Kings Head in Ashford

Poor Food as usual. How long before someone realises that the poor food is killing this once lovely pub. Menu never changes, and if it does, it’s the same food different name….c’mon now put some thought & TLC into it!! Felt sorry for the staff, you could tell they were embarrassed by the amount of food being sent back, undercooked, overcooked, greasy and tasteless is the current theme. Being a villager I’m just tired of the ever decreasing quality and would rather travel to another village for cheaper, better quality, which annoys me because I love my village but am tired of trying to defend my local to once happy customers / friends who no longer visit. Staff are always kind and considerate but the kitchen needs an overhaul!! C’mon Kings Head…….its good pub grub not Michelin stars, get it together!!

Last minute booking! The staff were lovely and friendly. My partner had chicken wellington, which he really enjoyed. I had sausage in basket with honey dip. This was awful and not worth £10 even if it was ok. Bit cheeky charging that amount of money. The lady only charged me half. I ate one sausage and 5 chips.

We booked a spur of the moment Sunday lunch. When we arrived the pub was busy but we were quickly shown to our table by the two attentive bar/waiting staff. We all chose roast beef and when it arrived 10 minutes later we were really impressed. Perfectly cooked, hand carved sirloin of beef, roasties, parsnips, stuffing and homemade Yorkshire pudding, accompanied by individual serving dishes of four freshly cooked seasonal vegetables (mange tout, carrots, cabbage & broccoli) we also ordered a side order of cauliflower cheese. The beef was really flavoursome to the point that I even asked who their supplier was! Credit where credit is due - this kitchen/bar/serving team really impressed and we will certainly return.

Food very good, menu choice extensive, helpful friendly bar staff, but oh so very cold. When we arrived there were embers of a recent log burner fire but we were sat nowhere near it although it wasn’t topped up during our visit.

I’ve been meaning to go to this pub since I moved to shadoxhurst. Everyone I have spoken to hasn’t rated the services or food, but I’m not one to take someone else’s word before trying myself. We arrived for our lunch today and the smell of burning wood fires is just amazing gives the real village pub feel. The barmaid told us where our table was as she was servicing at the time which meant we wasn’t just standing in the way. The young waitress who serviced us had a smile on her face and was polite and helpful throughout the whole meal. When the food arrived after a short time I couldn’t believe the size of the plates. Everything was cooked to perfection, the yorkshire puddings were the size of my head. The only bad thing is the roast didn’t come with enough gravy but that’s just my personal preference. I can’t wait to take my family here again for Sunday lunch and glad I didn’t listen to everyone’s negativity regarding this pub.

Nice village pub, warm welcome. Sunday roast was lovely, lots of meat, home made yorkshire pudding and lots of fresh vegetables. Pudding were lovely too ! We will be back

Outstanding experience. We visited on 27th Dec 2023, pub was clean, warm and inviting. Staff were all very approachable, helpful and friendly. They had our favourite wine from Chapel Down in stock and we enjoyed an excellent meal. Crispy spring rolls for starter, I had Steak and ale pie, chips and veg and my partner had lamb, mash and vegetables and then we both had rhubarb crumble for desert. All food was well cooked, very tasty and we both felt that portion sizes were generous and the whole meal was excellent value for money. Here's to The Kings Head, our compliments to the kitchen team and the front of house, we will definitely be back. Thank you for a great meal. Paul & Sue.

Outstanding experience. We visited on 27th Dec 2023, pub was clean, warm and inviting. Staff were all very approachable, helpful and friendly. They had our favourite wine from Chapel Down in stock and we enjoyed an excellent meal. Crispy spring rolls for starter, I had Steak and ale pie, chips and veg and my partner had lamb, mash and vegetables and then we both had rhubarb crumble for desert. All food was well cooked, very tasty and we both felt that portion sizes were generous and the whole meal was excellent value for money. Here's to The Kings Head, our compliments to the kitchen team and the front of house, we will definitely be back. Thank you for a great meal. Paul & Sue.

Great local pub, good food, moretti on tap atmosphere is old school pub. Large garden in summer.

Popped in on the off chance on a Sunday. Had a fantastic roast here! Food and service both great. Bar staff and the locals all really friendly. Even had a log burner on the go, which at this time of year really added to the cosy feel.

