Restaurant Interlude in Horsham

What an amazing experience - stunning food in lovely surroundings with such a friendly team! Love the sustainability ethos and learning more about each ingredient, along with the merging of various styles to create some truly brilliant dishes. Loved having the chefs come out to introduce us to dishes, and giving their own stories about what the dishes mean to them. Overall service was out of this world - we were so well looked after!

“Interlude” is probably an inaccurate description. I wouldn’t say five hours is a ‘lull’ or a ‘breather.’ “Intense” is possibly more accurate. But even this doesn’t really capture the experience. Much of it is utterly brilliant, other parts utterly baffling, but nothing is so bad that it deserves knocking a star off the rating. 1. There is no menu. You start your experience in the bar - which feels a little behind the Leonardslee House rooms in decor (we also stayed) - and are asked to order a pre-dinner drink. Gin cocktails and sparkling options are there, but it’s quite a variety given you don’t know what your food is going to be. Your first course of “snacks” are brought there and you eat them with your drinks. So far, so typical 1-Michelin star, although this is where the familiarity with such an experience fades. You then are asked to proceed to the dining room and are given the wine list to choose your wine (remember, they have not told you what food is next). Disappointingly, when the waiter (it was not obvious they had any kind of sommelier here, strange for a Michelin restaurant) was asked whether there was a wine flight for the tasting menu, he said no. He also then asked “Well, do you prefer red or white?” To people accustomed to fine dining and to spending £195 a person on food alone, this is a bizarre question. I understand that not everyone is interested in the relationship between wine and food and some just want to focus on the latter, but come on. You have a brilliant kitchen team working away on an incredible food menu with subtle flavours and magical conception, hard at it from the morning hours till 6pm, and your response to wine suitability enquiries for such subtle concoctions is at the sophistication level of a gastro pub? In my opinion, it doesn’t work as a formula. You end up spending a lot of effort asking about what comes next and whether a Chardonnay or a Riesling might be best, or whether given the courses after that, maybe you could try a lighter red instead, as you don’t want to be left with a Riesling by course 12 as it’s completely unsuitable. The brain funk and aggravation this causes doesn’t help the experience at all. It’s hard work and it’s boring. However, the food is very, very good indeed. The chef has a great talent and his team are evidently brilliantly capable of consistently delivering attractive, wonderfully delicious courses throughout the experience. Little cards accompany each after it has been delivered, a gambit I have seen at Steirereck in Vienna as well (although they have a wine flight. And they show you the menu when you sit down. But I digress…). The style is small-bites for each course, except the bread course which comes - confusingly - halfway through. For me that doesn’t work. You’re already stuffed with such a rich variety of foods that the idea of pushing bread down your throat, however well done, just feels off. As soon as each course arrives, you’re polishing it off within 1-2 minutes. This creates a great and continuous anticipation for the next course, which is both exciting and daunting. By the 14th course, however, the food starts to become moderately irritating. Impressively made and beautiful to look at but rather like one of those excellent movies that goes on rather long, you desire the conclusion. No one could touch the 17th so stuffed we were. We had certainly been fed and fed well, that no one could argue. It’s probably a bit too long. Some of the courses you didn’t need. 11-12 courses is probably enough. The night before we had a 6 course tasting menu at 1-star The Pass by Ben Wilkinson (which Leonardslee House do not advertise in their “local restaurants” guide in the room. Meow.) This was filling but also not punishing. You didn’t feel like losing the will to live at course 16. The thing that kept us positive all evening long was respecting the incredible skill of the chef and his kitchen. There was a bit of a mismatch with the waiting staff and the food itself. Some of them were excellent and enthusiastic but others lacked sufficient interest in the experience. The music is, to put it politely, eclectic. And occasionally lacking in taste, lurching from forgettable soft rock to disco to 60s pop. And it’s also really sad that the only other music you could hear all weekend at the hotel was from a Bluetooth speaker under the grand piano - an absolute tragedy this instrument was never played. But Jean Delport takes all the glory of this review.

This is serious stuff. OK, 17 courses might be a little much (I had to ditch two) but this is perhaps the most technically perfect meal I've ever eaten. Hats off to the kitchen. Staff were a delight. The wine wonderful. Not cheap, but worth it.

We had an exceptional dinner, the food was delicious and interesting, the team very welcoming and the gluten-free option outstanding. We look forward to returning!

A wonderful restaurant with sublime cuisine and excellent service. The setting is beautiful and overall would highly recommend.

The effort that has clearly gone into each course is exceptional. It’s seasonal and extremely local with genuinely great and knowledgeable service. However, while we enjoyed most dishes (the rabbit & carrot and the pumpkin seed miso were highlights), some were not all that nice to eat and it felt a bit like less could have been more - I think there are 18 courses. A couple of the dishes were genuinely hard to eat (e.g. a sauced dish in a deep bowl, finger food too big for one bite) and some simple plates would have been welcome. This is the second visit; we went when it first opened and felt the same but wanted to give it another try. We really enjoyed the meal, it was a good atmosphere, we’re happy we went but we’re unlikely to go again. It was expensive for an evening, but you’re there for a long time, and the per-course price is reasonable, especially considering the extraordinary amount of work.

