The Blacksmiths Arms in Ashford

I was waiting for my Wife, who was on a hospital appointment and thought I'd while away some time in the Blacksmiths Arms whilst waiting for her. The friendly Manager allowed me in early and was very pleasant. I though his flexibility was a credit to him, which I very much appreciated. Very pleasant atmosphere and clean. Great ale, I had Proper Job. All in all, faultless!

Arrived and waited for barman to appear - eventually a local called him - very scruffy sniffing and kept wiping his nose on his sleeve. Ordered a bottle of wine and in the hour or so we were there he appeared 3 times each time after a local called him for a drink- never checked if we were ok - we finished our wine and my wife said are we having another- I suggested she had a cigarette and if he appeared I would order and if not we would leave - needless to say he didn’t appear so we left - as an aside must have been 25 empty glasses on the bar tables etc when you had 7 customers including us. Not normally one to complain wine was fine and price ok but I don’t think I have ever been in a pub where the barman was so lazy - just got home and wrote this 20 minutes after leaving the pub 7Pm Monday 12/02/24

Visited here and it was very quiet. We managed to get to a table and order drinks straightaway. It didn't take too long for food to be ordered or turn up. We all got the Smoked Cheese Burger and it was nice. The only downside was that it didn't have the strongest flavour and the chips were a bit soggy. Overall, we enjoyed our meals and the service was good.

Wir haben sehr lecker gegessen, in urigen Ambiente. Unseren anstrengenden Tag haben wir hier gemütlich ausklingen lassen.

Customer service was poor not enough staff, cold restaurant. Food choice limited and on arrival was not at all nice. Burger and roll burnt, chips overcooked and greasy, onion rings tasted of old oil. Don’t waste your money people here it’s a sad but clearly deteriorating pub.

Wonderful service, food excellent. Definitely going back . soon.

A nice pub, waitress are really nice, decent selection of beers, wines, and others. Local to William Harvey hospital, nice atmosphere, parking across the road, nice sitting area out the back that has a bouncy castle in summer months. Haven’t eaten here apart from some chips, but other peoples food looks good! Toilets are clean, friendly service, an all round decent pub

As soon as I walked in the blacksmiths Arms. I felt comfortable, the bar staff was polite, and greeted me with a smile. The manager took time out to talk to us. As, we were playing darts there.

Nice pub with lovely garden. Unfortunately the food was awful. Had a burger and chips and the burger was too pink for me to eat. Chips weren't great but had worse.

Had a very enjoyable experience during an afternoon visit. Beer was exceptional and the food was very good. All the staff seem very friendly. Good size beer garden if the sun ever makes an appearance. Well worth visiting. So that was 2 years ago: doesn't time fly! Been back on several occasions and still a great place to eat and drink. Staff cannot do enough for you and always friendly.

Very poor service and long wait times, for a quiet Sunday lunch time (3 tables seated) server's didn't know the drinks on offer or childs menu. The roast dinners were very nice and cooked to a great standard. Shame the bad service let the whole experience down.

I haven't been to pub for years, so much potential but alas the landlord doesn't see it !

Went there 12:15 they were closed , I went 45 min late from their opening time at 11:30am to give time to still make sure they open . Nope closed what a shame 😕 waste of time ⏲️

Just the 4 of us for a quick bite. Gotta say the beef loaded fries were fantastic! I asked for skinny fries with these and were so good.

Awful food, deplorable service, Manager in a filthy T-shirt, and completely unprepared to manage a polite complaint. A quiet lunch, we visited at 12.30. Fish and chips arrived with a chicken burger, although the order was for a bacon cheeseburger. Fish cooked in old oil, and tartare sauce had coleslaw mixed in. Cutlery arrived after asking around 5 mins after the food delivered. Burger was reordered and chicken burger sent back - new burger delivered ca 15 mins later minus bacon. We asked for mayo and ketchup with took another 10 mins. We asked to see the manager and we’re told they would call him in a minute. 10 minutes later Manager arrived and simply said he would take the burger off the bill- no apology. We paid and left. I asked for the owners name on leaving and was given a number that was incomplete - so I called again from home and was told to phone back and speak to him tomorrow. I said I would expect the owner Adam to call me back. Such businesses shouldn’t be in business.

Was only in there for a quick one and to use the toilet.

Sweet little pub tucked away, nice setting. Lovely staff. The food was well cooked however the meals were completely ruined by the sheer amount of salt used, also the chocolate brownie dessert tasted like cardboard but the ice cream was nice. Overall, very expensive meal almost inedible.

Love this pub so much potential but garden is kinda lacking

Very nice country pub food and service very good

Lovely little pub with a great atmosphere.

