The Mermaid Inn

Name: The Mermaid Inn
Address: Mermaid Street, Rye, East Sussex, United Kingdom, TN31 7EY
Telephone: 01797 223065
Price range: £26 to £40
Rating: 4.6

4.6 (1434)

£26 to £40

British

Mermaid Street, Rye, East Sussex TN31 7EY

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 15, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 10 times today

About this restaurant

Charming
Good for special occasions
Great for fine wines

Dine in the AA 2 Rosette Linen Fold Panelled Restaurant, where you can enjoy the ambience of the large restaurant, the cosiness of The Dr Syn Dining Room or the privacy of the Boardroom for your evening meal, lunch and breakfast.

Head Chef Drew King is focused on using quality, seasonal, local ingredients and cooking them perfectly. He has a broad range of experience having worked in Michelin Star restaurants. and is able to adapt to the requirements of the guest and the occasion.

Please note dogs are not allowed in the Restaurant. Bookings are for the Restaurant only. We do not reserve for The Bar and outside seating areas.

Additional information

Dining style
Fine Dining
Price
£26 to £40
Cuisines
British, French
Hours of operation
Mon–Fri, Sun 12:00 pm–12:30 am Daily 6:00 pm–9:00 pm Sat 12:00 pm–2:30 pm
Phone number
01797 223065
Website
http://www.mermaidinn.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Executive chef
Drew King
Private party facilities
We can offer a range of menus to suit the occasion.We can provide a personalised service to help you plan the food and wine to ensure we can create a memorable occasionWe offer private dining in our Board Room, or our Dr Syn Dining Room and for larger functions we can seat up to 90 guests in our Tudor Room.

Location
Mermaid Street, Rye, East Sussex TN31 7EY
Neighborhood
Rye
Parking details
Unfortunately we are unable to offer parking to our restaurant customers as our small car park is reserved for hotel guests. There are a number of alternative car parks locally, and reception will be happy to direct you to these.
Public transit
The Rye railway station and bus station are both a 5 minute walk to The Mermaid Inn.
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Outdoor Smoking Area, Private Room, Vegan, Wine

Local Asparagus (V) (GF)
Poached Hen’s Egg, Canterbury Cobble, Truffle Emulsion
Seafood Risotto (GF) (C) (M)
Squid, Mussels, Smoked Salmon, Chorizo, Lime
Potted Brown Shrimp and Crab (GF) (C) (A) (N)
Cucumber, Iceberg, Hazelnuts, Bloody Mary Espuma
Crisp Ham Hock
Black Pudding, Gooseberry, Bacon Popcorn
Chilled Tomato Consommé (V/Vg) (GF/DF)
Mushroom Ketchup, Twineham Grange CheeseOlives, Basil, Courgette, Feta

Main Courses

Duo of Local Hogget (GF)
Charred Little Gem, Fondant Pink Fir, Minted Yoghurt
Steamed Rye Bay Sea Bass (GF/DF)
Gazpacho, Fennel Jam, Tapenade
Beetroot Gnocchi (V/Vg) (N)
Fondant Leeks, Nerominded Cheese, Walnuts, Leek Velouté
Local Cornfed Chicken
Poche-Grille Breast, Kiev of Leg, Spring Greens & Pancetta, Chestnut Mushroom
Sole Grenobloise
Caeser Salad, Brown Butter, Confit Lemon, Crisp Anchovies
Pithivier (V)
Sweet Potato, Harissa, Spinach, Roast Cauliflower, Caper & Raisin Dressing

Side Dishes

Sauteed Local Greens (GF)
Buttered Pink Fir Potatoes, Crispy Onions
Mermaid House Salad (Vg)

Desserts

Rhubarb Souffle (GF)
£3.50 Supplement Tahitian Vanilla Custard
Coconut Parfait
Glazed Banana, Papaya Salsa, Mango Sorbet
Chocolate
Burnt White Chocolate Cremeux, Milk Chocolate Delice, Bitter Chocolate Sorbet, Orange
Lemon and Meringue (A) (GF)
Lemon Curd, Lemon Sorbet, Verbena, Limoncello
Brighton Blue
Fig Jam, Sussex Honey, Ginger Biscuits
Choice of Home-made Ice Creams & Sorbet
Filter Coffee, Espresso, Cappuccino, Café Latte Tea or Infusions with Petit Fours£4.00
A discretionary 10% Service Charge is added for good service.

What 1,434 people are saying

The Mermaid Inn reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6

4.6 based on recent ratings

4.5Food
4.7Service
4.6Ambience
4.4Value

Noise • Energetic

Loved For

East Sussex
Best Ambiance
East Sussex
Great for fine wines
East Sussex
Romantic
East Sussex
Good for special occasions

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

The Mermaid Inn in Rye offers a "historic dining experience" with beautifully crafted dishes and "excellent service." Diners appreciate the "friendly and attentive staff" and gluten-free options. The restaurant combines a "charming setting" with "delicious food," making it a favorite for special occasions. Some guests noted "overpowering flavors," but overall, it's highly recommended for its "characterful dining room" and "great value for money."