This was some of the most interesting food we have ever eaten and the lobster with wild garlic was alone worth the visit. The presentation and variety of flavours and textures was brilliant. But be aware that this is a marathon of dining experiences and you need a great appetite to complete the menu. We would have been happier with around 5 fewer courses. The staff were lovely; knowledgeable, helpful and pleasant. The wine list includes their own South African wine and both their Shiraz and Chardonnay were good plus there is a large choice of other wines at under £100 per bottle, which is a welcome rarity in such a high standard restaurant

Incredible meal. Such clever flavour combinations and presentation. Enjoyed every dish. Excellent attentive service and a great atmosphere.

Amazing meal ,Michelin star well deserved. The 2007 Annandale cavalier from South Africa was stunning. They have many great South African wines on their list. The staff service was perfect.

Tip : If you can, stay in the rooms in the house as they are wonderful and the continental breakfast is excellent. You also get access to the gardens which are well worth visiting. Set in Leonardslee House, the dining room is situated on the ground floor and has been wonderfully restored to its original grandeur to be a small and cosy dining room . The menu is only revealed at the end of the meal so each course is a lovely surprise, each with a story from the chef with a South African leaning and with ingredients foraged from the estate gardens. Each of the 18-20 courses was superb, beautifully presented and ranging from pot bread with a cultured butter to snail porridge and pheasant thigh. Service is excellent, with each dish being explained by the team alongside a card with details from the chef. The team are warm and friendly and each course comes out after a nice break. Wine list if focused on wine from the owners vineyard in South Africa but have a good enough choice of others at reasonable prices. Overall a wonderful dining experience that lasted around three and a half hours and definitely a place to visit.

Celebrated our wedding anniversary at Restaurant Interlude and what a wonderful evening we had. The setting, the restaurant, the attentive waiters, and the delicious food all combined to make an evening we won't forget. Thank you so much

I had high expectations for Restaurant Interlude and it did not disappoint. There is a strong sense of place reflected throughout the menu and the courses are beautifully balanced. Chef Jean and his team are incredibly talented and this is a culinary destination that I will certainly revisit.

This is an outstanding tasting menu by any standard. It draws heavily on the leonardslee estate gardens incorporating flavours from pine, sweet woodruff, sea buckthorn, Japanese knot wood, silver birch and more in entrancing and original ways. Caviar and nettle, lobster and wild garlic, In perfectly judged portions also feature, along with local beef and lamb. The chef is South African and brings many cooking techniques from his native country in a menu that charms and delights. The orchestrated service of multiple dishes within multiple courses is excellent. We still don’t really like the background music, but this is now turned very low. But don’t let this minor aspect put you off.

I should start by saying that I’ve been coming here since it first opened and before it received its star. The food has always been nothing short of spectacular, and I predicted in my very first review that this place had the potential to get, not one, but two stars because of the amazing food journey. However, I fear that if nothing is done about the service, then they may be in danger of losing the one they have. There seems to be a high turnover of staff and the service was noticeably worse this time. There was no warm welcome, instead we were quickly ushered into the garden for drinks by a very dry, abrupt host. Throughout the service, staff seemed robotic. There was a lack of smiles, interest and engagement with customers. It felt as though they just following a script and getting through it. In between courses, the staff would huddle at the back of the restaurant watching us eat, making it almost uncomfortable. On a number of occasions the music stopped, often for (what seemed like) long periods, making it even more uncomfortable. When we left, there was no one saying goodbye. Gone was the lovely salt pots and bags given on departure. Overall, it just all felt awkward, slight uncomfortable, and lacked any atmosphere. I do hope they realise that service is more than just placing food and giving a brief explanation. I’ve always championed this place, but I left this time feeling slightly embarrassed at having taking new people there on a promise of it being so amazing. That said, the food was yet again faultless. The kitchen is nothing short of phenomenal and it deserves more from front of house. Will I go back? Of course I will, as I hope this was just a ‘blip’ but they do need to keep their focus if they want to maintain their status as a destination restaurant. More smiles, more engaging with customers please, more atmosphere, and get a music playlist that last the duration of service.

Jean Deport has brought his South African background to Sussex and fused his style with very local homegrown produce resulting in amazing and clever plates of food! Every mouthful is a delight . Service and ambience are also extremely good.

A lovely setting on a beautiful Summers evening and a tasting menu that was superb.Interesting,clever,delicious.Service that was attentive without being intrusive.Excellent Syrah wine from South Africa at a reasonable price for this class of restaurant.For a special occasion this is a definite place to put on your list.

With no doubt, one of the most outstanding meal experiences we’ve ever had. It wasn’t just the exceptional and novel food it was the entire theatre presentation. The whole team were 100% on point - utterly faultless. Rounded off by staying overnight in beautifully designed rooms with stunning bathrooms then back for breakfast, again completely novel and a real show. Our view would be that the Michelin inspectors need to revisit Interlude at Leonardslee House as they should be getting their second star!

