The Blacksmiths Arms at Wormshill in Maidstone

Didn't eat, just a pint with old friends I had not seen for decades. The place now has inside toilets but it's otherwise very much as I remember it. A proper old village pub with a warm welcome. Must try the restaurant some time. The walls are decorated with old clocks and memorabilia, which are for sale.

A charming, traditional country pub. The food was excellent as well as the service. This is what people mean when they talk about old school pubs.

A timeless pub with honest pub food, the landlord and landlady are a delight, proper menu with house specials, arrived on a rainy miserable night the landlord opened early and welcomed us in, the selection of food was 5+ within 10 minutes it’s was served, all enjoyed, local beers I wish I lived local, pay this inn a visit before it’s too late

Amazing old pub, staff is great, Colin delivers lots of humor and laughter

Great local country pub. Food is excellent quality, well priced and substantial, you won't leave hungry. You have to book to use the restaurant, and food is only served Friday and Saturday, but worth doing! Beer is well kept and prices are competitive.

Mainly for the villagers not a busy family pub only open selected hours

Fantastic food lovely pub owners very welcoming would highly recommend

Good day, I’m a qualified Hospitality person in need of job, a good team player to work effectively.

My large group will no longer be visiting as vegetarians aren't welcome? You have just alienated half the population. So if your compassionate, concerned about climate change or your health your not welcome. Shocking!

Vegetarians not welcome. A point made on their menu of NOT serving vegetarian food. Too weird??!! Why not?

A gem of a restaurant. Family owned. Always a wonderful experience and superb culinary skills by the owner.

Fresh , hot , homecooked food. Allways lovely to visit here, hosts very nice & friendly. Lovely ambience, great little pub.

Real old pub how pubs use to be well worth a visit remote location probley the only one like it in the south east

Colin n has wife are very friendly and very excellent food big meals worth the money thank you so much

Amazing old pub with very unique interior, hidden gem, we absolutely love it!

What a discovery. A hidden gem. Check opening times.

A simple country pub with a straightforward British menu. The staff were attentive did everything they could so that we enjoyed our meal. This is not a gastro pub, with all the bells and whistles, but then again what we ordered was well cooked and plentiful, so we we did not leave the establishment looking for a KFC for a top up on the way home. Will definitely go back when the waistline allows.

I've been a regular at Blacksmiths for a few years but only recently had dinner there - now the children are old enough. Steak & Chips was great - very simple dish with no peppercorn sauce to ruin the quality meat that was cooked perfectly. Steak & Kidney pudding was also fantastic, and probably enough for at least two! But I finished it anyway...

Nice friendly local. Not open all the usual hours, you might expect.

This pub restaurant is off the beaten track but what a find. Be pre warned you have to book but you will not be disappointed the food is really good.

Microwaved food, horrendous service. How on earth this place survives is beyond me. Extremely disappointing.

What a lovely country pub! This really is a gem in every way. The atmosphere is welcoming and cosy and the meal excellent. Proper home cooked delicious food, which is so rare to find these days! We will definitely be back, and will introduce our friends to it as soon as possible.

A lovely pub with really welcoming owners. A delight.

Directly I got to the Blacksmiths Arms I was overjoyed - children under 16 are not allowed in ! The atmosphere inside is really very pleasant and comfortable. The food is absolutely super, I had steak pie with stilton and my wife had a freshly caught trout. Both were very large portions. Will certainly visit again.

We came from Suffolk to Kent for the weekend to visit friends (sons gf parents) so this was a late notice choice booked blind - the sat nav appears to have taken us through the country lanes ‘sleepy hollow style’ but the pub is well situated on the road with good parking and reasonably quiet. Entering takes you back centuries, hops on the beams, wood burner and antiques bric-à-brac hanging abound - some quirky pieces all labelled and priced we think for sale, clocks, porcelains, pictures. The menu has some great choices and specials ‘good wholesome food’ slow cooked lamb, brisket , fish, pork etc all served hot and with accompanying trays of properly cooked vegetables. The staff very friendly service unique - think ‘acorn Antiques’ but this in a positive and wholesome way. Definitely worth a recommendation, great food, great atmosphere - we smiled and enjoyed. Great value @£70 couple inc drinks of wine , beer and mixers and the tip wasn’t expected but kindly received with warm thanks... Free coffee top ups at the end too

Lovely cosy little pub, both locals and landlord very warm, welcoming and friendly...

