The Black Dog in Tunbridge Wells

Eaten here before and enjoyed it hence have gone back. Today asked two of us extra avocado got one third, sliced badly. Poached eggs either not cooked or over. Raised such small amount of avocado. Ignored. Service terrible 😔

Not a busy time at the cafe. Was told to sit down to order two cups of coffee. Server never arrived. Two people who arrived after were served first. When checking again it was table service, we were told 'it 's kinda busy right now'. Very unfriendly service. Also a whopping 50p for plant based milk.

Called on spec after shopping in the neighbourhood. First class in every respect, coffee good, avocado very good and kedgeree excellent.Would recommend without reservation.

A great place for coffee or to eat. I went for breakfast. I'm an Aussie, saw sign on window, had to smile, thought to myself ... be they have smashed Avo on toast ... and yes, they did ! I had poached eggs with bacon. Crispy bacon + poached eggs were cooked to perfection ! I don't drink coffee, but I could hear people at next table saying how good it was !

Just enjoyed a faultless brunch of kedgeree and Monmouth coffee, complimented by chilled background music and excellent service. St. Kilda is up there, one of the very best cafes in Tunbridge Wells. Highly recommended.

We were in a group of 4. Two of us are vegans. We wanted the smashed avocado on toast which normally has a poached egg but is labelled as vegan adaptable. We asked if we could have scrambled tofu instead of the egg (this is listed as no cost option for one of their other dishes). The manager (?) said it would be £5 per head extra, which we declined. So we paid full price for a breakfast even though we didn’t get the egg. And we didn’t get offered anything to replace it (mushrooms/another bit of toast?) To be honest it felt like both poor value and a bit of a cheek. I can only assume that they don’t really want/like vegan customers - shame really as we spent £58 on 4 breakfasts and next time we go for breakfast in town we’ll look for a different option.

We visited midweek. The cafe has a nice atmosphere and staff were friendly and helpful. Coffee was very good. Of the food the scrambled egg with smoked salmon was very good. The breakfast burger was a bit disappointing - burger was too small although fried egg was good. Burritos looked good, although we did not sample them.

Best Coffee in Tunbridge Wells bar none!! Reading the papers and watching the World go by, highly recommended. Once you get used to Matts 'curmudgeon' way you will love it:)

Always a delicious meal here. Very good food and polite service. Seating upstairs and downstairs. Clean toilets. Definitely worth a visit

Looked this place up and it seemed a good bet for a visit to the town. Booked a table which was easy. Coffee was decent and I liked the ethos of the place viz ingredient sourcing. The portions were meagre though. Tasty enough but small. My Benedict was served on a single piece of sourdough cut into two halves. It felt very stingy. The vegetarian breakfast plate too had very small helpings of each item. As we ate I looked up and saw a couple receive their food - the lady looked incredulously at the small bun in the middle of a large plate. I did raise a complaint but no one has replied. Really lack-lustre.

I came here with my family today. I got the breakfast burger and highly enjoyed it. Great food and decent service. Also a great place for readers as they have a whole wall full of books you can buy!

Came here for breakfast (Smashed Avocado, breakfast burrito, eggs Benedict and the burger). Agree with others that the portion sizes are a bit small for the price. Quality of the food was OK. Service seemed flat, and I’m not sure I’ll be rushing back.

Better than a 3 (‘average’) but no longer the excellent cafe with a warm welcome once enjoyed. The coffee is still delicious, some of the best in town, but disappointedly the food - portions and presentation - is a bit mean. Maybe we’re not the target demographic but good cafes welcome everyone and are richer for that.

Great spot, nice atmosphere and staff very friendly and helpful. Lots of choices, the menu had a bit more to offer than other cafes we'd visited. Fantastic breakfast and coffee, kids loved it too.

Superb coffee and breakfast had during a short stay in Turnbridge Wells. We’ve reviewed all the cafes we visited and this was our favourite. Staff were very kind to the kids, and had a great atmosphere about it. Reading that someone felt uncomfortable was the complete opposite to our experience, this might be a reflection on the person more so than the cafe. See you next time. ☕️ 🍳

I have visited a couple of times but I am afraid not again. This is a nice little cafe that does coffee and the food is ok however the service is not good. The service is unfriendly bordering on rude. I gave it another chance but when you are made to feel uncomfortable then I won’t be back.

