Mr & Mrs Smith

This is the second time we have stayed in this hotel and it still holds a great attraction. The accommodation is modern and spacious – the fresh white flowers in the room are a nice touch. Our main reason for staying here is the wonderful food and wine, and on this occasion there was a good selection of game as well as some superb fish. The staff were attentive and particularly friendly and took care of our every need. The place is always busy despite its location and it appears to be frequented by lots of locals.

For us, nothing.

The setting of this restaurant with rooms is by the salt flats of Pagham Harbour. There are lots of walks around the area, and it’s ideal for birdwatchers. The area is great for sightseeing, with the coast and areas like Chichester, Littlehampton and of course the South Downs being so close. Close by in Goodwood there is the lesser-known Cass Sculpture Park. It’s not advertised a great deal, but it’s a fabulous place to visit and is usually very quiet.

This is a dear little place. Unpretentious and relaxed - but with great attention to detail. So good to have fresh milk in the room for making tea, plus all mod cons for iPod etc. The food was superb and cleverly presented; fresh haddock was lightly battered and the chips delivered in a little metal tin. Breakfast is another highlight - bacon like we've never tasted. The location is outstanding and our room looked out over the marshes which looked spectacular at high tide.

There is a very quiet, shingle beach a few miles away at Church Norton for those who just want to sit and look out to sea.....

We stayed at the Crab & Lobster on a two-for-one offer which I thought was very good value. We stayed in room four which has views over the nature reserve. The room does have low ceilings becuse it is in the converted attic but unless you are bothered by sloping ceilings, the room was cosy and smart and the bathroom was very spacious with a walk in shower. As the hotel is a pub/restaurant and has four rooms only, it has a lovely intimate feel and we found the service very friendly, professional and welcoming. We enjoyed returning to the hotel and enjoyed a drink at the bar. The reataurant is excellent; this is not a gastro pub and delivers sophisticated dining with prices to match. However, I did not feel that it was overpriced but comparable to a fine dining restaurant. The breakfast menu is very good and fresh, including cooked with haddock, mackerel etc.  It is good for walking and for visiting the local area – Arundel and Chichester and Bosham in easy reach. We enjoyed Pagham and West Wittering. The East Head nature reserve, protected by the National Trust, was breathtaking and great for photography. If a quiet break in chic rustic surroundings with good food and easy access to the beach is what you're after, it does tick quite a few boxes. I do not know if this peace exists in high summer however.

We stayed in room number 4 in the attic. Being tall, we found we couldn't stand up properly anywhere but the middle of the room. The food for breakfast and dinner was excellent: cooked to perfection and beautifully presented. Chichester is worth a visit and so is the farmers' market held on the Friday we stayed. Go again? Yes, the food is superb.

We had a very enjoyable two-night stay on the 2-for-1 offer which represented very good value. The pub/restaurant with rooms is very nicely presented. It's more of a restaurant than an out-and-out pub; the interior quality confirms that. Food was extremely good quality and well presented, albeit quite expensive for the type of venue. The room (no. 3) was small but of good quality. At the rack rate, £140 per night, at a BB one would expect a small safe in the room,  robe and  slippers but these were not provided. A great remote location with lovely views – all in all, another good Mr & Mrs Smith experience.

The Crab & Lobster keep laminated local maps that they cheerfully loan out to take on walks. We wanted to see the sea, so they recommended a walking route around Pagham Harbour that took us right out to the coast via a wonderful walk beside the estuary. It was a sunny day, so on the way back we stopped at the 'Friends of Pagham Harbour' shed and bought local ice creams made in the village, absolutely delicious.

After wandering around near by Chichester and the Cathedral you must go to West Stoke House Restaurant for lunch or dinner- the food and service are second to none.

We took a walk and a drink at nearby Bosham Harbour which is incredibly pretty and great if you are a fan of sailing as there is a very active sailing club there so plenty to watch. There is only one pub in the village and its right on the estuary edge so there are great sea views to contemplate as you sip a good glass of wine! We also went for a walk along the beach at West Wittering which is a real gem on the South Coast – sandy, clean and a lovely nature reserve for sheltered picnics and some respite from the breeze; gorgeous on a sunny day. Both were about 10–15 minutes' drive from The Crab and Lobster. Perfect.

We should have loved to have travelled the area and stumbled upon a great restaurant. However, our visit coincided with the south of England's worst snow storm for almost 20 years, and having arrived at the Crab and Lobster we were compelled to remain there for the duration – including for an additional night that the manager insisted that we and the other guests take for own own safety and at no cost. Fortunately, it transpired that the Crab and Lobster's own resturant 'just has to be eaten in'. Twice in our case!

The Crab & Lobster is in a dream location on the edge of a nature reserve and just a short walk to the beach at Pagham Harbour. If your soul aches for stillness, nothing will help better than a slow amble and a bit of bird spotting. Afterwards, we felt we definitely deserved our amazing meal in the gastropub and drinks in front of the log fire, before falling into our bed.