The Mermaid Inn

4.6

1385 Reviews

£26 to £40

British

Make a booking

2 people

16 Feb 2025

19:00

Booked 15 times today

Charming
Good for special occasions
Great for fine wines

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.

Additional information

Dining style
Fine Dining
Price
£26 to £40
Cuisines
British, French
Hours of Operation
Mon–Fri, Sun 12:00 pm–12:30 am Daily 6:00 pm–9:00 pm Sat 12:00 pm–2:30 pm
Phone number
01797 223065
Website
http://www.mermaidinn.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Executive Chef
Drew King
Private party facilities
We can offer a range of menus to suit the occasion.We can provide a personalised service to help you plan the food and wine to ensure we can create a memorable occasionWe offer private dining in our Board Room, or our Dr Syn Dining Room and for larger functions we can seat up to 90 guests in our Tudor Room.

Location
Mermaid Street, Rye, East Sussex TN31 7EY
Area
Rye
Parking details
Unfortunately we are unable to offer parking to our restaurant customers as our small car park is reserved for hotel guests. There are a number of alternative car parks locally, and reception will be happy to direct you to these.
Public transit
The Rye railway station and bus station are both a 5 minute walk to The Mermaid Inn.
Additional
Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Vegan

Pan Seared Rye Bay Scallops (GF) (C)
Apple, Burnt Grapefruit, Tarragon
Hedgerow of Tonbridge Wood Pigeon (GF) (A)
Celeriac, Roast Pear, Port
Rye Fish Market Natural Smoked Haddock (GF)
Kedgeree’. Chorizo, Peas
Assiette of Jerusalem Artichoke (GF/DF) (V/Vg)
Rosemary, Sage, Pine Nuts
Leek & Potato Soup (V)
Ashmore Cheddar, Poached Egg

Main Courses

) Duo of Duck (A) (N)
Braised Chicory, Orange, Almonds, Port
Rye Bay Skate Wing (A) (C/M)
Crab Mousse, Saffron Potato, Smoked Mussel Beurre Blanc
Truffled Gnocchi (GF) (V/Vg) (N)
Cauliflower, Spinach, Nerominded Cheese, Salted Almond
Confit Pork Belly
January King Fondant Potato, Black Pudding, Malt
Butternut Squash Pithivier (V)
Chestnut, Kale, Black Garlic
Rye Bay Wild Sea Bass (GF) (A)
Wild Mushroom, Vanilla, Salsify

Side Dishes

)Sauteed Local Greens (GF)
Buttered New Potatoes, Crisp Shallots, Chives
Mermaid House Salad (Vg)

Desserts

Passion Fruit Souffle
Coconut Custard, Dried Raspberry
Pear Belle Helene (Vg) (DF)
Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream
Dark Chocolate Fondant (N)
Hazelnut, Caramel Ice Cream
) Proper Sherry Trifle (A)
(Adults Only)
Selection of English Cheese (GF*) £4.00 Supplement
Crackers, Quince, Grapes, Chutney & Pickled Walnuts
Choice of Home-made Ice Creams & Sorbet
Filter Coffee, Espresso, Cappuccino, Café Latte Tea or Infusions with Petit Fours£4.00
A discretionary 10% Service Charge is added for good service.

What 1,385 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6

4.6 based on recent ratings

4.4Food
4.6Service
4.6Ambience
4.3Value

Noise • Energetic

Diners' Choice Awards

East Sussex
Best Ambience
East Sussex
Great for brunch
East Sussex
Great for fine wines
East Sussex
Romantic
East Sussex
Good for special occasions
East Sussex
Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

The Mermaid Inn offers a "lovely ambiance" and "excellent service" in a "historical setting." Guests appreciate the "atmospheric ancient coaching inn" and "beautifully crafted food." While some find the menu limited, the experience is praised for its "historical charm," "delicious locally sourced food," and "memorable dining experience."

