Duke William in Dover - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

We regularly dine at the Duke William at Ickham and love the relaxed atmosphere and quintessentially Kentish village location with convenient parking. We have dined here twice this month and will be back this week. The restaurant's greatest asset is undoubtedly its staff, they are unfailingly friendly & helpful. A special mention goes to Hugh, Adam, Jenny and Lenka all of whom go the extra mile to ensure a positive dining experience. We've never met the chef, but he's very accommodating with special requests. 100% recommended!

We were recommended here for dinner by our Airbnb host on the first night of our mini break and it was everything we were looking for. A beautiful country pub, with the loveliest staff and the most amazing food. We cannot recommend this pub enough! Every member of staff we dealt with were friendly, happy and so attentive. Thank you for a great start to our holiday! (If we were staying longer we would definitely be back)

Vi booket en natt på denne flotte landsby pub en. Ble møtt vel imot og følte oss velkommne fra første stund. Service, rom, middag og frokost var topp. Anbefales!

We visited here today after a lovely family walk, we arrived at 4pm initially just for drinks however at 4.30 we decided to order two sides of just fries and onion rings, as my daughters were a bit peckish, as I went to the bar another couple had just walked in behind me, I asked the barman if they we’re still serving food and barman said kitchen is closed (even thou online says food served until 5, and later on the supervisor confirmed that) I said I don’t want big dinners just one side of fries and onion rings, he then checked and returned saying the kitchen is closed. I returned to the garden and noticed that the couple that had walked in after me were given a menu and then placed their food order at roughly 4.50! We decided to leave shortly after and spoke to the supervisor where she tried to say that the kitchen was at full capacity, and that we should have booked! to my knowledge there was only roughly 5 or 6 tables at the time eating!!! I felt the customer service was very disappointing, I think it’s awful that you can tell walk in customers that the “kitchen is closed” half hour before it officially is and then serve customers food after us! Needless to say We will not be returning which is a shame as we often visit roughly once a month with friends and have always spoke highly of the establishment!

Really nice lunch, attentive and friendly service from the moment we sat down out in the garden, they made a really fuss of our 2 goldies also. Haven’t been there for a couple of years and nice to see it’s still as good as it was back then. We will definitely return and wished we was more local as would be there a lot more

I booked this pub on a recommendation from my sister. She was right, the food, service, pub itself, atmosphere everything couldn’t be faulted I’d definitely go again

A good pub with great food, staff and beers. Called in without a reservation and were lucky enough to get a table as within the hour the place was nearly full with families. Thursday Special is Mussels and can recommend both the mariniere and the Thai green curry mussels ordered by two of our group, the other two had fish and chips which were delicious. The staff were first class being friendly and patient. Selection of ales and drinks were good. Will definitely return when in the area. Plenty of parking in road.

Great. After a miserable experience a few years ago, this time it was really fantastic. Attentive service, great food. Nothing was too much trouble. So, pleased we came back. Wonderful I recommend this great place to everyone.

Had a meal for 15 booked here for a double 70th celebration on a Sunday. The staff were welcoming and attentive and even gave the birthday pair complementary Prosecco on their arrival which was a lovely added touch. The food came out seamlessly and still hot considering the size of the party. The food was delicious, beef cooked to perfection and everyone enjoyed their meal. Portion sizes were generous, even the children’s roast! Excellent value for money and would highly recommend for a country pub vibe with lovely food.

Amazing Sunday lunch. Couldn't fault anything. Had childrens fish and chips, burgers and a roast and all were perfect. Very friendly staff, best service we've received in a very long time. And the best roast I've had in a restaurant. We will be back soon.

Fantastic service, quality food and plenty of choice on the menu. The setting provides a great gastronomy pub atmosphere.

