Pilgrims Hall Restaurant in Tonbridge and Malling

We booked for a family afternoon tea, for around 50 people. We had plates of sandwiches and cakes, really lovely quality bread used and fillings were really nice. The coffee and tea were served in lovely cups and saucers with lovely tiered cake stands. The service was amazing, the servers polite and attentive. We are really grateful to Natalie the catering manager for such a lovely spread, so accommodating. The table cloths were beautiful, white laundered and the Pilgrims Hall itself is really lovely. If you are thinking of a place to hold a celebration do enquire, it was really good value for money and everyone commented on the quality of the food and drinks. My thanks to Kirsty for organising and being great at staying in touch to arrange the details. Plenty of parking and lovely walks around the Priory to walk off the lovely cakes. ❤️

Booked sunday lunch carvery only had one choice of meat chicken only .thought carvery has choice of meat. No alternative option All quite lapsed. Ovisually all food already cooked as all very quick . No finishing touches1 veg quite bland and over cooked. Feel it needs a bit more professional touch and waiterrwsses. Beautiful old building but very cold unpleasant Eating with your coat on . Sad as was so looking forward to it as regularly visitor .

We came for a walk around the friars in a Saturday morning amd then decided to stop here for a meal. The Pilgrims Hall offers a simple menu, good pritions for the price with friendly staff.

Booked here for the Sunday roast as a three generation Fathers Day meal. We’ve eaten here before as a couple so this was a bit of a risk. A risk worth taking!! It’s a very atmospheric place to eat and the food and service were excellent. We will be back!

I booked and met friends here for their Sunday Carvery a few weeks ago. Nice venue and tables laid out for our reservation. However that was as good as it got. Had to go up to the counter to get a drink, Ok. Staff were not “on the ball”. Orders for a starter taken, then we were asked if we wanted to go up for our carvery, well yes, once we had our starters! Strange! Then we were left quite a long time to go up for our meal, long after other tables that came in long after us. I had beef and I’m afraid lovely as it looked it was tough, very disappointing. One or two others had the beef and said the same so not just me. At the servery as I was given one, yes one parsnip I asked for another and was told, No only one per person, really? Trays of veg on the table OK but not really hot enough. Sorry Friars, overall not a great experience. Won’t be back for lunch.

Thank you to the kay Michele Wendy for the lovely take away afternoon tea a lovely selection of homemade cakes and sandwiches will definitely 100% be back for lunch and the cavery

Thank you very much to Michele and Kay for a lovely takeaway afternoon tea. We had a very tasty variety of homemade sandwiches, cakes and gluten free selection. Would highly recommend!

Beautiful setting, food was amazing, very festive and all hand made. Staff very friendly, a great little find. Will definitely be returning.

We stayed at the Friars after our sons wedding. Therefore we had breakfast at Pilgrims Hall . Although it’s not open to the general public for breakfast it is for lunch and dinner. The venue is beautiful (due to its age ). Breakfast is buffet style with plenty of choice. The cooked breakfast was plentiful both well cooked and presented .Offering good quality ingredients. There was also porridge. The staff were both friendly and efficient regularly replenishing the beverage table . We would not hesitate to try lunch or dinner here after our breakfast experience.

We were visiting this quiet haven of beauty and stopped at the Pilgrims Hall Restaurant. The food was really tasty and excellent value. My ham, egg and chips was £7 - and my wife's soup equally good value. The portions were very generous, the quality good and the setting warm and welcoming. Highly recommended.

Went to the friars on a Sunday morning and found the cafe and shop so busy so we t to the restaurant for a coffee and cake. Really nice environment. Will return. Have reserved our place for Christmas meal also.

Tranquil setting. Excellent food. The staff are very helpful, nothing seems to much trouble. Food portions are very generous but better still the food is excellent.

A genuinely ancient building. One can imagine pilgrims having their repast here over hundreds of years - as I believe they did, maybe looking at the same solid walls as you do now. Good home cooked food and friendly service and I gather also open when the main, larger, restaurant is shut.

Food at lunchtime was quite tasty, though menu is limited. Very old building with a lovely atmosphere. The restaurant is hidden away, nowhere near the teashop. It's worth searching for it!

