Rathfinny Wine Estate - Tasting Room in Wealden

Wow! A brilliant dining experience amongst the rolling hills of Sussex. Quite wonderful food, very good wine and great staff. Highly recommended

My recent visit to Rathfinny marked my fourth experience at this exceptional estate this year, and once again, it exceeded expectations. We enjoyed the nine-course tasting menu paired with a carefully curated wine flight, a truly remarkable gastronomic journey. Jake, the maître d’, continues to impress with his impeccable service, always greeting me by name and remembering personal preferences, such as my aversion to fish. His attention to detail and warm professionalism consistently enhance the experience. Whether it’s for sundowners, dining among the vines, or the tasting rooms, Rathfinny never fails to deliver an unforgettable and refined experience. Highly recommended for anyone seeking the finest in Sussex sparkling wine and dining.

We came for a clebratory lunch. The set menu is excellent value. Only three (or was it four?) choices but all the dishes were well prepared and presented. Elegant dining room with views. All in all, a very enjoyable meal.

We started our visit with lunch at the Fliny Barn. Food and service was spot on with jazz playing in the background and great atmosphere, chilled and relaxing. We then attended the wine tasting. Our tour guide, Judith, was excellent with brilliant knowledge and presentation. The wine tasting followed a full on behind the scenes tour. Excellent sparkling wine, and we both learnt so much. The estate is wonderful with breathtaking views and a great place to relax and enjoy.

Great food and wine, attentive service, dinner overlooking the vineyards, and everything you could want for a refreshing vacation. Hats off to the seasoning of the meal.

Beautiful location, lovely snacks and obviously fantastic wine.

What can I say an absolute wonderful experience 👍

I had a lovely dining experience at Rathfinny wine estate celebrating a birthday. The grounds are amazing and we sat and had food and drinks in the courtyard on what turned out to be a beautiful evening. The food was great and the service was exceptional. My girlfriend and I have some food intolerances, which we let them know prior to our arrival, and when we got there they had prepared us our own separate menus listing the dishes suitable for our requirements, which was a lovely touch. All in all we had a wonderful time and we'll definitely be back in the future!!

Four of us dined in the flint barns restaurant. We opted for the 2 course menu. Overall a very disappointing experience, not really gourmet and needs a lot of improvement to justify the high prices. The local hairy pig cider was awful and the Devon red wine was not very nice. The prawn entree was not well presented and very ordinary. The chicken main had nice sauces and was ok. But the vegetarian pasta main was very small and ordinary, no parmesan. The 2 salad side dishes were ordinary and small. The lamb chop main was a single small lamb chop with a 5 pound surcharge this just looked mean and it was embarrassing. The desserts were ok. There was a lot of confusion about the bill which took several attempts to rectify. The atmosphere lacked anything special . There was a half dead fern as the only table decoration.

Walked the dog around the vineyard and then lunch at the Hut with views across the vines. Lovely morning. I've previously done the vineyard and winery tour, which is great, too.

The place is fantastic, the wine is wonderful, and the ambience is magical. We had the set price meal...the same price for all the dishes. We've been vegetarian for 40 years and the only vegetarian options were heritage tomatoes with goats cheese for starter and pasta with broccoli and other green things for main. It was like a 1980s throwback. The starter was tasty but extremely unimaginative and easy to prepare...just a matter of assembling things on a plate...and the main had to be sent back as the pasta was congealed and raw in the middle. I've never sent a meal back, but did this time. The second plate was cooked, but it was such a bland and boring meal. The worst vegetarian meal we've had for years. We were offered an apology and received a 10% discount. Even at the discounted price this was overpriced for what we were given. Rathfinny should either cater properly for vegetarians and people who like a vegetarian meal option, or don't bother. Such a shame. This was our wedding anniversary treat and it wasn't a treat at all.

Nice Sunday lunch but chairs uncomfortable

Our waiter was so much more . He knew everything about the food so directed me to a menu that was lower in fat. Exquisite meal. Well looked after

Had the set menu. The main course (salmon fishcake) was off the planet. One of my favourite dishes in the last decade. Crisp exterior, soft and delicious inside. The addition of salmon underneath and the sauce was perfection. Even the spinach tasted sublime. Really a top notch dish. Service was perfect. Not overbearing - but attentive. Really a great experience. Thank you

Amazing place..Amazing staff...Amazing food.

