The Beacon in Tunbridge Wells

I was blown away by the attention to detail during our stay. Right from the start, the staff were welcoming and helpful. As we stepped into the room—wow! The ambiance was amazing, from the music playing on the vintage-style radio to the little cakes and the ‘Happy Anniversary’ note. Dinner and breakfast were delightful—the best sea bass and mash we’ve ever had, compliments to the chef. We left feeling truly relaxed and rejuvenated.

Arrived 20 minutes after breakfast service finished , explained with sad face was birthday , they subsequently accommodated us and my breakfast bap arrived with lighted candle , 11 out of 10 for service and food , would have been 12 out of 10 but no rendition of Happy Birthday provided 😂 the Beacon deserves all the great reviews they have received , Thank you guys for providing a great start to my Birthday day .

Another great dining experience for a group lunch a couple of weekends ago. Manager was particularly helpful as they had run out of Champagne, except DP. He kindly found another bottle not on the wine list which he offered to us at a discounted price. The food was great, specifically the crab with Tabasco. Only blip on the landscape was the mussel dish which was a little bland. Particular mention to our waiter Simon who was so helpful and made an impression with the whole table.

Awful experience with staying 2 nights at the beacon

We got married at The Beacon and it was honestly the best day of our lives. Abi & her team were incredible - so kind, attentive and professional. The day ran like absolute clockwork and we felt like we didn't have to worry at all because The Beacon were all over it. All of our guests said it was the most beautiful wedding venue they had ever been to (even in the rain!) and we loved that there were different areas for each part of the day, every single one as stunning as the last. The food was amazing - from the canapes to the oyster bar, from the three course meal to the evening food. No detail went missed and Abi & her team were really accomodating to work with, even allowing my husband to bring a surprise donkey to the drinks reception! We'll be forver grateful to The Beacon and would recommend it to anyone looking for a venue.

Beacon is a fantastic place to visit any time of the year. Food, view and service is top notch. You got, what you pay for.

I had the sincere pleasure of photographing a wedding here in June of this year (2024). As a Kent resident and local wedding and family photographer, I was so looking forward to working at The Beacon - having heard many good things about it through other photographers, and it did not disappoint! The staff were incredible! So welcoming, friendly and impeccably organised! I now understand why so many enjoy visiting and working at this venue. The grounds are stunning. It truly is the most impressive and beautiful location/backdrop for a wedding. Especially during the Spring/Summer months!I can't say enough nice things about it and I very much hope to have the pleasure of returning again in the future. Thank you to the wonderful staff at The Beacon for making my first wedding there one to remember for all the right reasons! To any prospective couples looking for a country garden-inspired wedding venue in the heart of Kent - I have a strong feeling that you will simply love The Beacon!

Absolutely awful experience here in June! Beautiful place but totally spoilt by all members of staff but one. A birthday that was completely ruined.

Lovely meal for family; friendly relaxed atmosphere. Good food limited menu meeting all of our requirements. Recommended for a special occasion

Zac, Alfred and Alice gave terrific serice, Latte was wow so as the tea and the juice

Stunning location and friendly staff. My low score is down to the fact that I waited close to 30 minutes for a bowl of granola, and i think i only got it in the end as i reminded the staff! I was told the kitchen had been delayed due to a wedding... but it was 9am, and i ordered a bowl of pre prepared granola with a dollop of yoghurt and compote! The actual food itself felt measly and not worth the £8.50 price point. Sitting with the view, for some, would have been okay for such a long time, but I was sitting next to two extremely loud visitors who at no point were told to lower their voices...I mean it was 9am! And I get the feeling this is standard, as another group of cyclists came along loudly shouting. I'm not someone who expects silence, but i went there to enjoy the view and get a bit of escapism, hearing people's very loud conversations for such a long period of time is something i would expect at an evening slot not the morning.

Great location just outside the centre of Tunbridge Wells. Good food, lovely service but quite slow on the night we visited (and it was not super busy).

