The Patch Lewes

The Patch in Lewes hides its beery bounty very well. It’s an unassuming place that from the outside appears to be a pokey café, in an old building, on one of Lewes’s narrow side roads.

But step over the threshold and before your eyes is a wall of ten tap lines and a small fridge stocked with yet more wonderful brews. The options are incredible, with local, UK-wide and worldwide options presented together for you to choose from.

The brews are regularly rotated to keep things exciting for beer explorers, but expect to find a combination that might include Sussex milk stouts, reputable pale ales, classic Belgian beers and never-before-heard-of regional European lagers, all on one wall, all available to try before you buy. The Patch’s Facebook posts are good at keeping you updated on new arrivals.

The venue itself is simply decorated – lots of white and green, and a collection of basic wooden furniture. At the front, stools and a café-style window bar allow you to perch and peer out; or turn left for a mish-mash of booths, tables and chairs, creatively jammed into the long but narrow space. There’s a small yard out back that again seemed basic, but we hope they might do more with it over time.

The Patch Lewes is humble, and a little plain – and the fairly priced beers perhaps reflect that – but looks aside, you just cannot beat this place for beer variety in Lewes!