East Sussex (outside Brighton & Hove, which has its own guide) turned up 18 genuinely confirmed dog-friendly pubs across nine towns, mostly via CAMRA’s own “Dog Friendly” tag. Cafés and restaurants are a harder gap, which we’re upfront about below.
Eastbourne
- The Crown, 22 Crown Street, Old Town, BN21 1PB
- The Pilot Inn, 89 Meads Street, Meads, BN20 7RW
- Seamoors, 8 The Waterfront, Sovereign Harbour, BN23 5UZ
- The Eagle, 57 South Street, BN21 4UT
Eastbourne’s own council-published dog-friendly guide names several more cafés and restaurants, with two useful nuances worth knowing: Bistro Pierre (King Edwards Parade) is terrace-only, and Skylark (52 Grove Road) is dog-friendly daytime only. These come from the tourism board rather than the venue itself or CAMRA, so treat them as a lead worth a call ahead rather than a fully confirmed listing.
Hastings
- Fountain on Queens, 93 Queens Road, TN34 1RL — dog biscuits available.
- The Cutter, 11-13 East Parade, Old Town, TN34 3AL
Lewes
- Lansdown Arms, 36 Lansdown Place, BN7 2JU
Rye
- Cinque Ports, 30 Cinque Ports Street, TN31 7AN
- Ypres Castle Inn, Gun Garden, TN31 7HH — reached only by steps, worth knowing for mobility.
Battle
- The Squirrel, North Trade Road, TN33 9LJ — dog friendly, but not in the restaurant area.
- The Bull Inn, 27 High Street, TN33 0EA
Bexhill-on-Sea
- The Harp, 35 Devonshire Road, TN40 1AH
- The Sportsman, 15 Sackville Road, TN39 3JD
Hailsham, Crowborough and Uckfield
- King’s Head, 146 South Road, Cacklebury, Hailsham, BN27 3NJ
- The Crown, 19 High Street, Hailsham, BN27 1AL
- Bricklayers Arms, Whitehill Road, Crowborough, TN6 1JA
- Blue Anchor, Beacon Road, Crowborough, TN6 1BB
- Highlands Inn, Eastbourne Road, Ridgewood, Uckfield, TN22 5SP
An honest gap: cafés and restaurants
Outside Eastbourne’s own tourism-board guide, we couldn’t verify a single standalone café or restaurant’s own stated dog policy anywhere in East Sussex. CAMRA doesn’t cover cafés, and most of what came up elsewhere was aggregator content we don’t treat as a standalone source. We’ve also left out the Brickmakers Arms in Uckfield, which CAMRA confirms is closed long term.
Most of these pubs give no detail on whether dogs are welcome inside, in the garden, or both — it’s worth a quick call ahead if that matters to you. A busy beer garden can be a lot for a dog who isn’t used to crowds, and a calming collar alongside a short lead can help take the edge off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there dog-friendly cafés in Eastbourne?
Eastbourne’s own council-published dog-friendly guide names a few, including Bistro Pierre (terrace only) and Skylark (daytime only), though we’d treat these as leads worth a call ahead rather than fully confirmed listings.
Is the Squirrel in Battle dog friendly?
Yes, but not in the restaurant area, per CAMRA’s own listing — a good one to check with staff when you arrive.
Is the Brickmakers Arms in Uckfield still open?
No, CAMRA’s own listing states it’s closed long term, so we’ve left it off this guide.
Written by Georgiana & Figo.
