Diners' Choice: Best Service restaurants in East Sussex

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants with the best service in East Sussex? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

The Sundial

4.9

4.9 (542)

£26 to £40

French

Herstmonceux

About the restaurant

The Sundial is a privately owned, relaxed and chic French restaurant with spectacular views of the South Downs in East Sussex. The Sundial’s à-la-carte and seasonal menus as well as its cuisine and ambience are typically French. Our restaurant in East Sussex is perfect for a meal with family and friends or an intimate dinner for two, the Sundial’s lounge bar, French restaurant and private dining room provide a flexible combination for parties, business meetings, seminars, wedding venues and group events for up to 60 people. Our restaurant can cater for upto 150 people as a wedding venue. If you´re looking for a Fine Dining French restaurant in East Sussex, or anywhere in Sussex, you won´t find a finer French restaurant!. Our French restaurant has a Civil wedding License offering you the perfect wedding venue in East Sussex. Restaurant also has a large car park with 16 parking spaces.

Top review

Christopher

Dined 6 days ago

Superb food out of this world!! Service outstanding

La Delizia

4.8

4.8 (54)

£25 and under

Italian

Hastings

About the restaurant

La Delizia, meaning ‘The Delight’, inspired by delis and eateries in Positano and Amalfi, offers authentic, specialist Italian food and drink, to take home or eat in.

Featuring fresh Whitstable oysters, calamari, pasta, an authentic meat and cheese counter serving paninis and Antipasti selections, as well as Italian delights such as ‘Crema di Caffé’ an Iced Coffee dessert, fresh orange juice, and so much more.

Top review

Julia

Dined 3 days ago

The food was delicious and beautifully presented, and the waiting staff were very friendly, polite and efficient

First In Last Out

4.8

4.8 (189)

£25 and under

Pub

Hastings

About the restaurant

The First In Last Out (FILO), is a family run free-house in the Old Town of Hastings. Alongside our award winning beer, we serve quality food prepared from scratch. We offer lunch and dinner everyday, including our ever popular Tapas night (Monday), Indian Thali (Thursday) and Sunday roasts.

The brewery is located just two minutes away from the pub, where we produce five regular ales using a full mash-tun process. We love live music and host regular Sunday evening gigs, of which details can be found on our website.

The pub is popular with locals and tourists alike, who love to get cosy in our booth seating or warm up on cold winters' days around our unique central fireplace.

Dogs and children are most welcome.

Top review

Lisa

Dined on Dec 18, 2024

I’ve eaten here many times and they never disappoint. Food is amazing and the service is always welcoming, I can not fault it and even a little penguin sat on top of my Christmas pud!

The Hatch Inn Hartfield

4.7

4.7 (955)

£26 to £40

Gastro Pub

Hartfield

About the restaurant

As a quick note to customers we would like to inform you that all of our reservable outdoor tables are under cover and have heating. Also standard seating is indoor seating.
Proprietor Nicholas Drillsma and partner Sandy Barton have built an enviable reputation over the past 28 years in producing the highest quality, locally sourced food, complimented by an extensive wine list.
The menus reflect our customer profile in delivering quality food and service in a cosy, quintessentially English public house.
We would encourage anyone suffering with food allergens or specific dietary requests to alert us to these within the 'Special Requests' section of your reservation so as we may brief our team accordingly prior to your arrival

Top review

JohnVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Love Christmas Eve meal, drinks and family ritual.

Two Sawyers

4.8

4.8 (801)

£25 and under

Pub

Hastings

About the restaurant

The Two Sawyers is a 16th Century Inn recently refurbished and under family ownership. We pride ourselves on serving excellent beer and food.

We have a large beer garden to the rear of the pub with over 30 tables for our guests to use for both drinking and dining.

A character bar with log fires serving guest ales, beers, and wines. The restaurant serves traditional pub food twice both lunch and evening and all day on both Saturday and Sunday.

