Lamberhurst Restaurant Guide

“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.

This well-established dining pub – named after war poet Siegfried Sassoon, who lived nearby – “still maintains a high standard of unpretentious cooking in relaxed surroundings” under the new leadership of “top chef” Lee Adams, originally from Kent, who spent 10 years working in Dubai and Hong Kong. Ratings were slightly dented, though, by the account of one long-term fan who feels it “used to be a go-to but has lost it”.

In a cute market town in prime English wine country on the Kent-Sussex border, this wine-focused pub from Sam Maynard (ex-Hotel du Vin) opened three boutique bedrooms in 2023. The 30-cover restaurant offers local seasonal dishes from chef Adam Sear alongside a list of 80 English wines (and there’s also a more conventional bar menu). Too little feedback for a rating as yet, but such as we have is ‘all good’.

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.