Restaurant Interlude is in the Manor House at Leonardslee Gardens. Great setting and excellent food. A special mention to the wonderful staff (thanks Simba) and service. Indeed all worthy of the Michelin Star awarded.

This was a present from our daughter for my husband’s birthday and it really turned out to be a memorable evening: We found the staff to be unfailingly helpful, polite and friendly and the food was totally unique - it was so interesting to learn the background of each dish. I only passed on the snails- beautifully presented and I did actually try a spoonful which was delicious…..but my imagination was telling me otherwise!! Thank you for a lovely experience and compliments to an inspired chef.

Without wishing to spoil the surprise(s) for future visitors, I would like to highly recommend the entire experience of Restaurant Interlude. Once you square away what is, undoubtedly, the huge price of the evening, the menu and event is amazing. It is well conceived and...

Amazing procession of delicious courses. Each coming with wonderful presentation and an explanation card. A number of courses also had smoke/incense so that the scents were also super. The wine flight was well worth the investment - lovely South African wines. We also booked a...

I have been lucky enough to spend the last few birthdays here - a table of 6 both times, split equally meat and vegetarian. We started with cocktails and appetisers in the bar which was the start of many courses to follow once seated in...

Wonderful food and oh so many divine courses only mildly tempered by slight service attention to detail. Overall, the food well exceeded already high expeditions with a great array of flavours, techniques and a serene blend of South African food inspirations and local, very local...

We ate at Interlude as we were given gift vouchers for the Estate Experience. The food was impressively varied and it was great knowing it was foraged from the beautiful gardens. Each course came with a small explanation card detailing where the ingredients came from...

This is within Leonardslee Gardens but has a different entrance to the main entrance. There is plenty of parking right outside the front of the house. Everyone arrives around the same time for drinks and we were sat outside overlooking part of the gardens. Then...

We visited this restaurant with another couple to celebrate our 27th wedding anniversary. we were met at the from door by a very professional receptionist and then taken to the terrace for a cocktail and the first of the 19 courses. Whilst it was a...

We visited interlude with some friends. Not impressed and would not recommend. Three of the four of us that visited were unwell after visiting. I was ill all night and following say. Arrival drinks were outside and it was freezing not even offered the option...

Although the menu is very complex, the amount of food is over facing and there is no choice of courses. On our visit there were a lot of people who couldn’t finish all the food. A couple left half way through and the server even...

From the moment you turn in to the drive you see the lovley manor. Once in the restaurant we sat in the bar area and had drinks which were lovely. Started the first of 21 course of amazing food. Time went by fast the food...

We were a party of four and all our views were similar - we had been expecting more and were left slightly disappointed. I don't mean "more" as in food - if anything there was almost too much to eat. We would have preferred to...

Excellent service and food in beautiful surroundings. The staff are very helpful and obliging. Will certainly visit again.

The whole experience was underwhelming. Course after course of over the top pretentious dishes, looks good but taste all the same with sugar over added to every single course. A lot of staff but somehow robotic and not interested in answering questions about the food....

Wow!! This is without doubt one of the best and most interesting restaurants I’ve been to in a long time! From the start, entering the beautiful building and being escorted to the bar for a pre dinner drink, then being presented with course after course...

This is what a Michelin star chef do. Exceptional creativity with every course. Presentation, taste and service. Jean is very gifted with an understanding to respect nature around him at Leonards Lee. I would just ask Jean to offer his customers a choice of 5,10...

Very little stood out from an evening spent in this establishment. The service was arrogant and unremarkable, the ambience bland, the 14+ courses - some foraged from the estate - a blur of similar tastes, served in nest or egg style presentations. The most flavoursome dish was a deep fried chicken foot canapé. Little justified the £160+pp price tag, not least the limited wine list, which included some very underwhelming choices. For locals to want to return here, a revamp should be considered. Fewer and bolder dishes and friendlier staff may warrant another visit.

Wonderful!! We went with friends who had heard about Interlude. Arrived just before 6pm to start our journey through the 22 course, 3.5 hour tasting menu. From start to finish this was a special meal with great service from staff who were clearly passionate about the food. You can never like every course of a tasting menu but I was 20/22. The wine selection is also excellent and reasonably priced. We chose to take away the box of cheeses, chutney, truffle butter and brioche and that meant we extended the experience to yesterday lunch. Our friends did the same. Yes, this was an expensive meal but ‘life is too short’ and this was an experience to remember and the notes you get given, stamped with a wax seal, will remind us of a great evening.

