Basil in Tunbridge Wells

After shopping and new to the area we were looking for a tea shop that was not part of a major chain. Great service, wonderful cakes and tea and coffee plus friendly professional staff. highly recommend .

A lovely cafe. The staff were so friendly, the coffee was perfect and the menu was varied. There are traditional fry-ups, lovely- looking quiches and light lunches. A real find.

We ordered food from Basil for a family celebration. The team were super helpful in odering the right products and the right amounts, including a cusom made cake. The delivery was on time and all food was well presented. We heated up the filo pastry and the quiche, which was really nice. All the food was great. Absolutely can recommend the place!

Friendly efficient service, delicious and very healthy plant- heavy menu, perfect for Zoe personalised nutrition followers!

Always a must on my annual visit! Great service, great almond chai latte, excellent selection of sweet and savoury, clearly popular with locals and dogs! Super friendly Ladies always eager to please.

After trawling the local chain cafes in search of a reasonable coffee (and failing), Basil was suggested to us. Great coffee! Likely to be back (probably on a daily basis for the rest of our trip)! Thank you for improving my husband’s demeanour!

Love this place. Prices are ok. Drinks are great. Cakes outstanding! My daughter enjoyed the vegan “sausage” roll. Service has become much friendlier of late. I have ordered a whole carrot cake!

Not being able to have breakfast with your family when you only have cash and being turned away because they only accept card? Can someone explain to me why am I limited to just one way of payment? Unbelievable!

Didn’t visit the cafe but ordered a non-gluten carrot cake for my wife’s birthday, and it was the most delicious cake I have ever eaten. Unlike many other GF cakes etc, this one was lovely and moist, tasted really fresh, and you wouldn’t know it was GF. Friendly service when arranging it as well. Thank you Basil!

The millionaire’s shortbread was excellent with our hot drinks. We would definitely come back and would love to try lunch here. Staff very friendly.

Basil makes an excellent breakfast location. The coffee is good enough but isn't going to top any leagues for artisanal coffee or barista skills. The food is wholesome and tasty. Breakfast seems to be the best value, some of the lunch options are good but feel a tad pricey for what you get.

More of what we have come to expect from Basil - the food is excellent. The coffee is also pretty good and quite strong. What's nice about the St. John's Road iteration is the more neighborhood feel to the place and consistently friendly customer service. Nice to be able to sit outside, though not the quietest road to linger too long on.

Lovely lady runs this shop - maybe the company actually - and is working very hard to serve people during this difficult time. Coffee and cakes were lovely the day I visited on a cold, dreary wet November afternoon this week. Service with a friendly and cheery smile. Keep up the good work.

Me and my partner went for breakfast here, it was out first time. Firstly you pay before your food even arrives which does not ensure quality service. My pancakes arrived cold and when I sent them back I could hear the lady down stairs say ‘just put them in the microwave’. Not worth £20 at all, waste of money and will be my last visit here.

I was just walking by... fancied a coffee and cake... Yes, there was a short, socially-distanced queue but I had soon placed my order and was sitting outside. The coffee and shortbread were both yummy!

For the best coffee in town with the biggest smile. Oh and food to die for of course. Pop in and try the lovely cakes and home made style food, salads, paninis, brunch, it's all lovely. My go to coffee house.

This is a very friendly establishment. See s a delicious latte and has a very good choice of cakes. It also has a good choice of salads. Service is quick and efficient. Downstairs there are only two tables but there is further seating upstairs.

The fare offered is wholesome food mostly sourced locally. Staff are friendly and attentive and the service excellent

I tried the breakfast bap, even though it was lunchtime. The bap was very good, and the bacon delicious. A cup of coffee washed it down, the coffee could have been stronger. Altogether a good place to eat with an interesting menu.

Lovely fresh and interesting food and helpful service. Very busy but worth a short wait for a table.

I love all four Basil cafés (2 in Tunbridge Wells, one in Tonbridge and the newest in Sevenoaks). Owned by local people, the food and coffee are all delicious and the staff are great. It's my go-to favourite in this area.

It’s expensive. And unless you pick the quiche or frittata with salads (even more expensive) the portions are small and served with a meagre leaf of lettuce - no dressing. Having said this the cakes are the best in town and very satisfying!

