Lury

The story

Lury Restaurant Hastings | Award-Winning British-Sri Lankan Tasting Menu

The chef and the kitchen

Lury in Hastings approaches British-Sri Lankan cuisine through a single-handed lens that leaves little room for error. Jack Lury channels his family’s Burgher heritage into a tightly focused tasting menu that changes daily. He works entirely alone across ten seats, which requires meticulous pacing and direct oversight of every element. The kitchen relies on fresh market finds rather than frozen reserves or complex prep lists.

Flavours and technique

The progression blends tangy, sweet, and sour notes with warm spices rooted in established Sri Lankan cuisine. A velvety squash soup gains structure from rich cubes of fatty hogget, while a confit egg yolk sits atop aromatic mushrooms, toasted hazelnuts, and seeni sambol. Hand-dived scallops arrive with a light cauliflower purée and lobster sauce, followed by a slice of pink-roasted venison loin. Each plate follows a produce-led philosophy that keeps sauces restrained.

An intimate dining room

The venue occupies an unfussy semi-basement that remains deliberately understated and purely functional. Guests watch the chef navigate the narrow pass between the stainless steel counter and wooden tables. The Good Food Guide recently highlighted this honest, evolving approach during its latest assessment. A short wine list offers selections chosen specifically to cut through the frequent use of lime foam and dried chilies.