Restaurant at The Mermaid Inn in Rother

Had a three day break in Rye, as part of a Christmas present my partner treated me the Sunday lunch at The Mermaid, wow and what a treat it was. The ambience and character of the dining room was amazing, very relaxed and comfortable. Had risotto as a starter best I’ve ever had, pork for main was very tasty, and the desert of chocolate torte was superb. The service was exceptional, friendly, warm and attentive. To cap off a wonderful afternoon we retired to the public lounge sat by the log fire and enjoyed a couple of drinks. Was a wonderful afternoon, thank you Mermaid team, and we enjoyed it so much we returned the following afternoon and spent a lovely relaxing time in the bar.

Lovely building very quirky room nice and clean wish we had known it was a small bed ! Anyway lovely staff but restaurant food very average service poor quite disappointed and certainly not good value.Need a big shake up as it really spoiled the occasion(my wife's birthday and Mothers Day!) Not sure we will come again.

What a disappointing meal! OK, the venue is pretty special, but that's where it ends. There was no room in any of the bars/lounges for a drink before dinner, so we went elsewhere. We returned for our table booking, and were looking forward to a good meal of fresh fish. The skate wings were tiny, dry and over-cooked served with a pile of mashed potato. The tables were too close together. One of our starters required a magnifying glass to locate it on the plate. Over-priced and underwhelming.

Very old and good maintained place. Gets busy during the day, staff is good and cant complaint about service. 4 stars because its a bit pricey.

We have made a reservation for the Mermaid Inn restaurant through online booking app (Opentable) for 9 pm. We arrived at 9:15, with a 15 min delay, which is considered very normal in any restaurant, but were told that the kitchen is closed at 9 pm and they can not serve us. We have talked the staff first and then the manager but no change. They have refused to serve us, not even chips, a cheese plate etc. that would not require a gourmet chef!! We had driven an hour to reach the restaurant and they did not even give us a call to tell us that the kitchen is closing at 9 pm and confirm if we are coming or not. The website allowed to make bookings until 22:30 at the time - so there was no indication that they will not be serving after 9 pm. I see that after our complaint they amended that to have the the last booking at 9 pm. Still, how can you take a booking if you are closing the kitchen at 9 pm? The manager and the staff was impolite and incompetent to make a nice gesture to at least offer some remedy for their mistake. In short; don't go to this restaurant.

Went there for dinner. The food was unimaginative and bland. At the bar, the barman could not get even the simplest of drinks (e.g. a G&T) right. You don't come out hungry but you don't come out impressed either.

The Mermaid Fish and Chips are to die for, caught locally that morning so really tasty and fresh. All of the staff were friendly and hospitable. Highly recommend a visit.

A fantastic hotel and resturant. Wonderful creaky and old but modern in its approach to customer service and care. It was the occasion of our anniversary and we were very well looked after. Loved the cosy little bar in particular.

Hotel restaurants can be so so. Not so the Restaurant at The Mermaid Inn. I dine out regularly in London, often choosing vegetarian food - although I’m not a vegetarian. The meal at The Mermaid Inn was the best vegetarian meal I’ve had for a long time. Textures of carrot, as a starter, was sublime and SO creative. Pithivier of Roast Celeriac & Twineham Grange Cheese was superb as a Main. I have no doubt the non-veggie food was equally good. Excellent, courtly service and a delicious and inexpensive glass of Merlot made me regret this restaurant is in Rye and not in London, where I live.

This is the poshest restaurant in Rye in a fabulous ancient inn. It has a lot of pretension. However, beware. There is little or no welcome, only slightly disguised superciliousness. Our lunch got off to a bad start with the wiater sloshing a glass of wine all over me. Ok, things happen. But this was followed by an interminable wait for one of the only three courses on the lunch menu (one of which was a veggie pie, presumably cooked beforehand). The other two were locally fished skate and pork. When they appeared both dishes were undercooked (I notice other reviews remarking on this too). The couple seated next to us also had about an hour long wait for their main course - and complained (they were told that there was difficulty getting staff in summer! Nobody goes to Rye in any other season). This, despite the fact we must have been served by four diffrent waiters who did respective disappearing acts. We asked for some bread and were served a slice of what looked like polenta bread with oil. There is a real internet connectivity problem (we were told) in the restaurant. Then after we had eaten, our plates were left for half an hour on the table without clearing. We left disgusted (having paid £51 for one course and a glass of wine each) and complained on the way out. It was grudgingly and unapologetically conceded that there had been a few mess-ups.

