Gravesend Restaurant Guide

A “seriously dramatic room” plays host to meals in the restored 1873 pump house at Chatham’s historic dockyard on the Medway, which has been converted into a distillery and restaurant by Bob Russell and his sons Matthew & Stephen. Top Menu Tip – “amazing roasts on Sundays”.

2023 Review: “Very busy steak-centric restaurant” (part of a chain owned by pub giant Mitchells & Butlers) that is one of the more commented-on destinations in our annual diners’ poll in the poorly served ’burbs to the south east of the metropolis. The food is “reliable”, “without being exceptional” and – notwithstanding some blips regarding service and management generally – this can be a “reasonable” destination in the locale.

This “independently owned and managed” old village inn “in a lovely setting” has been thoroughly stripped out and modernised, providing a comfortable venue for an upbeat menu that features oysters, Cornish caviar and a 500kg Chateaubriand steak to share.

“If you’ve never had a stuffed mussel you haven’t lived!” – Tokyo-born Angelo Sato’s brave Soho venture is ‘dedicated to redefining what fine dining for the next generation looks like’ and has metamorphosed from a relatively simple seller of chicken skewers into a so-now, 13-seat omakase experience that won two Michelin stars in the tyre men’s 2025 awards. It’s one of the most talked-about top-end Japanese experiences in our annual diners’ poll and in close contention as the highest rated. The 16-course menu for £235 per person fuses Japanese and European inspirations for dishes and “service at the bar creates a great interaction with the engaging staff”. “It’s a lovely way to spend an evening eating amazing food and drinking sake”, plus “an eclectic off-piste wine list often from small producers”. “So good is Humble Chicken that you’ll talk about booking again on your way home – even though it is eye-wateringly expensive – and that’s before the second star and refurb that may reduce the covers” (the latter is ongoing over summer 2025, with reopening later in the year).

2022 Review: Darren Bennett’s stalwart, serving up creative modern British cooking (including a well-regarded afternoon tea) “continues to be reliable in all respects”, whether you stop to take advantage of the set menus or its popular side act as a wedding and events venue.

“Cannot be beaten!” – so says the very dedicated local fan club of Victor Choi’s long-established Cantonese fixture on the high street, known locally as a top option for a celebration.

This smart neighbourhood restaurant and bar from Stuart Gillies, for many years Gordon Ramsay’s right-hand man, “never lets you down with quality, value or service – can’t get enough of this place”. The menu offers a mixture of classic British and modern European cuisine, with bottomless brunch on Saturdays and traditional roast on Sundays. There’s now a sibling restaurant on similar lines, Number Eight in Sevenoaks.

A “wonderful restaurant, run by great people for nearly 30 years!” – Cyrus & Pervin Todiwala retain a mega-loyal fan club, who have followed them from their old site in E1 to this new distant unit on the Royal Docks (which they moved to in 2022). The draw is “just the most creative food” – “outstanding” cooking that’s “not Indian as you know it” but “with a Portuguese influence” – all delivered by “the nicest team” in a setting with views over the water. Even those who feel it’s “not a great location, being a long way out of town” say “oh the food! it’s well worth the journey!” Top Menu Tip – “be adventurous, the chutneys are unbelievable, the mains mouthwatering. You must try the Roast Chicken Cafreal Zambeziana and the beetroot and coconut samosa”.

2022 Review: “Everything you could wish for in a local”, say fans of this quirky Italian, in a tiny but characterful former guards’ room in the grounds of the old Woolwich Arsenal. “High-quality food is freshly prepared in an amazing setting with friendly, professional staff. A joy!”.

A “very busy and popular pub just off the A21 outside Sevenoaks”, and occupying a characterful 16th-century building that boasts beams and wonky floors – as well as having a pleasant outdoor space for warmer months. Add in some solid seasonal gastro food (they do a slap-up Sunday lunch) and it’s “lots of fun” to visit.

John Lawson’s ‘no menu’ outfit (there’s always a meat course and a fish course, with veggie alternatives) “has moved away from a vegan format to a healthy-living offering” – meaning gluten-free and dairy-free, “so you don’t come away bloated and filled to the gills with butter and salt”. Everything is locally sourced and super-fresh, resulting in “superbly put-together meals that change regularly”: Michel Roux is a big fan.

Andrew McLeish’s longtime beacon on London’s south-east fringe receives nothing but plaudits for its “imaginative” and “excellent quality” field-to-fork dining (an ethos reflected in the restaurant’s rooftop beehives), with its loyal army of local fans saying it’s a “very special place that easily beats most high-end offers in Central London”. Even those who have “been using Chapter One for special occasions for over 20 years” don’t get bored since “the menu is changed weekly” to keep things fresh; there’s also a more informal brasserie menu and “the addition of the conservatory bistro is a must for the summer”.

2022 Review: No feedback this year on this distant Chinese restaurant, near Royal Albert Dock DLR. If you are looking to eat in these parts though – while watching the take-offs and landings at nearby London City Airport – it is worth knowing about.

Set in a converted stable block that was once part of the neighbouring coaching inn – now their sister venue, ‘The Oak on the Green’ – a “lovely village restaurant with real talent in the kitchen”. As per the name, it’s all about the “very good quality fresh fish” which fans proclaim “a bargain” (particularly the “excellent value lunch”).

“Superlative food from an aspiring young chef” draws an appreciative crowd to this community-owned pub in a “lovely Kent village” – Alex Yates sends out “notably creative dishes chosen for flavour not curiosity”, while his wife Grace heads the “friendly, engaged and well-informed” FOH team. It’s very much a family operation: his father David, a former Balls Bros wine merchant, advises on a drinks list which offers “strikingly restrained prices”, while his grandmother provided the name – her family, the Bowleys, ran pubs in Kent. Top Menu Tip – “guinea fowl with an outstanding jus”.