St Martin's Restaurant Guide

2021 Review: “Quirky – but does it for us”, this atmospheric cellar close to the cathedral has long been popular for its “good quality, authentic Moroccan food” and Moorish décor, complemented by Andalusian tapas (classified as ‘light’, ‘medium’ or ‘rich’) and paella.

A “real bright light in an otherwise scrappy pedestrian high street”, this polished and “very well-run” hotel dining room takes the original name of the hotel that stood here back in 1892 and brings a rare fine dining option to the centre of Canterbury; add in “wonderful” cocktails, and it’s “a treat” for its many local fans.

“Back to its very best since chef-owner Dev Biswas closed his other venues in Rye and Margate” (and “changed the name of this venue from Ambrette to The Cook’s Tale”, in homage to Chaucer). The “busy” and well commented-on fine diner offers an “alternative take on Indian cuisine” (albeit now also featuring that popular staple, curry, for the first time) and the results are “exceptional” and “good value”, whether you opt for the tasting menu or “adventurous” sets, both of which boast hyper-local sourcing and “Kentish touches”.

Ignore the Gallic name – this “busy, bustling and friendly” outfit in Westgate in fact deals in “excellent” Mexican fare and is “just such a happy place” where “the atmosphere sizzles” as much as the fajitas; the “long-established” venture (“it’s been going since 1987 and hasn’t lost its spark…in fact it just gets better and better”) has a namesake sibling in Paia, Hawaii, and is also related to Canterbury’s Café du Soleil.

“Above the farmers’ market, cheese shop, and wine merchants in a converted goods shed”, a “lovely” destination where “the menu is determined by what local produce is available just a few feet away”; it’s “very romantic in the evening”, when they do formal candlelit dinners.

“Each time we come we are impressed by the attention to detail and outstanding quality of the food at this well-regarded gastropub” – Daniel & Natasha Smith purchased this “beautiful old pub on the River Stour” in 2017 and has become one of the most commented-on venues outside the capital in our annual diners’ poll. “The style of cuisine is that of fine dining with locally sourced produce and the flavours bring out the best in the ingredients”. “Tables are well-spaced and the staff certainly know their stuff” – “incredible value”. Top Tip – “Lovely wisteria-covered terrace by the river on a sunny day”.

This old drovers’ inn just outside Canterbury is “very atmospheric and comfortable, but the food is truly the star” – “really well executed but not overly fussy” and “a real dining treat”. Former Clove Club chef Daniel Smith and his wife Tasha, herself a pastry chef, have settled in the village and created a “chilled pub with food that surprises” with its excellence. They also run the nearby Fordwich Arms. Top Menu Tip – “best lobster and chips ever”.

Four miles from Canterbury, this much-commented-on manor house is part of the now ten-strong Pig litter (the latest porcine offering, in Stratford-upon-Avon, is due in 2024) and “does not disappoint”. The “buzzy” dining room – “like a large potting shed, its walls lined with preserved vegetables and pulses” – backdrops “lovely” gastrofare, and “in summer you can eat casually and drink in the garden” at their new ‘Garden Oven’, focusing on wood-fired snacks. On the downside, as at others in the chain, a minority of reports characterise its cooking as “pleasant, but nothing special”.

This “lovely gastropub in a pretty Kent village” wins praise for its “good menu selection, including unusual dishes like homity pie” alongside the more standard burgers, steak and fish ’n’ chips. It is part of Saga heir Josh De Haan’s Pickled Egg pub group.

You get “the Mediterranean diet writ large” at this “relaxed, informal, spacious and friendly” outfit opened in 2000 by cook Nikki Billington and her partner Paul Watson, originally in their own home. It’s “the perfect place for a leisurely lunch, with delicious and mostly healthy cooking” including “the freshest tapas fish dishes”, along with “professional and charming service” that ensures “every visit feels memorable and special”.

“Tiny but perfectly formed!” – The very first Wheelers (est. 1856, and the original and last branch of an increasingly forgotten chain that ceased trading in 2014) is a “quaint but charming” venue whose “magical qualities make it a memorable and special place”. “There is a counter at which you can order items to take away (to the nearby beach) or sit in the very bijoux parlour” – a “really lovely, family-run space where the attention to detail and freshness of the seafood is second to none”. “Exceptional oysters” are the headline attraction on a “wow of a tasting menu” that “is of course centred on fish”. “It’s made even more affordable by their BYO policy” – “just pop to the offy over the road for a great bottle of wine” (“there’s a small charge for corkage”). Top Tip – “book well in advance”.

2023 Review: The dining room “upstairs in a rickety old pub, with wonderful views over Whitstable Bay”, offers a “good mix of innovative food” – including “beautifully cooked fish” – “and homemade pub classics, served by staff from the kitchen on the floor below”. “Eaten there many times: the ambience is excellent and always found the food good”.

2021 Review: “Excellent moules flavored with tarragon – served with sourdough and a beer for a tenner”: such is the appeal of this busy four-year-old serving Spanish tapas and charcuterie alongside small plates of more modern British inspiration. Front-of-house Lee Murray is well known locally from the Goods Shed in Canterbury, while co-founder and chef Tim Wilson worked for The Ivy and Groucho Club in London.

“An unrivalled seashore location” right “on the beach at Whitstable” and “with plain wooden tables” sets the scene at this “very popular” destination. “It’s not fancy cooking, but the quality of the fish is very good” and “simply and ably prepared, although prices are not cheap”. “Best to go when there is an ’r’ in the month, when natives are available as they are fantastic”.

2022 Review: “Superb, ultra-fresh seafood, including excellent Whitstable oysters” can be enjoyed bang in front of the working harbour at this straightforward café and terrace, with views over the sea as a backdrop.

2022 Review: “A good find”, with “surprisingly good pizza” – although perhaps that would come as no surprise to those who know that this pizzeria was the first in the UK to achieve certification from the Associazione Verace Pizza in Naples. There’s also a full list of starters and pasta dishes, and kids get a three-course meal for £7.50. It can be “very noisy when full”… but have you ever been to a busy pizzeria in Naples?