Needed a break as a frontline nurse. Tier one to tier one so no issues there.Arrived at this breathtaking estate entering via the electronic gates. If possible, arrive a little early to have a look around the beautiful grounds.On entering the stunning house all the appropriate C19 precautions were enacted (not going to comment further on precautions as all were fully adhered to, but I am reviewing the food).We started off in the bar with extraordinary crackers and a dip served from a branch.After a while we were invited to enter the beautiful dining room through a stunning hall.Unlike one or two of previous reviewers, we felt the food came at a perfect pace. Foraging food is quite an art, and as we have eaten at a couple of the top foraging restaurants we were starting from a very high threashold. Did chef attain that level? Absolutely, his mix of South African style with the most amazing and complex flavours were breathtaking. In my meals I seek to highlight the best course and if there are deficiencies, it would be wrong to single out particular courses because that would suggest others aren’t as good. If I were to make any observation, it would, as a man with a sweet tooth, the desserts....wow!The whole venue is architecturally beautiful and after eating at 14 of the top 20 rated restaurants in England, I can confidently say there isn’t one that outshines the presentation, hard to say anywhere that excels in flavours either.Staff are really helpful, the presentation of brief individual cards telling the story of each course (to be frank I lost count of the courses, it appears to be around 21-22) was a brilliant idea and I include them in the photos.Meeting chef afterwards was lovely, as he is clearly a man who has a huge passion for his work, and to be honest he achieves the experience exceptionally!The toilets were beautifully clean and well presented.Was the trip worth the 140 mile round trip? Goodness yes!

Had dinner as a family to celebrate my wife's birthday. We really enjoyed the long tasting menu. The vegetarian variants for my wife were excellent. Using local produce and referring it to local vegetation was a very good idea. Many of the dishes have a South African twist. Virtually all the dishes were excellent. Some were surprisingly slightly sweeter than we would have expected. A little more savoury variants will make the tasting menu more interesting. Overall very good experience and the staff were friendly and helpful.

We rebooked after lockdown after my husbands 40th birthday celebrations were understandably cancelled in April. Arrival to the restaurant felt pretty special after buzzing in at the gate and pulling up outside the beautiful building. We were welcomed in and sat in the bar for cocktails and our first course. We were then moved into the beautiful dining room which is a beautiful setting. Once the courses started they kept coming thick and fast. This did become very overwhelming as we had opted for the Estate menu which is 22 courses. Each course is very very rich and hits your senses not only in taste but in smell and visually too. I did begin to find this quite overwhelming as the courses went on. The portion sizes are also quite big especially as you get towards the meat dishes which is great for your value for money. The wines have a hefty corkage charge on them which I thought to be quite unreasonable especially as the cost of this experience is high to begin with. We, as a couple, had a bottle of wine and two cocktails and the bill overall was just under £400The food was very good. I wouldn’t go as far as to say excellent though and it peaked quite early with some of the bar snacks. Particularly the exmoor caviar, the trenchmore beef and the rabbit eats carrot dishes. Service is exquisite. All members are very attentive. There were some tiny elements which make a massive difference like noticing your napkin has been replaced when you return from the restroom and keeping the table clean. Removing masks once the service has been delivered and speaking with an uncovered mouth is a nice touch too as it would be very easy to keep these on. Special thanks to Mia who dealt with a sensitive personal issue with discreetness. We did have to leave unexpectedly before the sweet courses which is a great shame as I have a sweet tooth and was looking forward to these courses in particular. Our petite fours were packaged up for us to takeaway though along with a birthday cake which was delivered to the table for my husbands birthday. Overall a very pleasurable experience in a wonderful setting for a special occasion and I would recommend but the shorter menu gives you a wonderful experience and would be more manageable.

We'd been looking forward to our visit for a while and had high very expectations given it’s status of a Michelin star restaurant. We chose the Estate experience (21 courses) which was a lot of food (we omitted the optional cheese course!) but the experience was delivered over 4+hrs by some very knowledgeable, friendly staff. I must say the service was fabulous. The food was clever, with some interesting twists, but we all agreed, that whilst it was great, it was not incredible and we were impressed, but not blown away. The wine list offers some great wine and unlike many restaurants, they are not unreasonably marked up.

We enjoyed the 14 course taster menu at restaurant Interlude. I was pleasantly surprised the menu was South African, but with a twist. All of the dishes were excellently prepared and presented. When eating at a Michelin Star restaurant I would expect some of the dishes to blow us away, but somehow none of them managed it, and left us feeling a little underwhelmed. The service was excellent throughout.

We booked Interlude online and informed them of our dietary requirements. The restaurant emailed us a few days before the event, requesting us to confirm the booking and asking if we had any dietary requirements (rather than simply confirming what we'd already stated)!On arrival we were asked to use the hand gel and then shown to the waiting area to review the menus and receive our first course.A key part of the Michelin star experience is the ambiance and service, and Interlude do this well - a nice separate waiting area and the numerous staff are extremely efficient and well informed about all of the dishes. The food itself was lovely - some interesting flavour combinations with extremely interesting presentation. Each course is accompanied by a full explanation of the dish and a card summarising the source of the ingredients (which you can take away, along with a copy of the menu).We went for the full 'Estate' menu (c. 20 courses) but I think the Garden menu (c. 16 courses) actually represents better value, given the difference in cost - Estate menu provides the same courses as the Garden menu plus 4 additional courses.We were unable to eat our final course (small petit fours), so this was boxed up for us and we took it home.Given the quantity and quality of food and the amazing presentation and service, it is hard to find much to criticise - however, for some courses I felt that the restaurant was almost trying too hard with the presentation, rather than focussing on the flavour combinations.Certainly we will return again, once the menu has sufficiently changed (new season) to provide a different experience.

