The Union Steakhouse in Rother

My patience with dogs in cafes and restaurants is wearing very very thin so you can imagine my ire when we arrived here for a very special night and were sat next to a couple who thought it appropriate to come to a, what I might call 'fancy' restaurant, since the bill for two would be well over £100, with two enormous dogs, and I mean enormous. They lounged along the floor, had water bowls, barked, and behaved like big dogs - so I felt very on edge until I plucked up the courage and asked to be moved, feeling as if I was the one making a fuss. What the hell?! I'm a dog lover/dog owner but I do not wish to suffer other peoples' dogs when dining out. The food and wine were simply delicious but sadly, the dogs are what I'm remembering here...

Great food, loads of lovely flavours.

Lovely food and fantastic service

Delicious food. Friendly & accommodating staff. We booked for Lunch , quick service & delivered in taste. Lovely find while visiting the town.

Genuinely fantastic food, and really lovely service. Everything we ordered was beautifully cooked.

Good ingredients, nice food. The carrot and goat was my favourite. Wine selection is really nice. Service was unfriendly and unattentive. There was no fish at all. Half of the menu was unavailable and I was told only when ordering....

We ate lunch here and had a really great experience! Both the service and the food was excellent!

Had a very cosy and enjoyable meal here. The menu was very appetising and I struggled to choose from the small plates. The decor is subtle and classy, the service friendly and relaxed. Cooking is imaginative.

Monday lunchtime birthday meal. Excellent food. Very friendly staff. The steak was amazing, as were the veggies .... Well, all of it really. Even the wine. Can't fault it. Not too expensive.

Great atmosphere, great service, great food.x

Had a lovely family birthday dinner at The Union Rye. The staff were super fun and very helpful. The menu was an interesting set of dishes that were ideal for sharing. Most of the ingredients were sourced locally. Will definitely return when next in Rye.

My daughter brought me here for my 60th birthday. We walked into a beautifully arranged room with a cosy open log fire and I got to sit in the best seat in the room. The people who served us were knowledgeable, attentive and personable making it very friendly and relaxed. The cocktails were delicious and freshly prepared from ingredients (not mixed flavoured syrups) and they tasted great for it. The plates are small and extremely well priced. My daughter can’t eat gluten and they accommodated her every wish so she got to choose exactly what she wanted. The food is fresh, very well balanced and thought out. My favourite was the broccoli with peanuts and there was some hummus with land cress. And the linseed crackers were so good. A simple item that could so easily be shoddily made was put together perfectly. The puddings were delicious. Absolutely just go. You’ll love it. And the staff that worked on 10/03/2025 you were brilliant. Thank you for being so good to us. We had a wonderful night.

Superb food and excellent, friendly service. Waitress took us through their sharing menu and offered us advice. Food was fresh, very tasty and the flavours were quite unique.

You’re going to be tempted by The Mermaid Inn, the siren call, resist it. Take your time here, enjoy the skills from the kitchen, the wines, relaxed service. Very good 👌🏻

Exceptional food. Modern british/European, nicely elevated but still very approachable and not pretentious. Service was excellent, couldn't have asked for more. Vibes were immaculate.

Lovely little restaurant with character. Service was brilliant and the food was amazing! Reasonably priced for the quality of the food received and would 100% visit again!

Booked a table for two for our anniversary (we got married in Rye and try to return there every year to celebrate) and had an excellent evening; the food, service, and ambience were all exceptional. We are both vegan and find it can be difficult to find places that adequately cater for us food-wise and are also a joy to dine in, it's usually one or the other. Happy to report that The Union ticked all boxes - a great menu with a couple of vegan options and the offer to adapt veggie options to make them vegan, very knowledgable, friendly, and welcoming staff, a lovely wine list, very good cocktails, open fires, low light, incredibly cosy and romantic on a cold February evening. It's unpretentious, with a laid back feel, but still feels special. Special mention to the delicious vegan dessert. Often it's a token gesture of sorbet (because everyone wants sorbet in winter, right?!) but this was rich, chocolatey boozy prune and hazelnut decadence - absolutely amazing. We loved that there were diners in there with their dogs, it adds to the homely and welcoming vibe. I had read some reviews saying that they found the restaurant to be cold and a little draughty. Any issues have clearly been rectified as it was warm and toasty, two open fires at either end of the restaurant, and radiators. Overall, it was a great experience and we are really looking froward to returning for our next anniversary.

