The Castle Inn in Tunbridge Wells

Didn't go into The Castle pub.we hear it only sales drink no food, from the outside it looks like nobody is living there and very untidy

Really tasty well cooked and thought about food. I can't rate it highly enough warm and friendly and having an allergy issue so helpful and accommodating xx already booked to go back for Valentine's night. The steak for my partner was amazing xx

Phoned up and they kindly managed to squeeze me and my boy in at the last minute. Steak was out of this world and the boy (8) can’t wait to return. Thank you very much. Very friendly and would fully recommend, even if popping in for a drink.

A night out with my wife and two daughters enjoying good food / drink and friendly service is assured at The Castle Pub in Brenchley! Mel and Kevin are always very attentive in the bar and restaurant area while Paul (the South African chef) in the kitchen prepares possibly the best fillet steak I have ever eaten! Despite us being fairly fussy nothing is ever too much trouble and The Castle has become a regular treat for friends and family over the years.. We strongly recommend The Castle to anyone who may have perhaps driven past wondering if it was a suitable venue for anything from a quiet meal for 2 or a party for 16.. Best to book in advance to avoid disappointment!

There was 11 of us that came to the castle and could not fault it at all! The food came out the same time, all steaks were cooked to perfection, all food was piping hot, just couldn’t fault it! No complaints at all! Melanie and her team were brilliant! We will be back. If you haven’t visited this place, you need to. Amazing!

Food was really wonderful and the service and attention to detail was great. A really lovely place and hope to be back again very soon.

Never had anything but delicious steaks here. Wash it down with a glass of Harvey's or one of their good red wines.

With regards to Jamie A’s post on the 1st August we were actually present in the restaurant (which he states was empty) on this evening and were unlucky enough to witness this disgrace of a man belittle the woman he refers to as Sybil. She was being helpful towards him and trying to accomodate his wifes requirement, all she got N return was abuse!! He was rude and obnoxious throughout his visit so much so that the people present were relieved at his departure. Please do not listen to this review, it’s rubbish! We are not locals, have travelled many miles to get here and have done for over twenty years! The food and service have always been excellent. The staff have always been friendly and welcoming.

We booked a table for 8 of us which not all small restaurants can cope with, but had a superb evening. We had a range of starters and main courses and they even cooked a small half size steak for my daughter, who doesn’t have a large appetite. The quality of the fillets - we had everything from blue to medium - was superb. It is really good quality meat, very well cooked. A few pints of Tonbridge ale and some nice Malbec finished the evening off perfectly. Kevin and Mel were charming and very accommodating as always. Thank you for a lovely evening to celebrate my birthday.

