The Best Cafes in Kent, United Kingdom (2025)

Had rhe roast beef dinner. Great value for money, served quickly. Friendly service.

1st visit but won’t be the last. Clean with friendly staff & large menu. We had the Lighter breakfast which was just right size for those who aren’t a manual worker anymore 😅👍 & a great price too. A hidden gem although a lot of regulars have already found it.

This café is our go to Cafe in Ashford! It's the best in my opinion! It's always good food, the staff are always helpful, friendly and willing to meet any demands or expectations. Sometimes some of the crowds outside or people that come in can ruin the atmosphere but overall, I enjoy going to this well run and well priced cafe and see myself continuing to visit.

Great food cooked to perfection. Staff attentive and friendly. Nice price and worth every penny 👍

We met other members of the family here yesterday, it was our first time. Food & service was really good & the staff was very polite & helpful. Would visit again perhaps when the weather is warmer.

A lovely little restaurant in a great setting. All of the food was reasonably priced and the portions/quality of the food was amazing. Really impressed with every aspect of the experience and can’t wait to come back!

The best brownie in Kent? I’d say so. The desserts served at The Hungry Guest are sublime: Care, attention to detail and presentation, all boxes ticked. What about taste? I had to focus on stopping my eyes from rolling in their sockets like a fruit machine’s spinners after sampling a taste of the brownie. Food that has this response on the inner workings of the mind scare and excite. The Hungry Guest is a modern, charming, romantic venue. Staff are warm and down to earth. Food prices are spot on for Kent. Best of all they have an excellent La Marzocco espresso machine; it creates beautiful Italian coffees to complement after-dessert contemplation.

July 2024 update: went for some breakfast with the gf and we was seated on a table within 40 seconds (perfect timing I believe as everyone after was waiting or being jiggled about upstairs) the place gets very busy it seems. The service is that you order at the counter this is ok but given the amount of staff I feel table service would be a nice touch you could still take payment at the table if they was to invest in something like a epos till this would also free up the downstairs which can seem overly crowded when people are queuing to order. The food was nice salmon was fresh and delicious on the stack that I ordered. The bacon on my gf breakfast was somewhat burnt but being hungry she ate it regardless. Only negative I have is that when ordering I couldn't help but notice the build up of "thick" dust on the top of the till screen and the hanging lights above the counter. The till especially I think needs a daily wipe as this is the thing people are seeing when ordering. 2023 The food is delicious and cooked very well indeed the price of it though is high £9 + for what they named " a mini English breakfast" we both added a hashbrowns which meant by the time you have a drink its a pricey meal. However we both enjoyed it overall and the staff were very friendly and helpful when needed.

A nice place to go for some food and a coffee. We went on a late Sunday morning for brunch and it was my first time going. I was not sure what the setup was with going to order your food/drink yourself. Could have had a little sign or one of the staff just letting me know but I figured it out in the end. The food and drink I don't have any complaints with as it was great. The apple juice tasted like I just put a straw in an apple. And the full English was lovely and fresh also with some amazing bacon. I would have liked to have a fried egg but they could only offer scrambled on the day. Overall a great place to eat and get a coffee. Would recommend.

Employees were very nice and welcoming. I ordered an almond milk latte and toast which was good (it’s kinda hard to f up toast). The latte tastes a lot like the one from Costa, not very strong

I went there couple days ago and my kids loved it. We loved it as well staff was amazing food was Top Level everything was nice and hot. We loved it definitely going back again. Highly recommend one of the best cafes in Ashford

Popped in while working in the area. Cracking cafe with plenty of seating and a welcome and clean environment. Served efficiently by professional and courteous members of staff and very impressed with the Set 1 breakfast. All ingredients cooked to perfection, full of flavour and unlike other cafes I've frequented, didn't leave a pool of grease behind. Also well priced considering the quality and service received. I would most definitely return if I'm in these parts again and would recommend if asked.

Healthy and tasty roadside breakfast in the UK! Rare find. Choose egg salad for a gluten free option.

The best fry-up I've had so far. I enjoyed it so much that I came back 3 times in a week! The quality is very good, the staff are friendly, the atmosphere is relaxed and overall just a great experience. I highly recommend their Rocky Special breakfast.

The Smugglers held a wake for my family. They produced sandwiches, cake, coffee and tea. Perfect for our needs that day. The staff were very helpful and friendly. Communication before the event was efficient. They have very limited parking, but there is parking pay and display a short distance away. I would recommend.

