Thackeray's in Tunbridge Wells

I went with my wife during a weekend away in Royal Tunbridge Wells and enjoyed a top class meal. Absolutely delicious food with friendly and professional service in a lovely restaurant.

Beautiful restaurant with sublime service, delectable food and excellent wine pairings.

A spectacular Easter Sunday lunch. Yum yum yum. The rhubarb sorbet was incredible!! The service was perfect. Attentive but not intrusive. We will be back.

We love it here. Photos over a couple of visits. Always fantastic service and attention to detail. The food is consistently a winner and somewhere we’ll be returning to many times in the future!

This place is a little gem. It was so good I had to have two main courses.

Wonderful Mother’s Day lunch. Everything was perfect from being greeted to our departure. My daughter & I thoroughly enjoyed it all.

My husband and sons surprised me with lunch on Mother’s Day. I’ve been wanting to dine at Thackeray’s so was happily surprised. Overall the food had some hits and misses. All the staff that served us were lovely and polite. I had the crab starter as did my 11-yr old son. It was light with slightly pickled vegetable ribbons and almonds. The sourdough focaccia was good but I found a piece of thin sharp plastic (could have been a fish bone) in my slice. When I told the waitress, she apologized. The main course of sirloin beef roast was delicious, rare and very tender. Unfortunately I couldn’t cut into the roast potatoes because there so hard. The waitress was very accommodating and changed it immediately. For dessert between the four of us, we tried the poppy seed sponge, pinapple and coconut sorbet (ok), raspberry soufflé (delicious) and baked Alaska (very good). It was very expensive (over £300, no alcohol) for the quality. Their Sunday lunches with a similar menu is £38 vs Mother’s Day lunch at £65 per head. And beyond the apology for the plastic I found in my bread, they did not offer anything else. My 11-yr old and I both had stomach aches after finishing the meal 🙁 A disappointing experience for a restaurant that has been recommended.

Have been here 3 times before and was disappointed with this visitation. We had to ask to put the heating up or to move seats as it was freezing cold inside, ended up wearing my coat inside. We had the tasting menu (which we've had before, hence why we came again) the portions were ridiculously small and even went to have a KFC afterwards as we weren't filled at all. The only two good portions were the beef dish and the rhubarb soufflé.... The rest...... C'mon chef.... What happened? What was most disappointing is the lady in the blazer and jacket who was obviously important,.asked us if there was any allergies or anything in the beginning and we said, please no beetroot...... Guess what appeared on our 2nd dish.... Beetroot. This place had always had a high status in my mind on customer service and attention to detail however the standards have seriously gone down as a simple request was completely ignored. Also the wine paring? Did you guys actually taste the wine with what was being served? Again we used to love the pairings and food it matched with but it's like no one gave it any thought. Now before you slate us completely we have both worked in restaurants ourselves before so understand everything that goes into it, but honestly was so so disappointed with this meal. The only good thing was the servers and their knowledge of the items being offered and with a smile. The rest..... Maybe just revisit the menu as I'm not sure what that haddock and raisin situation was. We got 20% discount which is basically just the servers tip? Correct me if wrong. If anything, I would've happily paid the servers their tip as they did a steller job. The food on the other hand was disappointing for a £400 meal and cheap wine. Won't be back as I was too embarrassed to even show my partner the food and wine it had to offer.... He said he's had better food in Mayfair for a similar price.

Really enjoyed the experience of the 20th anniversary tasting menu. Personal highlights the ox cheek doughnut and the raspberry souffle. Edit: It's been a while since we have been here but was still excellent. Food was good and the front of house staff are lovely. Baked Alaska was the highlight of the meal.

We have returned from a lovely lunch today and was served by a lovely girl I believe her name was Faye. Very professional, polite and made us feel very welcome.

Had a wonderful celebration meal there yesterday evening. Excellent food and wine great staff and beautiful decor. I felt the price was really good and worth every penny. Highly recommended A***** thank you!!

Had Valentine dinner yesterday, v high expectations, totally let down by elaborate menu with no taste, and amateur waiting service with college students. Had to apologise to my Valentine date the next day.