Quite poor. Staff and setting are fine and the menu looked good but the food is definitely on the tight side (small portions for the price) I had the burrito which is meant to have halloumi in it… but it was missing. Okay no problem I mentioned it and they said they would bring me some. Which they did. I wish they hadn’t. The two smallest squares of halloumi were brought out… for a burrito costing over £10. It was actually embarrassing. My husband had the breakfast burger.. it was very greasy and the patty was full (excessively so) with red onion. It was just too much. And it came with no side. Not even a bit of salad which again for the price isn’t great. We mentioned both these issues but nothing came of it.

Food was OK. Atmosphere ok. The type of place that wishes it was in Shoreditch. A long wait for the food to come out. Staff spend more time chatting than looking after customers.

This is a lovely cafe offering a clever, tasty menu and excellent coffee in one of of Tunbridge Wells’ more interesting locations. The Black Dog has a relaxed atmosphere and the staff team is friendly and helpful, making lunch with a pal today a special time. I’d highly recommend the smashed pumpkin and goats cheese option - beyond delicious - and look forward to working my way through their menu in the months ahead!

I came in not too long ago and if im honest I was greatly disappointed the coffee was okay, but tasted more like instant coffee than proper ground beans. There was a man in there wearing a shirt with an australian accent and I found him to be incredibly rude, he was short, possibly stressed so I gave him the benefit of the doubt but also I was made to feel rushed and it wasnt a nice atmosphere at all!

Really delicious food, both breakfast and lunch. As regular visitors, the burritos and sweetcorn fritters are our favourites. If you are a coffee connoisseur you won’t be disappointed either. The staff are always friendly and welcoming and the service is excellent.

My partner and I used to be regular customers while living in Tunbridge Wells. The food is absolutely fantastic, the place is beautifully decorated. Service friendly and good, cosy atmosphere!

Superb breakfast, had the scrambled eggs (to die for) with sausages and mushrooms - all tasted delicious!

Great breakfast options, good selection, lovely ambiance, welcoming and friendly we will definitely be back

A warm welcome never goes amiss!Our charming waitress was ready to show us to our table and settle us in quickly.Prompt with the drinks, tea and coffee, and menus to hand as well.Poached eggs and various from the extras list for one, eggs Benedict for another with smoked salmon went down really well.Charming friendly service. Well done!

Awesome vibe, good food, efficient service and professional. Can't recommend anywhere better for coffee or lunch in Tonbridge Wells.

Excellent breakfast. Can highly recommend the breakfast burrito. The coffee was great and the staff very polite. Will definitely go back.

Stopped off for an amazing Poached eggs and avocado just last week along with an amazing coffee. The Staff & Premises were amazing and we will definitely be back soon. Thank you

I was really looking forward to an excellent cup of coffee and their scrambled eggs. I was not disappointed and it was up to their usual standard. I was having withdrawal sympthoms for their scrambled eggs. I decided to go on my own on this occasion as I wanted to savour every mouthful...sad I know.I would highly recommend their coffee....the best in town in my opinion.So glad to see them back.

Great food, staff were very friendly and attentive. Menu selection was very interesting and varied to suit all. The coffee was amazing. We had granola, breakfast wraps and banana bread. The Mexican eggs seemed popular too. Nice decor but can be a bit on the gloomy side especially as it was rather cold in there.

We had been recommended this venue and had a super time eating an early lunch. The tea and juices were lovely, and the lunch options for kids were spot on - perfect ham&cheese toastie and fishfingers with chips. We slightly amended our lunch orders to remove avocado and this was dealt with - heavenly sourdough and eggs. We also enjoyed the brownies and hazelnut chocolate cake. Friendly staff and lovely facilities. We even bought a second hand book from the wide selection to support a local charity. We look forward to returning again soon.

Always had a great experience when I've been to visit TW with friends and family. It's got a laid back atmosphere with friendly staff and delicious fresh, wholesome food. I ❤️ The Black Dog.

The coffee here is sublime. Some of the best I’ve had in the UK. The poached eggs I had were ok, but not quite of the same quality as amazing coffee

The food, coffee and service were outstanding! Will be back for sure, definately recommend Black Dog Cafe!

After walking past many times and seeing how busy this place always is, my husband and I decided to give it a go when we saw an empty table! The coffee was good but the food was pretty average and took quite a while to come out. Will probably just stick to getting take away coffees in the future.

Over in the UK from Sydney desperate for a decent coffee and this place really hit the spot - thank you!!

Really good freshly made coffee and service with a smile. Handy for the upper end of Tunbridge Wells

This place has it all: good coffee, nice atmosphere, decent cooked savoury food and lovely service. It's perfect for a morning pit-stop.

