Samphire at The Blazing Donkey in Dover

This place is an absolute disgrace. 100% the worst place I’ve ever stayed, I have no idea where all the positive reviews are coming from. After waiting at a dirty reception for 20 minutes, we were eventually shown to our tent which smelled like stale tobacco and had not been cleaned well (see attached picture of hair in coffee mug). These people are trying to make a quick buck by shoving a few tents into a field beside their busy hotel, which seems to have weddings all weekend. I was assured by the manager beforehand that it was an “oasis of calm” and that the noise from the wedding would be minimal. The music boomed from 7pm to midnight, it was almost comical. The rest of the glamping pods were taken by wedding guests, who were extremely noisy in the early hours. The worst is yet to come… we arrived to breakfast the next morning, where it felt like we were gate crashing the wedding party. The food is absolutely dismal. The coffee machine was broken and a white sliced pan and bowl of Weetabix and cornflakes were what made up the continental breakfast. When my cooked breakfast eventually arrived, I was horrified to discover that the mushroom on my plate was covered in mould. After bringing this to the attention of the flustered manager, she assured me the mould was just “flecks of butter” and disappeared. This place is a rip-off and falsely advertised. Avoid at all costs.

Went to a wedding, it's a very nice location and venue. But pricey but wedding venues always are, if the weather is good the garden is amazing

We got married here Saturday 27th April 2024 and honestly was an amazing experience. Would recommend to any couple looking for a countryside, inclusive venue. The team could not do enough for us, they were attentive and considerate. Everyone kept describing the vibe as “chilled” which is just what we wanted. Special thank you to Sandra who managed to get us married on the lawn (despite impending rain), was always calm and thoughtful; she put all our worries to rest. Erin also was incredible - she was positive, personable and helpful. Finally a great thanks to Bruce the chef and anyone else in the kitchen. We had lots of allergies and intolerances they had to deal with and have to say, they smashed it! Thank you again for making it an incredible day, everyone one of our guests loved being there and we are so happy we picked this venue to tie the knot. We will be back for lunch soon, Rachael and James x

From the first contact to the BD the communication was fantastic. As a group of Undergraduate students organising a ball for students and staff, Richard was accomodating to our needs and understood our situation and was able to meet our requirements. The night of the event came and everything was perfect - the venue looked stunning and the Sandra and the team made sure the evening was great. Food was served and everyone danced the night away. Some students and staff took the advantage of staying on site in one of their beautifully newly refurbished rooms - which were lovely and included breakfast - which was also tasty!. Cannot thank Richard, Sandra, Bruce and the rest of their team enough for allowing and accomodating to our ball. We are hoping due to the sucess it will be an anual event and I have no hesitation that the BD will be used again. Thanks Team!

We are holding our wedding at The Blazing Donkey in August and I just wanted to write a review to commend Richard on how accommodating and helpful he has been so far in the planning process. Nothing is too much trouble! He has been so forthcoming with answers to all my questions and so patient with my constant requests. Thank you so much!

We had a night away from the kids and The Blazing Donkey was perfect for it, accomodation was perfect, Breakfast was delicious and the staff were polite, funny and nothing was too much trouble. I would highly recommend it to anyone for a cheeky night off from the kids or for a venue for family gatherings etc really, I can't speak highly enough of this place, Sandra is a wonderful hostess she's on the ball and very welcoming and really takes the time to give you alot of attention without being over the top. Thank you guys for a great stay we will definitely be back!

Had a great evening. Food was amazing and service was excellent. If you like fine food in lovely surroundings and service that makes to feel a bit special, The Blazing Donkey is the place. We will definately be back. Thank you

Wow, wow and wow. This place is amazing. Bruce and Sandra are beautiful souls. We booked our table online not realising they were closed. Bruce and Sandra honoured our booking. The food was out of this world. Will defiantly be going back and still can not get over how reasonable the bill was. Can not recommend this place and people enough. Deserves more than 5 stars.

Not a bad word to say about this venue

My husband and I got married at the Blazing Donkey. Nothing was too much trouble. They listened to what I wanted and didn't push their own agenda. Last minute changes on the day were managed with no fuss. As a bride, I had a truly amazing and stress free day, exactly what every bride wants. We booked all of the rooms for our guests in advance. Several of the guests said it was the best wedding they had been too.

We had a lovely roast dinner at The blazing Donkey. The staff are super friendly and the restaurant gives that old country sitting by the fire vibes.

I had my daughter's wedding in here not long ago .. what a great choice of the venue , staff very friendly and always trying to please us. The food was perfect was yummy and right amount to keep me comfortable for enjoy the rest of the night . Then the room was as cosy as I could ask ... In my resume it was perfect for me but also for my daughter who looked very happy...

We went for Sunday lunch here and it was lovely. The meat was cooked amazing and the yorkshires were fab! All the staff were great. Very friendly, welcoming and incredibly helpful. The place itself is beautiful, they've really paid attention to detail. Can't fault it whatsoever.