Firstly, before I get into my review please let me inform anyone that my wife has Ulcerative Colitis. This medical condition was not well received at The Castle Inn in Brenchley even though there was a sign hung directly in the restaurant which clearly states "please notify us of any dietary restrictions or allergies" and that they are happy to accommodate them. Please let me assure you this is not the case and any request is met with resentment and hostility for (in their opinion) a massive inconvenience. Please let me further remind you that Ulcerative Colitis is a certified medical condition not just an intolerance. My wifes informing the owners about her condition resulted in the worst dining experience we have ever encountered on a global scale. On Saturday evening my wife and I happened to go to The Castle Inn in Brenchley as it was recommended by a friend that lives locally. We arrived around 8:00 pm and unfortunately we did not have a chance to make a booking in advance so we decided to try our luck after a long day exploring the local area. Upon arriving to The Castle Inn, we entered the premises with our French Bulldog and waited to inquire about a table and also if dogs were accepted in the establishment. We stood in the bar area while a Waitress (who turned out to ½ of the proprietors) stood at a table directly in front of us talking about local events and conversing with the locals for approximately 5-10 minutes with NO greeting or " I will be with you in a minute". There was absolutely NO greeting at all from any staff or management upon arriving. However we did receive a rather rude and aggressive greeting from a table of local residents with a dog sitting near the entrance. This dog (upon seeing our dog) proceeded to start barking and being aggressive with very high pitched yelps. The local couple informed us that their dog does not like French bulldogs hence the aggressive reaction we were encountering. (I am fairly certain that dogs cannot identify other breeds and single out one specific breed to dislike or discriminate against). Meanwhile the entire bar is now staring at us however we still have not been welcomed or addressed. Finally after standing around with no greeting or welcome we proceeded to ask the Bartender (the other ½ of the ownership) if it were possible for us to inquire about a table for dinner. The bartender informed us he required a minute to confirm if they had any availability. We waited for approximately another 15 additional minutes standing in the entrance of The Castle Inn. All the while being bombarded by the psycho dog from hell and the clarring eyes of the local clientele. To say this was uncomfortable and a bad way to start an evening is a massive understatement. We were hungry and therefore decided to stay and try and salvage some of the remainder of the evening. This proved to be a gigantic mistake. If we were in London we would of simply gone somewhere else. Unfortunately The Castle Inn is slightly remote and to get to the any other restaurant would take anywhere from 10-15 minutes by car. Finally Basil and Sybil did return and confirmed that they did indeed have room to accommodate us for dinner. We were shown to a table in the corner of an entirely EMPTY restaurant which was located to the rear of the property. NOT ONE person was in the dining room. We waited over 20 minutes for the owner to converse with her local friends and her husband to stand around aimlessly all the while being ignored as they could care less if we were paying customers or not. We were simply an inconvenience to their social lives and the fact that we were not local regular customers. At this point we asked for water for the table as well as to see a wine list from Basil. Basil went off on his merry little way to fetch our water and the wine list. Sybil them came by with menus when my wife took to opportunity to inform her about her condition and as a result dietary restrictions. We then tried to inquire about suitable menu options for my wife to eat as she cannot eat many items such as dairy, certain types of fatty meat and fish, onions, garlic etc. We asked about the Soup option of the day was only to be informed there was no soup. We then inquired about the Mains options only to be informed that everything is cooked in butter. At every point of our inquiries we were met with resistance and an unwillingness to accommodate anything we inquired about. After about 10 minutes exhausting every single option for a Main entree we then approached the subject of sides. The sides served with each entree at The Castle Inn is served with Chips, Dauphinoise, Creamed potatoes or Rice. All of which my wife cannot eat. We then inquired about the plain Green Salad on the menu only to be informed that did not have any salad either. We then inquired about vegetable simply steamed only once agin be met with an emphatic NO they do not have vegetables. At this point Sybil did state that they could possibly grill a chicken breast but it still left my wife with nothing more to eat than protein for a main. Meanwhile she proceeded to complain all the while of what an inconvenience it was but that she was really trying to accommodate us but we were making it difficult. Her remarks that she was trying to accommodate us was nothing more than her as a proprietor trying to save face with her local clientele and was an absolute lie. At this point we decided to review all our dining options with Sybil identifying that she only provided us with one option a slight possibility of a grill chicken breast.Sybil did not like our final inquiry and proceeded to berade us that we were being difficult and that she was trying to accommodate us. Her famous last words were that she was being accommodating and then we were to asked to remove ourselves from her establishment as she did not like our tone. This was an absolutely shocking turn of events by a completely unprofessional landlord who was rude and inconvenienced from the moment we entered The Castle Inn. As result of this unprofessionalism and the owners unwillingness to accommodate my wife's medical condition we proceeded to leave The Castle Inn. Upon our exiting the premises we were met with further hostility from the local patrons who began to applaud the fact that we were leaving. In an effort to leave the building without further confrontation or embarrassment we were then shouted and told "good riddance" by the locals in the bar area. This was the final straw for my wife and I could see that she was becoming visibly upset and started to cry from all the poor treatment and abuse. I hate to keep revisiting the fact that my wife is sick and has a medically recognized disease but this experience left her feeling ashamed and embarrassed for simply for trying to go out and enjoy a meal. No one should ever be belittled or made to feel as if they are insignificant as a customer or patron of an establishment. I myself was a professional Executive Chef for over 20 years in high end restaurants and international hotels. In my career I have never seen any Manager, Owner or Proprietor conduct themselves in such a disgraceful and unprofessional manner. The owners of The Castle Inn are a disgrace to the hospitality profession and the men and women who work tirelessly to provide us all with an exceptional dining (and service) experience. My wife is still very emotional and traumatized by the whole experience at The Castle Inn. She still feels ashamed and embarrassed about a condition that is out of her control. No one should ever be made to feel this way. This is down to the lack of professionalism of Basil and Sybil and their lack of experience and understanding of hospitality and service industry. If you are not a local resident I would wholeheartedly advise NOT to even attempt visiting or dining at The Castle Inn in Brenchley.

