Old Gate Inn in Canterbury

Beware! They have employed a very aggressive private firm to police their car park. It is not pay and display and it is easy to miss that registration inside the pub is now necessary. I have been going there off and on for years when no registration was required but the last time it cost me £100 because I did not see the new system. The company demanding the money were implacable. That was for 20 minutes of parking. Pretty hefty for a cup of coffee on the way to the Canterbury Hospice. I will never go to the Old Gate again, that is certain.

Amazing food and service!! I had the roast turkey with the Camembert to start. Kelly made our meal extra special with her amazing service.

We had a lovely du say lunch here today. Great food and really attentive, polite, efficient servers. Seems really well managed. Will be back!

Had an amazing meal with the most lovely server Danni! So lovely and chatty, took care of every requirement we had and made the whole experience a pleasure. The food was also amazing! Thank you very much to everyone and Danni! ☺️

Very attentive staff, food came out in a timely manner and great selection on the menu - would recommend.

5/5 every time I visit. Staff friendly, helpful and always prepared to go the extra mile. Choice of food fantastic and the team are always prepared to accommodate any specific requirements.

The food was absolutely fantastic, and presented with a smile as always. Love this place and would highly recommend it.

Friendly greeting. The main, hunters chicken, was very good. Chips OK, not what I'd expect when I read they were triple cooked. The desert, lemon tart, was OK but the blueberries used as garnish were inedible. Skins far too thick. The service, once the friendly greeting was out of the way, was slow. Maybe single female syndrome? A couple who arrived after me were served and had eaten and left before I'd finished eating my main. I got fed-up of waiting for the bill, so went to the bar to ask for it. An hour and a half for 2 courses is just too slow.

We booked for Sunday Lunch and were not disappointed. Friendly staff, excellent service and tasty food and plenty of gravy!! The atmosphere was really nice too. My husband thought the roast potatoes were a bit hard but I didn't have a problem with them. Not sure if they were roast new potatoes. I would definitely return and also recommend the pub to friends and family.

Friendly service, good food and decent value

great spot for campervans and friendly staff.

Absolutely lovely place, I have often gone there for drinks but never had a meal there until today my sisters were treating me to a birthday meal. Service was great, the team were very friendly and the prices were also very good. We definitely be going back again

Overall this restaurant gets a 3 star rating and this is due to the quality of most of the food. If you could rate 3.5 I would but unfortunately you can't. For the price you pay, we thought it would be better quality. For example, the burger patty was dry and the burger had a soggy bottom bun, on the roast dinner the vegetables were really undercooked, the broccoli was old and discoloured, there was minimal gravy and the cauliflower cheese was watery etc. However, the mushrooms side, brownie, fruit crumble, and most of the roast meat was nice. The waiting staff seemed a bit disinterested throughout which contributes to a lower rating as well. The ceiling above the tables also had wide cracks and fresh and old damp marks over. Not great to have over food. It needs a little more than a paint job. Unfortunately I can't recommend it here mainly due to the price and inconsistent quality. There is much better food elsewhere for the same price or less.

Perfectly placed for the park and Ride . We will be back

Lovely Breakfast, kept me going all day

Walked in - didn't book ahead - plenty of space Friday lunchtime. Excellent food, refreshing beer! Food arrived quite soon after ordering and was piping hot! Staff were friendly and welcoming. Update: Nothing has changed - all excellent!!

Visited here for some drinks, car park was pitch black and no signs to be seen, ordered at the bar and saw no signs about parking and staff didn’t ask. Received a £100 parking fine for not giving bar staff my number plate. How ridiculous that customers get fined for using your pub.

Great service from all the staff, thank you. Food was gorgeous and arrived in perfect time.

I didn't eat, but it was very welcoming, clean and the staff very helpful.

We made reservations weeks ago for a party of 9 as we're visiting family. We arrived on time and placed our orders. An hour later we had not received any of our starters. After talking with our waitress it seemed as if they were understaffed and overbooked. I counted at least two other large birthday groups in addition to other small tables besides us. It took another hour for us to receive our mains, this had a direct impact on us choosing not to also get dessert. Out of our party not many of us were very satisfied with our meals. Our waitress was great but most everything else felt very lacking.

