Review on Ockenden Manor Hotel & Spa
Ockenden Manor at Cuckfield is all about understated class and elegance and this fine-looking sixteenth-century manor, set amid nine acres of impeccably maintained grounds, is a joy to behold. The low-ceilinged hallway leads to a pair of dining rooms with oak panelling, hand-painted ceilings and stained-glass windows; a log fire blazes in the winter months.
Michelin-starred chef Stephen Crane offers a choice of menus and delivers top-end modern food with confidence and creativity. A signature dish of honey-roast quail with boudin blanc, ravioli and mushroom consommé gives some idea of the style, and the carefully composed repertoire might also take in duck breast with caramelised apples, Savoy cabbage and creamed celeriac or saddle of Ditchling lamb accompanied by wild garlic leaves and Parmesan gnocchi.
Fish also shows up impressively in – say – noisettes of monkfish wrapped in Parma ham with tomato and basil mayonnaise and warm potato salad or fillet of cod with Puy lentils, confit garlic and red wine sauce. Desserts conclude proceedings with a flourish: warm bitter chocolate tart with almond cream or 'savarin' of red cherries with crème fraîche ice cream, for example. The high-flying international wine list offers an abundance of serious bottles at serious prices, although a dozen house selections by the glass will suit those on a tight budget.
Ockenden Manor Hotel & Spa is also featured in: Michelin Guide, Good Food Guide, Hardens
Rate this RestaurantCuisine
Modern French
Chef
Stephen Crane
Restaurant Opening Times
Lunch: 12.00 - 2.00pm
Dinner: 7.00 - 9.00pm
Accepted credit cards
Visa, Master Card, American Express