Beautiful wedding venue. Staff were fantastic, food was delicious and location is great! 10/10

Very disappointing slow service. 1 3/4 hr to receive main courses. Waiter was excellent and in an awkward position. Restaurant mgr gave excuse that there were two private parties … and this is my problem because?! Food when it came was not hot. Given the price and that it was a special Occasion our experience was very disappointing.

Only popped in for a drink. It was friendly and the clientelle was good. Will definitely go back and try their food. The cider was cheaper than the Hare pub just up the road.

Wonderful location, fantastic staff and delicious food. Thank you! - picture of the view from the terrace

Favourite spot for lunch on a lovely day in Tunbridge Wells. Great food served alongside a relaxed atmosphere with stunning countryside views. Always happy to go back.

Fantastic property, unreal combination of old English sharm and modern plumbing. Sparkling clean room, nice personal touches, quality bedding and super friendly and helpful personal

Beyond good. Excellent location, stunning summer cabin. Brilliant food and welcoming staff. Peaceful. Natural and costs very reasonable.

Tuesday lunch time, summer menu for 2 people. First of all the people are welcoming, professional and attentive. The menu and choice of drinks was perfect. Obviously it helped being a sunny day but the outside dining was lovely. I would defo recommend.

1st time here, nice atmosphere wifi good so I could do some emails - club sandwich was good came with a huge bowl of crisps. The views are stunning and makes a difference to have a quick bite to eat rather then a chain cafe

We visited for a Birthday, however, we didn’t leave feeling we’d had a special experience at all, despite the £130+ bill for two (including the 12.5% applied service). Firstly, the place has a huge amount of potential to be an absolute destination restaurant as it’s in a lovely location but doesn’t hit the mark and that is mainly down the level of service and professionalism of the senior staff. We sat on the terrace and were greeted by a rather disinterested front-of-house lady (or restaurant manager perhaps), who gave us menus and left us to sit there for about 15/20 minutes. We eventually had to call someone over to order. We had the Trout to start which were two slithers of fish, about an inch wide and a couple of cherry tomato halves. The two roast beefs were larger portions for sure although arrived cold. The meat had quite a bit of gristle running round the slices which didn’t need to be included as no one would have chosen to eat that part. One of the roast potatoes had a large black patch which was very obvious and couldn’t have been missed by kitchen or waiting staff so unsure why that wasn’t swapped out. We asked for a couple of condiments which didn’t come without needing to be chased up. No salt and pepper on the tables so we requested some, as did the table next door. At the end of the meal we attempted to chat to the Restaurant Manager (?) lady to learn more about the place, but she really didn’t seem terribly fussed about speaking with the customers and it was not as though she was rushing to deal with others. There was a chap, perhaps the General Manager, who checked in at only some of the tables, including the ones on either side of ours, even serving their wine/water and asking about their meals. Perhaps these were hotel guests and he doesn’t chat to restaurant customers - all seemed a bit off. No marking of the fact it was a birthday celebration either. The restaurant is in an elevated location with apparently 17 acres, three lakes and some lovely gardens. However, these are not accessible unless using the venue for a wedding or other event, which is a great shame as many people would expect to be able to have a stroll around the gardens if visiting a country hotel set in substantial grounds. Despite not mentioning a word of complaint while we were there, neither the GM or the restaurant manager said goodbye as we left. We won’t be returning. The fact that there is no management response to any of these TripAdvisor comments is very telling about how much the management at The Beacon care about customers’ feedback.

