Samphire at The Blazing Donkey in Dover

Stayed here for a family wedding. Lovely venue with nice outside space. I was staying in the courtyard room, I was sad that unlike the main house the bathroom wasn't as fancy with a rolltop bath and for the price of the room expected toiletries to be somewhat better than a large pump action bottle. Breakfast was included but baked beans were an extra surcharge which for a full English I would think was as standard from my experience.

We went for Sunday lunch it was brilliant the staff were excellent and polite the food was 1st class will definitely go back

Not only had I heard echos of the owner not paying his bills but the prices for arguably the most cheap disgusting rose wine, £18 for two glasses is disgraceful. Average food and overpriced drinks don't make you want to return to this place. Carry on driving to Deal as there are far nicer places to eat and drink nearer by.

Absolutely beautiful place to have a wedding

Attended a wedding here recently. Horrendous prices and only one man on the bar in the pub itself who had no personality. No sound system for the bride and groom so couldn't hear a word they were staying on their special day. It's a beautiful venue with so much opportunity but charge less, smile more and it would've been far more enjoyable experience.

Attended a wedding here. Location was tranquil and perfect for such an occasion. Service was great. Would highly recommend

We just had a great night here where the chef Bruce went out of his way to make us feel extra special. It was my boyfriend’s birthday and Bruce served us an absolutely delicious beautifully presented five course meal. The stable rooms were beautiful clean and fun! We highly recommend Blazing Donkey!

Although it's a little bit out of the way it's easy to find. I went there for a wedding there's plenty of parking, there were bedrooms to stay in I also think they do glamping. Had a Great experience

A vibrant and welcoming place, great food quality, staff super friendly and helpful (even if the prices were very high!) Event prices to book are also expensive.

Lovely setting with potential to do more, with ample parking

Could have been one of the most perfect wedding venues ever….unfortunately there’s a certain guy that works behind the bar that is probably the most rudest human being I have ever met. Snatches money out of customers hands and basically has the customer service skills of a 2 year old. I feel embarrassed for my family friends that have spent good money to host their wedding at this venue - the main building was extremely below anyone’s expectations to say the least! On a good note….the service that was received from the guys in the marquee was outstanding, although the food was well below an exacting standard. I would consider many other local venues that are similar before booking a wedding at this venue.

Personable, friendly and so welcoming! The Blazing Donkey is the perfect location, from just an evening of food and drink, with their new Time and Tide tap room set up, to weddings and events with incredible hospitality. I could not reccomend the Blazing Donkey more!

It might be an out of way pub but it is worth it.

AMAZING!!!! So we had our wedding yesterday and words cannot explain how amazing it was. We booked a few years ago and everyone has treated us amazingly from start to finish. The day went without any hiccups and every member of the team from all departments were amazing!!! Sandra made the day beyond what we could of imagined! She was always available with no question or request being so much - you could see her constantly going far above her job description to make sure your day is perfect and you can tell she cares about the day as much as you. The food was amazing, the bar staff were all lovely, rooms and all facilities were great. We would not be able to find any issues with our night. Perfect wedding day - thank you all so much ❤️

Had a lovely overnight stay with my wife. Friendly and helpful staff and all the food we had was lovely.

My granddaughter’s wedding at this venue could not have been better A great venue which made for an extra special occasion

Last night's Surprise Tasting Menu was absolutely awful and very expensive for what was served. Three courses were cold and there was nothing surprising about them: charcuterie, ham hock terrine with a scotch egg followed by goat cheese mixed with red onion. All 3 dishes had crispy bruschetta served?? The main 3 x lamb was overcooked and bland and very dry. Frozen dessert: 2 different cheesecakes and a chocolate brownie which was brittle and almost impossible to break off. It was terrible. I suspect this was wedding reception leftovers as I noted wedding guests staying in the venue. However, the restaurant was empty ALL night...we were the only guests on a Wednesday evening. This meal had no relation to a Tasting Menu - all the courses were huge and tasteless. Hard to stomach £65pp which had to be paid for upfront - strange request but evident why...I would have refused to pay. In fact I would have stopped at the 2nd course and left. The waiter kept apologising although trying to defend the chef's surprise menu - there was no menu..it was just served & directly one dish after another so clearly it was not being prepared freshly. The only dish that required cooking was the 4th (clearly had been cooked hours before at least) as all others were cold dishes. We will never return and all of our foodie friends will be warned.

Excellent wedding venue and fantastic staff!

Myself and partner came for a meal and it was lovely. Sandra is so lovely and was very helpful and attentive. Bruce the chef came out and chatted with us he was lovely, and his food was amazing too, all great local produce, Sandra and Bruce are very proud of what they do and it shows. We will 100% be back for another meal.

I got married here this past weekend and I had the best day. I could not fault it at all, the day went so smoothly and that it thanks to Sandra. She made sure our day rang perfect, even though due to weather it had to be inside, in the barn it was perfect. The food was delicious and nothing was too much trouble. We can’t thank the blazing donkey enough for making our day so perfect. Will Defo be returning for a meal.

Just stopped in, was a wedding taking place, and still happy to serve me.