Came here for an impromptu Sunday dinner. Had a table in the garden, the table was a mess and we tidied it ourselves. Asked for a high chair and was presented with one that was dirty. We all ordered a roast and the portions were meagre. 1 piece of broccoli each and 2 small slices of meat per person. I brought this to their attention and they just said that was the way it is and that they have never had a complaint before. Customer service was terrible. They did offer us more vegetables but they never arrived. Would not recommend. Plenty of pubs for a nice Sunday roast nearby, go somewhere else. Felt sorry for the staff that were very very young.

Booked table for 8, Sunday menu, website says free dessert if you book 12pm and bouncy castle for all to use in garden. Arrived sat in garden our young children went on the bouncy castle only to be told by a woman that they couldn't go on the bouncy castle as it was booked for her children's party! Try telling a 3 Yr old and 8yr old that! Ordered food only to be told website was wrong and no free dessert, but then the chef said he would honour the website. Positives Nice roast. Negatives Chairs tables outside need replacing dangerous falling apart, lots of rubbish in grass cutlery napkins etc. Ashtrays not emptied. In need of refurbishment. You need to update your website.

Had Sunday lunch here today. Some of the best food I've had in a long time. The chef knows exactly wot he's doing.

Enjoyed the beautiful pub garden this afternoon and loved the perfect roast Turkey dinner. Served with stuffing, 3 roast potatoes, homemade Yorkshire pudding, gravy and cauliflower cheese. Then a side of peas, carrots, parsnips and broccoli. Totally delicious and great service. Thank you

Lovely pub with a great atmosphere and good beer and food.

Is my local , everyone is amazing, especially ollie and Adam, he's an amazing chef, lovely people couldn't ask for anyone better x

Staff were friendly and welcoming. Had a roast dinner which was OK. Could have done with more veg and less gravy but that's my preference. Average prices. Bit more expensive than the previous pub we visited that day. Would go back but not my first choice.

Lovely little pub. Popped in on Easter Monday last minute with a table of 7. Really nice pub food and ales. Very pleasant lads on the bar & restaurant.

Charming pub with a lot of character. Our meal was good, great service and decent portions.

Barman was really upbeat and friendly

Great food and friendly service!

Great meal. Service was good and of course loved having our friends with us.

A very nice establishment. Good service.

Quite local pub next to hospital

Sunday lunch for 4 as a birthday treat for my Mum. The (very) young waiter could not have been any nicer. Absolutely nothing was too much trouble for him. I literally could not fault the service. We had 2 lamb, one beef and a belly pork, all delicious if everso slightly salty. Would recommend and will go again

Very good Christmas Day lunch. Great atmosphere and good food. The staff all worked so hard but always had time to check on everything with a smile on their face. Starters were delicious, we opted for the lamb shoulder for mains which was very tasty. Great puddings as well … dived into them before getting a pic!

Food really nice and staff really friendly. Good value for money.

First time ⏲️ there for Sunday lunch 😋 and we was not disappointed the food was very good the service was slow because some of the staff were off sick but that was forgivable very good 👍 👌

Terrible dinner, laughable. Horrid brisket and onion pie, lumpy mash, terrible veg. Food is DEFINITELY microwaved. When asked how everything was after the meal we said not great, person didn't care for our feedback. Why do a pub up with nice furniture etc and offer shocking food ? At least hire a decent chef to contrast the decent look of the pub, would be better for business I guess. Do not recommend this place unfortunately if you want a nice meal, also we were NOT told about having to book the festive menu when we booked the meal so had to be lumbered with the microwave meals we received. I'm sure it isn't too much effort to give us a festive menu, we were told "you didn't book the festive menu so you won't get the festive menu" not that hard to cook some turkey or whatever it is on your festive menu guys ! Not good at all considering we were expecting to have a roast at least, hence the reason for our booking. DO NOT RECOMMEND !!

The food was very good, also the service was very quick and everyone was very welcoming.

Stopped after procedure at nearby hospital on a wim. Very busy inside and outside, but we had a fabulous lunch which although a tad slow in being served was worth the wait. Beautiful pub inside with marvellous seated area outside. Thoroughly recommended.

Food was amazing didn't like faxt that they put salt and vinger on chips nit everyone likes ( husband ) staff friendly and very attentive

A great public house with a ood range of beers, great beer garden and menu. We'll worth a visit

Went for a meal, the food was fab, service was great. We sat in the large garden, which had ample of seating. The food arrived quickly and was lovely. Cant comment on the inside, but I'm sure it will be just as good!

Comfortable, friendly, quick & service with a smile.

Nice friendly pub, food was nice and service was good

Good well kept beer and beer garden. Pub food was the weakest point. Burger was overcooked and dry.

Very lovely environment and calm peaceful atmosphere. Staff very attentive and kind .will differently visit again .

