Kitchen and wine room · 9 Tanner’s Yard, Alderport
Tessel · since 2019
The oven is lit at half past four every morning. By evening there is nothing left, so nothing is wasted.
A small kitchen cooking one page of food that changes with the market. Thirty-eight seats, six of them at the counter, and a cellar of wines from makers we have met.
Bread first
Sourdough and cultured butter arrive before you have looked at the menu.
Small growers
Twelve farms, one fishing boat and one bee-keeper within thirty miles.
Wine by the glass
Twenty-two open bottles every night, poured in 125 ml or 250 ml.
Tonight’s card · Point at a dish
Five dishes we would order first.
Rewritten every afternoon. Move your pointer over a line to see the plate.
V
£11
£17
GF · DF
£29
V
£9
V · GF
£19
Bread first, always
Menu printed at half past four
Six counter seats held for walk-ins
Twenty-two wines by the glass
Twelve growers within thirty miles
Dogs welcome on the terrace
Closed Mondays, back on Tuesday
Kitchen open until 22:30
The room · Tanner’s Yard
A brick yard turned into thirty-eight seats.
Tessel sits in an old tannery yard behind the market. The dining room is one long room with a brick vault, low light and a counter where you can watch the pass.
There is a terrace under the vines for summer, a stove in the corner for winter, and a wine room downstairs for anything with a birthday.
The wine room
Small makers, poured by the glass.
Twenty-two bottles are open every night. Tell us what you like and our sommelier will pour a taste of two before you choose.
Orange wine, Friuli, glass
VG
£9
Red, Loire, glass
VG
£8
Sparkling, English, glass
VG
£11
House negroni
VG
£10
14
Dishes on the page
Rewritten every afternoon. Never more than fourteen.
12
Farms within thirty miles
Named on the menu, visited twice a year.
22
Wines open by the glass
From makers who farm without chemicals.
4:30
When the first loaves come out
Every loaf is sold or turned into tomorrow’s pudding.
Events · Private dining
Long tables, tastings and a room of your own.
Monthly supper
£68 a head
Long table supper
First Saturday of the month
One table, one set menu, and everyone talks to their neighbour. Five courses in the wine room, wines included.
Tasting
£40 a head
Wine room tasting
Thursdays at 18:00
Six small-maker wines poured with a plate of cheese and charcuterie, hosted by our sommelier in the cellar.
Weekly lunch
£34 a head
Sunday roast club
Every Sunday, 12:00 to 17:00
A slow-roasted joint carved at the table, all the trimmings, and a pudding to follow. Booking helps but is not needed.
Find Tessel
9 Tanner’s Yard, Alderport
Monday
Closed
Tue to Thu
17:30 to 23:00
Fri and Sat
12:00 to 00:00
Sunday
12:00 to 17:00
Kitchen closes an hour before we do. Six counter seats are never booked.
By train
Alderport station, 6 minutes on foot through the market.
By bus
Routes 12 and 40 stop at Tanner’s Bridge, 2 minutes away.
By bike
Racks in the yard. We lend puncture kits and lights.
Guests · 4.8 from 340 reviews
What people say after the last course.
“Twelve dishes on a page and I wanted every one. The waiter just said: start with the bread.”
Dinner for two · September 2026
“We came for a birthday and stayed until the kitchen lights went off. Nobody hurried us once.”
The Cellar Room · August 2026
“The best pasta in the county, and the wine list is written like a friend talking.”
Counter seat · July 2026
Journal · From the kitchen
Notes on bread, wine and why the menu changes.
Kitchen
Why the menu changes at four o’clock
Every afternoon the growers’ vans arrive before service. We write the menu around what is on the counter, and print it at half past four.
Wine
A short guide to natural wine
You do not need a vocabulary to enjoy it. Iris explains what the label means and how to order without feeling lost.
Bakery
Sourdough at four a.m.
Our head baker gets in when the yard is still dark. This is what a morning at the oven looks like.
Tessel · Tanner’s Yard, Alderport