This is a nice stop for lunch or coffee. Menu has some nice options and the staff were friendly, food didnt take too long to arrive however felt prices are too high for what you are getting. £6 for a panini with two leaves on the plate is a bit much but the salads and coffee was nice.

We have tried buying lunch at Basil several times over the last two months but each time so many things made it hard work to be a customer, that we will not be going again !Examples The salad and quiches are placed after the till so when you queue to purchase your food, it means you can’t review the salads and quiche without loosing your place in the queue. Many times the staff have misinformed us on what ingredients where in dishes.The staff appear clueless .. when asked what was vegetarian, the chap said ‘everything here is cooked near meat so I can’t guarantee anything ‘! When we asked about whether the parmesan cheese was vegetarian ( it’s not) the same chap brought out a massive file with a list of dishes and the associated allergens that I was supposed to peruse whilst being served .. and holding up the queue - thankfully I wasn’t trying to fathom out anything that could have been life threatening The salad portions are ridiculously expensive and no one wants a large spoon of one salad for nearly £4 -I asked to have half spoonfuls but apparently you can’t -why ?Everything seems to have hidden chilli You have to struggle upstairs with trays of drinks. I am not a waitress and it’s difficult when you are also carrying your own bags.The owners or managers should take time to watch how customers interact with their dreadful process and make it easy and enjoyable to buy from them - there’s too much competition to make it so difficult!

We went to Basil today for a light bite! My two children shared a panini, it was fine but £5.95 for mozzarella and tomato. My husband and I shared a piece of Quiche and two salads! Very disappointed with the salad portions! Thought at £3.75 each that there would be more than a spoon of each salad on the plate. The quiche was a fair sized portion. The drinks and a slice of cake was standard price. Maybe just coffee and cake if we go there again.

My husband and our baby stopped here for a full English breakfast and the food was very good!

Second visit whilst following the other half on a 'retail therapy' session. Where can we go for a light lunch, not 'fast-food', decent coffee and sitting in the sunshine - yes we did have a couple of brilliant days in April. A great choice and ticked all the boxes plus lovely food. Wife bought new top and scarf so a good day was had by all.

Unimpressed on my latest visit - what is normally my fave avocado toast was served on very rubbery halloumi. The portion size also was about 2/3 what it is normally - I understand they have changed their pricing but that's ridiculous.

I came in for a quick coffee and some food. The food was tasty and I thought it was worth the money. What really bugged me was the staff.

My favourite avocado on toast with halloumi seeds and balsamic - fantastic accompanied by a lovely green smoothie.

The food is always excellent and can thoroughly recommend eating here. It does get very busy as it is only a small place, but the staff are always so friendly. We was greated

Come here for coffee at least twice a week! Friendly staff and nice atmosphere...good coffee too!

Love this bistro. Lovely fresh food and delightful waitresses and all at a reasonable prices. The atmosphere is pleasant and all not far from the Victoria centre

Very good coffee, very friendly staff. Would particularly recommend the bacon/cheese/tomato breakfast bap thing. Delicious and very filling - great way to start the day.

Basil is always busy, for good reason. The cakes are fantastic, the salad selection is very unusual and very tasty. We had breakfast this time from a good selection on the menu. It can get noisy as there aren't many soft furnishings to baffle the noise but you can usually enjoy a chat with friends.

I go to Basil a lot, it is a lovely place for a quick cuppa or to meet a friend. The cakes are yummy although I would really like more than a gluten free brownie as my daughter is GF and gets fed up with brownies. Also some more vegan cake please and not a raq tartlet, even better a gluten free and vegan cake! (sorry being picky now) Their tasties are nice and the dining room upstairs has a nice atmosphere. The toasties come with a little salad on the side, it isvery little but something is better than nothing. The teas are nice and staff are usually friendly although there is one rather jobsworty lady who can appear a bit harsh. Overall I really like this place, I would like more vegan options but all in all I like it.

All we wanted was a quick bite to eat and a hot drink. We decided to sit outside. The waitress gave us menus. She had not returned 10 minutes later. I went inside to find her chatting with others. Not good. We left and went somewhere else!

Do like a bit of Basil at the weekend when we have the chance but there was a woman serving today who was not welcoming or interested in our custom compared to the usual friendly Saturday staff.

