A CLIFFTOP hotel has celebrated a successful launch of its newest restaurant.

The Nici, in West Hill Road on the West Cliff, opened Old Harry Rocks on Saturday, June 15.

The new ‘destination’ restaurant sits atop the cliff, looking out towards the rocks after which it is named.

The hotel hopes the new eatery will provide a more casual dining experience, with a ‘statement’ fireplace at the centre of the 120-cover bar and restaurant.

The restaurant, which is located next to the hotel’s outdoor swimming pool, also has a dual-aspect bar which can serve both the restaurant and those at the pool.

Food on offer includes a plate of mussels and clams, with saffron and focaccia croutons, or slow-roasted beef picanha, chimichurri, and onion jam.

Sharers feature a combo of beef picanha, prawns, mussels, fries, and salad, too, along with a full wine list and cocktail menu.. 

(Image: The Nici)

The restaurant will also host DJs each weekend as it aims to create ‘a vibe and experience you won’t want to miss’.

Lukasz Dwornik, managing director of The Nici Group, said: “The opening weekend has been amazing.

“The teams have worked hard to create a stylish and relaxed setting that sets us apart from anything else in the area.

“I want to say thank you to our guests and to our staff who have worked hard to make Old Harry Rocks something very special.”

Executive chef Dominic South previously told the Daily Echo he hopes the new restaurant will bring a new concept to the area that will be ‘a lot more casual, a lot more fun, a lot more vibey’.

(Image: The Nici)

“I think certainly, during the summer, when the suns out, by the pool, that sense of sharing, that sense of everyone at the table together is certainly the angle we want to be pushing for there,” Dominic said.

The 88-room hotel opened in June 2022 following a £27million investment.

It opened a new heated outdoor pool and spa in the summer of 2023, and is set to unveil a new glass-fronted yoga and activity studio later this summer.

In March, the hotel was named among the top 100 hotels in the country by The Times as one of 10 hotels in the best beach hotel category.