Question how many aura points do you think they lost when they made a 90 year old woman wait for 2 hours for food? The waitress was nice but the service was slow and the food was sub par. And just an FYI in the manager's words "He can only carry three BLOODY plates at a time" which in my opinion is a beta cuck move on his part. But if chat doesn't want to gain any aura he can stick to his three plates instead of being a true sigma and carrying 4 plus. Just a suggestion fam, I'm out. 🫡🖖

The service was first class. The staff were very polite and attentive. Unfortunately on this occasion some of the meals were not to the usual standard. Ribeye steak was rather tough and the chicken schnitzel was not to the usual standard.

can't really comment they were a chef down so only had one drink and left

Ideal location for our weekend visit to Canterbury for granddaughter's 21st birthday. Quick to get here from A2 after long drive from Lincolnshire. Chris is an excellent host and made us feel at home immediately. Comfortable room and cosy seating for breakfast and drinks. Both full English and continental breakfasts were superb (on successive days I might add!). Plenty of parking including Blue Badge spaces near entrance. Nothing was too much trouble for Chris and Christine and other staff.

Pleasant staff, good menu, nice surroundings.

Booking was easy, seated as requested. No pressure on ordering, dinner was absolutely gorgeous, both me and my best friend enjoyed our main, pie of the day and a 8oz sirloin steak. Pudding was simply scrumptious too. Thank uou for a pleased evening. Staff were brilliant 👏

Food was really good and very tasty. Thankyou to everyone who made our family meal so nice.

Exceptional food, staff were amazing and inviting, they didn’t rush our meal and nothing was a problem. Thankyou for a great evening.

To sum it up briefly: very, very friendly waitresses serve really excellent, freshly prepared food in a cozy atmosphere. You don't need to promise anything more and the other reviews speak for themselves :-) However, it is best to reserve a table as the pub is large but also very busy. It is right next to the P&R parking lot. We like to use this as the start or end point of a stay in England, as Dover can be reached in 30 minutes and you can stay overnight here in a motorhome.

Great food and excellent service. Will definitely recommend to friends and family. We definitely be coming back soon.

James greeted us and showed us to our table. He was polite, friendly and attentive. Food was well presented, hot and very appetising. Very good selection on the menu. This was our third visit this year and we've never been disappointed.

Danni was a very friendly and helpful. She was efficient and helpful through out our meal. The meal was lovely and the service from danni excellent

Great food great evening and well supported by Danni

Great service and very tasty, hot food. Excrllent value for money and a cosy setting. Thanks Danni for making the evening relaxed and easy.

Excellent service from Danni, after a long drive of 4 hours it was great to be greeted by an enthusiastic member of the team, a credit to Vintage Inns. Food and beer was excellent, promptly served with attentive service.

We ate here with our children at the end of our vacation and were thrilled. Great service, cozy atmosphere, friendly service. Extra to mention: fresh salad, fresh vegetable sticks instead of the usual peas at children's meals, homemade mayo, ketchup in a bottle instead of in a bag, special requests no problem, very child-friendly. We will definitely come back the next time we visit the island, and that is guaranteed. Thank you for the good evening!

The 2 day stay has been very enjoyable, breakfast fresh and lovely, all the staff have been great and friendly, location is superb. Definitely come again. Also dinner was lovely,and the young man who served us was very nice, Ryan or Sam was his name,

Visiting Friends last week great food and fantastic service by Ellie!

Great visit our server was fantastic and our little pooch couldn’t love her any more! Thank you Ellie!

Not eaten here for nearly 20 yrs and I was impressed with the food decor and service

Turned up as a couple early on a Thursday evening and was warmly greeted. Hadn't booked but this wasn't a problem with a table allocated right away. Had a very enjoyable tasty meal served by enthusiastic staff. Would recommend.

Fin and the team were excellent tonight

Eaten here 2 would go back to eat there😔

Lovely lunch, just popped in and Sam was fantastic at accommodating us,

Sam was our waiter he was very polite and helpful

It was a successful evening. With nice service, very attentive. Thank you Sam!

