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

Tallow in Southborough delivers a truly remarkable tasting menu, where every dish is a blend of creativity and flavor. The service went beyond attentive; our waitress was knowledgeable and clearly passionate, explaining the processes and ingredients with enthusiasm. It made the meal feel special and personal, enhancing the whole dining experience. Each course was thoughtfully prepared, and the dedication to quality was evident. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a unique and memorable dining journey.

We had a fantastic meal here, we have been twice and both times have been lovely! The food was fantastic, delicious, beautifully presented and a new and exciting take on food. All four of us really really enjoyed it. The staff are lovely, very knowledgable and helpful. They even remembered that one member of our party doesn’t like sweet Reisling and accommodated this effortlessly. For me the only downside was that the toilets are up some steep stairs and I have a disability so it is hard for me, however I understand that it isn’t always possible to accommodate this with space so I will be going again and soon!

This was genuinely one of the best meals I have had in my life. The smoked haddock starter was served with a gorgeous creamy white foam, the BBQ'd monkfish was delicate and bursting with flavour and the chicken was tender and served with a milk bread fried chicken sandwich on the side which was simply fabulous. They served some garlic dough balls to start which I would like to eat every day please! We finished with the chocolate slice which finished the meal off perfectly. An absolute treat and I can't wait to go back!

Outstanding food to Michelin star standard. Service was excellent and very welcoming. Garlic dough balls to die for plus great monkfish and chicken mains. We will be back later in the year to celebrate our 40th anniversary

Amazing food, and good service. I had lunch, some cocktails and desserts with two friends, one of them Italian, and she said everything was fantastic. We loved the starters, some of them with smoked salmon and mozzarella cheese, others with gratin aubergines, absolutely delicious! The pistachio dessert was lovely, with authentic Italian ice cream. Highly recommended!

Food you cannot forget. The most freshest calamari and pasta dishes. Hard to choose which dish to have. Wine was reasonably priced compared to other restaurants in the town. Service was excellent and the restaurant had a stylish outside eating area and a cosy intimate restaurant. Jelly beans at the end of the meal was fun!!!! Will be returning.

Very good food, great service and enjoyed the evening. Thanks to all the staff. Will be recommending

We had a wonderful Sunday night meal at Lago. All courses were to a high standard with a great bottle of red. Filippo looked after us well and shared good knowledge of the menu and the other servers were polite, warm and efficient. Would recommend.

It’s not often you go to a restaurant and the tunes are as good as the food. It’s all about the menu obviously but the way Robin and the team go about their work is so chilled, it helps create this wonderful atmosphere in which to enjoy it all. We had the 10 course all-in counter experience and I’m so glad we did. I love a bar and Robin was engaged and informative. I’m not sure my words will do the food justice, other than to say I can’t see how anyone would be disappointed here. They did a great job of accommodating my wife’s no red meat request. We’re going back as soon as the menu changes next month. TW is pretty lucky I think to have a place like this. The pudding wine menu looks well worth exploring for those that like this sort of a drop!

This was an incredibly special evening, and we went for "The Counter" experience and got to sample the full menu. We liked the warm interior and the friendly hospitality. And we also appreciated how there was an effort to be "efficient" with the food and produce and waste as little as possible. I shall let the pictures do most of the talking, but basically, I enjoyed every single bite and I say this as someone who historically really doesn't like fish! My other half had the wine pairings and liked nearly all of them! The Muscat in particular was a special mention.

Had a beautiful dinner here with my husband. We live locally and had eaten at Robin's pop up previously. His food is amazing and menu both fresh and seasonal. The Counter is small but packs a great punch with friendly professional staff. Does get quite warm in the window seats and gets busy as the evening goes on but that is to be expected. Top end of the price range but absolutely worth it.

Beautiful food - we had the 5 course tasting menu plus the cheese course. Great wine menu. We loved all the courses, the staff were all great and very attentive. I was slightly disappointed with where we were sat in a corner near the door but the music was brilliant.