Wow, what an amazing experience, the food, setting and staff were amazing. We went with friends to celebrate a birthday and anniversary and from the moment we arrived it was wonderful. The food is so beautifully presented and each course is so unique with a story connecting it to the garden and the teams roots in South Africa. If you think the price of this experience sounds expensive, don't, when you take part you will see the food, setting and service are complete value for money. We also enjoyed a selection of the Benguela wines from the menu - Joie de Vivre sat perfectly with the meal. In regards to COVID the staff mainained social distancing and wore masks, tables were well spread out, hand sanitiser was avaiIable. I would 100 recommend this experience. Thank you to Jean, Anya, Mia and their whole team for a truly magical evening.

Beautiful setting as you pull up outside and things just get better-quite simply the best food I have eaten! I have been lucky enough to visit 10 Michelin starred restaurants in different parts of the world and the service here was friendly and professional I can’t praise this place and the food enough you simply have to visit-yes it’s a lot of money but worth every pennyWe will revisit as soon as we can with our daughters Can’t wait

Our daughter treated us to the garden menu as a Christmas present and we were due to visit on our wedding aniversary in June but because of lockdown we have only just managed to go. Wow was it worth the wait. The food was excellent. The staff were friendly and explained every course about it's local source an South African influence. Will be visiting again

I just no other words than outstanding from arrival to departure, our experience was just like a well choreographed ballet , service impeccable and the food was out of this world ... Would highly recommend the evening perfect for a special occasion.

Right from the outset we knew that this was going to be an amazing experience. Anya and her staff could not have been more attentive and friendly whilst the chefs produced plates of gastronomic delight, one after the other. Each dish was accompanied by a card showing where on the Estate the foraged ingredients were harvested and we were provided with knowledgeable details of what was in the dish by a staff member. The staff were never obtrusive but always on hand. Our glasses were topped up without being requested, napkins replaced and tablecloth cleaned. For a fine dining experience and chance for being spoiled you could not beat this. Highly recommended!!!

I came here when it first opened and was taken aback by how good it was. I said straight away that it was better than any Michelin star restaurant I’d ever been to, and therefore it came as no surprise to me when they were awarded a star later that same year.However, I’m going to reiterate what I said from the offset, that I think this has the potential for at least two stars !! This is place is more than just fantastic food. It’s great service, an amazing setting; but what really separates this from the other Michelin places I’ve been to is the story telling and theatre behind each dish, which elevates the experience to another level in my opinion. Michelin’s definition of two stars is “Excellent cooking, worth a detour” .. Well I would most definitely go well and truly out of my way to eat here any time.There was a noticeable change in price since our first visit, but it’s still very much worth it. We were there for five hours, and I loved every minute. It’s worth getting there a little early if the weather’s good so that you can sit outside and have a drink, whilst soaking in the views. Their Covid precaution are really well executed. The dinning room is very well spaced and staff did a fantastic job.I still think the 19 course is too large. I have a big appetite, but have struggled both times. In fact, I would have had their 14 course this time, had I not been bought a gift voucher for the larger menu.The wine list has definitely expanded, although we still went for the wines from their own vineyard in South Africa. I highly recommend their own brut, which you can get by the glass. It’s as good as any decent champagne. My congratulations to all the team behind this wonderful restaurant. It’s a real treat to dine here, and we look forward to seeing you again in the future.

Interlude is set in the most stunning house and grounds, we arrived ahead of dining time for a drink on the terrace to appreciate the location.EVERY SINGLE course was outstanding, we opted for the garden experience and were blown away with the standard of the food, presentation and service. Each dish came with an explanation and so much of the food is from within the grounds or locally sourced. We were expecting the evening to be amazing but this was above our expectations. I recommend trying the Lenordslee Gin!If anyone is concerned with dining out during Covid I would like to add that it felt very safe, anytime the waiting staff came within 1 meter they wore a mask and wore gloves to lay cutlery.

We had a table booked for 4 to celebrate a friends engagement and had the most superb evening. The food (15 course tasting menu) was amazing, the setting perfect and the service faultless. The staff and service was tremendous (even with the added difficulty of the current Covid climate). All of the food came with a brilliant description from our waitress, who also chose us two beautiful bottles of wine to pair with our food. Wine was very reasonably priced which you often don't find with similar restaurants. Would absolutely recommend - I will be surprised if the restaurant doesn't get more Michelin stars in the future.

