Gravetye Manor

We went today to Gravetye Manor for the fixed price lunch menu. Despite the rain we still had wonderful views of the garden and burgeoning Spring flowers from the dining room windows. We were bemused by the honey butter that came with the bread especially as the following courses were savoury. Overall the amuse bouche came thick and fast and of varying tastiness - some good, some definitely not so and they seemed to outweigh the actual main courses - some tasted of nothing - little scraps of flower petals and microscopic vegetables that might grace a fairies table but barely made a mouthful. The main fish course was underwhelming and the vegetables a joke - not even a whole cauliflower floret - but one tiny tiny section of a floret - again a good amount for a fairy. The other vegetable was a crispy green 'leaf' which could have been seaweed but disappointing for a vegetable - I ate it in my hand like the crisp it was. It came with a beurre blanc and something greyish and soft in a piped coil - absolutely no idea what that was. Worth mentioning was the roaring log fire in the sitting room on arrival with complimentary glass of Nyetimber and the immaculate ladies room.

Gravetye Manor is the ‘go-to’ restaurant of my husband and I for special occasions. It has one of the most stunning settings imaginable, and the ambience, cuisine and service in the restaurant are superb. We also had the pleasure of staying in the hotel for a couple of nights back in December and this gave us the opportunity to experience the a la carte breakfast, lounge and resident’s dinner menu, all of which were excellent. While our traditional Classic room was lovely, the bathroom, particularly the shower, felt tired and overdue an upgrade. This is a minor niggle in the whole scheme of things and we would most definitely recommend dining and staying at this fabulous and historic hotel.

Just stayed for the fourth time. Why so often?: All Staff were very welcoming, professional and friendly. . My room (on this occasion Mulberry) was beautifully furnished and spotlessly clean. At breakfast I sat in the Restaurant overlooking the wonderful flower garden. Later I walked down to the lake, back through the meadow and up to the walled kitchen garden. There were fresh flowers from the garden throughout and on a dull autumnal morning the log fire was burning in the front hall. It all added up to a very enjoyable and relaxing stay.

We returned to Gravetye (after a gap of many years) and it was as we remembered and in many ways even better. Where to start? The gardens are exceptional and we had several wonderful walks amongst the well kept spaces. The accommodations are modern in the ways they need to be--technology, TV's and so forth, but they are other wise beautifully traditional. And spotless. The public spaces, the several spots to enjoy a drink and a fire are so comfortable. And the dining room, glass enclosed in the garden, is so beautiful only out done by the sevrice and the cuisine. Our only regret: we don't live closer so we could visit more often.

If you appreciate beautifully tended herbaceous borders and native wildflower meadows linked by pathways of more naturalistic planting, or if you are passionate about good food with innovative ingredient combinations mostly harvested from a stunning walled kitchen garden, then a visit to Gravetye Manor is a must.

An ideal country house experience. The staff are very friendly and this adds to the relaxed and luxurious atmosphere. Dinner was absolutely superb. The chef is an artist. Also they have created a delightful modern space to dine in. Likewise breakfast is a delight. It was foggy and cold the night we stayed which added to the getaway indulgent experience Maybe return in Spring or Summer