The Union Steakhouse in Rother

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)

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.

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

We had a wonderful time here. Hope to return!

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

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

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.

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!

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

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 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!

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.

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

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 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.

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.

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 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

Delicious food and great service. Thank you for a lovely evening!

Lovely atmosphere, friendly staff and delicious food. The chefs have really thought about flavours, textures and combinations. The principle is sharing plates which works just fine. Wine if pricey but good. The food comes in good portions for the prices and looks wonderful. We have a place in Rye and eat out there quite a lot. The Union Inn goes to the top of the list.

The chefs at the Union clearly think hard about great combinations, flavours and textures. We sampled several plates, all of which were delicious. Standouts were the whipped goat’s cheese dish and the pappardelle. Wine is pricey though. Staff are charming, especially Rikki - a star who knows what he’s doing front if house. Very nice interior.

What a fantastic place to spend Saturday evening! I love the concept of this restaurant, it makes for something a bit different. The food quality is only matched by the outstanding service. Thank you for supporting fantastic English and Welsh wine …

Fantastic tasty meal here. Incredible cocktails and attentive staff who were super friendly. Would highly recommend if you are visiting Rye.

Fabulous food, lovely wine and a grand evening. Genuinely dog friendly which was a huge plus

Wonderful food. Superbly friendly staff. Would go back in a heartbeat

We walked this place on Tues 8th Oct and decided to have lunch. The place was empty, the fire was lit and the man greeting us was so welcoming. We had wine, oysters, sole and other sides and it was flawless. Service was the perfect balance of attentiveness and letting us enjoy the lunch! Surprised it wasn’t packed!

An incredible experience. The selection of plates is creative and well balanced, the wine list is well curated too.

Amazing food and great service. A must for anyone who’s visiting Rye!

The food and service were absolutely brilliant. We came in to celebrate our 1 year wedding anniversary and the team were very welcoming and offered us a complimentary drink. The service was thoughtful and friendly, and the food arrived quickly. We really enjoyed our time here - and they were great with the dog! Thank you

Beautiful food, staff were lovely and knowledgeable. We sat in the back of the restaurant which lacked atmosphere would definitely recommend but ask for a table at the front of the restaurant.

Walked past when I was wandering around and decided to walk in for dinner. Wonderful host, warm and welcoming. There is something magical with the fireplace, makes me feel cozy and homey. Dishes are delicious! Gorgeous plating presentation, appropriate portion and pricing. They have quite a few selection of wines too! I had a whipped goat cheese and the lemon sole with a glass of wine. 1 pax, £48 for all included service. I will definitely back here to try their others dishes when I’m around Rye.

As first timers we were blown away with the quality of food at The Union tonight. (That beetroot starter was out of this world) For us, it’s up there as one of the best two restaurants in Rye. I am now sorry we did not eat there on our previous visit. We will be back.

The Union gets better with each visit. Maz the wonderful chef is doing some great things and really works her magic using top notch ingredients. The lamb chops, the butter beans and squash and the Lemon Sole, if I close my eyes I can still remember all the details of the wonderful meal we enjoyed. Oh and much improved wine list and service team most of whom have been here long term all tells a story of care, quality and true hospitality that you feel part of as soon as you cross the threshold.

A couple on holiday in Rye The idea of being able to share a number of different small plates was excellent. Service and presentation was good. For what we considered the price was reasonable. Would recommend for something different, if we lived in the area would certainly go again.

Very good food. Hearty yet refined

Very good service and food was excellent with some unusual dishes. Mainly sharing plates. We celebrated our anniversary here and they very kindly gave us a complimentary cheesecake for dessert. Very unexpected and much appreciated.

The Union has a standard that never fails. The staff for attentive but not too overbearing, the food is always cooked to perfection, they always keep the menu fresh, and the beverages on offer I've great quality and seem to be chosen with great care. I would always recommend!

We had an incredible evening at the Union - brilliant food, made with local produce, and a great atmosphere. The staff were fantastic and I couldn’t fault them. Would recommend to anyone!

We came to The Union for a special occasion and weren't disappointed. The server was really friendly and welcoming, ensuring it felt like an elevated experience. We started with oysters, which were super fresh and paired perfectly with a simple vinaigrette sauce. The charcuterie, bread, and anchovies were all good, but the highlight was the simple yet perfectly cooked sirloin, which we shared. It was accompanied by a red wine recommendation from the host, and it paired wonderfully. We were also given complimentary champagne, which added a lovely touch, making our evening feel extra special. We finished with the bay and vanilla pudding, which was nice. Overall, we left feeling very satisfied, and the total came to around £130, including service.

