The Sussex is in the heart of tourist country and its battle for custom is fought with a Wetherspoon-like approach to style and substance.

The Venue
On the corner of Long Acre and St Martins Lane, this large traditional pub offers little in the way of looks and originality to pull you inside. A snobbier clientele wouldn’t look twice at the place, with its plentiful mirrors, dazzling lights, enclosed seating and plain walls. The Sussex simply doesn’t create much atmosphere.

There is an area that faintly resembles a dining area, cordoned off by banisters on a two-step high platform where you can look at the rest of the board-walkers in the pub whilst sitting comfortably with carpet below your feet. Red walls surround the large pub and there is plenty of space to stand and lean. On the surface, although it’s a little linear, it’s an adequate area to drink but if you dip below you’ll spot the condiment tables, sticky surfaces and broken fruit machine that makes it substandard.

The Atmosphere
This area is a haven for big brand shops and commercial clubs, and The Sussex welcomes the people that go with the demographic. Tourists and day-trippers come here to drink, and at the weekend it’s jam packed although it does seem to empty late in the night as people move to the next spot. The staff are here to help with the consumption as they offer very good service at the bar with a smile. However, it’s a big, busy pub, so don’t expect the kind of personal touches you might get elsewhere - it’s polite but professional.

The people that you happen to find drinking beside you might not be so polite, however, there’s definitely a culture of consumption with punters offering little to the atmosphere.

The Food
In a pub like this you don’t expect fancy food, but when a simple menu doesn’t come up to scratch then it’s worrying. Don’t be surprised if the burgers verge on warm by the time they arrive at your table and need to be drowned in ketchup to reach an agreeable level of taste. It might be best to order something even simpler to avoid disappointment and there are sandwiches and jacket potatoes on the menu to go along with the rest of the traditional pub grub.

The Drink
The Sussex serves the standard big name lagers like Stella, Fosters and Kronenbourg with the increasingly common Staropramen. The ale selection is fairly good with London Pride, Old Speckled Hen and Bombardier to name a few of the better beers. The spirits are the standard brands as you’d expect in this very commercial enterprise but there’s also a range of flavoured vodkas to taste your way through - definitely a highlight for the drinks.

The Last Word
Covent Garden has a lot of highlights and although this isn’t one of them it at least serves a purpose. Despite the questionable food and ordinary decor it’s an OK place to take a large group that won’t notice their surroundings.

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