Treated to Sunday lunch here. Table booked for 2pm. At 2:25 my wife had to go and ask what was happening and we were finally seated, though numbers in the restaurant were already dwindling. Food quality was excellent and good value for money, but our mains were luke warm at best and must confess to being a bit disappointed by the total absence of anything green, even in the optional extras. Wine as you would probably expect is not cheap. Upon leaving we found my wool scarf was missing. I got a verbal "sorry" and my number was taken, but clearly they weren't that bothered and I've heard nothing more. The cloakroom arrangement is haphazard to say the least. Lastly, my wife communicated her disappointment by email given the rave reviews, but has not had the courtesy of even an acknowledgement. Looks as though it could be great, but don't think we will be rushing back.

Excellent place. I still visit even after I have moved out of the county.

If you are trying to find somewhere to eat while you are here this is simply the best place to eat in Tunbridge Wells, great service from a great team and an exceptional menu with incredible ingredients. Stop reading the reviews and book a table.

Cannot remember going to a restaurant where you are treated with such respect food marvellous service exceptional brilliant

Tasty food and good wine selection. Great cooking techniques and beautiful plating.

First time for us. Staff attentive, food gourgous & presentation excellent. Little extras a long the way, will be back in the new year.

The restaurant was cold, radiators barely on! I was cold all the time there! I also kept my jacket on all the time.

Had an exquisite experience here to say the least. The food was divine and the environment was so warm and welcoming. The staff go above and beyond to make sure you’re having the most positive experience possible- and their attention to detail is incomparable. Highly recommend.

We had a private dining room for 14. The food was cold, the roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings rock hard and the gravy over sweetened. The ceviche lacked any flavour and the usual citrus zing. Service was very lax and requests ignored.It was also quite pricey. Not in a hurry to return

My husband and I took friends for a 40th birthday celebration and it was fabulous. I hadn’t eaten at Thackerays for a while as the last time, it was not great. However, it was a completely different experience this time. The food and service felt like it was on a different level and the wines were superb. We all had fish - either halibut or the monkfish both of which were delicious and perfectly cooked. It was a really lovely evening and I shall definitely go back.

Had the dining menu and had lots of new food combinations The wine flight was excellent too Only draw back was the plate scraper sitting next to us

Always a classy meal and service at Thackerays

Fantastic food wonderful wines and brilliant hospitality from Gary, Patrick and all the team. Thank you for an amazing evening

Everything about this restaurant is top drawer 👌

The staff are lovely and attentive. No parking though.

Although my last review was a year ago we have been to Thackerays in the intervening time as a couple, with clients,as a group for Sunday lunch and with friends for birthdays. EVERY TIME superb, gluten free - no problem, dairy free - no problem, vegan - no problem. Richard and his team are the best, charming and attentive without being too much oh and then the food….. this is a no brainier, two average meals at local pub for one at Thackerays. I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough Went there for our first date 16 years ago and have been returning ever since

It was a joy from start to finish. We were celebrating a special birthday. We received a great welcome, super table and the food and wine were exceptional. What a brilliant business - it is a survivor and long standing in this tough industry and that is because they maintain such excellent standards. Thanks Again

Love our lunch and the staff were all very friendly! I made a note upon booking mentioning it's for my husband's birthday, they left a birthday card on the table when we arrived and a little cake with candle 🕯️ that's really sweet! We were already talking about visiting again to try out other dishes ❤️

Absolutely fantastic! The experience begins before you’ve even entered. The characterful building greets you before entry, as you look upon the oldest building in Tunbridge Wells. You’re welcomed in with energy and excitement by the staff who almost seem giddy to share their craft with you but remain so poised yet approachable. Cocktails at the bar is where we started before being led to our table…everything is in perfect position. Then the real experience began and chef Hill presented us with plate after plate of sheer perfection! Everything about the food and presentation is expertly done and only surpassed by the sheer taste and flavour of it all. We lost track of time in a mix of elaborate and great tasting food and wonderful company. The atmosphere is excellent and chef Hill at one point walked through to be greeted by nods of appreciation from each table. You can’t find a better dining experience in Tunbridge Wells.

