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Dining room interior - The Royal, Saint Leonards-on-sea, East Sussex
Award-winning

The Royal

4.7
4.7
83 Reviews
£26 to £40
Gastro Pub

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 11 times today
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
  • Good for groups
The Royal is operated by James Hickson, who has a solid hospitality background having learned his trade at well-loved restaurants and gastropubs including St John, Great Queen Street, The Canton Arms and Moro. James is hands-on at the pub, overseeing the relaxed yet lively atmosphere, friendly service and sophisticated food and drink. The kitchen is led by head chef, Andrew Taylor-Gray, who has previously worked at Petersham Nurseries, Hix and The Canton Arms.

The Royal has been included in the Michelin Guide since February 2020 with Bib Gourmand status, which we have maintained ever since.

A welcoming gastropub for locals and visitors alike in St. Leonards-On-Sea and Hastings, low-key and down-to-earth, The Royal occupies an historic corner site right opposite St. Leonards Warrior Square station.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    £26 to £40
  • Cuisines
    Gastro Pub, British, Modern European
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Sat, Sun 12:00 pm–3:00 pm Bar Mon–Thu 3:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri 3:00 pm–11:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 5:45 pm–8:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:45 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
    01424 547797
  • Payment Options
    Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Andrew Taylor Gray
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2024
  • Neighbourhood
    St Leonards-On-Sea
  • Parking details
    None
  • Public transit
    Directly opposite St Leonards Warrior Square train station
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Outdoor Smoking Area, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 83 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
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.6Value

NoiseEnergetic

Loved For

  • East Sussex

    Best Service

  • East Sussex

    Best Ambience

  • East Sussex

    Best Value

  • East Sussex

    Good for business meals

  • East Sussex

    Neighbourhood gem

  • East Sussex

    Great for fine wines

  • East Sussex

    Lively

  • East Sussex

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Royal offers "outstanding food" and "impeccable service" with a "cosy and stylish" atmosphere. Known for its "interesting and beautifully cooked" menu, it features locally-sourced ingredients with British, French, and Italian influences. Guests praise the "fantastic value" and "friendly staff," making it a "great night out."

83 Reviews
  1. Annabelle

    West Sussex1 review

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great place and atmosphere. Superb food and service.

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  2. Richard

    London15 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Excellent friendly service. Good short concise menu with a varied set of choices. Excellent medium priced wine list. We enjoyed the food very much. Reasonable price and therefore good value.

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  3. Kate

    Kent11 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 28, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We have eaten here many times in the past. On our last visit we had a disappointing meal when the fish was very overcooked and tasteless, however, we were delighted to find that standards are back to the high level they always were. The food was excellent and the service friendly and efficient. It was very busy and hence quite noisy (the waiter misheard my order) and it was at times difficult to hear what my partner was saying and personally I find the decor a bit on the dark side, but overall a great, good value night out.

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  4. Gary

    East Sussex2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on February 25, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    A bit cold ands draughty under the rear window but otherwise excellent.

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  5. Paul

    East Sussex2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 23, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent Sunday lunch, tender meat, perfectly cooked. Lovely atmosphere.

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  6. Amelia

    London2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great pub with excellent food. Will be back next time we are in st leonards

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  7. Lis

    London8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great experience- food was wonderful, service friendly and efficient. Lovely atmosphere. Thanks

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  8. Stephanie

    London9 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on February 14, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    We had a pleasant visit but were disappointed with the inconsistency of the food. Squid dish very good and tasty. Gurnard, bland and not developed as a dish. The radicchio was just raw and sliced, there was no convincing sauce - more like fish water and the potatoes were meh. Had the radicchio been braised, more of the wonderfulness of this complex veg would've come through. A good, burnt butter sauce - a must with brown shrimp - could've also hidden the other failings and would've brought the dish together. Alternatively or as well as, a tasty, olive oil mash would've given the dish a bit of much-missed richness. That said, we enjoyed having plenty of space around us and not feeling crowded on a cramped table but the soul always quails when there is a time limit to one's stay - making one feel more like a cash cow rather than a participant in one of life's greatest rituals. Even so, we did have enough time to eat at leisure and we will be back for more soon.

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  9. Stephen

    East Sussex2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 14, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great service, great food and great value. What is more, close to the station for car free access

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  10. Ellie

    London1 review

    5.0

    Dined on February 9, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Such an amazing roast, honestly one of the best roasts I’ve had. Also the goat pie was amazing and the crispiest roasts potatoes ever! So good! Our waitress was so lovely and attentive. The ‘manager looking man’ was so rude to us but didn’t deter from the amazing service from our waitress x

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FAQs

The Royal is rated 4.7 stars by 83 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 11 times today
Google Map for The Royal

1 St Johns Rd, Saint Leonards-on-sea, East Sussex TN37 6HP

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2024
  • Neighbourhood
    St Leonards-On-Sea
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Sat, Sun 12:00 pm–3:00 pm Bar Mon–Thu 3:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri 3:00 pm–11:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 5:45 pm–8:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:45 pm–9:00 pm
  • Price
    £26 to £40
  • Cuisines
    Gastro Pub, British, Modern European
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    None
  • Public transit
    Directly opposite St Leonards Warrior Square train station
  • Payment Options
    Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Andrew Taylor Gray
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Outdoor Smoking Area, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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