Absolutely gorgeous food. Highly recommended.

My wife and I diner at the Union Rue for Valentines Day this year. Upon entering the restaurant, we were treated like royalty. We ordered a bottle of local East Sussex wine and enjoyed a wonderful dinner. I tried Ray wing for the first time and was delightfully surprised! We ended the night with a delicious cannoli. Great work management and service team. Thank you for making us feel like family.

Outstanding lunch here! Olivia was the best host, brilliant knowledge and advice on wine. The food was delicious, we had the whipped goats cheese and carrots, the skate (exceptional), and the sirloin with the peppercorn was excellent. Highly recommend, will be back for sure!

Delicious food, great service, relaxed atmosphere

Really lovely and quality food with an amazing presentation. The steak superb, it is worth the price. Staff really friendly and the ambient like and old pub and modern cuisine and that vintage vibe... Recommend if you are going to rye

We came here for my birthday. Really great service and the food was amazing. Would highly recommend.

Lovely clean pub. Portions a little small, mackerel served with no sides at all. Food was generally very good but chocolate dessert looked incredible but lacked flavour. Would have been better with a darker chocolate.

Delicious food in a cosy environment with excellent service.

Had a delicious meal last night for my husband’s birthday. Good choice of dishes. Excellent service & makes such a change that staff know about the menu & wines. Lovely ambience & was quite busy for a Sunday night.

I was given a “winning ticket” voucher in a sealed envelope, from friends who had dined at this restaurant over Christmas, and it was an incentive that I might not have otherwise taken. Clever idea! However I failed to read (the very small) print on the other side invalidating it if the envelope was opened prior to the meal, which of course I did. That aside…. My bean stew was a bad choice as it was tasteless, and consisted of 90% butter beans, for the price (£21) I would have expecting something a bit more special. My friends had Cornish mussels which were good but served on small plates, with a tiny bowl to put the shells in and no finger bowls. Come on guys get your act together! Needless to say I won’t be returning.

We had the mussels and whole mackerel with yummy sides and a local bottle of English white wine which was superb. Apperitifs, cheeses, puddings. All were clearly sourced and prepared with love. Service was friendly and atmosphere was convivial. Really couldn’t ask for more. A stand-out experience for us that we thoroughly enjoyed.

Very nice experience. We popped out for Sunday lunch. Food was very tasty and very generous portion sizes. They only had two girls waiting tables and were very busy but they did a good job. So all in all I would say "It ain't gonna change your life" but, fair food, service and price and yes I would visit again.

Just always excellent. A regular favourite, delicious food, lovely environment, and friendly staff.

The style of the Union is lovely and the service is good. However, it’s not the warmest place ( as in temp) regardless of the fires and radiators going full pelt. Equally I think they need to decide what sort of food they want to serve. My Salmon and pork belly were spoiled by liberal amounts of chilli and I don’t know why it was there. It’s not fusion and could have been better. Bit disappointed if I’m honest. Could be great!

Lovely, cosy restaurant. The food and wine were very good, but it is expensive. Also, the wooden chairs could do with cushions for us oldies!!!

We dined here on a Saturday and it was one of the best dinners we’ve had! The service was excellent and all the staff were very friendly and welcoming. Every plate was delicious and well thought out. The mussels were very, very excellent, we will be dreaming of them for months to come. Can’t wait to visit again!

Beautiful food. Delicious! Friendly service. This place never disappoints. A must visit every time we come to Rye.

We dined here on a Saturday and it was one of the best dinners we’ve had! The service was excellent and all the staff were very friendly and welcoming. Every plate was delicious and well thought out. The mussels were very, very excellent, we will be dreaming of them for months to come. Can’t wait to visit again!