Absolutely fantastic! The experience begins before you’ve even entered. The characterful building greets you before entry, as you look upon the oldest building in Tunbridge Wells. You’re welcomed in with energy and excitement by the staff who almost seem giddy to share their craft with you but remain so poised yet approachable. Cocktails at the bar is where we started before being led to our table…everything is perfect position. Then the real experience began and chef Hill presented us with plate after plate and sheer perfection! Everything about the food and presentation is expertly done and only surpassed by the sheer taste and flavour of it all. We lost track of time in a mix of elaborate and great tasting food and wonderful company. The atmosphere is excellent and chef Hill at one point walked through to be greeted by nods of appreciation from each table. You can’t find a better dining experience in Tunbridge Wells.

My second visit to Thackeray’s and this time for the set lunch menu. It’s starts with the bread which is just moorish and then the food continues to be just perfect! Everything on the plate is perfectly executed with the attention to detail out of this world. I think you can judge how good a restaurant is if they pay the same level of detail and perfection to their lunch sets as they do to their a la carte. Service was aligned to the quality of the food, not one bad thing to say here. The atmosphere is the only criticism as it’s non existent but is what I find is standard for this level of dining which makes you purely focus on taste. If you appreciate fine dining then this place is for you.

What can I say,an absolutely amazing dinning experience. 🍽 HIGHLEY recommend this restaurant

The food has improved from great to fabulous. Good service. Great location.

Super reasonable set lunch, we did the pairing wine, added a couple of sides and an extra cheese course. Staff were very accommodating as usual and we sat on the terrace to enjoy the lovely sunshine. Would highly recommend their set lunch, truly delicious, huge amount of attention to detail and presented perfectly.

Great lunch outside. Fixed price menu really good value, wine bumps up the price, but paired wines with meal also good value.

Fantastic. Went in Nov 22 excellent food and service lovely building.

Excellent service and possibly the best Sunday lunch I've had . Generous portions too .

Excellent service, great food and pleasant ambiance Highly recommend this place

Be warned if you have been bought gift vouchers from here. They will not be valid for 12 months as anywhere else but only 6. We have lost out on £120 because we were bought this as a present and expected to be able to use it for a year (we won't be caught out again). When asked there was no support from them and we will certainly never go back!

I visited Thackeray's recently for lunch on a special occasion. It was a lovely meal, the set menu, with first class service. The wine suggested was excellent and the food was fantastic at a reasonable price. Thank you!

Excellent service, great atmosphere and exceptional food. Can't fault the staff who looked after us from start to finish

Amazing lunchtime set menu deal with wine pairing. Fantastic all round. Thank you.

Absolutely amazing from start to finish

Interesting, fresh, tasty food and good wine pairings; lovely service; good atmosphere. £80-odd including service for a three-course lunch for two (inc two glasses of wine) is really incredible value.

I can see that we haven't been here since 2011 but I read their set lunch menu for July and decided to revisit. We had a lovely set lunch - all the courses were delicious. Staff were friendly and helpful. (It is difficult to park so allow time for that, the loos are on the first floor and take care with the locks).

Amazing food and a wonderful surprise to get excellent vegan food there too! We sat outside and it was great.

What a great restaurant. Two couples having starters of scallops, beetroot and blue cheese mousse and qual. Main courses Dexter beef (absolutely delicious) sea bass and halibut all gorgeous. Sides fantastic. I only wish we lived nearer as we be regulars

We went for lunch for our anniversary, and let me tell you, this is the best food and service in Tunbridge Wells, and it's not even close. Everything we ate or drank was stunning (3 course menu with wine pairing for £110) Our server was 1st class also. 100% will be back with friends and family.

We enjoyed the food at this restaurant, as it was of very good quality. However, we couldn't help but feel that the portion sizes were a bit on the smaller side, considering the price tag. I personally left a bit hungry. The set lunch for 2, along with a bottle of water, all together priced at 99 pounds, felt quite steep. Additionally, finding parking in the area proved to be quite difficult.

Visit yesterday for my bday and so had we did, we moved recently to the area so still getting to know new places, food is great and well priced , service is friendly, space is lovely, we sat on the terrace as it was beautiful. Cocktails are super yum too and wine list is extensive. Can't wait to go back.

