County Restaurant at ABode Canterbury in Canterbury

This is a review of the Abode Brasserie. The restaurant is a small plate eatery, we've been to a few small plate places and really enjoyed them, the menu sounded interesting and we wanted something a bit special as we were only in Canterbury for one night. We were met at the entrance by a man who waved us in the general direction of some tables and said we could choose where to sit, bit odd but fine. We sat down and after a few minutes he brought a food menu and explained how it works, that dishes would come when they're ready etc and recommended 2 or 3 dishes each. After about 10 minutes we were brought a drinks menu, then almost immediately we were asked if we were ready to make our drink order. After another 5 minutes (of us looking at drinks) we finally ordered. The first dish that came out (after another 15 minutes of waiting) was the smoked haddock soufflé. It was the size of a cupcake, so a mouthful each. It was a little chewy and bland. £10 for that. Then, a good 10 minutes later the pearl barley ragu with goats cheese came out in a cute saute pan about the size of a saucer. It was also a little chewy, tasty, but with the absence of any other dish the texture was hard work. We noticed the table next to us tucking in to what looked like a marvellous feast while we waited another 15 minutes for another plate. At this point we were considering leaving. The last straw was the lamb ragu which came in a miniature saucepan. There was about 1-2 tbsp of shredded lamb in gravy with peas and a small pile of mini hash browns - the exact same frozen ones we buy for our kids. £13.50 for that dish. I have never complained in a restaurant but I couldn't carry on. I asked if we could pay for what we'd had and go because it had been so bad. The waiter was excellent, very gracious and insisted we try the other dishes for free, which he then retrieved from the pass immediately. Why we had been waiting again i have no idea. The only dish that stood out was the gnocchi with fennel sausage, but at £12.50 for 4 bits of gnocchi and half a mashed sausage is madness. If the food had been outstanding it may have been worth the time and cost but it was disappointing at every turn. The 2 stars are for the waiter who did his best to turn it round!

We hired the separate Chefs table room for our small intimate wedding. I cannot express what a fantastic service we had, the food was amazing and the communication from Ondrej the chef, was so good and the day was perfect with gorgeous food. Highly recommend.

I booked the brasserie for my husband's birthday. We received an email and text the day before we visited to check we were still coming so confirmed our visit. However on arrival we were advised by the friendly receptionist that unfortunately the restaurant had been closed for the evening due to staff shortages but we could still eat the same menu in the bar. She appeared quite distressed when we talked to her and it turned out a previous brasserie customer had shouted at her due to his displeasure at the closure. We sat in the bar and had a drink whilst we decided what to eat. However the atmosphere was not what we were looking for on a special occasion (including a guest tapping away on a PC) so we decided to go elsewhere. The staff were really friendly and apologetic. However the management team should have advised the booked guests of the situation so that they could decide whether they still wanted to visit. Whilst we appreciate giving bad news isn't ideal, it would not have put the staff in a very difficult situation that meant they had to deal with unhappy customers who may have made a special journey there. We have encountered this before elsewhere (when the head chef had a bereavement) and the restaurant called us to give us the option to come with a reduced menu or to rebook. Considering there appeared to be limited customers on our visit it wouldn't have been difficult to call or even text us. The difference in the handling of this means we would never return whereas we did return to the previous restaurant due to the way they handled the situation. Overall - a hugely disappointing evening that could have been handled a lot better by the management team.

Nice afternoon tea in lovely surroundings. One of our party was vegan and we pre ordered a vegan option. Whist overall the experience was nice we felt there was not much thought given to the vegan sandwich fillings - which were all the same! There are now so many vegan food options available with a bit of forethought and we did feel that the vegan option was not given much thought at all. The ‘butter’ for the scone was a pre pack of margarine which again showed little in the was of thought or care.

We had a wonderful afternoon tea at the Abode to celebrate my friend’s significant birthday. The food was excellent, the atmosphere was relaxed and elegant and the staff were very professional. Thank you so much for a special afternoon!

The restaurant ambience was fine. We went there to celebrate my mother’s birthday. Very disappointed the al a carte menu had been replaced with a ‘tapas’ format. The selection of food wasn’t interesting and portions rather mean. We had enjoyed the meals we had there many times before it adopted the casual tapas menu.

This was a real gem. We loved the concept with several smaller dishes to share, and the quality of the food was superb. Service was very attentive and top class. Maximum value for the money.

