The Ypres Castle Inn has made it into the Telegraph’s Best Pubs in the UK 2026 list.
The guide contains entries for 500 pubs in England and 150 from the rest of the UK, visited and reviewed by six experts.
The 17th century weatherboarded pub, tucked away down an alley between the Gun Garden and Rye Castle, is one of 10 East Sussex pubs listed. As well as the quality of their beer, the pubs are judged on their character and history, and the friendliness of the staff.
The landlord, Jeff Bell, is proud to be chosen to be in the guide. “The pubs that I love in Hastings, London, Suffolk and around the country are in the guide so I am really pleased to be included in the list.”
The Ypres serves independent English ales, Czech and German lagers, local cider, natural Italian wine and local gin. “I wrote about beer before I became a landlord,” said Jeff. “I find out about German and Czech beer from my travels and visit taprooms around the UK to see what they are doing.” The pub’s beer selection was praised by the Telegraph’s reviewer with the large beer garden overlooking the river Rother and the marsh highlighted.
Regulars and visitors love the pub for its welcoming and chilled atmosphere, good conversation and changing and interesting Sussex-brewed and international craft ales and ciders (the German Rothaus on tap is popular). It has a simple, homely interior, with walls hung with art for sale by local artists, large windows looking out over the town Salts, and an open log fire in winter. The pub’s sunny beer garden is one of the most popular places to drink outdoors in the summer.
Jeff always has time for a chat and has built a welcoming and friendly sense of community amongst regulars and visitors. “One of the reasons people enjoy the pub is that it is a place to come to relax, to contemplate, to ‘rest and be thankful’. It could have become just a tourist trap but here you can meet people and make friends.”
The pub is normally open four days a week from Thursday to Sunday but for all of August is open seven days a week, Monday to Thursday 12 to 8pm, Friday and Saturday 12 to 10pm and Sunday 12-8pm. From September it will be open Thursday, Friday and Saturday 12pm till 10pm, Sunday 12 pm till 8pm @yprescastleinn
Image Credits: Juliet Duff .