East Sussex Restaurant Guide

There’s no doubting the “great” setting of this former religious hostel, which lies at the foot of the Sussex Downs on the banks of the Cuckmere River; having been acquired by hospitality whizz Olga Polizzi in 2021, it’s now an “upmarket country hotel” replete with Bloomsbury set artworks and (in the dining room) a gorgeous Elizabethan-esque floor. With River Café alum Tim Kensett having moved on to his Scottish wild-dining concept Inverlonan Dining, head chef Vincenzo Petrocco is currently at the helm; the “food is mainstream Anglo-French with good fish and meat options” and while “not inexpensive” (“you can eat in the best London restaurants at their prices”) and described by sceptics as “good but fairly ordinary”, more positive reporters believe the “quality cooking and service justify the bill”.

“In a delightful village”, this “scenic” gastroboozer-with-rooms continues to please, two years after longtime owners the Pullan family handed the keys to the Young’s group; the “best atmosphere is in the bar” (as opposed to the annexe), though the “great garden” remains the standout here, offering lovely views of the Ouse countryside.

“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.

Recently relaunched, this hotel dining room set in an Arts & Crafts boutique hotel and wedding venue with “excellent views” over Happy Valley is a “real treat”. The original interior includes a stained-glass window and a fireplace, and chef Scott Goss makes best use of locally sourced ingredients.

“Hyper-local and hyper-seasonal set menus, with a lot of the produce coming from their own farm”, is the ethos behind chef-patron Will Devlin’s engaging venture – “the result is delicious food and friendly service, which makes for an enjoyable evening”. He also runs Birchwood at the nearby sustainable development Flimwell Park, but closed The Curlew in Bodiam in the face of rising costs two years ago.

“Probably the most luxurious restaurant in the Tunbridge Wells area” – “Richard Phillips’s modern French gourmet flagship is still popular with the area’s well-heeled consumers of fine dining” and – though arguably “not as high-profile as it once was” – remains one of the top-100 most commented-on restaurants in our annual diners’ poll. All reports attest to its “lovely location in a very attractive Regency villa” and “lovely, finely pitched service”. On the downside, the food can be “a bit hit ’n’ miss”: mostly it’s to a “good standard”, but there is also the odd report suggesting it’s “technically fine but with some over-fussy, confused elements”, notwithstanding the “beautiful presentation”. (A romantic and business recommendation, no-one claimed it as providing their top gastronomic experience of the year). Top Tip – “exceptional-value set lunch”.

Fans proclaim the “best food in Eastbourne”, at this “fun” and “buzzy” subterranean wine bar, restaurant and bottle shop, whose décor is enlivened by a pink neon Hunter S Thompson quote. On the food front, there’s “something for everyone” (namely small and large plates), while the “ever-changing, excellent wine list” features English bottles and rare wines by the glass.

Named after the coppiced woodland upon which it sits – Flimwell Park, an über-modern 46-acre sustainable community – this three-year-old is the third venture for Will Devlin, whose nearby The Small Holding holds a Michelin Green Star. “The standard bearer for excellent, locally sourced food” – small and large plates served in the “well-designed but canteen-style” interior or (preferably) on the stunning terrace overlooking the forest – it’s “pretty unbeatable for a fixed-price lunch”, though they’re also now open until 20.00 on Friday and Saturday night.

“Ex Roux, Ladenis and Marco prodigy and former Firmdale Hotel Group exec chef, Robin Read, serves a variety of tasting menus showcasing local produce” at this new arrival, which opened just before our annual diners’ poll and which is rated from the rave reviews from a small number of impressed reporters. Another dazzled visitor was The Guardian’s Grace Dent, who – in her July 2024 review – hailed “a gorgeous room” that was “hard to fault… because this is precise, accomplished cooking that feeds you classily but plentifully, then aims to finish you off entirely with the dessert courses”. Top Menu Tips – “notable dishes included cured mackerel croustade; Birchen asparagus and seaweed; and cavolo nero cavatelli”.