Food was good but portions far too big. 2 of us shared the cheese board for 1 and couldn't finish it. Don't think the lady serving us was impressed going by her response of are you sure and couldn't the others help.

Very large (too large in fact) portions of wholesome home cooked food but nothing extra special. The staff were "entertainingly inefficient". Overall rather pricey for an 'adequate' rather than special evening out.

Love this pub! Really comfy bar area with wood burner. Excellent fish menu, but you need to book in advance.

Went with friends for dinner last week and was not disappointed from the moment you open the door and go in it’s a feast for the eyes. Food was beautifully presented and tasted delicious I had the beef wellington scrummy! Can’t wait to go back in fact going again for Sunday lunch in November.

Amazing place well worth the visit a hidden gem! Food excellent lovely evening had by us all

After a long and winding drive from the A20 we reached Wormshill and the Blacksmiths Arms, a white and wide building in heart of the village. As you enter you'll likely be greeted by the many chiming clocks that adorn the shelves and walls of this treasure trove of china, pictures, brasses, bureaus and much, much more. All of it for sale. Colin and Maureen greet you as if you're invited to their home for a casual meal. We sat in the bar area, a rocking chair for me, and studied the menu. Our meal now ready, Maureen took us through to the restaurant, another antique shop that sends your eyes darting left and right. My wife went for the special board's fish: Grilled Vietnamese River Fish with parsley butter sauce. Two generous white fillets served with dauphinois potatoes and fresh vegetables. I chose the pub's best seller: The gargantuan half shoulder of lamb with lovely rich gravy and mint sauce. We both loved our choices, though I was beaten and our Red Setter at home would later be my best friend when I returned with a doggy bag. Now full, we averted our eyes from the dessert board, until Maureen placed it under our noses and you can guess the rest! Nice as dessert was, we definitely didn't need it, but who cares? Returning to our seats in the bar area, the drinkers started to arrive, with their dogs, and it seemed like a meeting place for friends and neighbours. We paid £68 with tip, stayed for three hours, loved the friendliness, the atmosphere, the quirkiness, the food, and most of all, the feast for the eyes around the walls. An absolute delight.

Proper country pub, love the lighting, music and the legendary roaring fire in the winter

Brilliant place. Landlord is a star

Brilliant pub with great Ales, awesome food with a great Landord and Landlady

Fantastic, friendly and relaxing.

If Carlsberg made landlords it would be the guy behind the bar in this pub .... probably :)

Nice country pub. Beers okay food seemed over priced but what we had was good.

great meal you must visit fantastic food very friendly people hidden gem on top of north downs kent we will be retuning many times

Lovely midday meal served in a cosy 'old style' country place.

Set in the small hamlet of Wormshill perched on top of the North Downs surrounded by the beautiful Kent countryside. Beautiful. This is a Free House pub with a small restaurant and Bar so is very unique unlike ‘The Chains’. Take a few moments to walk around and view all the items on the walls. Landlord/Landlady very friendly and welcoming. In terms of ambience it was a step back in time. You rarely find places like this now. It’s just quintessentially English. Absolutely lovely. Good menu with a ‘Specials Board’ covering the range. Beautifully prepared and presented. Very tasty. Mouth starting to water just thinking back to it. Being a Free House has a good range of drinks including wines. No rush like the chains who want your table for the next booking. Everything at your pace and when the meal is finished you can sit back, relax, enjoy the ambience and company. Perfect. To the owners, simply thank you for a beautiful evening and reminding what it should be like when one goes out to dinner.

Lovely place to have food and great small country pub atmosphere.

Visited last night for a celebration meal and what a lovely experience.The Blacksmiths Arms is a really tradition old English Pub/Restaurant.Greeted as soon as we arrived with a smile and chatted to the landlady over pre dinner drinks - very pleasantA selection of 3 Cask ales at the bar which change on a regular basis.The pub area is absolutely delightful - small with loads of original features and antiques hanging on the wall (some for sale). Wonderful open fire burning, I could have spent the whole evening in the pub area.The restaurant is totally separate, again similar surroundings with low ambient lighting - no open fire but beautiful all the same. Food was excellent - I have never had such a huge half shoulder of lamb so perfectly cooked and my wife had the Beef Wellington which was also superb. Fresh Veg were also cooked just right.An lovely all round experience - we will return with friends.