Looks great sevice good and friedly but main just ok but pudding not of a good standard hand not what it says

Went for an evening meal but started poorly when I had to leave the table to ask for bread rolls. The wife's GF was sliced toast not a roll. We had a rack of undercooked lamb to share. There's pink and there's raw and none of the fat, of which there was loads, was rendered down at all. No-one returned to ask how our meal was or ask if we wanted more drinks. And again I had to leave the table to get someone to even get the table cleared. So bad they didn't charge for the meal. We declined any other courses.

Wonderful service and excellent atmosphere. The food was lovely and I would highly recommend the vegetarian menu.

Visiting Rye and saw that the Mermaid lunch menu was offering Skate wings,one of our favourites. Having explored Rye we returned and hoped that restaurant would be able to accommodate us. Were warmly welcomed by two very friendly staff and duly ordered our chosen meal. The restaurant was very atmospheric and oozes charm as do the staff who continued to be attentive without being pushy. Great to have proper white linen napkins with silver rings even at lunchtime. Skate wings arrived and exceeded our expectations,served with a buttery mash and fresh calabrese they were delicious. There was so much meat on the fish I was struggling to finish so husband was delighted to finish it off. Great value as one course only £16.95,shame I couldn’t manage a dessert as they too looked good. Can’t recommend highly enough,best fish dish we have ever had anywhere and that includes Cunard cruises,le Manoir and some other great restaurants,well done Mermaid!

Pleasant staff serving but felt that comments on “how was your meal” not passed on. Meat was well seasoned and tasty but rest of meal mediocre at best. Highlights were home made bread and petit fours.

A place to visit as one would a medieval castle. Not a place for dinner. An overpriced pretentious menu so limited it was hard to select a meal for one night let alone two if your stay is longer. The only meat on offer was a rack of lamb for sharing. A solo diner would pay a £45 supplement. So guinea fowl was the only option if you want to avoid cod or cabbage. Lots of good eating places withina very short walk.

I had lunch at the Mermaid during Rye Bay Scallop week last month. Three scallop dishes, all of which I tried. Wonderful food, great service and an unbeatable ambiance. Always highly recommended...

Just visited the restaurant. Fur coat and no knickers! Peformative but no quality. Really disappointed with the choice and the quality of the food. Used to London food. This promised a lot but did not deliver

Was really looking forward to eating here after reading the reviews but what a disappointment - scallop starter accompanied by undercooked celeriac, oversweet gel & limp apple slices; guinea fowl main was overcooked so dry and chewy, very salty gravy, burnt ricotta gnocchi, also hard...

The food here is absolutely divine. If you have ever intention of staying, you must book it Dinner Bed and Breakfast, as it is definitely worth it. It is a wonderful experience and we were served by Brandon and colleagues: all exceptionals. Will be back...

We are on holidays from Australia and visiting Rye with English friends - the restaurant we originally decided on turned out to be fully booked so as an alternative, we went to The Mermaid Inn restaurant - what an absolutely great decision. The food and...

Having visited a few places in Rye for dinner, this place was the first day and I waited until we ate at 3 other establishments in Rye. The Mermaid Inn on paper promised so much due to its history and quirkiness and on entrance that’s...

Had a great lunch 50 years after my first visit. Unfortunately the silver service didn't come close to how it was years ago. Infact they done some strange table services. There was side plates on the table but you don't get a roll offered, the...

We arrived in the car park to go for a meal we had booked. We had just got out the car (5 spaces on the car park) a young man came out and told us we could not park there it was residence only. I...

Booked dinner here, what a treat it was! Hubby ate the pate, venison and frangipan tarte - I had the scallops and the Bream. Wonderfully flavoursome, cooked to perfection. The staff were young and knowledgable and engaged well with the customers. Service was good. Happy...

We had dinner at The Mermaid Inn during a short break in Rye. The hotel is a well-known landmark and the displayed menu sounded very traditional and interesting. Certainly the environment lived up to expectation in this very old and well preserved building, but the...