Pedimos nuestras reuniones, comidas de negocios y desde aquí y, sin excepción, son deliciosos y diferentes. Todos los artículos ofrecidos están recién preparados, especial metido croissants

Realmente agradable ensaladas y sándwiches. Pasteles de fantasía. Agradable comedor puerta también. Muy agradable el personal servicial y buena ubicación. Recomendaría

The staff are really friendly.Lovely place to go for afternoon tea.They do really nice salads.Lots of area to show things.Really recommend.Perfect for everyone.Whenever my daughter looks at the cakes her mouth waters

Our first visit to Tunbridge Wells and we found this little place for lunch and we were so pleased we did. The service was quick and the food was lovely. I had the soup of the day which was delicious whilst my partner had one of their many salads along with a sausage roll, so good! Yes it was a bit cramped in there but we had a table in the corner and it was perfect. Just sorry we didn't try one of the cakes...there's always next time :)

Lovely food . great coffee. However very limited seating space. Best to visit weekday lunch for lovely fresh sandwiches and panini

Been to Basil in Lime Hill, same good coffee and food but this one is really tiny upstairs with low ceiling. It actually feels like being in the attic. The stairs is kinda narrow and a little steep. Probably won't go back as not good with claustrophobic spaces.

We visited here for take out when at a local baby class. The coffee was delicious and the salad bar enabled a healthy lunch at a good price. Cakes looked delicious but I tried to be good and only took the salads. I will be back !!

A lovely place to visit at any time. Great coffee, cakes, very pleasant staff and lovely ambience. Good value too.

Still sitting in here. As I often go to the Tonbridge Basil, which I like a lot, I thought I'll give this one a go too. Unfortunately, I didn't find it as nice. No problem with food & coffee & staff at all, but its premises are hardly as inviting as the Tonbridge one. Rather odd seating area upstairs, with little space to sit downstairs. Worst of all is that I'm not sure if it's colder outside on the street or in the cafe. Dunno whether here's any heating, but I see people keeping their winter coats on, "hugging" their cup of teas to warm their hands. That's just not right I'm afraid.

This a very friendly cafe serving quality food & drink. You can either sit downstairs in the window and watch the world go by or upstairs. The price is good for the quality of food, drink, and service.

I like to grab their cakes when possible, they can be a little pricey but the servings are large. They are often very busy so sometimes a slight wait for a table but no more than a couple minutes. Waitresses are quick and attentive and look like Mila Kunis.

I had seen very good reviews on this pleasant coffee house.So thought I would give it a try for tea and cake. I selected flapjack with chocolate topping. Oh dear - Chocolate topping was COOKING chocolate a no no with me especially when paying £3.50 per cake. Might try it again - not sure.

Popped in for lunch with a friend. Great service and attentive staff. Atmosphere was very good. Enjoyed a tuna melt panini, apple and raspberry drink and cappucino.Will definitely return.

Coffee, lunch and cakes, which are all completely delicious. I'm a regular customer and the amazing quiches and salads keep me going for the rest of the day! All the staff are so helpful & friendly and there's a great seating area upstairs.

Whilst they advertise gluten free food, it may have no gluten containing ingredients, being uncovered and next to gluten containing food.....it is not gluten free!!!

I have been using this wonderful coffee shop/restaurant for a numbers of years, its conveniently located for town, local shops and business and serves the most wonderful selection of cakes!!! I have also indulged myself with the lovely fresh selection of cold salads and hot breakfasts.The staff cant do enough for you and provide a very pleasant environment to chill and have that much needed coffee or bite to eat.well done and thanks you

Can't believe some people are complaining about the white walls, when it is so difficult to drag one's eyes away from the delicious array of cakes, salads and quiches! I've been coming here regularly since it opened, often feeling the need to reward myself after a taxing (not) Pilates session, with a slice of Billionair's Shortbread, shared dutifully with a friend. Salad/Quiche lunches are a wonderful way to assuage the guilt of the aforementioned Billionaires Shortbread. Or Brownie. Or Lemon/poppyseed. Or... Staff friendly and attentive and I've never had to carry a coffee/cake upstairs without a tray! Yes it's cramped upstairs, but if the place was any bigger it wouldn't be Basil!