Our first visit to this quaint little pub on Saturday evening as we live not far away in Harrietsham. What a treat. As soon as we went in we were greeted with smiles and hello from the landlady and her daughter as though we had known them for ages. The pub is very clean and nicely decorated in old worlde style with antiques and pictures around making a homely feel. The menu is not extensive but the food we ordered was beautifully cooked and presented and piping hot. My partner had the Vietnamese fish which he said was magnificent and I had the belly pork which just fell apart it was delicious and the accompanying vegetables were fresh and again piping hot. The deserts were also lovely as were the starters in fact be aware the portions were more than generous something not often given in pubs these days. The landlady and her daughter were very friendly and extremely polite when they served our food. Nothing too much trouble.Cannot recommend this little gem enough its first class, but do phone to check opening times as they only open certain days and no children permitted. We will definitely be returning and taking our friends with us.

This is one of the best pubs in Kent, located in a remote hamlet. Immaculately kept, friendly, fantastic home-cooked food and an interesting, diverse range of real ales; deserving its place in the 2018 Good Beer Guide. There are not too many pubs around today that cling to the old-fashioned way of running a pub but the Blacksmiths Arms keeps the flame alive. Opening hours are restricted, so times need checking before going. And if a child-free pub is what you are looking for, the Blacksmiths do not allow under 14's! Also, if you enjoy antiques there are plenty to enjoy as part of the pub decor. Well worth finding.

Myself, my partner and Mother in law all visited last night and had a lovely experience. Tucked away around 20 minutes from Maidstone it is a real gem for any who want to go out of their way for a treat!

Reservamos una mesa para 6 el sábado por la noche. Disfrutamos de una maravillosa comida de 3 platos en el restaurante. Gran servicio amable y eficiente. La comida fue excelente, cada uno eligió un plato diferente y todos llegamos juntos, bien presentada y perfectamente cocinada. No skimping en tamaño de la porción. Tenía una especial, pescado en salsa de chili dulce vietnamita, fue increíble. Recomiendo encarecidamente comer aquí, volveremos pronto.

Tuvimos una comida en este encantador pub/restaurante país esta noche. Fue fantástico. Sólo tenía un bistec y riñón pud, pero fue uno de los mejores que he probado. Servido caliente con un montón de verduras frescas, patatas gratinadas y un montón de salsa. Magnífico. De postre tuve una torta de chocolate y caramelo. De nuevo, absolutamente de primera clase.

Fantastic food, traditional fare. Great hosts.

Ha sido años desde la última vez que visité este pub. Es como retroceder en el tiempo. Pub pasadas de moda, pero en el buen sentido. Hace un cambio de las cadenas y de moda pub/bares.

Visitamos aquí con mi pareja para el almuerzo del domingo, preciosa no olde worlde pub que ha traspasado a la modernización que han creado tantos "gastro pubs han hecho y ellos mismos arruinó en hacerlo. Este lugar está lleno de carácter, un montón de antigüedades interesantes para la venta. Optamos por el asado de cordero y mi palabra lo una generosa porción! Siendo un par de cerdos codiciosos, esto hizo que mi compañero y yo muy feliz! De alguna manera encontramos espacio para el postre también, mi pareja tiene la torta Y YO LA passionfruit tiramsu. Absolutamente delicioso. La casera y el propietario fue muy amable y acogedor. Sin duda volveremos!

Aunque este es un pequeño pub/restaurante en el país carece de empatía para quienes no pueden comer 'fayre anticuado. Visité el restaurante en diciembre con unos amigos y hay varias opciones en el menú y en el consejo pecials. En esta ocasión comí hígado pero...

¿Cómo no oír los brazos herreros antes? Un bar lleno de adornos interesantes (algunos para la venta) de largo y con relojes caso más pequeñas. La comida era muy buena y abundante, servido con un montón de verduras frescas para todos perfectamente cocinado (no)). Pero...

