The Union is a cosy modern British restaurant in Rye with a rather interesting history - the building was originally built in 1401, before being christened The Union Inn in the early 1700s to commemorate the union between England and Scotland.
Today, the dining room here is a relaxed and rustic space, featuring exposed brick, open fireplaces and calming blue walls. The menu at The Union is a standard a la carte which is underpinned by British produce and evolves with the seasons depending on what produce is available locally. The restaurant’s menu historically championed top-quality steaks, but in recent years has expanded to include other meat and fish dishes, as well as a few vegetarian options.
On your visit, you can begin with a selection of nibbles - think house focaccia with roasted garlic butter, Nocellara olives and smoked salmon gougeres. Next, move on to starters proper when you can choose between dishes such as salmon tartare with beetroot and avocado or red onion tarte tatin with truffled goat’s cheese. For your main course, choose between the likes of Marsh lamb with English peas, courgette and basil, turbot served alongside baby leeks and a soy cured hen’s egg, or a seven ounce fillet steak paired with triple-cooked chips, roasted tomato, spring onion and peppercorn sauce. To pad out your dinner, add on your choice of side dishes such as confit potato latkes with toum or roast broccoli with almond and miso butter.
To finish up, choose a sugary treat from The Union’s tempting selection of seasonal puddings, or instead turn your attention to the drinks list and enjoy liquid afters courtesy of the restaurant’s globally inspired wine list. Elsewhere, there are local beers, as well as cocktails and aperitifs, including a classic Negroni, an Aperol Spritz and a unique Marmalade Martini.