The Artichoke in Canterbury - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

My Dad has lived in the village 50 years and I grew up there. We popped in some months ago the first week the new owner reopened the pub even before there was a menu but she did us two bowls of goulash and it was superb. Then today we want back and had the braised lamb in mint gravy, delicious! I will be dropping by for lunch every time I visit! Thank you

Lovely building full of character. Pleasant staff, lovely food and plenty of it attractively served. Pre-ordered so only a short wait. Prices pretty good too.

We had a beautifully cooked lunch, and the service was so welcoming and friendly, thank you. I definitely recommend visiting this lovely village pub in a wonderful medieval building.

I asked specifically if the 'home cooked' ham was so, and was reassured that it was... nooo it wasn't Bookers vac pac ham, greasey flavourless eggs .... not reccomended at all.

Pub very cozy. Beer garden also available. But paid 6.80 for a cola and a lime and soda. Usury...

Pub with beer garden at the back

Came here on a Friday night for dinner and drinks and it was completely empty apart from a few locals which was a shame. The food was ok but nothing amazing. Atmosphere is very random as they seem to have an obsession with pigs, even though it's called the artichoke! Wouldn't rush back but definitely a good spot if you're passing through.

A great value for money, quality Sunday roast. One of us had the steak and merlot pie that looked and tasted amazing. Puds are home made and fantastic value. Thanks x

Our Sunday roast was very good, as was the beef & merlot pie and rack of ribs. The desserts were delicious and well presented. All home cooked and very reasonably priced. Staff friendly and attentive and a very pretty pub. Definitely recommend.

Nice sausage roll and a beer after a walk along the stour . Looks like a good food menu

Lovely, old English country pub. Could not have had a more pleasant visit.

We live local to the pub but never had tried it out until today and were very surprised at how amazing the food was. Regret not having tried it before in the last 5 years that we've been here. They know a thing or two about delicious comforting pub food. We thoroughly enjoyed our 2 course meal and can't wait to go back for more! Staff were very polite and service was excellent so thank you for a lovely evening.

My partner and I came in with our 4 month daughter to try the biscoff waffle on the menu on a rainy Tuesday afternoon and our day was brightened after visiting! Lesley the landlady made us feel welcome and bought our waffles out quickly. Presentation was lovely and taste was even better! Would definitely recommend and greatful to have a place that serves this kind of thing here in our village of Chartham ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Artichoke is under a new landlady. It’s now open 7 days a week which is great for the Chartham community, dog walkers and bike riders alike. I can’t wait to see what happens to the Artichoke in the future especially what Summer will hold!

Lovely little pub , we stumbled across on a drive,the owner had only taken over this week and although she wasn’t serving food at the moment offered to cook us scampi and chips which was absolutely lovely - will definitely return - I am sure the new owner will make 100% success of the venue

We visited here after a long walk. We were greeted by friendly young man, who told us it was his first day. He was doing well. We were then met by the new owner Lesley, she was really friendly and helpful. She had only been there a matter of days and was finding her feet, with stock on order and empty barrels we were still given a good drink and Lesley went out of her way to rustle us up a meal in the kitchen. A tasty scampi and chips. We chatted and she has great ideas for her new venture. I hope she is well supported and people visit. The pub is full of character and Lesley seemed a lady who was going to give it her best shot. Good luck. 😊

This is the third time (7/4/24 1300) we have walked to Chartham hoping for lunch - again it was shut despite stating on here that it's open - never again!

Lovely atmosphere and friendly staff, will Def be back

Had fish & chips, nice fish, cheap fries. Overpriced mains, limited menu and very overpriced deserts. Good service, nice enough inside, gorgeous building on the outside. OK beer. Wouldn't rush back but worth a visit, if passing. Shame about the god awful eyesore of the derelict papermill 2mins away

Good place for a pint after walking from Wye

A pretty little pub. We stopped in for a drink and hot chocolate in the middle of a February Sunday afternoon so it was understandably quiet. We just had a pint and hot chocolate but the staff were friendly and service quick. The menu looked good although we did not eat.

