The Playden Oasts Inn - Rother

We were disappointed with our experience at this restaurant, despite being initially impressed by the appearance of the building from the outside. The bar and surroundings gave us hope for a good quality Sunday roast, with two sittings and three roasts on offer. We chose the evening slot, only to find out upon arrival that the roast lamb was unavailable, leaving us with the options of beef or chicken. We chose the beef roast with all the trimmings, believing the claim that all their food was homemade. However, the beef was tough and overcooked, the stuffing balls were frozen and deep fried, the parsnip and roast potatoes seemed to be frozen, the vegetables were overcooked but appeared fresh, and the Yorkshire pudding was homemade but undercooked and inedible. The gravy was dark and resembled a thick, store-bought type. Overall, our meal was reminiscent of care home quality rather than a hotel or restaurant. We will not be returning and do not recommend the roast lunch at this establishment.

Upon our arrival, we were warmly greeted at the restaurant. However, our room was a bit underwhelming. Despite its unique round shape, it was in need of a renovation. The lack of handles on the wardrobe made it difficult to hang clothes, and the furniture looked outdated. The room was not well-maintained, with cobwebs on the lampshade and a plastic rose on the shelf. On a positive note, the towels were soft and the bed linens were clean. Dinner, on the other hand, was excellent. Andrew, our host, provided outstanding service and our meals were delicious, filling, and reasonably priced. Unfortunately, breakfast the next morning did not live up to the standard set by dinner. The lackluster greeting and generic supermarket bread for toast were disappointing. Despite its charming historic charm, the property could benefit from some tender loving care and attention to detail in order to justify its pricing.

This restaurant is lovely, but it seems impossible for one person to handle both the restaurant and bar duties. The service was slow and forgetful, with a long wait for our food. We weren't even asked if we wanted anything to go with our pies, like mustard, and had to request another drink multiple times before finally getting it. The vegetables were overcooked and haphazardly thrown on the plate. Overall, our experience was poor and disappointing. I would not recommend this place.

Having lived in the Rye area for 25 years and often driven past the Playden Oasts but never actually been in, curiosity finally got the better of me. Some locals hadn't spoken positively of it and I was intrigued to know what I would find. The answer was, a very satisfying meal in a lovely environment which I should have visited sooner. In particular, the table service was great with the young waitress a highly able worker with a pleasant manner.

Our little group Xmas party at the Oasts was reduced from 12 to 10 by covid connections. Each of us took a test and we knew that the dining staff at this hotel was testing too. The back room provided comforting isolation and Julie looked after us so well that lots of brownie points were scored. Good food , selection and of course company