Huge prices for tiny portions of pretty average food, and horrifically rude staff. The service is sloppy and the staff clearly need training.

Fabulous meal , wine and environment …. Staff are fantastic

Lovely lunch and some nice wines to taste. Service was great, staff are friendly and welcoming.

Enjoyed a Wine Tasting and Tour followed by a fabulous lunch. Knowledgeable tour guide, fantastic wines and a local gin. Thoroughly recommend a Wine Tasting and Tour at Rathfinney.

Unfortunately the food from the hut was far from what I expected. £15 for a salmon baguette but there was no butter, the salmon was on a plate with a piece of lemon, had to assemble it myself. The camembert was cold and crackers far from tasty. Asked for a Cuvee wine and was poured a rosé. Later asked for a tea and it was Luke warm and extremely weak. Beautiful scenery and vineyards but the food was completely uninspiring.

Wow! An impressive winery in the middle of the Sussex at just 27mins from another impressive place the seven sister cliff! The atmosphere is unique! The UK sunny weather as you can see in the picture help to discover all colours! Wine, view, relax, sun..... What else? 🍷

This is a great location, we enjoyed Sparking wine on the Upper Hill with nice view of the vinyard on a sunny day. Nice and friendly team , choice of food on the Hut is OK for a quick snack, We were a bit disappointed that it wasn't possible to enjoy the restaurant's dining experience. We will come back to enjoy the accomodation and full dining and tasting experience.

Superb evening, great music, great food and drink thank you.

Beautiful food and beautiful service. Jake and Charlie were super attentive in making sure our evening was wonderful. Their knowledge on the food and wine is impeccable and they ensured mine and my partners night was lovely! Would 100% recommend.

Just had a few snacks at "the hut". The staff was very helpful and friendly, cakes were tasty, and the view was breathtaking. Highly recommend!

Excellent wines and a beautiful vinyard here. Definitely worth the trip if coming by public transport from London, Brighton or Eastbourne. Its very easily accessible by taxi from Polegate train station. I would highly recommend visiting Rathfinny Estate.

A wonderful setting with friendly staff and excellent food and wine!

Lovely vineyard with a small offsales shop. Mainly produces a world beating alternative to Champagne. The still wine is excellent as well so it's well worth a visit.

Really disappointed to be giving this place a very average 3 stars. Booked to have lunch and a wine tour but due to many issues outside of my control could not make it out for lunch only the tour. Sadly they still charged me the no-show fee despite me calling to say we may be late and then not make it at all as soon as we knew. Would have liked to at least been offered some kind of credit towards a future booking/discount etc. rather than just a charge. This really soured the whole experience after a really stressful day. However, the wine tour itself we did manage to make and it was wonderful. The guide was very knowledgable and the tour fascinating. I would have happily returned here to have the lunch I never did get to eat but unfortunately I don’t think we’ll bother given the experience.

Beautiful setting and great wine. The food is underwhelming though. Looked the part but didn’t match in terms of flavour. The background music sounded like one of the young waiting staff had plugged their phone in. 5/10 overall.

Absolutely fabulous time at the Rathfinny Estate. First visit and will definitely return. The ambience and setting is amazing and then the excellent quality of the food along with top notch service were second to none. We have been lucky to have been to many wonderful restaurants around the world and this is definitely up there as one of the best. If you get the chance for a special occasion or just a coffee to take in the view then please just do it, you'll not regret it..

We visited Rathfinnys "The Hut" on a sunny but windy day in early June and it was quite pleasant. Thankfully due to the estate's close proximity to Alfriston we were able to walk to the Estate from our accommodation in the town... although on the way there we were tricked by a slightly confusing signpost which meant we took a LONG wandering route up through the hills past the estate and had to come in the back of the vines. When we left we walked down the drive and found there was a path to Alfriston village that we'd missed earlier.. a note to others on foot!. Cost of food and drink were a little on the higher side I felt, but acceptable enough that we stayed for a couple of rounds (you have to try a variety after all). The sparkling wine they produce was perfectly drinkable.. it will feel familiar if you drink Champagne but I think they still have a little way to go to match it. Nice experience overall and some nice wines. Friendly staff in The Hut made it a nice afternoon.