Was married at The Blazing Donkey last Summer, it was the most perfect day myself & my wife could have hoped for! From the initial meet & greet, to our show round and tasting, everything was handled professionally but with the personal touch made us both feel so happy for the choice of venue, it’s ridiculously stunning in the Kent country side, the ceremony took part on the grounds with an amazing summers day weather. I can’t say a bad word, our wedding breakfast, timings and accommodation for our families were amazing, food was too and we even managed to bag a couple of the glamping huts. Literally the best day of our lives, thank you to Richard, Sherry and their team, you really made our day special

After a few months of searching for the perfect wedding venue we finally chose The Blazing Donkey and it was as if it was made for us, we couldn’t have found anything more perfect. We were so lucky with the weather and the staff let us have free rein of the place with the decor. I stayed in one of the courtyard rooms the night before and we hosted a bespoke steak night for the bridal party with cocktails which was a nice touch. The food was world class. The big day itself…… The best day of my life. The setting, the food, the staff, the bridal suite, the attention to every single detail we requested was 5 star, we wouldn’t have wished for more. We had so many compliments from friends and family. We will be back in 6 months for a stay to celebrate being Mr & Mrs, thank you

What a beautiful venue! We attended a wedding here and had such a lovely day. The bride & groom were over the moon with their special day and us guests had a wonderful time too. The food was really nice, the best wedding food we’ve had! Staff were super friendly and made sure everyone was happy. We stayed the night which was very comfortable and clean, breakfast was included which was a delicious bonus! Would love to visit again for a weekend away. Thank you Blazing Donkey, hope to see you again soon ❤️

We got Married at Blazing Donkey and we're so glad we did it was after lockdown, we had our ceremony in the garden which was so pretty, all our guests were happy with the wedding the food the drinks and there was plenty of space for parking and the staff were so lovely did all they could to please us, we had a beautiful room with a four poster bed and beautiful bathroom, I would recommend this place. Thank you to The Blazing Donkey for making our day so special ❤️

Went glamping for my friends birthday and had such a lovely stay! Staff are so friendly and helpful and food was amazing! Felt so welcomed. Would highly recommend!!!

Amazing food and amazing staff. Richard and Clint are amazing hosts. Make the visit even more memorable ✨️

Had a wedding there. Fantastic day. Great venue 👌

Lovely venue with great food and friendly staff.

Avoid… Cheap for a reason and they make up the cost with the price of drinks and their lies. Communication is the worst part, cannot get hold of them via phone or email even if you leave a message you get 0 response. Sold absolute lies when booking just to get your business as soon as they have it they have 0 care for you or your day. Was told when we booked the “ALL” rooms package that we get “ALL” the rooms which it even states on the leaflet but 2 of my guests ended up shoved in the horrible tents behind the rooms and their 2 rooms was filled with random people…. So much for their biggest sell point “Exclusivity”. Received no contract or invoices the entire time, took 1 month after our wedding to receive our no damage deposit back whilst being lied to again saying it had been sent when it had not. The rooms are in a poor state, showers completely blocked with limescale among other stuff. Food is poor compared to the taster that you have before the wedding and the breakfast is cold and overly greasy, non cooked eggs and gone off milk. Marque is falling apart( there was a giant hole in the floor). The prices of drink kept going up as the night went on… and as for Clint(wedding co-ordination) what a stuck up individual the guy is. If I could rewind time I would 120% not book this place

It's a wedding venue. Didn't stay. Food was great. Grounds are lovely. Staff friendly and attentive without being overbearing.

We had our perfect day here on the 26th August 2023 and it was all we could’ve dreamed of. With the weather being hit and miss, the staff team worked together quickly to ensure we still had our dream ceremony but indoors and it was just stunning. The sun then shone and we got to enjoy the gorgeous surroundings. I don’t think anybody had an empty wine glass all night as the service was so fantastic. Clint and his team catered to our every need. The in house DJ was fantastic and the dance floor was absolutely full all night. The food was outstanding. Everybody walked away saying it was one of the best days of their lives and it was the very best of mine and my now Husbands. Nothing was too much for Clint and his team and we are so beyond grateful for their help, dedication and support in ensuring our day was a total dream. Thank you so much, The Lavenders x

Check your booking exists We attended a wedding recently. Having paid for and booked a room (or so we thought) over a year ago, I was concerned we'd never received confirmation. Phone call to them established they had taken the money but didn't bother to make a booking. Assured it would be booked then. Got to the wedding day, early check in rooms that had been paid for by others in the party weren't available and when I went to check in they still had not booked us a room. Toilets didn't flush due to poor water pressure and don't attempt to wash hair in the shower for the same reason. The venue is pretty but that is about the only good thing. Kids meals at the wedding were forgotten, so they had to cook when they finally realised, a photo booth as part of the package didn't turn up and the DJ (supplied by them) had the personality of a potato and really not suited to a wedding. The bride had requested songs and repeatedly got told no. The bride and groom didn't let it ruin their day and it was nice to spend time with family and friends but I wouldn't recommend this to anyone unless they vastly improve their service. Date of experience: 21 July 2023

Couldn't check in until after the wedding. The use of a room prior would cost extra £30, and they hadn't been cleaned. Food choice is limited and not that good apart from the buffet. The drinks are expensive.

