Asenby Restaurant Guide

An “original ambience” contributes to the charm of this eccentrically decorated hotel-restaurant, bedecked in grandfather clocks, chandeliers, tubas and drums – and part of the 18th-century Crab Manor, where the quirky décor continues in five globe-trotting bedrooms. “Tasty” fish is the specialism, but there was also praise this year for the “nice game”. Service can still occasionally lag – “maybe short staffed”? In Summer 2024, they added a sun-trapped terrace, further amplifying the “nice surroundings”.

“An unbelievable experience from start to finish – Josh Barnes has made the setting of sitting around an island within the kitchen an intimate yet fun occasion” at this chef’s table within an industrial unit whose purpose is the manufacture of quality sauces and stocks for use by other chefs around the country. Fans say his 14-course tasting menu – for £165 per person, and which takes five hours to serve – is “one of the best meals to be had, with amazing food, spot-on wine pairing and service that’s next-level!” Don’t be more than 30 minutes late – otherwise you forfeit your deposit and don’t get fed!