The Cottage Restaurant
Quick info
About The Cottage Restaurant
On Polegate Bypass in Hailsham, The Cottage Restaurant serves Italian food from a menu of 79 dishes, with stone-baked pizza alongside starters such as Calamari, Whitebait, and Avocado & Prawns. The Tricolore Salad and Prawn Cocktail also feature among the starter selection, giving diners a range of lighter options before the main courses. The kitchen is known to turn orders around quickly once they reach the table. The restaurant opens Tuesday to Sunday and closes on Mondays, giving it a five day a week schedule for both lunch and evening dining. The room draws on a straightforward Italian menu format built around classic starters and the stone-baked pizza as a central offering.
Good to know
- ReservationsAccepts reservations
- ParkingFree of charge street parking · Free parking lot · Paid parking lot
- AccessibilityHas wheelchair-accessible car park · Has wheelchair-accessible entrance · Has wheelchair-accessible seating
- Good for kidsGood for kids · High chairs available · Has kids' menu
Menu & Prices
79 dishes · mains £4–17- Tricolore Salad£8.50
- Avocado & Prawns£9.95
- Prawn Cocktail£8.95
- Calamari£8.95
- Whitebait£8.95
- Avocado & Salmon£9.95
Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention stone baked pizza, garlic dough balls, steak on a stone and carbonara.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention stone baked pizza, garlic dough balls, steak on a stone and carbonara.
Customer Review Summary
Pizza draws the most attention, though opinions split sharply: several diners praise dishes cooked "to perfection" and rave about garlic dough balls, carbonara, and tortellini gorgonzola, while others describe a stone baked pizza that arrived pan cooked with a soggy, overly cheesy base, and a separate visit where the pizza base seemed pre made and lacked oregano. One reviewer also reports a steak advertised as fillet that wasn't, low quality chips substituted for advertised fries, and an overcooked, greasy lasagne, calling it worth a refund. Close behind the pizza, the steak on a stone earns its own praise from another visitor, and a king prawn main and sharing antipasto are mentioned favorably. Staff are repeatedly called friendly and welcoming, and desserts get singled out as excellent. One party of nine celebrating an 80th birthday left disappointed after a query about bringing a cake, though the outcome isn't detailed.
Customer Review Summary
Pizza draws the most attention, though opinions split sharply: several diners praise dishes cooked "to perfection" and rave about garlic dough balls, carbonara, and tortellini gorgonzola, while others describe a stone baked pizza that arrived pan cooked with a soggy, overly cheesy base, and a separate visit where the pizza base seemed pre made and lacked oregano. One reviewer also reports a steak advertised as fillet that wasn't, low quality chips substituted for advertised fries, and an overcooked, greasy lasagne, calling it worth a refund. Close behind the pizza, the steak on a stone earns its own praise from another visitor, and a king prawn main and sharing antipasto are mentioned favorably. Staff are repeatedly called friendly and welcoming, and desserts get singled out as excellent. One party of nine celebrating an 80th birthday left disappointed after a query about bringing a cake, though the outcome isn't detailed.
Featured reviews
- J S
“Having visited a few months ago and received good food and friendly service (sat inside) we were pleased to attend again, however left today disappointed, lunch for 9 for an 80th birthday. When we asked about bringing a cake they said we …”
- Jody Beckett
“So visiting from. Portsmouth and thought we would try local italian. Best decision ever. Food from starters to main were cooked to perfection. Garlic dough balls with cheese were best we've ever had, and carbonara and tortellini gorgonzola were to die for. Service and venue just added to the 5 star review given.”
- Sara Banks
“Unfortunately not as good as it used to be, my partner had the mozzarella & ham & oregano. There was no oregano, we’re also pretty sure it was a pre made base as the texture was not right and it was nothing like my calzone dough. His pizza …”
- Ricardo Ascensao
“Friendly staff, food is cooked to perfection and desserts are amazing. Great place to take family and friends for a great time.”
- Hollie Morrell
“A very friendly and warm welcome when we arrived. There's a huge selection of food on the menu. Food came quickly, was hot, and tasted amazing. Bread smelt lovely and tasted fresh. We had the sharing antipasto, king prawn main dish, garlic …”
Hours
- Monday
- Closed
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Highlights
- Serves great coffee
- Serves great dessert
- Has great wine list
- Popular for popular for lunch
- Popular for popular for dinner
- Popular for good for solo dining
Amenities
- Has wheelchair-accessible car park
- Free of charge street parking
- Accepts reservations
- Has outdoor seating
- Offers delivery
- Offers takeaway
Show more amenities
- Serves dine-in
- Good for kids
- Has bar on site
- Casual
- Serves beer
- Serves coffee
- Offerings· 7
- Serves alcohol
- Serves cocktails
- Serves healthy options
- Serves late-night food
- Serves small plates
- Serves spirits
- Serves wine
- Highlights· 2
- Serves great dessert
- Has great wine list
- Family-friendly· 2
- High chairs available
- Has kids' menu
- Dining options· 5
- Serves lunch
- Serves dinner
- Serves dessert
- Has seating
- Has table service
- Facilities· 1
- Has toilet
- Crowd· 2
- Good for groups
- Popular with tourists
- Accessibility· 3
- Has wheelchair-accessible entrance
- Has wheelchair-accessible seating
- Has wheelchair-accessible toilet
- Popular for· 3
- Popular for lunch
- Popular for dinner
- Good for solo dining
- Atmosphere· 3
- Cosy
- Romantic
- Trendy
- Parking· 3
- Free parking lot
- Paid parking lot
- Plenty of parking
- Planning· 2
- Lunch reservations recommended
- Dinner reservations recommended
Location
Italian Restaurants near The Cottage Restaurant
- Morgans4.64796.1 mi away£20–30
sea bass, salmon, pasta dishes
| Place | Rating | Distance | Price | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Cottage Restaurant | 4.6564 | — | £20–30 | stone baked pizza, garlic dough balls, steak on a stone |
| Morgans | 4.6479 | 6.1 mi away | £20–30 | sea bass, salmon, pasta dishes |
The 1 nearest italian restaurants by distance. Ratings, hours and review terms come from public business profiles.
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