The Best Restaurants in Benenden, Kent, United Kingdom (2025)

Lovely food. Big portions, staff is very friendly, had no booking & were very accommodating. Defo will come back, we discovered it after being in the area for the 1st time.

My fiancé and I recently celebrated our engagement party at the Woodcock and I cannot thank Lyndora, Lottie and the rest of the team enough! Everything was absolutely perfect! They made it so special for us and the food was absolutely delicious! We are still getting messages from friends and family, to say how much they loved the food and already want to come back! The whole thing was beautifully done and we cannot thank them enough! So THANK YOU!

Lovely village pub tucked away in a country lane in Iden Green. Good food, lovely atmosphere and friendly service. Our group of 6 were well looked after and were not rushed off our table, even though it was Sunday lunchtime. Would definitely recommend. There is a good sized parking area on the opposite side of the road to the pub, but this place can get busy and parking spaces fill up quickly at peak times.

Was recommended this pub by a friend and it didn't disappoint. Lovely oak beams and wooden tresses, well presented, clean and cosy pub, the staff were highly attentive and worked tirelessly and a real credit to the pub. Menu is just right for choice and priced fairly. Food was hot and came quickly and all courses were delicious. Only slight downfall was the parking on this particular evening. The car park is big, but we went at 6.15pm on a Friday eve and was told all the locals go there from 4pm so there was no where to park and had to wait around 15 minutes for someone to leave. Will definitely be back but on a weekday night.

Stunning setting, beautifully lit. Carnation house was lovely and warm under the heaters despite the chilly evening. Attentive and friendly service. Prompt serving of food and advice given on the menu. Food was absolutely amazing, personally I had the beetroot starter and the bavette as a main. The bavette was cooked perfectly and worked brilliantly with the pumpkin puree. Portions were more than ample and we felt that the pricing was bang on. All in all, we will definitely be returning, introducing more people to Water Lane and spreading the word!

It's just fantastic. It's pricey, but you get what you pay for. I had the beef, which was fantastic. All the vegetables are grown there and most of the food and drink are locally sourced. The staff attention was perfect, and they couldn't do enough. Walk around the shop and gardens after you have eaten. BTW the food is served outside in the summer, and there are no heaters, but they do have blankets if you ask. Go for special occasions!

The starter pickles were really good, the drinks were amazing I had the shrub (twice). the main veg course could have been a little more interesting/varied needed an extra bit. The dessert quince merge was very tasty. It’s a very pretty place and the decor is beautiful, although there was heating and blankets it was a very cold evening, so I was a little cold. I would definitely go again though, definitely in the summer and maybe in the winter on not such a cold night. The staff are excellent!

We celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary by eating Sunday lunch at the walled garden - we ŵere not disappointed, the roast beef was delicious, excellent service, all-in-all a very good enjoyable experience.

Visiting Benenden Hospital went here for lunch. It was recommended and lived up to its recommendation. Nice ambiance efficient staff, good food. Just a little problem with the doors open, it wasn't a particularly warm day,

I was made to feel very welcome working in this pub today. Great selection of beers and a lovely garden too. They have their own local wine which regrettably I forgot to try!

We were a party of 10 attending a wedding next door at St George's Church. They're 2 mins walk apart so super-convenient location. We booked the Lower Bar and Secret Garden to keep us separate from another large wedding party at The Bull! Beforehand we ordered sandwiches for 10 but in the end, extra family turned up, and numbers were doubled. Miraculously everyone who came had at least one sandwich, like the feeding of the 5000!! Lucy and the team were extremely helpful and accommodating, drinks were ordered on a tab so everything ran smoothly. The idyllic rose-scented Secret Garden accommodated us all. We had a fantastic time before the rest of the wedding festivities. Would strongly recommend The Bull in Benenden.

We had two lovely evenings at the Bull, dining and a few drinks, just my idea of what a country pub should be like. Two very good meals and well kept Harveys Sussex Bitter

Amazing veggy breakfast with crispy hash browns and perfectly cooked eggs! Plus friendly cat.

Loved the breakie! Vicki was our server, very friendly warm welcoming with such a relaxed atmosphere 🧘‍♂️ I ordered their yummy scrambled eggs on sourdough bread along with a nice hot latte. My wife had their smaller breakfast and she loved it too! Bloomsburys source their produce locally which you can tell in the quality of the food! The restaurant decor is quirky giving the place a good character 😁 Will definitely return when in the area again! THANKS VICKI 😁

Warm & welcoming. Relaxed atmosphere. Lovely indoor & outdoor seating areas., Long table in the garden area for large group. Had a very nicely cooked & tasty full English breakfast. £35 for two full English, plus x2 latte, large bottle water & juice. Great venue in summer but I’m sure it’s super cosy in the autumn/winter.

Really relaxed atmosphere; wonderful decor inside and out; dog friendly; attentive staff; delicious vegan breakfast and smashed avocado on toast.

AMAZING! We visited with the family and was wonderful. The service was great they were very accommodating and helpful. The food was delicious, specially the mussels, they must be the best mussels I ever had 👏👏 Everything was amazing, thank you! 🤩

Had a lovely time here with family last Sunday. The roasts were so good and the service was excellent. Definitely be back. Highly recommend.