Well worth a visit. We were in a private party and everything was handled professionally

I’ve eaten here many many times and love it. But this evening was a massive disappointment. They seated us at least half an hour late, having been told on arrival that we were a little short of time. Amuse bouche and starters lovely. Then the lamb mains arrived, and they were tiny! I mean 2 or 3 mouthfuls, with underdone potatoes. Dreadful. They tried to recover the situation later, but too little too late, what a shame! Hard to think how we’ll come here again

Beautiful views, limited breakfast menu

UPDATE TO REVIEW. This used to be a great venue. However I have been here twice in the last year. First, we went for a meal and my wife had the chicken dish. She got food poisoning. We called to complain. No one really cared. Just a sorry. Went again very recently just for a drink. It took over thirty minutes to get two cocktails. The excuse was they didn't expect so many people on a Wednesday. There were two other people that had ordered cocktails. When I went to ask if the drinks would be coming anytime soon, the bar tender was rather rude as well. I'll wait and see if any other locals have a decent experience before going back. Shame because it is a beautiful venue but the service is awful.

Love the Beacon, getting married there in May, can't wait.

Great breakfast in the sunshine. Must say not a very elaborate breakfast menu, but enjoyable never less. Great service on packed morning with flat white spot on! well done x

We arrived for breakfast on what admittedly was a sunny popular morning, but it wasn’t hugely busy and the staff to customer ratio was pretty high. However, the waiting staff and front of house kitchen /barista bar seemed all over the place in terms of coordinating service and orders in a calm, relaxed and effective way. The setting is beautiful and we chose this for what we hoped would be a nice tranquil serene breakfast. Instead we had to put up with hearing the male supervisor loudly instructing his staff left right and centre with much fuss and disturbance. The irony then being that he himself forgot both our order and that of the table next to ours resulting in long waits. In my opinion, whatever issues or mix-ups or training is going on with staff, it should be done discreetly in the background. Good service at a more premium establishment like this should be about being seen not heard. Definitely some room for improvement in your ordering system and approach. Final comment is the food is very over-priced in my opinion for small portions. Tasty though it is. Note: None of this feedback reflects the young male trainee waiter who was on point and followed his numerous loud instructions well. But what a lot of fussing he had to put up with.

We’ve been coming here for a few years now but sadly it has recently lost its way. Food and service now mediocre while prices are eye watering. We went for lunch at the garden bar on a recent sunny day. No lunch menu any more so all a la carte and astronomical (think 25-35 a main). Took an hour to produce the main pictured of a simple (halved!) chicken breast with some mash. Cost over £100 for 2 of us, 1 course and a glass of wine… No apology or effort to make up for the slow service although we were 1 of 4 tables. London prices for now very average tiny food and sub par service.

This is an amazing location, a beautiful property and grounds, and a great dining room. The staff are professional, attentive and friendly. Unfortunately, the food lets it all down. I don't mind paying for small portions when the quality is exceptional, but what was served for our lunch was a joke. Three spindly asparagus spears caked in parmasan followed by three tiny slivers of lamb on a tablespoon of mash - all stone cold - was of competent quality at best. the portions were ridiculously small. The whole lunch felt like a light snack. All for just under £40. Ultimately, this is simply a pub that serves slightly better-than-average food, not a fine dining experience. There are plenty of those locally (Tallow, Thackerays), where you will pay marginally more money for a considerably better experience. The kind front-of-house took a couple of drinks off of the bill, and said she would feed our comments back. I don't suppose anyone will listen.

I get that you want to provide a level of service and probably not have people three-deep at the bar, but if someone pops in on a quiet mid-week afternoon and orders a couple of drinks at the bar I would not expect to have service charge added.

Amazing tasting menu. Highly recommended for a special occasion

Visited the restaurant last night with my partner. The location of the place is amazing, and the views incredible even with the rain. Can imagine it would be even better in the summer. The attention to detail in the decor is top notch, and it’s the small things which count. The food for all courses was very good, excellent flavour and great service through the meal. Would definitely recommend and come back at a nicer time of year.

Lovely setting, beautiful view, excellent food, friendly and efficient staff - we had a very pleasant evening here in the Kent countryside. Arrival was a little confusing as there was no one on reception and the bell apparently wasn’t functioning, but that’s a tiny niggle as The Beacon is a very nice place.

