Two Harrys bring ‘timeless’ French cuisine to the East Sussex coast

Harry’s, a new restaurant combining fresh local ingredients with “timeless” French cuisine, launches next week at the Gallivant boutique hotel behind Camber Sands, near Rye in East Sussex.

Two Harrys are behind the project – hotelier Harry Cragoe and chef Matthew Harris, who spent 28 years at Bibendum in Chelsea and is the brother of Bouchon Racine’s Henry Harris.

Matthew’s menus will be built around seasonal local produce from Kent and East Sussex, including turbot and sea bass caught just beyond Camber’s sand dunes in Rye Bay. Signature dishes include Magret de canard with braised endive, orange and peppercorn sauce and Tarte fine aux pommes flambéed table-side with calvados. He says: “It’s food I love to cook and eat, food that always pleases people.”

The Gallivant’s restaurant has been transformed for the launch by Harry’s wife, Sigrid, a film and theatre set designer, using up-cycled wood and displays of vintage swimming costumes.

Harry credits childhood memories of his mother’s home-cooked dinner parties in the 1960s as triggering his passion for good food and hospitality. “Harry’s is about creating a space where our local community can come together and feel a sense of escapism by the sea. We want to celebrate the beauty of where we are located and the simplicity of good, simple cooking and great wines — much of my inspiration has come from the pages of Simon Hopkinson’s cookbooks, so meeting Matthew a few years ago felt like divine intervention.

Matthew adds: “The greatest thrill I derive from being here is the opportunity to cook what I love and to return to dishes I have cooked on and off throughout my life. These are dishes and ingredients that have stood the test of time and will, I hope, be enjoyed by many.

“I share Harry’s view that delicious food brings people together and is at the heart of our happiest memories. It’s why I’m so excited about the dishes for two or more, brought to the table for guests to share – often showcasing a specific ingredient at its peak.”

Harry’s launches next Friday 7 February, with a soft opening from Monday. It is open for dinner every evening and for lunch at weekends.

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