Harbour side · Dinner Tuesday to Sunday
A short menu, cooked from one cold coastline.
We buy from the morning boats and the hill farms behind them, then write the carte at four o’clock. Whatever is on the board that evening was chosen the same day.
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How we serve
Two seatings each evening, unhurried. Plates arrive as the kitchen finishes them rather than in strict courses.
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The room
Twenty-six covers, an open pass and six seats at the counter for guests dining alone or in pairs.
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Dietary cooking
Vegetarian and gluten-free versions of the set menu are cooked to order with two days’ notice.
The carte
Tonight’s board, written at four
A working example of an evening in late autumn. Dishes move with the landings and the market, so expect one or two changes by the time you sit down.
Openers
Rock oysters, cider vinegar, shallot
4.50 each
Opened to order from the beds at the mouth of the estuary. Served three, six or nine.
Brown crab on toasted barley bread
14
Hand-picked white meat, the brown whipped with lemon and a little cayenne.
Charred leeks, hazelnut, aged sheep’s cheeseVeg
12
Leeks burnt over embers and dressed while warm, with nuts from the orchard rows.
Smoked mackerel, beetroot, horseradish cream
13
Cured overnight and smoked in-house over oak that morning.
From the boats
Whole plaice, brown butter, sea herbs
29
Cooked on the bone in the wood oven. Served for one, or halved between two with potatoes.
Hake, mussel broth, winter greens
27
A day-boat fillet in a broth built from the shells and a splash of dry cider.
Shellfish pot for two
62
Whatever came in that morning — crab, langoustine, clams — with bread and good butter. Ordered for the table.
From the hill
Hogget shoulder, turnip, salted plum
31
Cooked slowly since the morning, carved at the pass and finished with its own juices.
Roast squash, lentils, burnt onion brothVeg
22
Grown three valleys inland and kept in the cold store since the first frost.
Dry-aged beef rib, bone marrow, watercress
36
Aged eight weeks on the bone. Cooked over coals and rested twenty minutes.
Sweet & after
Baked quince, oat crumb, buttermilk ice
10
Quinces from the walled garden, baked in their own syrup until deep amber.
Dark chocolate, sea salt, olive oil
11
Set soft and served cold, with a spoon of thick cream if you like.
Cheese from the two nearest dairies
13
Three pieces, oatcakes, and whatever fruit is in the store room.
Set menu
Five plates, chosen by the kitchen
The simplest way to eat here, and the way we cook best. The whole table dines together; tell us about allergies and preferences when you book.
- 01Something from the boats, raw or barely cooked
- 02Bread baked that afternoon, with cultured butter
- 03A vegetable dish from the week’s best delivery
- 04One larger plate to share, fish or meat
- 05A sweet course, and coffee if you want it
58
Per person
Available at both seatings, Tuesday to Sunday. Wine pairings can be added at the table for 34 per person.
Kitchen notes
How the food gets to the pass
No long supply chains and no menu printed a season ahead. Three habits shape almost everything we serve.
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We buy first, then write
The board is decided after the last delivery, not before it. If the boats stay in, the menu is shorter that night and we say so at the door.
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Fire does most of the work
Two wood ovens and a coal grill. Almost nothing is finished in a pan, which is why some plates take a little longer than you might expect.
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Very little is thrown away
Shells become broth, trim becomes sausage, and fruit past its best is preserved for the winter menus. It is cheaper, and it tastes better.
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Bread and butter
A sourdough of local barley and wheat, baked at three each afternoon. The butter is cultured here over two days and salted by hand.
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The cellar
A short list of around forty bottles, mostly from small growers working cold-climate vineyards. Everything is available by the glass on the nights we open it.
Service
When the kitchen is open
Two evening seatings, plus a long lunch at the weekend. Last orders are firm — the kitchen closes when the fires go down.
| Day | Lunch | First seating | Second seating | Last orders |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | Closed | 6.00pm | 8.45pm | 9.30pm |
| Wednesday | Closed | 6.00pm | 8.45pm | 9.30pm |
| Thursday | Closed | 6.00pm | 8.45pm | 9.30pm |
| Friday | 12.30pm | 6.00pm | 8.45pm | 10.00pm |
| Saturday | 12.30pm | 6.00pm | 8.45pm | 10.00pm |
| Sunday | 12.30pm | 5.30pm | One seating | 8.00pm |
| Monday | Closed | Closed | Closed | — |
Sunday lunch runs as a single long seating and usually fills a fortnight ahead. The counter keeps two seats back each evening for walk-ins.
Reservations
Request a table
Send the details below and we will confirm by email, usually the same day. If your date is full we will offer the nearest evening with space.
Questions
Before you book
Can you seat a large group?
Up to six at one table in the main room. Parties of seven to twelve dine on the set menu at the long table by the window, which we hold for a single booking each evening. Tell us the number in your request and we will confirm what is possible.
How much notice do you need for dietary cooking?
Two days for the vegetarian and gluten-free set menus, since the stocks and breads are made separately. Smaller adjustments on the carte we can usually manage on the night — note them when you book so the kitchen sees them in advance.
Are children welcome?
Yes at weekend lunch and the first evening seating, where we can serve smaller portions from the carte. The second seating and the counter are kept for guests over twelve, mainly because the pace is slower and the room is quiet.
Is there a dress code?
No. The room is warm and the grill is open, so people tend to come in fewer layers than they expect to need. Come as you are.
What happens if I need to cancel?
Let us know at least twenty-four hours ahead and there is nothing to pay. Tables of seven or more are held with a deposit taken when we confirm, which is returned against the bill or refunded if you cancel in time.
Is the dining room accessible?
The main room, the bar and the accessible lavatory are all on one level with a step-free entrance from the side lane. The counter is fixed at bar height, so we seat guests who need a standard table in the room instead. Mention anything useful in your request.