Brilliant free beer to all new customers 🤣👍

Enjoyed a lovely meal with the family last night, the food was amazing. Staff very friendly and polite. Restaurant wasn't busy, for a Thursday evening . Will be making another visit very soon.

Great food,service was slow but they were short staffed other wise I would have given 4 stars.

Haven't been here for years. Just a quick stop off while I waited for a relative in hospital. Walked into the most gorgeous smell of food. Would like to try in the future. Bar was a little empty but for some regulars ,I imagined. Dog friendly as 2 dogs were behaving well with their owner. No dog smell was apparent. Went to the garden at the back and was totally blown away by the expanse of it. Shaded by mature trees with rattan furniture dotted here and there and cushions for comfort. It was so tranquil and cool on such a hot day. Could have stayed all day. Would definitely return if I get the chance. Definitely worth a visit if you are in the area. Just round the corner from the large Tesco . Oh and I must mention the very lovely bar lady who was so sweet and efficient. Lovely time had 👍👍

From the outside it looks nice but not overly inviting, however, we were so glad we went in. The staff were very friendly, service was great and the beer garden was amazing! So big with plenty of comfy seating. The toilets were clean and they had a baby changing table which is always a welcome relief. We stopped here for a couple of drinks and a bit of lunch, my only criticism would be that the dish off the children's menu had a lot of salt on it - a bit too much even for us adults! Other than this everything was great. There was a young boy serving and clearing and he was so polite and lovely! I have recommended this place to a few friends and family and we shall definitely be back : )

I booked a table for six for my family. I'd had a family Christmas meal here which had been fine so was expecting a good pub meal. The service was very poor and the young men serving we're so miserable, very unusual in a pub environment. The food was also poor - a few of us ordered salad which basically was a packet of mixed leaves thrown onto the plate, covered with dressing and some Cajun chicken on top. The presentation was zero. £14 for that! We waited so long for the puddings to be served we gave up and headed home. I was embarrassed to have chosen this pub. We normally tip very well as a family but only for good service and food. Sadly not this time. They may have been very busy in garden but certainly not inside the pub. There was a youngster collecting plates and he at least did have a smile.

Great food, great service, great staff....very enjoyable afternoon lovely garden.

Amazingly good food. Not just pub grub.

Very dog friendly with a nice garden in the back. Food was great and 2 for 10 tap ciders were the best!

Firstly I ordered prawns waitress came back , no prawns, then ordered Camembert, to be told no Camembert. Was told I could have Brie , I said I didn’t want it breaded it was brought to the table breaded. No formal apology from the manager...

We decided to try somewhere new in the local area. Initial greeting and service was fine. Ordered starters inc. 2 camemberts and a salmon main. 5 mins later we were informed these weren't available along with a load of other items. Why we weren't informed about what was unavailable when we arrived, we don't know. So 2 alternatives for starters were ordered inc. 1 brie. We specifically asked if this could be served unbreaded but rather than being told it couldn't, it was delivered breaded, so we sent it back. There was no apology and no one came to ask if we wanted any alternative. Very very poor customer service. To add insult to injury, we were charged for 4 starters as it was 'cheaper' than charging us for 3....they should have at least offered an alternative or a proper pro-rata refund - just an apology would have been nice!! We had to order our drinks at the bar as there was no one serving at the tables, and had to ask for ketchup as no condiments were offered. Very chewy mussels, clearly over cooked or left over from previous day, batter on fish was soggy, burger was way way too salty but was eaten anyway as starter had been rejected due to service mistake. Needless to say, we'll be sticking to the much better pub just down the road.

The overall service was shocking! We sat outside they had a bouncy castle for the children and some cute little benches for them - however no children were present. The pub was quiet. We waited nearly 30min for our drinks.. we ordered food the wait...

This isn’t a bad pub, but….it could be so so much better. I’ve visited this pub on quite a few times and never seen the owner (who lives at the pub) behind the bar, if I was the owner, I’d like to see how things are going and make changes to Improve it, this pub is tired and needs a desperate lift.

Lovely lamb shoulder for me, beef brisket, roast pork belly, and fish and chips for the friends with me. Superb Sunday lunch, great service. There is also a grand beer garden, even a bouncy castle! Give the pub a try, but if you're my age swerve the bouncy castle.

If you're by the hospital and need to relax, this is a great place, with some parking on the street, and a nice garden.

Lovely friendly pub at reasonable prices. Great beer garden

Superb dinner for Fathers day everyone enjoyed, thank you for a lovely day xx

Great food and setting. The staff where really great even though they was short on numbers they catered for everything.