Went for husbands birthday .. pure indulgence. Had the 19 course tasting menu .£120 per head .. bottle of red wine £50. The whole of the menu is explained and the 19 courses although small mouthfuls was a struggle to finish . I loved the explanation cards of where the food was found on the estate . Staff were very attentive and couldn’t fault. There were only 4 tables occupied on our visit . It’s by no means a cheap eat but fab for special occasion .

New Year’s Eve taster menu, very nice meal, stunning presentation, the staff were very attentive my only criticism, the didn’t offer paring wines with the menu

Beautiful outside setting. The restaurant itself was physically quite cold and lacked atmosphere. More candles, turn up the heating and light the fires in winter, maybe?I liked the food but I’m not a huge fan of South African wine. It would be nice to have some other wine options, a few good European ones would drastically improve the chance of us returning.

Dinner here is an amazing experience. Everything from the service to the wines and food is exceptional. The quality, variety, taste and presentation of the food is completely worthy of its Michelin star. We loved the creativity of the garden tasting menu. Every bite of food was delicious and felt as though thought, care and love had gone into it. Thank you very much for a very special evening.

A great dining experience. Foraged ingredients from the estate, a south african influence, lots of little courses, beautifully prepared and presented in unusual though intriguing ways, and good wine. Traditionalists who like a menu they can read with things they know and bigger portions are probably better-suited to restaurants providing that sort of experience, but we loved it all. The courses are different to standard restaurant fare - we enjoyed every one, and ate everything with real pleasure. The skill of the chefs in ingredients selection, cooking and presentation is evident, and the Michelin star well-deserved. There are two menus to choose from - the Garden menu or the Estate menu, around 15 and 19 course respectively (we had the Estate menu). The menus are not displayed beforehand, so each course is a surprise, although there are samples of each on the Interlude website. Not the cheapest place in the world, but we've eaten at more expensive places where the food is not as good, so you tend to get what you pay for. To summarise, we've eaten at many fine dining restaurants in Britain and around the world, and this one is right up there with the best of them, as long as you like to eat something a bit different and enjoy more and smaller courses.

My wife and I had the most amazing experience at Restaurant Interlude. The friendly welcome when we arrived, the drink in the relaxed setting of the bar before dinner, the excellent service throughout the evening...and of course, the phenomenal food! Each course was a work of art, presented beautifully and with flavours which were quite simply out of this world! The quantity of food was also impressive, and we were both happily full, despite opting for the smaller of the menus.  All-in-all, a very special evening ! A huge thank you to the team for looking after us so well, and a belated congratulations on a well-deserved Michelin star.

We went there to celebrate New Years Eve but there was very little atmosphere and no effort made to make the evening feel special.I have read some bad reviews on service and leaving feeling hungry but our experience disproved these comments. Our main concern was the food. Michelin might approve, as evidenced by the recent star award, but for the demographic of the area, foraged food which although artistically presented, was rather bland and will not attract a return visit from customers able to afford the £150.00 pph which you will end up paying when including wine.There is obviously a very talented brigade in the kitchens who I think should produce a menu with more recognisable ingredients. The owner, Penney Streeter, is a very astute business person and I can’t see her allowing a limted cover restaurant to operate on the current take up.Huge potential, but none of us would return unless there is a major shake up in the menu and price point.

A birthday treat! Thoroughly enjoyed the meal and the whole experience. Had the 19 course Estate menu. A little bit of theatre with an explanation and cards showing the ingredients and where they had been foraged from on the Estate. The Mansion, entrance hall with huge Christmas tree, room for pre-drinks and the dining room itself was stunning and added to the experience. Not too close to other tables so felt intimate. Attentive staff. Added surprise of mini Battenberg birthday cake with candles.

After reading exceptional reviews about this restaurant I had high expectations. Unfortunately the evening was a disappointment here is why.firstly we sit to have drinks in the bar area, my husband request a traditional champagne cocktail. The waitress didn't understand his request and said that she doesn't know what it is.My husband went on to describe the ingredients, but just got a dazed look back, with this and to stop confusion it was easier for my husband to order a peroni.We then had to select a menu based on price, as we were told that there are no menus. One at £90 the other at £120each. We chose the £120, not knowing what to expect.During every course the waitresses had to explain each course as they placed them on the table. I don't recall one course where the waitress got the ingredients entirely right. The waitress stumbling over her words.During service our wine glasses were left empty for long periods of time. It took me to make a comment to our fellow diners that got overheard by the waitresses to then have our glasses filled.The food was presented beautifully, but extremely small portions. I recall 16 dishes to of which only a few items were warm, the rest was cold. I would compare the portion size to canapés.We all left hungry which is a first for us. Being a regular fine diner, this restaurant has a great ethos but unfortunately the service and food do not deliver.

Fantastic meal at interlude. Would thoroughly recommend. 16 courses, all very different and exciting. Service was impeccable and not overpowering. Arrived at 6.30 and had their leonardslee gin which was lovely. Finally finished with a coffee and left at 11.

