The Curlew Restaurant in Rother

My husband and I went here for Dinner last night for our anniversary, and the food was outstanding. The service was excellent too. So good we have booked to go back for my birthday.

Booked for Sunday lunch here on route to a shorty break away in Kent. Wow! It lived up to the reviews I’d read! Service was warm, friendly and attentive from the start, lovely girl who looked after us. Love that you can see into kitchen through the hatch, it’s spotless! The food was amazing, perfectly cooked potatoes, Yorkshire and veg, my veggie wellington was really tasty and hubby said the beef was superb. Thank you! We would not hesitate to return!

I used ChatGPT to find a restaurant that was no more than 25 miles away from our home (Tunbridge Wells), serves quality vegetarian dishes (2 mains offered - just enough), was rated gourmet, and had ambiance. Our toughest criteria is open and serving at 3:30 on a Saturday. Of the 10 returns to these parameters, The CURLEW stood out. We enjoyed every bite from starters to dessert (Baklava was outstanding). Thanks for serving during the between times.

This restaurant serves the most exquisite food. The flavours are intense in each dish you order, my husband and I were blown away with what this place offers you on a plate with their very talented chefs in the kitchen. My husband ordered the patron peppers and myself the tuna for starters and these dishes didn't disappoint. Absolutely bursting with flavour and presented beautifully. We had the fish and chicken for our mains, and once again the plates were bursting with delicious flavours that complemented each other and the dish as a main. The staff are so polite and attentive, we will be returning back to this little gem of a restaurant it was a fantastic culinary experience that we enjoyed all round.

It’s not often a restaurant delivers a perfect dining experience but The Curlew comes extremely close. The service is faultless, professional and friendly. The food was sublime with the fillet of beef amongst the best I have ever tasted. The restaurant is very comfortable and relaxed, well furnished with a cosy atmosphere and generously sized tables that are not crammed in together. I’ve been a customer of the Curlew for many years but the current owners have taken it to a new level. The waiting staff are brilliant and they clearly have some great talent in the kitchen; I can highly recommend this restaurant, it is one of the best in the area.

Always feel a bit apprehensive when visiting a new place, but they made me feel very welcome. Me and my wife , the Sunday dinner was absolutely fantastic. I will be back. Thank you to the the lovely members what work there.

A lovely spot for Sunday lunch. The staff were lovely and accommodating, with offering alternatives for our small children and being patient with our orders. Roast beef and belly pork very tasty. A good selection of vegetables and extra gravy provided without an ask. The salted caramel baklava tart and brownie were delicious. Would most definitely recommend!

We hadn’t been here for many years so decided to give it another go as it’s under new management. Glad we did! The menu is varied but not over elaborate. We shared the king prawn starter which was fine (bits of shell still evident). I had the duck confit which was delicious and tender. My wife enjoyed the risotto but the portion was huge! We then shared a salted caramel tart which was lovely. The wine list was adequate with only two rosés. Opted for the Provence one which was lovely once it was chilled Ambience hasn’t changed nor has the crockery! Maybe time for a refresh?

Clearly you can see some vindictive and untrustworthy reviews on this site. My family visited the Curlew last Sunday and we had a superb selection of roasts. What nonsense about shop bought Yorkshire pudding and soggy crackling. Ours was perfect and such good quality and value.

I was excited to visit the Curlew since it had been taken over, all I can say is ambience nice, food was okay, I was a bit shocked to be served aunt Bessie yorkshires from a restaurant!

Had a couple of pre-visit queries that were dealt with promptly by Lewis and booked for an early supper. First time back at the Curlew in over 20 years and really impressed. New owners and change of decor and style. Really great to have a good restaurant/local near Hawkhurst at last. Menu was small (but as first weekend after Christmas, understandable) however, food was great. Starters of Pedro Peppers and Panko Goats cheese, followed by the fish and chips, presentation was a work of art but also delicious, hot, fresh and great additional touches with baked lemon and Samphire. Cannot wait to try the Sunday roast next.

