The Coniston Kitchen in Swale

I can honestly say this was the worst experience I have ever had in terms of food and customer service. I attended on a Thursday evening in December with work colleagues for our Christmas party. We paid £40 a head so although I recognise the food limitations of large parties, I expected a certain standard for this price. Firstly the food. Starters were luke warm. You could stand a spoon up in my oily soup. Turkey was full of gristle. Cheesecake was a strange texture and inedible. Worse than that though, a vegetarian in our group was told then had run out of her pre ordered option. As an alternative she was given a plate of potatoes and carrots. They had no vegetarian gravy. Someone else in the group was a vegan and despite asking for options in advance, was not given a reply. What she was given on the night was really poor. We faked to speak to the manager. He declined initially. Eventually he agreed to talk to us but wouldn’t come to the table to see the problem. He names his event manager and blamed it on her. She wasn’t there to defend herself. He then blamed an agency chef. When my colleague said the experience did not make us want to stay and spend even more money to which he replied ‘bye then. You lot just want free drinks’. So rude. We stayed as there was nowhere else nearby to go. About 20 minutes from the end the waiting staff appeared with a few bottles of cheap wine. The waiting staff I have to say were polite and apologetic. I felt really sorry for them as their manager did nothing to support them. I will never set foot in that place again. It was so poor I was almost speechless. Worst food and customer service I have e we had. It was like fawlty towers.

Food was crap! Only one person behind the bar during the meal. A Muslim colleague had a sausage on his salmon meal and the turkey meal was swimming in gravy. Staff were couldn't care less. Not very helpful. The poor fellow behind the bar was run of his feet.

Lovely Christmas meal , staff tried so much , especially Sandra , who was concerned about every aspect of our celebration meal , we come here every year lovely service they really do try , food is good considering the amount of people , really good time ...

We gave the restaurant a second visit to see if it had got any better since our last visit, just after it opened. It has not. From the staff shouting at each other, to items clearly not on the meal (fresh Raspberry’s), to twice cooked frozen chips sold as "Rustic". I had the "Gourmet" Burger, not had one that dry and tasteless since a bad McDonalds, topped with something billed as cheese........ Slab of tasteless brown cake with a smear of brown sauce and tasteless ice cream, was billed as "Death by Chocolate" Do not think we will be finding our way back any time soon.

I’ve never come across such a surly and miserable waitress as I did in this place. Unbelievable! We then heard her telling other patrons at the bar in a loud voice that she was leaving. Well, hurrah for that. I bet the management are delighted. God, she was grumpy. Such a shame as after she plonked the plates down in front of us, the food was actually quite tasty. I had the salmon which was perfect. Food great..... shame about the service!

The staff were lovely. That's the redeeming feature of this Holiday Inn restaurant. I ordered the potato gnocchi with a creamy chive sauce, mushrooms, spinach and peas. The meal that was brought to me was gnocchi indeed, but with a creamy pesto sauce. There were no mushrooms at all, and the spinach had been swapped for rocket. None of these changes had been announced, and it felt like I was just eating a different meal to what I ordered. The meal was decent at most; to be honest I expected nothing more from eating at a Holiday Inn. I did however expect to be served what I ordered. Also, for the vegans out there, avoid - no vegan options are offered.

Group of us went for a xmas dinner on Saturday night,we was very disappointed not only was it very cold it seemed very unorganised and it wasn't even busy, as we got up to get in line for the cavery we couldn't believe what the chef did in which I would rather not elaborate on only to say we wouldn't eat the meat, very unprofessional, I'm sure this is a lovely hotel but if you are going to put on events please get it right.

I was here as part of a large coach party the staff were friendly and polite ,the food was presented as a buffet which was excellent and well prepared the restaurant itself is very clean and well presented with ample parking

Die Auswahl am Buffet war sehr begrenzt. Als Hauptgerichte gab es nur Fishpie und Turkey. Vorweg eine Art Currysuppe und ein Salatbuffet mit gutem Dressing. Die Gemüsesorten waren völlig ungewürzt und noch sehr knackig. Das Gratin extrem ölig. Meine Vorurteile zur engl. Küche wurden voll auf bestätigt.

