Winery Restaurant in Sussex

We opened our Tasting Room Restaurant in the summer of 2018 when we launched the first vintages of our English Sparkling wines. Since then, we are proud to have been featured in the Michelin Guide and welcome guests from far and wide to experience fine dining in the Sussex winelands. Headed up by Chef Chris Bailey, our goal is to create a unique dining experience in our Vineyard restaurant, serving authentic British cuisine that pairs perfectly with our Sussex Sparkling wines.

As a B Corp, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. The restaurant you sit in is powered by renewable energy, our Sussex Sparkling wines are produced on site from grape to glass and we have a 100 year Vineyard plan up our sleeve to ensure we continue to treat our community and environment with the utmost care.

Carrot Cake
Returning this April

Evening Tasting Menus

Yield your palate to our chefs and indulge in an exceptional tasting menu designed to surprise and delight. Tasting menus are served on Friday and Saturday evenings between April – December with an optional wine flight.

Scroll through the calendar to find availability

Reservations

“The upper floor of the Rathfinny Winery houses a narrow restaurant boasting lovely vineyard views (their sparkling wine is a must-try). Modern British cooking is guided by seasonal Sussex produce; lunch sees a concise fixed price menu, and dinner, a tasting selection.”

Michelin Guide

Tasting Room Interior

Fine Dining in Sussex

Located within our Sussex Heritage award-winning Winery, the Tasting Room restaurant offers breath-taking, panoramic views of the Vineyard and South Downs. Head Chef, Chris Bailey, and his team serve a new take on contemporary, ingredient-focussed British cuisine, using the finest seasonal produce available from the land, sea, and garden of the British Isles. After spending most of his career in Michelin-starred restaurants, Chris developed an appreciation and deep understanding for sourcing and handling great ingredients which are reflected in the dishes his team produce.

Tasting Room Dessert

Seasonal Menus

Join us for two or three-course lunches, and tasting menu dinners (April – December) with optional wine flights. Provenance and a sense of place feature in every menu, meaning ingredients don’t have to travel too far to reach your plate. Our fine dining menu changes regularly based on conversations with our suppliers and their seasonal recommendations.

Chef Chris Bailey
Meet our Executive Chef

CHRIS BAILEY

A talented visionary, Chris trained at Westminster College and has worked in some of the top restaurants in London and Spain which culminated in being awarded a Michelin Star at The Black Rat in Winchester. Chris Bailey joined the Rathfinny team three years ago to launch the Tasting Room restaurant and he now manages all dining experiences across the Estate. Inspired by produce and conversations with farmers and suppliers, he uses the seasons to guide his cooking, treating all ingredients with respect to keep the flavours clean and, most importantly, tasty.

Tasting Room menu

Sussex Wine Pairings

Did you know, our Sussex Sparkling wines are best enjoyed with food? Our winemakers and talented chefs work in synergy to create the perfect pairings, showcasing the best of Sussex on a plate. Wine flights are a great way to discover our portfolio of wines and we also offer a hand-picked list of some of our favourites from around the world.

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Tasting Room Restaurant

OPENING HOURS

Monday - Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday - Sunday (January - March)
Open for lunch 12noon to 15:00
Thursday - Sunday (April - December)
Open for lunch 12noon to 15:00
Friday - Saturday (April - December)
Open for dinner 18:30 to 20:30
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FIND US

The Rathfinny Wine Estate is located 2 hours from London Victoria with nearby stations of Berwick and Polegate just a short taxi ride away. We're also very accessible from the seaside towns of Brighton and Eastbourne and just 7 miles from the iconic Seven Sisters Country Park.

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FAQs

Can I dine on the balcony?

The balcony is not open for al fresco dining. Please note, you cannot request to eat outside, all reservations will be seated inside the Tasting Room. The balcony can be used for pre-dinner and after dinner drinks for those that have booked to dine with us.

What is your family policy?

We welcome children and babies of all ages for lunch reservations at the Tasting Room Restaurant and for all reservations in the Flint Barns dining room. When you’re booking your table, please make sure all children in your group (even the babies) are included in your total number of guests. If you need a highchair or extra space for a pushchair, please let us know when you book, and we’ll take care of this for you. Younger guests are welcome as long as they participate in dining from our standard lunch menu, please note we do not offer a child’s menu in the Tasting Room restaurant. At the Flint Barns, children can enjoy smaller portions of the main menu or alternatively we have a small number of child friendly dishes from time-to-time.

In order to allow our guests an evening of relaxation, the Tasting Room restaurant is an adult-only venue during the evenings.

What is the dress code?

Our dress code is smart/casual and quite relaxed. We usually advise against sportswear e.g. baseball caps and tracksuits. Smart trainers are allowed.

Can you cater for all dietary requirements?

Unfortunately, we cannot cater for vegan or lactose-free diets on the evening tasting menu but we will do our best to cater for other dietary requirements, as long as you provide at least seven days written notice.

A vegetarian option is always available on all our menus and we can cater for vegans and lactose-free diets on our lunch menu with advance warning.

If you have any queries about dietary requirements or allergies, please contact us directly or leave a note during the booking process.

Cancellation Policy

For all lunch bookings, we require guests to cancel their table at least 48 hours before the booking otherwise you will be charged £20 per head. You will also be charged for a no show.

For all dinner reservations, we require at least 48 hours cancellation notice before the booking otherwise you will be charged £40 per head. You will also be charged for a no show.