Unfortunately despite the beautiful appearance and warm entrance to the pub. Being dairy and gluten free (pre warned the pub too) they were unable to cater for me. I was so excited to have the fish and chips as it said GF option. I ordered it and was excited... To then be told it's still cooked in the same oil as the normal food I. E. Gluten food. This was frustrating as establishments shouldn't claim to have gluten free options, I'm severely intolerant to gluten (not coeliac) and this isn't acceptable and also frustrating when I've looked forward tk something. Hardly anything else on the menu I could have, ended up going for the moules with frites to then ask about the chips... Couldn't eat them either.. And asked for a nice sauce without cream... The mussels were in a bath water type water with hardly any flavour and I was given two small bits of GF bread. I had to ask for potatoes which were plain boiled potatoes... No oil or salt or anything on top. Really disappointed as was really looking forward to having this as my regular walking spot. I realise it's an inconvenience for the pubs but it's not something that should be happening with the amount of education avaliable and prevelance of people with intolerances. The staff were nice and I wanted to do this review in hopes that changes would be made so I can return 😊

Went over the the church to visit a family member and followed it up with a booking at the the duke having heard great reviews about the food...and decided to try and we were not disappointed the cider and coke was delicious and it just got better from there following the recommendation of the scotch egg followed up by roast pork and chicken and the apple pie for dessert everything was absolutely delicious...and the service from the staff was great especially Sean I believe his name was definitely looking Forward to a return visit...even if it is just for a scotch egg and a pint...keep up the fantastic work :)

We were delighted to find that the vegetarian curry was back on the menu! The Duke William has always served delicious curries in the past, but inexplicably they were removed from the menu. We were so disappointed when this happened! Now this popular dish is back and it did not disappoint! It was served with pilau rice and vegetables, a curved papadom and onion bhajis. We will definitely be back for more! Our deserts of bread & butter pudding and Tiramisu were also delicious. As always, the ambiance was warm and welcoming with a blazing log fire and a relaxing vibe! Now if only they would bring back the Kentish Gypsy tart, another favourite cruelly snatched away from us without notice! It was available at Rocksalt not so long ago, but has not been on the menu at the Duke William for some time. Manager Hugh provided exceptional service as always! All staff are friendly and helpful and a special mention must go to long-serving waitress Jenny who always has a friendly smile for diners!

We booked in here for a 3 night stay. What a find! This is a traditional country pub with fantastic hospitality. We were greeted with a very warm welcome and the food is exceptional, the menu varied but limited enough to ensure fresh, home cooked produce (compliments indeed, to the chef). The whole team is friendly and the rooms are cosy with free access to toiletries etc. The creaky floorboards add to the authenticity 😃. We rarely visit this area but will make a point of staying here again sometime in the future. Cheers to the team! Thank you....Jill and Graham

Living locally we have visited a few times and always had a good experience but our recent visit with friends could not have been more different Upon entering we waited at the bar for some time before the surly barman who clearly would have preferred to be anywhere but working that night came over and asked what we wanted, after ordering one drink he said to us ‘is that it’s - there were 4 so us! One of our group asked if there was any sparking wine options and he replied ‘like what’ essentially rude and unhelpful throughout. We were eating and asked to go to our table as standing at the bar was so unpleasant When seated we waited for over 15 minutes before we called the waitress as she was making no effort to take our order, we ordered steaks (as it was steak night) and when we received them two were essentially almost inedible, chewy and sinewy and very tough to eat. During our wait we heard another couple complaining that they had waited for over 30 minutes and still not received any food and we’re going to leave before being offered a complementary wine each but clearly the poor service was not limited to just our table Overall a pretty poor show and even when we eventually got our bill (again waiting for some time and having to call over the waitress as no one came to us,) the barman didn’t even look up as we left so we just walked out without any acknowledgment for the £180 we had just spent! Highly unlikely we will return and if this is the new standard of service at the Duke William I suspect they will not have many returning customers in future.

I visited this beautiful pub in a picturesque setting while passing through the village. However, I arrived alone and, unfortunately, couldn't get any service. It seems that if you're not a local, the bar staff might overlook you. I waited at the bar for 10 minutes, only for a local gentleman to walk past me and immediately be served. I've heard warnings about feeling unwelcome, and since moving locally, this experience is quite disappointing. I won't be visiting again.

Wow what can I say what an incredible meal. Went for a birthday meal with my family and was very pleasantly suprised! We have lived in Canterbury for a few years now and have been to the lovely duke a couple of times for a drink but never for food but after tonight you won’t be able to stop us. From the service straight away to the incredible food it was amazing, it’s hard in Canterbury to find a great place to eat and we really try to avoid the high street chains Great gluten free options too which was a winner for me! Also portion sizes were brill!!!!