Found the food available to be of a good standard and well presented.I dont mind serving myself at ant time. Breakfast very good Cumberland and pork sausage(hmmm)

Service at the bar very good, drinks made quickly and to order. Food was nicely presented but fairly average. Service for a pre ordered large group meal quite slow. Food coming out at different times, people having to wait 5 mins + for their meal when everyone else already had theirs. Children's meals not provided with side that was ordered. Dessert nearly caused my son to choke with rock hard sweets mixed in that you couldn't even cut with a steak knife. Very feeble apology for this. The main downside was that it was absolutely freezing. It was a miserable day and we were cold and wet following a funeral so eating in what felt like a freezer was not ideal.

If I could give a zero rating I would ! Jesus, couldn’t organise a drink up in a brewery ! Initially went there for their Mother’s Day dinner only to be presented with NO dessert options as well as the “free gift” having ran out, so 2 mother’s went without a gift. Gave a second chance and went to the Dolly Parton tribute act and yet again left with a sour taste in my mouth ! Cold food, pate served without bread, delayed service, broccoli raw (not al dente) ! Management need to sort out the food service immediately !

So went here mothering sunday, i am gluten and dairy intolerant and i had rang and asked them if they catered for gluten and they said “ yes”. So i went with my family and it was a set 3 course meal, i couldnt eat a thing from the starters or dessert! So i thought well i cant go wrong with that main and asked if it was gluten free she said yes and within half hour of eating i knew it wasnt! So i had to go home... Only thing was my family did complain that i couldnt eat anything and what i did eat made me ill and they gave us money off. Not great. 8 hours later i still suffering from gluten poisoning and feel i should warn people to b careful if they say something is free of something plus they just do not have anything there otherwise especially desserts

I came here on Thursday for a meal in the private room, the service was very quick and every waiter/waitress had a smile! A lovely young man served my bread rolls and continued to come round I think three times, he was very tall and I think his name was Martin or Marcus , another young lady who served my beef was very polite I managed to catch her name which was iesha. I will definitely be coming here again! And trying out the restaurant

Wanted to try the Sunday Roast at bargain price but should have guessed that you cant get good food and good time for £13 Starters oh dear, just cold vegetables. Carvery ok shame everything tasted sweet from the veggies to the gravy; a little like McDonalds,all one flavour. Was hoping for a nice dessert but unfortunately only one left , is that because after 2pm they cant be bothered ? We were not offered any extras at any point by the bored servers. Bizarre as there were at least 3 too many of them working and that could have been the chance to get the time go a bit faster for them. Got potential, easy. Wont return for a free meal

We attended the New Year’s Eve gala dinner, the service wasn’t really up to standard serving randomly instead of serving a table at a time. Two of us had to wait for our starter while others were eating, main course of beef was like an old leather boot, the lamb thou was lovely. Again randomly clearing plates while others were still eating is rude and not very professional. No tea or coffee offered after meal. No party poppers on table if we had know we would taken are own. I couldn’t understand why the shots and prosecco bar wasn’t manned and had to go to the other bar to get someone to serve, this seemed pointless having two separate bars. My wife was informed when booking on the phone that there was a singer performing during the meal this was not the case. No count down for the seeing in the new by the DJ. Just didn’t really seem to be very well organised and it’s the little things that make a difference. Hopefully this can be addressed for next year. It was good value for money and it didn’t stop us from enjoying ourselves.

friendly clean well presented atmosphere ,very pleasing meal seating placing adequate room between seating

L'Holiday Inn de Sittingbourne est un hôtel récent et confortable. Les chambres sont spacieuses et agréables. Bonne literie, propreté impeccable, salle de bain moderne.

Hay una elección razonable en el menú; es bastante básico, pero bien preparado. El personal es extremadamente amable y servicial. El entorno es muy sosa y un poco como una cafetería que su vergüenza, pero está limpio y bien iluminado. Instalación de iluminación en el horrible techo que simplemente no puede ser ignorado, parece una boca abajo de las ballenas!

One more disastrous effort in Sittingbourne to combine hotel and food. If you don't like eating then please fine here

Decisión de último minuto para llevar a mi suegra para cenar, una buena opción. Buena comida (incluso para un 87 años de edad). El postre era para morirse de caramelo tarta de manzana tartin tuvimos que esperar 15 minutos para que, como me dijeron cuando les pedí, mucho mejor que alguien de precalentamiento algo en el microondas. Emma fue la camarera y qué bonito cambio de encontrar alguien tan atento, paciente y educado. Sin duda regresaremos y muy pronto. Por todo lo que consigues tastecard titulares del 50% de la factura de la comida.

we arrived towards the very end of Sunday Service

Una decoración preciosa. Sin embargo, no encontramos en la entrada de Prosecco y canapés. Por lo tanto, nos fuimos directamente al bar. Acompañaron al baile de 50 minutos antes de la comida se sirve en la mesa, enorme pieza tapada vista de mis otros comensales...