You can't ask for a more lovely setting, or more knowledgeable, friendly staff, and in that sense it is a special place, that lives up to the hype. However, if the main point of a restaurant is to give you food that you love, it falls short of its reputation for me.

There is a big South African influence at this restaurant and it benefits from this. The menu choice was either 15 or 18 courses and either choice you are rewarded with some great dishes. The team serving the food will enthusiastically explain each dish and present you with a written description. This is pure theatre as the evening progresses. The service is exceptional, friendly and helpful. The food is a delight and yes you will get through the plethora of dishes. There is a nice wine list, reasonably priced with a many from South Africa. I would highly recommend a visit and we look forward to returning.

Attended with partner as a belated birthday treat.

We had dinner here after reading it has just received a Michelin star and it was amazing. A tasting menu representing food foraged from the estate - it was inventive, exciting, extremely tasty and beautifully presented. The staff were great, very knowledgable and the whole experience was amazing. We’re already planning to come back in azalea season!!

Had the most wonderful taster menu. A few South African courses which were amazing. The waiting staff were polite and very helpful. We enjoyed ourselves and the food very much.

Make no mistake, this is a highly ambitious and versatile restaurant that will give you a memorable evening. The food looks amazing and the best dishes (the ash-baked celeriac, the "Rabbit eats Carrot", the bread with diverse butters, the acorn chocolate, the honey dessert) were masterpieces, among the best food we have encountered. A Michelin star after a year of operation is a major achievement, and deserved.

This was our first visit and we will definitely return. Our expectations were very high having eaten at the restaurants in the Cape Town area where the skills of the chefs and front of house staff had been developed. Our expectations were exceeded.

This really was exceptional. Felt slightly intimated with the two options of either 14 or 19 courses (14 is plenty by the way) and we were very full by the end but spread over 3 hours it’s manageable. Each course was beautifully presented and, for me, perfectly trod the line between inventiveness and ‘fancy for its own sake’. Lots of local sourced and foraged ingredients and all very well explained by the staff without ever being annoying. They were also able to cater for one of group who was a vegetarian.

This restaurant is simply superb, the staff were very attentive and the food was just fantastic.. looking forward to going back already..!! this is fine dining at its best..!!

My boyfriend and I went for dinner here to celebrate his 21st birthday. It was fantastic, from the location, to the service, and the food!

My first time to Interlude and it exceeded all expectations!

This was my second visit to Interlude and I was excited to experience Chef Jean Delport’s Magnificat creations again!

We are real foodies and we took my sister to the restaurant as a thank you. She is good cook but not a foodie. We all loved it. We had the 19 course tasting menu which consisted of a wonderful array of small dishes using locally ( in the gardens!) sourced and often foraged food stuffs. The flavours and presentation were exemplary. It reminded me of l’enclume.

A young team working really hard with very high technical ability. Service was outstanding.

We dined here for our anniversary, and everything from start to finish was faultless, fantastic from start to finish. Beautiful location, a grand and really well finished dining room, delightful staff and food that was amongst the most beautifully presented I have ever had. Really interesting combinations of flavours and ingredients and some absolutely outstanding dishes. We have been fortunate to have dined in many michelin one and a couple of two starred restaurants around the world and Interlude comfortably holds its own. If I was to have one grumble, it would be that I should have gone for the longer menu not the shorter menu. But that's my fault not theirs. I could have eaten their food all day.... A fantastic evening of really fine dining, thanks to all! We'll be back

I was lucky enough to be treated to dinner here for my birthday. The whole package was spectacular, from the setting on a sunny summer evening on the patio of this stunning mansion house to the beautifully decorated dining rooms, through to the 19 course tasting menu with wine pairings. Tasty cocktails to start overlooking the fantastic gardens full of colour and stretching to the horizon, where we started the evening with some interesting delicious nibbles we were then shown to our table and the whole story unfolded, each course intricately described by the delightful and knowledgeable waiting staff. The chef expertly twisted the courses to cater for a meat eater, a pescatarian and vegetarians without any of us feeling as if we were missing out. True talent. The wines were all from the owner’s vineyard in South Africa and were fantastic. Each course was just right - small but bursting with depth of flavour and unusual ingredients mostly foraged or grown in the Gardens, such as pine needles, acorns, nettles, bracken, Hen’s eggs, honey from their hives. The whole, long evening was was a “show” from start to finish. Treat yourself.

Fantastic experience. It was well worth the price and would highly recommend! 12345567388489273773738

Whilst the food was exceptional as would be expected, the whole experience from arrival to departing was breathtaking. The introduction to the food courses was both informative and fun. Would highly recommend

The menu and food were first class. The best dinner I and our friends have had for a very long time.

Visited Interlude as we wanted a memorable experience to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary and we experienced exactly that, thank you

We went to Restaurant Interlude last Friday for my birthday and had a fantastic night. Mia was brilliant and looked after us very well. The food was amazing and we loved the way the chefs used the natural ingredients found on the estate. We have eaten at most of the fine dining restaurants locally (The Pass, Jeremy's, Ockenden Manor, Restaurant Tristan) and Restaurant Interlude rivals all of these and is even possibly the next level. Defiantly Michelin star quality. Although the restaurant was not full it will not be long until the word gets out and there will be a 3 month waiting time to get a table. I would thoroughly recommend going for a special occasion .