On the evening we dined at the hotel, the restaurant was closed for maintenance, however we dined in the bar. The food was equally delicious, well presented, the service was impeccable, so no complaints.

Very good afternoon tea, We both thoroughly enjoyed it. Service was excellent, attentive without being intrusive. Will come again.

My fiancée and I had the most wonderful cream tea for our belated Valentines celebration. The service was lovely and the food was delicious and beautifully presented. We have already been to the Abode before for a Valentines 6 course meal and that was also amazing food and service. And very reasonably priced for the quality. I highly recommend the Abode for any occasion.

Went for the Valentines Dinner. We are regular visitors. Service was good as always and food very good (as always). Was a limited menu for the night but the starters were both great (salmon and beetroot) and also both mains (Cod and Chicken) and the chocolate deluxe desert ! Only thing I missed this time was the really nice bread they normally serve ! We will be back again soon.

Polite and professional staff, exquisite food quality and great ambience. We continue to visit this place as we are always looked after and offer great value for the service given

We took the Beef Wellington I must say it was mouth watering 😋. Cooked to perfection. Service was nothing less than perfect.

This was our fifth stay at the Abode since we had our wedding reception there in 2020. As always, the food was exquisite and the staff on reception, in the bar, serving us at the Chef's Table and in housekeeping were all excellent - so friendly and hospitable. The cocktails (two for £16) were also excellent and I would recommend the Pornstar Martini. We've stayed in five different rooms and the one we had this time is our favourite - room 305 is a stunning suite with a terrace with views of Canterbury Cathedral. Thank you to all the Abode staff who made our stay so wonderful. We'll be back in March for afternoon tea!

Always a delight to drop into the Abode for a cocktail and evening meal. Staff super as always and very attentive. The bar staff were making cocktails to order, not just the ones found in the menu. Good work.

We went for afternoon tea. Unfortunately they had not reserved us a table to see had a small table for two which meant we were quite squashed. We also had to wait 15 minutes for first drink. Apart from this we had nice time. The sandwiches were okay, the sausage roll lovely and so were the scones.

Great service!! We had an afternoon tea. It was fabulous! Lovely lit fire and great ambiance. Would definitely go again, highly recommend.

Very nice upscale. Wait staff couldn't have been nicer. Fantastic food. Highly recommend. Great value.

Disappointment.There were four of us,The choice was so limited .We had booked in advance.If we had been informed earlier,we could have gone elsewhere.As it happened we were able to eat elsewhere on the second night of our stay with you.

A birthday treat for mum - afternoon tea. Table reserved as requested and beautifully set. Decided to start with a couple of French 75s (very nice). Afternoon tea took a little while to arrive - nicely laid out but absolutely terrible value for money. While everything was nice, there was not nearly enough to justify the price of £35 per person. Unfortunately we were forgotten about on the hot drinks front and had to ask for them when we had almost finished. Staff were lovely, but £100 all in really was too much. The Abode is a lovely place to sit, but not lovely enough to charge that much. I have had much nicer for half the money elsewhere. I will definitely go back for another cocktail, but certainly not to eat.

We had dinner here on a Saturday evening. The restaurant is located behind the champagne bar and offers modern European cuisine using the best regional produce, complemented by an exceptional wine list from classic European vineyards and New World estates. We were expecting the a la carte menu but it had been replaced with a Christmas menu offering three courses for £60. The food was excellent and offered really good value for money. Both the serving staff were really professional and very attentive but the restaurant was very quiet for a Saturday night with only three other tables occupied so lacked atmosphere as a consequence. Maybe extending the existing offer on the beef Wellington (currently only available Sunday to Thursday) so as to include Saturdays would help increase the numbers.

This is a good fine dining restaurant, the only one in the centre of Canterbury. Dishes are of a high standard with professional waiting staff. The beef wellington is superb, succulent meat & the pastry is spot on. A spot to have a quality meal & a cocktail in the champagne beforehand.

We visit Abode in Canterbury every year for a night away, a meal, some cocktails and to do Xmas shopping. The staff are always fantastically welcoming. The rooms are well apportioned, clean and modern. The restaurant is stunning. And the champagne bar is the icing on the cake with its welcoming open hearth and fantastic array of cocktails. The combined dinner, bed and breakfast packages are particularly good value. Will 100% be back again - it’s a tradition now.

Food (crab, beef wellington) was delicious, the service excellent. Cocktails expertly made... a thoroughly lovely evening.