Stumbled upon The Curlew by accident, and it turned out to be a hidden gem! The staff's hospitality and the food were absolutely amazing. Can't wait to go back for another delightful experience. Highly recommend! 🌟

A very nice lunch with friends. My fish and chips were excellent but the tart Tatin was a but disappointing. Service was excellent and prices were very reasonable. My wife really enjoyed her mussels in a Mediterranean sauce and our friends were complimentary about their mains.

Had heard so many good things about this place since it reopened, so it was time to give it a try. I wasn’t disappointed. The ambience is very acceptable. Starters of Padron Peppers and Mussels in White wine were fabulous. The sauce with the Mussels was so tasty I had to get a spoon as had used all the Sourdough already. The main courses of Beef and Pork were cooked to perfection. The Beef was so tender. The Pork Crackling was probably the best I’ve ever had. Vegetables and Yorkshire Pudding were stunning. No space for desert as portion size was very generous. Had a nice drop of Harvey’s Bitter followed by a large glass of Merlot. All very tasty. Service was very good. I have three comments to make, none of which warrant the loss of a star. 1. If you provide a bottle of tap water, then check to see there are glasses on the table. 2. After putting the main plate of food on the table, ask the customer if they would like any Mustard or other condiments. 3. If you provide coffee, ask the customer if they require sugar. Only those three small things stopped this being a completely outstanding lunch. Cost wise, it was fine and we would definitely go again.

Had a fantastic meal with friends. Food really well cooked and presented, lovely staff, nice drinks list and very good prices. Will definitely return. This place will be giving the other local pubs a real run for their money. One tiny suggestion would be to be able to have bread and fries with the mussels (even at a small additional cost) as the sauce just way too good not to mop up. Well done keep up the good work.

Under new ownership, very friendly, with great food, reasonably priced. Now a great local pub! We shared starters and they were all exeptional!

Extensive menus including vegan and children's menus, great food and incredibly helpful and friendly staff (especially Debi) for a family birthday lunch.

My sister and I went to The Curlew last night for a little birthday treat for her. From the beginning the service was impeccable. The host came out to us in the car park as it looked full up and told us we were welcome to park at outside the front even apologising for the inconvenience (which he didn’t need to do at all as it wasn’t a problem.) We we’re then seated on our table where a birthday card was waiting for my sister- a sweet little unexpected touch. We ordered the feast menu and the cocktail that was their special that night. The cocktail came and was absolutely delicious. We were given an onion bhaji each while we waited for our food which was the best onion bhaji I’ve ever eaten! I could have had 10! The food came out in courses and every course was just divine. It was presented beautifully and tasted other worldly. As people who aren’t used to fine dining on fresh food in nice places, this was a completely different experience and almost a sensory overload! We loved it. The decor is sort rustic with modern twists and it really works. It’s clean and warm. The table gets cleared by the lovely staff between each course too and you can see everyone taking pride in their work place. I read about The Curlew on the website and they absolutely meet up to their standards and their ethos. The atmosphere is relaxed and laid back and the food is exquisite and made to share and be spoken about. Wonderful place, well worth the money and we will be back.

We were greeted and remembered from a previous visit. The restaurant staff were fantastically friendly yet professional. The menu we chose ,the feast, innovative and not overpriced for the fantastic flavours and ingredients. Our favourite restaurant

We had a great welcome and there is a lovely courtyard for drinks. I liked the idea of small plates and sharing dishes and the wine list is reasonable with some interesting choices. I imagine it quite cosy in winter. We will be back especially as i left may cardigan there and they kindly posted it back! Naomi

What a wonderful experience! I hadn’t heard of the restaurant before and as such had no expectations. However after driving past it once, I decided to go in and was so pleased we did! The staff were warm, welcoming and very accommodating. My father had just had a hip op and they couldn’t have been more helpful. The menu was full of seasonal treats and we were treated to a wonderful lunch. The decor was tasteful and inviting. Cannot recommend enough! We look forward to returning for the feast menu!