we visited with family, we all ordered the steaks which were lovely, nice friendly pub/restraunt with a nice atmosphere,five star

Great small menu from this lovely little pub. Very friendly service. The steaks are great and the rest of the menu is not extensive but something for everyone. I really enjoyed my lamb shank. They are not going to be winning Michelin stars, but thoroughly enjoyable.

A great village venue for coffee and snacks. Child friendly with indoor play. Bacon baps and scones are delicious. Tea and coffee fresh and hot. Friendly and inclusive.

We were recommended to visit and have the fillet steak. Very friendly welcome and the steaks were wonderful. We liked the atmosphere and the people of Brenchley are fortunate to have such a great local.

We were told the steaks here were 'the best in the world'. I think this may be true... Friendly service, good starters (a decent size, but not too big) - massive steaks, and SO tender! The pineapple upside down sponge was pretty tasty too. Would definitely recommend.

Fuimos a este restaurante una noche de sábado con algunos amigos, después alguien recomendó a mí. El restaurante ha sido reformado y la decoración y el ambiente eran muy atractivas. He oído que la carne estaba muy bien aquí, así que nos decidimos por nuestro plato principal. Puedo decir sinceramente que es uno de los mejores solomillos que he tenido, fue absolutamente deliciosa y un buen tamaño. Tuve la patatas dauphinoise con ella, que también estaban deliciosos. Los precios eran muy razonables y el propietario fue muy amable. Recomiendo encarecidamente probar este restaurante, y estoy deseando volver.

Nos dijeron que lo bueno que la comida estaba en este pub así que decidimos probarlo ... como con otras personas que han comentado ... los bistecs eran fantásticos, como todo lo demás, incluso a nuestro perro sensación como a un rey. Volveremos pronto.

Turned up on a Monday night when supposed to be closed for food served 5 of us excellent steaks and food great service

Se llega y entrar como si estuvieras en casa! En un fresco pero acogedor, limpio y singular sala de estar. Es un pequeño pub campestre íntimo con bienvenida. Los lugareños felizmente sentado en la zona del bar con sus pintas y perros, los publicanos con sus dos épagneuls deliciosos (y dos magníficos gatos que trajeron, así que podría haber un golpe y sesión purr.) El menú es pequeño y variado por lo tanto prometedor fresco y bien cocinado, comida. Hay un sentido de amabilidad y buena sensación irradia entre los visitantes.

Lovely steak but can't believe they let dogs sit where you eat and have dogs in there kitchens I am going to ring health and safety to see if this is allowed

Muy bien preparada comida en un entorno rural encantador.El propietario y el personal era muy amable y los filetes eran fantásticos.Es un poco caro pero vale la pena el dinero ya que supongo que se obtiene lo que se paga.

un montón de comida y delicioso! Si buscas un pub tradicional no es para ti, ya que la decoración es más moderna, casi una extraña mezcla de estilos, pero agradable sin embargo.

We have been here on several occasions now, and are always made so welcome. The steak is amazing.... And the food always lovely and hot. It's a charming Pub & we look forward to many more visits.

Best steak I've ever had tried the poet and it doesn't come close to the castle my steak was cooked just how I asked for it

Had wonderful meals on Friday night 23/01/15. Delicious Fillet steaks cooked to perfection. Great hosts, nothing was too much trouble. Good friendly pub.Will definatley be back.

