Cat Inn

We stopped off at The Cat Inn on our way back to London after a long weekend camping at Wineham. B had consulted her well-worn copy of the Sawday pub guide and this came up as the best sounding choice for a bit of lunch on our route home.

West Hoathly is a charming little village and well worth a wander round. Situated in lovely walking country The Cat is obviously a big draw for walkers, tourists and locals. When we arrived on the bank holiday Monday at around 12.30 the place was already heaving and the dining room at the back was already pretty near full.

The punters in the dining room looked a bit stuffy and the room lacked much atmosphere but we managed to find a nice table in the much more appealing front bar area. This area quickly filled up as we had a pint while we looked at the menu. The beer on the hand pump was nothing out of the ordinary but my Hophead was well kept and crystal clear.

The menu is small, a good thing, and offers something for most tastes. It’s a bit on the pricey side but I guess that just reflects the location and the punters this pub is trying, very successfully, to attract. After a bit of debate I went for the steak, mushroom and ale pie which came topped with a separate piece of puff pastry, some greens and a few chips. It was pretty tasty; the beef had been slow cooked and was just the right side of falling apart. B had the flower marie (cheese) and wild garlic tart which came with new potatoes and some salad. Again this was pretty decent and we both agreed this was a fine way to end our mini break.

The no children inside policy was, from our perspective, very welcome; making this a very relaxing and peaceful lunch.

Lunch over we took our drinks outside to a comfy bench in the sun, facing the very striking village church, to catch a few rays before the drive back to London. Happy days …….

Three weeks ago i stayed in the Cat Inn for the weekend, and had a truely fantastic stay. The rooms are amazing, and the dining area is spectacular. I love visiting the country side and the Cat Inn shows everyone exactly the reason why. Will definatly stay here again!!!!

Very much enjoyed the Cat Inn. Great pub food and drink (from appetizer and wine to dessert and espresso) and great pub service.

Nice village pub. The map was showing it as in East Grinstead, when in actual fact its in West Hoathly, which qype doesn’t seem to know exists.

The food looked good here, although we just stopped for a beer. They serve Harvey’s which is always a good start. They also had tortilla chips and tasty salsa on the bar for nibbling at which is a nice touch. There is an open fire and quite a few little areas to sit down in for a quiet chat.