This is the second evening meal my girlfriend and I, have thoroughly enjoyed here recently ! Last night, 20/8/24, we were greeted upon arrival by the friendly barman, as before, and taken to our table. We were served by Ryan, again, a very friendly young man, who took our order, and was very attentive as to our requirements. The whole experience as before, was really enjoyable, and our chosen food,was well cooked, and delicious. The inn itself, is clean and inviting, and one is made to feel quite at home, immediately upon arrival. We will definitely return in the not too distant future, and would highly recommend this well above average establishment to others. I have no hesitation whatsoever, awarding The Old Gate Inn, five stars !

Excellent meal served by Sam. I am a fan of the Signature Burger with jalapeno peppers as an extra and a large orange juice and lemonade.

Had an excellent experience visiting here, had a steak and roast dinner which was cooked to perfection. Our waitress Ellie was very attentive and ensured we had everything we need. Highly recommend visiting if in the area!

I visited here 5 years ago and nothing has changed. This was early afternoon. The food was over an hour coming. 2 ordered fish and chips. The batter on the fish was so burnt that I was afraid I would break my teeth. I ended up just eating what little fish that still managed to survive. I'm up at 3am suffering for the grease I ate. My friend lives close by and we went there for convenience. Never again.

Few delicious Peroni’s in the sun

Lovely high quality food and 5 stars for Sam and Tom's service

Good food, service excellent, very accomodating towards our 2 little dogs

We have thoroughly enjoyed regular breakfast meals at the Old Gate Inn. The food has been excellent , the surroundings clean and tidy and the staff very helpful. We also had Sunday lunch there recently and could not fault the quality and quantity of the food and service.

Couldn't have had a better time, even at Christmas

Cozy pub with a wide selection of food and drinks.

We stayed one night, the staff were so friendly and helpful. We eat in the restaurant, the food was amazing, well worth it. Our room was comfortable and nicely done out. We were in the wife of Bath as room names came from the Canterbury Tales. Well worth keeping in mind if you are Canterbury way

Stopped over at the motorhome aire. Went into Canterbury but decided to get the bus back and eat at the Old Gate. We were very disappointed with the Penang Curry, and the Fishcakes weren't up to much. They tasted ok but was let down by the lack of veg. It was quite expensive for the quality of the food.

Nice enough pub. Food could be better but overall not bad. Let down by the lack of seasoning.

Great food great service . Dog friendly. Fantastic place

A beautiful and timely restaurant on the south coast of England. We spent 2 nights here and were completely happy. The breakfast was fabulous and the room was also very nice.

Sam was a great waiter and the food was delicious!

amazing place servers were so helpful

The dated visit was a disappointment compared to other visits. Food was below average, service was not good. Ordered more drinks when starters where finished yet we had to ask for them again AFTER we had finished our main course. Ordered dessert, around 30 minutes later the server came to ask us how we was enjoying our desserts to which i replied "what desserts? We're still waiting." Upon a visit to the restroom, i walked past 2 servers sitting down in chairs with their feet up on their phones WHILE we was still waiting for our drinks. Will NOT be returning to this place

Lovely food, very friendly staff especially Sam! I’d absolutely recommend!

Good food, Sam our waiter was exceptional, will definitely come here again.

Excellent food! Excellent service! Sam was brilliant!

A lovely place, great food and Sam was brilliant! Would recommend!

Sam’s service was excellent. Food was amazing!!

Sam our server was very attentive. Food good. Lovely atmosphere in the pub.

Sam was very attentive and we had a great time, thanka. Everything spot on

Really good place for lunch. Very good food and lovely staff.

I had rib eye steak requested medium rare. Came out medium. Was rather tough but good flavour. When the bill came the waiter asked if it was ok to load a service charge. We asked what percentage. The waiter said 5, 10 or 15 percent. We said 5 percent was ok but if we had just said yes to the service charge we would have been hit with a 15 percent increase . That was about 9 pound on top of the bill. My view is that the cost of the whole meal was fully inclusive of environment and service. Why pay extra. It costs enough. Food was not great. Never forget to input your car reg number in the computer at the bar otherwise you'll get stung with a parking charge. ANPR . . Last time we went to the Venue it was good. This time we were dissaponted .

Lovely place for a meal,great service and friendly staff Plus dog friendly restaurant

Great afternoon feast. Very friendly staff and lovely surroundings. Will be back en route to France or Spain.

great food, friendly staff, good variety of menu choices, nice portion sizes.