We had a lovely last minute stay. The room was beautiful, staff were very welcoming and breakfast fantastic (which was included). Set in a pretty village, very close to Howletts Wildlife Animal park & Canterbury, great location for exploring. The only negative was that we didn't stay longer. We look forward to returning 😊 A Standen

It's a beautiful pub, with a great atmosphere, and top service both at the bar and with tremendously attentive and helpful waiting staff. The lamb kofta kebab was excellent. We were disappointed by the small portions of sausage and mash. Too high a price tag for an unexceptional dish.

The ambience and service was good butthe food was not quite what I expected. I ordered Christmas turkey roast and couldn't find turkey on my plate. It was pigs in blanket. It was tasteless and very small portions. I had to go to another restaurant in my town to eat again because I was really hungry.

Friendly and a happy buzzing atmosphere from the moment we walked in. Actually from the moment I called to amend my booking. Sunday dinner at about 4pm. The food was fresh, tasty and a great menu. The roast was a bit more expensive than you’d expect at £22 but very good! Paneer curry was great and the kids ate well.

We were delighted to find that the vegetarian curry was back on the menu! The Duke William has always served delicious curries in the past, but inexplicably they were removed from the menu. We were so disappointed when this happened! Now this popular dish is back and it did not disappoint! It was served with pilau rice and vegetables, a curved papadom and onion bhajis. We will definitely be back for more! Our deserts of bread & butter pudding and Tiramisu were also delicious. As always, the ambiance was warm and welcoming with a blazing log fire and a relaxing vibe! Now if only they would bring back the Kentish Gypsy tart, another favourite cruelly snatched away from us without notice! It was available at Rocksalt not so long ago, but has not been on the menu at the Duke William for some time. Manager Hugh provided exceptional service as always! All staff are friendly and helpful and a special mention must go to long-serving waitress Jenny who always has a friendly smile for diners!

A nice village pub with a good food menu. We were seated at a table in view of the entire restaurant and bar; at times it felt uncomfortable as people from the bar could watch us eating. We were also the only ones seated at this time. 3 other tables arrived shortly after. The food was brilliant, as expected from The Pickled Egg chain. I had the scotch egg starter, which I could have eaten twice! And the skewers main, which was presented beautifully, was cooked perfectly and tasted amazing. Dessert was okay - apricot frangipan. The casing was over cooked and the apricot puree was too much. Enjoyed the restaurant and the meal, reasonably priced, parking outside, good service. No complaints.

Family gathering to celebrate my wife's birthday. Staff really friendly and when one of the party explained that they had complex eating requirements the lady who took our order went out of her way to tailor an existing menu choice to fit the bill - thank you. We all had something different and everyone enjoyed their meal. Cannot fault anything.

I had the pleasure of visiting this wonderful village pub with my family. The food was excellent, the setting and atmosphere idyllic and the service exceptional. Our two daughters, 2 and 6, were welcomed - the play area at the end of the garden allowed them to enjoy themselves while the adults ate. The ‘build your own Sunday’ dessert blew their minds. This was the best pub and restaurant we visited on our mini-break in Kent this summer. Would recommend highly.

Having heard good things but not trying it ourselves we decided to book for a belated Christmas treat as a table of 4. Myself, husband and in laws arrived and driving through the beautiful village of Ickham was a great start to our afternoon!! A warm welcome followed and we were seated on a well placed and spacious table in the bar area. We ordered our drinks which arrived quickly and then ordered our food and despite us fussy lot asking for small changes to dishes throughout the meal nothing was too much trouble and EVERYTHING was amazing!! The cherry on the cake was the beautiful garden area where we finished off our drinks and soaked up a little sunshine before heading home!! We had a wonderful visit and will be back for sure!!

Richly deserves it's positive image. Lunching with 7 adults, 2 children and an infant did not phase their staff or the kitchen. Everything was done to make our party feel welcome. We would readily return.