Just visited and discovered them for their farmer market…. The scenery and set up is def worth. There was only two stall for the market when i arrived around 3 pm (closing at 5pm)… bought some truffles produce 👌. A fantastic place to enjoy a drink with a view… i will go back and try their gastronomic experience. I would have been tempted by their outside dinning experience too but didn’t book. Wine price was around £60 bottle for their rose sparkling, shame you don’t accept cash…..

What a wonderful experience! We did the wine tour and tasting and it was fabulous! Judith was incredibly knowledgable and knew the process inside and out from grape to glass. Beautiful setting too, and lovely wine! Highly recommend :-)

Sip a wine and enjoy the view. You can get snacks or a full restaurant experience. Even for a short visit recommended

Stunning venue, imaginative food and brilliant customer service! It was the perfect venue for our post engagement lunch.

They took £40 from my credit card even though I cancelled with 27 hours notice because my wife was taken ill the night before our proposed lunch. They were unrelenting in the email exchange I had with them saying business was hard and that 'everyone says they're ill to evade paying' which suggests I was lying. They may well have profited twice from my wife's illness if they re-booked the table. My cancellation was unavoidable but classed as a no-show. They even said turning up ill (and thus infecting others) was an individual choice. Tawdry service.

We had lunch at Tasting Room. The food was delicious and nicely presented. The view from the dining room was amazing. However, the service needed to match the quality of the food - rather in an amateur manner and not attentive or knowledgeable enough. Need more training.

A thoughtful menu, but needs tweaks. Service was slow 2 and a quarter hours for lunch. Main course served luke warm. Souffle pud needed more flavour or a fruit accompaniment. Friendly young staff, but felt there needed to be somebody senior to manage the details.

I have visited several vineyards/wine estates both in the UK and overseas, yet I have never felt as unwelcome and like an inconvenience as I have at Rathfinny. None of the staff said hello to us as we entered the shop, when we asked if there was somewhere we could try the wines before buying, we were told ‘no, it’s just fine dining, there isn’t anywhere to try the wines’. I was puzzled as I’ve seen on the website that ‘complimentary drop-in wine tastings’ are offered. She also didn’t suggest the option of The Hut and it took another customer she was serving to suggest buying a glass from The Hut and surely we were able to drink it at the tasting bar as it was raining heavily outside. My husband had to run across to The Hut, spend £18 on two glasses then run through the rain so we could try some inside. I asked if we could try a sample of the blanc de blancs too and she was very reluctant, as if we were a complete inconvenience. We were planning to buy a case of wine for Christmas but bought two bottles, only because we’d driven an hour to get there and the wine itself is very nice. Anyone considering going here, I’d advise diverting to Ridgeview, Bolney, or Tinwood, as you will have a much better experience - they make you feel much more welcome and are far less arrogant and rude.

Wonderful food this afternoon watching the snow fall over the vineyard's.

Perfect experience from start to finish friendly, professional staff amazing views and food would highly recommend.

Had a wonderful experience at Rathfinny. Our waitress, Abbie, was an absolute delight. Our order was taken promptly and with a smile. Would absolutely recommend.

Great wine estate, less than 2h from London by car! Amazing wine. We did a Pinot Noir Harvest 2022 experience and they organised everything in a perfect way. Food and wine pairing was incredible, definitely worth to come back. They offer accommodation and the place is dog friendly. High standards!

Our third stay at The Star. Everything was perfect as usual! We find the accommodation extremely comfortable with so many thoughtful touches. The food was outstanding - we just loved every moment. But what makes The Star so far above all the rest is the truly wonderful staff. Every one of them is warm and friendly and nothing is too much trouble. They all go the extra mile - from the lovely housekeepers to the reception staff, the porter, the maintenance team and the fabulous kitchen and restaurant team. It was Mum's birthday during our stay - she will never forget the whole staff singing Happy Birthday and giving her birthday hugs. Thank you Alex and your brilliant team - I can't tell you how much it means to me for you to be so kind to my Mum! She (and Teddy!!!) had the most wonderful and memorable time! We'll be back again soon! Christina and Wendy xxxx

Fantastic views over the valley and the vineyards. Great place to stop and take a breath..,. and a coffee. Good luck guys.