Saw review in a weekend newspaper and since we were going to the area booked a room and dinner. Room excellent but surpassed by dinner in the beautifully appointed dining room. Service brilliant, food was lovely and presented and served well. Excellent all round at a very sensible price for the quality of the experience.

A big thank you to the team who looked after the party held yesterday to celebrate our friend's 90th birthday. Everything was perfect. The manager was so thoughtful and the service was excellent - the waiters were very patient. The food was delicious and the sun even shone for us so we could enjoy the balcony and the fabulous views! 10 out of 10.

A first class venue. Beautiful setting and amazing food. We were there for a birthday celebration and were looked after brilliantly by all the staff. Highly recommend.

Nice cocktails. Good food. Good service. Lovely location! Would definitely come here again. Lovely outside balcony area which will be amazing in summer.

Excellent lunch, beautifully presented and did not disappoint in any way. Beautiful upstairs dining room. Service 5*. Will return and stay next time.

Just returned from one of the best dining experiences I’ve had in recent memory. The dining room is beautiful, charming and cozy and the service was befitting of a starred restaurant - our waitress was friendly, knowledgeable,helpful and thoroughly well versed in every aspect of the menu. The food was sublime and the wine list was well thought out and sensible with a lovely selection available by the glass. The alcohol free cocktail selection was one of the most interesting I’ve seen - my citrus punch was superb. I simply couldn’t fault a thing - a genuinely perfect lunch.

The manager found it perfectly normal to charge us £4.50 for a flapjack. Turns out that it was on the menu @ £1.20. Always check your bill. I won’t be going back anytime soon. Pity though.

One of the most beautiful I've seen in England! The caffe, surrou dings, atmosphere and food were top notch 👌. The staff is super friendly and everyone was very helpful and accommodating. Special tha ks to our waiter Ethan that was taking good care of us. Will definitely come again when in this area.

Testing this one out for possible client lunches, the staff were charming but the food was terrible, re constituted leftovers with splashes of strange very salty goo! Even potatoes were an added extra at £6.50 a portion, ditto any vegetables and the portions were minuscule - I can’t remember having a worse meal anywhere!

Just perfect when the sun is shining. Lovely team, wonderful views and a fab light bites menu. Club sandwich is great. Highly recommended!

We are an Exclusive Dining Club of likeminded people, who meet four times a year, rotating the venue and meal selection and the hosting of our lunches or dinners. We measure the calibre of the venues selected against the gold standard of the late, lamented Signor Franco. Only the host on this occasion had dined at The Beacon recently. For those of us who had been before it was over ten to fifteen years ago, so there was some apprehension, which proved to be totally unnecessary. From our arrival, (greeted by champagne, or white wine and oh so delicious canapés), through to our departure, we enjoyed the care and attention of a well trained, professional and friendly staff, who attended to us with discretion and efficiency. Scott Goss our Chef excelled, with delicious mouth-watering food, par excellence, perfectly presented in a perfect proportion size, which was complimented by a well selected suite of wines. Well done The Beacon, the décor and fit out is quite remarkable and of course the views are superb. Our passing comments to each other were very much that 'we will be back'.

The beacon has a beautiful setting and I can imagine in summer it’s lovely to sit outside and enjoy the views. We were seated in the main restaurant and it’s a lovely room with a relaxed feel. Not being able to eat dairy I asked to see the allergy menu and my choices were limited. I asked what’s the vegan option and was told we don’t have one and the chef could make something which involved cabbage and mushrooms, I really do not eat mushrooms so therefore declined. The server went away and said they could make a dairy free cod option for me which I accepted. My friend informed them of a nut allergy and she ordered her starter which didn’t indicate nuts on the menu and then the server had to come back and she she couldn’t have that as had pistachios in so she chose a different starter. The portions were small and the plates were huge! When it came to pudding I couldn’t have any of the options as was told “we probably have some sorbet out the back” Overall the restaurant is nice and views are amazing but the service and inclusivity of the menu are disappointing and I definitely wouldn’t revisit as feel options like Thackerys, The Ivy and the Mount Edgecombe in Tunbridge wells provide much more choice and slicker service.