Very nice meal. Laura our waitress was brilliant so helpful 🤩 thank you Laura 😃🙏

Found ourselves close to this venue after dropping off a family member at the local hospital and had not eaten lunch. We was unsure what to expect, but was we pleasantly surprised. We was served by a lovely friendly young lady named Ellie who was an absolute joy to chat with. We ordered the Steak and Ale Pie which arrived in good time with side vegetables and mash. We looked at each other and both said wow, what a pleasant surprise. Everything was just perfect and we will certainly be visiting again. We can only hope what we order next time is prepared, presented the same and is as enjoyable. Than you.

Very nice pub. The food was great, the price was right and the staff was great!

Always lovely when we come to the Old Gate Inn. Atmosphere, service and quality all rolled into one. Made to feel welcome as soon as you enter and until you leave! Thanks for everything x

Was a lovely experience with great food and great staff, especially Danni who was super lovely and went above and beyond for a birthday for us.

Amazing service thank you for making my birthday feel that little bit more special danni xx

Lovely food lovely service, Laura’s fantastic. Thank you very much

Lovely place to visit , friendly and polite staff members all round. Great beer garden too. Madri on tap, perfect! Did receive a PCN parking fine for £100 mind you, as a slight oversight with not realising I should’ve entered my vehicle reg on arrival to the bar. So if you can help with this that would be appreciated :)

Typical franchise pub, staff under pressure due to minimum staff.

Lovely meal at a very friendly inn, party of 15 plus pram made very welcome, and catered for . Lovely atmosphere .

Friendly helpful staff, delicious food, portions that will leave your jeans very tight afterwards!

Our server was very polite with a large table of ten . Got our order spot on !

Very nice food just a little expensive

Always a lot of fun! We stayed at this hostel 2 years ago and had great memories. So, on our way from York to Dover and an hour ahead of our schedule, I suggested a short stop. The interior has been lovingly and comfortably renovated. We always find this typical atmosphere of English inns: leather, wood, wool, open fire... With our buttocks barely placed on a bench, we were already thinking about a new stay to visit Kent, which is only a few steps away. hours from Brussels finally. To recommend without reservations!

Popped in for late lunch as in the area, fabulous food, attentive staff, can't wait to return when next in Canterbury. Highly recommend.

Pre dinner and drinks Michael bublè. This was literally the best choice ever made 😊 we were off to Michael bublè at the cricket ground, everyone else clearly had the same idea. Not only was this place packed the atmosphere was amazing, everyone happy, laughing clearly having a good time. Staff were upbeat, cheerful and most of all welcoming altho clearly rushed off their feet. Very well staffed and very well managed. The food was absolutely to die for 😋 best roast dinner I've had in a very long time. We were informed of a wait as it was very very busy but the wait wasn't even half as long as expected. Needless to say this started our evening off in the best possible way. Thank you so much the old gate you'll be seeing me again.

Really lovely place. Arrived a bit earlier than booked but still shown to our table. Food and service was excellent. Service was what I describe as 'non intrusive' meaning that they were fast, pleasant and not constantly hanging around. Food came out hot and it stayed that way until I finished mine. Music was proper background music as we were able to talk comfortably, even when they started to get busy. Lots of niches to sit in. Looking forward to going there again. It's mid to high in the price range for those who need to know.

Amazing place and amazing food. Please come in and have a look :) you won’t regret it! Best roast dinner around

Fantastic place and equally great service! Will be back.

Credit where credit is due 3 delicious roast dinners. Friendly helpful staff. Very good.

Great and friendly staff, food was quickly delivered and piping hot .not rushed to leave lovely experience all round. Highly recommended

Is always a lovely visit with friendly staff and thry always welcome my dogs and give them treats!

Absolutely amazing. Happened across this place after a dog walk; and needless to say. Our dogs weren't worn out from the walk and had a little play; spilt the water bowl; and yet the staff were so kind and accommodating. The food was exceptional- for mains and desserts. Couldn't believe they still did a Sunday roast close to 7pm. Ryan was an attentive host, and never left us waiting! 10/10

We had a fantastic meal here at The Old Gate Inn the service was really good and Laura who served us and looked after us all night was phonomenal she joined in with us and made our visit fun Thank you