Beautiful mixed roast, absolutely loved it. Very tasty ! :)

Nice place good staff good size garden with bouncy castle

We had the best experience at The Blacksmiths for lunch. Sitting in the spacious garden we were given amazing service by the team there. The food was fantastic and our day was just amazing. Id never been before but its a hidden gem, dont miss...

Decent beer, great pork belly and excellent service

Very nice food, selection of drinks, atmosphere And comfy garden seating

Slow service, staff clearly on their phones, manager on bar talking about topics not suitable (nsfw) for customers to hear, rude.

Nice pub. Large beer garden which has numerous steps and a bit hilly. Bouncing castle for the kids. Food good and reasonable priced. Small car park. Worth a stop.

We were on our way to the Shuttle and chanced upon this pub. How lucky were we? We had a few tapas dishes each and some welcome refreshments. Food was hot and delicious. Good, helpful friendly service. 👌

Lamb dish was lovely but the fish batter was under cooked shame 😟

Great pub and decent car parking but park sensibly as keen traffic wardens!!

We honestly think it is one of the best roast dinners we have had in a long time. We have visited here 3 times now. The beef just fell apart and my partner's lamb just came away from the bone. Gravy was plentiful and so...

The Pub is very nice and the staff friendly. Great to see British Wines on the Wine List. We had issues with the meals served, but to the credit of the Manager when approached afterwards, he confirms that he has spoken to the Chef and...

Good little place tucked away. I’ve had a few business meetings here and never been let down by food or service. Handy for the motorway to meet and depart yet has a quiet garden and isn’t a chain with awful food.

Went in for a pint and some lunch. They used to serve decent fish finger baguette but didn't see it on the new menu, gutted was my favourite. New owners now? Place feels different.

We went for a meal tonight for my birthday. Brilliant food that was good value for the money. We will definitely be back!!

Very good Sunday lunch, friendly and welcoming staff. Didn't have to wait long for food and plenty of it! Puds nice too. I agree with one of the other reviewers that cutlery should be bought out before meal so your not waiting when food arrives....

Delicious cider and gorgeous burger

Lovely meal at very reasonable price. And v friendly staff. Will be back for sure.

Excellent lunch yesterday, roasts were all perfect with plenty of food, service excellent and food perfect

Went for Mother’s Day Sunday lunch. Given the wrong drink, 1 dish of veg for 3 people came out, less than a teaspoon each of peas & cabbage (1 baby carrot each, one piece of broccoli each etc). Ordered dessert and was served the edges...

A great place to walk to from William Harvey Hospital....a world away jn 4 minutes

Came on a Wednesday evening and had a nice family meal. Chilli prawn starter was demolished and kids loved the Garlic bread. They chose fish & chips and wings & chips from the kids menu and really enjoyed both. Partner had pork belly and I...

Used to be good for food. Beer is still good but eating is fully in Fawlty Towers territory. 14 quid for a Sunday lunch is a price not a value. :-(

As we walked in the first thing that struck us was how cold it felt. Four of us had lunch, and we all ordered burgers. Mine was luke warm, almost as though it had been pre cooked and kept warm for a while. One tiny...

We got there and only two tables was occupied.Went there with the wife on a date night i ordered moules marinières my wife the rosemary baked Camembert. The mussels was the worst i ever had really shriveled up over cooked a lot of the shells...

Friendly pub , good choice of beers

The burgers and chips were great. Staff very helpful, attentive. Only pub we could find serving food on a Monday evening!

Lovely friendly staff who went out of their way to make us feel welcome. Food was amazing, tasty, lots of it and very good value. Will be going back for sure

Very nice pub. Great food and lovely staff. Very helpful. It's great when staff are this attentive.UPDATE: 8/3/21 - Went in for dinner with friends, was over charged for a round of drinks. When I emailed the pub, song to check this, I didn't even get a reply. Avoid

We went for a family meal for my mother's birthday. It was Sunday so it we all ordered the roast dinner. (Apart from 4 children) The roast was lovely. I would of given 5 stars but when my children ordered puddings I was shocked that I was charged £5.50 for a few scoops of ice cream and £6.50 for the smallest brownie and one scoop of ice cream. I had previously been told when asking they would make a child's portion. (There was no puddings menu for children) In regards to the children's main meal..I was charged £7. That's ok but they was not offered any vegetables or beans ect with there sausage and chips...burger and chips....fish fingers and chips.. This is great for an adult meal but I unfortunately wont return with my children. The male serving us was brilliant. Very attentive and nothing was to much trouble.

Had a terrible meal here I had prawns raw inside and as a mains I had a tasteless brisket beef served with potatoes which were uncooked and it arrived warm

Sunday lunch booked at short notice, polite quick and efficient service, great Sunday lunch, will be back soon

A very friendly staff and good food

Good food and a nice place to drink