We booked the Pilgrims Hall for a Christmas dinner with our best friends ( Not Christmas day ). This was a truly wonderful experience : The Pilgrims Hall was bedecked with tasteful decorations and the open fire was blazing and crackling : The waiters were really brilliant and looked as though they were enjoying the experience with us : So good we have booked for next year ( By the fire ) : Well done and thanks

A large group of U3A members enjoyed Christmas lunch here today. We had a tasty three course meal which was served on hot plates. The portions were just right for the members sitting with me. The waitresses were professional and very pleasant. Unfortunately one of the members was taken ill but the situation was handled well by the staff. I look forward to coming back.

Their isnt a lot of choice, the daily set menu is usually of the eat it-or-dont variety, but the food is well prepared, VERY fresh, and very enjoyable.

I prefer this historic old eating place when visiting the friars. It serves wholesome food in a location which has been welcoming pilgrims to the friars for, I believe, hundreds of tears. And you can almost imagine those old travellers standing by the thick old stone walls welcoming present day customers to a tasty repast

In the extensive grounds of the Friars, with four churches, including an outside church; tranquility area; pottery; upholstery and not forgetting a duck pond, this is a lovely café mainly attracting visitors to the churches (Although the denomination is Catholic the Friars welcomes worshipers of all faiths and denomination) or weekend attractions. Bright and and airy with extensive outside seating this is a lovely café for all tastes.Nearby carpark for those that wish to drop in.Popular with cyclists and a few walkers.

Excellent restaurant within the grounds of The Friars in Aylesford, food freshly cooked a clean old world building that at times the monks of the Friars can be seen in there.

This is a very, very special place and experience as you are in real Medieval surrounds and atmosphere. Breakfast is AT 08:15 - not "from"! but it is a huge freshly cooked delicious meal by wonderful friendly staff.

The hall is 13th century with a high gallery around the top (the gallery is a library). It was dressed with greenery, big tree and decorations around the wooden beams and banisters. They had a huge log fire burning as well so it was as warm as toast. The staff were efficient but warm and welcoming. It looked like a perfect Christmas setting.

Pasamos un fin de semana en los frailes y las tres comidas del día estaban incluidos en el precio. Todas las comidas son en el refectorio común que es un gran hall en un original edificio de estilo tudor. Acceso minusválidos no es un problema.

15 de nosotros llegamos con nuestras bicicletas para hacer un almuerzo organizado. Habíamos estado hábilmente asistidos por el Equipo de priory, quien había enviado e nosotros menús antes, a fin de que podíamos comprobar la orden de nuestros almuerzos.

Este es un sitio increíblemente bonito, pero lo mejor es llevar un picnic. Vinimos aquí con los niños y pedimos rollitos de salchicha para ellos. Esperamos media hora a pesar de que el restaurante estaba vacío. Cuando los rollos de salchicha llegamos estaban tan salada los niños no podían comer. La carne en sí era difícil y gristly.

Had excellent snack as tea room closed due to having roof Thatched. Good price and freshly made baguettes, not stingy on filling either. Nice pot of tea and being served in an Old fashioned china pot sure it made tea taste better.

Whilst exploring the Priory we stumbled upon the Pilgrims Hall Restaurant. Glad we went in as a unique and serene setting with friendly service, simple but tasty menu.

Disfrutamos de un agradable almuerzo aquí durante un día de entrenamiento para el trabajo. Buena variedad de opciones y el personal era muy amable y atento.

Had such a lovely afternoon here with my mother in law amazing homemade food and cakes very friendly staff will defo be booking up for a Sunday roast soon..we had chunky vegetable soup with crusty bread the soup was very tasty well seasoned along with the soup was a very generous amount of bread with butter..we ordered a sausage roll for my little one and was deliciously homemade best sausage roll very well presented with garnish of salad on the side.. For after we had ordered a pot of tea that came out in gorgeous teapots and China cups very beautiful and very cheap a pot of tea £1.60 coffee was lovely had the choice of instant or filtered tea.. Along with our beverages we had a slice of delicious homemade lemon drizzle cake which is a much have it was very very yummy..the food here is very nice and to top it all the prices are amazingly cheap so head on down to the pilgrims for good food and friendly faces.

El café y los pasteles eran una buena relación calidad-precio y muy sabrosa, gran ambiente debido a la edad del edificio; una pena que las mesas no eran limpiadas, esto hizo que el lugar querido.

