The Treacle Mine Eastbourne Review
Treacle Mine
Polegate, Eastbourne
Reviewed by Emma Salmon
We had previously visited the Treacle Mine about 2 months ago, and since then it has had a refit and quite a transformation – changing from a typical Premier Inn associated restaurant, into a contemporary Bistro styled eatery.
Decorated in Farrow and Ball inspired aubergine and greys, with mismatched complimentary tweed cushioned seating, it reminded me of my favourite local award winning gourmet pub, The George Inn, at Robertsbridge. With quotations written along the ceiling beams, blackboard style special boards and new, minimalist, sleek menus – the restaurant has been brought smartly up to date and is a very pleasant setting to grab some lunch or arrange an evening meal.
We were greeted as we entered and quickly shown to our table, which was ready despite us being half an hour early. The place was busy but we were given very quick service – drink orders were taken within a few moments of our arrival, and the very friendly and competent waitress was happy to get our starters order on its way while we took a little more time to choose our main dishes.
There were some special deals on offer – kids eating for free before 5pm, or a reduced 2 or 3 course menu for £9.99 or £11.99 respectively, but we decided to opt for the full menu. My son chose from the kids menu – which is very good value, and he chose some garlic bread to start, followed by a hamburger with chips and coleslaw, which he demolished with gusto! He had the option of choosing a main dish, plus two side orders. They had a smaller menu for tiny appetites, which I think is very important for families with younger children.
My daughter chose calamari as a starter, which was served with a tartare sauce – which she said was really delicious. Calamari is a good benchmark as it is very easy to overcook, resulting in a chewy, rubbery dish – but this was perfect – batter nice and crispy with a soft squid ring inside. I had opted for the spicy Buffalo wings, which again were very well cooked and had a nice kick. The starters were served very quickly, and plates cleared swiftly once we had finished. We only had to wait a few minutes before our next course arrived.
For our main course we both selected a steak – she took a rump steak, medium rare, from the main menu and I decided on the Surf and Turf sirloin from the specials board. They both came served with chips and salad, and we took coleslaw as a side order. The steaks were a good size, and cooked to our requirements, and were of good quality. I really enjoyed the large skewered prawns, which I was pleased to see had been cleaned properly despite still being in their shells. They were absolutely delicious. The portion sizes were reasonable – not overly generous, but certainly enough to fill you up rather than completely stuff you stupid. And at least that left enough room for a desert!
They were accommodating for my daughter’s request to alter the pudding – allowing her to change a regular ice cream side order to a cookie dough with her warmed chocolate brownie. Being gluten free I just went for plain ice cream. I think it would be nice if they did smaller versions as although I could only comfortably manage 1 scoop, there was no reduction in the cost for the standard desert which had 3. I have seen ‘mini’ versions of deserts offered in other restaurants, which seems a good idea, and often tempts a customer who may have declined a desert otherwise.
As mentioned I avoid wheat, but I was pleased to see that there was plenty of choice on the main menu for me to choose from, although sadly not so much on the desert menu. With many people choosing to avoid gluten for heath or other reasons, I feel that this may be an area which could be developed a little – although the menu is clear which items contain nuts and are suitable for vegetarians they did not mention gluten free. Perhaps a sorbet or a flourless cake might be a suggestion.
Altogether we enjoyed our meal at the Treacle Mine – the restaurant and facilities were clean and comfortable, the food was well cooked and service quick. The menu was fairly traditional – I didn’t notice that it had been updated much with the refurbishment, but it is busy and caters to the needs of a wide variety of customers, both passing and those staying in the Premier Inn next door. It is certainly somewhere I would consider dropping into for meal on our way home, after a busy day out in Drusillas or Brighton (it certainly avoids the price tag of a meal in Brighton!). As with all large brewery chains, you know what to expect, and the Treacle Mine delivers.
Rating: 4/5
For more information, to view menus or to book a table visit
www.whitbreadinns.co.uk/treacle-mine-pub-and-restaurant
Opening Times: Mon – Fri 6:30 am – 11 pm | Sat 7 am – 11 pm | Sun 7 am – 10:30 pm
The Treacle Mine, Hailsham Road, Polegate, Eastbourne, BN26 6QL | 01323 489 520
