Il Posticino Restaurant in Canterbury

Fabulous dinner. I had the best tuna ever. My partner the ravioli. Good place to go.

We were staying in Canterbury for my wife's birthday and decided to visit this restaurant after seeing generally excellent online reviews. It is a little off the beaten track and has a fairly unprepossessing entrance but the upstairs dining room is pleasant and we were well looked after. The menu provided many interesting choices. For example, my seared tuna was presented on a bed of fruit salad, which seemed odd on paper but worked surprisingly well in practice! Both the tuna and my wife's red mullet were perfectly prepared, as were the accompanying vegetables. We would not hesitate to come here again.

Finally not the same four Italian dishes that you can find in every Italian restaurants in UK. As an Italian living abroad I loved it!

Interesting menu, excellent food, attentive, friendly service. Not cheap but prices reasonable. Pici were a bit al dente but the ragu with them was excellent.

This is a terrific little restaurant with a lovely ambience and delicious food. We enjoyed really well cooked, different Italian dishes which pushed us out of our comfort zone, but which were stunning. The restaurant isn't huge, which means it felt intimate and wasn't too noisy. Service was excellent - not too slow but giving us enough time between each course to enjoy a chat and some wine. The entrance to the restaurant is understated and unprepossessing, but please don't let that put you off. A lovely, relaxed experience. Highly recommend

A very special place with great service and superb food. I’ve been coming regularly since it opened and I’ve never been disappointed.

Found this restaurant on the top 10 places to eat in canterbury. We had bread and oil and deep fried zucchini for starters which was lovely the bread was warm and the batter on the zucchini was light and fluffy. Then we shared the T-bone steak (this is only served medium rare) it was delicious. The potatoes we're the best I've ever eaten in a restaurant and the chilli spinach was delicious. A nice friendly atmosphere and service was great. My only bug bare (it's the same with all restaurants that don't have any beer on tap) £5.95 for a small bottle of beer. It does leave you feeling a little ripped off. But don't let that stop you from trying this wonderful restaurant.

We saw all the great reviews and were looking forward to eating here but it was very disappointing. We were served complementary cold hard deep fried pizza dough that was unpleasant and salty. The red mullet was over cooked and served on raw fennel. The scamorza croquette that accompanied the venison was cold in the middle. The fregola didn’t have any king prawns in it and was covered in rock samphire rather than samphire which was over powering. It was also drowning in squid ink. The kids had mini pizzas which arrived well before their starters. The food for the adults took a very long time to arrive. To be fair we were refunded for two meals, but it spoilt the night.

Really pretty dining room and nice and friendly environment. Classy but also comfortable. Very nice meal but we were waiting for almost 1 hour to get our food and had to order a couple of things twice because one of the waiters seemed a bit new and kept forgetting it. I highly recommend ordering desert, they are a true work of art and delicious as well.

A lively little gem, with attentive staff and amazing food very well presented. Staff happy and have some light hearted banter with you and are happy to make suggestions based on your preferences. Four of us all had three courses and there was nothing but greatness in each one. Highly recommend this restaurant.

This is a great restaurant. We stumbled across it while walking around Canterbury. the menu looked great so we booked it by email. When we got there that evening the service was exemplary and the food was excellent. We has three courses, all of them were great but the desert courses were an absolute standout. I'd definitely recommend you try it, you won't be disappointed.

Sadly, this is one of the worst meals I can ever remember having. Hugely disappointing. The menu looked okay and I ordered a pasta dish. The cold pasta was very undercooked, stiff, rubbery tubes, in a small amount of revolting, dark brown, slimy liquid. I told the waiter and he said it had been cooked 'al dente' - nonsense! It bore absolutely no resemblance to authentic Italian cooking. Then the dish was heated up and I only ate some of it as I was very hungry. I wish I had turned it away and left straightaway as it was really inedible. I certainly would not recommend this restaurant on the strength of that meal. I was incredulous that they have the nerve to serve that dish in the name of Italian cooking!