A lovely and atmospheric pub. The dining area has a well which has been converted into a table! Good, honest pub food which is well cooked and speedily delivered. From the pub side, it is a Shepherd Neame house, which means it is only able to serve their beers, 😞, however, they do a really decent Guinness is very well kept 🙂. I would highly recommend visiting on a day trip from Canterbury. In fact, you can take the train to Chatham, have a drink and then walk back; or, walk to Chatham have a drink and then take the train back 🙂. Either way, well worth a visit.

Had some fantastic food here today. It was a starter but a very generous one. It was cauliflower florets in an amazing batter with a pesto dipping sauce. Well I wasn't expecting too much with it, but boy was I totally surprised. Presentation was absolutely spot on, I started to eat it with my eyes straight away. Bit sceptical about a 'pesto sauce ' Wow an amazing complement to it with a fantastic chopped up little salad with it, spread across the plate in a very decorative manner. This was DEFINITELY a food experience and not just a lunch. I am a very enthusiastic cook myself and have been for many many years, extremely critical towards food when eating out, and have ran a couple of successful food places myself. Well I couldn't wait to get back home and write this, a very well deserved review it is. Well done landlady but more so, WELL DONE CHEF. Food and presenting it is a definite art form of its own, and YOU definitely have that skill, ability and gift.

Had a lovely plate of fish and chips which was well cooked. Only one beer on tap ( not counting lagers) which was a little disappointing. But the staff were friendly and the pub itself is a real gem. We'll be back

Typical Sheps house, only masterbrew available, pretty good pub grub

Lovely meal, enormous portions! Will be back very soon!

Lovely food and the pub has a lot of character and a relaxing atmosphere. Staff were very welcoming and was very friendly and helpful when booking a table.

Dealing with large group was a challenge but the staff worked really hard to produce very good food and service with a smile

My sister and I had a quick lunch between house viewings. It’s a cute little pub. Holly and her team are really friendly and the burgers were good. It’s a shame we live too far away for the pub quiz and karaoke! Would definitely recommend this pub.

We booked the restaurant for a Sunday lunch - we had our dog with us (dogs are allowed in the bar area but not the restaurant). So, there was no fuss and Charlie very kindly took us through to the bar and set up a table for us there. It was in fact much cosier. The bar was chatty but not loud. The FOOD WAS AMAZING!!!!! I had roast turkey and it was like three christmases rolled in to one! The meat was tender and juicy, the vegetables were crisp and tasty, the roast potatoes were crunchy on the outside and fluffy in the middle, the pigs in blankets were de-lish-ous!!!! The service was attentive but not overpowering. We will DEFINITELY go back again. Would recommend 5 star for food (tasty and good value) and service. Thank you!

Most horrible experience of eating out, they brought us cold food, snatched the plates from the table, very rude personal.

Never go there with your family, Me, my husband, my mum our 2 weeks old and 4 years old went for a Sunday roast to this place. Food was 1 hour late, they brought cold plates, and when we asked to sort it out it took the stuff another 10 minutes just to come and check on our food. We were offered to leave the place or wait for a new order, which we did as it was too late to go somewhere else. No apologies, nothing, the food was snatched from us the most horrible service I have ever experienced In my life.

Great little country oub, well run with a great atmosphere. Very friendly staff and the food was so good. Best fish finger sandwich in Kent!

What a gem this place is. 700 years old! Such history and ambience of times gone by. Lovely drinks in most charming surroundings. Alex the bartender an absolute delight: a gentleman, education, historian and thoroughly enjoyed his attentive amiable service, hospitality & historian knowledge of the local area. Bravo 🙌