Too loud radio blaring and the lights of the bar are blinding… so uncomfortable:((

Having not visited the Kings Head for 2 years, we thought we’d see if the current landlords had been able to change the place for the better. We were not disappointed. The pub has been turned in to a warm, homely place to go. The staff are fantastic, and the food is excellent. We loved it so much we’ve now been for meals 2 weekends in a row and intend to visit again as soon as possible. The pub is once again a credit to our village and I hope it gets the custom it deserves.

Lovely local pub with great history. Has a lovely internal fire area great to sit and relax in the warmth with a beer, the the pool table is a great addition. Can’t beat a good local and traditional village pub.

We've lived in the area for over 13 years and this always was the best local, however, it got sold 6 months into the first lockdown. When the pub eventually reopened it was soulless and the food was terrible, nothing fresh just reheated precooked food. After checking reviews on here today before we went we decided to give it another try, knowing that it's been taken over by someone else since our last terrible experience. Well this was a whole new pub we walked into! Completely redecorated and had all the bits that makes it welcoming, including a roaring log burner. The food was superb all freshly cooked from scratch and the lady who served us was absolutely lovely. We will definitely be going again. So good to have our local back!

It was a lunch, so not much atmosphere but enjoyable and lovely food.

Came in Tuesday, with my wife we ordered chicken wellington - Chicken burger. Chicken wellington cooked to perfection very nice gravy to go along side. Chicken burger was perfect nicely toasted bun and bacon was crispy. Cleaned our plates definitely will be back. The server was quick and helpful.

Love this pub...really well kept, great feel inside with plenty of tables for sampling the menu and comfy chairs and sofas around the woodburner. The food is amazing and the staff really lovely. Everything you'd want in a pub.

Went for a Sunday roast - amazing! I’m vegetarian so had the apricot and goats cheese tart so tasty. Hubby had beef and there was so much of it and beautifully cooked. Roast potatoes, 7 veg, stuffing, Yorkshire pud and home made gravy suitable for vegetarians which was delicious. Well worth the money and a definite winner. Highly recommend.

Really lovely pub, very tasty food. Delicious soup that wasn't at all boring plenty of rustic bread and butter followed up by a proper pie with a bottom, none off this just a lid in a tin rubbish! Lovely fresh veg and gravy. We shared a pudding because we where so full but the churros where equally Delicious! Quick service, good food, and fair price. What more could you want.

We had a delicious meal last night, highly recommend. The steak and ale pie was amazing. Loads of tender beef and it was a proper pie with pastry all round. Very reasonably priced as well. Will definitely be back.

Went early to the kings head for dinner , did not book but were welcoming and yes they had a table . The food was really nice, freshly cooked & plentiful & sent compliments to the chef , as it was so nice . The chef came out and introduced herself which was a lovely touch taking time from her busy schedule and made our evening special . Highly recommend , great food , lovely staff couldn’t do enough .

Food was really disappointing, ordered creamy garlic mushrooms, think the chef forgot the garlic & sauce was really limited. Chips were v nice by comparison. Menu was quite limited. They allow dogs in the restaurant. I am a dog person, but they need to be well behaved. We had a constantly barking spaniel which the owner did nothing about & was allowed to wander round. Service was also quite slow & waitresses also didn't challenge the dog issue.

Great pub & friendly staff, fresh & very tasty meals served with plenty of fresh veg. Dog friendly!

Food good but a bit expensive. Drinks ok. Only one ale on our of three pumps. A cold day in August and it was a bit cold in the pub too. Their card machine seemed to be a bit temperamental.

Lovely food at a reasonable price. Staff were friendly and went out of their way to assist with our requests. My 2 friends and I will definitely be back😍😍

The service was friendly & pretty quick (bearing in mind that I was about 15 minutes late arriving after the rest of our party). The food was lovely, we all enjoyed our different meals.