Exceptional food. I've been coming to Il Posticino for years, and the food keeps getting better! The new menu is fantastic and the whole experience a treat.

Exceptional birthday meal with family. Truly authentic Italian food in a lovely restaurant. Would most definitely recommend.

Fantastic. The best meal I've eaten in a long time.

A beautiful little restaurant. Staff was very friendly. Traditional Italian menu. But when my wife said she wanted pasta with some sauce, they created something for her. In our group of four we ordered a variety of dishes and appetizers and everything was delicious.

Very kindly given seats at the bar as the restaurant was fully booked. Great reviews fully justified by our experience. Beautifully presented red mullet on a base of delicious veg . Roast potatoes and fried zucchini went well with it. Sweet of mango sorbet with crushed biscuits, so nice and looked beautiful! Last visited Canterbury 2 years ago and their food almost as memorable as the cathedral and just as good this time! Will definitely be back!

This has to be the best restaurant in Canterbury, if not one of the best Italian restaurants we have eaten in. WE enjoyed a superb meal our only regret being that it's not open for lunch anymore. Every dish was superb, there is an excellent choice of wine and the service is friendly but unobtrusive. The value for money beats any of the more lauded Canterbury restaurants. Diners should be queuing around the block to eat here.

We enjoyed an excellent meal. The service was very good without being intrusive and all in all great value for money. We hope to return next time we are in the area.

Lovely meal, casual setting. Authentic italian. All 3 courses and recommended wine made for a perfect dinner! Not pub food!!! Highly recommend.

Interesting menu of Italian food and drink prepared wonderfully in ways I'd not sen before. Little twists on classic dishes. Efficient service.

The staff were very kind and friendly and the food was delicious. They had some excellent gluten free options too. And a great wine selection. Thank you for a lovely evening

Canterbury's hidden gem! ...Perhaps that's why its still quiet... Lovely little restaurant. We’ll be going again (and again!). All the food was lovely, and the best pancetta ever!

I don't do reviews, but the 5 stars are really deserved. Great Italian job!

We had the prawn starter and Tortolini main. Prawns were cold and not cooked fresh. The tortolina pasta was dry and looked warmed up as some had brown marks on them, the pasta was definately not fresh cooked. The plates were unbearably hot. The sauce was black and flavourless. Chocolate mousse desert did not taste of chocolate and was overpowered by sweet raspberry ice cream..overall not good quality for the price.£100.We wont be returning.

Food, drinks, and staff were amazing. Will definitely be returning! The restaurant is authentically Italian and very cosy.

Strange place, wouldn't go back.

Good food but the restaurant feels confused. The menu appeals to a more refined palette with the likes of guinea fowl, wild boar, venison. We went to visit because they advertised a 1Kg t bone. Unfortunately they had sold the two they had and with no other steak alternative which was disappointing. Whilst the food we had was good I think this restaurant would benefit from offering some basics like a lasagne, sea food linguini, bolognaise etc the ambience is chilled but feels more pizzeria themed and I think if they threw a few white table cloths down it would make the quality of food and presentation match the theme...ie a bit more up market. The restaurant is a little on the outskirts of town which doesn't help. We left because some loud mouth sat next to us spoiled the atmosphere by swearing and being ignorant otherwise we might have had dessert. Worth a visit but I really think some small changes would benefit this restaurant and encourage more business.

the restaurant is set in a beautiful old building.it has a cosy intimate feel to it. we were made to feel very welcome as soon as we walked in.The food and service is excellent attentive but not intrusive. all food freshly prepared a good menu.Friendly staff.

What a lovely little restaurant! We went for my husband's birthday and it did not disappoint - lovely ambience, friendly staff, delicious food, great menu for a special occasion. Would definitely recommend.