Great dinner in a lovely environment. Extremely well priced

Absolutely loved our visit here. From start to finish the quality of service was top level. Staff were very friendly, accommodating and really felt invested in our experience. We thought the food was fantastic. Sincerely well planned menu offering high quality food at an incredibly reasonable price point given the standard. Cannot recommend enough. If you are in Rye please visit.

Had a delicious meal at the Union, very friendly, great service, and did I mention the food was delicious. Highly recommend 5*

Friendly helpful waiter and good short menu with clear provenance and interesting combinations, nice careful cooking if not generous portions - rustic dining rooms and style - we liked it all but, my, it was very cold inside. But we’ll be very happy to re-visit - thank you.

What a truly amazing meal, probably the best I have enjoyed in many years, and already looking forwards to returning. Cant recommend the Union enough, staff was super friendly, only equalled by the food. THANK YOU

A lovely experience for a special birthday and The Union gave us a free glass of bubbly. Service and food was excellent, amazing mackerel and vegetables. Thank you

Lovely experience, food was beautifully presented, interesting and delicious. Service was friendly and helpful. Cold draught the only negative but didn’t take away from our fantastic meal

Envioronment, table was booked for 4 including two 90 year old ladies, informed when booking. Table was absolutely freezing. RIDICULOUS ICE COLD DRAUGHT from both open chimney (easily solved) and single glazed skylight. Whole restaurant was to ccol for comfort despite radiators being very hot. Ecologically very unsound! Pork belly, good. Mussels, very good. Butterbean stew for my guest was very poor, not enough veg to be edible. Service was pretty slow. Under staffed? Very disappointing. Sharpen up please.

Great grub, amazing service - one of our regular spots when we head to Rye. Highly recommend

It's a sharing menu and a great concept. Delicious food, excellent staff. Highly recommended.

Excellent food in an intimate venue. Skate wing in brown butter was the stand out dish

Interesting menu selection. The mussels with nduja and cream sauce, with sour dough toast was excellent. Lovely open fires.

Top class. Was looking for a really quality restaurant, and although not always a fan of small plates, this place did it perfectly. Lovely comforting yet innovative dishes. Left feeling delighted (£80 without drinks)

Amazing food and fantastic service. Staff so friendly and really pull out all of the stops for a special occasion!

We've eaten here several times now and the last time prompted me to do a bad review for a main course (vegetarian or vegan, though I'm neither), so I want to put the record straight this time! There were three of us and we had a selection of about eight or so of the smaller dishes which we shared out between us. They were all absolutely delicious and it was a perfect meal. So, I think, it's probably a question of picking carefully, though, frankly, this time we probably had most of the small dishes. Added to the excellent food, the atmosphere in the Union is very cosy, with an open fire at each end. The service was very good too. All in all, our best evening of three in Rye (though supper at the Globe was also fun).

I can’t recommend the union enough. An absolutely flawless dining experience. Delicious, interesting, seasonal food, presented amazingly in a lovely warm setting Can’t wait to come back and check out the bar upstairs. Amazing place.

We had a wonderful time here. Hope to return!

This is a fantastic restaurant, we can't wait to go back for more.

We had a great meal at The Union! Lovely food, friendly staff and a nice chilled atmosphere. The steak dish was amazing!

Excellent food & service. Small and friendly. Lovely log fires on a cold winters day

Gorgeous restaurant and excellent food. The waiters were super friendly and we thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience.

We loved the food and the cuddles from the team, we had our dog with us and the team was wonderful. We will be back soon

My husband and I had a lovely evening at The Union celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary. The staff were warm & welcoming and our waitress clearly explained their sharing plate concept and menu, she also took time to help us select a suitable wine to accompany our meal. All the dishes were delicious & flavoursome and the attention to detail on each and everyone was clear to see. The service was unobtrusive: we never felt rushed and enjoyed coffee & post dinner drinks in the bar. We are glad to have found The Union and am sure we'll return in the future.

We have been to the union before and the food and service was great. It looks as through the restaurant has changed hands and changed the way they serve there food. Although the food was of good quality I would say that it is overpriced and is a strange menu. It appears that everything is to share but you don’t really get enough food for 2 people. We had the chacutre which consisted of 10 small pieces of meat and a couple of pickles ! The steak was good but only one cut and to share, it wasn’t that big either. We were govern side plates for the chacutete and this was not changed for our main course and neither was our cutlery! The actual location and ambience is lovely, it’s just the menu that’s not great.