Went to a wedding here and what can I say, tired marquee and inexperienced staff. Meat skewer buffet with no salad/veg/pasta/anything! Manger explaining that the chef assures everyone that it’s cured beef mince so it’s ok, urm? Dangerous food and expensive drinks. Dirty toilets and not replenished with no working hand dryers. Avoid!

Large outdoor area's and large marquee for weddings and events. Quite a long way away from any transport, so either own car or taxi to get there.

Went to my sons wedding here Sunday and was very disappointed we were told if raining wedding would take place in front dining room but ended up in marque on dance floor very disappointed drinks expensive no Guinness as promised food very good but was told we were having pasta in evening but changed weeks before wedding to a limited buffet which wasn’t enough nothing for children Dj didn’t utter a word unless was asked didn’t interact with bride and groom or guests at all even when saying about the cake didn’t turn music down all very strange for a wedding dj worst I’ve ever seen at a wedding Staff very young and left to there own devices but in saying that all worked hard and Tom was very helpful Bridal suite lovely

We recently had our wedding at this venue, Clint and the staff were incredible and catered for everything that we asked for. The food was excellent and most importantly for my wife nut free. The bar was fully stocked and was reasonably priced. We purchased a wine package from them at £20 a bottle for table service which was excellent. The wedding ran smoothly from start to finish. We booked out all 20 rooms for our guests at a very good price of £2000. The only thing bad about the rooms was you couldn't check in untill after the ceremony which wasn't good for people travelling a long way who didn't want to drive hours into the country side in their suits and dresses. The bridal room was massive and had a very large bathroom for getting ready which was available from 11am. There are plenty of great areas to get wedding photos along the country roads and inside the venue. I would highly recommend this venue for other people's weddings as ours was perfectly organised.

Went to a wedding here the Venue and location are lovely, serving staff are all young, that's not inherently the issue because they too were lovely but require menu knowledge and better training, bar is very limited and the price changes depending on which bar you go to and who serves you. Children's food was cold and for garlic bread, chicken nuggets and chips with a popsicle for dinner the audacity to charge £99 is ridiculous, nicest thing about the adults food was the bruschetta, aspects of the main we're raw and under cooked and the driest brownie on the planet for pudding.

Stunning venue plesent staff great food

Beautiful venue, food was excellent and interaction with staff was amazing. Only problem we had was it wasn't wheelchair friendly with the gravel car park and the steps

Great wedding. A few good staff made up for very new untrained ones. Food poor and rooms even worse. Beds need replacing and lick of paint needed all round. Couldn't get to rooms even half an hour before wedding. So many of us travelled miles in hot weather so quick freshen up/change of clothing needed. Breakfast arrangements poor. Expensive for level of comfort.

We had our wedding in March 2023. The staff made the planning easy, the food excellent, staff extremely helpful and careing, child friendly, and paid attention to detail. It was great.

A wonderful experience. The food was perfectly crafted into generous and delicious meals, the host was warm, welcoming and very helpful without being intrusive. The interior was warm, bright and well laid out. Nestled amongst beautiful landscape. We had a fabulous lunch and would not hesitate to return given the opportunity. Booking recommended

The Blazing Donkey hosted our New Years Eve wedding for us and they went above and beyond to make our experience with them memorable, special and wonderful. Special thanks especially to Trefor, Chris and Meg who coordinated the day for us, who helped me orchestrate my surprise speech, who made sure the day ran beautifully despite the howling wind and who were there for us every step of the way. Thank you to Richard for being so generous with your time and your service whenever we popped in prior to the day, and for giving us an un-refusable sales pitch in the first instance! Thank you to the chef for the most delicious food we’ve ever eaten - it was absolutely incredible! The most succulent and deeply flavoured roast dinner I think I’ve ever eaten and the best full English breakfast the morning after. Honestly I can’t fault any of you. Thank you for everything ♥️

Wonderful food and excellent service. Will be returning to this restaurant. Highly recommended.

Hasn't improved over the years. Management still rude. Weddings are cheap here for a reason. Avoid.

Haven't actually stayed, but eaten there, which was great. I would definitely stay here, if in the area, just based on the fact that they have refused £1million pound, from government, to house illegal immigrants, to stay there for a year....Big up you guys, for looking out for the interests of the people who do not abuse our system.

Soleless, is the best thing I can say

Excellent location, great staff & great food. Stayed here after spending the day and evening at a wedding which was fantastic.

Please please read the bad reviews before you consider booking this. The more senior staff were so unbelievably rude, an attitude that you don’t expect. If anyone hates their job as much as they come across in a customer based industry then try something else. The beds were the most uncomfortable I have ever laid on, springs in backs bad! The sound insulation also very bad.