Ok I get it ! 13:45 Sunday not the time to expect a table for a single man but i was assured by the brilliantly hospitable staff that i was welcome … yep there is a but … all tables asked if everything ok or would they like another drink ? I was required to go to the bar on each occasion to order extra drinks or dessert ( and then had to chase it after 23 mins to find out where a summer berry crumble had got too … picking the early berries maybe) … the food had been reheated sadly so yes i get the other reviews about the food is good (it could be alot better ) it really does have potential and i understand maximising revenue but please spare second for a smile or an “is everything all right” it works wonders to us singles

Very Friendly Atmosphere, Staff Very Welcoming, Food Excellent, not fast (but if we wanted Fast we would have gone to McD's ) Well worth the Wait. Prices within reasonable range for 2 Mains & 4 Glasses of Wine. Would definitly recommend to Family and Friends. Nice to find an Old English type Pub again. Well done everybody

A group of us went here today for lunch, according to the website and the sign on the door they opened at 11am We arrived at 13.00 and they were closed ! No notice no explanation no lights on We and other people waiting outside left and from my point of view will never return

Fancied a quick pint on way back from Tunbridge Wells, haven't been to the Kings Head for a few years, certainly before the pandemic. Staff attentive and poured a good pint (no Whitstable Bay left on tap, so had Master Brew), wife had a Pinot Grigio, no complaints. However looks like there was a birthday party booked, so a bit crowded round the bar, but the food from the kitchen looked and smelled great, so much so the wife had to sit outside because it was starting to make her hungry! We left as we had to get back but started to sound like a great party was kicking off instead! Plenty of parking and outside seating available.

Great local pub, decent well priced food and friendly staff. Family friendly and welcoming

Excellent service, friendly atmosphere

Great village pub, superb food and atmosphere. Although we live miles away in Essex, when travelling to this part of Kent again we shall certainly re visit this pub as know we will not be disappointed.

Wow this was our first visit to The KIngs Head Shadoxhurst, the food was amazing. We both had fish pie and a panache of vegetables, the fish pie was really delicious, including the lovely smooth mash! The vegetables were cooked to perfection, not hard, not...

We visit this friendly and warm welcoming pub when ever we're in the area at friends near by. The food and drink here along with the atmosphere is a real treat.

We have been here quite a few times recently and cannot fault the food or service. Plenty of choice and food is always tasty and presented well. The staff are always friendly and accommodating with nothing being too much trouble. Particularly noted as we have gluten free requirements and often bring our dog in who always gets fussed over and given a treat or two! Definitely recommend this friendly pub for a meal or two.

Service was so slow....lack of wine choice ..pretty much get what you're given..waiter had no menu knowledge.order came out wrong..food was cold when finally served...no toilet roll in toilets .. we'll never be back

This used to be (2020) a fant astic pub with excellent food and we used to go a lot. Then the landlord changed and the food was nowhere near as good and we stopped going. We ventured back for lunch and found the food was...

It is several years since visiting this pub for Sunday Lunch and comparing the old pub with the latest revamped version it is a step in the right direction for me. The food was nice as before, the staff were very friendly and the atmosphere...

A very lovely place welcoming and friendly staff and amazing food....ate it all before I had chance to take a picture

Staff are very friendly and helpful.Clean and fresh atmosphere.The food was excellent loved all three courses.

Wonderful food in a great setting. It was a welcome retreat for us after a long country hike. Selection of beers was also good. We will be back

This pub is not inviting at all, they have tried to modernise but it has not worked. A pool table and dart board would do this pub a treat as well as a jukebox. Events They have tried to book local bands and that’s not...

I cannot fault the food, it was all absolutely delicious however I cannot help but feel the service was unorganised. We booked for a table of 10 and instead of asking at point of booking if we could pre-order our meals, we were asked via...

We went here with 2 kids ages 13 and 11. The place is lovely and the service you can not fault. They had a fabulous kids menu with small toast dinners on Sunday for the kids. The roasts were delicious. The atmosphere is lovely and...

Lovely pub. Great Sunday lunch and caters for children as well. Very polite staff who couldn’t do enough to help.. staff were around if you had a question always. Would definitely recommend for families.

Villagers and fans of this very special pub will be cheered to find out that it has returned to its former glory days. Brilliant well cooked and presented starters; the main meals were perfectly cooked with accompanying freshly cooked vegetables. We had a vegetarian and...

Was not that impressed by the food. It used to be much better with the old owners

Friendly welcome and good food at a reasonable price.

