This review is of the restaurant at the hotel as I haven’t actually stayed in the hotel.
My nephew’s wife booked a Christmas meal for a group of 7 family members and chose Flackley Ash in Peasmarsh near Rye because it is roughly midway between our homes. It is a privately owned 3 star hotel in a Georgian building with modern additions and there is a spa and gym. It sits in a large garden and there is a fair amount of parking. It is on the outskirts of the village of Peasmarsh. I think it would be a good hotel to stay in for a short break as it is only 5 miles from Great Dixter Gardens and under 5 miles from Rye; Northiam station on the Kent and East Sussex Railway is also nearby, as is Bodiam Castle, which is at the end of the railway – Tenterden at the other end of the line is a lovely market town.
We’d previously chosen our three courses for our Christmas meal which had to be paid for a week in advance. There is a large lounge which leads into the dining areas. Our table was in an orangery/conservative extension which was down one step; the table had been `dressed` for Christmas with crackers, blowers, poppers etc. The staff were attentive and friendly. Between our group I think we had chosen at least one of each of the starters and puddings and everyone was pleased with their choice. We had all opted for the turkey main course which came with the usual accompaniments and we had 3 dishes of vegetables – roast potatoes, sprouts, chantenay carrots, red cabbage – on the table but unfortunately didn’t manage to eat them all. This was followed by coffee (or tea) and mince pies and more chocolate mints than we could eat. The crackers contained really good gifts, hats and jokes. The meal was a very reasonable £25 a head, though, as is often the way, the drinks we ordered were quite expensive.
There was a step inside the Ladies toilets which were closest to the restaurant; I don’t know if there was a disabled access toilet somewhere else as none of us needed one.
Only two other tables were occupied during the time we were there, which was surprising on a Saturday in the run up to Christmas, although there were quite a lot of people staying in the hotel who had gone to a wedding nearby. The hotel has a carvery on Sundays and I imagine they are popular; they also do afternoon teas.
The waiting and reception staff (all female when we were there) were very professional and pleasant and the whole atmosphere was relaxed. We all enjoyed our meals immensely and will definitely return for a family occasion in 2020.
“See hotel’s website for more information”:http://www.flackleyashhotel.co.uk