Found it quite randomly but so glad I did. Very hospitable, cosy restaurant with delicious food. Unlike the chain Italians , the pasta had deep flavour that I have never tasted out of my trip to Sicily. Normally not a huge fan of tiramisu but had to try it after other food was great, and as predicted , it did not disappoint.

Omg the food here is incredible!! We had prawns in orange sauce for the first time and it was fantastic! Pizza bases were so good and full of toppings. The caramel cheesecake was the best cheesecake I’ve ever had! And last but not least, the staff were fantastic! Our waitress was really helpful and the chefs cooking tonight were so friendly and lovely. Really recommend! ❤️

Very cozy place with great atmosphere, fantastic staff which looks after you constantly!! Amazing food for the price I’ll come back here for sure !!

Very nice and cosy restaurant! Can here on a work night out! Pleasantly surprised 5*

Afternoon tea .excellent sandwiches fresh and lovely. Not keen on the cakes way too much chocolate but the scones where good but not enough butter or jam to go round.staff not chatty or engaging. Service good selection of teas disappointing. There was no choice sad.i must say I have had better high teas and would not do this again,I would prefer lunch.

A lovely place to spend an early lunch. Booking a table on a Saturday is a must. We didn't and was given a "leave by" time on arrival that didn't really impact on our meal but meant we were clock watching. The staff were attentive, friendly and helpful though I wasn't sure if this was due to our having not booked a table. The food was delicious and the set menu made it affordable though there was an issue with over charging for a starter that we did not have. Despite our issues on the day, this is a great place to eat and we will look forward to returning on our next visit to Tunbridge Wells.

Came here for a family birthday dinner and was very impressed with the service and attentiveness of the staff. The food was delicious - I would personally recommend the duck curry, but the fish and chips and steak looked good too. Had a really buzzy atmosphere (only watch out for that is if you’re hard of hearing then this is not the place for you when it’s busy). Would definitely recommend and come again.

Delicious and tasty food in a cozy lovely place. We had a dish for two, which was a mixed grill platter and the portions were very generous, our group was 3 people and we couldn't finish everything on the plate. The lamb chops were really good, the ribs just tasted amazing, the hummus had perfect texture and their pita bread was very soft and delicious. We received great service from the staff as well, who even helped us book a taxi when we were leaving. Highly recommend it!

This place is absolutely amazing. If you are in the area you have to try it. The restaurant has a lovely location in the heart of Tunbridge Wells. Mediterranean cuisine is about great taste and healthy food. If you step in the decorations and lights are making you feel calm and welcomed. The staff are lovely and eager to help. The place is very clean and tidy. The food is excellent made from fresh ingredients. Portions are considerable. Also Sunday they serve Sunday roast. We are looking forward to visiting this place again.

If you’re craving authentic Turkish cuisine, Zorba is the place to go. The shish kebab stands out as the highlight—juicy, well-seasoned, and grilled to perfection. The restaurant's cozy atmosphere creates a welcoming vibe for diners, and the staff are friendly and attentive. Complement your meal with fresh salads and savory dips for a complete experience. Zorba is a must-visit for anyone looking to enjoy delicious Turkish flavors!

First visit to this restaurant. We went for a family dinner. Turned up without reservations but we were welcomed and seated. We ordered mixed chicken sharing kebab. It was delicious and very tasty. Service is fast could be more smiley and friendly. The food was prepared quickly. It’s priced reasonably. Inside is modern, clean and interior is airy. It has a nice small outside area.

I was taken to the Kentish Hare for a birthday Sunday lunch. The food at this restaurant was very high quality. I had yellowfin tuna tartare starter which came with watermelon, avocado and orange ponzu, it was divine. For a main course my son-in-law and I shared a roast beef dish and I finished with Bramley apple crumble. My wife and daughter had fishcake followed by roast lamb and then Amalfi lemon parfait. The main course came with a selection of perfectly cooked vegetables. There was a good and varied wine menu and a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails. I had the non-alcoholic passion fruit martino shown in the picture. It was all delicious. The portions were generous and the service was friendly, efficient and quick. The atmosphere was relaxed and we could see the chefs working in the open kitchen. I will be returning frequently.

