The Grand Hotel in Eastbourne was built in 1875. It is, and always has been, a magnificent hotel. It has a 400 foot gleaming white frontage overlooking the sea, 152 bedrooms and is Britain’s only five star seaside hotel.
You enter to the impressive Great Hall and can’t help but remember previous esteemed guests that include Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin, Arthur Conan Doyle, King Constantine of Greece, Elgar, Debussy and, more recently, Dame Helen Mirren. In years past, the Grand Hotel Orchestra broadcast live on the BBC from the Great Hall every Sunday night which must have been quite something.
The hotel is now owned by a small independent hotel group which also owns Ashdown Park Hotel and has untaken considerable refurbishment. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the hotel is known locally as The White Palace. She is, without doubt, one of Sussex’s great assets and when you arrive, you know you are somewhere special.
Eating at The Mirabelle at The Grand Hotel
They have two restaurants at The Grand, The Mirabelle and The Garden Restaurant. I recently headed to The Mirabelle which has won multiple awards including being named in the top 50 best restaurants in the UK in the Independent, and regularly features in The Good Food Guide. Their menu is described as modern European with seasonal specialities featuring local Sussex and Kent produce, complemented by a wine list which also includes many Sussex wines. And it is great to see a prestigious hotel supporting local producers.
The restaurant has also just announced the appointment of a new Head Chef, Alex Burtenshaw. Alex has previously held positions at Port Hotel in Eastbourne, Brighton Harbour Hotel & Spa, The Restaurant at Drakes Hotel in Brighton, and Hotel Du Vin in Brighton. He’s a Sussex man through and through, grew up in Brighton and still lives in the county.
For the Sussex foodie
If you’re looking for a luxurious foodie destination that has lashings of Sussex, then look no further as Alex is big on using seasonal ingredients and local produce. The Grand already uses sustainably sourced fish from Newhaven, and they have a good range of Sussex cheeses that includes award winning goats cheese from Nut Knowle Farm in East Sussex.
Now, Alex has launched a new lunchtime menu that features local Sussex fish, seafood, game, and vegetables. Dishes include Cured Chalk Stream Trout with Lime Caviar, Venison Fillet with Ragu of Braised Haunch, and Honey Cake with Blackberry Compote. And Alex will be overseeing a series of special events in 2024 and 2025, including a Best of Sussex Dinner featuring excellent local cheeses, fish and meats, and paired with Sussex wines.
A taste of what’s to come
I was visiting The Mirabelle to try a few tasters. Washed down with several glasses of sparkling wine from the Bolney Estate, I tucked into delicate helpings of:
- Tuna Tataki
- Beetroot tartare
- Smoked duck and carrot puree
- Beef fillet, wild mushroom, braised shin of beef and parmesan foam
- Onion tarte Tatin and blue cheese with beer vinegar dressing
- Scallop crab and cauliflower cous cous with Romesco sauce
- Lemon tart with a ginger and lemon sorbet
I’m not a professional foodie, but these are definitely dishes to savour. Each dish was a mini work of art in its own right, delivering interesting combinations of flavour and texture, subtlety and yet always with sufficient punch. The onion tarte Tatin was the biggest surprise as it was so discrete, almost sweet and soft, while the tuna had just enough hints of the sea. Tataki (if you don’t know) is a Japanese cooking technique which creates a seared on the the outside and raw on the inside finish, perfect for a fish like tuna. And of course, what’s not to love about scallops and beef fillet.
My taste of the Mirabelle definitely left me wanting for more, and I have popped it on my list of special places to eat in Sussex. Eastbourne is a town with so much to offer, and dinner at the Mirabelle is a great way to round off a visit.
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