This morning I pitched up at Basil on St. Johns Road with no fewer than twelve friends (well, eleven really, there was one guy with us who I don't really like very much) and ordered coffees and bacon sandwiches for everyone. Someone had a vegetarian thing which he said was delicious. We'll have to take his word for that but certainly the rest of us found everything to be of the highest quality, second only to the excellent, happy service we received. It never fails to amaze me that some people can be so negative (like the last two reviewers on here). If something is not quite right, you really ought to mention it at the time rather than make a complaint after the event, hidden behind the veil of anonymity the internet offers you. I'm 100% sure that if, for example, I was served a cappuccino instead of the latte I ordered and it didn't have a picture of courting swans delicately drawn into the froth, I would be offered another one. But only if I mentioned it at the time. I have a life, so I would be too busy too write about it on Tripadvisor. I reserve Tripadvisor for when I have something nice to say. That said, if I ever did decide to write a negative review, I would certainly make sure I checked my review for grammatical errors. It's difficult to take a review seriously when it's littered with typos. Talking of litter, I was most impressed by how swiftly our tables were cleared when we had finished. EXCELLENT SERVICE!! I shall definitely be returning and so too will my eleven friends. And the other guy.

Love this a wonderful coffee shop. Nothing is never too much and the service is excellent. The food is really fresh and the cakes are to die for. No coffee shop in Tunbridge Wells can beat the Basil brownie! If you appreciate great service and homemade flavoursome food then look no further than this lovely Coffee shop on the St John's Road! My children highly rate their milkshakes too.

Ideal venue if you a bored Yummymummys looking for others. The coffee, although made in a great coffee machine was stale and bitter. The panini had lumps of unmelted cheese and was not wonderful. It came with lettuce leaf! On the wall in the seating area, upstairs, was a notice saying that the staff welcomed tips, even though it was self sevice

The hot chocolate was nothing special and I could of made exactly the same at home.They did not offer a tray and had to carry up the stairs.The panini came with one leaf of lettuce - we thought that was a bit mean!The walls were white with a very cold feelI went to the toilet and saw a very used dirty toilet brush- yuck.The staff did not check if everything was okWe did not like seeing signs that said tips for table service appreciated especially when we took it up the stairs ourselves and there was no service I will definitely not return

This place is simply wonderful, fresh homemade food, cakes, quiches, lots of salads......A selection of glutenfree. It is lovely!

Friendly staff and lots of choice for salads and non sandwich meals for lunch/brunch . Cold veg platters quiches and my favourite frittatas! Lovely coffee .

Visited Basil yesterday for the first time. All of the team seemed lovely and attentive. The food was out of this world - definitely try the carrot cake or raspberry and almond loaf!

Visited Basil for a very successful retirement party. It's available for hire after hours, and they will provide their usual fare to your requirements. It's a relatively intimate and informal venue, catering for, I would guess, up to 45 people and the atmosphere was very convivial. The staff were helpful, friendly, and well-organised: everyone was served efficiently and there were a considerable number of favourable comments on the food (salads, quiches and a good selection of desserts.) Very enjoyable and, I gather, very reasonably priced.

This is a lovely spot to stop for lunch with a great selection of tasty choices and really warm, friendly and attentive staff. One of the nicest places i've been to in a while..you won't go far wrong stopping in here...

When hunger kicks in I have to eat right there and right then. And yet, last week, I travelled from the very bottom of Tunbridge Wells to the very top in order to have a cooked breakfast at Basil.I walked this mile-long route, hungry and now grumpy, for a very simple reason: that is the best cooked breakfast in the town and the customer service is always outstanding. I truly believe if God made a cooked breakfast, this is the one he would serve.Whether you secure the coveted downstairs table in order to people-watch as you enjoy breakfast or lunch, or make your way upstairs and find yourself at one of the mix of tables, you can rest assured you are going to be greeted by good food and a happy smile. I don't say this lightly. I am hugely high maintenance, but when a company gets it right they deserve to be praised. Everything about Basil in St Johns is spot on - from the mix of cakes on display obviously designed to tempt you, to the wide range of dishes and charming manner of those serving it.I have sat there and listened to businessman talking business and parents talking parenting. It really is perfect for everyone and I can't speak highly enough of the place. Basil rightly deserves the success it enjoys.