At one stage this establishment gained a significant pounding on Tripadvisor and whilst some of it was over harsh some of it was required. I have to say that The Blazing Donkey owners did listen to the negative press and have made some major changes over the past year and a bit. With a new Marquee and some great alterations both inside and out to the main building I have to say the change has been quite remarkable. Refurbishment continues with upgrades to the rooms which as we all know can be a never ending job for many hotels. All in all the whole place is now better, the owners are working hard to create a more rounded and pleasant experience for all. Food is Good, rooms are tidy and clean and dining area looks great. Well done.

We chose this delightful place from a gift given to us just by chance. This place is just AM-AZ-ING. Friendly, unique, just everyone`s dream. Care and attention to detail is wonderful and the staff are just so so helpful. There is nothing that is a problem and they cater for every whim. There is a fabulous area for your Wedding/Civil Partnership if so wished. The bedroom are idealic. You just have to go and see.

Don't waste your time!! Restaurant staff are rude and will not greet you, leave you standing wondering if your even welcome!! So after more or less seating ourselves we was left for thirty minutes without any service or even a menu but also another couple too! The manager is rude and doesn't know how to treat customers or run a business! After reading a few reviews I found a lot of others thought the same.Soon will more than likely be run by new management and only then will probably be a nice place.

We arrived this evening for a table reservation for a family booking of 4.We were not greeted upon arrival & seated in the restaurant. We waited 35 minutes & nobody arrived with menus or to take drinks orders. We had to go to the bar for drinks & ask for menus.We had been in the restaurant for 60 mins before our orders were taken and waited another 40 minutes for the food to arrive.The food was extremely poor. Dry and overcooked lamb, rock hard veg & a chewy steak. Extremely poor & we will not be returning.

We only stayed the one night this time and had a really lovely experience. The food for both dinner and breakfast was excellent, as was the very friendly and attentive waitress.If we're in the area again we'll definitely book to revisit.

Wow The Blazing Donkey know how to hold a wedding. . The staff were very helpful and nothing was to much trouble for them. ..We had a twin room with a travel cot and there was enough room to move around. .a.The bathroom was nice and clean. .We asked for more tea bags and was given them no problem. ...The only thing was the Breakfast wasn't very hot but that may of had something to do with the staff being invite to the shots party after the wedding was over LOL But all in all a great stay Thank you Blazing Donkey

We had our wedding on the 24th of June and from first experience was brilliant the staff were so helpful and kind everything leading up to the day the food was brilliant and whole heartily give this 5 stars

The belly pork was by far the best I've ever had, and I've had a few in my time, cooked to slow roast perfection.

Had a lovely day today at the blazing donkey lovely food and staff couldnt be more helpful and very friendly sat in garden having drinks afterwards in the peaceful grounds will be going again well done to you all

The hotel is very secluded and in a lovely spot. The decor in the restaurant and gardens are lovely. The staff are also really helpful. The room was basic but clean and good value for money. However the food on the Sunday evening we stayed and the following morning was really awful and the chef didn't seem to really care. We had dover sole, mussels and a Chateaubriand in our party and it was all really bad. The breakfast was marginally better but the fried greasy (?) scrambled eggs and lack of toast plus waiting time let them down again. The waiting staff are young and inexperienced however the main more experienced ladies in the restaurant were remarkable given they were fielding numerous complaints, a broken till and broken coffee machine during dinner service.

We spent three days at the blazing donkey. Our party comprised of my parents - my father in a wheelchair - myself and my seven year old daughter. The rooms where clean and spacious and the beds where amazingly comfortable. All the staff where helpful and attentive. The food was excellent. All the food is locally source and the quality and freshness was obvious as all meals where excellent. We will be visiting again as it was such a lovely place to stay. The location was perfect, quiet and out in the country (you can hear the animals from all the surrounding fields) yet it's only ten minutes or so from deal and the seafront. An absolute treasure of a find.

We ate at the Samphire restaurant while staying at the Blazing donkey, the service was good, really helpful pleasant staff. The choice on the daily changed menu was really good. We ate the Kent lamb rump and the belly pork these came with vegetables and everything was beautifully cooked and presented. A morrish choice of sweets making choice difficult. The cheese cake was lovely. We will be returning again.

Good food and service we had the breakfast, 5 course tasting menus and the 3 course slow cooked pork fantastic

Fantastic food and drink with wonderful friendly and helpful staff, all very cheerful, I would highly recommend it

What can I say. On my recent visit, with friends, we were delighted by the varied menu, quality of food and the quick, friendly service. The location is beautiful and the grounds are very relaxing with beautifully manicured lawns. . On the whole I can highly recommend Samphire Restaurant @The Blazing Donkey.. Many thanks to owners and staff :-)

Went here last night for a meal. We waited 25 minutes just to be seated and then another 40 minutes for our food. When it did arrive (both me and my husband had the cod) it was a tiny piece of fish still wrapped in the grease proof paper 2 small sprigs of broccoli trees and 2 small new potatoes!!! It was £18 each!!! The service was slow and the food rubbish! The menu is very limited and not much to choose from! Will not be going back! It was also cold in there and had to keep my coat on through the meal!