Awful experience that my family and I went through at the The Artichoke pub in Chartham that resulted in plates being physically snatched (from behind our backs) out of the hands of a mother who was breast feeding at the time all whilst a four year old was watching!!! The actions of the staff were absolutely disgraceful, despicable and rude. Initially everything was fine and we were greeted warmly and were made comfortable with our seating. The atmosphere was warm and friendly which makes it all the more surprising how events unfolded. The issue started when our main course was brought to the table. It was my daughter who noticed that her dinner was incredibly cold (we all had variations of the roast) and after checking I felt that all 4 meals were cold. Some elements had some warmth but most were cold to the point it would have been unpleasant to eat. The gravy was lukewarm on one side but cold on another plus the plates were cold, potatoes hard and meats very dry. My issue isn’t one with the food rather how it was dealt with by the staff as I would expect that the standard process would be for a customer to inform a member of the team and for a replacement to be offered with an apology. We had waited a while for the food (we were told that it was being plated up long before it arrived which is why I think it was cold) but when I let Chelsea know that it was cold it took an awfully long time for another member of staff to attend to “deal with it,” whilst she playfully chatted with another table. Given that we have young children who need to get to bed we did need to get on. A lady, Holly Millin I think, eventually came over and was extremely curt and sharp which felt very much out of place as no complaint had been made. She did offer to replace or to cancel the meal with no charge. We accepted the former as the latter would have meant that our daughter would have gone without dinner when we needed to get her home ready for school but it made us feel very undervalued to the point that we were being inconvenient. I did ask the lady that I was surprised that food could be brought out without checking and she said that food is probed and that plates are hot enough to burn your skin. This didn’t help offer an explanation as to why ours were cold but I didn’t press any further. After the replacement meals were brought out Chelsea asked if everything was okay and I said that the food was indeed warm but I was surprised that we weren’t offered an apology because the state of the initial meals was entirely unacceptable – I was simply shocked by her brazen reply of “I am sorry that you feel that way” which we took to be very condescending and sarcastic. After this interaction I looked at my wife with incredulity and perhaps let out a nervous laugh. Chelsea must have overheard my reaction to her sarcasm and reported to her manager that we laughed at her (which we hadn’t). At which point the manager came over and without warning snatched our plates whilst stating that we had laughed at Chelsea which we hadn’t. My wife was breast feeding at that time that Holly leant over her to snatch her barely started dinner. Holly then proceeded to physically grab the plate away from my mother-in-law who had no idea the lady was behind her – she had her cutlery in her hands and was chewing! My mother-in-law also does not speak English and had no idea what was happening. How can reporting a cold meal be escalated to this level? From initially nice service to plate snatching. This certainly is not normal behaviour for any human. We still cannot believe what happened. Today my daughter is still upset as she witnessed an altercation by a lady she did not know and my wife is shocked that a person could be physically aggressive whilst she was breast feeding a baby – anything could have happened if the plate would have hit his head. Be warned something is not right with these people...

Awful experience that my family and I went through at the The Artichoke pub in Chartham that resulted in plates being physically snatched (from behind our backs) out of the hands of a mother who was breast feeding at the time all whilst a four year old was watching!!! The actions of the staff were absolutely disgraceful, despicable and rude. Initially everything was fine and we were greeted warmly and were made comfortable with our seating. The atmosphere was warm and friendly which makes it all the more surprising how events unfolded. The issue started when our main course was brought to the table. It was my daughter who noticed that her dinner was incredibly cold (we all had variations of the roast) and after checking I felt that all 4 meals were cold. Some elements had some warmth but most were cold to the point it would have been unpleasant to eat. The gravy was lukewarm on one side but cold on another plus the plates were cold, potatoes hard and meats very dry. My issue isn’t one with the food rather how it was dealt with by the staff as I would expect that the standard process would be for a customer to inform a member of the team and for a replacement to be offered with an apology. We had waited a while for the food (we were told that it was being plated up long before it arrived which is why I think it was cold) but when I let Chelsea know that it was cold it took an awfully long time for another member of staff to attend to “deal with it,” whilst she playfully chatted with another table. Given that we have young children who need to get to bed we did need to get on. A lady, Holly Millin I think, eventually came over and was extremely curt and sharp which felt very much out of place as no complaint had been made. She did offer to replace or to cancel the meal with no charge. We accepted the former as the latter would have meant that our daughter would have gone without dinner when we needed to get her home ready for school but it made us feel very undervalued to the point that we were being inconvenient. I did ask the lady that I was surprised that food could be brought out without checking and she said that food is probed and that plates are hot enough to burn your skin. This didn’t help offer an explanation as to why ours were cold but I didn’t press any further. After the replacement meals were brought out Chelsea asked if everything was okay and I said that the food was indeed warm but I was surprised that we weren’t offered an apology because the state of the initial meals was entirely unacceptable – I was simply shocked by her brazen reply of “I am sorry that you feel that way” which we took to be very condescending and sarcastic. After this interaction I looked at my wife with incredulity and perhaps let out a nervous laugh. Chelsea must have overheard my reaction to her sarcasm and reported to her manager that we laughed at her (which we hadn’t). At which point the manager came over and without warning snatched our plates whilst stating that we had laughed at Chelsea which we hadn’t. My wife was breast feeding at that time that Holly leant over her to snatch her barely started dinner. Holly then proceeded to physically grab the plate away from my mother-in-law who had no idea the lady was behind her – she had her cutlery in her hands and was chewing! My mother-in-law also does not speak English and had no idea what was happening. How can reporting a cold meal be escalated to this level? From initially nice service to plate snatching. This certainly is not normal behaviour for any human. We still cannot believe what happened. Today my daughter is still upset as she witnessed an altercation by a lady she did not know and my wife is shocked that a person could be physically aggressive whilst she was breast feeding a baby – anything could have happened if the plate would have hit his head. Be warned something is not right with these people...