I recently visited for a team lunch, I was blown away the menu and the knowledgable staff. You sit in the most idilic setting looking over a fantastic vast vineyard. The chef even came out during our lunch to explain an ingredient that I didn't know the name of. An experience I will always remember and would recommend to anyone.

A wonderful magical place to taste amazing English wines, exquisite food and enjoy sweeping views on the valleys and hills down to the sea.

We had lovely coffee at the hut, their newest venture but sadly although wine is served in wine glasses, hot drinks are served in paper cups. What would have been great coffee overlooking the vineyard was spoilt by the cups. I recommend the coffee but not the cup.

Very good Rathfinny sparkling and still wines, as you'd expect, with very good food cooked to perfection on their lunch tasting menu. Great views over the vineyard while you dine.

We visited over the very recent August BBQ weekend, which is apparently held just once a year for an al fresco dining experience, sitting outside overlooking the wonderful views of the vineyards etc. The weather was dry but on a chilly weekend or with a bit of rain what a nightmare experience this would be as you are completely exposed to the weather, as are the cooking staff as the food is all BBQ'd outside. Sadly the actual dining experience fails miserably to match the location. The fancy sounding menu comprises various choices in the £10-£20 range but whatever you select all you will get is a miniscule portion on a side plate sized platter which you will consume in no more than 3 mouthfuls! I had the mackerel (£10) which was the tiniest fillet imaginable accompanied by a spoonful of creme freche and 'green' sussex cucumber marinated in something which had turned it beige - none of your 'five a day here'! I also had the sourdough bread (£4) on the side which was at least a bit more filling but £14 for a modest snack - really?? You can enjoy a bottle of their on site made wine as well but only if you know your wines and don't object to prices starting at £40 odd a bottle. This is obviously a popular venue but do not expect anything like value for money and do not visit if you are starving hungry! Other Reviewers say the same! Possibly their Restaurant is better but would I chance it after this experience? NO.

We had a fantastic tour, the guide was amazing. Informative, entertaining, and made the start to our day at Rathfinny amazing. I cannot fault any of the staff for that matter. What left a sour taste in our mouth was the fact we spent £9.50 for a slice of toast and a tomato (but ‘they are from Lewes’ which obviously justifies the outrageous price tag). And then the mark up from the cellar door to the bar was outrageous too. The same bottle of wine being sold in the shop for £18.00 was being sold for £33.00 from the pod not 20m away. We were hoping to stay and enjoy the views, have some drinks, and buy several bottles to take home for family and friends, but we left very promptly because we felt we were just there to hand over our money.

Incredible experience! We had the tasting menu and wine flight and it was delicious, fresh ingredients, and very tasty. Would recommend

Simply incredible experience, from the service, to the wine and the food! Would highly recommend taking the wine flight. Produce is very local, and in some cases has even been foraged from the local nature. Looking forward to going back soon!

One of the smartest coffee stops we've tried on a cycle ride. The Hut is not yet well signposted from the road through Alfriston, and there is a testing 16% climb up the Estate's access road, but well worth the effort. The views over the vineyard to High and Over and the Cuckmere Valley are great, and the coffee is pretty good too.

We had a picnic here yesterday. Enjoyed our visit...lovely staff & service, great views and surroundings and lovely sparkling rosè. However we found the food a bit underwhelming. It looked beautiful but was a bland in places and not enough variety of textures. All a bit wet and salady apart from the lovely crunchy bread. There was beetroot with bland mascarpone, soya bean salad, chickpea salad, ( both legumes) potato salad under my salmon. Not a well balanced menu. And diced Cucumber in the dessert was a step too far..a flavour or Cucumber in the pimms jelly I could understand...but not finely diced lumps.