It is a rare thing indeed in the over- populated world of coffee shops that you leave the premises, having supped your latte, feeling like you are a better person and that all is well in the world. If this happens to you just once in your lifetime after visiting a Costa then you are indeed blessed. It is unlikely to happen after visiting a Caffe Nero because of its hideous Italian fakery and it will never happen after visiting a Starbucks because that's the place where coffee goes to die. But at the St Johns Rd branch of Basil, this feeling of euphoria occurs on a daily basis so high is the level of service and the complete deliciousness of the gastronomic delights on offer. And I struggle to think of anywhere I have drunk a better cup of coffee, which is why I seem to spend so much time here. But what makes this place so very special and, in my opinion unique, are the welcoming smiles and friendly chat of the staff. No, let me rephrase that. Walking in here on any day of the week is like walking in to your own private comedy club which also serves amazing coffee. Tracy and Jane are not only welcoming and utterly charming and gorgeous but they also appear to have a little comedy routine going between them which means that I always leave feeling happier than when I walked in. And I am a pretty happy person most of the time so that is no mean feat. I once had to call an ambulance after sitting in here for 20 minutes chatting because I had ruptured a kidney. But I'm not alone, this place is so popular because it exudes a feeling of true well-being. And that's completely down to the people here. Good food and drink is one thing, but the skill is really in creating the perfect atmosphere.If you come to Tunbridge Wells and you do not visit the St Johns Road branch of Basil, you have missed one of life's most fulfilling experiences.By the way, there's another branch of Basil in Lime Hill Road. It's pretty good and I would favour it over any of the other soulless high street offerings. But it won't make you smile like this branch does.

My son and I went into basil St Johns this morning for breakfast. This was the best breakfast that I have eaten for some time. Proper English meaty pork sausage and bacon with succulent well cooked mushrooms. Choice of scrambled or fried egg and included was baked beans, real cooked tomatoes. Finally a choice of brown or white toast but not of the thin floating variety but thick slices of whole grain or white bread.Excellent!

Had a relaxed business lunch here on the recommendation of colleagues who are business owners nearby. Fantastic food, wonderful service. The staff were friendly, informative and appropriately attentive. Really took the time to give helpful and detailed nutritional and allergy advice. Really relaxed setting and despite it being school holidays, was quiet and calm enough for a relaxed business lunch in the café atmosphere. Good range of organic and vegetarian options. FANTASTIC cakes. Only improvement is that there is only one toilet and this could do with a 'refresh'. Otherwise, highly recommended.

the best vegan cake for miles around, so good to be able to eat somewhere and totally enjoy it .... tku for making choices for us ;-)))) with enthusiasm! Such a delightful sunny spot to sit too.

Hello anyone reading this,I must say on my 1st experience in eating at Basil St Johns Road was truly lovely and relaxing. The staff so warm and friendly with wonderful beautiful smiles as they greet you. I went to try thee ' FAMOUS SCRAMBLED EGGS' that I have read about and heard. And I must say it did not disappoint, the eggs so light and fluffy, melting into your taste buds on every mouthful, I had mine on White and it was delicious! and plenty of it, I shall certainly go again and eat in, it was relaxing and peaceful, with the lovely sound of laughter and warm greeting to clients coming in and to those who were being served. Although a little establishment there is reasonable seating up stairs, downstairs has a table in the window, enough for three or four people to sit round. The place is clean and quirky, unlike the food which the cakes and salads are to DIE FOR!. I would recommend going, as this little friendly place is warming and delicious! as is ALL their food. Thanks for the experience see you soon and a HAPPY NEW YEAR to ALL at BASIL ST JOHNS, T/Wells, Kent. Love G S

I visit Basil along St Johns road every week as a treat after kick boxing. Love the friendly staff, the coffee and the amazing cakes, also a take away quiche for tea is at times a must! So if ever along St Johns pay them a visit.

Fabulous little coffee shop beautiful bakery produce and fabulous service.Shame about the occasional pretentious customers who take over on occasion.Get in early before the "Mummy and Daddy brigade" turn up and allow children to run riot and create a kindergarten !!!

Went for breakfast. Two bacon and egg baps, a tea and apple juice for £13 so good value. Service swift and friendly. Food average. Non runny yolks on eggs is an unforgivable sin though.