Lovely lunch , I had the Tuna Ceviche followed by the Halibut and then the Raspberry Soufflé all delicious and really well presented. All the staff were attentive without being either intrusive or pretentious, explaining each dish well. A good wine list reasonably priced too

Thackeray's was recommended to my partner and I recently. We decided to try it as the menu sounded nice enough and we were looking to experience something new. It would've been nice to be able to sit outside on the terrace however we were told this is only open during lunchtime, thus, we were seated in the main dining area instead, towards the back of the room. The decor was definitely not up to the high standard of which the restaurant claims or wishes to be at. Also, considering that the room was relatively tiny, it was getting hotter and stuffier, without staff considering to open additional windows. Now, talking about the food - the free amuse-bouche was tasty, we were also offered soup with bread and butter. The bread was extremely nice, with a crumpet-like consistency and taste. We then each had a cocktail, a starter, and a main. I personally enjoyed the toffee apple cosmo, and my starter - the scallops dish was tasty. My partner had the gooseberry cocktail and the quail starter, which were alright. This far there wasn't really much to complain about food-wise. For the mains, I ordered the lamb whilst my partner wanted the aged beef. I guess we expected the portion sizes to be small considering that it is an a la carte menu, however it was surprising seeing that my dish only came with one very tiny cutlet which was also very fatty and unchewable. Moreover, the meat, for both of our dishes, was flavourless and unseasoned. This was quite unexpected considering the pretensions of the restaurant and the prices of the mains. At this point both of us were disappointed and were getting quite annoyed with our experience so we decided not to have desserts. We paid and immediately left the restaurant after we were done with our mains. Be mindful that the water here isn't free either. In the end we had to go down to Five Guys to order some more food to satisfy our hunger. It's safe to say that we will not be returning, but at least we will no longer be curious to try Thackeray's out XD

Lovely way to celebrate a friends 50th birthday. Excellent service.

I hadn’t been to Thackeray’s in 20 years. Having read the reviews, my main worry was that it might all be a bit poncey with very small nouvelle-ish helpings. I don’t know what it’s like on normal days but I can state this is not the case for Sunday lunch. Yes the tuna sashimi style was little - but excellent- and more than compensated for by the generous beef and trimmings. To finish I chose the raspberry souffle’ which incurred a supplement but was worthwhile. The overall bill was £110 which is not cheap but I’d had a house cocktail, two glasses of ordinary wine, and two of the delicious Californian red dessert wine. Staff were friendly and professional - perhaps a little bit over stretched at the peak of 2pm or just after- and Maria was particularly charming.

We visited this restaurant for Sunday lunch, and we were impressed! The food was very good and the staff provided excellent service and made us feel welcome throughout our visit. The Sunday lunch deal for GBP 38 is not cheap but well worth it.

1st visit and loved it. High end dinning but relaxed atmosphere. We'll priced compared with other places considering the quality of the food. Will definitely be back.

Been here a few times and always had nothing but good words to say about it but unfortunately won’t be going back!! The beef from the roast dinner was basically raw and impossible to cut!! After sending it back they brought as our something that I could only describe as a carpaccio and still hard to cut!! After paying the bill and leaving, that evening we realised we’d been charged £110 cancellation charge even tho we didn’t cancel the reservation!! We emailed the restaurant and didn’t get any reply, after ringing on Wednesday the manger informed us he was waiting for our call (why did he not reply to our earlier email) after not getting a word in edge ways and not being offered any compensation for a bad dining experience and the over charging he ended the call!! Won’t be going back and very sad to be saying that as I used to really like the restaurant!!

Outstanding food for the price. Had the set lunch.

Fine dinning at it's best. Lovely restaurant with amazing dishes. Flavours and presentation makes you want to come back for more. Waiting staff are very attentive. Great location.

The set lunch menu is good value, with paired wines. Professional, well-trained staff. A serous fine dining restaurant that manages to be relaxed and welcoming.

Our favourite restaurant in Tunbridge Wells. Gary and the team do a fantastic job and the food is superb. The lunch menu with wine pairing is excellent value too. Highly recommended.

What a disappointing restaurant. We have recently moved to Tunbridge Wells from Sevenoaks and had heard good things about this restaurant for years. We decided to treat ourselves to the tasting menu which is usually a fun experience in restaurants. Wow - all I can say is what an absolute overpriced disappointment... The food was mediocre at best. The flavours were really off. For example the crab starter with burnt clementine was simply not nice. We both love crab but paired with the orange flavour it was so overpowering and was all you could taste. It was bitter and very off-putting. The savory courses of the tasting menu were all tiny, yet the dessert part of the tasting menu was huge. It felt very unbalanced and we really did not enjoy. The service was also very poor - we had a young lady serving us who mumbled the whole way through the night, barely able to hear what each course was - it was a very uncomfortable experience I'm afraid to say. We have been to many great restaurants and tried so many tasting menus however this one was one of the worst. I'm sorry to say that as I know it was a new menu but the flavours didn't work, the proportion of sweet to savoury was too much, the raspberry soufflé was undercooked and watery, the service was poor and most importantly the value for money was appalling. The total bill for 2 x non drinking customers for 2 tasting menus and 2 mocktails was £330. Appalling.

