Diners' Choice: Great for fine wines restaurants in East Sussex

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants with the most notable wine lists 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!

Lury

5.0

5 (21)

£41 and over

Sri Lankan

Hastings

About the restaurant

Lury delivers a unique approach to creative, ingredient-led cooking, drawing on British and Burgher heritage. The Burghers of Sri Lanka developed their own culinary style combining their European ancestry with the ingredients of Sri Lanka. Drawing on Jack’s British, European and Sri Lankan heritage our kitchen serves a unique tasting menu inspired by ingredients, memory and culture. We serve a set menu comprising 10-12 dishes that reflect our ethos and the best produce available on any given day.

Our set menu for June will be entirely focused on fish and will not contain any meat. However please note that all other months we do not offer alternative pescatarian or vegetarian menus.

As we are a small team, please note we serve only our set menu, we do not offer pescatarian or vegetarian alternatives at this time. Additionally we are unable to cater for most allergies. If you have any queries concerning dietary restrictions please contact us prior to booking.

Top review

Bobby

Dined on Jun 26, 2025

Absolutely superb, every dish was amazing as were the team!!

Discover more

Experience

Lury Tasting Menu

The Sundial

4.9

4.9 (570)

£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

Kathryn

Dined on Jun 27, 2025

My wife and I were most impressed enjoying a birthday lunchtime treat, where we chose the 'Daily Menu' which had enough choices for us both. Both the Lamb and the Guinea Fowl were blissfully tender, superb flavour and beautifully presented. The canape, amuse-bouche and petit four were a culinary triumph! The parking is easy, next to the building, which is pretty and even more interesting inside. Only the location on the main road through Herstmonceux is a small drawback, as heavy trucks running on our poorly maintained roads cause some background noise.

Landgate Bistro

4.8

4.8 (1627)

£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

Fiona

Dined 1 day ago

We had a fantastic meal here. The chef is creative and talented and, for the quality, we thought excellent value for money. Lovely staff, relaxing setting.

The Plough

4.8

4.8 (802)

£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

Lucy

Dined on Jun 18, 2025

Superb experience! Visited for my Bday dinner with my Husband, our food was exceptional - the BEST fish and chips I have ever had, been thinking about it ever since! My Husband had the lamb pie which he said was outstanding. We loved our meal and experience, service was super and we’ll defo be back!

The Union

4.7

4.7 (1197)

£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

Mark

Dined on Jun 21, 2025

Wonderful experience from start to finish. The guys serving us were attentive, knowledgeable, engaging, funny and just great. We are definitely going back, thank you !!!

White Hart Netherfield

4.7

4.7 (495)

£26 to £40

British

Battle

About the restaurant

We are a country Gastropub owned by farmers. Our farm supplies the beef, lamb and pork and we source other ingredients from local producers where we can. Our small seasonal menu changes regularly reflecting what is available in our area. We pride ourselves on being very much a country pub, offering freshly prepared seasonal food and a warm welcome. We also love offering locally produced drinks, such as gins, rums, ales and wines, giving you the complete taste of Sussex.

Top review

Brian

Dined 3 days ago

Excellent food, great service, wonderful view across the Sussex Weald.

The Royal

4.7

4.7 (124)

£25 and under

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

AdamH

Dined 1 day ago

Delicious dinner for four. Food was high quality and the negronis got us off to a great start!

BAYTE

4.7

4.7 (105)

£26 to £40

Modern European

St Leonards-On-Sea

About the restaurant

BAYTE, is a modern European neighbourhood restaurant with an emphasis on local sourcing and quality produce in the seaside town of St Leonards-on-Sea. The seasonal menu blends influences from across the globe, with particular reference to Italian recipes, such as hand-rolled pastas.
The meat at BAYTE is free-range and reared on biodynamic, organic Haye Farm in Devon. Vegetables are also sourced from organic suppliers, most of them from English and Japanese vegetable growers Namayasai, and Goat Grid Farm, both in nearby Lewes.

Top review

Rachel

Dined 7 days ago

This place was recommended by friends and I went with my husband for my birthday lunch. Loved it! Great food, ambience and service.

The Mermaid Inn

4.6

4.6 (1439)

£26 to £40

British

Rye

About the restaurant

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.

Top review

Chris

Dined 4 days ago

Excellent service and a very interesting historic setting but some of the dishes seemed somewhat experimental and not quite what was expected, and the other dishes were fine but not exceptional

The White Hart

4.6

4.6 (909)

£26 to £40

Gastro Pub

Uckfield

About the restaurant

Welcome to the The White Hart, we specialise as a Steakhouse... We love all things meat and have pioneered our own unique style of relaxed yet vibrant customer service, this is made easy with our approach to food- The best seasonal ingredients cooked utilising methods from around the world. We love what we do and we hope you do to.

Top review

Lynette

Dined on Jun 15, 2025

We loved meeting the owner. He is a lovely chap. He has decorated his restaurant beautifully, and the food is incredible. The staff looked happy as well, and the service was excellent. We went there for Father's Day, and I accidentally chose the wrong date. The lovely owner checked with me if I had the correct date. Thank you! We were fitted into a slot and could take our beautiful dog, Luca. He is recovering from surgery, and we couldn't leave him. Luca had a beef patty. It was cooled down before it was given to him. Lovely touch. Thank you very much.

Discover more

Explore Diners' Choice best of East Sussex

Explore more Diners' Choice lists