Montalbano in Ashford

What can I say but it's the best Italian I have been too,the quality,the taste, the presentation is amazing. When you go you feel your on holiday. The service is the best and such friendly people too. We always leave with a smile. Always try go to one of their music events night as their set menu is always great too.

What can I say. This is our new favourite Italian restaurant. Everything about our evening was A1. A big special mention must go to Charlie our waitress She is an absolute angel. She went above and beyond to make our celebratory dinner extra special. 😋. Although we live in Essex we will most definitely be back.

We travel for at least 50 minutes to get to this wonderful restaurant and it never disappoints. Wonderful welcome. Wonderful staff. Wonderful food every time.

Excellent food, excellent service. Highly recommended.

Ordered pizzas to take away, if I could leave 0 stars I would. Frozen pizzas from Sainsbury’s are the best I could compare them to

Finally went here for a special occasion after hearing good things for years and it was... okay. Service was fine but the atmosphere feels (for better or worse) like you're in a slightly cheesy/touristy restaurant in Italy. The food ranged from decent to poor - the tuna was good, calves liver was ok but rather drowned in sauce, the ragú consisted of large chunks of chewy beef and overcooked pappardelle, and the chicken with nduja contained no nduja and little flavour. Overall the ingredients tasted cheap and lacked the freshness I'd associate with Italian food. The tiramisu was very good though! Finally, when I asked to add the service on my card, our waiter requested that cash would be better - presumably hoping to pocket it himself or avoid the tax implications - either way, it was a bit odd. We really expected more based on the numerous glowing reviews, but we were left wondering what all the fuss is about.

We had an incredible dinner in this beautiful restaurant! Food is superb, I had the best tuna steak ever and my husband absolutely loved the melanzane alla parmigiana! Also the tiramisu’ was 10 stars! Everything was perfect, service is excellent, professionals and friendly at the same time! We will come back soon ! Thank you Alessandra and Jonathan

This is my opinion on my visit and meal. I had the bake seabass and was very oily over cooked, meal very small 4 small cut potatoes in half bit dried out and a few French beans, the pudding I had a glorified Sunday that was meant to be cuppa amaretto. For the cost was over price and portion not a lot. The menu was not a lot of choice especially for vegetarian and for those who can not have rice and cream sauce on meals, if you wanted steak looked nice but very price but steak these days are. Service brilliant very professional and helpful, very noisy for those hard of hearing will struggle in the restaurant. Would I go back sorry no.

Very pleasant. Food was excellent.

An oasis in the sea of mediocre overpriced food that is Kent. This is the real deal, a restaurant kitchen as opposed to the many that simply reheat bought in dishes. The veal chop will be memorable both for it's execution and dimensions !! There is a lot of originality on the menu and none of the varied dishes our table chose did not fail to impress. Unfortunately I only discovered the restaurant on the last day of our vacation but when again in the area will make a point of revisiting. Outstanding, would highly recommend.

My husband and I went for lunch today and my socks were blown off by this place. All of the food was absolutely perfect but I have to give special mention to the carbonara as it was the most perfectly cooked pasta dish I’ve had in a really long time. Despite the fact it was a damp Thursday lunch time it was busy but this did not mean our service was anything less than first rate. The entire team were skilled in being there exactly when we needed them but not a second too soon meaning despite the fact we were there not long before they closed we didn’t feel rushed. Would definitely recommend this place and can’t wait for hubby to take me there again.

Loved it. Thank you for making my daughters birthday special

Best Italian restaurant in Kent by far

Brilliant!!! That's all that needs to be said 👍🏼

Such a friendly greeting on arrival and then every attention given throughout the meal. Fantastic food, would thoroughly recommend

Great for Gluten Free/celiac A lovely family restaurant with great food , the tiramisu was AMAZING

Montelbano restaurant is one of our favourite places for special occasions and we were there again for Christmas eve this year. It comes to us as no surprise that the staff were great, the atmosphere was great and the food was great - they always are. Thank you again to everyone at Montelbano for making our Christmas eve this year special.

Dinner on Xmas eve. Really good food and atmosphere Got a table at very short notice. Best Italian meal I've had in this country outside central London. Hope to visit again soon.

I've had many meals at this restaurant. It's just a wonderful place and the best in the area.

