Runcton Restaurant Guide

As it heads into third decade, Viv Casson’s “slightly dated but cosy” restaurant (rustic, with exposed brick and many a beam) has long been known in these parts for its “lovely food and service”, which extends to regular themed dinners, including eight- or nine-course tasting menu nights.

2024 Review: This 200-year-old local pub at the foot of the South Downs is “well run and popular”, with a “well-executed and great-value menu” of superior gastropub fare.

2023 Review: With its “delightful setting looking out across the South Downs” – a view from the window said to have inspired William Blake’s anthem Jerusalem in 1803 – this eighteenth-century coaching inn is quite a draw, especially in summer when you can dine in the garden. The cooking is generally “creditable” (although both highs and lows were reported this year). The business has been owned since 2007 by Giles Thompson, formerly executive head chef at The Ritz. Jerusalem.

2022 Review: “The food is excellent, and you’re made to feel welcome” at this showcase for the produce of the Goodwood Estate, an early convert to organic farming (although Lord March, the Duke of Richmond, is better known as a petrol-head). “They’ve turned the courtyard into a lovely space”, and the highlight of the menu is the ‘butcher’s board’ sharing selection of various meat cuts.

“This old-fashioned hotel features two restaurants sharing a kitchen – the more upmarket Sea School and Marwick ’s Brasserie”. Set in three 17th-century cottages and a converted barn, the property has been owned by the Wild family for 50 years, with chef Neil Hiskey running the kitchen for half of that time. A classic afternoon tea is also offered in Markwick’s, so it’s very much “a place to take aged relatives”.

“Superb, proper Indian food” that’s “remarkable value for money” has made the name of this red-brick subcontinental, “handy for the Witterings and Chichester”. The venue, a converted pub, was launched by couple Mayank and Nita Gupta (orthopaedic surgeon and dental surgeon respectively) as a riposte to inauthentic British curry houses, and offers a wide programme of events ranging from Elvis tribute nights with ‘curated’ curries, to regular demonstrations of home cooking; there were also several shout-outs this year for the “reliably excellent friendly service”.

“Delicious homemade bread to start” and “friendly, well-organised service (on a very busy evening)” are hallmarks of this much commented-on restaurant and bar in Nick Sutherland’s boutique hotel, which occupies a smart Grade II-listed Georgian townhouse in the town centre (retaining the name of the wine merchant that preceded it). “First visit – will go again” is a typical comment on a venue that works either for pre-theatre or more leisurely dining.

A “glorious setting” by the water near Chichester helps explain why this attractive and historic-looking waterside tavern is often “crowded and very noisy inside”, although its “excellent seafood” also has its appeal. There’s “good service for a pub” to compensate when it’s “crammed” as it often is, and a useful terrace if weather permits.