Harden's says
Since the day it opened its doors, the Mirabelle Restaurant in Eastbourne has celebrated numerous awards, accolades and critical notices from the UK's top food writers. As well as being considered one of the finest restaurants in Eastbourne, The Independent voted the Mirabelle in the top 50 best restaurants in the UK. The Mirabelle serves a modern European menu of seasonal specialities that play creatively with flavours and textures, and which are complemented by an extremely well-chosen wine list. Just as impressive is the elegant splendour of the beautifully furnished dining room itself, which you can enter either directly from the hotel or via its own discreet side entrance, and is a quiet haven that attracts romantic couples, small business groups and devotees of gourmet dining.
Harden's survey result
Summary
“Still the only ‘fine-dining’ restaurant in Eastbourne”, the “lovely” and “smart” dining room of iconic seafront establishment the Grand Hotel is “five-star all the way”, say fans; on the service front, “the mostly long-serving team continue to deliver”, while chef Alex Burtenshaw, who joined the line-up in 2023, turns out modern European cooking that is “now never less than acceptable, and sometimes excellent”. That’s the upbeat view anyway. But a minority of diners find the whole performance “very, very disappointing”, and this view was more to the fore this year: they say “it’s very expensive”, that “the only pluspoint is the very large dining room”, and that “this place could only ever survive in Eastbourne”. Top Tip – for a cheaper option, the hotel’s other restaurant (the Garden Grill) is said to do “an excellent Sunday lunch” – and looks far swankier than one might expect from it being the hotel’s more casual option.
Summary
“The only true fine dining restaurant in Eastbourne” – Hrvoje Loncarevic “continues to gradually restore the reputation of the fine dining room of the elegant Grand Hotel”: a large, 150-bedroom grande dame of a property on the seafront and “an excellent venue for business or celebrations”. “Beautifully laid out courses” are provided by “service of the high level you’d expect from a five-star hotel, and the wine list has a very broad range of fine vintages”. “We had a table in the window overlooking the garden on a lovely summer’s evening, all the while being accompanied by an excellent pianist playing a mixture of standards and modern jazz”.
Summary
“Still the grand doyen of the Eastbourne eating scene”, this “delightful” and “slightly theatrical” traditional chamber inspires affection amongst everyone commenting on it, including its critics. There has been a concerted attempt in recent years to modernise the approach, which leads to some regrets – “there used to be a piano player in the old days, a touch which seems to have been dispensed with”. New (he’s been here three years) chef, Michael Sutherland “appears to be finding his feet” and a fair middle view is that “whilst in no way spectacular, the kitchen’s output is at least now consistent (an improvement to before)”. But “given the prices, there is substantial room, indeed need, for the kitchen to further improve”. Still, some diners report a “fantastic variety of dishes from the tasting menu, with lots of unusual aspects that make talking points with the serving staff”. Top Tip – No complaints at all about the hotel’s “gorgeous” and “good value” afternoon teas.
Summary
This grand seaside hotel is a “fine-dining stalwart which continues to outlive its long-deceased Mayfair namesake” – and also to provoke the ire of traditional fans who regret “the abolition of cloches and other touches of distinction in the name of foolish modernisation” a couple of years ago. Michael Sutherland, a former Sussex Young Chef of the Year, has run the kitchen since January 2020, and reporters disagree on how he’s getting on. “Small portions and high prices” (“we bought sandwiches on the ride home”) feature in a couple of reports, but for a majority he’s “turned the corner” with “safety-first but highly commendable cuisine”.
For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at The Mirabelle, The Grand Hotel?
King Edwards Parade, Eastbourne, BN21 4EQ
Restaurant details
The Mirabelle, The Grand Hotel Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Excellent and very reasonably priced lunch. The Mirabelle is definitely back to its former level if not better "
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £31.50 |
| Filter Coffee | £4.25 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 12.50% |
King Edwards Parade, Eastbourne, BN21 4EQ
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | 12:30 pm‑1:30 pm, 6 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 12:30 pm‑1:30 pm, 6 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Thursday | 12:30 pm‑1:30 pm, 6 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Friday | 12:30 pm‑1:30 pm, 6 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Saturday | 12:30 pm‑1:30 pm, 6 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Sunday | CLOSED |
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