The George in Rye

The 16th-century George has been transformed from a down-at-heel Tudor pub into a spiffy boutique hotel with a thoroughly modern roll-call of dishes coming out of the kitchen, and splendid wines from Sussex and Kent vineyards to bolster the sense of local terroir. The best bits are still there - beams from an Elizabethan ship, an 18th-century wig store, and the Georgian ballroom - but these are overlaid with a classy contemporary look, as typified in the George Grill, where olive-green walls, bare darkwood tables, buttoned banquettes and funky designer fabrics make a trendy setting for the kitchen's Mediterranean-accented ideas. Full advantage is taken of local supplies from the farms of Sussex and Kent, and the trawlers of Rye Bay, starting with the scallops that could come with cauliflower purée and raisin and caper vinaigrette. Next out, a Barnsley chop of Romney Marsh lamb might be paired with purple sprouting broccoli, and rosemary and anchovy dressing, while desserts supply the simple pleasures of sticky toffee pudding with stem ginger ice cream.