The story
The Dining Room at Gravetye Manor in Crawley serves a refined Modern British menu rooted in the estate’s own soil.
Martin Carabott took over as executive chef in spring 2025 after leading kitchens at Hide and Luca. He brings a Roux Scholar training to a seasonal British kitchen that treats the Victorian vegetable patch as its primary pantry. Those sandstone walls were constructed in 1898, and the current cropping schedule was designed specifically to yield unique flavours unavailable through standard suppliers. Technical fish cookery and immaculate saucing form the backbone of every service.
A glass-clad extension opened in May 2018 to celebrate the hotel’s sixtieth anniversary. This architectural addition frames the surrounding valley and meadows while maintaining a calm, unhurried pace. The manor itself dates to 1598, but its defining chapter began when horticultural writer William Robinson purchased the property in 1885. He transformed the landscape into a pioneering natural garden that still dictates the rhythm of the estate today.
Head sommelier Federico Oddo builds his cellar around French classics while ensuring thorough coverage of English sparkling wines from southern counties. The pastry programme mirrors the main kitchen’s discipline, focusing on structural clarity and restrained sweetness rather than heavy confectionery. These deliberate choices have earned consistent guide recognition, including four radishes for sustainability practices and a very good rating for overall execution. Guests seeking contemporary British cuisine will appreciate the steady attention to detail.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
The house was bought in 1884 by William Robinson, renowned horticulturist and champion of 'natural gardening', and over the years its grounds have been lovingly nurtured by Gravetye's successive occupants. It's a glorious spot and well worth a wander; check out the magnificent Victorian kitchen garden if you want to see where many of the ingredients on your plate come from. Summer evenings are ripe to enjoy the grounds in all their glory, but throughout the winter a lunch is an equally striking opportunity to enjoy the glass-clad dining room that brings the outside in. Since spring 2025, the kitchen has been in the hands of Martin Carabott, a Roux Scholar who offers formidable credentials: formerly head chef at Hide in Mayfair and previously at Luca, he brings a fresh, precise sensibility to the country house hotel format that feels invigorating. Having found his feet, Carabott is making the role his own with a sure-footed confidence. Seasonal menus draw extensively on the kitchen garden's bounty, with modern ideas underpinned by classical good sense — expect immaculate saucing, technically accomplished fish cookery and desserts of real finesse. The wine list deals in excellence from around the world, though its first love remains the French classics, with English fizz from the southern counties well represented.
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