1,434 Reviews

A
Anne-Marie
Devon1 review
4.0
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Such a lovely setting for lunch. The staff were very attentive.
Is this helpful?
A
Alison
East Sussex1 review
3.0
Dined on June 7, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Curtains and bed spread too modern for the history of the hotel ,shower head not flowing well, lamb was tough had to send back which ment we ate separately not ideal as it was our anniversary, such a shame.
Is this helpful?
L
Louise
Warwickshire1 review
5.0
Dined on June 7, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The setting, food and service at The Mermaid made our evening extremely enjoyable. The quality & presentation of the food was beautiful, & the staff attentive without being intrusive.
Is this helpful?
B
Barbara
London5 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 31, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great set lunch choice and value. Wonderful desserts.
Is this helpful?
C
Claire
London9 reviews
4.0
Dined on May 24, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We had an enjoyable time here and the service was exceptional with really friendly and attentive staff. The atmosphere was so nice and we love the history of this hotel. We enjoyed the risotto starter which was delicious but not so much our mains -my partner had hoggett and I had sea bass. The sea bass dish had far too many flavours and whilst the fish was cooked beautifully, the others flavours were so overpowering and it was a bid muddled and confused. I would have preferred the fish with simple favours and I wish with hindsight that I’d ordered the chicken. My main was a bit disappointing to be honest as we had really high expectations and my partner thought the hoggett was average. However, he he eggs royale breakfast in the morning made up for it - the breakfast was amazing and five star with the same exceptional service
Is this helpful?
P
Pete
London2 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 22, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We were visiting Rye abd made a last minute booking at the Mermaid after walking past it and being attracted by the architecture of the building. The menu also provided several options for my Wife who has to follow a gluten free diet which is not usually something you find on a high end restaurant menu. The chef also adapted one dish she was keen to try. The food was outstanding, the service relaxed and friendly and it was great value.
Is this helpful?
D
David
East Sussex2 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 18, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fantastic food as always, very attentive service and it's so nice to dine in a historic dining room with carpet, thus avoiding the need for diners to shout at each other like you have to do in may restaurants which are like dining in an aircraft hangar. Wonderful friendly service from the young staff.
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M
Margaret
Cambridge/Cambridgeshire1 review
5.0
Dined on May 18, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Delicious food and excellent service. The setting is beautiful and welcoming.
Is this helpful?
S
Stephen
London2 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 18, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
An unexpected surprise when we booked a night at The Mermaid through Secret Escapes and decided to eat in the historic building. Really lovely food and excellent service from the staff. Highly recommend
Is this helpful?
K
Kimberley
London1 review
5.0
Dined on May 16, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food was delicious with prompt service and a great atmosphere.
Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Mermaid Inn is rated 4.6 stars by 1434 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Home
United Kingdom
East Sussex
Rye
Rye

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 15, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 10 times today

Mermaid Street, Rye, East Sussex TN31 7EY

Additional information

Neighborhood
Rye
Hours of operation
Mon–Fri, Sun 12:00 pm–12:30 am Daily 6:00 pm–9:00 pm Sat 12:00 pm–2:30 pm
Price
£26 to £40
Cuisines
British, French
Dining style
Fine Dining
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
Unfortunately we are unable to offer parking to our restaurant customers as our small car park is reserved for hotel guests. There are a number of alternative car parks locally, and reception will be happy to direct you to these.
Public transit
The Rye railway station and bus station are both a 5 minute walk to The Mermaid Inn.
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Drew King
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Outdoor Smoking Area, Private Room, Vegan, Wine

Website
http://www.mermaidinn.com/
Phone number
01797 223065
Private party facilities
We can offer a range of menus to suit the occasion.We can provide a personalised service to help you plan the food and wine to ensure we can create a memorable occasionWe offer private dining in our Board Room, or our Dr Syn Dining Room and for larger functions we can seat up to 90 guests in our Tudor Room.

The Mermaid Inn

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

Menu

Dinner

Entrees

Local Asparagus (V) (GF)

Seafood Risotto (GF) (C) (M)

Potted Brown Shrimp and Crab (GF) (C) (A) (N)

Crisp Ham Hock

Chilled Tomato Consommé (V/Vg) (GF/DF)

Main Courses

Duo of Local Hogget (GF)

Steamed Rye Bay Sea Bass (GF/DF)

Beetroot Gnocchi (V/Vg) (N)

Local Cornfed Chicken

Sole Grenobloise

Pithivier (V)

Side Dishes

Sauteed Local Greens (GF)

Buttered Pink Fir Potatoes, Crispy Onions

Mermaid House Salad (Vg)

Desserts

Rhubarb Souffle (GF)

Coconut Parfait

Chocolate

Lemon and Meringue (A) (GF)

Brighton Blue

Choice of Home-made Ice Creams & Sorbet

Filter Coffee, Espresso, Cappuccino, Café Latte Tea or Infusions with Petit Fours£4.00

What 1,434 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is The Mermaid Inn restaurant rated?

Is The Mermaid Inn currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information