Lovely little pub with good food

Super friendly staff, the food was amazing. We had Camembert, mussels and the pie of the day. It was absolutely gorgeous, you have to try it

Fabulous food, fantastic friendly service in a gorgeous historic country pub. Great varied menu, including kids menu, all cooked to order fresh and tasty and reasonable priced (the chips & home made slaw are to die for) Plenty of parking and should you want to...

Like what they've done to the inside and nice new menu. Enjoyed a nice pint and steak baguette.

We came across this lovely little country pub/ restaurant purely but accident but will definitely come back again. Atmosphere was very good and the staff very polite and friendly. Added bonus they are very doggy friendly.

Ploughman's lunch is was not. 2 lumps tasteless cheese, baguette tiny pot of Branston. Mouthful of salad. All for an eye-watering £12.50. Lasagne that looked like slop and and out cold. Safe to say won't be returning there for lunch

New find for us. Stopped in for just a drink with our dog. Food looked delicious, staff very friendly & made a fuss of our dog. Will definitely be back for lunch Large garden outside with plenty of bench tables

It was quiet afternoon when we visited. The food was very good and the host was very friendly and welcoming. Pub prices.

Great country pub, great food and beer.

A lovely pub with a great selection of food & drink and plenty of space both inside and out. I’ve been on a number of occasions and the team are always super-friendly and helpful. Well behaved dogs are also welcome which is always a bonus.

Walked to this beautiful pub Yesterday with our 3 dogs sat outside and was met by a lovely lady who straight away made friends with us and our dogs and the dogs loved the treats she gave them. Very lovely dog friendly pub will use again and will eat next visit.would recommend

Great times a wonderful family pub.

Pretty nice pub, staff were extremely polite and friendly. Menu was a bit lacking in food but other than that food was very high quality. Has a specials board with some great choices. But, again, could do with more variety of meats. Would definitely recommend for a large dinner.

After reading the reviews i thought i should go and see for myself what the new landlord/lady had done with the only pub in the village Ian and Julie were always going to be a hard act to follow, and poor lance hardly stood a...

Photos not correct as has been updated inside. Food was delicious and well priced. Staff attentive and friendly

A delicious Sunday roast, with great vegan and meat options. Since the refurbishment, my only criticism would be that the venue needs some more warm and inviting touches, the decor is a little plain. Also, the music coming from a tin behind the bar could be improved. Overall friendly and efficient service.

It is obvious that the cheap ingredients they use, (e.g for the roast dinner today there was cabbage, carrots and swede/turnip), they are economising on the quality of the food. Two small slices of meat and a bright orange gravy?!) My Yorkshire Pudding was cremated....

We live in Shadoxhurst and were so excited to go to the newly refurbished pub. It looks amazing and the new owners have clearly put in a lot of thought and effort. We were pleased they appeared to want to focus on good food. The...

Firstly we waited 90 mins for our food to come and was only updated when we asked. We were told the wait was due to a large party who were booked in, but our table of 9 had also pre booked and if they couldn’t...

Staff were fantastic but unfortunately the food was inedible. My duck breast was cold snd sinewy, the potato and vegetables were also cold. I really couldn't recommend this pub but they did the honorable thing and didn't charge us for the duck. I reiterate the...

There is nothing that will knock you for six in the gastro sense, but what you get at our newly restored village pub is a sense of community, good food in plentiful portions that epitomises the great English public house tradition and relaxation. Just one...

Can get a Sunday roast dinner takeaway for £11.00

Lovely food, good friendly service.

Good food very nice owners and friendly

Fantastic local pub, great food, great service and now open in the mornings as a coffee shop. Good luck team.

Pretty poor food .. very nice staff ! Unfortunately we can't eat the staff

We came here for a nice Sunday lunch and left with disappointment. Most staff were horrible, no manners and just rude. They didn't even show us to our table they just told us where it was 🙄 It took about 10 minutes for them to...

Very friendly staff and good food

I have been here twice with a group of us, they where very helpful and very friendly and the food service was lovely, would go again.

Amazing service and lovely food

We stopped at The King’s Head by chance as we had virtually given up reaching Tenterden on our bikes. Kent roads are not very cycle friendly but that’s another story….. The pub was busy on a Wednesday lunchtime, always a good sign but the reason...