We celebrated our wedding at the Smuggler's Inn in May. As a wedding venue and family-run restaurant, we highly recommend this beautiful historic place! Bob, Lisa and the team were incredibly helpful, transparent and communicative and made sure everything ran smoothly on the day. The venue cost and three course meals were very reasonably priced so that we were able to have the small wedding we wanted without restricting ourselves! Our friends and family had nothing but praise for the food, everyone was very impressed. The function room can be decorated nicely, and the Smugglers has a lovely outdoor area where a ceremony can be held. We've also dined at the Smugglers before and admired the home-cooked quality of the food, the fact they serve a bread roll and butter with dinner, and the obvious passion of the owners for their restaurant. Uploading some pictures of the venue and food shot by the amazing Jade Brya Photography (also active in Thanet and highly recommended!)

The Smugglers catered for our mum's 70th birthday today, we chose afternoon tea for 30 people. The service was great, very attentive warm and accommodating. The sandwiches were tasty, ham was particularly nice. The cakes and scones were outstanding, warm and freshly baked scones with proper clotted cream and jam were absolutely delicious. Their regular menu looked good so will have to go back to try it.

Popped in for lunch and hadn't booked. They were fully booked with Christmas parties but found us a decent table. The food was divine and I highly recommend the risotto. Ellie was kind, smiley and attentive despite clearly battling the cold everyone has. This was a spontaneous visit for my Mum and I, she enjoyed the Scampi and chips. We were both very pleased with our impromptu visit, will recommend and definitely be back! Thank you Dukes Head!

Lovely food, staff were so attentive and polite. The best belly pork I had ever had (was on the special) Lovely decor looked so good this evening. Definitely return and recommend

My wife and I recently dined at the Dukes Head Pub, and it was an extraordinary culinary experience from start to finish. We both chose the roast lamb as our main course, and it was cooked to perfection. The tenderness of the meat and the rich flavors left us craving for more. For dessert, we indulged in a delightful assortment of sweet treats. The sticky toffee pudding was a heavenly concoction of warm, moist cake drenched in luscious toffee sauce, and it was a delightful way to end our meal. The treacle tart was a nostalgic and comforting dessert, with its sweet and gooey filling encased in a crisp pastry shell. It brought back memories of homemade treats from our childhood. Last but not least, the Banoffee pie was a revelation. The combination of creamy toffee, fresh bananas, and a buttery crust was a symphony of flavors and textures that danced on our taste buds. The service was impeccable, and the cozy ambiance of the pub added to the overall charm of our dining experience. We left with full hearts and satisfied palates, and we can't wait to return to the Dukes Head Pub for more culinary adventures. If you're looking for a memorable meal, this place is an absolute must-visit.

Had a lovely pub lunch , last time I came here the food was awful , so was lovely to try it again and I can honestly say it was lovely.

An impromptu visit recently with my children but was unknowingly in the window between breakfast & lunch. The server was very helpful and made me a ham salad sandwich as after the walk from East Malling I didnt have much time. The Fresh loaves of bread on sale were great value & the selection of cakes very tempting Would recommend better signage on foot as I walked the whole way round following the road signs not realising it was in the middle of the buildings

Called in for a coffee and chocolate snack during our regular 6 mile walk from Allington to East Malling and back. Friendly, clean and good value. Only open on weekdays.

Not widely known that this great cafe is open to the public. Good food friendly staff. So close to Kent's renowned research orchards.

Rode past a few years ago on way to Labour at the new EMRC site being built and thought it was for employees only. Discovered today whilst looking for a local cafe to take the partner and son for a quick bite, that it is open to public too, so thought we'd give it a try. Turned out to be a fantastic decision. Lovely spot with the friendliest staff you'll find anywhere. Food top notch and reasonably priced and best of all it's HOT. Plenty of space for meetings or a quiet bite, the staff having meetings are barely audible and very respectful of the surroundings even when sat one table over. It is clear the owners and managers of this establishment care about what they do. It's a whole package breakfast/lunch experience, lovely landscaped surroundings, wonderful food, and a service to match. You can access it on foot or by car, and is only a short distance from the nearest bus stop and train station. 5*s isn't enough. Will be coming back again VERY soon and I can't wait to visit when the orchards are in bloom.