Nell Harcourt
Co-founder & chef
Nell wrote the first menu on the back of a flour sack. She still believes the best test of a dish is whether you want another spoonful.
A family of restaurants
One table
became three.
It started with a small room in Brellhaven and a simple idea: feed people well, and give them a reason to stay.
Book a table
How we got here
Built around
the table.
Nell Harcourt cooked. Rafi Dunmore looked after the room. Friends brought chairs, neighbours brought appetites, and Commons Harbour began.
The second and third rooms came from the same instinct: keep what makes a local feel local. Every restaurant has its own character, while the menu and the welcome stay in common.
2020
Harbour opens in Brellhaven’s old sail loft.
2023
Market joins the family in Fennor.
2025
The old mill in Elmsfold gets a new kitchen.
The people behind it
On first-name
terms.
Hands in the kitchen. Eyes on the room. People who care about the small things.
Rafi Dunmore
Co-founder & host
Rafi remembers a face, finds a spare chair and keeps the room moving. The Market restaurant is his home ground.
Ida Vale
People & operations
Ida joined to open the Mill. She makes sure our kitchens, rotas and teams get the same care as the tables out front.
Things we keep in common
A short list.
A daily habit.
- 01
Buy vegetables in season. Change the menu when the harvest changes.
- 02
Make stocks, sauces and puddings in our own kitchens.
- 03
Eat a team meal together before the evening service.
Pull up a chair
on our side.
We’re always pleased to hear from good cooks and thoughtful hosts.