coast TRAVEL
THE WHITE HART INN, WEST MERSEA, MERSEA ISLAND, ESSEX
WHAT’S THE BUZZ? Newly opened in June after the site had lain empty since 2013, The White Hart Inn has had a partial rebuild and a complete refurbishment to provide a pub-restaurant with rooms. It’s the third site from Piers Baker, who runs the Sun Inn in Dedham and the Church Street Tavern in Colchester. The White Hart is a contemporary space with a bar and large restaurant, a stylish snug and a gorgeous outdoor terrace perfect for a G&T or a cold beer in the sunshine after a beach walk. There are six bespoke bedrooms. You’ll get a warm Essex welcome too – the young team were a lovely friendly bunch with a smile for everyone despite being busy.
WHAT ARE THE ROOMS LIKE? The six en-suite rooms each have a name with a local connection, and if you fall in love with a paint colour or a fabric, you’ll find details in the handy room info booklet. Some have sea views, some look towards the church opposite, and they feature local artwork, providing the artist’s contact details too. All have super-king beds with luxury 4000 pocket-sprung mattresses and Egyptian cotton – it’s extraordinary how comfortable these are. All the little details are beautiful – from lamps to cushions to glassware. A practical thing I loved was the bathroom’s floor-level, motion-sensor, night light, which saved flooding the bedroom with light and the sound of the fan kicking in, if you popped there during the night. Expect fluffy towels, cosy robes and toiletries by luxury British essential oils brand Bramley. BEST SEA VIEW? From the Mehalah bedroom at the top of the building, where I stayed, you can look across the roof-tops to the sea, and a couple of the other rooms have similar sea views too. You can’t see the sea from the bar or restaurant, but it’s only a few minutes’ walk down the hill to the West Mersea seashore.
HOW ABOUT THE FOOD? The food is Modern British with seasonal changes. There is a focus on using local ingredients and a good mix whether you want meat, fish or vegetarian options. The White Hart serves lunch and dinner, roasts on Sunday, and there’s a kids’ menu too. Starters cost around £7, mains from around £14. It being a beautiful summer’s evening when I visited, I couldn’t resist a big bowl of steamed mussels in classic white wine, cream, garlic, parsley and shallot sauce, served with crispy skin-on fries – the perfect, light, tasty choice. The menu also featured local oysters and fish, Suffolk chicken and English cheeses. Breakfast