What a great little find this was. Beautiful rooms which look like they’ve been recently upgraded. The rooms looked lovely on line and even better when we arrived. We were upgraded to a room that had a lovely little snug. Not only were the rooms stunning but they even supplied the most delicious chocolate brownies! When we arrived for check in the lovely lady provided us with complementary coffee and tea which was such a nice touch. We have been away a fair bit over the years and haven’t experienced this in many places. Lots of pluses about the Queens Inn - - complementary tea/coffee on arrival - brownies in the room - plenty of charging points (and next to the bed!) - check out time 11am - delicious breakfast - continental with full English - extremely tasty pizzas (and great side salads) - fabulous staff! We did find the breakfast room rather loud but this was probably to do with the lack of soft furnishings and there was a large group in. However the lovely staff let us sit in the main area to have our breakfast. They were so accommodating, nothing was too much problem. Such a lovely, lovely stay, thoroughly recommend. Thank you all!

Such a warm welcoming friendly pub and atmosphere food is amazing and your always looked after by the amazing Staff and owners highly recommend

Live locally and we come here regularly. Can't fault the food, the service or the friendly welcoming atmosphere. Today's Sunday roast was up to its usual high standard- absolutely delicious and lemon meringue pie to die for!

We found this gem of a pub and been back three times in a week and a half! The food is delicious and cooked to perfection. I keep ordering the same thing. Lovely ladies behind the bar . Very friendly. Great atmosphere, quaint and beautifully clean. Plus we enjoy the furry visitors that get to say hello. Fabulous Fabulous! See you on Sunday!😁

Can’t wait to return to The Star. A wonderful traditional village pub with a great menu. Super welcoming atmosphere. A lovely pub garden too. Event nights are always worth a visit!

We had our 12 year anniversary meal here my husband had the delicious lamb and I had the super tasty pork. Can't wait to go again service was great and I love the traditional feel of this proper English pub.

We did a walk-in recently last minute while over this way. Nice pub, old British style decor, and the biggest menu I've ever seen! Good choices and prices on the menu and separate special board. Just had a small starter each of prawn cocktail and soup, which was tasty and quick serve. They have a large free carpark and great garden area to sit in. Would recommend and look forward to revisiting and trying more of the menu.

Made a late booking for Sunday lunch and found the welcome, service and food simply wonderful. Prices were surprisingly reasonable as well. Everything one would want from a country pub.

Our 1st visit was for Christmas lunch with a group of about 30. The venue is cozy and the decor very homely. The staff were brilliant considering the size of our group - I'm sure it was frustrating dealing with so many demanding people. The chef did a brilliant job since he appeared to be almost alone in the kitchen. He deserves praise and a bonus! The starters were enjoyed by all. We had the liver pate which was excellent. The mains, the only complaint we heard were that the brusslesprouts were under cooked and that they couldn't eat a lot as it was a healthy serving. We had the festive burger - while the pig in blanket and stuffing on a stick was a great decorative touch it had been left on the grill a long time and was very dry. The burger though was brilliantly tasty. The deserts had mixed review, with the frangipani being lovely, the Christmas pudding dry as there was not enough custard, the cheese board was enough for 2. I was unfortunately 1 who had to change my dessert due to no stock/delivery of the parfait. I opted for something of the menu, Apple and Blueberry pie I think it was. It was so hot I was still trying to eat it long after everyone had finished so I didn't really enjoy it, sorry. Overall though it was a lovely afternoon. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make it a success.

We visited today, the place was beautiful, busy, welcoming, and dog friendly, I said my name, and the landlord remembered our email communications literally word for word! The team there are worth their weight in gold. The food was excellent, so delicious 10/10, my dog was offered his own plate, given a treat and given his own water bowl. We can't wait to visit there again, the prices are well worth it. The food portions were very ample. KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING ITS FANTASTIC.

Had a surprise Birthday Meal here for my Mum on January 2nd 2024. The staff were superb, attentive, friendly, helpful service. Nothing was too much trouble. I took a cake in and balloon for the table in the morning which they kept and bought out at the appropriate time along with plates to put the cake on. The food was all excellent, every guest loved their food. We had the Beef Burgers, chicken burgers, Nachos, Thai Green Curry, Steak pie.. 11of us in total. Drink was served and plenty of people frequently checked if we needed more and then serving as required. The staff really were 100% and this made for a fantastic evening with some lovely memories for our family. If you get the chance to eat here, you won't be disappointed. This is definitely my 1st choice for future bookings when I'm in the area. Thank-you to everyone who helped make our evening such a fantastic one.

Great family pub with, Shepherd Neame beers, quality food and with dedicated dog-friendly area at the front and good-sized yard at the back. We especially enjoyed the sharing nachos, the special pancakes on the kids menu and the quality coffee. We visited at the end of a busy bank holiday so lots of options had run out but the staff were all great about this and really helpful.

Went for a birthday lunch today and really enjoyed everything about the Milk House. Great choice on the menu, the food was excellent, the service team were really helpful and enthusiastic, the atmosphere in the restaurant was nice without being loud, and it was full. Great place to visit. Thank you.

We visited the Milk House for a meal. My friend had a chicken burger. ( I think it was described as) and chips. I had the vegan curry. My friend said hers had 3 chicken fillets in. Very good and plenty of chips. My vegan curry was served with cauliflower rice, nan and raita and it tasted lovely. I think the curry was a little small for the money, but the quality made up for it. Very generous menu with lots of choice for everyone. Also fresh pizzas being served outside which looked delicious.lovely garden and views outside. Play area for kids. Marquee outside indicating they have special events at times. Toilets were beautifully clean, a pleasure to use. I can't comment on the rooms as we were only visiting for food. However based on the standard of everything else I believe they will be lovely. I would definitely recommend this pub.

We come here every year for at least two lunches when we rent a holiday home nearby - it’s such a hit with all of us - fabulous pizzas and a great menu. The staff were absolutely fantastic at supporting us when we unexpectedly brought our profoundly autistic son due to his carer’s car breaking down! Couldn’t have been more helpful and supportive and this is MUCH appreciated xx