The staff at The Beacon were welcoming, attentive and well trained. The food was perfectly cooked, eight of us sat down for lunch and we all had nothing but positive things to say about the quality of the meal. However the portions were incredibly tiny, I've had amuse bouche larger than some of the first courses. Parking is also a problem. We crossed our fingers and parked half in a muddy ditch, half on a narrow road and hoped for the best. I'd go back but (a) have a hearty breakfast (b) get a taxi.

Perfect service, atmosphere and delicious food. Haven’t visited The Beacon for a while and was pleasantly surprised.

We had a great family Sunday lunch at The Beacon as part of the celebrations for our 50th wedding anniversary. We booked the Card Room for a bit of private dining which we thoroughly enjoyed. The food was excellent and very well presented and having our own dedicated staff made it particularly special. The whole experience was thoroughly enjoyable. I can highly recommend it.

Best food around. Fantastic team and the BnB rooms are also lovely. Can't fault it.

Delicious food, wonderful service and the most stunning venue.

We just love it here, we are always looked after. But without a fuss.. Fabulous food and wines, atmosphere and staff. Thank you

Not on par. Slow and amateur Normally a great wknd lunch but rather poor this time. Portions smaller than usual but would have been fine if perfectly cooked. Sat at 12.30. Starters came just before 1pm. Main meals didn't arrive until nearly 2pm! Whilst we watched multiple servings go to different areas. We had to leave without dessert as we had been there nearly 2 hours and had other obligations. My mackerel starter had no seasoning on the fish at all. Though the accompanying food was very good. Kids mash was so salty one of them wouldn't eat it! Mash potato!! (This was also the mash that came with adult meals later. Too salty by far). Venison stew, the sauce had been burnt at some point. It was very bitter and overpowered the venison. You could tell it was a good sauce it just wasn't right. Lamb had a large piece of fat that was not rendered at all. The fat that should be a jelly delectable part of lamb completely inedible (exactly as if you only had time to cook the meat to pink but not do the entire cut justice) They had a large party in upstairs, but still took our and others lunch bookings. Guess they couldn't cope. Hopefully better when we return. Which may be longer than usual I guess.

Normally a great wknd lunch but rather poor this time. Portions smaller than usual but would have been fine if perfectly cooked. Sat at 12.30. Starters came just before 1pm. Main meals didn't arrive until nearly 2pm! Whilst we watched multiple servings go to different areas. We had to leave without dessert as we had been there nearly 2 hours and had other obligations. My mackerel starter had no seasoning on the fish at all. Though the accompanying food was very good. Kids mash was so salty one of them wouldn't eat it! Mash potato!! (This was also the mash that came with adult meals later. Too salty by far). Venison stew, the sauce had been burnt at some point. It was very bitter and overpowered the venison. You could tell it was a good sauce it just wasn't right. Lamb had a large piece of fat that was not rendered at all. The fat that should be a jelly delectable part of lamb completely inedible (exactly as if you only had time to cook the meat to pink but not do the entire cut justice) They had a large party in upstairs, but still took our and others lunch bookings. Guess they couldn't cope. Hopefully better when we return. Which may be longer than usual I guess.

The restaurant is beautifully appointed with 2 open fires & lots of original woodcarvings. Service was excellent. The food was served nouvelle cuisine style - very small portions - very expensive for lunch.

Mediocre, overpriced food, terrible service.