We dine here very often as it is our favourite place to get breakfast in Tunbridge Wells. It also does bring back some memories of when we used to live in Australia. Sometimes you may have to wait for a table but it is definitely worth it. You are always given a warm welcome and the service is always friendly and attentive. The food is delicious by far the best breakfast in town. I must say if you have not tried there scrambled eggs, do, they are to die for! The coffee is great here aswell, the ozzies have always been good at coffee. They do also have a nice selection of homemade cakes which are always fresh and covered. A hidden gem in Tunbridge Wells! Would recommend this place to anyone ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I visited with my husband today, he had the eggs benedict and I had the breakfast stack both were delicious. The place also has a warm atmosphere

Very nice here, the food was excellent. Restaurant,toilets were very clean and the staff we’re friendly

The coffee is very good. It's Monmouth coffee and it's strong and rich. I had a sausage sandwich today and it's a butcher's sausage not a tube of recovered meat. The service is friendly and the prices reasonable. If you like good coffee, this is the place to go.

Great find - was looking for somewhere for a nice coffee and breakfast and wow did this place deliver - such good quality ingredients cooked well - and the coffee was amazing - I’ll definitely be back.

My first visit to the Black Dog, and wow! Mushrooms on toast, sausage and bacon, washed down with a flat white. Great place, amazing food and very good coffee ... worth a visit for sure!

Came here the other day from out of area and they'd obviously had experienced a busy lunch because they'd sold out of most things. I ended up having mexican eggs which were fantastic as was the coffee. I loved the set up and vibe of the place.

Black dog never fails to serve great coffee, from espresso to silky flat whites their coffee remains consistently high in quality. The house coffee is a Monmouth espresso, and in my opinion...they serve it better then the Monmouth flagship shops in London!

We called in here on the way home from a camping trip for a spot of lunch. We were very disappointed after reading such good trip advisor reviews.

Having recently moved to Tunbridge Wells from London and being an expat Aussie, I was so relieved to find this place. My home from home, exactly what I like in an Aussie cafe. Brilliant coffee, excellent quality food. Staff are attentive and welcoming. Also love the tunes! Highly recommend. Gets busy on weekends but usually good at accommodating waiting tables.

Situated off the beaten track, we stumbled upon this excellent little cafe. My flat white was excellent, and we both thoroughly enjoyed the open chicken sandwich which had ham and salsa, on a toasted granary slice. Excellent!!

When I’m in Tunbridge Wells this is my go to place for breakfast. The service is efficient and friendly, the tea and coffee are excellent. The smoked bacon is delicious as are the poached eggs.

I have always wanted to try the Black Dog as I have heard good reports.

One of the best breakfasts I’ve had, the smashed avo with crispy pancetta and halloumi was the best I’ve had and I’ve eaten in a lot of breakfast places in and around London. Will definitely come here again!

Popped into this lovely small bistro in Tunbridge Wells for the first time and found it a real treat. friendly staff, efficient service and the most scrummy burgers served with huge sweet potato fries and a nice homemade slaw. Lovely decor very clean and decent prices. Highly recommend.

Great Australian style cafe in Tunbridge Wells. The coffee is the best in town, and even better when enjoyed with one of their delicious cakes. Go for breakfast and feast on mushrooms on toast, or go for lunch and try one of the specials... whatever you have it will be good. This cafe has become an institution

We stopped in here for breakfast. Good, friendly service with a smile. The local smoked bacon was delicious and complimented the soft poached eggs and nicely cooked mushrooms.

This place does great food for breakfast and lunch! The only problem is the owner, he doesn’t even break a smile and looks like he wakes up on the wrong side of the bed every day! Otherwise yummy!!

Another trip here although it has been a year since our last visit. Fantastic coffee as always and a great varied menu with healthy options. Only criticism is that when I ordered the smashed pumpkin on sourdough with a poached egg, the pumpkin was fridge-cold. Like freezing. Made for an unusual combination with the hot toast and egg. Would have been much better if the pumpkin was allowed to come up to room temperature or even microwaved for 30 seconds, which would also bring out the flavour of the pumpkin. Other than that, a great breakfast.

Really good coffee. Very busy on a Saturday but friendly and quick service. Note you order at your table, more like a restaurant.

If you are looking for good pub food with no frills then this is the place. Traditional pub grub in an authentic looking pub. .

Easily one of the best coffee shops in Tunbridge Wells. The smashed avocado on toast with poached egg and balsamic vinegar is delicious! It’s a friendly place, been several times and never had bad service. There’s a great laid back weekend vibe.

The Black Dog is a small, independent cafe on Camden Road. They serve the best coffee in Tunbridge Wells. The food is pretty damn good too.

Friendly staff, great atmosphere, lovely food and the coffee is superb. one of the little gems in Camden Road.

