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The hotel: by day, the Crab & Lobster, in Sidlesham, is a picture-postcard pub with its own thatched village attached; by night, it’s home to the ghost of Sir Robert Earnley, shot to death at the bar in 1643 by an irate Roundhead.

Today, the welcome isn’t quite so scary. In fact, Sam Bakose, an Iraqi-Lebanese structural engineer turned hotelier, and his wife, Janet, actually want you to stay.

Two years ago, they transformed the 350-year-old inn into a boutique restaurant with rooms, so you don’t ever have to go home again. To that end, the Grade II-listed pub, with its former muddle of tiny snugs, wobbly floors and skewwhiff beams, has been thoughtfully redesigned to create an airy, open bar/dining room that runs the downstairs length of the low, narrow building, while on the two upstairs floors, the landlord’s poky living quarters have been remodelled into a collection of pretty suites.

Outside, on the newly built terrace, you can wrestle with the extensive wine list (“My obsession,” says Bakose) and look out over Pagham Harbour nature reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Service is friendly and unobtrusive — and their local knowledge is hot.

The rooms: there are only four (plus an adjacent cottage) and they book up fast, so plan your trip well in advance.

The design is crisp, cool and well executed. Colours are muted and restful (dove greys, pale blues, dark woods), thread count on the linens is high and there are fresh flowers every day. Tech is Panasonic and toiletries are L’Occitane, the latter most welcome in an English rural retreat.

Ceilings and their accompanying beams are low — and I can personally vouch for the fact that if you’re over 5ft 10in, they pack a punch. Ask for suite No 4, at the top of the house — the view is huge, right out to sea, and the bathroom is big enough to host a decent drinks party.

The cottage, next door, sleeps four and is an old-style new-build. In keeping with the pub’s wonky lines, there’s not a straight edge or raised ceiling in there, and it comes with four pairs of wellies and a set of binos for entertainment. There is a kitchen, but using it is nowhere near as appealing as the Crab & Lobster’s menu.

The food: the menu is designed, cooked (and sometimes caught) by Bakose himself. The emphasis is on fresh seafood, locally sourced. Starters include a crab and crayfish parcel wrapped in smoked salmon (£8.75) and sautéed calamari with chorizo and roasted sweet peppers (£7.95, and huge).

Mains of note are the fish stew in Mediterranean broth with saffron potatoes (£16.50) and devilled crab on crushed new potatoes (£17.50).

What else is there to do? There’s the charming city of Chichester, five miles away, the coast and its gloriously deserted beaches, 10 minutes by car (the spit at West Wittering is worth a walk, and you can look over to the Isle of Wight), and the old-style seaside resort of Selsey Bill (as referenced by Madness).

Who’ll like it: those in search of some olde-worlde charm, a lack of pretension and a first-class crab sandwich.

Who won’t: anyone who’s allergic to seafood or afraid of ghosts. We didn’t see him, though.

Crab & Lobster, Mill Lane, Sidlesham, West Sussex; 01243 641233, crab-lobster.co.uk. Doubles start at £130, B&B

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