Gorgeous meal and excellent service. Would highly recommend

Fantastic, fantastic, fantastic! Every morsel we ate was just delicious. Great local ingredients, fabulously cooked, well seasoned, beautifully presented and with outstanding service. All absolutely perfect for a 60th birthday celebration! A free glass of bubbly too. What more could anyone want?

Knowledgeable staff, local produce beautifully cooked and presented. Thoroughly recommend.

Visited for lunch. I had the bean soup from the vegan menu. I was happy because I was eating out every day and didn't eat enough vegetables. Even though it's vegan, it's quite filling with plenty of large beans. The soup tasted like stewed vegetables and was delicious. My husband had the pork plate. Pork and potatoes! I was overwhelmed by how simple this plate was, but it was also delicious. Oven-baked potatoes are so fragrant.

The Union is excellent. We had the most delicious Romney Marsh Lamb. Cooking is of the highest order, and the team were welcoming and efficient. They make a killer martini too. Ask to be seated on the main room though. We were the snug, which was a bit too quiet.

Did a bit of research before coming to Rye and the Union seemed like our kind of place. We weren't disappointed. Lovely welcome by friendly and attentive staff. We had a starter and main each (salmon, polenta, tomatoes and pork rilette starters....very generous portions then lamb, pork belly, sole...all beautifully cooked and presented). Sides were also great.... potatoes and garlic greens. Lovely ambience and surroundings.

We hadn’t booked but after looking at reviews decided to give it a try. We recieved a warm welcome and chose a table by the fire. The restaurant has a lovely ambiance and the menu u looked good. We chose a few different plates to share which were all very good. The lamb in particular was amazing. We also shared the chocolate desert which has to be tried! All in all 10/10 and would happily recommend and re visit. Thank you for a great start to our short visit to Rye.

Excellent service and unusual but delightful food.

Decided to try The Union as wanted a venue a little more fancy than a pub, and for some reason most of Rye seems closed on a Monday and Tuesday. We had an oyster each with a glass of fizz and some anchovies to start. The oysters were lovely and beautifully fresh and refreshing. The anchovies were not my choice, but much nicer than I remember when previously trying them. For main we shared the on bone sirloin, medium rare. It came with a green herb sauce that I was initially disappointed with, but actually came to like. However, I was surprised there were no options to have other sauces added, such as peppercorn, blue cheese, bone-marrow gravy etc. The steak had quite a thick layer of fat around the edge, but was otherwise well cooked and very tasty. We ordered a side of potatoes and greens with it and these were well seasoned and very tasty. Finally we finished with some blue cheese and pistachio ice cream. The chutney with the cheese had a nice little kick and the ice cream had a beautiful texture of ground pistachios. Service was very attentive. Minor points to note - The stairs to the bathroom are quite small and may be more difficult for those with large feet. The wine list gives you the name of the wine and the type, but no notes on the wine itself. It would have been useful to have a few words as to how light or full bodied, fruity etc, for those of us who aren’t sommeliers.

Tasty and imaginative sharing plates. Friendly efficient service.

Our second visit , good service & great food We take our small dog , who the staff love

Absolutely fantastic experience: delicious food, wonderful ambiance, lovely staff (sorry we kept you all so late!). 100% worth a trip for...

The Union offers a Sharing Plates menu. We ordered 6 dishes between 2, 4 smaller dishes and 2 'mains'. The food was really good, the Saltmarsh Lamb chops outstanding. Great wine to accompany the food. Service was both friendly and informative. If you are visiting Rye I recommend you visit.

A very nice Argentinian waiter welcomed us,he also wrote out some tips of where to stay in Buenos Aires which was above and beyond! Service was a little slow due to a new chef just starting,but he didn’t disappoint on the food! Starter was whipped cod’s roe (taramsalata) which was the best I have eaten in years. Main course was lemon sole which actually the best lemon sole I have ever eaten. Pudding was a very nice cheese cake. The white wine was very good. All in all excellent,we will be back!

Lovely relaxed attentive service. Pretty, laid back room. Truly excellent food, not a duff note.

We had such a lovely time at the union. It serves small plates (but generous portion!) with some of the most delicious wine and drinks. The service was friendly and thoughtful. The Union is a must when you're in Rye 🥰

A lovely welcoming restaurant with knowledgeable friendly staff. We really enjoyed the appetizers and cocktails while we chose from the main menu. All of the food was delicious - Lemon sole perfectly cooked, Butterbean and Aubergine stew very tasty but needed some bread to mop up the delicious sauce! Nice range of wines to choose from too.