Arrived at 2pm with no greeting by staff, seated at a tiny table despite there being a larger one right next to us, we requested to move to said table but were told it was reserved (it wasn’t). The food itself was ok but for...

I just had dinner in the restaurant. Loved the ambience. Food quality was okay (the pigeon starter was raw - although the manager had warned us, but I wasn't expecting that level). It was a bit on the expensive side, but I would say to...

Booked for Friday as it was full for Saturday. Service was very efficient and also friendly - not often in combination at most restaurants. The food was very good - pigeon breast and scallops starters were very tasty. My Pork belly was good but not...

Atmospheric olde pub environment, with many diners being residents at the Inn. Service was efficient, food mostly good but the vegetarian main (aubergine slices) was disappointing - cooked in a bland manner and still a bit bitter. Perhaps time for a menu change here? The...

The food is good but the service is great. I really enjoyed the breakfast, simply perfection. I can't wait to go back.

I've been eating at the Mermaid's restaurant since 1990. Never had less than an outstanding meal. Today, roast lamb Sunday lunch, with a seafood risotto starter. All perfect, with professional, unobtrusive service. Bravo!

Staff were welcoming with good service. Lovely historic dining room with a nice ambiance. We had spider crab to start with chicken for main course. Both were extremely tasty. Would highly recommend a meal here.

Das Ambiente in diesem 600 Jahre alten und äußerst gepflegten Gebäude ist unglaublich. Hier wurde Geschichte gemacht und das spürt...

I had high expectations, having been told the mermaid was amazing. The building, for sure, is beautiful and full of charm. The staff too are lovely and attentive. However, the food did not sadly taste amazing, it was average. Overall the flavours were bland and...

Very quaint building really steeped in character. The staff were ok but considering was my 50th and got engaged there was no complimentary drink. Food was ok - we had chicken but it was not amazing and the crab ravioli starter was one piece of...

Great menu choices with some welcome creative innovation amongst the more 'standard' options. Beautifully cooked food arrives, well presented and delivered by friendly efficient staff. We have never been disappointed.

Very disappointing. every year restaurant goes downhill, 3 years ago good menu, good quality, friendly service. This time had booked for scallops week 2022 (for 4 people). anounced on internet 1 month beforehand, while restaurant normally full on scallops week. called 2 days before booking...

A nicely cooked plate of scallops followed by a less than average dessert. The staff did their best and Sam, the waiter, was friendly and attentive. Overall just missed the mark.

We stopped for lunch but were disappointed only to be offered one vegetarian option which in itself (a butterbean dish) did not wow. Please update and expand your lunch veggie options. The staff were friendly and helpful and the hotel lovely. A real step back...

Had booked 3 night break including dinner . First night meal met our expectations. 2 nd night a completely different experience. Our table was booked for 8 pm . We were there on time and were shown to a table in one of the rooms...

Having lived in Rye for all of my life I have never actually dined at the mermaid except on festive occasions. ( The roast turkey at Christmas with all the trimmings was excellent). Sadly this visit wasn't quite as I anticipated. Having had a la...

We had a perfect dinner, charming staff, fantastic food. This is a place that never disappoints, we both had the rabbit, perfection, the chocolate brownie - such a large serving it could have served four! Both agreed it was a superb meal. Will return

We've just finished a very enjoyable weekend in Rye and at the Mermaid Inn. That being said, I'd like to offer a balanced review based on our 2 nights there: Pros: - The building is magnificent and there is so much history around every corner....

We visited The Mermaid Inn during our visit to Rye. Having stayed at the hotel on previous occasions we decided to dine there for my husband’s birthday. The menu was enticing and we were looking forward to our experience there. Sadly it didn’t meet with...

Great food and wine. The only thing which let down the experience was the length of time it took for the food to be served. I don’t know if this was due to staff shortages due to COVID or some other reason?

We visited with a local society for our annual lunch. The setting is excellent, but unfortunately the food was very disappointing. The starters were inadequately seasoned; the beef for the main course was good but tepid, accompanied by undercooked vegetables. The dessert (Etom Mess) was...

Booked a table for 14:30 for myself and 2 friends to have lunch on a day visit to Rye. Confirmed that we wanted our table at this hour the day before our visit. Turned up to Mermaid Inn at 14:30 to be told that we...