We tend to go to this restruant once a month and have never had a bad experience. Traditional Italian restruant, great service run by nice people.

We chose this Italian restaurant on it's good reviews and we weren't disappointed. It's lively with a lovely atmosphere. We were greeted by our attentive waiter who treated us as if we were the only customers in the place. He was friendly and chatty and was a great representative of the restaurant. The food was amazing. For starters, my husband and our friend chose Fritto misto to share (Deep fried squid, sardines, king prawns, garlic & herb mayonnaise) which they devoured and my friend and I chose the Bruschetta al pomodoro-which was fresh and delicious. For mains, our friends had Cotoletta alla Milanese with spagetti, my husband chose the special which was salmon with crushed new potatoes-all of which was apparently incredible. However, I was the envy of the party as I chose Pappardelle al ragù! It was the best Italian food I have eaten outside of Italy-in fact I would say it was better. The pasta was cooked to perfection and the sauce was rich and tasty. The slow cooked beef was melt in the mouth . It's making my mouth water thinking about it now. Everyone tried some and everyone agreed, I had made the best choice. The wine was beautiful-good quality and really tasty. The others had coffee and we were served a lovely zingy Limoncello to round off our wonderful evening perfectly. All in all, I would definitely recommend Montebalno-it's even worth making a special trip to Tenterden just to go there.

Fantastic food, fantastic staff, fantastic service and a great atmosphere. Perfect for the romantic meal I was looking for, for the occasion. Will most certainly be back.

One word - excellent. Greeted by the Owner, seated straightaway and offered water. Drinks followed and I asked for Sparkling Water with Lemon & Ice - No pressure to buy branded. Quick served. Had Fritto Misto to start with Calves Liver as main. Best liver I've had all year. Partner had Pasta which she said was superb. I finished with Formaggi, OH had Tiramisu. Both were generous portions. Easy parking in Bridewell Lane CP just behind restaurant.

Absolutely delicious lunch. The staff are so friendly. There was a nice buzz about the place, which we really enjoyed as we don't enjoy super quiet restaurants. Looking forward to returning soon

Great italian food, nice staff who are at the your service answering all your questions. Choices in the menu are great for vegetarians as well.

We are always so well looked after when we visit Montalbano! The food is fantastic, we've never had a bad meal. I would recommend Montalbano to anyone!

been italian one of the best.. sooo beautiful tasteful food and the service was just amazing ..can’t wait to see you all again Mariannaxxxxxx

We had a very delicious meal here. Our waitress Sabrina was lovely and very friendly, bringing an extra plate so I could pinch some of my husband's starter and then a spoon for him to pinch my dessert 😂. The food was fabulous.

Being a lover of Italian food I have tried many different Italian restaurants and this restaurant wins hands down! They are heads and shoulders above the rest with their exceptional food, ambience and service. Looking forward to coming back soon!

We were warmly greeted by Sabrina and all the staff on our arrival for lunch yesterday and promptly shown to the perfect table at the far end of the restaurant. Sabrina was well 'clued up' in quietly asking me who the ‘birthday girl’ was, so she knew well in advance. Sabrina was absolutely excellent in every way and fitted into our dining experience with her enthusiasm, professionalism and absolutely nothing was too much trouble for her. The food was extremely high quality and delicious. My son commented on my long-held view that the food will always be of a high standard if there are linen napkins too! It was lovely that all the waiting staff gathered round our table, with a lit candle on Kate’s dessert to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to her. It was also interesting that we were not the only diners who had a birthday celebration and, to my mind, that speaks volumes for the high standard clearly maintained, as regular diners will always choose their favourite restaurant to celebrate special occasions. The total bill came to £194.60 + tip and to my mind, that was extremely good value and a restaurant we will certainly return to in future.

Really enjoyed my crab ravioli with mussels. And the service was impeccable.

Great place Very tasty food Will recommend

Less items on the menu than many Italian restaurants, which is a good thing! Excellent food and decent portion size

Absolutely delicious food and great service.