Delicious food, friendly service and relaxed atmosphere. This was a real treat, the quality of the food was exceptional. It was certainly the best meal we’ve had in Rye.

We went to this wonderful restaurant for my birthday dinner and it was exceptional. From the moment we arrived, the staff were warm and friendly but extra thanks goes to Derek who was so helpful & informative with the menu, and made our evening so enjoyable. The food here is one of the best meals we have ever eaten - special shout out goes to the fried polenta and pork chop dishes which I will dream of for a long time! Honestly, we couldn’t recommend The Union highly enough and absolutely will be back. Thank you!

Fresh food superbly cooked. Best meal I have ever had in Rye.

Fantastic service. Lovely wine choices and fresh, flavourful food. A great place in the centre of Rye!

Absolutely outstanding food and service. What a fabulous place . We chose several of the sharing dishes and they were delicious! The non alcoholic Sherley Temple was the best non alcoholic cocktail I’ve ever had! We will definitely be coming back!

Excellent, fresh choice for vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Nicely presented and well served.

We came to the Union for lunch, never having been to Rye before. What a gem to stumble upon! The food was incredible and the service was amazing. The building is beautiful, and our server (we think the manager) was very friendly and professional. Will definitely be coming back when we return to Rye!

We had a really lovely dinner on a busy Saturday evening. The food was cooked to perfection, special mention to the lemon sole. Pickles were delightful and the anchovies super fresh. We were offered a quieter side room; staff were very helpful in relation to a dairy allergy . Music great and ambience chilled. Really good cooking on display here

You can enjoy a delicious lunch menu at a reasonable price. The staff are also kind.

Great place, food was very good, but it was very slow. We went in with kids and there’s no kids menu, but the food was great anyway so they enjoyed! The only downside was rhat it took so long. Service was very friendly.

Lovely building and the food really was incredible…. So much attention to flavours and really varied menu. Also very interesting wine list with lots of new English wines. Worked very well for a carnivore and a veggie!

Lovely place for lunch. Good value for money with great service. Thank you!

Excellent food, mainly served as sharing plates. Good wine list with large selection of English wines and eclectic worldwide choice. Allow £100 for two. We will certainly come again.

Really enjoyed my lunch here on my day trip to Rye. Friendly and attentive staff and great music playing! Along with delicious vegan options and cocktails so yeah.. can’t fault this place and I’d recommend it to anyone visiting this lovely city. Thank you

I would rate between 4.5 and 5. The best steak I had had since quite some time ( I just know it’s the best quality meat & perfectly executed ), good friendly service, Pork Rillettes great, our table liked the Broccoli and the seasonal greens, potatoes served piping hot 👌 & price wise I believe value 4 money. Towards the end briefly we felt a bit like staff wanted to go home ( but that may have been the most junior staff member only AND also think to understand they do both lunch & dinner service with 1 team, probably ). I found no towel nor dryer in toilet but that may have been an exception. All & all 100% recommend visiting!

Fabulous food, great service, they run out of lamb, which was a shame, but nonetheless we had a fabulous evening. I'll definitely be back.

The food was all exceptional - the whipped goats cheese starter being the star of the show for me. Great service and everything was delicious

The restaurant was cosy with a lovely ambiance, David was a credit to the restaurant - friendly, knowledgeable, prompt - a pleasure to be served by him. We placed quite a big food order (we were treating ourselves, after all) and each dish was better than the last. We specifically loved the ox heart skewers and the lamb and cherry dish. We’ve eaten a lot of taramasalata in our time, but the one we had at The Union was up there with the best we’ve ever eaten! Thanks again to the whole team - really looking forward to visiting again

Located in the charming town of Rye, this restaurant offers a truly delightful dining experience. Arriving around 6pm for a quick dinner before heading back to London. Rye itself is a picturesque town, and this restaurant complements it perfectly with its warm and inviting ambiance. Each table was adorned with candles, casting a soft, cozy glow that added to the intimate setting. The service was attentive yet unobtrusive, allowing us to enjoy our meal at a relaxed pace.

The food was good. Wine by the glass choice was a little limited and bottles fairly pricy but better choice. Service was friendly and helpful. Sat in the snug..Nice but next time I'd prefer main area. Good but a tad pricy

Went with 4 for a special dinner. Ordered the polenta, oysters, cod roe on toast, butter beans, whole sea bass, and a side of greens. Ended the meal with desserts all round. This was one of the best meals we’ve had while travelling through England. Each dish was delicious, with layers of flavour. The service was efficient and friendly. Much recommended.