Some of the most honest, delicious food I've eaten in a while - excellent produce superbly cooked/plated. Service and ambience both absolutely charming. Loved the cocktails, found the wine list a bit tricky to navigate but managed to find a lovely bottle of red burgundy thanks to google.

Brilliant evening!!it was my mothers 80th Birthday and we had a wonderful evening celebrating with 3 generations.Delicious food and wines enjoyed by all 😋. Thank you

We were really excited about this place however it took way too long to bring the starters. They devided the starters and it even took 45 min to bring the bread. We cannot say anything bad about the quality of the food but our mood was down after we had to wait that long.

Had an excellent meal in lovely surroundings. The staff were pleasant and knowledgeable. The food was of extremely good quality and expertly cooked.

Excellent cosy restaurant with good menu and fresh products. Staff really friendly a.d good advice

Always a nice meal in the union but be prepared to spend.

Fabulous thank you - we ate so much and all Of it amazing!

They think that sharing plates is a new thing so tell you what it means which is so out of date. Our whole sharing sea bass was great but the bill was£200 and definitely not worth it.

I'd wanted to visit The Union for a while but hadn't had the chance. We were in Rye today and popped in for some lunch. I am so glad that we did, and that it lived up to my hopes. We were welcomed warmly by the lovely staff and sat next to the fire place. We ordered a couple of larger dishes to share - the sirloin steak and the butterbeans with roasted squash and oyster mushrooms - and four smaller dishes to share between the three of us - broccoli, mixed greens, potatoes and cauliflower and ashmore cheddar croquettes. The stars of the show were the butterbeans, the broccoli and the croquettes. Not a single dish disappointed though, and the same level of care was given to the vegetables as to the meat, something which I often think is overlooked. We also ordered a couple of desserts. The Basque cheesecake was excellent, and the bay and vanilla pudding was really delicious. Service was really friendly and informative as well as being efficient. Really can't recommend it enough. We will be back very soon and very eagerly.

We were lucky enough to stumble upon this gem of a place earlier this year and have been frequent customers ever since then. Serving a delicious menu with a fantastic team and welcoming restaurant, this is a delightful little spot in Rye!

Absolutely delicious! One of our favourite meals of the year. Wonderful staff too. Highly recommended.

The Union in Rye was recommended to us and it did not disappoint on any level. The ambience was lovely and cosy - we went the week before Christmas and a fire was lit and the welcome was warm. The staff were friendly and put us at our ease, taking us through the menu as it is based on small sharing plates, ensuring that we neither under or over ordered. The food was suparb - clealry cooked with love and care. We were also gently guided through the wine menu and the bottle we chose was well priced and complimented the food well. We were made to feel at home and nothing was too much trouble. We highly recommend and will definitely return - we only wish we lived in Rye as it would be our local but it is well worth the drive from Suffolk. Please open a sister restaurant in Suffolk! :0)

Amazing food and superb service in a lovely location. Top marks!

Lovely restaurant with attentive but not overbearing staff and sensational food (sharing plates and mains). Great attention to detail but not overly showy. Will return.

I’ve been 5 times and always had the best time! Dave is fantastic and the food is phenomenal. Will always recommend!

A very disappointing 45th wedding anniversary meal . Underwhelming food in a very strange menu format ! Pretentious and a lot of style over substance . Strange searing arrangement, window seat very high … my husband felt like he was in an interview ! I was very cold throughout the meal due to window being very draughty. Can’t recommend on any level . Disappointing evening .

We had a really lovely meal of small plates between us. The service was warm and friendly. Can't wait to go back!

We went to The Union for an anniversary meal and were greeted with two free glasses of fizz! A lovely touch and the food was also all absolutely delicious. The service was attentive and friendly and it’s not hard to see why it’s a popular choice.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A delightful British cozy restaurant with warm, rustic interiors and best sea food I’ve had in ages.Fresh,delicious and perfectly cooked.Can’t wait to return!