Me alojé en el Coniston y probamos el restaurante y nos pareció que la comida era de buena calidad y muy sabrosa. Yo estaba en el restaurante evitará porque había sólo 3 huéspedes, pero fue a mediados de la semana. Yo recomendaría, ya que mi...

He comido aquí anteriormente y disfrutamos de la experiencia. Ahora es un establecimiento Holiday Inn. Tuvimos una experiencia muy decepcionante y me voy a comer allí de nuevo.

We booked a family meal at the Coniston for an 18th birthday celebration. Overall, I was a little disappointed. There is no doubting that the carvery offer is good value for money but when we queued at the serving area, no staff were visible to carve the meat. Eventually a chef appeared but the vegetables and potatoes then needed topping up, causing a really long wait and half of my guests sat back down again. 2 of the party were vegetarian and I had advised the restaurant of this when booking but they were not asked for their menu choice, so instead 'made do' with potatoes and veg (and even the veg was limit as the cabbage was served with bacon). The waitress should have taken their order when asking us all if we wanted a 2 or 3 course lunch. I booked the meal here to take away the stress of having to cater for such a large party at home and I do get that carvery meals can be 'hit and miss', especially with a big table, but having booked about 6 weeks in advance, the restaurant should have been better prepared for our arrival.

The Sunday Carvery is a good deal, that can't be denied. However the roast dinner itself isn't particularly special, I could cook better at home. The veg needed at least another 7-8 minutes when we went at the weekend and everything else was pretty standard, lamb was nice but nothing to write home about really. Starters are fairly bland and very standard. BUT there is definitely something to write home about regarding the desserts. They are superb, good choice, nicely presented and attractive to the eye, some popular apple crumble and carrot cake along with a very special chocolate and coffee torte creation, chocolate mousse etc - whoever does the desserts here is very talented. The kids area for desserts is also very special, with Halloween themed cupcakes and 'potion' drinks, packets of sweets for kids - excellent. All made to look very enticing for adults as well as kids, again a very special person presents all this. The waiting staff are lovely, Amber is very sweet and helpful, nothing too much trouble. Think they really need to look at their starters though, unless filling you up with pasta, potatoes and cous cous is just a clever ploy to keep you off the roast meat to save them some cash? And while I mention the meat, not over generous on portions there, could do with doing 2 slices and then asking if the customer would like any more with a smile on one's face, rather than the looking at the next person in the queue to signal that that's all you're getting on this round buster! Veg needs checking before it goes out, very hard and not very edible this weekend, may not be like it every weekend though, but if a place can't deliver every time I, for one, won't return. Roast potatoes were a bit different, looked like boiled, then dry roasted, makes a change from a ton of fat and still crispy so that was all good. Yorkshire's, as good as ever, along with the gravy. Overall, not a bad meal and certainly for the price it's good, but bar the desserts it wasn't anything I couldn't serve up at home, equally as good and really just saved me the washing up. Think we might go again sometime, give it a second chance, only because of those desserts though, wouldn't be bothering with a return if they had been fairly standard like the rest of it. Watch the drinks here, as they appear to make a fair old crack on these, maybe to make up for the good price on the meal which I suppose is understandable, but no price lists are circulated so you have no idea how much the drinks are costing you until you get the bill at the end. Well stocked bar though....

You cannot fault the breakfast something for everyone. The dinner needs some work and flavour. The wine was very nice. The serving staff were friendly. We waited a long time for the food and I was not impressed. Most disappointing.

carvery is great ,3 courses ,starter is good and a nice choice of puddings.drinks pricey but good seating ,not cramped

Finding a good hotel with 'Proper' disabled facilities can be very difficult. Most hoteliers have no idea whet it is like to be a carer looking after someone confined to a wheelchair.We have used the Coniston several times now on our visits to friends in Kent because the disabled facilities her are very good and the staff are so helpful and friendly.This last visit was no exception. The 'roll-in' shower is exactly as one would expect, with plenty of room to turn the wheelchair (in our case I always take our own wheeled shower chair). Fo once the wash basin is not too close to the toilet pan, allowing a person in a wheelchair easy access to the sink. The doors are wide and open out so access is easy.The room and bed is very comfortable and well appointed.My only criticism of the room is really the dressing table area built in the middle of the room makes manoeuvring around it with a wheelchair a bit of a pain.The bar area is well appointed and comfortable, whilst the Restaurant is excellent as is the quality of the food.Would recommend this hotel every time.