We chose this restaurant due to it’s convenient location following a visit Chapel down vinery! The service was exceptional, friendly and more than welcoming. The dishes were delicious and arrived promptly , we had a really nice time! Thank you for team and your hospitality 🩷 perfectly cooked steak 🥩! Bravissimo chief 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Fab u lous !!!! What an amazing place ! The food and cocktails are so so good ! , the staff are chatty and funny , you WILL NOT be disappointed by dining here

Excellent food, great staff thanks. Will be back.

Everything about this restaurant is simply perfect. Our food was excellent, the service impeccable, and the price... £50 a head, for 3 courses, wine, coffees and Limoncello (including tip.) Amazing value. The perfect 50th Birthday lunch. Thank you!

The staff were very helpful in taking our booking at short notice and gave us a lovely welcome. The food was delicious and the service was first class. I particularly enjoyed the Ragu with a recommended glass of red wine. My wife and I can highly recommend this lovely restaurant.

We just ate at Montalbano for our wedding anniversary and I can honestly say it was the best meal out I’ve had in a long time. The food was absolutely incredible, the cocktails and mocktails were delicious and the staff were all so friendly. I cannot stop thinking about the parmigiana, which was utterly divine, and the tiramisu, which was so light and not overly sweet, perfect. It was also lovely that we didn’t feel at all rushed, the wait staff were so lovely and happy to let us go at our own pace. We will definitely be back and cannot recommend highly enough!

Simply the best place to go in Tenterden for a stylish espresso and gelato. Stopped here during a long, hot bike ride yesterday, and loved it, plus the friendly staff were happy to top up our water bottles

Visitors to the area and made yo feel very welcome. Excellent food x

All round excellent venue with attentive staff and fantastic food! We really enjoyed our meal and would happily return again.

Wanted somewhere to eat after evening cycle race and booked Montalbano. We travelled from London so wanted to eat before travelling home. It was a brilliant experience from greeting at the door through service, food, ambiance and the bill. I had three courses of the chef’s specials which were all delicious. The Mille fois (pictured) was an unusual option and really enjoyable. My wife and daughter had vegetarian options and were equally impressed. In fact my wife is arranging my racing calendar for next season so we can come again.

Fantastic food and service, great atmosphere and superb staff, highly recommended.

amazing place and atmosphere, real italian food

Great food and genuinely Italian. Staff were passionate about delivering good food at a high standard. Expensive enough to keep the tattooed rif raf out.

Been wanting to try this place for years... never found the right moment ....until now. Quite a special place for a 10th wedding anniversary lunch. Sitting on the terrace watching the world go by. The food was excellent and the service lovely.... don't miss the Bailey's tiramisu....best I have ever had!

Love, love, love this restaurant! I've been here a few times, and it never fails to impress me. The staff are very friendly and polite and not 'overly' attentive, which is great. The food is amazing, and every dish I've tried has been delicious. They offer a lovely selection of decent wines and cocktails. I'll continue to eat here with different friends as everyone I've taken here has equally enjoyed this restaurant. The fillet steak is divine and cooked to perfection as all the dishes are.

A simple menu but very well cooked and good quality food. Staff and service excellent, good atmosphere and a choice of sitting indoors or outside.

Wonderful food and service. Would highly recommend.

Absolutely delicious food! The staff were very friendly and helpful. And every dish that we had was absolutely delicious. Drinks were lovely as well me and my daughter had a moctail and they were definitely flavoursome!!!

My wife and I absolutely love this restaurant, it's fantastic! The staff are fabulous, the food is always high quality and delicious, and the service is impeccable. The owners have worked so hard and continue to do so to ensure that your dining experience is delightful. Thank you to everyone that works to make us feel so valued.

Pasta was over-cooked. Orrible sin for Italians. Service so so; some waiters very gentle and professional, others should do another job.

Excellent food, perfect service, very friendly exceeded expectations delicous cake presented for my sons 21st celebration Thank you highly recommended!

Absolutely wonderful. So friendly, accommodating and helpful, they made my father's birthday really special. Can't recommend this restaurant enough xx thank you!!!

Excellent all round - delicious food, fabulous service

Love this little gem in Tenterden, carbonara was a little too salty, but resolved swiftly without any fuss.

Excellent food, very good staff, when the weather is good has a seating area at the front of the restaurant.

Fantastic little authentic Italian restaurant. The food was beautiful at a respectable price too. We struggled to get a taxi home at the end of the night so one of the staff kindly offered to drive us home as his shift was finishing shortly. I couldn't recommend this place enough.