We decided to take afternoon tea at the Abode as it was my wife's birthday. The quality and quantity of both tea and food goodies was good. we chose to have a couple of glasses of champagne which also went down well. Whilst it was...

Was a delicious meal with great service, would definitely go back!

A very pleasant surprise to find this hotel based restaurant producing such excellent food; the staff were more than able to make the whole dining experience very enjoyable for which I thank them. Well done.

I was very surprised at how quiet this restaurant was for a Saturday night, it should be packed. The lovely lady that waited on us was both professional and friendly, the quality of the food was first class and the interior of the restaurant stylish....

Very nice high tea, wonderful and helpful staff and a lovely peaceful atmosphere. They went out of their way to accommodate all our nutritional requirements.

Afternoon tea, for the price, was disappointing. The tea selection was what saved it, outstanding tea and lovely staff. Gluten free options were minimal, defrosted frozen bread - confirmed by staff - that had gone stale and hard, inedible. Had to ask for a normal...

We had a lovely anniversary dinner, the staff were wonderful and the food was amazing . Thank you abide hotel for your lovely service.

The food was outstanding and the menu is really well planned with a wide range to suit all tastes. Excellent service and good value

Excellent food, very good service, nicely lit room, background music not too loud - perfect for a low-key birthday treat

I booked Afternoon Tea for my friend and I. We arrived and were greeted by all the staff and shown to our table which was already set up for us. The setting was clean, calm and well spaced. Our food was brought out on the...

Fabulous 3-course dinner as part of the Sunday Sleepover package. We could choose from a set menu. The food was delicious and service very friendly. The restaurant looks quite formal and traditional but the atmosphere was nice and relaxed.

My sister was visiting us from the States and we wanted her to experience, what a lot would argue, is probably one of the most British pastimes you can do.. an afternoon tea .. She had no idea which was lovely and on arriving, our...

A wonderful place to eat with excellent food and very attentive staff. The food is exceptional, I could not fault the service in any way.

We had an afternoon tea with extended family here. Good experience. Nice seating, a glass of champagne, savory and sweet snacks were tasty. Maybe scones were somewhat over represented.

We had a cream tea very nice. I fancied a prawn cocktail. It cost £!!! No bread and butter even when asked for it was told it does not get served with the cocktail. Very disappointing

We booked the hotel to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Having never been to Canterbury we had really lovely weekend! We couldn’t fault it at all!! Room was great, Service was great, food was great! We will definitely be back

Absolutely fantastic great service and very friendly and lovely waitress food also excellent and enjoyed

We had a really nice meal at the restaurant. The food was excellent and the service was equal to it. Lovely surroundings and everyone were First class .

We visited The Abode in Canterbury last weekend. We had been gifted the Abode Champaign’Tea by my stepson and his fiancée as a Christmas present which was a brilliant present. We really enjoyed the tea. The champagne was lovely and the cakes, scones and sandwiches...

Absolutely perfect. We loved the food, the team were wonderful, lovely room. It is a great place for simple but innovative food.

We had a lovely traditional afternoon tea. The service, food, tea, and views were wonderful! We'd highly recommend it. 😊

The meal was so lovely.we enjoyed it so much and a lovely bottle of wine.it was my husbands birthday and staff done a decorated plate with chocolates on.will def be back for another meal.

Lovely afternoon tea at The Abode. Warm welcome, comfy seating and very enjoyable spread. No one asked us if all was okay and we had to catch an eye to get clean plates between savoury and sweet, and we ran out of tea/coffee and would...

Lovely afternoon tea for friends 60th birthday .. Felt that there wasn’t enough staff present as the young lady looked rushed of her feet Don’t think service charge should be added onto an afternoon tea , an evening meal I can understand.

Three if thevfour starters were good. The scallops were not. Two tiny queen scallops. Tasteless, overcooked and rather unpleasant. The rest of the meal was satisfactoty. Wine expensive.

Booked the pre theatre menu to ensure we had sufficient time to eat before a show. Had a drink in the bar beforehand but reception had to go and find staff as the Resturant was closed off and there was no staff on hand. Not...

Classy, pre-theatre dining, with excellent service to support the experience. Good value. Special pleasure to see that they have brought back the white table cloths, looking just like linen. Overall, a great experience and highly recommended.

