BAYTE — Restaurant in Hastings

After hearing loads of hype and celebrity sightings since opening, I was looking forward to a visit to Bayte. The space is lovely, inside and out which heightened the expectations for a special experience.

Unfortunately, the experience didn’t get above OK on the special-o-meter. The waiting staff were cool and professional but not especially warm nor friendly, they were also conspicuous by their absence, this can be a good thing, but… We ordered a bottle of prosecco which, as well as being pretty average on the tastebuds, was placed in a bucket a walk away from the table. Not once did any of the waiting staff offer to fill our glasses, meaning having to get up and walk over to the bottle for every top up.

We ordered a charcuterie to start, two arrived so we sent one back. However, what was expected but didn’t arrive was any type of bread. I have to say that the hazelnuts paired with the meat was inspired, but this did not make up for the fact that bread was an optional extra from the menu. The main courses were slightly cold which dampened the enjoyment and the deserts were nice enough but sadly neither course was memorable.

Bayte has a ‘the place to be seen’ vibe and (on the evening we were there) full of hip people of all ages. Beyond the aesthetics however, the experience lacked anything to make it special. There felt like there was a lack of attention to detail and care on the night we were there and given the other excellent options in St Leonards, we won’t be taking the Bayte...

We had an excellent lunch today. The chefs paired exciting flavours and although it's a short menu, it has plenty of variety. The house rosé was very drinkable and decent value.

Where it falls down is on the service front. Our waitress didn't have her eyes on the floor at all - too busy chatting with the chefs. When I beckoned to her at the end of our meal and mimed "bill please" she brought the bill, but not the card machine ... and then turned her back on the diners and carried on chatting with the chefs. Luckily, we had enough cash to leave, otherwise we might have had quite a wait before she decided to bring a card reader.

Having worked in the food industry as a PR in London, I couldn't work out why there were 2 front of house people. The other seemed to do nothing other than pour drinks and occasionally take them to tables. One decent server could have managed both! It looks like a lot of wages to pay, especially when you consider there were 2 chefs out front and we could discern another person in the kitchen (possibly to do the washing-up?). Anyway, the waiting staff need some training before I could give this place 5 stars. As we left, I said "Thank you very much" loudly to the waitress ... whose back was turned and hadn't even registered that we had left cash on our table and were leaving. It's a pity, because that's the difference between somewhere you recommend to others and hurry back to and...

An absolutely gorgeous, spacious and light filled restaurant, the vibes are instant and they’re highly appealing. Food (read below) is good but a mixed bag.

We arrived with two children in tow, were given a nice table and a very smart looking wooden high chair was rolled out for our baby.

It was a Japanese themed night this Sunday the 25th of May. The menu was limited and focused.

Drink orders were a Japanese Whisky Boulevardier and a Jalapeño Mescal Martini. Both were excellent .. London prices, but excellent.

The food was inventive - grilled brioche with a cultured Miso butter, a beautifully dressed salad.. butter lettuce, radish, lots of crunchy herb stems and a shiso-koji dressing with vinegar and oil, beautiful, just wow.

The fish dishes came next - a cured mullet and a sea bream sashimi style and wrapped in a mandolined daikon and shiso skin. You have me drooling so far.

The main let down was a dashi vegetable broth which neither tasted of dashi or had sufficient size and content to justify its £27 price. It had a distinct taste of chicken stock which was a no-no for a Pescetarian like me. Sent it back, no pushback.

The kids were tired and though we weren’t full, it was time to make a hasty retreat.

Lovely place, I’d come again on a regular menu night. They should keep working hard on delivering value consistent for money, everything else they’re...