Very disappointed with the restaurant menu. No soup, pate, salad or steak. Chicken missing and told seafood “out of season “, rubbish! Thank goodness we were allowed to order from the bar menu. Over Halloween a pumpkin soup was an obvious choice and if you...

We had lunch at the Mermaid during the half term holidays. The service was welcoming, friendly and efficient and we all found the food and drink to be excellent. I can heartily recommend their own ale- light and very refreshing. We only ate lunch but...

We had a dinner for four on Saturday 25/09/21 Three of us selected the Salt Marsh Lamb as our main course.coming from Wales we know how special lamb can be. All three were so disappointed by the portion size and that the meat was so...

Visited on the off chance of getting a table for lunch, and the friendly staff were able to accommodate us by opening up the restaurant to avoid pressure on the bar. Great Mermaid bitter, and would recommend the Ploughmans and the seafood sandwiches

Visiting the area with friends and decided on The Mermaid for dinner as part of my wife's 60th birthday celebrations. The menu ,although not extensive ,was designed,I imagine ,to please most tastes and we all found something that suited us . My wife and I...

The Mermaid is a beautiful setting and the food was tasty and hearty as opposed to a la carte but definitely worth a visit

The food was to die for. We had the scallops and then we shared the steak and a wonderful dessert to round it off. The food was absolutely first class as was the service and we thought the price was really good value for money...

Dinner in the restaurant. Table for two, by window opening onto Mermaid Street. Passers-by looking in obviously at our meal and surroundings!

we had wanted to stay at the mermaid for a long time and booked a twin room for my birthday. The crows nest room was up many flights of stairs and was decorated and furnished in a frankly dismal manner. The meal in the restaurant...

We have just eaten in the restaurant, and I must say, although the food was nice, it wasn’t as special as I was expecting and based on that I Ithink it was overpriced. It’s such a shame as I was looking forward to it immensely....

The inn is beautiful and we were very happy with our room. The only downside was our restaurant meal, when for the first time in my life I had to send a meal back. What was billed as a cherry tomato, broccoli and red onion...

We had breakfast here for three days. Generally it was OK but, as other reviews had mentioned, the fruit at breakfast was limited to melon and pineapple. Would expect better these days. We had dinner on the first night when the food was again quite...

Visited The Mermaid for lunch during a sunny weekend in June. Although we hadn't booked we were lucky enough to get a table outside in the sun. We ordered sandwiches, chips and drinks. The waiting staff were very friendly and helpful and the food was...

So looked forward to this restaurant. The building is medieval and beautiful inside and out. It was the first day of lockdown freedom to eat inside and the staff were so happy to be working again. We had a lovely meal for my birthday. The...

We wanted to try the restaurant here recently but were told to go and wait outside in the rain until a member of staff came out to seat us ( the restaurant was empty as it was early). Needless to say, we didnt bother to...

We were staying at the hotel and were on a DB&B rate. The menu was limited but we found something for both of us and the food was beautifully presented. I had halibut and it was cooked to perfection. My Husband had a traditional Christmas...

The food was very good at the Mermaid Inn but we did hope for a little more atmosphere as it had been so highly recommended as a must visit. The building is lovely and steeped in history, would have been brilliant to hear more about...

Hi, My wife and I had a reservation in your restaurant for dinner on Sunday 4th October. This was to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary, so, obviously, we wanted it to be a special occasion. On arrival, we were directed to a table adjacent to...

Booked in advance and they rang us the day before to remind . A wonderful meal with exceptional staff who were so helpful and attentive. Historic dining room and an amazing venue . We would like to stay here if we are lucky enough to...

The restraint in the hotel spreads across a few rooms all of which are part of the ancient hotel. So you really good food, really good service and an amazing old English ambiace. Greeted but the warmth and smell of a wood fire burning in...

Lovely olde worlde restaurant with quality food and wines, and good service. We have dined here before and will be back again. Only slight criticism is that some of the unshaded bulbs are too bright, and this affects me as I have photophobia and get...

We were there for the history - as I'm sure many are - so we were prepared to pay the prices for average food within a tourist trap but we were wrong. Service was friendly and attentive (until about 8.30pm when it became exceptionally busy,...

