The Crown

The Crown is a small independent freehouse at the foot of All Saints Street, a stone's throw from the beach and at the bottom of the East Hill and the country park. There has been a pub here since the 18th century; the present licensees, Tess and Andrew Swan, reopened it in July 2014, and four years later it was named the Observer Food Monthly's Best Place to Drink.

It is cosy, colourful and arty. The furniture came from junk shops, friends made the tables, a local blacksmith made the bar stools, and the sign is a sculpture by local artists. The walls are given over to exhibitions by local artists, with a waiting list that runs for years, and the snug is used for community events: storytelling, crafts, even haircuts.

The cooking is seasonal and made from scratch, from ingredients grown and landed in Sussex and Kent, with local fish, spider crab and mackerel among them. Exotic imports are left off the menu altogether, and the bread is sourdough baked in the pub. Small plates such as crispy pickled whelks sit alongside proper meals, and the kitchen is open from 12 to 4 and 5 to 9.

The bar leans local too: ales and ciders from small Sussex and Kent makers, craft keg, and gin and whisky from local distilleries. It is family friendly and dog friendly, busy with locals, food lovers and visitors alike, and because it is not a big pub it fills up fast. Through the year it runs workshops, music nights and an autumn cider festival.