Overnighting in Canterbury, take the 10min drive to find the quaintest place, Ickham and check out the Duke William. Lovely room with a Bloody Mary welcome drink on the balcony overlooking the rolling Kent countryside. Then we dined in the garden - I could’ve eaten the boville butter and sourdough all night - it was truly amazing - and the chef has kindly shared the butter recipe!! Delicious crispy battered cod and triple cooked chips, mackerel and potato wedges in a lemon mayonnaise all washed down with local cider and sparkling wine. What a treat! We’d highly recommend x

Stayed here overnight with our dog Molly. From start to finish the service was great - professional yet really laid back and nothing was a problem. The room was beautiful - clean and great decor and the added bloody mary on arrival was great. The room had everything you could need including a little set of earplugs by the bed and great toiletries. The pub itself was great - delicious food,fantastic drinks selection and a big garden at the back. Breakfast was tasty and the coffee was good. There are some great walks from the village which is very picturesque. A great base to explore Kent from and dog friendly!

Visited here today on a rare day off, we didn't book and was lucky to get a space l.Hugh was our waiter who delivered amazing service.Little things such as showing the wine bottle and allowing tasting before pouring made a big difference.We will be back

Always brilliant food and drinks. The burger is amazing!! Staff are friendly and always really helpful. We love it here!

Food was really good, staff were so friendly and attentive and the garden is lovely. Can’t wait to go back again soon!

Lovely relaxed meal. Pleasant staff and enjoyable food and wine and beers , all at good value. A favourite

First pub lunch for ages!!! Food great, staff brilliant and great atmosphere. Well done guys!!! All done to help the situation and no fuss. Great area for kids too.

The location, the pub and the staff were all lovely. However, their covid procedures were rather lightweight. No temperature check when we came in. We had to ask for the venue scan, no request to sanitize our hands. Then the member of staff had her mask on, but underneath her nose, she moved it up when she saw us looking; it was down everytime I saw her. Tables too close together. 4 people allowed in the ladies loo. No guidance about staying at our table or what their covid procedures were ... such as paper menus. Served by numerous staff. It just seemed like it wasn't being taken seriously. I stayed because I was desperate to see my friend and this was the only time we could meet up.

Visited for dinner and had an excellent evening. Food, service and atmosphere excellent. Wide selection of food on the menus to suit all tastes and budgets. Fish was outstanding.

Beautifully decorated pub with a real fire which really adds atmosphere. Great choice of drinks and food and great service, not too fast and not too slow, very welcoming and would highly recommend

We made an online booking for Sunday recently - we got the last serving at 17:15 which was a little early for us but understandable in this Pandemic days. We parked for free across the road and were warmly welcomed and taken to our seat. I ordered the local beer and I was recommended the Pickled Egg bitter. This took me aback until I was reassured that this was part of the Pickled Egg Pub Company and the beer wouldn't taste like the name suggests. I can now happily confirm this fact. It was delicious and too easy to drink. For our meal I tried the salt & pepper calamaris as a small starter and we both then followed this by two plates of cod and chips. The pieces of cod were enormous. I had trouble finishing mine. My wife focused on the pure white cod meat and left much of the extensive beer batter (Pickled Egg variety of course). This also came with beautifully fried chips, minty mushy peas and tartare sauce. Excellent!Service throughout was friendly, efficient and we were really made to feel at home. The only slight disappointment was being placed next to a group of overly loud, talkative young ladies. They seemed intent on sharing their private lives with the rest of the pub. Oh well, perhaps they were all hard of hearing...

Absolutely delicious Sunday roast, homemade Yorkshire puddings, huge too, beef dripping roast potatoes, delicious veggies, the best ever. Reasonable prices too. Definitely rebooking this gorgeous country pub again,

Has a Great atmosphere, Always serves good food, and has lovely staff providing very good service. Will definitely be going back.

Social distancing measures were in place with all staff wearing masks. Government Restrictions did not spoil our afternoon; the atmosphere was enjoyable and the food and service were great.

Had a trip visited to the Duke William after Howletts zoo, a surprise dinner by my boyfriend. First of all, the environment was very COVID safe. Hand sanitisers, masks, screens and social distancing all being done correctly. We got to our table a little early and they allowed us to which was lovely. We was greeted straight away and the service was amazing, and staff were lovely! Food was amazing and delicious, good price! Decor was so lovely, making it homely and comforting! Definitely recommend eating there after a lovely day out the zoo!