Historic Hotel set in the most picturesque part of Rye, we had our meal surrounded by oak beams and old paintings. The menu isn't cheap but the food was some of the best that we've had - superb. The staff couldn't have been more attentive...

We stayed here but unfortunately the dinner menu was restricted. Items we had were cooked well and enjoyable. Decided to only eat on 1 evening due to restrictive options. Breakfast was excellent

Unfortunately not a great stay this time. The walls are paper thin everyone who stays here knows this. 11 pm I was speaking to my daughter when next door who had been banging around shouted at us to be quiet. The next thing the night...

I often find it tricky to use Tripadvisor ratings in any meaningful way, not least because TA offers no guidance about what it means by, for example, “average”. Is that a statistical average, as in what most places are like. I think it must be...

The Mermain Inn is absolutely beautiful and it is a fascinating building to spend some time at. It has loads of character and is well-kept. A few things let it down: we visited for roast lunch and were slightly disappointed at the menu - a...

I booked this place for lunch for me, my wife and my grandfather to visit during our holiday on the south coast. My grandfather had always wanted to eat here ever since he saw the Inn in the 1950's. Now at nearly 90 he finally...

Stayed in Rye for three nights and on the second night we had dinner at the Mermaid Inn. The Inn is very old and makes for a nice location for a meal. I chose the chicken burger meal and I have to say that it...

Visited the pub for a drink, sat outside where they have added extra tables in their cad park to accommodate and maintain social distancing. Was good value and staff friendly. Pub looks amazing and the food we saw others having looked scrummy! Especially the sunday...

Waited in queue to be allocated a space but had to leave because they stopped serving food @ 2.30 !! What sort of business model they operate if customers can't have lunch on a nice day in August ?Disappointed. Staff could not explain why, and I think any excuse is poor.Otherwise looks very tidy and anti-virus aware.Management feedback welcome.

The Mermaid certainly has bags of character. You would at that age too ! I would recommend it as a pub to go to for a few drinks as the guests are a jolly crowd. As for food, not so special. Our two course meal was distinctly average & the service lacked finesse. The dining rooms could do with a lick of paint or some polish. Outside seating is probably best, weather permitting. Wife & I agreed that we will not eat here again, just pop in for a swift half. Must say their food pricing is OTT compared with other similar restaurants in Rye.GOOD TIP : If you decide to stay here do not bring your car. The hotel car park is too small & cannot accommodate everyones cars !

We had dinner here on 31/07.Just divine.My other half's fillet steak was the best he's ever had in a long while and my seabass was beautiful. Lovely and crispy.Brandon and Ryan were very attentive and friendly.Not cheap but worth it.Thank you for a lovely evening.

We did not stay at the hotel there but went for a meal at the restaurant. Would wholeheartedly recommend it! Each dish was a masterpiece, and the staff could not be more helpful or more welcoming. This is a place that is doing a great job despite the Covid-19 restrictions and I would definitely go again.

My bf and I had struggled to find somewhere to eat on a rainy Sunday evening in Rye - many places were fully booked/ not open due to COVID. We had initially turned down the Mermaid because there wasn’t room in the main bar for a drink and the empty (overspill) bar across the cobbled lane wasn’t v enticing. However, we did regret this as the extensive gin menu (40+ from memory) and friendly barman, Edward, more than made up for the quieter ambience. Luckily we managed to book a table in the main restaurant, which we moved to three or four gins later....The food is really excellent - we both highly recommend the crayfish, shrimp & prawn salad starter and fillet steak with fondant potatoes. You can certainly see why it is a 2 rosette restaurant. My only v small criticism? The bread roll was dry and reminded me of something you might be served on an plane. Just didn’t fit with the rest of the top class a la carte menu we thought. Instead of pudding, we went for espresso martinis - which were 5*. Edward said he and his colleagues competed to make the best one but sadly his shift had ended so we didn’t try his version. Another good reason to return ;) Staff are v friendly. Sam, our waiter, was jokey but professional. Given the extenuating circumstances the staff are all working under - transparent plastic full face masks & having to fully disinfect tables after each customer does not make life easy - they did a fantastic and commendable job. Would highly recommend eating here esp in the main dining room for a truly authentic Rye experience. This place has hundreds of years of history behind it and we felt lucky to have been able to soak it all up!