Sensational. A wonderful place with wonderful food. The company was barely able to compete!

The union is the best restaurant in Rye. Ben Walgate is one of the finest winemakers/palates in England. Combine the two in the vast theatre that is the Winery and you have a recipe for a spectacular evening. Which we were privileged to participate.

Excellent meal; delicious food, tasty cocktails and great service from Dave and the team! Will be coming back again!

Eaten here on several occasions and never fails to impress. The mussels with nduja, white wine and cream were incredible, a stand out. Avoid the purple sprouting broccoli with mushroom puree-underwhelming flavours.

We had such a nice experience celebrating my partner’s meal with family and friends. The staff were very hospitable and friendly, the food was delicious, and the ambience was good - not too loud, and we had a private dining room. Highly recommend and would definitely come back! Thank you team Union x

Cosy historic restaurant. Delicious small plate menu. Really interesting flavours and seasonal produce. Attentive, friendly service

Had the most gorgeous dinner. All the staff were lively especially Olivia who took really good care of us and helped us debone our fish perfectly. Couldn’t recommend enough

Cosy historic restaurant. Delicious seasonal small plates. Friendly and knowledgable service.

Excellent service made the evening. The menu is limited but has some real gems. Wine list is biased to the more expensive options and would benefit from some additional options at the lowered end. Having said that the Red and White Rioja were reasonably priced and complimented the meal well.

A beautiful cozy restaurant with attentive but not fussy staff and wonderful food. We visited on a cold wet November Saturday to be greeted by a lovely team and a roaring fire. The food was beautiful and the atmosphere was very relaxed and welcoming-wonderful

First time in Rye and we really loved this place. Excellent food! Overall quality and value for money is insane. We went for lunch and had oysters, crab toast, ox cheek croquettes and lemon sole. They were all cooked nicely. Highly recommended.

A thoroughly exceptional meal from beginning to end. The attention to detail and craft across all our plates was truly wonderful. The wine recommendations were spot on from a wine list that starts with a whole page of local wines. The staff were superb, clearly as passionate about the food and overall experience as we were.

The Union is a unique restaurant serving exceptional dishes and the staff were wonderfully attentive. We loved it.

Just loved it. We booked it for after seeing a film at the Kino. We had the little table in front of the window. Jazz playing softly in the background and a very pleasant waitress. Food was great. Ordered more like a tapas style meal. Delicious. Very affordable too. Thanks The Union. Just finished off our date night perfectly.

A great meal at the Union. Some of the best service we have had in a while at a restaurant and the food was delicious and very reasonably priced for the quality.

Couldn't fault this wonderful dining experience. Impeccable service, lovely ambience and the food was fabulous.

Lovely, quality food, helpful welcoming staff. Can’t fault it!

Highly reccomend this place..Absolutely lovely restaurant amazing fresh food served by friendly but not imposing staff. I had the lemon sole and my husband had the pork belly and we shared the crushed potatoes.

We had such a wonderful evening at the Union. The food was impeccable - we had some oysters and shared a variety of dishes and each dish was done to perfection! The service was also friendly and we felt really well looked after. We would definitely book to come back when we visit Rye again!

Excellent food and service. Saturday lunch to celebrate a birthday and it was perfect. Attentive, but not too attentive. Excellent choice and food. Definitely go again next time I'm in Rye.

The table wasn't ready when we arrived and we waited 20 mins to be seated, however that can be taken as a positive as the restaurant is very popular. We ordered 6 oysters only to be told they only had 5 left, not really acceptable for a restaurant of this quality to run out of one of its most popular appetizers. The starters arrived before the oysters so were returned. This sounds like a negative review, however the food...starters and mains, goats cheese, crab biscuits, pork belly and lemon sole arrived they were first rate, one of my best meals out ever regardless of budget. This was for a birthday treat and was very well received despite the slight hiccups. Would I return, yes in a heartbeat., testament itself. Just needs a little polishing to make it truely exceptional.

The restaurant refresh my impression of British food. I ordered a pork belly and I would say it is smashing. The restaurant is a hidden gem in rye