Camping nearby, was great to walk to a local pub with good food and ale

I have given the Kings head five stars for two major reasons. Firstly the lady serving was very friendly and welcoming of my young family. Nothing was too much trouble for her. Secondly they knew what they were doing in relation to cooking a gluten...

This was the first time we had visited Kings Head since Julie left. Mainly due to pandemic. We were really looking forward to our meal especially as we live in the village. Wife's meal of beef wellington was really nice. Granddaughter's meal of 8oz sirloin was a bit tough, but edible. My 16oz rump steak was inedible. Tried eating from both ends and middle. It was ridiculously tough! I pointed this out to (a very inexperienced waitress/barmaid) who said she will inform the owner/chef. I waited 5 to 10 minutes, both my wife and granddaughter had finished their meals by this time, so I took my plate to thd bar and asked the 2 barmaids what is going on. It transpired that the owner had not been apprised of my inedible meal!!! No reason was given!! So I asked them to please apprise the owner or chef. The second, and slightly more experienced barmaid, said the chef had apologised and said I won't be charged for the meal - as if I was going to pay for an inedible meal! She then asked if I wanted something else. I did get a small portion of calamari that was ok. My granddaughter orderd a chocolate torte with rasberry sorbet. When it arrived it was without the sorbet. They had not included it. It did eventually arrive once we pointed out their error. Still the owner/manager/chef had not come to reconcile my grievance of the inedible meal. I was charged for the replacement starter calamari. The "experienced" barmaid brought the bill. She apologised for the bad meal and not bringing the sorbet. She said she had not charged for one of my pints of lager. I pointed out that I only had 2 pints and both were charged!! She took no action to remove the cost of a pint. My meal was appalling, the service was appalling. The attitude of the owner was despicable and very unprofessional. As an aside, as a Shepherd's Neame pub, it didn't even have the iconic Spitfire draft bitter. I wax offered a bottle of Bishops Finger that I can buy at Aldi for £1.25! As a non lager drinker I had a lager! We will not be returning to the Kings Head. Even the decor was dull. There was no ambience in the place either. VERY VERY DISAPPOINTED. If I could give a minus then I would have done.

Service, meal choice and drinks choice has taken a steep down hill dive was not made to feel welcome, staff moody the whole time and choice was terrible

Stopped off here en route to a night camping . We made a spur of the moment decision to stop off for some lunch and we were both super impressed with the lovely cheese ploughmans that we ordered . Perfect amount of everything and especially liked the lovely ( homemade I think ) pickles . Absolutely scrumptious! We will definitely be going back 🙂

Great pub quiz as usual. Nice pub food, friendly staff

Stunning food, friendly staff and good prices....(beer's not bad either!)

Great food had a lovely time here staff were friendly and welcoming, we were served by keeley she was so kind and helpful thankyou for a nice evening

Beautiful and lovely exactly how an olde school English pub should be. I highly recommend going here on your travels. Great service great customer service and great satisfaction

Had a lovely meal nicely good staff very friendly and look after you first visit there will definitely go again nice outdoor seating as well

Had a lovely meal on my birthday and then a Sunday roast.

Not only was the Sunday lunch, one of the best I have had, they delivered it!! It was fantastic, well done....

Great place, loads of free parking and places to sit outside, friendly landlord and a real country feel to it. Good selection of ales catering for most tastes. Not open on Mondays.

1st time in the King's head with the new owners. Popped in to see a friend on friday afternoon. Only person in the pub. Got welcomed by the barmaid that was there with the old owners. The most miserable welcome ever. The pub was freezing....

Visited for Sunday lunch as we're staying nearby at the ashliegh woodland lodges . The staff are all friendly and allow dogs which is a must for us ,the meal was lovely separate veg and extra gravy without asking for £10.95 excellent value would highly...

Really friendly pub with a lovely selection of food and drink. Staff very welcoming and squeezed us in on a busy night.

Sadly fish and chips very poor, soggy batter no salt supplied. Cold just 10mins after receipt. Curry nice but not much of it

Know this pub well. 40 years. Love the location and the owners ❤️

Lovely little farm shop as part of the pub, great coffee.

Great first meal since lockdown. Very nice staff.