An excellent meal with fantastic service. A treasure in Kent. Extremely creative menu, without the fuss. My wife had the monk fish and I had the deer - and they were to die for.

We went for Sunday lunch and ate in the bar (same menu) as we had our dog with us. Food was excellent, very nice presentation, good quality ingredients and tasted great. Service was friendly and good. The whole place was as smart and clean. Highly recommend and we will definitely be going again.

Saw this recommendation on the Michelin website as a Bib Gourmand. High quality food at a cheaper price point than a Michelin Star. We went for a Sunday Lunch. Place was very busy and we booked online a while in advance to secure a spot. Walk-ins are welcome but at busy periods you might be disappointed in not getting a seat. Decor and atmosphere were very nice. Staff were friendly and attentive. Nice and cosy pub. Of course, the food was excellent. We had 1 minor issue with a hair in one of our starters which is why I rated it 4 stars. Stuff like this happens even in the best of places. I would go back as I think this is a one off. Apart from that, everything was great. Portion sizes for the roast were generous and the side of veg was huge. The quality of the food is amazing, everything is fresh and flavourful. You can really tell that they use high quality ingredients to get started. Plating is very pretty too if you are into that. We paid £40 per person for a 3 course Sunday lunch. After drinks and service charge it was just over £210 for a group of 4.

Thank you for hosting our friends Xmas breakfast gathering. 18 of us served quickly with really nice food. Great venue & really friendly staff. Love it & see you all again soon

The best English Breakfast I had in my life, with proper sausages and all!

Lovely little spot for breakfast/brunch. Everything we ate was of a really high quality, particularly the eggs Benedict that was on really thick, fluffy bread with a perfect hollandaise. The chef walked into the bar area and I was tempted to give him a hug it was so good. Because it's such a high ceiling, the atmosphere was lacking a little bit, could do with some background noise, but other than that, super friendly and a new favourite to add to the list.

Really nice location, dog friendly, fab quality breakfast with quality ingredients! Child friendly. Nice outdoor area

What an absolutely splendid dining experience I had. This cosy yet classed restaurant has a comforting atmosphere and the most attentive, joyous staff members you could ever want. However the food was without a doubt, the stars of the show - gorgeously hand crafted Asian fusion dishes that are simply the best. Every bite is nothing but perfection. I would most definitely recommend the fusion bao’s and honorable mentions to the Japanese leaf bites. As someone from Hong Kong I was more than pleased to find such comforting dishes that felt like home, the kindness of the staff deeply amplified the amazing experience “kumquat” offered to me and my family.

Great place. The food is quite good. And the staff were extremely nice. The Gyoza is frozen but it was ok. The Salmon and English muffin was very good. They didn’t have the Bao buns at first, but then they got it delivered just in time. And we enjoyed the Bao buns. Very nice place. I recommend it.

We visited on a Thursday lunchtime to eat. A very friendly welcome and we were given a choice of tables to sit at. We ordered our drinks, were given menus and told they would bring our drinks to the table. The food menu was excellent and it was difficult to make a choice. We decided to share a starter and they kindly brought two plates. There were three female staff, all dressed neatly in black, who all provided an efficient and friendly service. All of our food was excellent and came promptly. The pub is very interesting with lots of nooks and crannies and a superb great hall above the bar. An extensive patio area to the rear.

The roast was decent, very nice gravy and veg, fortunately some mint sauce was found (a must!). Loved the little bees on the sticky toffee pudding and it tasted really good. Service was fast and friendly.

Absolutely fantastic pub great food. Cooked to order and wonderful staff. Great find for a lovely lunch