a great village pub friendly staff and well kept beer

Extremely good roast dinner today at the artichoke in Chartham The trio of meats I ordered come out in good time, the portion was also good and great quality of food Highly recommend for anything on the menu not only the roast dinner, we will be coming back very soon

Visited here Sunday lunch time and had a tasty roast dinner. The staff are very friendly and it’s a great atmosphere! Recommend the beef! 5* 😋

Huge fan. So much so that I'm submitting this review while mid-meal here - a spectacular chicken and chorizo pasta, which is one of the most satisfying meals I've had in ages. Every one behind the bar also couldn't be more friendly and welcoming and the pub has a great traditional local pub feel.

Amazing little village pub with fantastic food and a friendly team behind the bar. Well worth going on a Thursday evening to join in with their regular quiz raising money for various charities. (Book in advance if you want to join in with the quiz as it gets busy but there's always room on the other side of the pub if you just want food and/or a drink!)

Wonderful fresh food, great atmosphere in a historic traditional pub

What great night we had lovely service and food. We played a game of Bat and Trap, which was excellent fun. Such a welcoming place

Lovely old pub. Varied menu - all food freshly prepared and cooked on premises. Good, friendly service, nice selection of wines. Would definitely visit again.

Lovely food, but rather large portions. Very jolly Landlord.

Lovely village pub with a traditional feel. The food was delicious and there was plenty of it. You could easily share a ploughmans. Alex who served us was very friendly. We will definitely go back. If you like walking, the walk from Canterbury to Chartham along the river is lovely and just over three miles.

Lovely family friendly pub. Staff (shout out to Alex) were very accommodating and we had a great experience.

Lovely local pub with character in building and service. Can't wait to go back.

We think this is the best pub in the world. We (Aussies from Sydney) lived in Chartham for a year in 2007/ 8 and visited often with friends and also family who were visiting us. The food was always the best! We’ve been back in 2010 and 2018, and while I think the pub has changed hands a few times, it has still always been fabulous. Yesterday was our most recent visit for my birthday (could have not thought of anywhere better to go 😊) with my now 24 and 22 year old daughters, who first visited when they were 6 and 8. Was a real walk down memory lane for all of us, and the food was still fabulous! The service was also great and the meals reasonably priced.

We had a great time at Artichoke. The service was excellent and friendly. The food was delicious with more than ample portions. As well as that, it seemed like a perfect community pub with live music and s quiz. I only wish lived closer to it.

Amazing food and service. Lovely traditional pub. We would highly recommend it. And we will definitely be back.

Had a nice lunch time meal in the garden. Food was very nice and prompt service in a great location. Would recommend

Finally managed to eat here (definitely book, every time we've popped in on the off chance they've been fully booked). The food was great and they're very accommodating of allergies, which was a refreshing change. The portions are plentiful and there's a good range of classics and a few twists too. We were well looked after by Alex who was attentive without being overbearing and handled all our (many) queries with patience. The ploughman's I ordered could easily have served two, and my friends all struggled to finish their mains, definitely good value for money. We shall be back!