We visited this pub prior to entering Hever castle. The beer garden was very comfortable and the menu looked good.

Unless you were passing you would probably not know this lovely country pub was here. It came across as a small, quiet, community pub with no gimmicks or fruit machines, etc, but we were welcomed with open arms by the friendly owners and locals, some of whom had their pet dogs with them, which was no problem for us. The menu for main courses was slightly limited, although this may be due to it being such a family run establishment, while the salmon and pub's specialist steak that we had were enjoyable and at a good price.

I'm always suspicious when I see slating reviews from TA first timers, usually stinks and visiting The Castle just confirms this. Friendly welcoming owners who went out of their way to ensure we had a great dinner. Simple menu with four or five choices for each course, a sure sign of fresh cooking and a redundant freezer. Steaks cooked perfectly and of the highest quality, decent house wine and well cared for bitter. As a Sussex boy you cannot beat a pint of Harvey's best, especially with engaging locals who talk to outsiders rather than ignore you. We look forward to a return visit.

Stumbled upon this little pub / restaurant purely by chance, and came thoroughly recommend it! The food was fantastic, the staff friendly and helpful and I would highly recommend this place for its great quality steak.

Used this pub for years and always have the fillet steak !! Pub has been revamped by new owners but it still has kept its own unique charm.If you want to sample the best steak in the south east this is the place to go !

Having just returned from the Castle Inn, I can honestly report that the steak here is, not possibly, but almost certainly, one of the best steaks I have ever had. I couldn't even say why. It just was. And this wasn't tonight, it was weeks, even months ago, and still fresh in my mind / palate. Why mention it now ? Because I don't think they could have fitted me in tonight even if I'd bribed them. The owners, that is. I'm sure I could have found one diner happy to swap his booking for cash. Or perhaps not, if they'd gone there for the steak. As it happened, I wasn't here for food tonight, just, and I promised myself, 'one last quick drink' before venturing home. It has been a surreal week (never storm into your local GP's surgery demanding 'the finest sleeping pills known to humanity' a la Withnail & I : you'll probably live AND regret it, as I am doing now (yes, it involves emails written subconsciously in a state of mania to someone I actually like, and regret such as I wouldn't have thought possible. This is why I'm trying to drown my sorrows). And the quick drink turned into two or three. And why not ? Sorrows must be drowned and I can leave my car here and walk (yeah, right). And the social scene ? I can't remember the last time I spoke to quite so many people on so many subjects and enjoyed myself so much. Actually, I can : it was at a private party last night, but I meant in a pub. Best pub conversation anywhere. And then they all went through to the restaurant, presumably to eat steak (that's not really a presumption as I was there when most of them ordered before going through). And, left alone at the bar (for some reason, all the 'drinkers' seemed to have gone home earlier), I travelled the grand old distance of not-very-far, by means not-to-be-revealed with a determination to return, get a table, and eat again that steak that had proved unobtainable tonight.

We have been locals of Castle since we moved to area 19 years ago. When new owners took over and took time to decide on direction of pub and refurb it we missed the steaks. So glad they are back and delicious as ever.

What a fantastic place to eat and drink. Lovely friendly helpful staff and chef is amazing. Can not fault my experience at the Castle Inn. Best food I have ever had and will definitely be returning, it is always my first choice especially for the chicken, the steak and Camembert. Lovely warm welcoming staff. Thoroughly enjoyable.

I've visited the Castle several times over the past few years when in the area and have never been disappointed! The pub has changed hands recently but there has been no change in the warm, friendly atmosphere which characterises the place. It clearly has a lot of regular customers, all of whom are welcoming to a new face. I was surprised to read the negative review below, I recall the young man behind the bar and found him nothing but friendly and helpful, as were all the staff. Lovely decor, people and service and still my favourite place to go for a steak! Hope to visit again soon.

