The Mermaid Inn, Mermaid Street, Rye, TN31 7EY

The Mermaid Inn, Mermaid Street, Rye, TN31 7EY
www.mermaidinn.com

12/10/2014

She said: Wow, what a find! After a few hours hiking from Hastings to Rye (with the help of a taxi) I had booked the Mermaid Inn on the basis of it seeming like an historical inn, with good food (including a vegetarian menu) on a pedestrian cobbled street. In fact it was a stunning inn, with spectacular food (including creative vegetarian options) on a beautiful ye-ole-England cobbled street. It took us about 10 minutes just to go into the Inn while we picked our jaws off the floor aghast at the picturesque location; the same again when entering the most authentic inn dining space I’ve ever seen. The menu had lots of choice so I went for the pumpkin veloute and black olive risotto – both generous portions and just perfect. I cursed my stomach for not having room for any of the amazing sounding puddings. I really didn’t want to leave the Mermaid Inn and found myself browsing details about their guest rooms with four poster beds and the festive plans for Christmas. The Mermaid Inn is reason alone to make a day-trip to Rye, build up an appetite and then spend the rest of the afternoon there. It will take you to another world. Just perfect.

He said: Rye is an impossibly pretty town, perhaps the prettiest in all southern England, and the Mermaid is one of the most evocative buildings in a town full of history. If I remember correctly it's cobbled from a number of Elizabethan houses and, though the vibe is informal, the waiters are decked out in formal wear to honour the place's long history. Remarkably for this fairly remote and conservative part of the country the Mermaid actually has a parallel vegetarian menu, which goes to show how far things have come along for the much-ridiculed Veggie Fraternity. Perhaps this came about as a result of the battalions of slebs that have dined here over the years; the walls of the Mermaid are decked out with their portraits. The food was very nice, and if it lacked a little bit in finesse, this was more than made right by the excellent atmosphere. The Mermaid Inn is definitely the kind of place where you want to spend a couple of days, exploring the area and rewarding yourself with some fine grub.