the above reasons I don’t think I’ll be hurrying back which is a shame all round but a meal out should be an escape from some of the current everyday nonsense we all have to endure rather than...