Having read the recent posts, it was with some trepidation that we visited. However, we found no trace of the attitudes described by recent visitors and were warmly received and well looked after. We will certainly return and we wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to friends.

the staff at this place really need training in customer service! Its been our local for 26 years but now under new management for the last year or so, my wife and I were barred today for having the temerity to complain about the service in the restaurant last Saturday when we took 3 friends there! Not only that, one of the staff telephoned my wife at home today and swore at her because she described her experience on tripadvisor.Clearly its not in your interest to visit this place to eat and then complain if you are not satisfied!

I ate here at the weekend with some very good friends, two of whom live local and recommended the steak as the best in all the land. However, our experience was somewhat soured by perhaps THE worst customer service I have ever encountered.A list of minor issues such as no menu's presented, long delays for a jug of water ( approx 15 mins) and a longer than usual wait for the starters to arrive we're something we were happy to ignore. However when we had still not received our main course 1hr 30mind after arriving ( granted this was not the time taken from ordering food), we queried the time taken. Unfortunately, this was met with what can only be described as a surly teenage attitude by the young bar tender, who thought it the best course of action to become quite defensive, resulting in a rude retort. When the food eventually did arrive the order was wrong. If it hadn't been for the company, I would have left then and there.We are all prone to having an off day, but with no offer of apology for the delay and then to follow it up with attitude, I suspect this maybe a more pressing issue to be dealt with by the owners.

The Castle has always been one of those hidden gems tucked away in the Kent countryside. A good, honest pub with well-kept beer and decent pub grub. A recent visit after a couple of years away revealed a bit of an internal upgrade in the restaurant by the new owners. All looks very tempting and I shall have to go for a meal soon to find out if it's worth making a fuss about. I suspect it is.

As soon as we walked in the owners were very hospitable and welcoming and were a joy to talk to. The food and in particular the Friday night steak was excellent.

Having eaten at the castle for the last 25 years I can honestly say that the steaks have consistently been superb.The new landlords Mel and Kevin have done a great job in modernising the Pub without destroying the atmosphere. The menu has been updated with some nice editions. Friendly and efficient service.The regulars are friendly and you need to be prepared to climb over the odd dog to get to the bar!Everything you could want from your local.

We had a really lovely evening with good food and good service. The atmosphere was made even better by the patrons who were most friendly. As a pesceterian I had a selection to choose from and my husband really enjoyed his steak. There was a generous amount of accompaniments, including a lovely fresh salad.

food great nice ales cosy and relaxed, friendly hosts nice garden well looked after with great decor.

The fillet steak was excellent but a bit intimidating if you've not been before. Like stepping into a strangers living room whilst they're still in there, and you've not been invited!

We had a pleasant time here for the evening, but found the food to be on the pricey side. Main courses were from £15 to £20, but the quality was not quite up to the expectations set by the price. Also, oddly for a pub in the heart of hop country, they had only a few real ales, and none of them were from Kent.

Its a shame we cant change the incorrect spelling of The Castle, hopefully someone will!The previous review I thought was harsh. The original owner of The Castle was there for many years and much loved by all the locals and indeed continues to cook at The Castle, which the previous reviewer fails to mention, including the excellent steaks. The presentation of my steak was exactly the same as it has always been.The new owners are working extremely hard to update The Castle, which still has many regulars. They couldn't be more helpful, listening to any suggestions and accommodating any requests where they can, which in our case, included opening the restaurant especially for us! We also made a request for something which was on the previous menu and on our next visit there it was!This is a friendly, family run pub with good food and well deserves a visit. We are very glad to see Billy still in his place by the fire!

The Castle has recently changed hands after many years with the same owner. Well-known for it's steaks, we visited recently. The steaks are still on the menu but not much else! I believe there was a choice of four main meals, including the steak, none of which were particularly attractive. The steak was good as ever but ruined by presentation, lack of accompaniments (just dry chips and some peas, no mushroom, tomato or other garnish). Also expensive. When we saw the menu and prices we considered going elsewhere, but wanted to give the new owners a try.The pub itself remains fine, just check the menu before you commit to visiting the restaurant. The staff were very welcoming and pleasant, and I am sure that they will improve on a poor start in the coming months.