Saveurs d’Italie sublimées. 😋 Une note spéciale pour la pana cota ..incroyable. Accueil très chaleureux et sympathique. Merci au jeune serveur italien qui sait aussi parler français. 👍

We are visiting Canterbury for the first time and chose I'll Posticino because of the great reviews. We weren't disappointed! All of our courses (we both chose differently) had delicious flavour combinations and incredible presentation. Well worth splashing out for a special occasion or treat.

Excellent authentic Italian serving several dishes that have far more resemblance to food you would actually find in Italy rather than just a restaurant chain serving bulk standard dishes.

Perfect in every way. Excellent food. Great staff. We enjoyed the whole experience. A really lovely evening. Thank you.

Sono andata con il mio ragazzo italiano in questo ristorante e lui ha quasi pianto. Il cibo è autentico e davvero delizioso! È come andare in Italia.

I’ve been using this restaurant for many years…….the service is always first class and the food as always…cooked to perfection. Excellent selection of quality wines and beers. Looking forward to my next visit 😎

The best Tuscan food I've outside of Tuscany ! (And I have been to Tuscany many times.) I used to come to this delightful little restaurant often when I lived nearby, but then I moved away and had not been back for several years. I appreciated the renewed menu and my companion and I both loved everything we tried. The perfectly fried polenta with a rich, dense sauce of wild mushrooms and taggiasche olives was an excellent starter and the honey glazed breast of guinea fowl with saffron potatoes was truly exquisite. For dessert, my espresso pannacotta with chocolate/coffee sauce and Tuscan almond biscuit crumbles was out of this world, and creatively served in an original Bialetti Moka coffee pot! My companion enjoyed tender tortelloni filled with braised wild boar, accompanied by blueberries, red wine reduction and shaves of truffle pecorino cheese followed by a mousse di cioccolato (dark chocolate , ginger and raspberries). We shared a bottle of lovely, light, Nero d'Avola (under £20), which was the ideal accompaniment. We will certainly come back here next time we have any kind of special occasion, because this fabulous food is definitely worthy of celebration. The extremely high quality of the food is obviously based on the best ingredients and most expert cooking, and more than justifies the slightly higher prices.

Great food - fig ant walnut gelato is amazing

Visited for the first time last night and Il Posticino more than exceeded our expectations. From a warm welcome at the door to some of the most delicious and well presented food I have ever had, this gem of a restaurant did not disappoint. Very attentive and friendly staff and a lovely atmosphere. And truly delicious, fresh food. We will definitely be returning as soon as we can to try some other items on the menu, but the Tuscan Seafood Sautéed Pan was so good I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop myself from ordering it again. Thank you for a lovely dining experience, we will see you again soon!

Attentive service, facilitating excellent, authentic Italian food in a relaxed, casual atmosphere. Will be returning to sample more..

An excellent restaurant. Definitely a cut above the average. If you value excellent food, such as the grouse dish or the clam and seafood pasta with an extensive wine list to match, and with excellent service, then this is a place to visit. As you would expect, prepare to pay for quality.

A very good meal in a stylish setting. Looked after by a very friendly waiter and the service was just right. We will definitely return next time we are back in Canterbury!

A lovely atmosphere with friendly and attentive staff and a great selection of quality Italian food and wine. Will be using again

My wife and I had the pleasure of returning to this fantastic restaurant for my birthday. The food is second to none, hence the reason we return as often as possible. This is real Italian food cooked with passion. Thank you again and see you soon. Kindest regards Dan and Jacqueline.

This restaurant ticks every box, staff are very attentive beautiful authentic restaurant design, food is outstanding! It completely blew us away.

A fantastic meal. Really tasty dishes and excellent service. You can tell that they use excellent quality ingredients.

A fantastic and very tasty dinner. They don't seem to compromise on the quality of any of their ingredients...everything from the seafood, the dessert to the vinsanto and limoncello was really good. The service was also great. Highly recommended.

Best Italian food in town. Definitely recommend.