Delicious 3 courses, just the right size to be able to enjoy every course! The lemon posset for dessert was gorgeous! Service was quick, waiters and waitresses were polite and friendly, thoroughly enjoyed it!

Had a set evening meal here and was not disappointed it was really nice food and well presented. Yes, the portions are not huge but for me there was enough.There was a good choice of starters, mains and desert. It was busy so I would say it's quite a popular little secret tucked away in the beautiful Kent countryside. I loved the modern and rustic look of the decor.

The management of this establishment need to accept that if they ask for customer comments, then sometimes the customer is right. Despite what the management think (see others comments) quite frankly the food here is not that good. Minute portions, tasteless starters, reheated main courses to the point that one was burnt and inedible in places, as were the vegetables.If that wasn't bad enough, the menu is grossly over priced for what is served both in terms of quality and portion size.I under stand that their main source of custom is weddings and in that respect its a very nice location. I just hope the food matches the occasion more than ours did!

The menu didn't change in the two night stay but the owner told us it would such a shame as the rooms were very clean and warn

The room was lovely very clean and warm the staff behind the bar and saving the food were very friendly. However the person who we seen at check in who is the owner told us about a meal deal for the second night we asked to see a sample menu and would the menu change the next evening he informed us that it would we took the deal and guess what the menu was the same I sent an email of complaint as I would not have eaten there the second night but had no response

The food was excellent, pleasant surroundings and great value for money. The service was great, we had a great evennig.

Had a meeting with Sherry to discuss our wedding in August. She was great and gave lots of help and good advice. We then had a food tasting which we thought would be just a little sample but it was a full meal. The food was wonderful and now we have the hard job of making our minds up as to what we will be eating at the wedding. The staff were very friendly, as soon as we came through the door we received a warm welcome. We loved it and cant wait to come back.

Well. If that is fine dining - I'm Raymond Blanc!!!The breakfast appeared to consist of cheap and limited products.So expensive for what was on offer and almost everything was tasteless or unpleasant.The presentation left a lot to be desired and the soup was actually inedible.We stayed for two nights, as it was Valentine's Day.The bigged-up Valentine menu was the same one as the previous evening. I was led to believe on the phone by the owner that the Valentine dinner was an event.But - the staff were amazing and so helpful that it almost made up for the appalling cuisine.I did get a box of choccies, as it was Valentine's, which was a lovely gesture.Col & MaddieP.S Don't think the website pictures are what you will get

We had a meal and room with breakfast and our dinner was the best bit. The food was well flavoured and every course was good. The choise was also varied and we were happy with every course.

Small but tasty meals. Quite expensive. We didn't have Sunday lunch but when asked was told it costs £12.95 for a one course. We had a set menu for dinner, Saturday evening which is quite pricey and limited choice and no variation really. When asked if we could have chips we were told "we are not a grill bar" not a good response from management! Management needs to be more accommodating to their customers.

I'm currently staying at the Blazing Donkey and I have to say that my partner and I are having a wonderful time! The room is lovely, really cozy, warm and decorated tastefully. Lovely shower and yes the pressure is low but hey ho it really ain't the end of the world! The staff have been really friendly and the food was lovely!! I really do think that some people moan for moanings sake! For the absolutely bargain price we paid (wowcher) I have no complaints.... oh except for one..... that we couldn't stay longer!!!!

We were a little worried when reading the reviews re the manager but these were proved wrong on this particular night. We checked in at 3pm and were welcomed warmly, our room was spotless and very comfortable. We had a cream tea by the fire which was delicious and all the guests we met were friendly. Really enjoyed our evening meal, both had the salmon followed by a steak cooked to perfection. The place is cosy, clean and comfortable. Would recommend to everyone who wants a relaxing break.

Dinner was a quite limited choice but the food was of good quality, tasty and well presented. Breakfast on the other hand was poor

My fiance and I visited this restaurant twice a couple of years ago and the food was absolutely delicious. However, the hotel has clearly been taken over by new management, as when we visited again in December 2016, it could not have been a more different story. The portions were tiny, and were lukewarm, bland and tasteless. On both evenings, both of our potato dishes were burnt but somehow still cold. The pate starter looked like a child had made it, the meats were dry and tasteless and the veggies ranged from being overcooked and soggy to completely raw. The service was incredibly slow and unfriendly, and on the 2nd night the waitress did not take our drink orders, and then totally disappeared until we were halfway through our meal. Absolutely will not be returning here. Couldn't have been worse.

Just had a 3 night stay on wowcher got coned into paying for evening meals and breakfast before arriving on top of price.Greated by a very rude receptionist who had no manners and spoke over you when you were talking even charged his own prices when serving you at the bar which were higher than barstaffs .Resturant / bar is very cold owner never had heating on only had fire lit and probably why no guests stayed in barStaff were very pleasant but owners need to go on a course to show them how to be curtious to guests.. meals were ok nothing special bit limited, repeat menu ment little choice or pay even more.Breakfast is poor, over cooked, greasy and very small portions 1 sausage 1 bacon 1 egg half a tomato..appalling for the price.Rooms are dated but warm, shower is a joke due to no water pressure, taps drip constantly and mould on ceiling in our room, caution walls are so thin it seems next door is in with you.Would choose somewhere else if i had a chance again, please avoid.