Lovely pub, very well done out, really nice garden at the back, all staff very attentive and good service. Good selection of drinks. The food was lovely - really good pub food, we had the fish and chips which was excellent! Good value for money too! Will be back.

Stopped on a dog walk and had an unexpected but superb lunch - several different choices from the starters menu. Wish we had time to visit again for a full meal

Our first visit back since before lockdown & we weren't disappointed.All measures were in place ie well spaced tables, names & addresses taken at door of any walk-in's, staff wearing masks & wiping things down.And more to the point, the food was as good as always! The cauliflower cheese croquette & marinaded tomato salad were delicious as were the braised featherblade and beer battered cod. Wine list great & service too. Always welcoming & consistently lovely food.We'll be back very soon

Lunch on Bank holiday was delicious, the staff were very well trained, helpful and friendly, the venue was very well organised and clean, and the atmosphere felt safe. A very enjoyable experience, highly recommended.

went for sunday and i am sorry to say was disappointed with the food i chose, roast beef. the beef was really lovely cooked rare but was very tender and tasty. I had one carrot which looked nice on the plate, 1/4 of cabbage which was tastless, cauliflower cheese, which i am not to sure it was made freshly as off the roast potatoes, seemed like frozen and deep fried?But the gravy was nice, most of the staff were very pleasant but i thought for £18 per person it would of been more special. I asked if they had cheese on the menue but they hadnt but hey ho so had chocolate brownie with cherries and ice cream. nice.

Nice village pub altho parking can be an issue ! Our first trip out since lockdown so a bit wary but nice outside space and felt safe. A more limited menu which was disappointing but food was fine and service good.

Our first visit to the duke William and must say we really enjoyed the food, the presentation was really well thought out and best of all it was extremely tasty and ample portion sizes.Service was a little slow but when receiving such good food it doesn’t matter half as much.Great location and Value for money

We visited this pub last year & it was great in every way - food, atmosphere, service,etc. With friends & family we visited again yesterday. What a huge disappointment ! Hardly a friendly welcome considering pubs/restuarants are having a tough time in the present circumstances. One vegetarian choice on the menu and the drinks took ages to arrive. We all got the distinct impression that the lady serving us was doing us a favour & not at all helpful with various matters. The food was average - certainly nothing special. We will not be going here again which is a real shame as it was so good last year. I suspect a change of ownership in which case the new owner has an awful lot to learn - certainly in terms of customer relations !! On a plus note the South African wine was lovely but we won't be going back for the wine. We can get this and much more elsewhere !!

We went here for a meal last evening (29th July) and we were very disappointed. When we arrived there was a one way system in place and all then staff were wearing PPE so that was good. However when we sat down we found out that one of our chairs was broken. We mentioned this and they didn't apologise. And all they did was swap it for a chair on another table! It was as though we were putting them out. The menu was also very limited and in fact one of our party wanted the chicken but when we ordered it was only told then that it was off the menu. Normally if anything is on the menu but not being served you are told when you arrive. We were also not offered drinks when we sat down and the lady that served us knowledge of what drinks were available was very limited. One of our party wanted J2O and we were told that they didn't do that but did something similar. She was not aware what the alternative was and had to go and find out. In addition one of our party is a vegetarian. The choices for her were very limited. No one seemed to take any notice of the one way system including the staff. To cap it all when we came to pay the credit card machine took 3 attempts to get it right and we were told to check our credit card statement to make sure they hadn't taken more than one payment. I know that pubs and restaurants have been through hard time but surely that is even more of a reason to try harder. All in all not a good experience.

Fantastic Roast dinner with a cosy atmosphere in a traditional English pub. Delicious food and very good service

The pub had a mixture of families couples, small groups, large groups and all seem to ell catered for and happy! Two of the party had the 3 meat roast and said it was really delicious. I had the vegan option and went for the gnocchi which was truly scrumptious although had to leave some of the olives as there were so many in the dish. Everyone loved the deserts of which our choices included a tart, crumble and vegan carrot cake. I’m glad I checked the menu online the day before for vegan options as I was able to remind the waitress of the options. Service was perfectly timed - prompt without feeling rushed in any way and everyone’s food was served together and perfectly cooked. Really recommend this location despite the lack of smiles from the waitress Thank you for lovely Sunday afternoon.