Wonderful meal, best we've had here as regular visitors. Lively atmosphere, thoroughly recommend the seared seafood for two. Awesome! Can't wait to come back.

We had a superb meal last Wednesday, including starters, pasta and a delicious T-bone steak. The food, as always here, was delicious and the service impeccible.

This wonderful authentic Italian restaurant maintains its high standards providing excellent food with top quality ingredients and personal service.

Such a good place so please go here. Very friendly and everything excellent.

Excellent food - really impressive

Delightful, unassuming restaurant, serving exceptional food. Mediterranean style menu, very interesting. It felt like being in an authentic restaurant in Rome.

A really excellent restaurant. We hadn't been before but so glad we did come this time. The service the food were exceptional. Definitely be back again

This is a really nice place to eat, the restaurant is upstairs, we were there quite late so it was fairly empty, but I imagine the atmosphere is buzzing when its full. We had a lovely meal, stating with a sharing platter of meats and...

Wow, lovely authentic Italian Food. My Venison was cooked perfectly. Fantastic service from the owner Jerry and his team too. I will definitely visit again soon.

Lovely food and great atmosphere. Great options on the menu at reasonable prices. Staff are friendly and attentive and take pride in their dishes.

Authentic Italian food with fantastic service. Pastas were al dente with great flavours. Do not miss out on their desserts as well. Highly recommend and I will definitely go back there if I am in the area!

Fantastic authentic Italian. Loved the food and service. Definitely highly recommended and would return if I'm back in Canterbury

Never disappoints. Delicious food and staff make it an amazing experience. Christmas menu in place currently. Well worth a visit. Anna.

Fabulous food and good service!

A thank you dinner with friends and our first trip to il Posticino. Beautiful food - authentic, tasty and hot. Staff were very helpful. They knew the menu and were able to advise. Great atmosphere, warm and cosy on a cold night. Great value for...

Found this on Tripadvisor, and also a 5 minute walk from the Premier Inn where we were staying. Initial impressions might be off putting as the main restaurant is upstairs and just a small bar area is visible from the street. Stick with it, the...

Friendly professional service and recommendations and flexible.

Best Italian meal in the UK. The food was sublime fully complimented by the selection of wines. The waiter was both knowledgeable and friendly adding to the overall experience. Thank you for a wonderful evening. We would come back to Canterbury just to eat here...

Bonne cusine et le serveur et le chef sont très sympathiques. Le chef parle français.

The restaurant offers a great variety of proper Italian dishes as well as a few which are typical for the Tuscan cuisine. Delicious. The meat was so tender that when I cut it, it felt like cutting butter. Everything was super good, well cooked and with high quality ingredients…the cacciucco and the Valpolicella red wine were simply Exceptional! Maybe the place and atmosphere itself could be a little improved to make the place cosier but apart from that, the quality of the food, the service and the kindness of the staff make the restaurant a guarantee. Highly Recommended if you fancy some genuine and quality Italian dishes! Thanks for making my birthday soooo special

This is a very nice little Italian restaurant with friendly service and good food. It has a good wine list and the prices are all good value.

Such a beautiful evening when we got out of the rain like 2 drowned rats and were welcomed in with no booking. I was so pleasantly surprised with the upstairs after having always walked past and had seen it closed in the daytime. Just magnificent...

Excellent authentic Italian food offered in a welcoming and relaxing atmosphere .

Whilst spending four nights in Canterbury, we chose this delightful restaurant due to the positive reviews on Trip Advisor. We were certainly not disappointed. Everything about this little gem is worthy of praise: the lovely servers (who must be the most fit servers in the...

A delightful Italian restaurant with an imaginative menu which it cooks really really well. Particularly good was the warm salad of monkfish, and the lobster ravioli. The house wine was reasonably priced and good. Service was friendly. I’d be there every week if it was...

As this was a special evening I checked the reviews and it looked amazing. Upon arrival totally disappointed, rushed service, food over priced and not what we expected. First and last time we will visit unfortunately.