Awesome service and food here last night. The four of us went for the Feast menu with wine and all of the dishes were fantastic. Service was attentive, very friendly and professional. Highly recommended. 👌👌

My wife and I visited The Curlew on a Friday night with a couple of good friends to celebrate my 50th birthday. The restaurant was chosen after reading a glowing review by Grace Dent in The Guardian. Travelling over two hours and an overnight stay we had very high expectations of the evening in store. Our expectations were more than exceeded. On arrival we were warmly greeted and immediately shown to our table. There were some nice touches including a birthday card signed by the team and a luggage label with our name on it attached to the cutlery. We were having the feast menu which comprised of four courses each made up of a number of sharing dishes. The food was delicious, interesting and generous. Each course was served with interesting sauces and dips including a wonderful green herb mustard and a lovely vinegary mint gel that adorned the potatoes. Standout dishes included lamb bao buns, mackerel and harissa served with tomatoes and hoggett with anchovies. A white wine from a local vineyard called Oastbrook accompanied the feast and was so delicious we drank the cellar dry! The service was attentive, friendly and informative but discrete enough for us to enjoy the evening at our own pace. I cannot rate this restaurant highly enough. It was well worth the visit and with the menu constantly being reviewed to take into account the availability of seasonal and locally produced produce we will be heading back as soon as we can.

8 of us celebrated my husbands 60 birthday at the Curlew recently. We had a fantastic evening. When we arrived a pre-ordered bottle of fizz was waiting in an ice bucket in the bar area. We were later seated at a spacious table and thoroughly enjoyed our Feasting menu and wines.. The chefs had catered well for a mixture of eat anythings, pescetarians and vegetarians. All delicious. We ordered the large cheese board as well, which had 9 delicious local cheeses with extra bits.. We love knowing where all the food comes from and eating local, fresh and seasonal food like this. Also loved the sharing concept. Lovely ambiance and great service. Sacha looked after us very well. Many thanks to all the team. We are looking forward to coming back.

Not been to this restaurant before but heard good reviews. Took my wife for lunch on her birthday and have to say everything was excellent. I am quite fussy about the quality of food and presentation and service. I was not left wanting, good high quality food well prepared with care and attention to detail. Very friendly and helpful staff who made you feel welcome, I will definitely return. Definitely worth a visit!

We were staying locally for a wedding last weekend and tried The Curlew on Friday evening. We received a extremely warm welcome and were seated in the comfortable reception area to look at the drinks menu . On requesting a dry rose wine my partner was recommended a Greek one from the list . This was an excellent choice. They had a really interesting list of locally brewed IPA’s and I can definitely recommend all 4 , my favourites being the Marmaset and the Orangutan . We were then seated at our table in the restaurant. The staff were so friendly and helpful in explaining the menu and you could really tell they took great pride in their food . We shared 3 small starters which were very tasty before our main course of rib of beef arrived. WOW , it was absolutely perfectly cooked and tasted amazing! Superb staff and wonderful food , it’s just a shame we live in Staffordshire otherwise this would be a regular treat for ourselves, hoping to return later in the year

My wife and I have dinned at the Curlew for many years through different management the feast menu is the best meal we ever had in any restaurant throughout the world Don’t take my word for it go and try it you will return…. thank you to all the staff Elsa and Dave French

Went for family Sunday lunch sharing platters today . Far exceeded my expectations. Lovely selection of sharing starters. Beautifully cooked beef with fab roasties and lovely veg. Happy service and nice atmosphere

Really fantastic celebration meal with great couple as our guests. Having established this was a no driving evening, we were all keen to enjoy a full evening starting with the local Bodiam sparkling rose which set the tone. Yes the portions are small. We treated...

Great food for sharing very attentive staff but not at all pushy had a superb atmosphere; would definitely recommend to anyone

This was our first visit since the Curlew changed hands. We enjoyed the Feast menu on Christmas Eve - a great start to the festive season! Particularly enjoyed Maldon oysters in elderflower vinaigrette, chicken and scallop skewers, and steamed monkfish with mushrooms and celeriac. Wine...

If you are looking forward to a cosy, chic, luxury dining look no further. I booked this for my husbands birthday and we had been really looking forward to it. It is so rare these days to find something that surpasses expectation and is good...

