Review: The Beach Bistro
Camber Sands, a stretch of perfect white beach on the East Sussex coast, resembles a place an invading Spanish armada would have chosen as a handy landing spot in order to defeat the English infidels. Good thing that the armada was defeated elsewhere, otherwise this part of the world would be dining on the conquerors’ paella and chorizo. Instead, this area retains flavours deeply rooted in fishing, farming and apple-growing traditions. Some of the best fruits of this labour can be tasted at the Beach Bistro at the Gallivant Hotel.
The Bistro is decked out to remind us of its seaside location, the tables, floor and bar all weather-beaten boards, the whites and blues reflect the sky and the sea, while fish skeletons grace the walls. This might sound like we’d gone to The Little Mermaid’s house for dinner, but the Bistro is actually the epitome of sea-shanty chic.
Our dinner started with the Gallivant’s fish soup, thick and pungent, its full flavours leaving us in no doubt that we were in fishing country (they shifted 72 litres of the stuff at the Hastings Seafood and Wine Festival in September) and a salad of smoked duck, its orange and chilli sauce adding a nice kick. The Rye Bay scallops were a delight, the accompanying apple puree complimenting, rather than drowning, their delicate salty flesh. We washed these down with a glass of hyper-local white wine, Chapel Down Flint Dry. This was followed by a more robust roast salt marsh lamb, which came with dauphinoise potatoes (great) and braised little gem lettuce (a slightly odd choice of greens).
The star of the show, however, was the caramelised pear tarte tatin, brought out steaming on a wooden board, with homemade vanilla ice cream nestling in a vintage metal bowl. Although it’s clearly made to share, I could easily have had the whole thing to myself. If you don’t fancy desert, although you’d be crazy not to, the Bistro’s cheese board, on display in the centre of the dining room, looked very enticing.
The meal was rounded off with a Somerset cider brandy, which was smooth andsweet and very, very right.
The Beach Bistro at The Gallivant Hotel, New Lydd Road, Camber TN31, 01797-225057, www.thegallivanthotel.com
The Bistro is decked out to remind us of its seaside location, the tables, floor and bar all weather-beaten boards, the whites and blues reflect the sky and the sea, while fish skeletons grace the walls. This might sound like we’d gone to The Little Mermaid’s house for dinner, but the Bistro is actually the epitome of sea-shanty chic.
Our dinner started with the Gallivant’s fish soup, thick and pungent, its full flavours leaving us in no doubt that we were in fishing country (they shifted 72 litres of the stuff at the Hastings Seafood and Wine Festival in September) and a salad of smoked duck, its orange and chilli sauce adding a nice kick. The Rye Bay scallops were a delight, the accompanying apple puree complimenting, rather than drowning, their delicate salty flesh. We washed these down with a glass of hyper-local white wine, Chapel Down Flint Dry. This was followed by a more robust roast salt marsh lamb, which came with dauphinoise potatoes (great) and braised little gem lettuce (a slightly odd choice of greens).
The star of the show, however, was the caramelised pear tarte tatin, brought out steaming on a wooden board, with homemade vanilla ice cream nestling in a vintage metal bowl. Although it’s clearly made to share, I could easily have had the whole thing to myself. If you don’t fancy desert, although you’d be crazy not to, the Bistro’s cheese board, on display in the centre of the dining room, looked very enticing.
The meal was rounded off with a Somerset cider brandy, which was smooth andsweet and very, very right.
The Beach Bistro at The Gallivant Hotel, New Lydd Road, Camber TN31, 01797-225057, www.thegallivanthotel.com