Everything was perfect , we made a reservation before . Appetizers were really good , Rosemary bread and salad are highly recommended. Duck breast was a piece of art ; very highly recommended as well . But I can't recommend you to eat this pasta

Our favourite restaurant in Canterbury, small but lots of personality. The service is excellent, very knowledgeable and friendly. The dishes are always delicious, a great favourite is lobster filled ravioli, and very good reasonably priced Italian wine.

Fabulous food, freshly cooked. Friendly staff. small menu with lovely choices including vegetarian

Lovely authentic Italian meal, super service a great start to our holiday

Our first time at this restaurant and we will definitely be back. The food was out of this world. Every dish was cooked perfectly I am already craving the fillet steak in that gorgeous Gorgonzola sauce again. The tuna coated in black sesame seeds was...

The best restaurant in Canterbury. Every dish is amazing but tuna is the best. Great hospitality and delicious food.

Zeer lekkere gerechten, zeer deskundige kok, prima bediening. Lekker eten doe je hier!

Amazing food and service. The tuna starter in particular was lush. We were a really big group and we were so pleased with how smoothly everything went.

Accueil très chaleureux Super service et très bon plat

Loved this place. Great food, friendly service. Couldn't fault it. 10 out of 10.

We had a great meal in this lovely restaurant. I am glad we booked on line because if I had seen the restaurant from the outside I probably wouldn't have booked. The outside belies how lovely it is. We had a shared starter of lukewarm...

Fantastic food and great service. We particularly enjoyed the tuna with black sesame seed crust and the lobster ravioli. Good choice of wines. Would be happy to return.

Excellent in every way. The tuna starter was just amazing. Everything was cooked fresh and beautifully presented.

Awesome food and superb service👍🏻

The food was delicious, the staff really friendly. We've enjoyed it here a lot. I recommend the Risotto!

It was our first visit to Canterbury and we explored the reviews - this restaurant stood out and we decided to give it a try. We were so glad that we did. It was a first class experience from beginning to end. We received a...

Siamo venuti a fare una vacanza in Inghilterra ed abbiamo passato tre giorni nel Kent. Abbiamo riscoperto “ Il Posticino”...

Amazing, fantastic, out of this world. The food that Jerry cooks is hard to describe, but take the best Italian ingredients and mix it with the art and creativity that he offers, and there you have it: a unique experience of flavours that is hard...

Went as a couple. Didn't realize they open at 18:30 so we were just a little early. So if you do want an early dinner do consider this. The sitting area is upstairs. I couldn't tell if they have a lift so something to consider if you have mobility issues. We got to pick the table as we were the first to arrive.Waiters were attentive throughout our meal. The meal itself was lovely and beautifully presented, but I would say portion wise you probably need a starter, main sides or deserts to fill you up. This does mean the bill adds up. So would recommend it but be prepared to dig a little deeper into your pockets if you want to go away satisfied

When the highlight is the black olives.... Food ok nothing to justify the price tag and certainly only a touch better then the cheap eats of Zizzi and ASK. Service standard but nothing special, would of ordered another bottle of wine if asked 20 mins earlier before asking if we want deserts Much preferred Pinocchio's, very average Valentine's

Food excellent,but the main courses did not arrive together.

I’ve visited this restaurant several times and they do consistently good food. While their starter dishes, served cold, are not personally to my taste, I really enjoy the richness of the mains I have had there. The pasta bake was particularly delicious and it is...

Food not great, probably from cash and carry.

Lovely restaurant, waiter was very attentive and helpful. My Wife had Burrata and peppers which was very nice and I had the bruschetta which was excellent. We both had wild boar ragu with pappardelle which was fantastic. I finished off with the cappuccino panna cotta...

Lovely food, perfect sized portions, I wasn't left feeling stuffed

Relaxed vibe, but with excellent food and friendly service. This is proper Italian food, with a good choice of dishes, well cooked and served hot, unlike many a restaurant.