My bf and I had struggled to find somewhere to eat on a rainy Sunday evening in Rye - many places were fully booked/ not open due to COVID. We had initially turned down the Mermaid because there wasn’t room in the main bar for a drink and the empty (overspill) bar across the cobbled lane wasn’t v enticing. However, we did regret this as the extensive gin menu (40+ from memory) and friendly barman, Edward, more than made up for the quieter ambience. Luckily we managed to book a table in the main restaurant, which we moved to three or four gins later....The food is really excellent - we both highly recommend the crayfish, shrimp & prawn salad starter and fillet steak with fondant potatoes. You can certainly see why it is a 2 rosette restaurant. My only v small criticism? The bread roll was dry and reminded me of something you might be served on an plane. Just didn’t fit with the rest of the top class a la carte menu we thought. Instead of pudding, we went for espresso martinis - which were 5*. Edward said he and his colleagues competed to make the best one but sadly his shift had ended so we didn’t try his version. Another good reason to return ;) Staff are v friendly. Sam, our waiter, was jokey but professional. Given the extenuating circumstances the staff are all working under - transparent plastic full face masks & having to fully disinfect tables after each customer does not make life easy - they did a fantastic and commendable job. Would highly recommend eating here esp in the main dining room for a truly authentic Rye experience. This place has hundreds of years of history behind it and we felt lucky to have been able to soak it all up!

First trip to a restaurant post end of lockdown, excellent alfresco lunch sitting outside the rear of the hotel, good attention to cleanliness from the staff and the food was excellent and reasonably priced, thoroughly recommended.

The Chef had put together an interesting menu with a variety of dishes. As an opener, there was a little surprise offering from the Chef before our main meal was served, The meal was tasty and the only criticism is that the sauces were a bit rich.Very attentive service made for an enjoyable experience overall.

This is a very classy and atmospheric restaurant which we had first visited some years ago. As we were spending a few days in Rye last week we naturally wanted to dine at this restaurant once again. We were not disappointed, a really superb meal in a delightful setting with such excellent service from all the wonderful staff who having heard the bad news of the restaurant closure due to the Virus still managed to put a brave face on things and make our visit special. I cannot recommend this restaurant enough and will certainly be returning as soon as the current health situation improves.

We ate in the bar rather than the restaurant. The fish and chips were beautifully cooked and tasted delicious. The ambience at the Mermaid is fabulous and the service was very good.

We came here for a short break and had our wedding anniversary meal at the Mermaid Inn restaurant. After a complimentary amuse bouche of soup we both had the scallop starter. A traditional nouvelle cuisine dish with nicely presented but diminutive portions of the various ingredients. As a result it was finished in a few mouthfuls with little opportunity to savour the flavours. For mains my wife had the duck leg and I had the Gurnard. I’ve never knowingly eaten this fish but it has a robust texture and I enjoyed its pairing with the chorizo risotto. With a pleasant half bottle of champagne & drinks at the bar our bill came to approximately £100. The restaurant setting for our meal was unique, I’m not sure I’ve ever eaten in a room so historic a background. In addition the two rosette award held by the restaurant was in part what attracted me to eat here. However at the end of our visit I felt a little deflated. The food & drink were fine as were the service & setting. Absolutely no complaints. I think in terms of other fine dining experiences what was missing was the interaction with the management or owner. A post meal discussion about the dishes, some immediate feedback shared, effectively some chatting up of the customer which makes you feel welcome and valued. Of course our server asked if all was well with our meals but that’s not quite the same thing. I wish the restaurant well and hope that my objective comments are accepted in the spirit I give them.

I don't understand any of the negative reviews of this place. My partner and I had a wonderful meal here and the service was fantastic. All of the staff were incredibly friendly and attentive. We had the tagliatelle, venison, gurnard and trio of goat - all delicious and beautifully presented. We loved the extra touches like a complimentary mini starter and warm bread rolls. Highly recommended for a special treat!

The food is pretty one dimensional --- not terrible, but defintiely not anything to write home about [aka: think lots of boiled potatoes, fish pies, old school British food]. However, the ambiance was OUTSTANDING. There's so much history, the back bar is charming with it's old fire place, rafters, and stories of smugglers. All of the staff was very nice. Definitely worth a visit, even just for a drink or two in the back bar.

