Gravetye Manor Hotel Restaurant

Gravetye stands out as one of the UK's finest country house retreats and one we heartily recommend. Reached along a winding drive through the Sussex countryside, this beautiful Elizabethan manor dates from 1598 and sits within gardens that are every bit as important as the house itself.

The former home of pioneering gardener William Robinson, Gravetye has been a hotel since 1958, but has lost none of the character of a private country house. Inside are antiques, old floors, fireplaces and just 17 bedrooms; outside, 35 acres of gardens form part of a wider 1,000-acre estate.

The Michelin-starred Dining Room brings a distinctly modern note. Added in 2018, its floor-to-ceiling glass looks directly onto the gardens, placing them quite literally at the table.

Executive Chef Martin Carabott took over the kitchen in 2025. A Roux Scholar whose career includes Hide and Luca in London and Eleven Madison Park in New York, his menus are led by what is growing at Gravetye. The extraordinary elliptical walled kitchen garden, created by Robinson, supplies fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers throughout the seasons, with the kitchen and gardening teams working closely together on what appears on the plate.

It makes Gravetye more than a beautiful place for lunch or dinner. The garden, dining room and kitchen are unusually intertwined — and because of it natural appeal, there are few lovelier dining rooms in Sussex.