Top review

Alison

Dined 1 day ago

Beautiful 16th century pub with all the quirks that come with the architecture of the time. Fantastic food at great value. Staff were welcoming and allowed us the time to choose. Plan to return in the summer and make use of the outdoor space

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Popular dish

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Popular dish

Fish and Chips

The Cove

4.7

4.7 (61)

£25 and under

Pub

Pett

About the restaurant

In sleepy Fairlight, on the edge of the Firehills, The Cove is an independently run freehouse serving locals, wanderers and gastronauts alike. Halfway between Hastings and Rye, The Cove is the perfect stop after a walk across the local beaches and coastal paths of East Sussex. We have a fire for the winter nights, a garden for summer days, and a friendly bar waiting to welcome you.

Originally a hotel, the building sat empty for several years until 2022, when the Cove was renovated, restored and reopened with a new lease of life. It has quickly gained a reputation for excellent, elevated pub food with local chef and restauranteur Nick Hales leading the kitchen.

In 2023 it was featured on The Times 50 Best Summer Pubs, and given a glowing review by Grace Dent in The Guardian Observer.

Top review

Richard

Dined 3 days ago

A delicious lunch and superb service. The perfect start to our Christmas celebrations. Thank you.

The Royal

4.7

4.7 (65)

£26 to £40

Gastro Pub

St Leonards-On-Sea

About the restaurant

The Royal is operated by James Hickson, who has a solid hospitality background having learned his trade at well-loved restaurants and gastropubs including St John, Great Queen Street, The Canton Arms and Moro. James is hands-on at the pub, overseeing the relaxed yet lively atmosphere, friendly service and sophisticated food and drink. The kitchen is led by head chef, Andrew Taylor-Gray, who has previously worked at Petersham Nurseries, Hix and The Canton Arms.

The Royal has been included in the Michelin Guide since February 2020 with Bib Gourmand status, which we have maintained ever since.

A welcoming gastropub for locals and visitors alike in St. Leonards-On-Sea and Hastings, low-key and down-to-earth, The Royal occupies an historic corner site right opposite St. Leonards Warrior Square station.

Top review

Andy

Dined 5 days ago

Great food and the staff were fantastic - I would highly recommend

The Union

4.8

4.8 (1149)

£26 to £40

Contemporary British

Rye

About the restaurant

The Union is a contemporary restaurant and bar set in a beautiful 15th century building in the heart of Rye. Our menu is made up of small and large plates which we recommend sharing across the table. Our team will be on hand to guide you through your visit.

Our food is guided by the seasons and our menu is ingredient led so changes based on what we have available to us. We primarily use British produce and work with local suppliers to ensure we always source the very best ingredients we can get our hands on.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 3 days ago

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

The Plough

4.7

4.7 (739)

£25 and under

Pub

Rye

About the restaurant

The Plough is a country pub, restaurant and rooms just outside Rye, with a beer garden offering picturesque views of the Brede valley. Our food offer is pub classics made incredibly as well as creative cooking, whilst being ingredient led. We primarily use British produce and work with local suppliers to ensure we always source the very best ingredients we can get our hands on. Inside we have a warm atmosphere with log fires and friendly service.

Top review

Ben

Dined 3 days ago

Fantastic service, matched by the setting and the food. Our first visit since recently moving and certainly won’t be our last. Loved the fact that Chef felt he had ‘done me out of some greens’ so sent an additional portion. The sauce with the Lamb Pie was amazing and the ladies were grateful for the Pork Collar recommendation.

Landgate Bistro

4.7

4.7 (1591)

£26 to £40

British

Rye

About the restaurant

We make British food with a classic or modern slant. We source our ingredients from the local fields, woodlands and waters. Everything is cooked on the premises, including the sourdough bread and the icecreams.
The Good Food Guide (2023) says: "A fittingly quaint old building, complete with original features, given a suave modern twist via grey panelling and contemporary furniture. Chef-proprietor Martin Peacock has built his menu on classical French traditions and impeccable sourcing and there’s real creativity and originality on show here. The international wine list offers a decent but not overlong selection, with accessible pricing.

Vegetarian: we will always offer at least one starter and one main vegetarian choice. However, we cannot cater for vegans.

***
Please note, due to customer allergies, we cannot allow dogs on the premises.

Top review

Jacob

Dined 7 days ago

Amazing fine dinning, extremely good value for money. Professional service. Can't fault it. Great for a special occasion.

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