We ate at the Samphire Restaurant because it was included in the Hotel price.After reading other peoples reviews I was sceptical.The food served up was good quality.I'm not going to tell you it was fine dining because it wasn't (except for the small portions) but the food wasn't bad at all.The included cooked breakfast was small but you can add if so desired.One Sausage One Bacon One Egg and half a Tomato might be just enough for some people. I also had cereal and toast.I would say that as part of the price for the hotel both dinner and breakfast were adequate.

Loved the Log fire, food was a good standard, although the eggs at breakfast were too hard for soldiers that accompanied them. Pleasant staff, room was very out dated but clean. Establishment currently being renovated. Can't wait to see the Changes. Thanks for having us!

Raw uncooked food served and not an offer to replace. Disgusting. Shame as the area is a nice placeEven the choice of food was disappointing

Treat weekend in the Kent countryside. Lovely room, friendly staff, great ambience with cosy feel, open fires and squishy sofas! Good food, tasty & well presented but missing the finesse that would raise it to excellent.

We had an overnight stay at the blazing donkey with a wowcher. The hotel was undergoing refurbishment which didn't interfere with our enjoyment. The staff were friendly and helpful. The 3 course meal included was of a very high standard and unbelievable value to be included in our package. The room was nice but in need of a little tlc as looking a bit tired. I enjoyed our stay there and would like to return in the summer.

Okay so the breakfast was underwhelming and the herb sausages were not great. First my egg was sunny side up when I asked for it to be cooked a little more it came back slightly burnt. However, dinner was superb, excellent, apart from the braised beef which I found to be slightly bitter and the lemon tarte which was too tart for me. The Ham hock terrine was gorgeous, the pan fried sea bass and vanilla bean cheese cake where to die for. The duck confit (which my husband ordered made me regret my choice of braised beef) because it was so lovely, hmmmmmmm. The panna cotta was only okay. Also loved the tomato and mixed pepper soup and I am not a fan of tomato soup. Recommend this restaurant highly especially main courses.

My Family and I went here yesterday (20th Dec) to celebrate my mums birthday, at a first glance all looks quite nice, on arriving in the bar no staff were to seen anywhere so we had to hunt them down, then the owner came out to the bar, we ordered our drinks and took a seat in the waiting to be seated at our table which we had pre booked, then the same guy came over with some A4 paper and said this is the menu if you would like to order 2 mins later came back and took order at this point we still hadnt been seated, then the same guy started to bring out the starter at which point we still hadnt been shown to the table so we just decided to seat ourselves, well the Chicken Liver parfait was just a bog standard pate the toast served was so hard and dry you could snap it, the carrot and corriander soup tasted lovely but was stone cold, Then for the mains well Chicken supreme had nothing supreme about it just a plain dry chewy bit of chicken breast, The slow roasted belly of pork not slow roasted at all so fatty dripping in grease and very dry, again all 6 meals where stone cold we asked for some apple sauce to try and give it a bit of flavour, the manager was quite offended we asked for this but when that came it was the best part of the meal and the hottest part of the meal.Then we actually saw the state of the building we were sat at a table directly below a very mouldy ceiling that was falling to bits, at this point we were all very disappointed so we decided to say something to the manager who quite frankly is rude and doesnt care about the customer thinks, and was very obnoxious and argumentative.My best advice is do not go here unless you are fully prepared to have a terrible experience and terrible food awful service.

After 3 years of planning my wedding my choice of venue was the BLAZING DONKEY On the 8th October 2016 what should of been the happiest day of my life was ruined c/o Richard the owner/manager who I must say is the most unhelpful obnoxious man I have ever come across. I would like to list some things that ruined my day.1. 6 days before my wedding Richard informed me vegetable choices my guests had selected wouldn't be honoured causing unnecessary stress.2. Blinds which should of hidden me from guests & my husband were not in place.3. My choice of music as I exited after the ceremony was over looked so I exited in silence.4. Ice lolly's that where paid for were not given.5. Arrival drinks ran out leaving people without.6. No squash on the tables for the children at dinner time.7. The dinner was dry & grease proof paper and plastic were found in some of the meals.8. It took 3 and half hours to feed us our starter main and dessert & the dessert wasn't what we chose.9. The waiting staff who where hired from Christchurch Canterbury were miserable rude & untrained & unprofessional 10. The blazing donkey fraudulently took £244 out of my bank account.I had hoped I could resolve these issues with Richard but unfortunately he doesn't accept criticism & he becomes very rude.I would advise anyone who is thinking about using the BLAZING DONKEY as a venue to think again & choose an alternative that will make your day the special day it should be.