Agradable lugar, pero muy poca variedad de comida comida estilo. No tostado sándwich de jamón y queso??también una opción muy básico de bebidas calientes, café incluso tiendas ordinarias de café de Tesco, Sainsbury puede ofrecer café con leche, capuchino o otra opción de tés.

Lovely food that was good value. An excellent venue and a very beautiful area. all dietary requirements seemed to be really well catered for.

We enjoyed our 2nd visit to the Pilgrims Hall (with friends this time) just as much as our first. The food was simple but lovely, home cooked, delicious and the staff really friendly. You can almost imagine the presence in that ancient hall -which comprises the restaurant - the various pilgrims who had been to Aylesford Friary over the hundreds of years. Then afterwards feed the Friary ducks and black swans, visit the pottery, or maybe even see the occasional Big Cat which has reportedly been seen the grounds over the years (but not by us). A lovely place to eat and to enjoy a tranquil day before the crowds arrive in the 'holiday' season. I hope that they now stay open all year round in conjunction with the main restaurant at the Friary - there's so much history and atmosphere in that Pilgrims Hall.

We had an excellent meal and all the staff were so kind. What a beautiful setting and lovely hall to celebrate such a memorable occasion. My mother was over the moon. Lovely atmosphere and all guests enjoyed it so much. Thank you once again for making that special occasion so remarkable.

Even though there were a lot of people in the restaurant, especially at breakfast, the food was of good quality and it had the home cooked taste!!

We used a Groupon voucher and are glad we stumbled on this restaurant. We would never have known of its existence. We had difficulty finding the restaurant in the dark but it is set in beautiful private grounds and the buildings are awesome. The restaurant building itself is spacious and the natural stone gives a feeling of granduer. You cannot park directly outside the restaurant so those with mobility problems should bear this in mind. The food was of good quality and when we asked for bread a generous supply was provided. The wine was good and although the service was a little on the slow side when each course arrived it was well worth waiting for. The dining experience made us feel as if it is a new restaurant and the staff are finding their feet. We wish them luck and are looking forward to our next visit.

I have had several meals at Pilgrims Hall including two groupon meal deals, and have found all meals to be first class. The chef has a real culinary flair and the presentation of the food is excellent. The dining area and setting of the restaurant also could not be better. My one surprise is the lack of advertising, as with a bit of help, this could become a very successful restaurant.

Well this was our second visit, and we couldn't fault it. Last time I gave this restaurant a 4, but this time it deserves a 5! All the issues in my previous review have been addressed, such as having my coat taken from me as soon as I arrived, and the place was so much warmer on one of the coldest nights of the year! The service received was second to none, and made us feel very special, nothing was too much trouble. I think the Hengist now has serious competition!

i have visited on 2 occasions and decided to go again on 2nd feb 13.the meal was excellent and we had an excellent evening..the food is very good but nouvelle cuisine so not large portions,, we find three courses ample...beer and wine not bad price,,its a charity run business so if ime honest maybe not up to top london service.but we like the place and will be backits unique.enjoy!..

My sister and I got a voucher through Groupon to take our parents for a meal. We missed the turning for the lane that leads you up to the Friars, but once we found it it was straight forward enough. Once we had parked up we were unsure about where to go as you could not see the little signs until you were on top of them. The setting of this restaurant is stunning, a beauitful place.We walked up to the door and it was opened immediately by the maitre de who was very welcoming and friendly. He allowed us to choose where we sat and brought the menu over for us to look through. Im a bit surprised that people have complained about the lack of decor, but it is a beautiful Grade 1 listed building and to be honest I do not feel it needs added decor as the building itself is gorgeous. It is a working monastary and needs to remain minimalistic. Yes there were occasions when the door was opened and the cold draught came through but I do not see how this can really be combatted.The voucher we had was for a xmas meal and ran out at the end of January. When I had called mid Jan to book a table they were fully booked until 2nd of February so this was extended. When we were seated we were pleased to find out that the xmas menu had finished so we could order from the 'normal' menu. I had spicy parsnip soup to start which was a very small portion, but gorgeous. For the main I had wild mushroom tagallitelli, again very small portion but gorgeous and a citrus tart for dessert which was amazing, just disappointed it was such a small slice! All of us enjoyed our meals but agreed that we would not have paid the full cost if we had not had the voucher as the portion sizes were not enough to leave you feeling full.The evening was lovely and we really enjoyed it. My mum loves history so adored the buildings and grounds which we had a quick look round when we left, but it was too dark to see it too well. We have agreed to go back in the summer, not for a meal but to look round the stunning buildings and gardens and to try the tea rooms! The staff were excellent and all very friendly and helpful. I would recommend a visit to anyone who loves history and good food. Although the portion sizes are small and its a little expensive for us normally, its worth a visit on a special occasion and to help support the monastary.