1,385 Reviews

A
Alison
Surrey
6 reviews
4.0
6 reviews
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 2
Restaurant needs a little more ambience - background music. Food was good. Quite hot in the restaurant and opening the window was a good idea for 5 seconds as it was freezing outside.
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M
Melissa
East Sussex
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Went for Valentines Day, the service was excellent, food was delicious, can’t fault anything. Will be booking again for our Wedding Anniversary.
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J
John
East Sussex
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
Like being in a time machine and stepping out onto a Georgian alleyway. You expect to see the odd pirate lolling against the wall. Once inside the Mermaid there is the air of a 1930s gentleman’s club with subdued lighting and dark oak panelling. The tables are set as I remember from my 1960s childhood in a formal order, complete with napkins in silver rings or folded into bishops mitres. Service is also old school impeccable but not so claustrophobic. I wondered if the staff thought I was to casually dressed but were to polite to say. No one batted an eyelid. The food was good but the set menu didn’t cater for an icecream dessert which made it seem excessively expensive. If there were more vegetarian or vegan options I would possibly go back, but alas this menu seems set for the present season.
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N
Neil
East Sussex
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We could not fault anything. Steve the restaurant manager was really good in control of the staff and service. The food was amazing expertly cooked to perfection.
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a
alan
VIP
London
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on 7 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
lovely place, the restaurant is over 2 rooms , white tablecloths , very friendly service food was. much better than a lot of restaurants we go to in london So we will return our main home is just a few miles away
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D
DAVID
London
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on 2 February 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Really enjoyable restaurant with superb service and excellent Maitre"d.
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P
Philip
Kent
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on 25 January 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Lovely food, service staff were excellent very nice place to visit for dinner.
The Mermaid InnResponded on 26 January 2025
Thank you for your review. We will share your fulsome praise with the Head Chef and the Restaurant Manager. WE hope we may welcome you again.
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A
Amanda
East Sussex
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 19 January 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
A visit to Rye is not complete without. Visit to The Mermaid Inn. Book a table for food, you will not be disappointed.
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G
Georgina
London
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on 19 January 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Lovely ambiance and great service in the amazing Mermaid Inn!
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J
Janet
East Sussex
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 19 January 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
An absolutely exquisite meal served with beautifully selected ingredients, all cooked to perfection. The lamb was absolutely divine and the accompanying portions generous. There is an excellent selection of wines to complement each course of the menu. The raspberry trifle was a lovely finish to the perfect meal. Staff are professional, polite, friendly, and attentive to the needs of their guests. I would strongly recommend the Mermaids Inn. An experience that combines an enchanting historical cachet with the perfect dining experience.
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FAQs

The Mermaid Inn is rated 4.6 stars by 1385 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people

16 Feb 2025

19:00

Booked 15 times today

Mermaid Street, Rye, East Sussex TN31 7EY

Additional information

Area
Rye
Hours of Operation
Mon–Fri, Sun 12:00 pm–12:30 am Daily 6:00 pm–9:00 pm Sat 12:00 pm–2:30 pm
Price
£26 to £40
Cuisines
British, French
Dining style
Fine Dining
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
Unfortunately we are unable to offer parking to our restaurant customers as our small car park is reserved for hotel guests. There are a number of alternative car parks locally, and reception will be happy to direct you to these.
Public transit
The Rye railway station and bus station are both a 5 minute walk to The Mermaid Inn.
Payment Options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Executive Chef
Drew King
Additional
Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Vegan

Website
http://www.mermaidinn.com/
Phone number
01797 223065
Private party facilities
We can offer a range of menus to suit the occasion.We can provide a personalised service to help you plan the food and wine to ensure we can create a memorable occasionWe offer private dining in our Board Room, or our Dr Syn Dining Room and for larger functions we can seat up to 90 guests in our Tudor Room.

The Mermaid Inn

Make a booking

Additional information

Menu

Dinner

Entrees

Pan Seared Rye Bay Scallops (GF) (C)

Hedgerow of Tonbridge Wood Pigeon (GF) (A)

Rye Fish Market Natural Smoked Haddock (GF)

Assiette of Jerusalem Artichoke (GF/DF) (V/Vg)

Leek & Potato Soup (V)

Main Courses

) Duo of Duck (A) (N)

Rye Bay Skate Wing (A) (C/M)

Truffled Gnocchi (GF) (V/Vg) (N)

Confit Pork Belly

Butternut Squash Pithivier (V)

Rye Bay Wild Sea Bass (GF) (A)

Side Dishes

)Sauteed Local Greens (GF)

Buttered New Potatoes, Crisp Shallots, Chives

Mermaid House Salad (Vg)

Desserts

Passion Fruit Souffle

Pear Belle Helene (Vg) (DF)

Dark Chocolate Fondant (N)

) Proper Sherry Trifle (A)

Selection of English Cheese (GF*) £4.00 Supplement

Choice of Home-made Ice Creams & Sorbet

Filter Coffee, Espresso, Cappuccino, Café Latte Tea or Infusions with Petit Fours£4.00

What 1,385 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Diners' Choice Awards

Review summary

FAQs

How is The Mermaid Inn restaurant rated?

Is The Mermaid Inn currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Additional information