Despite a handful of excellent lunches here, I'm afraid to say the Sunday Roast was a huge disappointment. Beef topside was really tough, swopped with my husband who also couldn't eat, lamb leg fatty & hardly any of it. 1 massive carrot on plate looked ridiculous! All very average. And expensive at 17.50 - 19.50 a plate. Left alot and told waitress but hey ho. Won't be doing that again. Stick to normal lunch / dinner menus.

Visited just the other day with friends for a friends birthday lunch. Never visited before, it was nice to be able to have some space in a Pub on a blustery Monday and not feel that we had to rush. Food was good, the friend having Mac and Cheese mentioned it would have been good to have a piece of garlic bread or two but the food was generally good and the choices were kinda good/different for pub lunch grub. Will return sometime hopefully in the not too distant future to try out the main menu. Thank you to the staff too.

Went for a meal with friends post Christmas catch upLovely warm inviting pub/restaurant, log fire was toastieFood was lovely, the salmon starter was beautiful Mains were lovely and tasty, no grumbles at all I had the gypsy tart, it was lovely but I confess to a bit of food envy when the banoffe cheesecake came out Wish we lived nearby this would be our regular place to drink and dineMassive compliments to the waiting and bar staff and to the chefs 10/10

Myself and my girlfriends booked a table of nine for lunch, in the end we were a party of ten but of course, we were accommodated. The young waiter that served us was very chatty and attentive. The baked cod wasn’t fresh and didn’t taste very nice but when brought to the waiter’s attention he gave a sincere apology and dealt with the problem appropriately.Overall very nice experience and brilliant service. Would recommend solely on the staff member’s ability to turn a bad meal into an honest mistake.

Great food and service. Jenny really looked after us. She does a fantastic job. Had a fab 60th birthday party.

I visited on New Year’s Eve for dinner with my son, daughter in law and my 2 grandchildren. We were expecting it to be very busy and it was, but we were soon seated at our table. The staff were helpful and attentive. Sadly we felt the food was very disappointing, the chicken was tasteless and the steak was dry. After reading many great reviews we were expecting better value for our money. We enjoyed the band and the pub had a great atmosphere - a shame about the food though.

Once again my 5 year old grand daughter and I were refused service for drinks and lunch at 12.20 today. Fifteen empty tables. Was told we would have to wait at least an hour as they had ‘timings in the kitchen’ This is not the first time this had happened - so ‘job’s worth’ - is this a village pub, or what? Only went there as we were walking the dogs from the house. So walked back to house and drove to The Rose at Wickhambreaux where we had a lovely friendly reception and delicious food. Never again.

Stayed for 3 nights & it did not disappoint. The staff cannot do enough for you & are so friendly, the ambiance is very very nice & the food is awesome. Loved it all.

Post Christmas Sunday lunch for 3. The starters and two roasts were fine but my choice of Cod was ill advised. The fish was not fresh, smelling incredibly strongly of ammonia as was acknowledged by our waitress who returned it to the kitchen. A replacement was offered but I declined this and the dish was removed from our bill. I enquired of the young lady what the reaction was in the kitchen which she said was just “sorry”. If a restaurant cannot ensure that fish offered over the Christmas period is fresh then take it off the menu and train staff suitably to recognise this. No management apology was forthcoming which was surprising for a restaurant so closely connected to Rocksalt in Folkestone with its reputation for fish.

Visited the Duke William on Christmas Eve and had a super lunch with my wife.

Some of our family have dined here before and raved about it hence booking for Boxing Day. For us it was our first time. First impressions... Cosy country pub, lots of regulars and as expected busy. There were two young ladies serving at that bar and they seemed overwhelmed by the amount of customers. We waited a good 15 minutes to be served and were not even acknowledged in that time. It appeared that regulars were served before non regulars. So not a great impression.