The venue is truly spectacular and the potential of a great day always awaits when the sun shines. The venue is a destination and the prices do match, meaning be prepared to open the wallet. The only downside is sometimes that the service can be inconsistent but I would not hesitate to recommend overall. A truly special place

We visited for a baby shower breakfast this morning and it was like being in an episode of Fawlty Towers. I was also scoping the venue out as a possible wedding venue. Having been told that we were unable to book for a party of 6, we turned up and waited half an hour for a table. We were then seated by quite an abrupt member of staff. We waited 15 minutes for a menu, before having to get up and ask for one ourselves. Our drinks order was taken and then 10 minutes later, the waiter came back and said he'd lost our order. Coffee order was taken again. 5 minutes later, he came back and said they'd run out of skimmed milk (11am on a Saturday) so he took order again. Coffees then came at completely different times - the first two coffees were finished before the last one arrived. We'd asked for oat milk in one of the coffees, due to a severe lactose allergy, which was served with cow's milk. Food order was taken and we then waited 35 minutes for 2 bowls of granola and fried eggs on toast, despite the venue not being busy by this point. We were told twice that the food was on its way but continued to wait. The £7.50 granola consisted of a tiny dollop of yoghurt and a scattering of granola. There was no salt or pepper, sauces, sugar etc. on the table or offered. We complained to the manager, who gave no response at all and just looked blankly at us. When the bill came, they said they'd removed the service charge. This is the second appalling experience we've had at The Beacon. This place gives the I'll Be Mother brand a terrible reputation, when you know that Kingdom is so successful. Safe to say we won't be back and certainly won't be choosing this as a wedding venue in the future. Mum-to-be very disappointed too.

A lovely meal. Wonderful location, beautiful interior, food marvellous. A bit costly - £45 a head. Then you have to pay more for veg with main course. Lovely food - but should include veg in my opinion. I would come back as it was delicious …

Delicious food, great service, lovely location

Had a beautiful lunch here that I couldn’t fault. The venue is lovely, staff attentive and the food and wine were outstanding.

Amazing view, lovely setting and best bacon bap we’ve ever had! Well worth the visit 😊

Great place to visit . This is my second time and went there for a coffee and catch up with a friend. Stayed for lunch which was delicious and not overpriced. Lovely place with great service . I would defined recommend

Unfortunately despite the impressive grounds and decor our visit for Sunday Lunch was a massive disappointment. We went off the back of chef Daniel Smith’s recommendation in the Times for a roast so we were expecting it to be fab, but it just wasn’t. Firstly, there was only one Sunday roast option on the Sunday lunch menu, and it was beef which isn’t our favourite so we opted for the pork with pearl barley and the seabass with new potatoes. As we had roasts on the brain we also ordered the additional sides of roast potatoes and cauliflower cheese. The mains were fine, fish was beautifully cooked but pork was pretty dry. Sides were really quite bad, had clearly been made hours prior and weren’t hot. The roast potatoes were some of the worst I’ve had for a while, very floury and stale tasting. We were given bread and cheese straws prior to the meal that were average, and then none of this was cleared from our table until the end of the meal. We decided not to have puds as we were disappointed which meant we paid £28 for each main plus another £10 ish for the sides. This meant we paid about £35 each for one course and it definitely wasn’t worth this (have paid similar in Michelin star restaurants) so I guess you’re just paying for the location. So in summary I wouldn’t go here for Sunday lunch if you’re a foodie sadly. The Poet at Matfield does a much nicer roast and their vegetarian and fish options are beautiful too.

The Beacon is all you could ask of a great dining experience. The views from the building are stunning, the food is excellent, the service is professional and the ambiance is welcoming. We asked the host for a peek of one the bedrooms, and he gave us a tour of all of the most beautiful hotel rooms I’ve ever seen. We instantly booked a room for my birthday in March. Can’t wait!

Not great for the price tbh 😕 Great starter main meal was poor, both venison and lamb was grizzly and tough, both over cooked, fantastic flavours and service was impeccable 👌

Surprising! What a lovely atmosphere, great service and lovely food. Highly recommended. A very enjoyable evening and felt like good value.

The best place we have dined in since a very long time. Food was absolutely delicious, unusual and exciting. Staff were perfectly attentive, the atmosphere was sophisticated and cosy. Can not wait to go back!