After reviewing the salad a month or so ago, I returned with work colleagues and had the mozzarella and tomato sandwich. This was a much better experience and cane with salad. Very good and excellent value.

We had a bit of a problem at Christmas party but this evening (Friday 22nd April) more than made up for it. The night could not have been better, from beginning to end. The service was second to none. The food was fabulous, perfectly cooked and beautifully presented. We were greeted with smiles and were served with smiles all evening. The experience we had at Christmas was completely forgotten.I would, 100% recommend this place for a great night out. Thank you to the team at The Coniston. You were superb

Great food, with plenty of choice, and friendly attentive waiting staff has made for some nice evenings when we have dined there.

Came here with colleagues to do some work in bar area. Five of us in total, 4 ordered burgers, I had mozzarella, pesto and tomato salad. When it arrived very nicely presented, it was just that, not a single lettuce leaf in sight. On asking for some lettuce, I was given a large plate / bowl of lettuce / rocket, cucumber and cherry tomatoes. Should we of had to ask? Or should the menu be clearer as what it is in the salad. Menu has recently changed due to being holiday inn, it is limited. Bring back jacket potatoes!

Me and my family went here for a Mother's Day meal. And I can say that it was worth every penny I paid. For £20 you get a buffet of starter and desert and a carvery for your main. This is the first time I've been here for food and I will for sure be returning. The staff were also so friendly and very attentive. Could not fault anything.10 out of 10

Had a nice meal here despite the slight error with an item missing from the meal which was quickly rectified.I look forward to returning later in the year for one of the events in September.

Stayed here Christmas eve/Christmas Day, the restaurant was shut Christmas eve but we did get food in the bar. The bar staff were lovely and helpful. We stayed in a Executive room but it was very small but the bathroom was lovely and big. We were disappointed with a lack of Christmas atmosphere.

We decided to pop in for lunch. What a disappointment. The website had out of date offers listed and the bar menu was poorly laid out which meant my meal was priced at more than I had thought. I had battered fish (in a wrap rather than as a sandwich) and the fish was tasteless and bland. My boyfriend had a steak sandwich which was ok at best. When we arrived the bar was unmanned and after waiting close on ten minutes, we had to go in search of a staff member. For an impromptu lunch within walking distance, we were both unimpressed and will probably not return.

After unexpectedly loosing my dad this may we decided we couldn't face a normal Christmas lunch without him so we thought we'd book a distraction - we would have gone to the Tudor rose but we went there often with dad so it wouldn't be different enough so my mum booked the coniston as , although costly it promised a great Christmas experience . What a mistake ! Our appetisers were few and far between , there were no plates for the bread rolls for the soup and then came the main - now when a grieving busy woman has written out who is having what you'd hope the restaurant may keep this to hand , or at least treat you with respect when you suddenly have to remember something you decided weeks ago . The food overall wasn't bad ( definitely not tudor rose size portions though ! ) . Once dinner was over we had noticed that the visiting Santa had visited most other children who had arrived after us ( a present from the man in red was part of the appeal of the advertisement ) and after waiting a while a member of our party quietly reminded the staff . When Santa eventually came one of the presents didn't have a name on the tag but Santa assured us it was for my 3 year old niece. All other presents were opened and they were very reasonable but then the unnamed 3yr old girl present was opened and - David Beckham aftershave ! This followed with a 3 yr old girl saying have I been naughty , a lot of staff members flapping ( who may I add all appear to be a few decades old if that ) and a bag of sweets being hurriedly gathered left us all feeling rather annoyed and my mum unable to contain the sadness any longer . Needless to say I think the empty chair feeling at home would've been a better option ! A shambles !

Stayed 2 nights at the Coniston but unfortunately only used the restaurant on my 2nd night –how I wished I had eaten in both nights. There is a good menu and food was absolutely fantastic (Fish & fresh veg). Presentation was as good if not better than the majority of places I have visited. Thank you and well done chef.