We went with great expectations as had such good food there previously. However, we were disappointed. The menu was quite limited. We ordered the scallops for our starter.. Tiny portion, it came with taramasalata and trout caviar. The scallops were very small and the caviar and taramasalata garnishes were so small that you literally could not get enough to gauge the taste. We had the pork for our main. The pork tasted divine but there was the same amount of fat as pork on the servings and whilst it tasted good, there was no way you could eat too much of the fat. It came with some parsnips But there was no sauce or gravy.The portion was so small and I think it should have come with some vegetables or potatoes. We weren’t offered sides but the only side was chips or salad. My husband really enjoyed his cheeseboard, But we noticed that his portion of cheeses was much smaller than the gentleman at the table next to us who had the same earlier on and he and we commented on the good portion. I had the Millefuille which was ok, but a bit bland. We had Irish coffee which was served tepid and wasn’t pleasant but was expensive. For the price, the meal was disappointing and certainly not anywhere near as good as we had had before. One bright spot; the chefs complimentary white onion soup. Delicious!

The only reason I didn’t mark the Mermaid as terrible is because the building and atmosphere are so charming, rich and fantastic. We had the mangalitza pork with truffle and cranberry stuffing. It was utterly unrecognisable as pork, it was like soil, it had clearly been under a heat lamp for ages at the gravy had evaporated. There was a large piece of cling film in my food. Despite this we weren’t offered any recompense. When we ordered a cheese board our waiter told us one of the cheeses wasn’t his favourite “to be honest”. The service was spectacularly inept, with waiters dropping food, it was like a troupe of Boy Scouts who were afraid to talk to adults were in charge.Our desert wine which we ordered with our cheeseboard was warm instead of chilled. Despite the awful food we had a fabulous evening as we felt like we were in an episode of Faulty Towers but in a beautiful setting with benignly incompetent service. I’d love to try a pint in the bar, I would still go there again but never for a meal.

If you know the Mermaid Inn you will know that it is steeped in history and myths. The restaurant is no exception and an interesting place to eat. Service is excellent and also the food. Well presented on hot plates. Little touches like linen serviettes and the correct cutlery make for a complete experience. Menu good and varied and it includes some novel twists. Coffee in the lounge afterwards in front of the fire is a must although nowadays the fires are gas lit (not in the main bar).

Great building and atmosphere but service and attitude was disappointing we ordered drinks and they arrived nothing more than your typical pub service but smartly dressed bar staff all the drinks where passable except the wine when staff member told the wine was warm and not cold enough he replied it's out of the fridge and insisted it was the right temperature he was then sternly told it wasn't acceptable he stated all the wine id the same so another would be no different on that a refund was requested and received and decided not to eat here as planned and went somewhere else in Rye that knew and served wine at the correct temperature. :(

This is the third time I have eaten at The Mermaid and I will not go back. The building is beautiful but the food is woeful. I am at a loss to understand how they can manage to present school dinners - tasteless, textureless food served by friendly but ineffectual waiting staff. The experience did not start well with a bored receptionist who made no effort to engage and managed to get our booking wrong twice.The promise of fresh local ingredients seemed extremely misleading as the food came in dense gloopy sauce that bore no relation to anything remotely fresh. If this had been a happy hour pub meal I would have shrugged and accepted it but this is not a cheap restaurant and I can only assume they get a lot of tourists and passing trade in order to keep going. I doubt very much they get repeat visitors.This was an expensive mistake.There are many better, cheaper restaurants in Rye.

Excellent choice of unusually good food and wine in a relaxed atmosphere with very helpful staff. Thoroughly recommend eating here

Great lunch! Staff were kind and attentive. This is a very special place. You can only use the car park if you are resident but if dining you can drive up to front door to drop off guests and park at the pay & display at the bottom of the hill. I advise against wearing high heels, those cobbles are unforgiving!

Great atmosphere with friendly staff. Delicious ,different and excellent food served by lovely staff.

Wow just Wow. The whole dining experience was such a delight. From amazing food that makes your taste buds dance and sing to the atmosphere that is just wonderful.