Great old English country pub, great service and atmosphere.

The staff are really friendly here. Great place to go for food. Try their meat and ale pie.Truley superb home made food.Puddings are fantastic. Great place to go and comfortable. Great Beer. THE PLACE TO GO, BUT BOOK EARLY.

Been wanting to try the artichoke for lunch for ages, went today.....perhaps not the best of days....apparently a member of staff was a no show which meant the one lady behind the bar was a running all over the place and we waited for 45 minutes for a baguette and chips. The baguette was actually a soft sub roll, which was OK but not a baguette. Half of the fish fingers were mostly batter. Chips were good, so were the onion rings. A heads up to the wait for food would have been good. On the whole...OK....Will try again I think, but not yet.

Англійський паб у всьому своєму розумінні. Автентичний, без прекрас і декорацій, без туристів, але повний місцевих, де вас дуже гарно і смачно нагодують. Не плутати з якимось пабом десь у місті!

We walked for an hour to reach this pub having seen good reviews. As we approached a party of four were leaving& I heard them say that was bad, very poor food, we won't be coming back. However we were tired& hungry so we went...

Myself and a friend make a point of visiting pub restaurants which are not chains and I can honestly say what a great choice we made in eating here. It’s friendly and cozy and Alex told us about the history of the building which was...

me and my fiancé and daughters went here for lunch today.the menu has so many options ( was spoilt for choice) the food was unbelievable some of the best food i have had in kent you can taste that is fresh and homemade the chef...

Lovely food, there was 20 of us so things weren't as quick as normal, but you don't expect it to be lovely old 17th century pub would visit again

Very attentive, friendly staff and absolutely delicious burger! Lovely end to a gentle stroll from chilham

By far the worst food I had eaten in a long time

The service was excellent all the staff were attentive, friendly and helpful but both of our food was rubbish and over priced. Pizza sounded great but tasted like it had come straight from Iceland. Caesar salad was a chicken salad didn’t include Parmesan and croutons...

Great pub for a funeral wake,everyone was treated with dignity and compassion

Such amazing food and an even better atmosphere!! I got the artichoke burger and it’s the best burger I’ve ever had! The cocktails were amazing too. The staff were very friendly!

Had a great breakfast on Sunday morning. Thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it.

What a wonderful place ! Very typical, very english. Food was delicious. Please try the mussels ! They even cooked some food for children that was not in the menu. Definitely a 5 stars ! Thank you for the warm welcome and history information of the pub.

Only had a drink in the beer garden so can't comment on much, but there is an extensive menu with lots of great sounding dishes including pizzas, kebabs, burgers and pasta bakes I would like to try if I lived in the area, especially as...

Popped in on off chance of a meal. No problems. Staff were very attentive and friendly. Had roast duck. Only complaint would be the duck was served cold with a roast dinner! However if we are in area again, we would certainly call in and choose a different roasted meat.

The best Sunday lunch for miles around. You better be hungry! My knife just slid through the half-inch thick slices of roast beef! Cooked to perfection. A very friendly village pub and great staff.

Came to Chartham to visit my bestfriend and very quickly fell in love with the charm of the town and people. Quiz night at the Artichoke was a lot of fun! It had such great vibes and they pour a good drink. I would highly recommend a visit to the Artichoke. 🍻

Th best Sunday Lunch for miles. Generous portions. Fabulous home cooking and a warm friendly welcome.

Easy parking. Pleasant welcome. Lovely log fire. We were there for lunch and the menu offers plenty of choice. We had scampi and I had the most wonderful Greek salad with mine. Just perfect. Good ambiance and lovely staff. Highly recommend.

It started off well....... We went here to celebrate a milestone birthday, there were 15 of us, we had all pre booked our meals... When we first entered this quaint olde pub pub it seemed idyllic, a log fire burning, beams everywhere and a pleasant...

Extremely busy was unable to get a table, so we sat in the garden. It took quite some time for order to arrive but when it was lovely. The staff were very friendly and helpful.