A great pub in walking distance for us. Landlord and staff are always friendly, great food, beer and service

A good old English pub restaurant, serving real ales and traditional home cooked food.

A quaint country pub. Lots of antiques to look at, and buy if you wanted. Ideal venue for a meal with friends.Food delicious. Large portions.Would definitely return.

We are regularly in the pub lovely friendly landlady we. enjoyed looking at the antiques around the pub we will be back soon

This is a very charming place. The fire is usually roaring, it is cosy and full of interesting antiques for sale. There is always a warm welcome and it has a lovely restaurant too.

This is the third time we have been back to the Blacksmiths Arms with good friends. The landlord is very friendly and attends to the cooking. The food is truly great and the portions will defeat you I can almost guarantee it. The steak and Stilton pie is to die for. The character of the pub is wonderful with marvellous guest ales. There is also the new addition a beautiful resident Great Dane that you will fall in love with.

Have always enjoyed this pub, but was highly disappointed today after ringing up and making a reservation to find that they don't accept children! Won't be coming back

Visited here for a friend's birthday and only one thing to say excellent. A quaint country pub in the middle of know where with friendly staff and patrons. The food was excellent and more than worth the 1hrs drive. Definitely worth a visit if u want a special meal

Last night we had a lovely meal in the company of the patrons Maureen and Colin (chef). It was an unusually quiet night at the restaurant on Thursday but still lots of atmosphere with oil lamps and candles throughout the pub and restaurant. We have eaten our way through the fabulous menus prepared by Colin over the years and the standard of food never fails! Last night I sampled lambs liver and bacon and chive mash with lots of lovely seasonal vegetables. My husband enjoyed the steak and Stilton pie with similar lovely accompaniments. We passed on the wonderful desserts as this was a midweek meal. We will save ourselves for a three course meal next time!

Proper old fashioned British boozer. An absolute gem.

Beautifull meal to be had here. Love the atmosphere here. The owners are extremely nice. Love the antiques, to browse, and to purchase, if you want to.I had a huge Rainbow Trout for the main, it was delicious. Hubby had the Lamb, which he loved. We also had starter and pud. All round, superb meal.Will deffo be back for a return visit, and maybe to purchase , an antique copper kettle.Lovely.

The Blacksmiths Arms is a family run pub/restaurant dating back to 16th century it has lots of character Food very goodOwners Colin and Maureen are lovely and every new customer and the locals are made to feel welcome

Hidden in the heart of the beautiful Kent countryside, this quaint little pub restaurant is well worth a visit. The staff are friendly and the pub has a relaxed warm feel to it. Good wine and even better food, be sure to try the fish specials and leave lots of room for dessert - will definitely visit again

I was recommended this pub and unfortunately it's taken us a while to visit it. However now that we have I would vertically recomend a visit if your in the area, though it may take some finding. Tucked away in the Kent! North Downs countryside, this little pub is a gem, though may not be to everyone's tastes as its like siting in someone's front room (this does add to the atmosphere though). Also it's a free house which is a rarity in East Kebt and therefore a good range of beers that aren't Shepard Neam. The food was good (went for Sunday dinner) with huge portions and the option of extra potatoes and gravy (again like being at home) all served by the landlady. we will be going back to sample the A la Cart menu soon so watch this space. One point to consider is that the web site is way out of date, however I would defiantly recomend booking in advance as it is quite small and would get full very quickly. All in all a good find and somewhere different off the beaten track/ away form the norm.

Whenever we have tried to get in here it has been shut - the opening hours certainly don't match those on the website: but then the website hasn't been updated since 1956. When we did manage to get in, we found it to be a quirky, strange pub - it was almost like sitting in someone's house....don't get me wrong, the décor was nice, but a bit leftfield. The service was excellent, and very friendly, and we were made to feel most welcome, and we will certainly be back....particularly as the pub is (like us) not child friendly......a policy we wholeheartedly believe in for dining out.

We stumbled upon this pub today and are very glad that we did. Our roast dinner was delicious with a huge portion of tender beef and the landlady brought us an extra jug of gravy and even offered us extra roast potatoes, which sadly we were too full up to accept! The pub itself is a traditional, old building with lots of interesting things to look at on the walls, plus fairy lights which are always a winner in my book. The landlady was very friendly and we will definitely be making a return trip.