Was completely underwhelmed by both the food and service on our first visit here and not entirely sure we would ever go back given our experience. The food was generally under seasoned, bland and tiny portions. My husband and I both felt overall this place...

If you like good service, great food and flavours and a different style dining experience for a special occaision, this is a MUST for you. This is dining on a different level so dont try to skimp, the memory will stay with you for a...

disappointing and average. Maybe just high expectations after the small holding which has an excellent menu and service. Not a great choice of menu and some of the dishes very average. We took an early sitting and was rushed, 20 mins from the end asked...

Absolutely the best food in East Sussex. I can’t fault anything. An ingenious menu that utilises all that Sussex has to offer. Perfect Mackerel, rich Rabbit Tagine and brilliant uses of mushroom that even managed to find its way into dessert. The service was impeccable...

Small tasty dishes . Idea quick lunch. But dinner , the Feast menu , is absolutely the best . Good wines , attentive pleasant staff .

Awsome menu with every dish tasting amazing! great staff and atmosphere and an all over lovely dining experience, will definitely return here and keep for special occasions.

We were celebrating 25th wedding anniversary, plus one daughter off to Uni and another shortly to go traveling. Really enjoyable meal and very relaxed setting. We had given a heads up than one of the group was vegan and they had their own menu prepared...

We had lunch at the Curlew today and it was absolutely amazing. I had made a mistake in my booking and booked at the Small Holding. 5 mins before arriving at the Curlew I realised the mistake I had made and called them and they...

A warm welcome and a beautiful setting. Food and service were faultless, wine list extensive and interesting. I loved the idea of the sharing dishes, each one was so delicious, perfectly seasoned and a work of art. An absolutely delightful evening.

High expectations here after dining at The Smallholding - the flavours, presentation and atmosphere are excellent but portion sizes are just ridiculous. It is supposed to be a 'sharing experience' but you would not wish to share anything offered here with a shrew. We all...

After reading the review I had high expectations of this restaurant. The service was amazing but the food was just ok, good but nothing to be memorable and the portions are very small.

Instead of writing a long winded review about The Curlew … all I’ll say is that the food is technically spot on … the service is exceptional … and the ambiance lends itself to a very pleasant experience … thanks for an awesome lunch!!!

We went to The Curlew for a special wedding anniversary and thoroughly enjoyed it. We were greeted by an anniversary card waiting at our table, such a thoughtful touch. The food was all delicious and we had an exceptionally good Chablis to go with it....

A lovely discovery - great flavour combinations. Locally sourced produce. Local wines. Attentive (but not too attentive) staff. Lovely decor. No table time limits. And very accommodating for our (well behaved but a little loquacious) 4yo.

An interesting menu based on sharing plates, ideal for people who want try a bit of everything. The flavours were delicious and very well -balanced. I'd definitely go for the 'Mocktail' again and the pork rissoles although it was all good. Not cheap but lovely...

Another great meal, this is definitely one of our favourite places to eat, everything on the menu sounded interesting and tasted great, good combinations and plenty to share and taste amongst the 4 of us. Service was discreet but attentive when we needed it. Highly...

A great place for foodies who want to celebrate a special occasion. The flavour combinations are great but basically for a party of 6, you would need to order the entire menu for a hearty meal. When I know I'm going out to eat, I...

I have reviewed The Curlew before under previous owners and it has had its ups and downs. The new owners haven't been lucky with their timing in Covid times but we enjoyed our light lunch recently very much. The menu is based on sharing plates...

Food amazing….braised onion and desert stand outs. Service exceptional. One dropped point for wine list….We know local wines but prices too high. We will definitely be back and totally recommend trying what the chef is doing and last night was backed up by amazing staff.,,..one...

Went for an anniversary meal and absolutely loved it! All the staff that dealt with us were fantastic, very accomodating, very friendly and went out of their way to help us with wine and food decisions too! The food was amazing - we had a...