We were given this meal for free by Groupon after a terrible experience at another unrelated establishment and I have to say a big thank you to them for introducing us to this lovely restaurant. We would happily have paid the full price. The location was excellent and the service could not be faulted. My lamb was cooked perfectly and the lemon tart was delicious.The wine was very reasonably priced at £5 for a large glass or £15 for a bottle. Looking at the menu all the dishes seem good value.The only improvement that could be made is better signs to help you find it.I would definitely recommend you give this a try.

good service ,cold poor heating ,overpriced small portion ,lovely location,Will not be returning.The price charged does not reflect value ,the friends we dined with stopped for chips on the way home as they were still hungry.If smaller plates were used the meal would look larger but they are still not filling .The price of drinks was expensive not good value!!!

I was gifted a meal here after a terrible experience with Groupon elsewhere in Kent.I went with a friend and we had the Festive menu. There was a great choice of starters, mains and desserts, something for everyone. The staff were very welcoming when we arrived and the decor in keeping with the whole Friary / Priory, stunning!!I had the goats cheese starter and Salmon as a main, the chef actually sent someone to investigate whether or not we were vegetarian / Pescetarian before putting bacon onto the Goats cheese, which was great attention to detail. The main was served on a very yummy bed of crushed potatoes all food was beautifully presented and very tasty. The portion sizes excellent, I could manage a dessert without feeling too stuffed!!Wine by the glass was very reasonable too (a must as it really is in the middle of nowhere so driving is essential). At the end of the meal the chef came and introduced himself and asked for feedback. Myself and my friend were both very pleased with every aspect. He showed us the a la carte and Chefs Tasting menu for our opinions, both looked great with a good choice of foods.I would not hesitate to recommend this restaurant to anyone, and would definitely return.The only negative I could find was the difficulty in finding it if you do not know the area, the signing is non-existent, but I was told signs had been ordered.

Had booked a meal here on a cold snowy night. Apparently all other diners had cancelled and we were the only people here. The restaurant is in the most beautiful place and is stunning. We were given a guided tour of the library above the dining room. The food was gorgeous, the waiter was friendly and welcoming. I would not hesitate to recommend the Pilgrims Hall as a lovely restaurant in a working monastery

We purchased the 3 course Christmas menu from Groupon for £29 for 2. Had to ask where the restaurant was at Reception and were pointed to a door which when we got closer said Pilgrim Hall. The door was opened before we got near it and we were greeted with a warm and friendly welcome by our waiter. We were seated and ordered our wine and food. The food was hot and delicious, parsnip soup lovely, turkey escalope moist and succulent and the chocolate torte with cherry sorbet was divine. The waiter attended to our every need and we thoroughly enjoyed our experience. We will definitely return.

Having dodged the pitholes in the carpark in the pouring rain and darkness I was wondering where on earth is this restaurant! On arrival another couple also had trouble working out which door. No signs anywhere! This said we were surprised at how charming the building is. It was very warm with candles aglow and staff were friendly. Only wished they had told us how things worked but hey, we had a Groupon meal for 2 - the only issue was that the turkey was a bit dry and tough more like a steak and the xnas pud far too subtle needed more booze but all in all cant grumble. Lovely place would return some time. Definitely worth a try.

First time at the Pilgrim's Hall - WHY!!! what a lovely evening, excellent food in humble surroundings. Nigel the chef made time to speak to the diners, as did Jo the maitre de. Will definately be taking friends next time - this is a place to share with special people. Give it a go and help them help support our heritage.

