Top Cafes in Goudhurst, Kent

21st birthday dinner,
This was mine and my partners second time at the small holding and it didn’t miss a beat.

On arrival we enjoyed some local English wine on the terrace overlooking the humble yet picturesque farm.

The food was outstanding with the highlights for me being the scallop dish and the berry dessert. This berry dessert with garden herb sorbet was the best dessert I’ve ever experienced. The balance of this dish was truly exceptional and a real testament to a very talented chef.

The service was excellent with attentive, but not too overbearing, hosts. The hosts are always very kind and we love the conversations we get with them throughout the evening. Each dish is presented and explained table side by either very knowledgeable hosts or the chefs themselves. The drinks served, that were made in house, were just impeccable.

The atmosphere of the restaurant is cozy and inviting. The music is just the correct volume especially for my partner who has hearing loss, she was still able to hear me and the hosts perfectly.

Overall this restaurant never misses a beat, a combination of a fantastic chef team, fantastic hosts and home grown/local ingredients, all in a beautiful setting. We will be back… :)

We have just arrived home from our evening at the small holding and wow where do I start. As someone who works in the industry you have high expectations for places like these and so often they dont fully live up to the hype. Not this place! From the service to the food to the wine everything was exceptional. The thought and attention that goes into every dish and the passion from the team really shows. Cant wait for our next visit. Do yourself a favour and order the ice wine for dessert.

From a first look around the restaurant’s kitchen garden to the final dessert after 9 amazing courses the whole establishments focus on quality, taste, sustainability and shear love of food and wine shone through. We have been to a handful of Michelin star restaurants over the last few years and The Small Holding knocked those out of the park.

What an incredible meal. We did the farm tour beforehand which was fantastic and really added to the whole experience. The food was impeccable – thank you for such a brilliant lunch.

We had lunch at the Small Holding today and it was an absolutely tremendous meal. Firstly we were brought some snacks to eat on the balcony with a pre-lunch drink. Then we were taken inside to the full acre (8 course) lunch. There were two starters, two fish courses, two main courses and two desserts. Every dish was wonderful. It is difficult to pick out a favourite, but I thought that the first dessert of Blackcurrant Leaf, Buttermilk and Elderberry was one of the best desserts I have ever eaten. That didn't last long though because the second dessert of Yoghurt Whey, Black Apple and Custard was at least equally good. The wine list was unusual and composed mainly of British wines. The staff were very friendly and easy and had time for a friendly chat. I can't recommend this restaurant highly enough. We will certainly be back as soon as possible, The photographs show most of the courses, but I was so enthusiastic about the food that a couple of times I forgot to photograph it before we started