Been here a number of times now. Alone and with family. The coffee is great no doubt about it and it would be my go to place for a caffeine hit.

Visiting the town centre (which looks run down with lots of closed shops) a pleasant lunch was needed to save the day. The Black Dog turned out to be the answer. A more interesting brunch to lunch plus coffee cake menu plus genuinely made in the kitchen in a relaxing interior environment adds up to a good reason to choose.

Went here in search of a good coffee after returning from Australia, where we felt we had excellent coffee and good cafe choices. We were not disappointed by the coffee and felt the food was good too - breakfast burger and mushrooms on toast. I think we will be back as we liked the coffee so much. My only negative is that it seemed quite dark inside and we were not able to order the banana bread to take home. But minor points really.

Visited here for my birthday. Was surprised to see no Aussie beverages on the menu seeing as it's advertised as an Ozzie cafe. Would be good to see Aussie drinks such as bunderberg, VB, Tooheys etc. Was quite offended when we asked to have a haloumi side with the scrambled egg and salmon but was told we couldn't. The haloumi was offered as a side under another section but was a side. The waitress told us we couldn't have it. I ordered the smashed avocado on sourdough and the ricotta with honey on banana bread which I could order the side of haloumi for. I asked in that case could I order two sides of haloumi with mine and the waitress said yes. I then said in which case I will give the second piece to my partner so he could have with his eggs and salmon. The waitress apologised for the rules seeming silly. It was silly, ridiculous even! This really put us off and won't return. Had the waitress not have allowed me to order as two sides, we would have left. Is this really how you want to treat your customers. The portions are also very stingy.

Tasty food, nicely presented and great coffee 👌🏼 Decor was cosey, however bathrooms could be spruced up a little but nothing that would stop me going back

Visited for lunch with my mother. Arrived at about 1pm and the café was already quite busy - there are only about 10/12 tables and all were full. With this, there only appeared to be 2 staff working (one making coffees and one on the floor). I think the staff were very friendly and attentive despite it being busy. As all the reviews say, the coffee was a highlight. Good value for money; two coffees, two lunch dishes, a side of chips and a slice of cake cake came to just over £20.

I had lunch at The Black Dog today with three friends and as usual the food was great. Unfortunately the experience was completely ruined by a very rude waiter who, when we politely asked if it would be possible to order another drink, first replied 'Yes', shortly followed by 'You will have to be very quick, I have ten other things to do'. The waitresses were very polite but this young man obviously had much better things to do and had a generally discourteous attitude to customers. We will not be returning despite the always lovely food and coffee.

I am very fussy about my coffee. I like a dry cappuccino but all you get in the big chains ( and a lot of other places) is milky muck. The Black Dog is not like this. Their coffee is excellent. I’ll be back to try their food

Had a coffee and a coke really good service and friendly atmosphere. definitely will come back and try th food soon.

I really love the food here, the hollandaise sauce is amazing and the Mexican eggs are delicious. Great coffee too. Service could be friendlier, but I still really like it.

We popped in here for the first time the other day for a quick cappuccino, not least because it looks like a really nice place. Indeed it is a nice place with some interesting lunch options, albeit we just had a coffee. In fact everything looks and feels good about The Black Dog which is run by an Australian (I think).

Had a really nice lunch here, generous portions, reasonably priced, nice atmosphere. Best coffee I’ve had for years and wonderful staff. Wish I lived nearby as I’d be a regular.

This is such a lovely and relatively hidden gem (given its central location)! It's on a side street and from the outside it doesn't look like much, but if you venture inside,. always crowded, not too quiet, just right - would recommend!

We frequent the cafe mainly for the lovely smooth blend of coffee & it’s virtually on our doorstep; what a shame the serving staff arn’t a bit cheerier & ask how your food is before you’ve finished ! My poached eggs today were almost hard , I didn’t dare ask for more , the chef doesn’t have much patience I guess ; after we’d kindly asked for pancetta with scrambled egg , he’d only serve bacon with it , but, you can have pancetta with smashed avocado , ridiculous!

Great brunch menu and very well priced. All cooked to order, good portion sizes and VERY nice coffee. Great value, service and interesting decor. The small interior and it's popularity means it is frequently busy so although you may have to wait it will be worth it.

Good selection of tasty coffee and snacks nice vibe and atmosphere really like this little place staff were fine as well

Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells? This is the place to come for good coffee. It's an inviting place for spending time too, especially as a cool, dark place to retreat with an iced coffee in the summer. Calming and friendly.

