Fairlight Restaurant Guide

East Sussex luminary (and foraging pioneer) Paul Webbe’s Old Town venture (est. 2009) offers “a good selection of mainly seafood to reflect its position on the seafront (but also meat and veggie dishes for those who need them)”. “Friendly service and a reasonable atmosphere” contribute to its continuing success.

This family-run chippy in a wooden shack right on the town’s fishermen’s beach is now in its third decade, and wins plaudits for its “excellent fresh seafood”, straight off the boat. “Friendly staff” and “generous portions” make it a “great location for a family seaside lunch” – although it’s at its “best when not too busy”. “Booking is highly recommended – you may have to wait for a dull midweek in the ‘off’ season to get a walk-in table!”

This “tiny converted fisherman’s hut by the harbour” serves “amazing fish, straight off the beach-launched day boats, so it couldn’t be fresher”. “Exceptional cooking” is backed up by a “delightful owner”, “brilliant service” and a “very good wine list”. Not surprisingly, it’s “essential to book”.

This “pleasantly traditional and old-fashioned restaurant” “has been a favourite for years” – and is these days “serving a more modern style of food” without losing any of its attractions. It was chef-patron Paul Webbe’s first opening more than 25 years ago, and has been followed by his fish specialist venues in Hastings and Rye.

This “beautifully presented pub” – a run-down 1860s hotel until a renovation five years ago – offers “great service” and a “hearty menu with generous portions”. “The choice of dishes at lunch seems more limited in recent months” – “sign of the times?”

2022 Review: Owners Alan McNally and Steve Morrish (who have collectively worked in some of London's trendier spots: Crispin, Leroy, Lyle’s and The Clove Club) run this tapas, eatery and deli with the aim of creating a “Balearic vibe”. No feedback as yet, but on paper it looks well worth a try.

“On top form” since the pandemic, this low-key spot in a townhouse away from the seafront, founded by former Le Caprice chef Nick Hales almost 20 years ago, does not generate a huge volume of feedback in our annual survey, but what we do receive is uniformly positive. The menu favours locally caught fish and seafood.

Opened on April Fool’s Day 2022, but set on a site which has seen many incarnations (it was converted into a hotel from a cowshed back in the 1920s), this “wonderful” new arrival from husband-and-wife team Olivia and Henry is already a local hit. Chef Nick Hales oversees the “unfussy and well-executed” menu – “defo more restaurant than pub” in quality – with the “catch of the day supplied by a local fishmonger” and greens grown 400 yards away. Bonus points for the staff (“nothing was too much trouble”).

2023 Review: No feedback as yet on this August 2020 arrival in this ever-more fashionable seaside town, but it’s a July 2022 tip from Giles Coren writing in The Times and awarding it 23/30. “I probably shouldn’t have been as surprised as I was by the low, low prices on the menu” achieved with “unfashionable fish – mussels, sea trout, plaice, mackerel – and plenty of pasta.”