Thoroughly loving afternoon spent tasting and then relaxing in sun in a superb setting overlooking vineyards. Staff were extremely friendly and knowledgeable. You simply must try!

Did not visit buildings, did short walk of estate, and then coffee and sat outside

Absolutely disgraceful. Do not buy vouchers from them. No realistic extension given after COVID restrictions. Appalling. They took over £100 pounds of gift vouchers and put it in their pockets. When a business has taken that money there is no excuse not to provide solutions for customers.

We had a great time at Rathfinny. Our tour with Corinne was excellent - we learnt so much - and the tasting was delicious. We also had a fabulous two-course lunch (with more of that delicious wine!). Great stuff!

Visited the newly opened Shepherds Hut for coffee. An excellent cup of coffee in stunning surroundings. Staff were pleasant and helpful. We sat overlooking the vines, watching a buzzard lazily circling overhead. Magical. Will certainly go again.

We had an excellent lunch at the Tasting Room. Very good service, relaxed but professional. The food was outstanding (amazing carrots!!), fantastic wines as you would imagine. The setting is amazing. Looking forward to returning again soon. Thank you for a wonderful afternoon.

We had an exceptional high class 3 course lunch menu with a stunning view over the vineyards. Price value is reasonable and the courses are good portions. Did a wine pairing with the local produced wines, which are served by the glass as well. Definitely a visit worth.

Place to be qnd wnjoy yourself in hidden spot just away from Seven Sisters Clifs on the edge of the National Park.

Lunch visit. Superb food and service, thanks

Fantastic food, attentive and knowledgeable staff and scenic vineyards to enjoy lunch. Thanks to Jake especially.

Amazing food and experience. Jake was exceptional as a host and gave us perfect recommendations

Amazing meal - incredible vegan food, great service and beautiful views. Can’t fault it.

Always an amazing experience, staff just brilliant and food 5* and more

Excellent venue, and the food was superb. Great quality service. Highly recommended.

Beautiful lunch, our second visit and was lovely on both occasions. Gabby is the most wonderful hostess, and the food is perfection. Rounded off with a top up in the wine Cellar for gin and fizz to rake home!

We had an amazing time. Wine and food was exceptional. Service was flawless. Special mention to Jake. So nice to be looked after by a true professional.

It's a little strange to write this review as I don't know what sort of person could come to a place like this and not love it. It's difficult to know which superlatives to use for the beautiful location, the exceptional staff, and most of all, for the amazing food. All I can say is that when it got to the main course I had already run out of words, and could only look at my wife and laugh with delight. A fantastic experience. A wonderful meal. A brilliant restaurant.

Quality wine. The staff know their product. Enjoyable way to buy wine, and straight from the vineyard.

Beautiful walks and great informative information points!

Quite simply, the BEST wine tour I have ever experienced. They can often be much of a muchness but this was so much more - technical but not too much that you lost understanding; engaging and animated, and so passionate. I came away wanting to work for Rathfinny! Oh, and the wines we tasted were truly excellent. This is a vineyard that is going places.

Good, but not great. Lukewarm rather lacklustre service, service charge added without being asked, vegetarian option cost more than meat option…

Went for lunch on 31st July. Nice location with great views across the valley and the vines. Not the greatest atmosphere, think first class lounge rather than restaurant but good nonetheless. Short menu of great well executed dishes and all very enjoyable. Good service, although timings from the kitchen were uneven so we nearly ran out of time. Interesting wine list with a good choice of relevant wines. We chose the Blanc de Noir 2016 which was excellent with just the right amount of age. Top Tip: on the way out pick up a bottle of Blanc de Noir from the Cellar Door.

Had a great afternoon hear, had a lovely lady that was very knowledgeable....wine tasting was great too.....learnt a lot

An amazing venue as you dine with a gorgeous view over the vineyards and enjoy a delicious gourmet lunch. We shall return, probably a regular destination.

A delicious lunch selected from a very interesting menu. Excellent wines.

Wonderful views, delicious food and relaxed surroundings

Very friendly staff and beautiful location :-)

Excellent tour, tasting and lunch and really good value. I would definitely recommend a visit.