Superb coffee! The best that I found in Tunbridge Wells. I could tell that the baristas take great pride in their work. The food was fresh and tasty and I can highly recommend the breakfast stack. This cafe has a lovely relaxed atmosphere and is...

Lovely place full of different coffee and snacks. Decor is cool, vibe is nice! I go most weeks to pick up a coffee on the way to work!

Lovely food and a nice place to chill or catch up with some friends but the portions are too small and trying to get a smile out of the male owner (assume he’s the owner) is like trying to get blood from a stone!!! Which...

I have been coming here for a number of years with my family and the quality of food is excellent. Every meal we have ordered has been outstanding. I’m hoping the chefs never leave! I thoroughly recommend a visit.

I’ve been in here a few times and love the toasted banana bread which I’ve had more than a few times. Lovely.

Nice relaxed atmosphere. Best coffee in TW since Ismael unfortunately shut. Decent selection of food+snacks. Would prefer to visit an...

I went in on my own on Christmas Eve and the staff were lovely and seated me on my own...

Called in for a quick coffee. The perfect flat white and my wife loved the hot chocolate too. Monmouth coffee...

Went for brunch on Tuesday morning with my wife and son. A busy little café who initially seated us at...

What a lovely place to have breakfast. Fantastic coffee and great menu choices. I had the quinoa and ham hock...

If you need a good breakfast, this is one of the best. If you need an english breakfast dont go...

It was our first visit together in the area and I'd thought we'd take advantage of having a late brekkie...

There is a really nice menu here and the food is very tasty. A great location in Camden Road, as near all the shops, so a great place to stop if you need refuelling. Nice atmosphere and was busy. The coffee was superb. I had the avocado and poached egg on sour-dough, which was perfect.

I visit the black dog on a daily basis for my coffee due to the outstanding taste. If you are...

My girlfriend and I visited for lunch, the food was absolutely delicious and the portion sizes were ideal, not too big, not too small.

By pure accident we grabbed a coffee at this s cafe before park run & knew we’d have to come back for breakfast. Felt like I was transported back to Fitzroy or Collingwood in Melbourne!

Unos de los mejores sitios para desayunar o comer si pasas por Tunbridge Wells. Visita obligada para viajeros. Muy centrico y con un personal muy amable.

The coffee here is lovely and the tea comes in a pot so you can sit there for a while. The cakes look lovely and I can highly recommend the carrot cake- it's a shame that there wasn't more cake on offer. They also do lunches which look very good. It's a chilled environment with a mixture of individuals and friends catching up, probably not good for big groups as it's quite a quiet and calm place. Wi-Fi is available and good. No sofas to lounge on but comfy seating all around including bar stools looking onto the street. They also sell alcohol so I imagine it becomes a nice place in the early evening too. The staff are nice enough but a little distant, but the table service is a nice touch. Would be a great place to sit and work/study in an afternoon.

Having been recommended this place a while ago, my mum and I decided to pop there on a rare visit to TW today. Sadly our experience was not great. Like other reviewers, the customer service needs some serious revision... the young woman who dealt with the monetary side of things was perfectly pleasant, we got a smile and she said more than a one-word answer. However, on our asking for a "skinny" decaf latte (which every other coffee/tea shop we've been to - chain or independent - knows exactly what that means!), the man serving us, who quite frankly seemed like he would rather be elsewhere, no customer skills, not even a half-hearted smile, gave us a concrete "yes" to "skinny" milk. Great we thought as not everywhere does do "skinny" milk (red top) and when they don't we chose an alternative. As the drinks were being made we kept a close eye on the milks being used, and we only ever saw semi-skinned (green top) and whole fat (blue top). This puzzling us, I asked the young woman the same question, "do you have skinny milk?" - again she answered with a "yes". So we thought fine, it'll appear in a moment. Much to our amazement, it never did appear, and we were given our drinks, and I said which milk did you use, as I asked for "skinny" and see no sign of it?! The one-word (if you're lucky) man said, "it's semi-skinned... you don't drink that?" (or something to that effect), and I said "no I don't, especially as when I first came in I made a point of specifically asking if you had 'skinny' milk"... What really riled me, was the fact I asked clearly two times, and they said yes both times. First world problems absolutely... rude bad manners / lacking social skills majorly - all world problems. We will not be going back, even though the breakfasts / brunch did look rather good!

We've been visiting since it opened. How long ago was that. Consistently good food.. Excellent coffee. Very chilled vibe. Wait for a table. You won't be disappointed.

Great coffee but customer experience dreadful. Ignored at counter then just got"yes" no friendly welcome. My daughter had a similar experience so having given them a couple of chances. We will not be going back