Crossways

Crossways, a small Georgian restaurant with rooms, is a short walk from the Long Man of Wilmington on the South Downs (a figure carved in the chalky landscape). The restaurant is a warmly welcoming room, with soft furnishings and drapes over the windows, where you can expect carefully-sourced produce: fish from Hastings, game from nearby estates (perhaps a brace of quail stuffed with apple and onion, wrapped in pancetta, served with a shallot, bacon and chestnut sauce), and meat from nearby farms. A sure hand is on the kitchen's tiller, responsible for some intriguing, winning dishes, from starters of prawn and bacon pâté, or asparagus brûlée, to main courses like fillet of beef topped with red onion marmalade and brie with a balsamic beef jus, or roast pork tenderloin stuffed with apricots and pistachios glazed with maple syrup and soy. Finish with a choice of home-made sorbets or ice creams.