Was super excited to go here the menu sounds amazing.I felt abit let down by it all really Service wasn't as attentive as it should be we waited half hour for our bill!. There seemed to be a local wine merchant at one of the...

Spent Wednesday 30/06/21 evening here and really enjoyed our experience. The staff were great, Lauren very friendly and couldn’t do enough for us. Great concept of sharing small dishes. Thank you all for the signed Anniversary card that was very kind and thoughtful. We can...

Seriously guys, i want more! The curlew is a converted pub that sits in the beautiful countryside between east Sussex and Kent. A perfect scenario for this tastefully renovated venue that uses local wines and underrated products. The service is attentive and amicable. Well done...

We enjoyed an excellent meal at the Curlew this week. The restaurant staff are very personable, knowledgable and nothing is too much trouble. The ‘small plate’ menu contains lots of interesting combinations, loved the bbq mackerel and Brixton crab. Lovely choices and too many to...

We were supposed to visit at Christmas but had to be cancelled due to lockdown rules. We were finally able to go and it was worth the wait. The food was excellent as was the service and they had a very good variety of dishes...

Mmm. Don’t really know where to start with this review. Given the constraints the restaurant felt full and convivial. We were 2 couples of 50 something friends and we wanted and enjoyed a “go for it “ lunch. £250 including excellent local wines was where...

Plates were small but food was good and tasty. Staff were attentive, but on the day we went the restaurant was cold as no one had been there for some time after COVID. It took the staff some time to fix this.

For people like me who prefer to graze, rather than trough, The Curlew has established itself as a firm favourite. The menu offers around 18 dishes - plus deserts and a cheeseboard - that come in starter-sized portions. We chose around four dishes each which,...

Great ladies afternoon catch up. We had a couple of hours to kill and decided to visit the Curlew as we had past many times before and have been recommended to visit. On arrival we were warming welcomed by friendly staff and shown to our...

This restaurant reopened this summer after lockdown and having enjoyed the Smallholding, their sister restaurant, we were keen to visit. The ambience is similar to the smallholding, perhaps a little more formal, but the food is just as good. The menu consists of a series...

Beautiful atmosphere worm environment with friendly informed service. Food was great, wine was exquisite fully explained by Jonny. A night to remember. Will be back soon.

Absolute treat. Had a wonderful evening with these guys yesterday for my 40th. Food was awesome. Fantastic flavours, stunning presentation without any pomp, spot on. The menu was thought out and well curated. The service was lovely too, warm, friendly and knowledgable. Our main waiter...

We haven’t been to The Curlew in its current incarnation. We’d read Grace Dents review and booked for Sunday lunch. We had a great afternoon. Staff were absolutely charming( particularly Johnny) and food tasty and inventive. I Wine list compact but enough to try something...

If you love inventive, tasty food and an interesting wine list then you’ll love it here. Everything seems to be sourced locally and the dishes are perfectly executed, tasty and delicious. It’s all served ‘tapas style’ which we love, so the food comes out as...

The service was perfect, just praise! However, the food was a true disappointment despite a lot of interesting flavours and local fresh ingredients : little on the plates, the plates were the size of dessert plates, even for the main course! And moreover the main...

We have been regulars at the Curlew through it's various incarnations and ownerships so were excited for our first visit since The Small Holding crew took over. It has a 'small plates sharing' concept which basically means you'll end up ordering practically the entire menu...

I have to say that today I had the best meal ever since I live in Uk (7 years) Every dish came out full of flavour and so so tasty! Thanks guys...I will come back very soon

Completely missed the mark... very disappointing. Poorly balanced flavours and tiny portions... I wouldn’t recommend.

Yesterday we paid our first visit to the Curlew; the standard of cooking and the care which is taken in the design of each and every dish was stunning! Without spoiling the fun of exploration, should you wish to make your own visit, I can...

I visited this restaurant in its first week of opening so decided to return to see if the teething issues had been overcome.......wow YES! All appropriate social distancing processes set up. Taken to our table and given the menu, which isn’t huge, but that absolutely...