Fantastic overall experience. The food was of a high quality with all aspects having care and thought behind them. They decor keeps with the tradition of the buying whilst having a modern style

Beautiful setting and nice food. Not many options for vegan or diary free, however the chef made something for us on the spot.

Incredible food and service, we were all so impressed! Thank you 😊

What a marvellous setting with equally amazing food. We have a great time. Well worth visiting time and again.

Tuesday 19th December 2023 An invited guest, in a party of 17 for a Civil Wedding Celebration Lunch. Just cannot fault the quality and service at the Beacon. A really nice private room, with superb views over the gardens. Service first class. Waitresses working from a plan, knowing exactly where everyone was seated around the table, and what their order was. Food Nouvelle Cuisine style, but, good size portions. Presentation, quality and flavours superb. Totally impressed ……………….

Everything was perfect and the best was the salmon, it was simply spectacular!!!!

Just back from a delightful Sunday lunch to celebrate our sons birthday I had the blue cheese tart followed by a really tasty slow cooked lamb with great roast potatoes and cauliflower cheese. Nice Christmas pudding to finish. Everyone enjoyed the meal and the service was quick and friendly! A great lunch.

We've been several tiumes for lunch, and our latest visit didn't disappoint. Sunday lunch with the family - fantastic food, generous portions and impeccable service.

My husband and I recently stayed in the stunning Blackthorn room at the Beacon. The room was incredibly beautiful with amazing attention to detail throughout, including incredible views from our claw bath overlooking the rural landscape below. The staff were outstanding throughout, from our friendly and efficient arrival through to an excellent dinner in the restaurant with exemplary service. We would highly recommend this hidden gem of a hotel.

just love this place, always made welcome, lovely gentle atmosphere. food simply the best, leave wanting more...which is a good thing. local wines. cant wait to return.

Always love a trip to the Beacon! The service is excellent and the food/drinks reliably delicious. They always provide a little extra as well in an afternoon tea style which is fun.

The good stuff first. 4 of us went for a Friday night meal. The interiors of the bar and restaurant were stylist and had a good atmosphere. The staff were friendly and we liked our waiter. I didn’t get his name but he was young with a baritone voice. We ordered our food and after a short time we were presented with the amuse bouche. It was described as high tea, a nod to the fact the restaurant was in Tea Garden Lane. That consisted of mushroom tartlets, salmon and cucumber and some fancy little loaves. Very tasty. Then came the starters. The Orkney Scallop, yes singular, was serve on a dinner plate making it seem even smaller than it was (see photo). The £7 supplement seemed a bit steep unless they had sent divers down to pick them off the Scottish seabed by hand. To be fair the waiter did warn us it was a single scallop which made a couple of us choose different starters. The rest of the starters were also minuscule. All the starters tasted good. The main courses were also tiny portions. My fish was pleasant, the pork was nice apparently but the matchbox sized Romney lamb (see photo) was about one third fat. Not good. The consensus on our table was that although we all approved of smallish amounts of exquisite food, rather than piled plates of average pub food, the portions here were at least 50% of what one might expect. Don’t judge until you look at the photos. We had a good evening and with some small adjustments it would have been better.

We hired the billiard room for our wedding reception and had an amazing time. Absolutely gorgeous setting and the service received was second to none, absolutely superb. The attention given was faultless and us and our guests had a wonderful evening. Thank you for making our day so special!

It was my girlfriend’s birthday and our first together which meant I wanted somewhere super special. Well we got that and more. We had the best seats in the house which were two wingback chairs in front of the fire. The food was superb and the attention to detail the same. I imagine that during the summer the bistro downstairs must be extremely busy too. Very impressed with the whole experience. The price tag mind you is in equal proportion but well worth it. A service charge of 12.5% is also added to your bill which I always find frustrating but in this case it was worth it. I have told so many people about our special lunch, thank you.

Took my parents for dinner last night to celebrate my Mum’s birthday. Had been before but not for five years. Really impressed. Such a lovely setting with panelled walls and open fires, great food and good service. Dinner menu was £45 a head for three courses, plus there was an 8 course tasting menu option for c£75.