Beautiful restaurant with stunning food. Beautifully presented with outstanding flavours. Great value set menu which is a perfect introduction to what I can only imagine must be superb dinners.

Food was excellent although you have to adjust expectations to the nouvelle cuisine portions. The steak in particular was a shock in terms of size. Wine list was excellent although disappointed that they "just ran out of the bottle you chose Sir a few hours...

Always excellent service and imaginatively produced and well presented food in a lovely historic building. Go for the superb value lunchtime menu if you don't want to splash out. Great wine list too

There was a sense of anticipation in spending time in a spot where Thackeray once stayed and the place does not disappoint. The downstairs restaurant is elegantly decorated in warm colours, the tables well-spaced for privacy - ours was by a window. The staff are polite and friendly. Clearly, it is a special occasions venue. While the menu isn't huge, it has enough choices. We opted for the two course set lunch at £ 26 a head, plus a bottle of new world wine - the Kentish white wasn't great, sorry. It was a truly leisurely afternoon; they were in no hurry to see us leave (it was a Wednesday) and we felt well taken care of.

Very mediocre food Luke warm and surprisingly tasteless Service ok Way too expensive for what you get Would definitely not return. There are far better places to go for this sort of money

Very Nice relaxing atmosphere. Very worth while visit

4 of us went here on Saturday night, Being foodies and trying tasting menus from lots of restaurants we thought we would give this a go as on our doorstep! Tremendous service and tremendous flavours we all left with smiles on our faces. After an...

Really disappointed - the taster menu was average at best. Two of the courses would have been left if it wasn’t expensive. Hot courses warmish. Nothing blew us away. Waitress knew all the information but a lot of them young and it just doesn’t seem...

We celebrated our wedding anniversary at this very special restaurant. It is so nice to have a restaurant of such a high calibre on our doorstep. The entire evening was faultless. The tasting menu with the accompanying wines was exceptional. The staff were all fantastic....

A gorgeous evening. The food was delicious and served beautifully. A nice selection of wines by the glass and nice touches like canapés, amuse bouche and petit fours. Definitely “the” special restaurant of RTW.

We have visited Thackerays for years and if asked would always rate as our favourite restaurant. Superb service, lovely atmosphere and incredible food! This time the atmosphere was stark, the service was appalling. Our waiter had no idea what we were eating, we had the...

I visited with my Mum for lunch for an early birthday treat. We both thoroughly enjoyed the food and the exceptional service. Such a lovely surprise for a delicious chocolate cake with a candle to come out for my Mum, which she really enjoyed ❤️...

While I appreciate this is a Tunbridge Wells institution I fear it did not handle our party well enough last night to warrant the high price point and reputation. While the food was good both starters and mains arrived cold. The waitress was very lovely and did her best - didn't know where some of the main dishes came from eg halibut etc. I know there is a challenge in staffing but felt that Thackeray's management should brief new staff more efficiently so they are able to cope with fairly basic questions from dinners. The room was lovely and wine good.

What an amazing experience! Superb service, food and ambience

I am not one for reviews normally, however, this was quite frankly one of the worst dining experiences ever. We have been to Thackeray's several times and have always been very pleased, today was the last. Have taken children previously but this evening was made to feel very unwelcome. No attempted to accommodate the children. The only option for the children which was the fillet steak. £42 for possibly a 100 gram steak? As we’d ordered a more basic version of that and the size of it we’d have expected to be charged once. No, charged twice! To the gentleman serving me, I am well aware fillet steak is the finest cut of meat… thanks! Also when peppercorn sauce is offered on the side… we don’t expect it to be poured on our steak without being asked? Neither of us were asked.. Starters incredibly bland. Puddings… Soufflé was nice, however, the gentleman serving us didn’t warn that the pots they came in were hot so my son burned his fingers, only then after that occurred, he was warned that they were hot! Trying to be something you aren’t, not fine dining - some of the worst dining I have ever experienced. Michelin star restaurants serve less but it’s full of flavour and you leave full. Straight after leaving I have had to collect a Wagamama. Awful service. Awful food. Would’ve complained there but was my son’s birthday (could give the gentleman behind me a glass of champagne for his birthday but not even a pudding for my son). £270 for 2 starters and 4 mains (without alcohol) Paying Michelin star prices for chain-restaurant standard of food.

