The Cove

Name: The Cove
Address: 53 Waites Ln, Hastings, East Sussex, United Kingdom, TN35 4AX
Telephone: 01424 814772
Price range: £25 and under
Rating: 4.7

4.7

78 Reviews

£25 and under

Pub

Make a booking

2 people

11 Mar 2025

19:00

Booked 2 times today

Neighbourhood gem
Dog-friendly
Charming

In sleepy Fairlight, on the edge of the Firehills, The Cove is an independently run freehouse serving locals, wanderers and gastronauts alike. Halfway between Hastings and Rye, The Cove is the perfect stop after a walk across the local beaches and coastal paths of East Sussex. We have a fire for the winter nights, a garden for summer days, and a friendly bar waiting to welcome you.

Originally a hotel, the building sat empty for several years until 2022, when the Cove was renovated, restored and reopened with a new lease of life. It has quickly gained a reputation for excellent, elevated pub food with local chef and restauranteur Nick Hales leading the kitchen.

In 2023 it was featured on The Times 50 Best Summer Pubs, and given a glowing review by Grace Dent in The Guardian Observer.

Dining areas

Additional information

Location
53 Waites Ln, Hastings, East Sussex TN35 4AX
Phone number
01424 814772
Price
£25 and under
Cuisines
Pub, British, Gastro Pub
Hours of Operation
Tue 17:00–23:00 Wed–Sat 12:00–23:00 Sun 12:00–21:00
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Private Lot
Payment Options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa

What 78 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7

4.7 based on recent ratings

4.6Food
4.8Service
4.7Ambience
4.4Value

Noise • Energetic

Loved For

East Sussex
Best Overall
East Sussex
Best Service
East Sussex
Best Ambience
East Sussex
Hot spot
East Sussex
Neighbourhood gem
East Sussex
Great for outdoor dining
East Sussex
Lively

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

The Cove offers a charming dining experience with "fabulous food and wonderful service." Diners praise its "lovely atmosphere," "friendly staff," and "delicious Sunday roasts." While some find it "a bit pricey," the overall experience is "great value for money." It's a "highly recommended" spot for both locals and visitors.

78 Reviews

R
Rozzy
London5 reviews
5.0
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The Cove never disappoints. The most delicious roast- and you must have the cauliflower cheese on the side. Service always with smiles, despite it being as busy as can be! Can't fault it.
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L
Lesley
London9 reviews
4.0
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Easy to book, friendly helpful staff on arrival. Nice atmosphere. The food was generally good but pricy. Not impressed with the pitiful scraps they called chips. We would go again, for the atmisphere and friendly staff.
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R
Rozzy
London5 reviews
5.0
Dined on 2 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Delicious roast, as always - the best in the area in my (humble) opinion! Great service, thanks all!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
London2 reviews
5.0
Dined on 27 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Lovely food, service was excellent and the restaurant it’s self had a lovely feel to it. It was also good to see it so busy on a weekday.
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L
Linda
London9 reviews
4.0
Dined on 22 February 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Welcoming environment, limited menu but enough choice for us. Food was well presented and tasty too.
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OT
OpenTable Diner VIP
London2 reviews
5.0
Dined on 16 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Absolutely charming place to stop for lunch whilst walking a bit of coastal path. Perfect sirloin of beef with a glass of Pinot noir. Thank you guys.
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A
Axel
East Sussex1 review
5.0
Dined on 14 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Im a war vet with ptsd, I called to get a quiet table etc. The help was there, service and provisions excellent! We sat upstairs, quiet, lovely and Phoebe our waitress was attentive, helpful and kind. The food was as awesome as the reviews I'd made my decision on. Had the steak to share, oysters and cheese. Not cheap, but you get what you pay for so I can't complain. Steak served already sliced ! Maybe that's standard or thoughtful because I'm a left arm amputee. Ill be returning, go! You'll love it.
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R
Rosie
London1 review
5.0
Dined on 26 January 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Always brilliant. Delicious food, reasonably priced and fantastic service.
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D
Debby
Kent1 review
5.0
Dined on 19 January 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We love the cove and the food and service was spot on as usual. Slightly noisy on this occasion and had to repeat ourselves a few times to be heard which was a little bit annoying but I guess to be expected sometimes
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J
Jan
London1 review
5.0
Dined on 12 January 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great food, excellent service and value for money.
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FAQs

The Cove is rated 4.7 stars by 78 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people

11 Mar 2025

19:00

Booked 2 times today

53 Waites Ln, Hastings, East Sussex TN35 4AX

Dining areas

Additional information

Phone number
01424 814772
Price
£25 and under
Cuisines
Pub, British, Gastro Pub
Hours of Operation
Tue 17:00–23:00 Wed–Sat 12:00–23:00 Sun 12:00–21:00
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Private Lot
Payment Options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa

The Cove

Make a booking

Dining areas

Additional information

Menu

What 78 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is The Cove restaurant rated?

Is The Cove currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Dining areas

Additional information