We got married in May 2024 and, although the day itself went smoothly, the lead up to the day and the aftermath was appalling. We booked the hotel package, meaning we get exclusive use of the grounds and all hotel rooms are reserved for our guests. This means we paid upfront (about 1 year before our wedding) for all 20 hotel rooms at £250/room. The idea being that when our guests book their rooms, we get refunded the amount they pay. We were encouraged to do this to prevent non-wedding guests staying the night of our wedding. We chose to ask our guests to pay £120/room and we would absorb the difference. Firstly, one of our guests was charged the full £250. Apparently this was in error but I had seen previous reviews of this happening. Secondly, we found out 2 days before our wedding that they had double booked the hotel rooms, with guests for the next days wedding staying the night of our wedding. They refused to cancel the rooms of the non-guests and instead put some of OUR guests in the glamping site, and canceled 2 of OUR rooms. So some of our guests had to share rooms/beds so everyone had somewhere to sleep, and some people ended up in cramped shepherds huts not proper hotel rooms. So 2 nights before my wedding I was calling our guests to try and organise this- so stressful and embarrassing to explain to our guests! It also meant that we did not have exclusive use as promised (and as we paid for), as the guests of the next days wedding were hanging about and were also sitting having breakfast with us the next morning. Really not on when we paid to avoid this. They offered me and my husband a free meal and hotel stay in the future to make up for it. A bit of a kick in the teeth in my opinion, so we declined. We also chose to use the chiavari chairs. In their photos they looked beautiful, with cream cushions. About a month before our wedding we were notified that these are an upcharge, this was never explained to us when we opted for them months prior. Apparently they source them from another company (they don't belong to them) so we have to pay for them. Fine, we paid. ANYWAY on the day the chairs had bright yellow cushions on them. I questioned this as it clashed with our colour scheme. We were told they had them stored over winter and they had to put those covers on them because they were mouldy underneath. So I guess that means you don't source them from another company? Again, just making money out of us. One the day, the leg on one of the chairs broke and one of our elderly guests ended up on the floor. The floor in the marquee is so uneven and spongy. Our cake was wobbling about because the floor it was stood on was uneven. I was worried the whole thing was going to topple over. The dance floor was also uneven and needs replacing. I would also say that if it rains on your wedding day, their backup plan is for you to get married on the dance floor. When they sold us the package, they said they had a curtain to separate one corner of the marquee to use for the ceremony in case of rain, but after we booked we were told that's not longer possible as they had thrown away the curtain. Not sure what they are telling people these days, so beware. It took weeks of countless emails and phone calls to get out deposit back and the payments for the hotel rooms. Now it's finally sorted I feel like I can share our experience.

Never have I been somewhere so peaceful and tranquil the main part was shut but booked online key was left in door when I arrived I sat in the beautiful garden oj my own with a drink all I could hear was the birds 🐦 and the wind this place is a little bit of heaven you have to stay hear and experience it stunning the rooms as sell wow just wow

Avoid at all costs! - Upon arrival, bin bags, laundry bags, and general cleaning equipment was littered around the site. We had to tidy this up before the rest of our party arrived. - No welcome drinks. - No cocktail-making class (which was an extra £1800!) - The "arrival" afternoon tea hamper was very delayed as staff were not aware of our booking, despite booking 8 months in advance. - Cold dinner with missing condiments. Chipped glassware. - No butler or private chef - dietary requirements were not met! - Numerous comments from staff explaining they shouldn't be catering to us due to a wedding at The Blazing Donkey - Damaged and torn tents leading to a cold and unpleasant night. - No hot water. A true CAMPING experience, I suppose. Nothing comfortable or luxurious about it. - Meat left outside overnight. Very unpleasant to wake up to, poses a serious health and safety risk! Richard (owner/manager) promised a partial refund verbally and via email but has since refused to honour it. Fortunately, we were able to get food and drink off site, and made the best of the situation we were in, but this is really quite unacceptable. Please avoid

Awful experience with this place. Avoid at all costs.

The owner is a scam artist! We booked the Hen do packages of Accommodation, food and cocktails but it was complete shambles and wasn't worth the money. No Drinks on arrival as promised. No cocktail class was given. Accommodation was the only decent thing but no hot water. We was left to ourselves with no dedicated staff to look after us. The poor staff (must have been young 20s) tried their best to help but the owners left them to pick up the mess. Nothing got cleaned up so all the food and drinks were left outside. Owner said he would refund cocktail making class but has since gone back on that promise. Alot of money was taken for the package but the service wasn't worth the money and the event was ruined because of them. Over promising with no care. AVOID AT ALL COSTS

I attended a wedding at this venue. I'm vegan so catering can sometimes be challenging but the food was perfect and delicious. Highly recommend.

Lovely rooms. But it is in the middle of nowhere with poor taxi availability!

I didn't stay so can't comment on rooms. But the food had a lot of effort put into it especially for those with allergys. If you're using a 3rd party to give them allergy advice make sure they hand all the correct information. The wedding planning website/company only gave Blazing donkey half my allergens so Blazing donkey had to make lovely food on the spur of the moment.

Poor service from behind the bar. Lovely location

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.

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

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

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

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!

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.

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

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.

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

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!!!!