GETAWAYS • Rye
I’ve been visiting Rye with family and friends for over two decades, back when my idea of a top culinary experience was 100 grams of apple bon bons (Britcher & Rivers’ old-fashioned sweet shop still thrives today on the High Street). Luckily, my tastes have developed since then, and Rye has more than kept up. Perched atop a hill overlooking the misty flats of Romney Marsh, the old port town feels much further than an hour and fifteen minutes by train from St Pancras, yet offers a charming blend of centuries-old rustic hideouts and contemporary culinary destinations.
For a long time The George hotel and restaurant monopolised the town’s hospitality scene. Whilst The George remains the best choice for those looking to stay in town, there are now plenty of other alluring dining options. The Union is a great bet. The cosy dining room of this former steakhouse boasts a daily changing menu of sharing plates, a good wine list, and warm, knowledgeable service. When I last visited, the cheddar croquettes and skate wing were particularly memorable.
Venture a 10-minute drive from town, however, and you’ll find a treat worth visiting all by itself. Tillingham is a functioning vineyard and winery, but the cluster of renovated farm buildings at its core also house a dozen-odd bedrooms, a bar, and two restaurants. There’s an outdoor stone-fired pizza barn for breezy summer visits and an upstairs fine dining restaurant for more serious occasions.
The look of the place is a huge part of the draw. The brutalism of the renovated cowshed, which houses the main restaurant and bar, is offset by softer touches and only the occasional and restrained nod to the rural setting (like sheepskin rugs and Hunter wellies).
The six-course tasting menu upstairs is seasonal and hyper-local. Most of the ingredients are grown or reared on the Tillingham estate and everything else comes from neighbouring farms or Rye Harbour. It’s mostly straightforward modern British — chicken liver parfait with quince jam; monkfish with tartare and greens — but the execution is excellent, and the kitchen doesn’t shy away from bolder elements (as in the tempura Thai salmon amuse-bouche). Ignore the English climate optimists and stick to Tillingham’s white and orange wines. We went for a bottle of Tillingham’s chardonnay, but the pinot gris is also delightful.
Tillingham is an all-weather and any-occasion place, with beautiful spaces for wintry refuge or summer shade. It captures the variety of the landscape and climate it sits so harmoniously in, and draws the best from the marshes, fields, and waters of East Sussex. –Sophie Duval
→ Tillingham (Rye) • Dew Farm Dew Lane Peasmarsh.