We chose this restaurant for a special birthday dinner and were not disappointed. The food was excellent as was the service. Whilst not big on blowing its own trumpet it is probably one of the best restaurants in the South East of England. It's not...

The dinner was genuinely good but nothing special. No sides offered. The service was great but the waiter barely knew his dishes as he would start to describe it but wouldn't be able to finish it. It was my birthday, which the waitress knew about...

Had the three course pre-theatre dinner. It’s a convenient five minute walk to the Marlowe Theatre from the restaurant. I had the beetroot starter which was excellent. Beautifully presented with slices of grapefruit. Tortellini with pumpkin and seeds. Very tasty. Dessert was crème brûlée, shortbread...

Such a peaceful atmosphere. Great tea!!!!! Real tea leaves !! And a selection of sandwiches and desserts. Would highly recommend!!

Great food and a lovely room we were upgraded for booking direct with hotel. All staff were very friendly and very helpful, making our stay a great experience. The attention to detail including chocolates and flowers in our room when we arrived, made this a...

Really beautiful and delicious afternoon tea, catered well for gluten free. The champagne bar where the afternoon tea is hosted is an elegant but relaxed setting. Staff friendly and professional. Food beautifully presented and desc3to us so wee knew what we would be eating. My...

Start with positives staff was perfect as was the food and drink. However upon check in we wasn’t told that the Sainsbury’s next door had a regular 6am delivery of trolleys of bottle going across cobble pavement for about a hour. I spoke to the...

Great food great flavours service was excellent Not sure why the lights were so bright really destroyed the atmosphere

Service was great to start with but as it got busy it slowed up.Had to wait quite a long time for dessert and asked twice for the Petit fois which came after our coffee had been drunk. Food was exceptional though and the staff were...

Food was okay, but way overpriced and the portion sizes were for mice. 0 atmosphere and average service. Spend your money elsewhere.

I enjoyed a traditional afternoon tea with my friends at The Abode. The open log fire created a warm and cosy feel and staff were friendly.

We redeemed a voucher for a 3 course dinner from the a la carte menu and it was amazing! Seriously some of the best food we've ever had. Everything on the menu was available without any supplements. Finally, the staff were very attentive, kind and...

We stayed at the Abode Hotel many yers ago and we fell on this crown jewel by complete accident this time and realised we had stayed and eaten here too. The hotel and restaurant had changed hands but the service was still outstanding and the...

The staff and service for our afternoon tea was great and the sandwiches and rolls were freshly assembled and cut. It seems quite rare to be able to avoid dry bread or heavily refrigerated sandwiches when having afternoon tea but the Abode was excellent in...

Excellent food and service only let down by slightly cold and stark restaurant setting. The menu choice was good, the quality and portions as expected in (fine ) dinning. Good wine choice but overpriced a little - would defiantly go back

We are staying in the hotel for a couple of nights, on our first night "boxing day" we decided to have the Beef Wellington, it was cooked beautifully, the whole meal was amazing. The hotel and restaurant team have been lovely, so far so good...

Excellent food and equally good service. Lots of nice touches such as complimentary bread and an amuse Bouche. All round great evening. Highly recommend. I had the Xmas menu which was great value and despite it being a set price, they didn't comprise of quality.

Restaurant was excellent, the food, experience was all very good. What was really lacking was we arrived at 1900hrs for a 1945hrs restaurant reservation in the champagne bar, waited 10 minutes to be served, then ordered the house Rose champagne and two cocktails. We waited...

Everything was of good quality and the service was prompt and efficient.Although the selection was limited each dish offered covered most tastes

Came here for a works Christmas party. Food was average at best, with a lack of vegetables on the roast. The staff were friendly and helpful throughout the evening. There were no draught drinks at all which for a venue bar I find that disappointing....

The ABode restaurant in Canterbury has been like roller coaster of experiences over the years. I have posted various reviews, some good and some pretty poor. But our two visits to the main restaurant this year have both been very impressive. A big thank you...

Eight of us went to Abode for a birthday afternoon tea and it was excellent. We had the chefs table in a separate room which was decorated for Xmas and we were asked by the lovely Rachel if we would like some background music, which...

Amazing as always. Impeccable Service, Fabulous food and devine wine from Kent! An absolute bargain of a night. See you soon ABode.

This is the best place in Canterbury to come for some excellent food which has been expertly prepared. For starters I had a succulent dish of pigeon & then we shared the beef wellington. This was delicious, tender meat & lovely pastry. Finished the meal...