we stayed at the blazing donkey which the samphire restaurant is part of and had a fantastic meal.staff was brilliant and food absolutely deliciouswill be visiting again soon

Upon arrival very pleased with the Immediate look a day feel of the hotel abd grounds.Not a warm welcome. " completely changing the traditional arrival experience – head straight to the heart of the action in a house of fun not formality. No forms to fill in when arriving with us – maybe a pint of craft ale though, or even one of our famous cream teas! "Man on reception very cold. Building works going on in bar area. Nothing offered to us.Given key to room 7. Which we unfortunately found was occupied.  EmbarrassinglyWalked in on couple in bed.Receptionist apologetic but handled badly.Room was dirty, double bed was actually 2 different beds pushed together one lower than the other. Very uncomfortable for a couple to sleep in. Holes in the walls, bugs on the ceiling. Wardrobe fame falling apart. Radiator on constantly in the bathroom no matter what setting, making the room unbearably hot. No milk and very sparse tea and coffee selection. No hair dryer. Dinner;Starter duck risotto was awful. Rice both over cooked and under cooked. Flavourless.However very good service Main course and desserts were lovely.Breakfast;Over priced extras Under cooked blackpudding Waitress was clearly inexperienced.Food was brought out wrong. Missing tomato, Blackpudding not edible.We ordered first, then food was brought out to a couple that arrived and ordered after us.Building works continued.When asking for advice regarding where to walk (in accordance with the website stating that plentiful advice would be given) " We are always on hand with tips and ideas so that you spend your time in this lovely part of the world wisely and get the most from you time with us."male staff member shrugged then gave a half interested vague reply and just look embarrassed that I'd asked him.Dinner service was dreadful. Male staff member nowhere to be seen for 15 mins. We seated ourselves. Table and cutlery covered in dust clearly left from the builders.Same male staff member from the morning.Told the staff that table and cutlery was dirty, new cutlery was brought over but I had to use my napkin to clean  the table myself. Staff member attitude went down hill even further.Asked for water.  2 wet glasses were slammed  down in front of us. Yet again a table that arrived and order 20 mins after us received their food before us. My starter was clearly rushed. Smoked pate was delicious the previous night. Guessing this was a different chef or they had run out and panic served as was still warm when it should have been chilled with a butter seal. Scotch egg over cooked, over cooked Blackpudding crumb bits allover the plate. Flavours good.Mains were perfect. Rhubarb crumble inedible.Crumble was clearly crushed digestive biscuits which did not go with the fruit. Staff disgruntled over my asking for cream instead of ice cream. Cream over whipped to the point it was grainy and buttery.Breakfast again was greasy and covered in "bits" didn't bother with blackpudding.Building continued. Resulting in an uncomfortable breakfast experience due to constant hammering.Waitress trying to look busy by shuffling glasses around the juice area when there was bits of butter and bread in the jam and cleaning that was obviously purposefully being avoided. It's clear that to save money there is only 1 member of staff on at a time. This results in inexperienced staff doing jobs they really aren't good at.

It's a shame the food( starter) was so bad as the main course and desert were well presented. The starter was inedible.Please see hotel review

Food was very good although the menu is quite short. I personally feel this is better as one does not get confused with having too much to choose from. All staff helpful and friendly and can not be faulted.

We really enjoyed the food, the Scotch eggs were to die for! We stayed two nights and both meals were good. There was an open wood fire on a chilly evening; very cosy.

Room nice n clean n tidyShower got mind off its own tho....Seated to dinner quickly....starter was lovely....main abit disappointed as meat not hot n got new pots instead off wot was listed....n wasn't advised of this.... pudding ok....Service good thoBreakfast nice n plenty off it

Booked this through Groupon and was absolutely shocked at the state of this place! Room was cold, filthy and uncomfortable. Manager didn't want to know any complaints, in fact he was damn right rude! Unfortunately we had booked 2 nights. Surrounding area beautiful.

The 3 course meal my wife and I had was fantastic, delicious pate with, followed by a truly scrumptious lamb dish cooked to perfection followed by the most amazing crumble. Excellent

We stayed at the blazing donkey for our 12 year anniversary and after reading poor reviews we wasn't sure what to expect, we should have not worried the food and Service was excellent, we had the mozzarella salad to start which was nice but very small, the Mains made up for it a had lamb and it was good size portion and best lamb I had, chocolate brownie and ice cream which was very good.