Had a Christmas meal with my family yesterday, and it was AMAZING!! The food was delicious and despite it being Christmas Day all staff were happy and added to the lovely atmosphere.

As usual, great lunch. Roast chicken, sauteed greens, triple cooked truffle & parmesan chips, garlic mushrooms and smoked haddock, champ & poached egg. Fab!! Great service too as always.

This is the fourth time I’ve eaten here and this is my first review of the place!

What a lovely surprising place.

We've eaten here a few times and have always enjoyed it - Duke William is a really cosy, contemporary pub that does great food.

Been here on the same day for the last four years after a 200 mile drive to celebrate a birthday.

Just been here for lunch and had a fantastic meal.

We came here specifically for the roast dinner that is so so popular! Not only was the food brilliant, the service from the young waiter was exceptional! We asked him how long he had worked there and this was his first shift! 5 star food and 5 star service! Would definitely recommend!

My wife and I often goto Rocksalt and I have family near the Wife of Bath so we sometimes go there for a meal. The Duke William however is not in the same league.The positives are the venue is very nice and clean, the staff are polite and the bar is fairly priced. We booked a table for 11 to celebrate a pre-birthday. When you pay £17.50 for a roast lunch, you expect something special. The plates were cold and the food was cold. Having spent many years working at the Savoy i understand fine dining, what I dont understand is how just putting a whole carrot on a plate is normal along with a chunk of cabbage, it was like the chef forget to bring knives. The cauliflower cheese had hardly any sauce and how the roast potatoes came out cold is beyond me..Afterall they are the king of holding the heat. I was told it was because it was busy.. Nothing of the bill and they still had the cheek to add 10% to the bill. Never to return. Way over priced and underwhelming food. For the record the burger was nothing special, looking at other reviews, we are not alone with our comments. Shame as its a lovely venue..

we had booked a table but needed have bothered as only a few people were eating very nice atmosphere and noted in its favour it is dog friendlyWe ate from the a la carte which for a pub was very pricey. could not believe on ordering the whole plaice that potatoes were extra !!!!!Husband had ribeye steak which he said was chewy.All in all the 2 courses and 2 drinks was almost £80 which we thought was excessive we will not be returning and will stick to the Dog at Wingham and Kathton House Canterburty.

Had the most tasty beef roast, couldn’t resist dessert so went for the butterscotch roulade which was to die for! Service was great even though it was super busy. Lovely atmosphere too.

not particularly impressed. very standard menu.quite expensive for fairly ordinary food. service quite good

My roast consisted of frozen potatoes ,brown water for gravy,tough bland lamb under cooked vegetables and sickly sweet red cabbage all for a grand total of £17.50

Now I am lucky and do simply get the best roast dinner at home- it's off the scale. So to compare a Sunday roast elsewhere is very difficult.

Came here with wife for Sunday lunch as we hadn’t been for a while, and guess what food absolutely fantastic and service impeccable 👍will be returning again as soon as we can, recommended as a purveyor of regularly great food

Lovely Gastropub. Not too big, but great decor and ambience.

Chose to revisit this pub after 20 years. This was to celebrate my sons Masters Degree success. The ambiance was good, despite not being a dog lover! The table was nicely set and the waitress was helpful. The food arrived in good time and was reasonable value for money (£18 for Sunday roast beef), drinks extra. Sadly the experience was somewhat tainted by the young child on the next table screaming at the top of his voice and until his parents ( or perhaps servants) held, fed, cajoled, watered him in to being quiet. Not he fault of the pub and the waitress did apologise to me for the noise when I paid the bill.

Very cosy, comfortable pub. I could have stayed there all afternoon. Great food, gluten free options available. I highly recommend the GF fish and chips. Friendly and helpful staff.

Called up on the off chance that 2 adults and 3 children could be squeezed in, the lady on the phone was lovely and happy to accommodate. Upon arriving the staff were welcoming. The pub itself was fairly busy and had a cosy, homely ambiance which is exactly what you want on a Sunday when the weather's going downhill and your craving a hearty pub roast.

