The Mirabelle, Grand Hotel, King Edward’s Parade, Eastbourne, BN21 4EQ

The Mirabelle, Grand Hotel, King Edward’s Parade, Eastbourne, BN21 4EQ

02/08/2014

www.grandeastbourne.com/eastbourne-restaurants

She said: Heaven. A real surprise of a gem. We were in Easbourne marching along the South Downs Way for our wedding anniversary (incidentally stunning) and I thought the classic Grand Hotel would be a good place to end our outdoor escapade in style and to toast to making it another year in this fickle world. I believe I outdid myself, even if I say so myself. The approach to the Victorian Grand Hotel is magnificent and has apparently welcomed the likes of Chaplin and Churchill. After changing in the loos from my hiking clothes to a pretty little frock hidden in my backpack, I met him in the beautiful, intimate, old-world dining room that is Mirabelle. From the website photos I was worried it might be a bit OAP but my concerns were unfounded. The second I was seated an aura of calm luxury took over as a pianist tinkered lovely standards in the background. Mirabelle is no doubt an occasion restaurant; two cakes accompanied by singing waiters made an appearance during our stint here, and you can see why. Service, setting and food were outstanding. I cannot find fault with anything. How often can you say that? The salmon starter, wow, the risotto compulsive and the chocolate fondant out-of-this world AND they brought the tea with the dessert as requested. When I wanted an espresso martini, they brought it from the hotel bar – and not a stingy little glass I’ve had in so many an establishment but proper size. I didn’t want to leave and was wishing I had booked a room for the night to allow for more of the same. I’m already trying to think of an excuse to return to Eastbourne; somewhere that wasn’t even on my map until now.

He said: When you live in London it’s easy to think that it’s the only place to eat, and that everyone outside the North Circular is still feasting on Wimpy Burgers and pickled eggs. This is why it never occurred to me that the food might actually be really good at Mirabelle. After hiking for a few hours to get to Eastbourne I was sufficiently famished that even a pickled egg might have tasted good. But Mirabelle really delivered a very good lunch; and I mean very good by any standard, not just by country bumpkin standard. The Grand was around the century before last, before EasyJet, when people holidayed in Britain, and when the likes of Lewis Carroll would decamp to Eastbourne for the summer. The old-school service might have always appealed more to the older crowd. But old people do know a thing or two about what’s good and protecting that in the face of ever-changing fads. In over a hundred years of serving fussy old fogies Mirabelle clearly learned what works. Most impressive of all Mirabelle managed, as requested, to bring coffee at precisely the same time as desert; I can count on one hand the number of restaurants that have managed to maintain that kind of focus all the way through. You should definitely check out Mirabelle if you’re every down there.