Gravetye Manor review: secluded Elizabethan opulence in the Sussex countryside

Wall hangings, painted by Claire Basler, continue the conjunction of old and new, interior and exterior, with striking visuals of the local flora; this continues to the tables themselves with hand painted chargers, each unique.

The restaurant garnered a Michelin star under executive chef George Blogg. The food is at once delicate and bold, restrained and smart, with thoughtfully sourced ingredients married up with those harvested from their bounteous kitchen garden. The menu consists of four courses (no exhausting tasting menus here) across a breadth of ingredients, but without falling into the oft-seen pitfalls of prime cuts (indeed, on our visit, the easy win of beef was conspicuous only in its absence). 

The food is playful here – your meal starts with six little buttons of flavoured butters with a basket of Paris-quality bread. Sauces are poured table-side (a favourite was the roast chicken jus) and there are plenty of top notch ingredients, used judiciously – a caviar and potato dish saw a pile of the butteriest mash topped with a hefty spoonful of caviar alongside a squid-inked pommes boulangere – all black, whites and creams. It’s classy cooking and though a million things are happening in the kitchen, it feels gentle and effortless. 

Pudding deserves an honourable mention here – a raspberry souffle, top split at your table, a thick, tart raspberry coulis poured in to provide the committed pudding miner a reason to slip a spoon all the way to the bottom. A boule of roasted almond ice cream, a worthy bedfellow. A bright, young sommelier will match some delicious wines with whatever you choose.

A short walk of around 30 minutes through the grounds of Gravetye will bring you to The Cat Inn, a fabulous pub you’ll wish was your local – we immediately started searching for property prices nearby. A roaring fire, a warm welcome, cold beer, a good wine list (at good prices) and an inventive, playful menu make a recipe for success. Friendly dogs only add to the charm. Book ahead – it was sardines on our visit.

Take a walk around the stunning grounds of the property

What to do

There’s plenty to do (or not) at the manor itself; wander the grounds, read by the fire, sip champagne or deftly-made cocktails in the cosy bar or outside, weather permitting. There are some great walks including some to local vineyards and The Cat Inn, mentioned above (climate change is creating a very wine-friendly environment in the area).

A 20-minute drive away lies the Insta-worthy Ouse Viaduct built to bridge the London to Brighton trainline over the River Ouse – it’s noted as one of the UK’s most stunning viaducts, if that’s your thing.

For something a little more historic, the National Trust-owned Standen House and Garden is a short car ride away. The Arts Crafts movement house features Morris Co interiors. Nearby is Wakehurst, Kew Gardens’ botanical garden with more than 500 acres of diverse gardens and the Millenium Seed Bank.

Gravetye Manor, Vowels Lane, East Grinstead, RH19 4LJ. Rooms start from £620 bed and breakfast; gravetyemanor.co.uk 

Article source: https://www.theweek.co.uk/arts-life/travel/958284/gravetye-manor-hotel-review-sussex