Was treated to the chef's taster menu, which offered six courses, along with an optional extra of wine that complements each dish. The food was delicious but it was the service that really stood out. The servers were knowledgeable and very professional.

Took my mum and wife to Thackerys restaurant for a birthday treat and was not disappointed. Amazing food, brilliant service and a lovely atmosphere. Would strongly reccomend if you're in the area and fancy a fine dining experience!

We visited in December for my birthday dinner - it was our first experience of Thackeray’s but certainly won’t be our last! The atmosphere is exactly what we were hoping for, a perfect balance of high end luxury but welcoming, friendly and warm (a tricky...

Consistently brilliant. The best cuisine and value proposition in Tunbridge Wells.

We went for Sunday lunch with our daughter and her family. The staff were very friendly and welcoming. They were very helpful with our two young grandchildren. Our grandson thought the restaurant was' really lovely' . Good quality food with interesting flavours and presentation. The...

Food was too fussy for us. Trying too hard. For example baked beans with pork loin in a char sui sauce. They just clash. Lots of amuse bouches which left us overfilled with an excess of flavours and quantity.

Our traditional Christmas Eve luncheon visit was marred by the fact the toilets were not working. Plumbers were on the scene, but there appeared to be no easy solution. We were unaware of this situation until my wife wanted to spend a penny. She had...

Formal but friendly and not phased at all by my noisy little grandsons. We loved the 7 course taster menu

A regular at Thackerays, and it never dissapoints. As always a warm and friendly welcome , with attentive (but not invasive) service . A new menu that offered lots of alternatives, and a willingness to adapt to allow us to pull items from tasting menu...

The problem is someways with Thackeray's is that they are fairly unique in the area and as such get away with their prices and service. As many others do, my wife took me there for a birthday treat. The service is brusque. The bread contained...

We went to Thackeray’s for my birthday dinner. First the good, I had a zero alcohol margarita that was delicious and the bread was lovely. My husbands venison was perfectly cooked and my piece of halibut was pleasant enough. The couple at the next rather...

Always a pleasure. We have been coming to Thackeray’s for 20 years and they never fail to make you feel special. The food is sublime, the wines’s always perfectly paired, the restaurant offers a beautiful and historical setting and the service offered by Gary and his team serves to glue all the constituent parts perfectly together. Thank you as always for a wonderful lunch !

Incredible top end restaurant, even serving vegan options!

Just come back from a three course Sunday lunch. Very festive! Gorgeous interior, roast turkey and raspberry soufflé and cocktails. A delightful festive Sunday three course lunch. Pricey but you get what u pay for.

We have been having a Xmas lunch at Thackerays as a group for several years and it has always been great fun with lovely food. This time unfortunately the chef must have had the day as the food was very poor. Served on cold plates...

Stunning food and service. Best in Kent and possibly the UK.

I love Thackeray’s, they serve you before your chosen menu delicious home made bread, we also had salted popcorn and fried macaroni balls ,all so beautifully served. It is a very stylish interior, this restaurant is fabulous.A special experience,I have been many times and it...

Not my first visit and definitely will not be my last. Staff are knowledgeable and attentive without being overbearing. Food is delicious. Space is stylish and plenty of space between you and other diners.

Absolutely love this place ❤️ also loves the fact I turned up wearing the same suit as the chap serving me there (good fashion sense)

Wonderful experience, very attentive service and excellent food

Lovely evening on our anniversary night, special thanks to Gary and Maria who were both very attentive. A beautiful touch was that “our” song which we’ve never heard anywhere in public was playing upon our arrival. I could’ve been served a lump of coal and I would’ve been happy because of that moment me and my girlfriend had. Nevertheless the food was amazing! Will definitely return. Nathan & Sofia