Wow we never realised this was 10 mins down the road from us! 385k vines and growing, 600 acres, same Chalk line as Champaign region of France, the restaurant has a Michelin star chef, there wine is in the Ritz, Savoy, Dorchester etc All in all an amazing place and a must visit 🍾🍾🍾🍾🍾🍾🍾🍾🍾🍾

Excellent food and wine. Lovely views

Brilliant experience...lovely food, great service and the perfect setting

We took our own blanket and chairs and ate a fantastic lunch among the grapevines. Their wine was amazing. We had whitebait, cod and lobster all of which was delicious.

Gave 4 stars only because the dairy free option for the picnic was pretty poor (just plain pasta and a desert missing half its components).. Wouldn't be too much of a problem but we have 2 kids and so one had to watch the other eat a much nicer lunch! The staff are amazing though and the man in the cellar door was really lovely, showing my eldest around and explaining the wine making process. Such a beautiful location and well worth the visit.

Great picnic lobster and wine at the current time, but rather let down by surly service.

Wonderful - have a bottle of fizzy wine on the verandah and take in the view. The food is so thoughtfully prepared. I could eat the whole menu :-)

What a lovely afternoon, great staff, wonderful food , and a great place to be 👍

Had a fantastic (relatively short) visit on a Sunday in December. We did the wine tasting with Jack, who was very knowledgeable and explained a lot about the wines, the area and how it lends itself to wine making. A pity they didn’t have any sparkling to offer for the tasting, but was forewarned during a phone call that they have very low stock, so none offered during tastings. We stayed and had some ‘light bites’ and bought a glass of Rosé sparkling (as well as a bottle to take home). Lovely food, friendly and efficient wait-staff. Really want to plan a visit to stay at the barn!

I'm really sad about this review. I was excited about booking the Flint Barn dining room for my Gran's 80th but ended up not proceeding due to the whole process being poorly handled. I had called ahead a couple times to enquire about the different dining options and on 2 occasions was told the same pricing of the dining at the Flint Barns. When I wanted to book the venue, I was told that the events team would call back to confirm all the details. I waited over a week and eventually had to call back myself, only to be told to send an email to the events team, I could have done this from the start! Anyways, eventually I spoke to someone in events and was then told it was going to cost more than what I was made to believe on those 2 occasions I called ahead! Plus, the price I thought it would be was also on the website. Their excuse was "we do not usually offer lunch to the public"! If you do not offer lunch to the public then why promote / offer this to me as an option for dining AND have this on your website?? The staff don't seem to be on the same page or perhaps this type of service is not their priority, but at the end of the day it could have been handled better and not made out as if the estate was doing me a massive favour. Please improve the service as I'm sure it is a lovely place.

Divine dining experience. Phenomenal service and great wines. It’s very much a special occasion type place and doesn’t come in cheap but is very much great value. Second time to visit for my partner birthday but is a definite one to return for our next celebration.

Idyllic location. Delicious food & wine. An altogether fabulous experience

Stunning lunch today, food was exceptionally good, thank you Chefs concerned. Front of house were charming, cool and very professional. The wines were elegant and sophisticated. Can't wait to come back. Closest thing to Michelin Star dining since New Zealand. Congratulations.

Definitely gourmet food, served in an attractive new restaurant with spectacular views out over the vineyard. Pleasant greeting and service. Food and still wine acceptably priced. However portions rather too modest for my unreconstructed traditional tastes and "signature" sparkling wine outrageously expensive! Unfortunately also unacceptably too long waits for and between courses for our party of seven. Whilst we were impressed with the gluten free alternative bread and desert, surprised that after successive advanced requests the restaurant staff on the day didn't appear to be aware of our requirement. In conclusion, a great deal that was very good, but perhaps room for improvement. Sorry if this sounds overly critical, but if you're aiming for excellence and charging accordingly, then it is fair to judge exactingly. Nevertheless an ambitious and impressive venture.

Superb dinner last Friday and lovely lunch today. Excellent friendly staff with good knowledge of ingredients. Well done Rathfinny.

Dinner at the Tasting Room restaurant was exceptional. Great on every front.