I wanted to take my wife somewhere, special, memorable, for our 20th wedding anniversary and Interlude was just that. Yes its expensive, but for a special occasion, the 'theatre' of the meal, the quality of the food, the professionalism and attentiveness of the staff was up there with the best in the land. Amazing.

My husband and I went to the Interlude a couple of Saturday evenings ago. I had read previous reviews and when we turned up at 18:00 hrs and our car was the only one in the car park we were worried that we'd be the only people there.

A hidden gem, Interlude absolutely knocked our socks off! The menu was fantastic and the passion, craft and commitment to delivering superb quality was obvious in every aspect.

It’s an experience from start to finish. Starting with the 10 meter high metal tree cascading water feature in the car park.

The whole evening was absolutely brilliant. The food was so unusual and extremely tasty. It was amazing. The staff were very attentive and friendly with great knowledge.

We went for the 19 course meal which ended up as 20 because we added a cheese course and I cannot even begin to tell you how much the three of us enjoyed the whole experience. It has a superb setting, fantastic staff who are so polite and helpful and the food is amazing. I don’t think you would guess any one course. I do not know of any restaurant that would give you the same experience. I would thoroughly recommend you visiting this superb restaurant. I haven’t included any of the food in the photos because I feel it would spoil the surprise.

Very difficult to gauge what you are going to actually eat from the menu description. Chef really enjoying creative process however 14 or 19 courses may be a bridge to far. Service excellent. Bar area not very comfortable & maybe a bit small if full.

I booked to take my Mum for afternoon tea during Mother’s Day weekend, and even though we attended on the Saturday, the note in my online booking was received and acknowledged. The house is stunning, and the restaurant has been beautifully and sympathetically decorated. The team were attentive but unobtrusive, and offered a fantastic level of service. There are contemporary touches - lovely glass teapots with strainers built in. When the food arrived, it was incredible - super fresh bread and perfect scones, without feeling as at many afternoon teas that you’re being overfaced by food. The cakes were also brilliant, and again here some contemporary flair, with creative designs and flavours without being inappropriate, plus some fantastic little meringues. We had a fabulous time, and will definitely be back to try different things throughout the year at the restaurant. Well done Jean, Anya and team - I doubt it’ll be long before you get that well-deserved star you’re chasing. Keep up the great work.

Absolutely amazing experience from start to finish. The staff were friendly and helpful, the food was exquisite and the location is absolutely beautiful!! I don’t want to spoil it for you but make sure you GO!!!!

Myself and my partner visited after having driven past one day - we live locally but didn't really know much about the place or the recent developments.

I have no doubt, before long, the wait list for this place will be astronomical, so I’m glad we had the opportunity to dine here early on. The restaurant and the grounds have been renovated to such a high standard, and with such care and attention, that the place feels warm and welcoming from the moment you arrive.

Wonderful to see gardens and house all being restored with a new restaurant recently opened so we thought we would give it a go. We knew it wasn’t going to be cheap so were prepared for the high cost. Following the build up from the team about ‘estate’ and locally foraged ingredients we were expecting great things. Unfortunately the meal was not as balanced or exceptional as you would expect and we were left feeling just a little disappointed.

We visited with friends after having our previous reservation cancelled due to staff holiday. On the day of our visit, we were contacted to reconfirm our booking and a message was left confirming afternoon tea when the reservation was for dinner. A email was then sent confirming dinner but for only 2 people when it should have been 4. When I called back to check, it was all fine and dinner was booked for 4. All of these factors made me feel slightly nervous about what was to come but thankfully we had a great evening.

The spectacular courtyard fountain belied the new gloomy beige interior. Similarly the witty presentation of the food was at odds with the underwhelming flavours of the numerous dishes.

Garden fresh food, exquisite attention to detail and a dining room whichh would not disgrace a re-make of “Brideshead Revisited”-all of these fearures contribute to the beauty of this original jewel of a restaurant tucked deep in the glorious gardens of Leonardslee

I was taken to Interlude for my birthday recently and it proved to be hands down the best birthday dinner I have ever had.

What an incredible dining experience.

Located in the beautiful Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens estate. The concept is built around what seasonal foods can be found on or near the estate, whether they are raised, cultivated or even foraged. It is a wonderful intimate dining experience from a tasting menu from South African chef Jean Delport and his team, and they definitely do get a South African vibe in some of their dishes.

My wife and I enjoyed a much anticipated meal at restaurant interlude. From start to finish we were treated to a journey around the Leonardslee estate. Each dish explained in detail by an extremely professional front of house team. Much of the menu is forraged from the estate giving a fun and unique experience. Amazing food, stunning surroundings, cannot wait to return!