We visited this restaurant using a Groupon Voucher which offered half price on their Christmas menu. It was a good job we did because had it been their full price I would have complained.The truth is the food is OK, but nothing to get over excited about and as usual with all these places its all Nouvelle cuisine. In other words you don't get much for your money. My starter consisted of some minute prawns (UK Shrimps to you and me) on some Rocket leaves; my wife fared a little better having Goats cheese with a salad.Being seasonal I chose the Turkey option. However when it arrived it consisted of three small slices of what I believed to be Turkey crown - Oh and when I say small, I do mean small. To bulk it out a little there was a slice of potato and possibly a carrot, but I had a job to see where it was! All In all, if your looking for value I suggest you look elsewhere.

i have visited this restaurant in a group of four and two..both times the food was excellent.if u want something with atmosphere and superb service and food u cant go wrong..wine is available for £14 bottle so not silly pricing.try it.

Fabulous evening. The staff were very attentive and looked after us very well. The lamb wasmarvellous and the whole atmosphere was outstanding. The venue was very comfortable considering it was a very cold evening. This is our second visit and we can't wait wait for our next visit. Thank you very much.

Returned here tonight for the Christmas menu (and my birthday) having thoroughly enjoyed a groupon visit earlier this month. Big mistake!!- restaurant so cold and draughty two of our party never took their coats off- initially sat in a waiting area rather than taken to table- someone came to take our food order before being given menus - starters all quite enjoyable but very small portions- then followed a long, long, long, long wait for main course, all the while shivering in the cold- when we queried the delay we were told there had been lots of staff changes recently including chef and restaurant manager (who we had been very impressed with on our first visit)- we were literally on verge of leaving when main course finally arrived. Without exception they were all cold. Evening ruined by now. We made the decision to leave without eating main course - have never done that before!Don't know what on earth was going on tonight but strongly suggest that staffing issues, heating and general organisational skills are urgently resolved! Should add that our waitress did her best in clearly difficult circumstances.

This is an amazing place. So beautiful and tranquil. You feel so relaxed, the buildings are superb. The restaurant was very welcoming. The Christmas menu was excellent. Perfectly cooked. Really attentive staff and helpful staff. We even had an history lesson for the chef as we walked across the court yard. Will definitely be going back .

Like many, we visited as a result of buying a Groupon voucher. We were promptly greeted and seated and service was fast. With regards to the coures I would agree that the duck terrine is a little bland. The rest of the courses were fine and enjoyable but I also feel that bread should accompany a meal. The PR's response of 'bread is not served at a fine dining establishment' is not correct in my opinion as I have worked as a travel PR and had the fortune of eating at numerous fine dining restaurants, which do serve bread which is freshly baked. A lot of fine dining establishments also tend to serve an amuse bouche which Pilgrims Hall doesn't but at the end of the day I didn't pay a lot for what was a good meal so this doesn't really bother me.Would I go again? Probably not for the restaurant as I wasn't bowled over by the food, but maybe to visit The Friars as an attraction in its own right.

We took my son and daughter in law for the 6 course taster menu. Nice setting but once in the dining hall poor decor and self service hot cabinets on show, presumably for the friars meals but could have been screened off for what is billed a 'fine dining experience'. Average greeting and seated. Waited nearly 15 minutes before we were asked if we wanted a drink and the waiter was clearly lacking in the experience department. First course finally arrived after nearly an hour. One hour? for a cold course that clearly had been made up during the day. No bread was offered and when I requested it, it was two slices from a supermarket sliced loaf. Fine Dining. Certainly not, and the rest of the courses came similarly slow, food bland except for the sea bass that was OK. All very poorly seasoned and courses not dressed. (the duck terrine was a slice of tasteless pap with a bit of stale greenery to the side not of us ate it all) All courses were just slammed down on the table to the point where we were beginning to find it funny - just like fawlty towers. Drink was spilled on my daughter in law with no apology until we pointed it out to him! Thank goodness we found our sense of humour, else we would have been cross. Fortunately, we had Groupon vouchers that made it half the usual price - we would NEVER pay full price for this poor offering. We did point out some of these things to the manager, which he took on board but seemed clueless as to how to remedy. He did say they usually made bread but the chef had not had time (!!!!???!!!) At least buy some artisan bread from a local shop?? The Hengist runs a tasting menu at a similar price - more elegant, proper service and much better food. Never again! (If you do go DO NOT sit near the door as it is very cold especially with smokers in and out) We do understand we visited in the early days of opening but a restaurant should not offer what it cannot deliver.

