The Curlew
The Curlew, Bodiam, Susssex
Having eaten in some great restaurants, and many okay restaurants, there are very few meals that actually stand out in my mind. One of those meals, coincidentally, was the last time I was in Rye. It was 2013 and my family and I visited Landgate Bistro by the harbor.
Part of the reason this meal was so memorable was not so much for the food, but the impact the evening had on me. My Dad had taken my sister and I away on a guilt-induced getaway, and I still remember the feeling of pure joy that radiated from the evening.
I remember what I ate, and I remember how I felt. These moments are rare, and having been writing this blog for two months I was beginning to wonder whether a sense of apathy was setting in, and i’d never be moved again.
But here we are years later, as lightning strikes again in East Sussex. Today I’m going to tell you about The Curlew in Bodiam, and why it was one of the few outstanding meals I’ve eaten in my life.
The Vibe
We rocked up to The Curlew after a quintessentially rural taxi ride by a man cabbie who gave us a little too much information about his pet rabbit Winston.
After surviving that, we arrived at a stunning grade II listed coach house conversion with an imposing white slatted façade. Standing majestically in the setting sun, I expected John Wayne to pass through on horseback.
Quickly reminding myself that I was in a car park and not at the dawn of a new American Frontier, we stepped inside, not knowing quite what to expect, but with a little feeling in our tummies that this could be quite the night.
Owned and run by Will Devlin, The Good Food Guide’s 2020 Chef To Watch, The Curlew is Will’s second venture, alongside another charming local, The Small Holding. The Curlew prides itself on sharing - and celebrating - the regions much heralded produce, alongside thoughtful wines and a lot of laughter. This commitment to joy is instantly apparent as you step inside. I’ve never had such a genuinely warm welcome to a restaurant. From the front of house team to the chefs buzzing behind the pass, each and every person possessed a genuine desire to create something memorable.
The evening went from strength to strength, with several little touches on the way that built upon a feeling of excitement and anticipation.
First there was the personalised table setting, with a stamped ‘Drinkwater’ labelling our home for the evening. Then there were the wax sealed menus, daring you to dive into the joys held within. Dare I mention the fact that I was sitting on chair that spun. Feeling like a mix between Jay Rayner, Alan Sugar and Anna Wintour, I couldn’t help but admire the lengths to which every detail had been crafted with thought and care.
This dedication to excellence is also extended to the aesthetic and service within the lively, yet intimate, dining room. Very much an evening restaurant, The Curlew is classic yet modern, with dark forest green napkins perched alongside beautiful hand crafted pottery - which we later found out is created bespoke by a local Sussex potter.
More importantly than that however were the people. Attentive yet not overbearing, encouraging without being pushy, the team at The Curlew achieved what so many restaurants can’t, impeccable service.
The Food
After unsealing the wax stamps on our menus, we were invited to try as much or as little of a menu of hyper local, seasonal dishes. The Curlew prides itself not on finicky starters or predictable mains, rather they opt for a selection of food.
Impressively, The Curlew does almost much everything on site. From butchering to baking, pickling to preserving, Will and his team pride themselves on sourcing everything local, utilising Sussex’s best fisherman, butchers and breweries.
Our charming waitress recommended that we order about four dishes for the table, so naturally we started with a healthy seven, and then went from there.
The food was outstanding, with it being made immediately apparent that this is an establishment led by someone who really cares about food.
Our first selection - led by a cured trout, trout pastrami, Brixham crab, sea bass and pork croquettes, were unfathomably fresh, herbaceous and light. All mopped up with a beautifully buoyant homemade sourdough.
Next up was a rabbit tagine, with rabbit breast, and puffed rice. Beautifully presented, fragrant and melt in the mouth, it was a fitting tribute to middle eastern cuisine without feeling garishly out of place. The lamb leg, on a bed of fresh summer peas and a pea puree, was generously portioned, flavoursome but not too rich. The confit potatoes which accompanied it were drenched in a garlic aioli - fabulously delicious and dare I say better than the famed Quality Chop House potatoes.
But the star of the show, was A dish of ridonculous proportions - a beer braised onion sits on top of a cheddar rarebit and milk sauce. I know I might be one for slight hyperbole, but it was genuinely one of the best things I’ve eaten in my life.
One thing that really impressed me was the care that went into the cadence that the food arrived in. Dishes arrived in little couples, or triplets, with thought put to how they would sit together on the table. Even the selection of sweets for the table were both thoughtful and playful.
The Verdict
So rarely does a restaurant come along that’s so good my review is relatively void of humour. That’s usually because the jokes and the digs are to overcompensate for an experience that is more often than not overpriced and underwhelming. I find humour in the despair.
Not ‘The Curlew’. This restaurant deserves praise as sincere as the dishes it served. I’ve barely
scratched the surface of what makes this restaurant so great, but maybe it’s true brilliance is elusive, a je nais se quoi that can never truly be verbalized.
Was the food stunning 5/5 – My first 5/5!! Very Craig Revel Horwood on Strictly
The vibe 5/5 –Superlatives galore
Scream factor 5/5– Screaming at how an onion can be so delicious
Pricey – While definitely for a special occasion, it’s no way near as expensive as it could be
Would you recommend to someone you just met at a party – I told a random stranger on the train back to London
