On an unseasonably warm and sunny March day, Nick Mosley headed to Eastbourne for a spot of lunch at Mirabelle restaurant. There are certainly plenty of places to eat in Eastbourne but destination fine dining doesn’t really spring to mind. When I think of the town, its old-reliable traditional family-owned Italian, Turkish and Greek sat side by side with more than a smattering of fish and chip shops and ubiquitous cafés.
Sure there are a couple of destination venues – The Port and the always brilliant Journeys – spring to mind but for anyone erring towards the finer end of the dining spectrum, then your only option in town is The Grand Eastbourne. The Grand hotel celebrates its 150th anniversary this year and I have to say the grand dame is looking mighty fine. A lot of investment has been made in recent years and it really shows.
Other than the sheer grandeur of the building – the clue being in the name – the one thing that always strikes me is the quality of the service. From the door team to housekeeping, everyone is quick with a greeting and smile. Queries and requests are dealt with knowledgeably and promptly.
There is quiet efficiency rather than the all-to-common fraughtness that is all too common in hotels. And uniforms are pressed to perfection with not a hanging shirt tail to be seen. Now once upon a time things like this were a given in hospitality but unfortunately – outside of London and the big country house hotels – they are seldom all seen in u.