first the positives. Rooms clean and adequateTurned up for breakfast first morning, Waited an hour before another guest went into kitchen. Asked for full English got 1 rasher of barely cooked bacon, 1 over cooked but cold sausage, 1 over fried shrivelled egg,and one slice of tomato. It was left and we found a local sandwich van where had breakfast for the duration of our stay. Evening meals were quite tasty but not warm enough for my taste. They appeared to aspire to top class restaurants, matching the quantity but falling short on quality.Now for the warning to Wowcher and Groupon users. When booking up we were told nothing available unless we upgraded because there was a golf tournament. The upgrade was to have the evening meals included. How this affected the availability of a room I do not know as all the rooms appeared to be identical. This was a blatant lie and we found in conversation that the same ploy had been used on several other couples. He also said most people came back any way for evening meals as there were few places to eat. This was another blatant lie. From conversations we found that what was previously a popular hotel and restaurant had gone rapidly downhill since management had passed to the previous owners son.Nice area but cannot recommend the Blzing Donkey. If we thought there was any chance of a refund we would not have spent the full 3 nights there.This is the first negative review I have posted on trip advisor.one

this place is a joke, the owner Richard is the most vile man I have met in my life, we booked 3 nights we had no e mail confirmation so I called back a week later for it and was told the booking is in place and conformation would be sent within 2 days, 4 days later nothing, called back and was told by Richard there was no booking and if we wanted to stay on those days it would be an extra £80 as we would have to upgrade to a four poster room, believe me if that was an upgrade I'd like to have seen what we were upgraded from, room 21 an absolute dive, no blind on bathroom window shower right in front of it, dust and cobwebs everywhere, the whole room was dowdy dirty and old with mismatched furniture, the 4 poster bed was a cheap pine thing over a divan. I would not stay here again if you paid me how this man stays in business is beyond belief, breakfast???? What another joke 1 fried egg 1 sausage 1 rasher of bacon and half a tomato, dinner was OK however having the handyman drilling stuff during it is a bit of a no no

Having booked accommodation at the Blazing Donkey we ate at the restaurant. The food is adequate and not worth the price premium. I might have been happy paying half the price! Food presentation poor. Fish and pork over cooked along with mushy veg. I could cookbetter at home and not fine dining as marketed.

The food was lovely , Kent lamb my partner had on both nights and as I don't eat meat on a Friday the fish offerings , mackerel starter and hake main were superb , the sweets were lovely as were the cheese and biscuits , also the wine was reasonably priced breakfast was more than ample Will be back

We spent one night with wowcher The room was ok and clean. The menu on dinner is fine. I had chicken supreme, my boyfriend had a salmon with tomato fondue and mediterranean dressing, he said was absoluted divine. Our child add a balanced maincourse of chicken in lemon sauce, peas, handcut chips and some carrots. My child was happyWe've found out the chef is Italian, all the sauces were delicious. The supreme sauce had a hint of garlic which i believe was divine. The tomato fondue was home made from fresh tomatoes. My boyfriend said he could taste the delicious taste of mixed erbs on italian style. An excellent combination.Well done!Veg on the main course were all sauted on butter and well seasoned.The bread and butter pudding was fantastic.We definetely return here.

Dinners here are ok. Avoid the breakfast- very small and unimaginative Very disorganised Very basic. Same dinner menu on both nights

Just like to say a big thanks to the staff. Food was delicious. Venue was great and very pretty. Marquee was dressed splendidly. We are all looking forward to seeing the wedding pics from the in house photographer.

We had our wedding breakfast with our guests the morning of the wedding, the service was very good and quick and the food was spot on we will be returning in the near future.

We stayed at the Blazing Donkey for two nights on a deal that included dinner, bed & breakfast. Although a decent price, we were a bit disappointed with the food which was strangely rich and overly heavy for this time of year and seemed very unseasonal - a great shame when you think of the abundance of great produce in the surrounding areas. I opted for the soup of the day which was potato & red onion - an odd if not unpleasant combination, but much more suited to a winter's evening than one of the hottest days of the year. The lamp rump came with a congealed, garnet-coloured sauce which was very fruity, and some unenthusiastically cooked parsnips & carrots. Dessert of brownie with white chocoate & ice cream just about killed me off - I managed half of it. Don't get me wrong, the portions were generous but it felt like a menu from the 1990s rather than 2016. We didn't eat there again the following evening but did go to the bar and have a dessert. I chose cheese & biscuits - three huge chunks of supermarket cheddar & brie with 3 (yes, just three) Jacob's cream crackers. I couldn't fault the generosity of the cheese but not sure how anyone could look at the plate and not think, 'Ah, better add some more crackers'. Just seemed like the sort of place where the chef had no inclination to think about current food trends or how to use the produce practically growing on the hotels' doorstep (though perhaps the poached pears - another dessert option - were from a nearby orchard?). I should mention the breakfast too. The breakfast that came with our deal was a plate consisting of 1 (not very meaty) sausage, 1 rasher of bacon, 1 fried egg and 1 tinned plum tomato. It looked a bit sad. I didn't have this, my husband did, and made do with a bowl of rice krispies instead. I ordered a soft-boiled egg from the breakfast menu for our 7 yr old daughter but what arrived were two almost hard-boiled eggs sliding around on a plate next to an unsliced piece of white toast. I queried it and it turned out the waitress had got muddled and thought we wanted this as an alternative to the included breakfast. A soft boiled egg in an egg cup eventually materialised, with apologies. Despite the poor cooking and the feeling that with the breakfast, portion control and economy was being severely implemented, the staff were as helpful as possible. We wouldn't return though.