What: The relaunch of the restaurant at The Gallivant, a 20-bedroom boutique hotel by Rye’s famous Camber Sands beach. Harry’s blends ‘vintage coastal nostalgia’ with pleasingly old school British and French cooking and a large collection of English wine.
Who: The Gallivant was launched in 2010 by Harry and Sigrid Cragoe. The kitchen at Harry’s is being overseen by recently appointed executive chef Matthew Harris who was the head chef of famed Chelsea restaurant Bibendum for 20 years. His brother is the more well-known Henry of Bouchon Racine fame (another Bibendum alumnus). Front of house is being led by former Tilingham general manager Conor Sheehan.
The food: Harris has penned a simple-yet-carefully-executed menu that would doubtless make his mentor Simon Hopkinson proud. Starters include smoked eel with celeriac remoulade, soft boiled egg and rye bread; and deep-fried squid and oysters with a hot and sour dipping sauce while mains course options include cod with fennel, spiced red cabbage purée and dill; and braised rabbit with riesling, pancetta and butter beans. There are also a few larger sharing dishes such as cote de boeuf with green peppercorn sauce, frites and a green salad. Sweets include vanilla bavarois with poached rhubarb and a tuile; and St Émillion au chocolat with créme fraîche.
To drink: The wine list at Harry’s is expansive with an impressive selection of English wine comprising 10 sparkling wines (three by the glass) and 15 still wines. The rest of the list is nearly exclusively European. Still wines start at £33 a bottle with the list topping out at £139 for a bottle of 2021 Puligny Montrachet from Domaine Joseph Pascal (which, along with 10 or so other fine wines, is also available via Coravin).
The vibe: The natural light-filled restaurant is located to the rear of the hotel and looks out onto a small terrace. Design details include locally-sourced furniture made from upcycled wood and framed pieces of vintage swimwear.
And another thing: The Gallivant is a child-free zone. According to the website, allowing people under the age of 16 would be at odds with the hotel’s mission to ‘restore people’s happiness and wellbeing’. Dogs, however, are welcome so long as they are well-behaved and ‘small to medium’ in size.
New Lydd Road, Camber, Rye, East Sussex TN31 7RB
