Black Horse

Back in May 2024 we decided after seeing advertised to book rooms and the New Years Eve dinner for 6 adults and four children, we were all very much looking forward to doing something different at New Year with the kids, but it wasn’t to be, we had had comms with one of the directors Emma about what the kids could eat at the dinner as obviously they would t be eating an expensive tasting menu, so that was decided and all good, until a week before the actual event and we got an email not from Johnnie or Emma but from another staff member ti say that they had had a staff meeting about the NYE party and the team including the Head chef had decided that they would not be able to cater for the children! So we said we had discussed this before with Emma and she had sorted out the food choices and it had already been agreed, we then had the response that it wasn’t up to Emma a director and she shouldn’t have promised us anything! So you can imagine a week before NYE and we were being told this! They also said they could feed the kids at 6pm but then the kids had to stay in their rooms for two hours whilst the main dinner was being served that they didn’t want the kids in the restaurant at anytime during the meal , so we had two 12 year olds and a 10year old and a 9year old , so we asked who would take responsibility for the kids if they were in their rooms whilst we were eating , the response was that the rooms could be locked and they would be safe!! That most of the staff had skeleton keys! That to me is not safe if people we don’t know had keys to enter our kids rooms!! We asked if they had insurance for the kids to be there with no adults Incase of a fire etc, we wanted it in writing to make sure but nothing was sent to us to reassure us, so we thought ok if we can’t have dinner together and we weren’t happy about the kids being on there own all that time we said can we all eat in the bar and hour earlier , that was a flat refusal, so by this point we had had enough our plans were ruined we couldn’t find any where else at such late notice so we cancelled our rooms which we got the deposit back for but didn’t get the £100 deposit back for the table of ten people For

We've eaten here before a few times and never had an issue, we live nearby. Today's new year day "treat" was awful. Despite the restaurant area being relatively quiet we had to ask twice to order our food and drinks. Only to be told that there was a further 20 minute wait on all orders to the kitchen and that we would have to wait to order our food. After we did finally order, the food arrived 1.5 hours after us being seated. Totally unacceptable. To make matters worse, the food was quite possibly the most salty we've eaten, ever, and the small amount that wasn't salty was completely the other end of the scale being bland and tasteless and dry. Not one to moan usually, but we did make the staff aware of these issues prior to asking for the bill.

Choose another pub, the barman Scot WAverley Black Horseas very rude and the drinks are London prices. Would not go back there.

We had lunch which was good in a nice setting but stayed overnight and had breakfast. Unfortunately the room was cold and noisy due to it being situated above a beer cellar. The cooked breakfast was very average which took over 30 minutes to arrive and some elements were cold when should have been served hot and some undercooked.

My recent visit to The Black Horse in Amberley was underwhelming. Despite having reserved a table in the garden, upon arrival, we were informed that no outdoor tables were available and were quickly seated inside the pub. The service was notably slow from the beginning. We found ourselves having to request for our drinks and food orders to be taken, only to be met with a dismissive "I’m here now" from the staff. This set a negative tone for the remainder of our visit. The staff seemed bothered by our presence, interrupting our conversation abruptly and at inopportune times, showing little interest in providing a pleasant dining experience. The most glaring issue was the excessive wait for our food, which took over an hour and a half to be served, a delay that was simply unacceptable. Although the food was satisfactory, it did not justify the lengthy wait or the expense. Dining out is expected to be enjoyable, yet my experience at The Black Horse was anything but. This appears to be a recurring issue, as friends have also mentioned experiencing slow service. With these persistent problems, I cannot endorse The Black Horse, Amberley, and do not plan to return after such a letdown.

We stayed here for 2 nights whilst walking the South Downs way , as it is midway and we were taking a day off walking . The whole experience was absolutely lovely . Our room was a good size and the bed enormous and comfy along with tea/coffee making tray , access to fresh milk, and bottles of water. All the staff were friendly and professional , Josh in the bar and G , Harriet and everyone serving or cooking , in the restaurant, we could not fault them . We ate dinner in the restaurant both nights , the food is delicious , the ‘ special’ of Dover sole on Saturday night cooked to perfection . Breakfast too was well cooked and plentiful together with a nice continental selection. If we are near Amberley again and looking for somewhere to eat or stay we would not hesitate to return . *** My husband adds …the beer is good too!*****