We had a lovely meal at the blacksmiths arms. Lovely menu and food. The cheese and biscuits to follow was shared by the 4 of us and there was still some left over. Excellent.

A wonderful country pub . Can't believe that we have not eaten here before , the food was fantastic . We both had lamb, fresh vegetables and potatoes. A good home cooked meal. The landlord and landlady were lovely people. It certainly is a little gem of a place and we will definitely be back, and with all our friends ! Seriously, more people deserve to experience this !

When you first arrive at this beautiful little pub you could think you were arriving at someones private historical cottage. I dont know when the pub was built but its old with oak beams and open fireplaces. On entering the bar area it is like entering an old front room with old pictures and pieces of old farm tools decorating the wall. The landlord and landlady are extremely friendly. The restaurant is clean and olde worlde. The food is well cooked and wholesome......something you dont always get these days! Whether you want a drink, lunch or meal this is a lovely venue to visit and just relax. Well recommended.

Wonderful little country pub! Very nice landlord, landlady and customers. The food was excellent, especially the lamb. We will certainly go again when in the area.

Rural pub with a take it or leave it attitude! ------ Not recommended especially if its after 8 on Sunday,before 7 Wednesday to Saturday, Monday & Tuesday, or have with you kids, a vegetarian, or are one!

This quant typical english pub situated on the north downs between Maidstone and Sittingbourne Kent serves great REAL ALES ,ciders largers and has a great menu .Rather hard to find but what a gem when you do get there.Great landlord and landlady ,make you so welcome.

By far our favourite bolt hole in the area, one not to miss! Not quite dirty habit, but heading that way! Well done

This is our 4th visit to Blacksmith Arms and we are never disappointed. We are always welcomed with friendly faces and always leave full and satisfied. The service is impeccable and the food is delicious and plentiful. We look forward to returning.

This quaint pub is in the middle of an area of outstanding natural beauty less than 15 minutes drive from the town of Sittingbourne. You would need a Sat Nav to find it if you didn't know the area. The family who own it are mature and put all their time into the pub. It is clean with discrete music really more suited to middle aged folk. It is full of interest antiques that are for sale. Very interesting to browse. Lots of fires and candles with the music makes for a welcoming atmosphere.The food was a disappointment. My husband took me there for Valentines Day. From memory the menu had 4 starters and about 8 main meals. We both had the same main meal - Beef Wellington. Tasted like Just Roll Puff pastry with a tiny piece of sirloin inside. Steamed veg was done to perfection. The deuphinoise potatoes had not been in the over long enough because the sauce was still separate from the potatoes. The onions in the mushroom sauce were not fully cooked. The deserts were all the gateux variety e.g. choc torte, lemon meringue pie, toffee torte. Made by a "patisserie chef". No hot puds. From me rubber necking I think that all these cold puds were served with single cream, 2 slices of strawberry and two slices of kiwi fruit. Very pleasant ladies were serving and the place was spotless. Important - children are not allowed in the pub. The bill came to £67 for 2 Beef Wellingtons, two gateaux, 1 ordinary coffee, 1 tia maria coffee, 1 lemonade & lime and 3 wines.

Myself and friends visited this Pub for a meal on a Saturday night. The first thing you see when you enter is an open fire,always a good sign. While there is not a massive reange of beers, they are all well served, by a landlord who clearly looks after his pumps. Onto the food, the menu is small but the products for the most part are local. I had shoulder of Lamb and it was excellent, and my firends had the beef wellington, both gave their meals the thumbs up. My ex wife had the pork belly and this was found to be a bit dry. We then shared a selection of cheese this was very good. Overall the food was great, cooked by the landlord, and it is clear that he enjoys his work, the portions are not small so be ready for large meal. Very good value, and I am sure that I will go back to this venue again.

Excellent atmosphere, very pretty little pub with very welcoming staff. You may have to travel but it is worth it as this pub / restaurant is super. Roaring fires, antiquities all about, superb home cooked food and attentive but not overpowering staff. No music blaring out or games machines, just the sound of people chatting and laughing. Reasonable prices. Packed with antiques that you may bid for it's got a lot to stimulate conversation and make you feel as though you have travelled back in time. Lovely.