Time please
Nick and I have decided to call time on running The Stag at the end of October.
It's been a horrible decision to have to make but it's proving too hard both physically and financially to continue.
It's been our whole life for the past seven years - starting with no knowledge of how to run a pub to feeling like we finally know what we are doing (sort of ....!)
We've made such good friends and had such amazing support - from customers, from some extraordinary staff and from our legendary chef, Ben Cumberpatch who, like us, is preparing for his next adventure.
If you've enjoyed coming to The Stag, please, please come along for the next few months - we still have loads of fun things planned and would welcome your support on our final stretch.
Nick and Nicole welcome you to The Stag
Our 16th Century pub can be found at the top of picturesque All Saints Street - the oldest residential street in the heart of Hastings Old Town. Beamed ceilings and rustic floorboards are complemented by twinkling lights, cosy interiors and a welcoming bar.
Awards & accolades
Customer reviews
The hospitality, ambience and dining experience is excellent. This is definitely a place to visit when in Hastings for those looking for a great meal or just a quiet drink in a welcoming and homely environment.
- Beautiful South Tourism Award Judges '22-'23
Wow, the quality of the food in this small cosy pub is outstanding, close to fine dining standard, excellent, can't wait to go again.
- Trip Advisor, May '23
Very friendly staff. Food was delicious. Whole heartedly recommend this place. An amazing hidden Gem
- Trip Advisor, December '23
As ever this was another great visit to The Stag. Great hosts, excellent service and the music was so good.
- Google review, December '23
The food here is excellent and there's lots of fab live music.
- Google review, December '23
Our Haunted History
We are one of the oldest pubs still open in Hastings and the building is a feature of the town’s guided walks. You may be lucky enough to meet one of the ghosts reputed to frequent our establishment. A Dutch sea captain murdered by Hastings fishermen has been sighted in the cellar and there have been reports of a young girl dressed all in white, by the fireplace, on the upper floor. The back bedroom gives you goosebumps – most who have used the room have felt a presence ….
The pub has historical connections with notorious smuggling gangs and characters from local folklore. In the cellar, there's a now-blocked entrance to a secret passage which led to All Saints church and was probably used by smugglers in the 18th Century, or as a bolt-hole during times of religious oppression. The Stag continues to hold strong associations with local traditions such as Jack in the Green and the Sussex Bonfire and Carnival.
The tour guides will tell you about the famous "mummified” cats, found in a chimney during the 1940s and now on display in the front bar. This wasn't uncommon as cats were often used as a form of protection in old buildings and our cats protect the pub from evil spirits and harm. It is told that they once belonged to Hannah Clarke, a witch who is said to have occupied the Stag in its early days. Probably apocryphal but it’s a good yarn.
The pub has a great history – it even gets its own Wikipedia page.