Celebrated our wedding anniversary here and the dinner was very good. Staff were good and we didn’t feel rushed. We loved the extras of amuse bouche as we sat down.

I went with three friends for afternoon tea. The staff were incredibly friendly and attentive throughout and the setting itself was spotless, warm and comfortable. Service was really well-paced and we felt unrushed. When they brought out the afternoon tea platter, I thought that was...

The pre theatre menu food was excellent and service fantastic, it really made it a very special occasion. The staff were very informative of the food being served and also very attentive without too much interruption. We would certainly go again.

We consistently have excellent evenings at Abode and we visit quite regularly. It is our ‘go to’ restaurant in Canterbury for excellent food and surroundings since Reads changed for the worst! Cannot recommend highly enough - food, staff and atmosphere all fantastic.

Lovely, relaxed afternoon tea with Champagne. It was easy to book online, service was great and the food delicious. Thank you

The food in the restaurant was amazing and couldn’t be faulted. I would definitely recommend eating here.

Such a lovely afternoon tea, very attentive staff and delicious food. We really enjoyed it and the little personal touches made it very special

Extremely good food and friendly and efficient service. Deserved to be much busier as the meal would be hard to better.

Sadly, the meal was only average on balance. Fantastic amuse bouche - the pea soup was incredible! However, my crab starter, although tasty, had a fair bit of shell in it and my wife's duck wasn't pleasant at all. The mains, cod and chicken, were...

We had a wonderful time. The lady behind the bar was informative and friendly. There was a wedding at the time so not very peaceful but we rather enjoyed people watching and the buzz of the happy couples nuptials. Delicious champagne afternoon tea, very fresh...

Luncheon is served in the champagne bar - as are the teas. Comfortable and cosy in an old fashioned wood panelled room. Soft background music, friendly service, good selection of hot and cold food available and at prices to suit most pockets.... champagne prices reasonable...

Lovely service Quick service Vaule for money Clean Friendly Amazing Nice location Hotel looks beautiful will stay next time

Not being a big eater I had two starters without a main course with a sweet, the crab starter and duck instead of a main couse were different to usually bland presentations and tasty without the use of excessive amount of spaces. My wifes melon...

Visited the Abode for a champagne afternoon tea with my friend. Had a lovely experience. Top quality food and drink and very pleasant and professional staff. Very clean and comfortable environment. Would definitely recommend

Excellent service from the front of house staff especially Sonia who made the afternoon for us, such a polite and professional manner truly a member of staff worthy of keeping. She made the afternoon special with her attention to detail.

Wonderful dining experience. Flavoursome food, friendly but professional staff. Very efficient service but didnt feel rushed.

The food was beautifully prepared and delicious. The staff were attentive and very helpful. A very relaxing and enjoyable evening.

Amazing afternoon tea in the champagne bar yesterday. The lady serving us (forgive me as I have forgot her name) but she was so friendly and welcoming. We will certainly return

I was a little bit hesitant going here as per the Google reviews but I'm pleased we gave it a chance. We chose the three courses and enjoyed some really nice food served by very attentive and friendly staff (Claudio was especially good). I had the asparagus, hake, and banana dishes and found all enjoyable with some nice touches (the hake, for example, was cooked beautifully with accompaniments full of flavour). We did notice that the restaurant was quiet at a peak period and wondered whether the online feedback had played a part in that - a real pity given that the staff clearly cared about the experience and wanted to see people walk away happy. We look forward to visiting again in the future 😊

We came here on a Saturday evening. Three tasty courses for £50. The dishes were excellent. I had a starter of duck egg, asparagus & black pudding followed by lamb atop a perfectly seasoned couscous. Before our chocolate desserts we shared a dish of some...

We had the Champagne afternoon tea and it was excellent, the food, service and ambiance. Radu was on reception and remembered us from our Wedding in 2020.

Stunning meal, drinks, cocktails with such brilliant service.

Great food, great atmosphere. If you are in the area its 100% worth the visit, if you are not in the area then travel. 5 stars.

The restaurant is very well spaced. When we were there there were quite a few people, and at no point was there too much noise to disturb us. The food was nice, elegant, simple and with a willingness to accommodate alternatives. Staff over all were...

Smooth booking process for a party of 10 for afternoon tea. Pleasant food. Could have done with more sandwiches. Staff were polite. Lovely cocktails. Very good selection of hot drinks.