You should know by now to never judge a book by its cover and the same is true of Webbe’s at The Fish Cafe. This stark, red brick warehouse might look gloomy from the outside, but step foot inside and you will find that it conceals a bright open-plan dining room on the ground floor plus a smarter, more formal space upstairs that is exclusively for events and private functions.
Webbe’s at The Fish Cafe is owned and operated by husband and wife duo Paul and Rebecca Webbe, who count two other restaurants and a cookery school among their burgeoning portfolio. The Fish Cafe has a rather unique history too, with this four-storey listed building actually being the first completely fireproof building of its kind to be built in the UK (erected in 1907).
The menu at Webbe’s deals in the bounty of the sea, with the kitchen team making use of the nearby fishing ports in Rye and Hastings. Meat and vegetarian dishes are available too though, while seasonal produce is employed wherever possible. To kickstart your meal, tuck into the likes of Thai spiced coconut soup topped with tiger prawns or a slow cooked pork and ham hock terrine served with scampi and piccalilli. For your main course, choose between dishes such as classic fish and chips, grilled beef sirloin with spinach, mushroom and tarragon sauce or pan-fried wild sea bass with brown crab arancini and a shellfish bisque sauce.
Although the restaurant has a sophisticated, grown-up feel, families are welcome with children able to enjoy two courses and a drink for just £8.50 at lunch or between 6-7pm. For the grown ups, there is a fish-friendly wine list to explore, while star desserts might see whole baked apple filled with dried fruit and pistachio and teamed with Calvados ice cream and toffee sauce.