As others have said - not easy to find as it's quite dark with many trees and few lights. As we approached however a door was held open and we were called to by the excellent Laura. It's an amazing space - a huge galleried room with a fantastic roof. Our table was right in line with the door unfortunately which, when opened sent a whoosh of cold air in our direction. I would request a different table next time. Our voucher (Groupon) was for the tasting menu(real price £59.00!!). Our bottle of white Rioja (£20.00) seemed to complement all the courses well and was a good choice. Food all very well presented and tasty. Laura and the rest of the team were very professional and tap water was offered. Would return if we are lucky enough to get another special offer.

When we arrived it was raining heavily and very dark. There were several other people trying to find the restaurant. We saw a brightly lit room full of people, which we entered but that was a private party. We kept walking round the courtyard and eventually stumbled on the restaurant. There is a sign right outside the restaurant but it isn't lit and you can't see it until you reach the restaurant, it needs to be sign posted from the car park! On arrival we were met by a very pleasant Maitre'D, shown to our table, but he didn't take our coats. We were expected just to hang them on our chair! As I had quite a long heavy coat I did ask him to hang it up which wasn't a problem, but all the same I do expect my coat to be taken from me. I agree with others that the food and service was lovely. The tasting menu was delicious, and well presented, and I would visit again

We visited for the Groupon Taster Menu on 9th October. What a stunning location. We did think the restaurant should be sign posted more clearly. This could be such a wonderful restaurant, but the evening chill had set in and the heating not working very well.However, we really enjoyed the menu, and had to rest after course no. 4 to enjoy the wine and the ambience of the place. We savoured the food, it was excellent, and the chef found time to come and explain how the meal was prepared and the ingredients it included.All the staff were friendly and welcoming and could not do enough to help and guide us through.It seemed that the development of the restaurant was in the early stages, but they are getting there and it will be a venue worth remembering and returning to.We came away saying that we would happily return for a further visit once they had had the time to get the teething problems sorted out.It would be worth visiting the Friary during the day, they have many buildings open to the public and admission to most is free of charge. It is a beautiful place!

We visited here on Saturday night for a Groupon 6 course tasting menu - from start to finish, I think we were 1 hour; we'd barely finished 1 course when another was brought along. The staff however were nice and professional. The building is amazing - such a gem but so very easily spoiled by the cheap, tacky leather chairs and the very sparse dressing of the room. It needs something to compliment and soft the stone of the walls and someone who knows about period buildings needs to do this - could be such a warm and inviting restaurant. It was freezing on Saturday. The "hot plates" that sit at the end of the room make it feel just one step up from a cafe, not a fine dining experience, and 90% of the food had clearly been prepared during the day, left in the fridge and served as guests came in - this meant things were too cold to taste whereas they should have been at room temperature. I would LOVE to make this a local haunt of mine as everything about it has so much promise, but it needs a real professional to go in and take this place in hand; both the food and the atmosphere/design. I'm pleased we tried the place out but would have been desperately disappointed should we have paid £60 per person for what we had.If you want a special occasion meal or evening, seriously, think twice before going here.....

We visited recently for our wedding anniversary. The food was good, we had the six course tasting menu and I would say four of the six courses were excellent (the risotto and the sea bass particularly so) and two were a bit average (duck terrine and the chicken) but it was all beautifully presented. The service was really excellent, the staff were friendly but not too much so. The wine was very reasonably priced and our glasses were filled regularly. The building is quite amazing and it was really fun to go somewhere different from the usual chain restaurants and off the beaten track. However I felt that they are not making the most of the beautiful building. It was very hard to find within the priory grounds, with just a little wooden sign outside (no good in the dark), and I agree with the previous reviewer that some candles and dimmed lighting would enhance the experience. Also the pop music felt inappropriate and something more light classical would be nice. It was a bit cold and had a touch of the ambience of a village hall which could easily be remedied.We used a discount voucher and overall for the price we paid I was very happy with the evening. I would not have wanted to pay the full menu price for this meal.

We tried the taster menu - as it was the only thing on offer the night we went. The restaurant promises much. In a stunning location, the menu promised gourmet food, however, we were disappointed in the averageness of the taste. Duck pate was bland, ordinary salad, chicken with baked beans (?), good seabass and excellent dessert. We were offered the 2 for 1 special and would have been very disappointed if we'd paid the full price for what we got. Hengist offers a nicer menu in our opinion. Too bad.