Stopping for lunch on a rainy saturday, we were delighted with the fresh cakes, pleasant and welcoming staff and great welcome, this was a buzzing cafe and food was fresh, tasty, home made and well presented, a great local lunch spot - we will be back !

I hired Basil to do the catering for my parents' Golden Wedding party which took place a fortnight ago. They did a wonderful job; the food was beautifully presented, good value and absolutely delicious. The staff I dealt with were extremely helpful and patient as I deliberated (at length) on the menu. I would definitely use them again!

Cakes are amazing - the most generous sized portions I've ever seen - you must have the brownies!Excellent breakfasts, my favourite is the scrambled egg with bacon.Wonderful service, always smiling staff.

If in st johns tunbridge wells at any time,go along to basil coffee shop in st johns rd, the staff are wonderful people and will do anything for you, while you are there ask for a slice of their courgette cake, you will be amazed how gorgeous it is, i live in Gloucestershire and go back to my home town of tunbridge wells each year, this is one of the first places i head for, highly recommended, love it

Wonderful food especially the salads which are made fresh daily and the millionaires shortbread only come second to my mums

This is always a favourite place to chill after a shopping trip. The food is well cooked and the salads are amazing too much to choose from not to mention the cakes. Very responsibly priced and staff very friendly. Highly recommend if you can get a table as its so popular.

Had a hot chocolate in Basil the other day and it was over £2. There is, of course, absolutely nothing wrong with that - and I would expect to pay that anywhere. However, the cup that the drink came in was offensively small. It took me literally two short gulps to finish the entire thing. It was probably a third or a quarter of the size you'd be served anywhere else. Not good.I didn't eat there - but the food looked very tasty (but that doesn't matter because I won't go back).

I often order from her and take home, but occasionally decided to sit in upstairs. Excellent quality food and sandwiches freshly prepared, great selection of home baked cakes and friendly polite staff (including the guy who makes the food who is totally gorgeous! and an added draw)

Basil is my absolute favourite cafe in Tunbridge Wells. There is one in the town centre as well as this one on St JohnsRoad. I always choose these cafe/restaurants to meet people if I am meeting up in town. Their quiches are superb and the salads scummy and there is always a good selection (cakes divine!) . This one is slightly smaller than the one in the centre of town so the selection is smaller but still yummy and the staff are super friendly. You should go!

I visited with my mum one Sunday lunchtime. I love the decor and the mismatch of tables and chairs, which all adds to the relaxed and friendly feeling. The salads looked incredible, although having eaten a large breakfast earlier I opted for a plum and almond crumble bar type thing was was so delicious. My mum had the soup of the day with some lovely Rusbridge bread and she said it was delicious. The staff were polite and friendly and we will definitely be back next time we are in Tunbridge Wells.

One of the growing number of excellent coffee places in Tunbridge Wells. Especially welcome because people are tiring of the bland offerings of the big names. We had coffee, paninis and cake. All were excellent and fresh. Basil is definitely worth a visit if you are in the area. Even if you are not, worth the trip !

Fabulous little place in Tunbridge Wells. After the initial disaster of sending our mate to the wrong place (there are two of them now), we all eventually met and the cakes are amazing.I had the coffee walnut, my mates had the blueberry lemon layer cake...A sweet and fabulous start to the day. And really friendly and helpful staff, too

Always busy, always friendly. The salads are exceptional compared to your bog standard offerings in other eateries. My sister-in-law couldn't believe the portion size (she brought half home for dinner) and my brother went as far to say it was the best quiche he had ever eaten. Wouldn't visit at lunchtime as it's small and always busy but for an afternoon meal would recommend it fully. Also has excellent cakes, slices and smoothies

An amazing slice of cake and a wonderful coffee to take away as I drove through town. I will stop again here when I come back.

I had eaten a lovely lunch at Basil when it was in Southborough, so was keen to try the one in Tunbridge Wells.We went for breakfast, the menu looked nice, I chose pancakes with yoghurt, berries and honey.The waitress was a bit terse, but it was first thing in the morning. When my pancakes came they looked and tasted like cheap supermarket small pancakes, and they were dry and stone cold, the yoghurt tasted of nothing, the only lovely thing was the fruit, which looked fresh and was tasty.Basil need to up their game as there are plenty of other cafes in town.