Service 5/5 - very attentive and nice waiters. Food 3/5 - the buratta was fridge cold. The tuna was a bit overcooked. However the paste del mar was delicious. Beautiful tirsmisu, could have more amaretto Ambience 3/5 - there was a draft. And the deco was very colorful and messy. 75 pounds for one starter, two mains, one dessert, one beer and two glasses of wine

Smashing venue food and service

Amazing service and amazing food! The Italian waiter that served a table of 8 of us was amazing!

We were there for a wedding reception , the food was outstanding and a great range of wines. A nice ambience and caring attentive staff but not over bearing. I had the Melon and Ham,Risotto and Tiramisu. The presentation and portion size was just right. My wife had the Prawn cocktail with Cravettes for starter which was very popular. Montalbano has got to be one of the best Italian restaurants in Kent and further a field.

Lovely Tenterden Italian (authentic) restaurant.

Excellent meal, great service, reasonably priced.A busy evening but none of the staff were at all flustered, true proffesionals!

We came for dinner last Saturday with some friends that had visited before.. Atmosphere was very authentic & welcoming..food good,service was very good,as one of the party had a word with the manager/ owner who was very accommodating with our request,all dealt with very professionally.. All in all a very nice place!

Lovely food! Great service. Not very disabled friendly.

Haven’t been here for 5 years since I was last in Tenterden but just as good. Lovely seafood pasta, best I’ve enjoyed in the UK.

Lovely. Great food. Excellent service. Managed to get us in even though we had booked then cancelled as we couldn't get there at the booked time. Will go again and again and again!!

Fantastic food, ambience and service. Blown away by this establishment, if you are in town I am confident there is no where better. The manager Salvatore was professional and attentive, his team are faultless. 6* if possible

We went here after a lovely afternoon at Chapel Down, and it continued the theme of an amazing day. The atmosphere, food, and service were simply excellent. Trip Advisor rated it No1 in Tenterden and easy to see why. Worth a visit for a taste of Italy!

Amazing place... amazing food and professional service... unforgettable day....grazie Adriano to make it so special... strongly recommend this experience.

Absolutely loved our experience here. Myself and my partner were in the area for the Chapel Down Vineyard experience and had to make a last minute call on where to eat. Safe to say it was a brilliant decision. The waiter (who unfortunately I did not get the name of) was polite and picked the seafood linguine for me. I can’t fault the place and I will definitely be returning if I’m ever in the area again. Superb

Wow wow wow! That’s all I can say! Came here last minute with my partner as were staying in a local hotel after have a Vineyard tour and tasting at Chapel down and needed somewhere to have some dinner. Was absolutely delicious and so authentic! The staff were so friendly and lovely and honestly couldn’t recommend enough! If you’re visiting or if you’re local go try Montalbano! So lovely to also find out it is a family run business, such a lovely place and you can tell they all feel like such a family! I will definitely be planning to visit again!!!

Great! Food prepared and presented well, personnel attentive

Amazing food. Amazing atmosphere. And the Italian guy named Adriano was superb. Good job.

We took some friends there for lunch to thank them for their hospitality and had a terrific day. The staff were super friendly and knowledgeable and we were well looked after. The good weather meant we could sit outside which was a bonus. The menu was varied and everyone enjoyed their choices. Can recommend definitely.

We had my partners 60th birthday surprise meal at this fabulous restaurant, the staff, food, everything was awesome, Thank you all so much From Suzie usher.

We had lunch here on a Saturday. The restaurant was quite full but we had a relaxed and quiet meal because of the excellent way the tables were set out. The food was also very good and the service exemplary. My only caveat are the prices - this is a great restaurant but a couple of pounds off the high-end prices would be good.

Had a lovely meal with great service and a nice relaxed atmosphere, it was recommended to us and we would certainly recommend to others, thank you

What a find! Food is superb. Will definitely be going again. Loved it.

