It might not look like much from the outside, but the Sportsman Pub in Kent is considered the best place to eat in the UK right now.
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The chef at the best restaurant in the UK describes it as a 'grotty boozer by the sea' — but the food looks awesome
The Sportsman was named best restaurant in the UK two years running, though you wouldn't know it from the outside.
Don't judge a book by its cover – an exterior shot of the pub.
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Earlier in June, this slightly gritty-looking, low-key pub was named the best restaurant in the UK by the National Restaurant Awards for the second year running.
The pub is run by a former financial advisor turned chef, who describes it as a "grotty boozer by the sea."
Given how highly acclaimed it is, we were intrigued to find out what it's like inside and what you can expect to eat there. Take a look below:
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From the outside, it looks like any British seaside pub.
It is on the coast of England in Seasalter, Kent, about 60 miles from central London. It's been open since 1999 and was awarded a Michelin star in 2008.
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For the past two years, it has been named the best restaurant in the UK, beating the likes of the Ledbury in Notting Hill, which has two Michelin stars.
The pub is known for its unpretentious dishes and for using local ingredients. "We let the area around the pub dictate what we cook," owner and chef Stephen Harris says on the restaurant's site.
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The Thames estuary, which sits behind the pub, provides the water from which to source oysters and fish. They also have a small kitchen garden where they grow some of the vegetables used.
The inside of the pub is also low-key. It has a main bar and long wooden tables for guests to eat at, as well as a conservatory eating area along the front.
Guests choose between ordering from an a la carte menu or from the $90 nine-course tasting menu. There is also an abridged version, with five courses, that costs around $65.
Locally sourced oysters kick off the tasting menus and are served with innovative ingredients like pickled cucumber and Avruga caviar.
The oysters are served in elegant displays and cost around $4 each on the a la carte menu.
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Next up is bread with homemade butter.
The tasting menu also includes intricately made mini tapas.
But the starters are more substantial. One of the most popular dishes is the slip sole grilled in seaweed butter.
The restaurant is known for its immaculate presentation of dishes.
Despite this being a seaside pub, there are several meat dishes available. These cost between $20 and $28 on the a la carte menu.
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And there are plenty of desserts, including the dark chocolate and salted caramel tart.
As well as a miniature Eton Mess, a traditional dessert in England.
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