Excellent 'small plate' menu where you order a variety of dishes which each come as they are ready. We shared most of them and our favourites were the miso cod and sea buckthorn dessert (see photo). There was a wide choice of drinks, including several options for wine by the glass. The staff were friendly, informative and helpful and the decor was attractive. Tables were suitably separated and Covid precautions were low key but effective which meant you could dine safely but also felt relaxed. We had a thoroughly enjoyable lunch and would certainly return.

Really impressed by our first visit. Food was utterly delicious, we had pretty much all of the sharing plates! The staff were incredibly knowledgable and friendly. We loved the laid back approach to the service, felt relaxed, welcome, at home but also thoroughly spoilt! Can’t wait to return! Keep it up guys! Xx

The staff are friendly and efficient and the choice of food is excellent. A variety to suit all tastes and able to cater for a food intolerance. All safety measures were well thought through and the atmosphere was relaxed. Nice touch of an additional sweet treat to celebrate our anniversary.

Excellent. Every dish was tasty. Beautifully presented and nice touch with the complimentary glass of bubbly on arrival.

I have decided that I really do love this place. We have eaten here twice, most recently for lunch but this is my first review of it. I love the fact that I can choose what I want from the menu, as much as I want and have it in any order. I was like a kid in a sweet shop. Everything was lovely, could not fault the food, ambience or service. Loved the pork dumplings, crispy duck salad, lamb belly, the miso cod, had the monkfish (whole tale between two of, really it would do three) with the curry butter sauce and chose side of Tenterden potatoes. We ordered a lot, you don’t need as much as we ordered, but I just wanted to try as much as I could manage. The cherry tart was amazing. The cheese board is phenomenal - never had a cheese board like it. Single use menus, hand sanitiser everywhere. If you want my honest opinion - Go, just go!

Outstanding! All of the food was superb and thoroughly enjoyed. We did find the atmosphere a little lacking at times but once the room filled up as best as rules permit, there was a nice hubbub.Salami was a little pricey, but everything else was spot on and we felt the price was completely reasonable. The ingredients, combinations and presentation were all excellent. The service was very attentive but without being over bearing. We will look forward to trying out their nearby neighbouring restaurant where a lot of the food comes from.Thank you for a lovely meal.

Amazing restaurant, Michelin’s quality imaginative food. The service is great , interior design is tasteful . Value for money compared to London is great! Modern British cuisine at its best, they try to get their ingredients from the local farms. We’ll definitely be back!

My wife and I went to the Curlew with my wife's parents and were totally blown away by this place. The decor is spot on, parking easy and the staff are super friendly, helpful and diligent. We even managed to get the two chefs out and have a chat about their choices for sourcing. The cheese plate is amazing and the beef rib, lamb equally delicious. If you are in the area you must go.

I read about the Curlew in Muddy Stilettos who gave it a rave review. We went for dinner and had an amazing evening. The service was attentive and relaxed, the atmosphere was friendly and casual and the food was absolutely superb. Food comes as it's ready in a sort of tapas style of eating. You can order more as you go along and every dish we tried was imaginative without being fussy, full of lovely flavours. Much is grown and produced as sister restaurant the smallholding, and it's clear a lot of thought has gone into the menu. Local and seasonal produce was the hero. The wine list too was interesting and the house white excellent. It was a proper date night restaurant- fun, lots to chat about and you feel like you've had a really special evening. We are looking forward to coming back with friends as the style of eating will make it a great place for a group of friends too. I hope they do really well.