I recently visited and was absolutely blown away by the experience. The food was incredible - every dish was expertly prepared with fresh, high-quality ingredients that were bursting with flavor. The pasta was cooked to perfection, and the sauces were so delicious that I couldn't help but ask for extra bread to soak up every last drop. The wine list was extensive and the staff was incredibly knowledgeable, offering great recommendations that perfectly complemented our meal. The ambiance was cozy and welcoming, and the service was top-notch. I felt like royalty from the moment I walked in the door. All in all, Montalbano is a must-visit for anyone who loves authentic Italian food. I can't wait to go back!

A packed restaurant for a foray into Sicilian cuisine. The staff were extraordinarily attentive for our table of five, one a 9 year old. The food courses were delicious. A lovely evening save for rather steep wine prices. They need a house red and white at something less than £20. Bellisimo

Very nice wine list. Good specials.

My husband came across this little gem when looking for somewhere to take me for a birthday meal and he couldn't have found a better place. Well worth the drive, food was amazing and the staff fantastic even taking the time to check parking and calling us an hour before to let us know that there was plenty of spaces in the car park. Brilliant service will definitely be returning

It was my wifes Birthday on Wednesday, I was looking for a new restaurant to try as we would be in the lower half of kent for the day. As soon as i read the reviews for Montalbano i booked a table for two. To say that it was a good choice is a slight understatment, what a place. So to start with, the waitress (R32 Girl) was jolly, efficient and very knolwedgeable about the menu. Her recomendations were spot on and we decided on three of them before we even glanced at the menu. The Mussels were excellent, as were the Prawns and Crab. Both the Lamb cutlets and my Venison T-Bone steak (didnt know that was a thing) were cooked perfectly and was maybe the nicest meal i have ever had. My wifes Ameretto dessert was "addictive" her words, and my Tiramisu was huge and the best i have ever had. Cocktails were perfect with my Alcohol free Gin cocktail could have been served in a pint glass, it was lovely. My wife was given a free limoncello (I dont drink) to finish off the evening, I was so full i could not even manage an espresso. Thank you to the excellent staff, you made this birthday treat one of the best. To anyone thinking of booking a table here i can wholehartedly recommend them 100%. We will be returning as often as we can... P.S It was excellent value for money :)

10 out of 10, first time visit and will be going again.

Nice place. Nice staff nice food

Brilliant authentic food and great service, loved it!

Superb lunch. Fantastic atmosphere and excellent service. Our second time here and we will be going back again.

Lovely experience With good food and great service spent with wonderful friends

Very enjoyable meal atmosphere was relaxing and friendly, serving was quick and very friendly

Had a fab meal at this restaurant with 6 of my friends from York realy good food very friendly staff very quick service I would definatly recomend this place.***** 5stars

Another fab meal this weekend. What made it extra special was the service from the lovely waitress Sam. What an asset she is to Montalbano! Sam was kind friendly yet professional and really knew her stuff. Will be back and hope we get Sam again

Excellent. Our party of six thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Beautifully cooked, well presented and excellent service from Samantha. Calves liver was a stand out dish.

Food ok but prices crazy popped in yesterday for a quick lunch the lunch special was for two course around £24 . As we where in a hurry we only had the main meal a flat piece of chicken and a very small salad of tomatoes carrot and cucumber one coke and water as i was driving the bill was £46.85 . Will not be back

We came here for our wedding anniversary on the strength of good reviews. Overall we were really disappointed. The service is great but the food underwhelming, decidedly average and frankly not what one would expect of Italian cooking. We started with Tomato bruschetta which was made with tasteless tomatoes and the arancini which were utterly bland. We followed with Chicken Calabrese which was a chicken breast served in a gelatinous gravy with a few pieces of pepper and roast potatoes- no tomato, no olive, no sausage, no discernible garlic or herb - nothing which made it Italian . Basically a roast dinner without any veg. We also had the beef stew which my husband described as perfectly ‘nice’ but again nothing which elevated it to an Italian beef stew - no pancetta, no herbs, served with plain mash - no garlic, no pecorino. If I’d wanted basic food i could have made at home I would have stayed home or gone to the pub.

The reviews on here say it all. Am lucky my mum lives so close because it makes the choice so easy. The service is always on point and genuine. The food is well portioned and looks wonderful. Real Sicilia and delicious coffee. The mother's day menu below had great choices. Grazie Mille.

Excellent food served but superb staff that are always friendly without being overpowering. 4th visit and will certainly be back again