Visited for Sunday lunch today and it was a huge waste of time and money. The initial waitress was rude and the meat was so tough it has given me terrible jaw ache. After complaining to the waitress she basically told us that giving us another piece of meat wouldn't solve the situation as all the meat would be as equally inedible. The meal was a very expensive dissapointment. The Dog in Wingham is so much nicer on every level.

Beautiful setting Lovely staff Very welcoming Great food, yummy selection of drinks Dog friends Highly recommend

This pub is a lovely family environment whilst not being too loud! The food is Devine and they do themed nights, there roast dinner is gorgeous you must go!!

A warm and friendly atmosphere was very much in evidence here. People were enjoying themselves and their food.

The plaice was absolutely to die for! The fried pickles were delicious. The steak was cooked perfectly and was of great quality. Wonderful meal, can’t wait to return.

We were in a party of 4 on Saturday night, looking forward to a catch up in good surroundings whilst enjoying a nice meal. We got the meal and must say the service was good, however the acoustics in this venue do not lean themselves to a quiet meal with friends! The place was very noisy and we found ourselves having to raise our voices just to be heard? Shame as all other things were good. Could not give 5 stars though for this very reason.

Perfect end of our vacation in England- service was very slow but friendly, explained their menue, food excellent, prices moderate, good vine selection and a wonderful champagnelike beer. We had a table in the conservatory, just lovely. Don't miss dessert: the homemade icecream just delicious! We would have come again had we discovered this place a little earlier

Georgeous oldy-woldy pub in great countryside village, serving really good quality food, lovely friendly staff and atmosphere.

Ok, arrived at 5pm. 7 adults and 5 kids. Pub pretty empty. Garden lovely. Small play park. Could do with some games for younger ones, 3-8. Staff excellent. Magician is a witch!! Great entertainment. Food was just ok. Had various selections. Pork cracklings was weird. Fish and chips epic. Rump steak average. Chips etc ok. Kids mac n cheese plentiful. Puddings good. Gin selection good. Prices fair to expensive considering where they are. Burgers were above average but food presentation in general was as poor. Seemed to be a Lack of care. Would go back but need to choose better or maybe raise with staff but when you have kids etc hard to do so.

We visit the Duke regularly and have brought many a couple as well as family. Yesterday, Bank Holiday Monday, we visited with our daughter, husband and children. I am not sure what was going on. We had reserved a table. It was a very hot day - for everyone - I get that.

Having heard good reports of the the Sunday lunches here in the past I decided to book a table for my wife and I as we were in the area. I made a booking about 10 days in advance but could only get a slot at 1.45 p.m. online which was a bit later than I really wanted so I sent 4 emails over the coming days asking if we could be seated 30 minutes earlier but I had no response at all. I then phoned but was told that the restaurant was too busy at the earlier time and I accepted this. On arrival at the appointed time, the restaurant was practically empty and only filled up at around 2.30 - 3.00 p.m. The ensuing roast lunch, served by well meaning but clearly inexperienced staff was OK but not as good as my wife and I produce on a regular basis each Sunday. I had a starter of cured mackerel which, in my naivety expected to be uncooked and cold but it had been blow-torched on the skin side and was warm and overly salted. The roast had all the 'trimmings' but the roast potatoes were hard rather than crispy and the cabbage was chewy. In short, the meal did not live up to its reputation and the booking process and service were amateurish.

Didn't get to try the food.. Probably a good thing considering the waitress was rude and racist. The pub was quiet at 2 pm.. She said that all tables were booked. I said I'd wait.. She said it'll be about 4.30 pm... We were with our son and she them said she couldn't guarantee a place. Even if I was paid, I wouldn't go back!

We booked this over night stay with booking.com a deal for £139 B&B; to include welcome drink, 3 course evening meal & breakfast.

If you wish to explore Kent around Canterbury then The Duke William is ideal. The mid week bed breakfast and dinner deal was great value for money.

Five friends had dinner at The Duke William last Saturday.

What a great evening had by all. 3 families glamping down the road and we were recommended the Duke William. Well, what a wonderful evening we had. The service we received from Emma and her colleagues, was second to none. Polite, efficient, friendly and nothing was too much trouble. The kids had fun in the garden on the climbing frame and the food was delicious! Special thanks to Emma for a making our visit a memorable one.