The White Hart sits proudly in the next village along from where we live. Despite hearing great things about their food and living here for years I’d never had the chance to visit. So one rainy day during the school holidays I kitted the kids out for a bike ride and we pedalled our little legs up over there for a pub lunch. Over my years of parenting I’ve become more savvy in creating ‘days out’ that suit me as much as my children – bike ride, the promise of grub and miles of winding Sussex country lanes to explore. Everyone’s happy!
About The White Hart, Buxted
The White Hart is a traditional country pub and steak house who pride themselves in using local produce and offering customers a personalised service. The pub is located on the A272 and is a short walk from Buxted train station. There’s a large carpark, a pretty garden, a cosy bar area and bright conservatory at the rear.
Booking with OpenTable
OpenTable is a website and an App that allows you to book a table at a number of restaurants in your chosen area. As with other review sites Open Table offers the advantage of first hand customer feedback as well as details on cuisine, menus and opening times. It’s a great way to discover new eateries your local area or to get the lowdown on places your unfamiliar with when you’re away. The White Hart (as with many other restaurants) have a direct link to an OpenTable booking tool on their website which was able to confirm availability for the time we wanted. You then get all your booking details sent direct to your email address. Super easy and user friendly.
Our Food
Our little lunch party consisted of myself, my son (6) and my daughter (12). We each ordered a lunch menu main and a starter to share.
Starter – Pork Belly Bao Buns £8
I absolutely loved these gorgeous Bao Buns – they tasted every bit as good as they look. The Panko pork belly was tender enough to fall apart as I bit into them, with the Japanese mayo and chill garnish adding a zesty kick. I would definitely order these again. Yum.
Kids Menu Meal – Fillet Steak £15
The kids menu meal deal includes a drink, a main meal and a scoop of ice cream. The steak meals are more expensive at £15, other dishes such as pasta and burgers are priced at £10 for the deal. I think £15 is expensive but I understand that you get what you pay for and this steak was tender and easy to cut. The whole meal was devoured by my son in a matter of minutes.
Lunch Menu – Philly Cheese Steak Sub £12.50
This dish looks incredible. I was expecting good things as the pub has such a good reputation for steaks – sadly the cuts of meat I got were almost impossible to chew and very fatty. Such a shame. Of course, everything else was great – the tangy onions, the chunky chips but the dish itself was a disappointment. I shared this with staff at the end of my meal who were sympathetic and able to explain they’d had issues with that particular cut of meat. They removed the cost of this dish from the bill which I really appreciated.
Lunch Menu – Grilled Cheese Sarnie £12.50
My daughter is one of the fussiest eaters around, and she loved this! She had very few words in terms of feedback but she gave it a 7.5 out of 10 and said we must come back here again. For her that’s a rave review!
Desserts
The kids finished off their meal with a scoop of ice cream and a hot chocolate. I was so tempted by the dessert menu but was just too full to fit another course in – plus I still had to cycle home!
Service
The service we received was impeccable. We were warmly greeted as we arrived and made to feel very welcome (not always the case with kids). The two girls behind the bar regularly checked on our drinks, cleared our table and asked if there was anything else we needed. Yes, there was an issue with one of the meals but it was dealt with in a professional manner that I was happy with. Overall, we really enjoyed our experience at the White Hart and will certainly visit again.