Great food, good value with quick service. Lots to chose on the menu, catering for vegetarian and children. Very friendly staff. Nice cosy fire.

1st time here & I loved the roast beef & the service. All very good and friendly. Will come again when I’m here visiting the family thank you Ana Quick

Came here for my nephews 7th birthday for a Sunday roast. Food was excellent - my brother is lactose intolerant and the roast and caramel cheesecake catered for him perfectly. She also made an extra special dessert for my nephew which went down a storm!...

We visited yesterday for Sunday lunch and had a lovely experience. Sunday dinner was fab and even better the sharing dessert. Staff were lovely and Paula the chef came out to talk to us and what an entertainer, she had us all in stitches. Will...

Went to Artichoke on the off chance after a hospital appointment and WOW 3 adults for lunch, can’t believe the quality and quantity of the food, we all recommend this pub for a visit. Even had enough over to take a doggie bag. Staff were great attentive & compliments to the chef she was lovely nothing to much trouble. TRY THIS PUB, forget the fact it’s Shepherd Neame the staff & food are top. Angie DEAL

Great old pub, lovely atmosphere and so cosy with two fireplaces and wooden shutters. Didn't use the restaurant as we were attending a birthday party. However we did get to try the Pizzas which were great. Friendly staff, we will visit again when in the area and maybe have a meal too 😊

Had a fantastic Sunday lunchtime with a large group of friends. Lovely, friendly staff and the most delicious food I've tasted in Kent since I moved here 4 years ago. The roast dinners are simply the best (as Tina Turner once said).

Local pub to us that we hadn’t visited in a long time but wanted to try again as now more gluten free and dairy alternatives . Fab meal ! Quality fresh food , cooked with care to meet various dietary requirements. Lots of choices and...

A lovely pub.Friendly staff.Food is magnificently cooked and desserts are truly amazing.The food is excellent with generous portions.

We used to come here a while back, then stopped coming about 10 years ago when new owners made everything from the freezer. It has now been taken over again by Holly and has an amazing new chef Paula. We decided to give it another...

Fantastic to stumble across this jewel, apparently the oldest pub in Canterbury area with a warm welcome, great beer and fab food.

Very quaint polite food was amazing

Excellent Sunday Lunch. Food to die for. Great service from Brooke and the lovely Alex. Chef, Paula so accommodating to individual needs and wishes, brilliant. Faultless afternoon in this pub with great vibes. Thanks Holly. We will be back.

Popped into this lovely pub everyone so friendly. So friendly we're going back again tomorrow for quiz night.😊

Very friendly pub and delicious freshly prepared food. I had a very tasty mushroom burger and an amazing pudding of raspberry and lemon with meringue. If I lived closer I would be back next weekend!

Visited with my partner and tried the new menu. Wow its amazing. The food is far above the standard expected from a pub and the atmosphere is second to none. A lovely dog friendly pub with a roaring fire and a welcoming landlady in Holly....

Homemade sausage burger with egg, bacon, hash brown and baked bean relish towering on my plate! But if I must, I must! Happy to stuff my face with a huge stacked burger!! Delicious, fantastic!! I will be back!

Very nice place, various menu with very good proposals and flexible for végétariens/vegan. Spent a super evening, well eaten. If I pass by again, I will go back.

Arguably the best roast dinner in Christendom. Simples. Great food with a riot of flavours which rampage on the tongue. I’d recommend the berry succulent roast beef but I have also tried all of the available meat over the past few monts. The apple crumble...

Went to the artichoke on new years Eve. Had a lovely lunch where all the staff made you feel welcomed… food was excellent as well as the service. The pub itself is very cosy. Highly recommend

Visited for a celebration dinner. Really welcoming staff and punters. Was offered a choice of tables in quiet side or side watching the Football, which was very thoughtful. Delicious food and very generous portions. Complimentary pudding given in congratulations. We will definitely be coming back...

Great country pub, goos food, great atmosphere

Delicious food and friendly service in a lovely environment

In the run up to Christmas this is a pub that could not serve a gin and tonic as they had run out of tonic. They would have to send someone down to the local shop to get some first. Restaurant was cold. There were...