My husband and I kept meaning to get around to eating at the Curlew before it closed mid last year but it didn't happen. We then found out it had been sold to the team that run the SmallHoldings in Kilndown, Kent. I can safely say that the relaunch of this restaurant did not disappoint! The food was well thought out and delicious. The menu is set out as sharing plates or you can choose a larger meat or fish option to share between 2 with some smaller side dishes.My husband and I decided to opt for lots of the smaller sharing plates. I say small in the loosest sense as the portion sizes were great and bigger than expected. It all tasted delicious but the highlights were the Braised mutton belly for my husband and the miso cod for myself. We had 3 out of the 4 veg options and they all were extremely delicious taking veg to a whole new level. FYI, if you order cheese and biscuits for dessert, the size of the board for 1 person is definitely enough for 2 people! And make sure you order a glass of port, delicious!The team were all extremely professional, courteous, polite, person ably and nothing was too much trouble. The wine list had a great variety from the not to expensive, mid range and then the more expensive. We had a Gavi di Gavi which was probably the best one I have had (better than the Hawksmoor equivalent, which I thought was great).The deco was great, very inviting and the one thing I really liked were the tables were bigger than the average table for 2 people. I find nothing worse than feeling squashed in when trying to eat!The SmallHolding team have done a fantastic job at taking on the Curlew and delivering their concept of how they want this to be. The food is fantastic, staff are first rate and I cannot wait for us to go back for a second visit and try the dishes that we missed the first time around.

My partner and I visited the Curlew last night for a meal and had a great evening. The food was fantastic, the service was personal and the staff really went the extra mile. We loved the stories behind the food/drink, the locality of it all and we loved the sharing concept. We will definitely be returning and also visiting the small holding. On a side note - they stock some amazing Gin’s!

Went to the Curlew for a family birthday meal. The menu is a relatively new concept but once we had it explained to us by a very pleasant waiter, we ordered and the food was of a very high standard and beautifully cooked.There were a couple of teething queries/issues during the evening but the staff handled it all very efficiently and pleasantly. My only criticism of the food is the desserts are slightly overpriced for what they are, in my opinion.The whole Curlew ethos is very underplayed and understated which I think should be more portrayed to make the meal better value. Everything they are doing is what we would want to support ie sustainability, organic where possible, high welfare meat etc.We will definitely return. Well done guys at The Curlew. We wish you every success.

Has changed hands several times over the past few years, and now sadly is closed. To be honest it was overpriced for the local market. It would be lovely to see it go back to being a local restaurant for families.

Absolutely delicious food that tastes just as divine as it looks We were both pleasantly surprised. The amuse-bouches that were presented shortly after our arrival were extremely creative and very tasty. For starters, we both chose vegetarian options. He got the mushroom consume, and I the beetroot and goats' cheese. Both were exceedingly delicious. Probably up there with some of the best vegetarian starters I've had. Completely perfect and I would get both of them again. I wanted to eat all my partners' too!For our mains we got the orange duck and the halibut. Both were very good and exceptionally presented - the duck meal was exceptionally rich, which of course this is no surprise. We were very full after such a luxurious meal, so we chose not to get pudding, but some sweet amuse-bouches were still presented and very well received.As we were both not drinking, we were blown away by the exceptional virgin cocktails with faux gin. It was really not an experience I expected to have outside of a big city. I wasn't particularly looking for a fine dining experience, just decent food, but we were found it very impressive - we will be returning and I have recommended others. The food is not fussy, it really tastes just as divine as it looks!It was great fun to try the different butters that were given with the bread - if I had to find a tiny fault with our wholly enjoyable dining my only quip was that I found one of the breads a little tasteless and lacking a good texture. My partner still enjoyed this bread, but I consider myself a bread connoisseur and believe it could've done with a pinch of salt and being baked at a higher heat..It was a pity that the restaurant seemed quite empty when we dined but it was a weekday in January and in its rural location this is understandable.All in all a near on perfect experience, and we had impeccable service.

Sad to see this restaurant go. I’ve eaten over the years under its different chefs and I think the last chef was providing its best food. Not cheap, but well thought out, well flavoured dishes combined with excellent service. In the culinary wasteland of East Sussex it’s a shame that good places like this can’t get the local custom to survive. Time to move on from the Hamburgers.

This restaurant has gone. Freehold for skateboard up. Locals do not know the reason. Perhaps you know and can provide the answer.

I have to say this is the best restaurant I have ever eaten in. Top quality food and great ambiance, real real quality. The starter was skallops, main course beef and then a macaroon for desert. It sounds simple but the quality was just A*. I will say very expensive but if it is a special occasion well it has to be done.