Basil are my lifesavours when it comes to finding a good, fresh and filling salad I can take out for lunch. With different homemade salads available everyday, there is nowhere else in Tunbridge Wells I would think to go to for wholesome food. A personal favourite being their chorizo and goats cheese salad and their butternut squash wedges with toasted seeds, Basil would be my recommendation to anyone wanting gluten free/ vegetarian/ wholesome/ fresh food. Oh and their digestive cake is my absolute guilty pleasure.

My wife and I visited Basil for the 1st time last Friday for a mid-morning coffee and were not impressed by the very slow service. On top of this my wife encountered something stuck to the bottom of her cup, (obviously not properly cleaned) but they did change it. Also all the sugars and sweeteners on the table were damp and lumpy. Observed very enticing food on the counter which along the side was not protected, or indeed covered up. Very easy for customers and staff to brush against it when passing, not very hygienic.I do not think we shall be visiting again.

We absolutely loved this place! The range of homemade cakes and slices were to die for! Lots of gluten free options available and the staff were knowledgable about what was gluten free and what wasn't. I had a salad which was a decent size and my husband had a sausage and egg bap which he rated highly.If we come back to the area we are definitely coming back!

Fantastic variety of salads and soups, fresh ingredients, and there are always new dishes to try. Amazing cakes and very friendly service. Great value for money. Our families favourite place to eat in Tunbridge Wells..

Went here with my friend. Ordered two coffees, soft drink, yogurt, granola with compot and sandwich which amounted to just shy of £29! Coffee ok, nothing special. Sandwich ok, but there is much better to be had elsewhere. The reason for the poor review in the main is the yogurt, granola and compot combination. The big bowl that arrived was daunting, far too much. The yogurt was cheap, Greek yogurt which had been sweetened sooo much, that at the first taste I thought I had consumed 100 calories in one spoonful. The second mouthful revealed that the compot was horrid. I think that the establishment had bought in cheap pie filling and thought that they would market it as compot. It tasted "tinny" and like the yogurt, far too sweet. The granola was actually ok, but I just decided that I could not eat the breakfast bowl as it was junk food, marketed as a healthy option. I would never go here again. For nicer coffee, healthier, and better value (half the price) fare, pop next door to Prett.

Great food, definitely best in T.Wells. Very good choice of salads. The kale salad was fantastic. Coleslaw had red cabbage as well as the white and it was not overloaded with dressing. There was also red quinoa salad on the menu, which looked very nice. The counter looks so yummy and there is a great choice. It reminded me of Bill's, when it was in Lewis years ago. No comparison with Bill's now, which serves burgers with fries!!! I do like healthy food and interesting salads and I make a special trip to Wholefoods in London just to have some healthy and interesting food occasionally, but I will definitely be coming back here for lunch. Highly recommended!!!

We had a lovely lunch, 3 types of salad and quiche all of which was very tasty and fresh. When we went it was clear that even if they had double the capacity the tables would still all be taken! It seems really popular....we would defo go back.

Took my mum on a trip out to T Wells and found Basil by chance. Were in fact heading to Bills! What a lovely place, very difficult to decide on what to eat as they had a brilliant display of cakes. We decided on tea and flapjacks, which were gorgeous, just the right amount of oats to stickyiness! While we ate I had a good look at the goodies on offer for lunch and have to say they looked wonderful. If out that way again, will definately pay another visit.

Great food, best of it's kind in T.Wells! Beats Juliette's hands down! This is how vegetarian food should be done - even though its not ALL vegetarian! Would definitely recommend it to anyone who comes here! #superyumboMaximus Decimus Meridius (busy little bee)

The food was good but the service was very poor .....don't go there if you are in a hurry! May be better if you sit inside.

Walked all the way up from the station for lunch as the website clearly states it is open 10-4 on Sundays only to find it was shut. Very irritating.

Have bought many, many cakes in the original Basil in St John's, I'm delighted they have another establishment in the centre of TW. Love the salads, reminded me of Juliet's only tastier & bigger portions. I read the review re the lack of service etc. Our service was excellent, i even had a doggy bag to take my leftover salad home. i can never resist the choc covered flapjacks with maltesers or rolos on top, they are yummy. I wish we could have a Basil in Sevenoaks......