We were given a Groupon voucher to dine at the restaurant at Pilgrims Hall which is part of The Friars estate. The grounds of the friary, just outside Aylesford village are stunningly beautiful, wonderfully manicured and extremely serene.We were told the restaurant is a new venture for the friary and has only been open since earlier in the year. It is housed in a small, ancient galleried hall with lots of exposed oak timbers and stone walls - very atmospheric. The voucher was for a 6-course 'tasting menu' which comprised small and very tasty dishes - the same menu as described by JoannaT earlier. The wine list was extremely reasonably priced as were drinks. Waiting staff were smiley, super-helpful, attentive and genuinely nice and we were impressed that the manager and chef both spent a few minutes with us chatting about the restaurant and listening to our comments.If I had a criticism it is that they are not making enough of the superb setting they have. The restaurant is not promoted outside Groupon so you wouldn't know it was there unless you were determined to find it. Then it is poorly signposted so you find yourself asking people for directions once on the friary estate. Inside the galleried hall needs a few hundred pounds spent in it to make it close to perfect - there is apparently no dimmer switch on the candle chandeliers or wall lights so the lighting is much too stark. The upstairs gallery would make a lovely bar area but is continuing to be used as a library for the friars. There are lovely deep window recesses around the room that are crying out for candles to add to the atmosphere. Finally there are some mobile serving bars parked at the rear of the restaurant that should have been out of sight. Small things but if they were sorted out this place could be right up there with the best in Kent.

We took our parents to the Pilgrims Hall for the 6 course taster menu. The place is filled with history and is the most AMAZING place to visit. I wished we had gone hours earlier so that we could have strolled around the grounds before our meal. We felt that the staff were polite and friendly and the food was delicious served at a comfortable pace considering there were 6 courses. The food is certainly no Micheline Star and would be easy to recreate some of the courses yourself at home, and we felt that the majority of the courses lacked flavour and overall seasoning with the exception of the last sea bass course that was outstanding. The deserts were also brilliant. We enjoyed our experience but felt that although the staff were lovely thay lacked experience and twice we asked for another bottle of wine that never materialised. Well worth a visit.

For a place being sold as the 'finest in dining', this was the worst service I've ever received. We had to wait an extremely long time between each course, and despite there being four tables and three waiting staff at the end of the evening, we could not get anyone's attention to get our bill - after around 20 minutes, I got up to ask for the bill. The cutlery for our dessert was thrown onto our table half way through one of our courses, half of the cutlery was the right way around, half of it was the wrong way around. There was no set order in which we were served, the plates were just slammed on the table. Thank goodness we got this through a Groupon deal and didn't pay the £59 a head they feel is worthy of this level of service. The food tasted nice, but even with the tasting menu, as it took over 3 hours for us to receive all of our courses, we left hungry. The location is lovely, it's a shame that the service did not reflect this. This restaurant could have a lot of potential, I hope it improves.

We tried the tasting menu last week at this restaurant. The setting is lovely, the staff very friendly and extremely accomodating. The food was superb and the chef came out to check with every table that we were happy. We will definitely be going back soon and highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys good food in a relaxed but atmospheric environment!

I took my best friend here for her birthday. The grounds are beautiful and the food was amazing. Although the food is quite expensive, the staff were lovely and greeted us on arrival. We had the set menu which was: confit duck and orange terrine with an oil essence, before advancing to the crayfish risotto and langoustine bisque, served with a parsley foam. After a palate-cleansing salad of home smoked almond, dolcelate and rocket with balsamic syrup, molars will move to a meaty supreme of chicken wrapped in bacon and served with a cassoulet of beans and a tarragon red wine jus. Fish will follow, in the shape of seared scallops and sea bass, served with an orange emulsion, creamed potatoes and wilted pousse. Sugary desires can then be swept away with a chef's plate of desserts.AMAZING.The only thing that I could fault was the fact that waiters/waitress did not top up our wine glasses, and when I phoned the place they said they will try and do something special for my friends birthday, but did not.Worth a visit

I didnt know that this restaurant existed, but i am so glad i found it. The Pilgrims hall restaurant is situated in perfect surroundings and if you visit just walk down towards reception and look out for the wooden sign post. We had the taster menu which was cooked to perfection and even though the restaurant was full, the service we had was friendly and efficient. We will certainly be back for our anniversary in September and cant wait.......if you go say hello to Connor who looked after us !!!!Go......you wont be disappointed!!!!!