Second visit to The Beacon under Scott Ross as chef and we were really impressed. Highlights from the tasting menu were tricky to drill down, but the celeriac and scallops were delicious, but was most of the menu. I certainly recommend both the venue and food, and will be coming back soon!

Great service and atmosphere, food good

My wife and I visited here for my 40th birthday. From the moment we stepped outside our taxi we knew we had arrived somewhere special. The grounds are very well kept and nicely presented. It was evening time and the festoon lighting really set the mood. Upon entry we were greeted by a nice front of house person who guided us to the lounge area where we could take a drink whilst waiting for our table. The bar staff there were very knowledgeable and the drinks menu was very extensive. When we we invited up to our table the floor supervisor introduced himself by name and introduced us to our waitress. The dining area is superbly decorated in a relaxed Victorian-esque kind of way. Then came the food, all I can say is it was truly exquisite. To the point I wrote a note to be handed to the kitchen staff, as at some points I had to close my eyes to savour the flavour. I will 100% be coming back for a return visit. Thank you to the Beacon and your amazing staff.

The Beacon have done it again by introducing 7 unique bedrooms, creating a stunning new boutique hotel to the existing restaraunts. Each room is beautifully appointed, our room The Yarrow had underfloor heating, a fabulous deep bath with a view. It was warm, cosey, we had a wonderful nights sleep. The Afteroon Tea taster menu was amazing, it celebrates the hotels position on Tea Garden Lane. Staff made us feel very welcome. Big thanks to Immi, Jo, Zak, Hein, and tge lady who created the most amazing cocktails. This is a new Hidden Gem that needs to be discovered.

Superb location and superb food. I couldn't recommend high enough.

We’ve always wanted to eat at the Beacon, so we treated ourselves for our wedding anniversary - they didn’t disappoint everything was excellent. The waitress (so wish we got her name) was brilliant, Sunday roast was top notch. We were extremely full and happy. We...

Wow, what a location. Went for a friend's wedding; the location is stunning, the food was lovely, and the staff were very friendly

Beautiful sitting and magnificence views. Food was good too

My first time going to this restaurant, had driven past and often wondered what it was like….so, down a little road lies the Beacon and Wow!….awesome views over the countryside from the outside seating area….and the food’…locally sourced ingredients cooked perfectly and all served with...

I spent an hour or so with a bride and groom who had their wedding breakfast at The Beacon. Iths a beautiful venue and the staff seemed very friendly.

Thank you for a wonderful experience at your lovely restaurant. A group of 8 of us were treated very well indeed for a celebratory birthday lunch. The food was marvellous, the service was truly excellent, the views and ambience were lovely. A special thank you...

Awesome oasis with fab food and drinks and fantastic staff. Looking forward to returning next summer.

Fantastic service and food. We had lunch midweek. I had scallops and beef. Both were delicious and the beef was spot on and melt in the mouth. Staff were fantastic and very accommodating to my dietary requirements. Great little spot for lunch with fantastic views.

There was nothing on the Garden Bar menu that I could/wanted to eat, so I transferred upstairs to the Dining Room. A good choice on this menu, except you have to pay for two courses - £28. Well, the view is terrific so why not...

Abi and her team did such an amazing job bringing our dream day and more. There really isn't enough words to say thank you. From communications pre-wedding day to the service on the day. It was just perfect. The staff were so attentive, making sure all our guests were looked after. The food was simply delicious and beautiful. The venue itself is just stunning. All our guests were blown away by how beautiful each space were. Abi, our wedding coordinator was so helpful. She coordinated the day so well but also gone above and beyond and helped style our reception. Lastly, I highly recommend staying at the suite, it made it even more special waking up the next day and seeing where it all happened was pretty special.

A hidden gem in Tunbridge Wells! Perfect little oasis offering great food, awesome atmosphere, good service and amazing facilities.