The best restaurants in Rye

This cosy inn looks like a traditional old-school boozer, but the menu of elevated pub grub is more contemporary than you’d think. Tuck into the likes of Korean glazed chicken wings followed by fruit pavlova.

Originally built way back in 1401, The Union is a relaxed, rustic-chic restaurant with oodles of appeal. Come for the top-quality steak dinners, but stay for the fun house cocktails, which include a Marmalade Martini.

The Fig is well known around town for its delightful brunch offering, but the globetrotting evening menu is worth your time too - choose between the likes of pulled pork tacos and spicy Bombay fish cakes.

Nearby fishing ports in Rye and Hastings provide a bounty of ocean jewels at this seafood restaurant. Children’s menus mean you can bring the whole family along, while we suggest grown-ups explore the fish-friendly wines.

Head for afternoon tea at this fab little hotel, where you can enjoy the traditional tea offering washed down with a glass of bubbles. Come evening, the menu switches to thin-crust pizzas and homemade desserts.

The Ship is a quintessentially British inn which serves everything from hearty breakfasts to slap-up Sunday lunches, all in a convivial setting. Feel a food coma coming on? Retire to one of 10 boutique bedrooms.

Dining rooms don’t come much more historic than the 600 year old Mermaid Inn. Cooking is as classic as you’d expect (think smoked duck breast with poached gooseberries), but fair prices are a welcome surprise.

Menus change often at this charming Rye haunt, but you can always expect a mix of classic and contemporary pub grub, underpinned by local produce. Plentiful parking (a rarity in Rye) is also a plus.

A best of British menu underpinned by seasonal produce and every dish being cooked fresh on site (down to the starting breads and ice creams for dessert) explains the popularity of this long-running Rye staple.