The Cat Inn

1 review just now New Shame I can’t give a ZERO star rating!! We have never complained about the food as we were regulars at The Cat..however a few months back we had some food and it wasn’t good at all! We didn’t say anything as we went there regularly and knew the staff well. After at least 6 months we decided to give it ago again and was hoping for a good lunch…this time but it was even worse, it was so bland and no flavour whatsoever. When we complained to the Manager Andrew, he was so rude and disrespectful to us he then put his hand on my husbands arm and said “look” my husband didn’t give him a chance to speak after grabbing his arm and said to him don’t touch me! my husband then offered to pay for some of the meal and certainly for the drinks but Andrew basically told us to leave. Sadly I do not feel this is a Michelin rated pub as it was supposed to have been some years ago and I honestly feel that this pub is very overrated for the service and their quality of food, and you can get a lot better for a lot cheaper in the other local pub just a few steps away around the corner as well as the other amazing pub and food in Turners Hill Which is where we have been eating regularly over the last year or two. This pub is on a seriously downward spiral and it is time for the owner to give it up and as you can clearly see on other peoples one star reviews about this place and Andrews awful attitude in his response to his customers if there is a complaint. Andrew does not have any customer service or people skills whatsoever and for such a lovely pub in a lovely area, this really needs to be taken over now by a proper landlord that will serve consistently good food and serve a much better service and also better caring employees. As far as we are concerned we feel Andrew is so behind times and old-fashioned with his menu service and times have moved on and yet the menu is still pretty much the same as it has been for the last seven years, whereas other pubs we go to in the local area who do much more different food on regular intervals and they give a much nicer service & experience. In fact the chicken had so much almost boiled fat on the skin that my husband actually spat it out and threw it in the bush for the birds !!! So Andrew if you want to see how awful your food was then I suggest you take a Quick look on your CCTV at my husband doing this!! And it was supposed to be nice crispy skinned chicken. I have now started to make a formal complaint to Michelin about this restaurant.

Thank you so much for helping to arrange a surprise birthday dinner and stay for my partner. Andrew is a fabulous host and his team are so welcoming. Everyone in our party commented on the amazing service and fabulous food which is becoming rare to find nowadays. We stayed in room 3 with a beautiful view of the church. A compact room but very comfortable. Every little detail had been thought of. Thank you to all of the team for making our stay and evening special. We will be back again!

What a wonderful stay at The Cat. We were warmly met and showed to our room which was beautiful. Sweet little touches such as apples from the garden. Dinner in the evening was nothing short of delicious. The staff were knowledgeable and gave recommendations of dishes which didn’t disappoint. The whole pub feels like a big warm hug the minute you step inside. We can’t wait to return.

We came to the Car Inn for the first time with my partner and mother in-law for a Sunday meal. Food was absolutely beautiful, stunning flavours and great portion sizes. I had the Lamb scotch egg, just wow!! Cooked to perfection and tasted out of this world. My partner had the chicken terrine which was full of flavour and my mother in law had the muscles which again were so full of flavour and big portion sizes. We followed with a roast, port and beef and it was cooked to perfection. 10/10 for everything even the service we had was just fab and everyone was so kind and friendly. Nice cold white, sitting in the garden on a beautiful day with our little pooch who also was given treats by a lovely waitress. Can't wait to come back again, huge compliments to the chefs in the kitchen and all front of house staff. Lovely afternoon well spent.

Lovely pub, nice food, the two members of staff that served us were great. However after finishing our food and not wanting dessert, the bill was promptly given to us, followed very quickly by the card machine. We'd planned to stay for a few more drinks but ended up leaving after paying- we didn't feel super welcome after that. Such a shame!

We have been for a dinner and the place is lovely. The Garden is great and we had good weather. Staffs are so helpful, nice and funny as well. Food is gorgeous, unfortunately I did not do photos. I advise to try the goat cheese with pistachios. Definitely recommend the place!

My first visit but can't wait to return! We came for a birthday dinner and received a lovely welcome. The staff have the perfect balance between friendly but efficient & professional. We enjoyed a number of different dishes which were all delicious. Compared to so many chain pubs that serve pre-prepared frozen food this was an absolute breath of wonderful fresh air. Maybe a little more expensive than the norm but great value for money and worth every penny..... We'll be back and will certainly think about booking a room next time!

One of our friend found this place on the map. So, we decided to there for dinner. It's a very quiet area. The car park is provided behind it. There are a few options for starter, main and desserts. We don't drink alcohol at all, so I can't give you information about it. The starter what my other half pocked it was goat cheese with pistachio and beetroot. I tasted it and immediately order one for myself. It was beautiful balanced taste. I had duck breast, while the other chosen the steak. We were sitting outside. Some people brought their dogs. Reasonable price, good quality , clean and tidy. Friendly waitresses, awesome location.

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 .

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.

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!!!!