Lunch for four the food is just out of this world an assault on the senses. Everything is just a taste explosion all beautifully presented and served. Very expensive £328.11 for four people but for a special occasion worth it. Such a pity it has been sold and closes soon.

Visited last night. Very quiet but it was mid week in February. One of the best meals we’ve had in a while. Service was excellent. Will definitely return. Thanks to all the Curlew team.

We ate the most delicious meal on a freezing January evening midweek, with few other people in the restaurant. I love food and can honestly say it was one of the best meals I've had - imaginative, truly delicious, classic combinations of ingredients, perfectly cooked, and some delectable additions that just add to the whole thing. Scallops with a bouillabaisse sauce and pickled vegetables, then duck, orange, potato, kohlrabi, foie gras and a side of cauliflower cheese and bacon. Pudding was a concoction of rhubarb - a custardy cannelloni of poached rhubarb, with dried rhubarb and rhubarb jelly - so delicious and also so beautiful. Almost the best was one of the amuse bouches - a tiny sugarless meringue morsel, flavoured with lemon and topped with a shred of chicken skin. And one of the petit fours - a cube of passionfruit jelly that was not sweet, just a pure fruit hit at the end of the meal. Wine and service excellent. SO good. (Only downside - sitting by the fire before going to our table - very dark and couldn't read the menu so had to use the torch on my phone!!)

Saturday night without children.We wished to enjoy delicious food and experience great customer service.We chose the Curlew, our expectations were surpassed.

Our meal was very special.. Lovely to be cooked for.. for a change ! but this was very special as the food was top notch.. beautifully presented and staff very attentive without being over the top annoying !

Second Xmas Day lunch we have eaten at The Curlew and we have already asked Corinne to book us in for 2019. Why slave over a hot stove when you can enjoy the wonderful food, service and ambiance at this very special restaurant. All the courses were incredible, this year we chose the roast turkey and last year we had the venison.

What a truly wonderful lunch. It was the first time the 3 of us had visited and it certainly won't be the last. The service throughout was so friendly and attentive and the food was magnificent. We have eaten in several Michelin Stared establishments and this restaurant could hold it's own against any of them.The attention to detail and quality of the dishes was amazing,

We made an evening booking at The Curlew because their website advertised a turkey roast on their festive menu. This is somewhat miss leading as the menu we were given at the restaurant did not have any turkey roast and when we asked about the Turkey roast we were told it was on the lunch menu!!! Well that was not made clear on their website, very miss leading and not something I would expect from this type of restaurant. Just be aware their website is not to be trusted.

The Curlew is my favourite restaurant bar none and that's why I chose it as the venue for my 70th birthday lunch. Slightly nervous to invite my family to shlep all the way to East Sussex just for lunch, I was hugely relieved when the food was its usual brilliant self and everyone of my family commented that it was worth travelling so far for such a great meal and celebrating my birthday was a bonus! Cary,, the chef, is simply a genius and, although I've travelled the world for seven decades now, I've never found anywhere better.

I visited with a friend on a Wednesday lunchtime and chose the fixed price lunch menu for £22. From the amuse bouche at the beginning of the meal, the bread with three types of butter, right through to the petit fours served at the end, every course was sublime. The service was excellent, (though there were only a few diners so I can't comment on how it would have been if the restaurant had been more full.)

Came here and decided to opt for the tasting menu (£80 each). It started with warm white sourdough and brown bread with three flavours of butter (Sea salt, caramelised onion and parsley and garlic). The first course was a kind of sage and onion pasty in a pumpkin and barbeque broth. It was delicious, even though for me the sage and onion was possibly slightly too strong. The next course was pigeon (I think!), followed by halibut (exquisite), followed by venison (divine), followed by a 'texture of' lemon dessert, followed by a dark chocolate and coffee desert (too rich and strong to finish the meal on in my opinion - these two desserts could have been swapped round in order). We were also given some small sweet desserts at the end. I also had a Kir Royale (£12) and hubby had a bottle of white chardonnay (£22). Service charge was 12.5% so in total our bill was £231.75, but it was totally worth it for a special occasion and the service was wonderful throughout.