Lovely afternoon aperitivo with extremely congenial service.

Western version of grilled mackerel

Absolutely super! Had a wonderful evening - superb food, lovely staff, superb all round! Highly recommend!

Lovely meal and great service . Delicious selection of small plates accompanied by a bottle of a local english rose.

Lovely food, great wine list. Friendly staff. Very enjoyable evening

This restaurant was perfect to celebrate our friends 60th, the service was excellent and the food amazing, book to avoid disappointment, its a little gem in Rye!

Incredible small plates perfect for sharing and a great wine menu! Very doggie friendly which is always a bonus :)

Fantastic food in Charming Rye with great wines and service

We normally love the Union as it has a good atmosphere, the staff are very nice and efficient and the food normally excellent and sometimes outstanding. This time, however, I had a very sub-standard vegetarian main course (basically aubergines and butter beans - some sort of beans anyway, I now can't remember exactly which kind as I am writing this about a month later) which cost over £20, only a pound or two less than the lemon sole and other mains. The choice, as far as I remember was between fish (which I don't like) and goat chops (which I didn't fancy). I felt I could have produced this vegetarian option myself with an aubergine, a tin of beans and a bit of seasoning. In fact, this was worse than what I would have produced as it had no flavour and seemingly no salt (I had to ask for a salt cellar in order to add salt liberally). My starter was good, my pudding excellent, my husband's food very good, it was just this course which was a total let-down. I mentioned it to waiter David at the time but had no come-back. We had accepted that we were in for an expensive meal (we will be thinking twice about going back there now because it is so expensive), but expected that the food would make it worthwhile. Sadly, this was not the case with my vegetarian main course - it was a major disappointment.

Was everything amazing, very nice and careful staff, the food is was delicious 😋 😊

Food was not our choice but we had some food it was cooked OK.

Really charming spot, fresh creative dishes and a lovely welcoming staff.

I love this beautiful old pub. It's full of warmth, great vibes, impeccable food, and a seriously kind team dedicated to making this place as special as it can be. If you're in Rye, you can't leave without visiting this absolute gem.

We ate at the Union (with other family members) for the first time in December 2023 and this was our fourth visit (the successive three times on our own). Nearly all our food has been excellent, although the first time I ate there my main course (can’t remember what it was) wasn’t as good as it has been every other time. Sadly, however, this time, although my starter was good and my pudding out of this world (!), my main course was less than satisfactory and was ridiculously expensive for what it was. My trouble is that I don’t like fish or sea food but not do I always feel like too much red meat. Since the choices were, as far as I remember, lemon sole, steak, Somerset goat chops or a vegetarian option, I went for the latter. The sole was my husband’s selection (at £23 or £24) and he said it was excellent. The goat chops were £23 or £24 (whichever the sole wasn’t), while the steak was somewhat more. My vegetarian option was £21 which wasn’t substantially cheaper so I expected it to be good!! What I got was a baked half aubergine in butterbeans with some sort of thin sauce. It was very tasteless (I had to add quite a bit of salt, which wasn’t automatically provided on the table), but even then I wasn’t able to finish what was largely butterbeans. I honestly felt I could have done at least as well myself with an aubergine and a tin of butterbeans but would definitely have made it more flavoursome. It was extremely disappointing and absolutely not worth £21. It is pretty expensive eating anywhere good in Rye but usually the food is worth it. Not this main course though, so steer clear or choose very carefully.

Lovely lunch in this understated restaurant in Rye. Excellent food and nice ambiance. The scallops were delicious as were the goat chops. I mentioned it was our wedding anniversary when I made the booking and they brought two glasses of bubbly to our table which was a nice touch. Would go there again if we are ever in Rye.

Lovely restaurant and staff. The food was excellent and so was the wine. A very enjoyable evening.

Beautiful food in a brilliant setting. Very reasonably priced!

Fantastic vegan options - beautifully presented thank you!

Stylish beautifully decorated restaurant. Really great team. Very friendly and helpful with explaining the menu. Lots of choice - small plates and a few larger sharing plates. We started with some delicious oysters and then the sharing steak and the asparagus small plate. The asparagus was outstanding with a wonderful sauce. Finished with eton mess with berries and an expresso martini. Good wine list - slightly expensive but enjoyed a rose from Provence. Thank you to the kitchen and chefs/cooks .. Highly recommend

Excellent food and great service. Will go again