Catering manager vacancy, or at least that's what it should be. On a works Christmas do at £30 ph what a stitch up.1st course a small piece of liver pate in the middle of a plateMain. Turkey, tasted like processed meat, 3 carrots, 3 sprouts, and what appeared to be tinned potatoes that had been roasted.Dessert. Apparently it was supposed to be a cheese cake, not one person in the group could eat it. Will never ever go again it was awful. As for the catering manager in the words of Sir Alan Sugar..... Your fired.Nb the 3 bottles of cooking wine cost £20 per bottle way tooooo much for plonk.

Been here for Sunday lunch a few times so feel I can write a review, my review is therefore based solely on the carvery.For the price its very good value and the quality of the food is always very good. Meat is always cooked perfectly however there's not always someone carving the meat meaning waiting about. The other issue is although the desserts seem to vary all the starters and mains remain the same... i.e. never any seasonal vegetables or change in meats. It's been like this for over a year now. Yorkshires could be be better but the crackling is terrible, note to chef if it's not crispy then it's not crackling.Did have a little tiff with the staff as they refused to accept my tastecard. On the tastecard website it only says special occasions exempt (Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, Christmas Day etc.) The manager on duty deemed Sunday lunch a special occasion although it was an average Sunday! His pet Rottweiler beside him should learn how to speak to customers nicely and not to slag off previous colleagues who actually had customer service skills (Kit knew the importance of customer service, this lady didn't or didn't care. Or both)

Nice food well presented. Attentive staff who were able to prepare food not on the menu for my vegan wife

New chef is a dream. Was great food before and now it's even better. Fantastic menu, fresh ingredients and beautiful presentation. Staff friendly and diligent. Highly recommended.

Good service, fresh and good selection for all three courses. The children were especially impressed with the array of desserts!

It's with regret that I give the Coniston Kitchen 1 out of 5, especially as the food was excellent (amazing Yorkshire puddings and roast potatoes - full credit to the chefs). But from a customer perspective, a ruined experience is a ruined experience. One individual made our visit extremely unpleasant through their aggression, sarcasm, "the customer is the enemy" attitude, and complete lack of tact or diplomacy when dealing with a dispute about the bill. This individual clearly has no understanding of the concept of customer retention. It would be unduly vindictive for me to identify the individual on here, given the reach of the internet and its potential to damage careers, but they know who they are, as do the other staff (who were being publicly bullied and intimidated by the said individual). It's not befitting for an establishment of this quality to have one person alienating customers and undermining all the good work of the other staff.

We came for lunch on Sunday 13th September with friends that go here quite often.Can not fault the Carvery. Lots of good with a choice of 3 meats. Really enjoyed it and will be back!

Today we went to try out the carvery, we opted for 2 courses. The starters were very basic salad, shrimps or pate, so went for main & dessert, the meat was ok. The 3 veg were watery only nice thing was cauliflower cheese. Roast & new potatoes were okay, the plates were cold so the food went cold quickly. It was tasteless. When we went for dessert the hot chocolate cake had run out & apple crumble had no flavour. The young twin waitresses were great. The manager was abrupt towards her employees, a customer gave young Amber a tip & the manageress called over to her immediately & took the note from her!! Not good leadership. Lacked atmosphere!!!!!

I have just come back from the Sunday carvery at the Coniston and am utterly sated. The £13.95 for three buffet style courses is such good value. The starter section offered plenty of variety including prawns and smoked salmon which was delightful. The Sunday roast was of excellent quality, all the meats cooked well and servings were plentiful, with huge crisp yorkshires. The only thing I wasn't so keen on was the gravy. But maybe that's just my taste-no one else commented negatively. Great selection for pudding too, with two hot options and multiple cold. Honestly such good value. Especially when we realised our son ate free (4 and under)! Will definitely return.

I think it's quite difficult to find places that do a decent modern continental meal in Sittingbourne - unless you fancy a gourmet pub style evening. However, I like to dress up and not have to spend a lot on transport to get me places for my dinner (I think it's a better investment in wine!) so it's a real treat to have a place like this on the main drag, quite central to most people.The three course menu is full of amazing treats which is altered regularly so you don't get bored if you're a regular diner and is incredibly good value. My favourite so far is the scallop and pear starter. Please don't be put off by supplements. Believe me when I say they are worth it, and more than generous as portions. And a massive highlight are the staff. The bar will bring your drinks to an outside table if you wish to enjoy their terrace (which is a brilliant little suntrap!) and you're never rushed to move inside, finish your food or pay up. Rachel has waited on us three times in the last couple of months within the restaurant and although she has 'Trainee' on her badge I can honestly say if it wasn't advertised I wouldn't have known. She has a wicked personality and remembers us every time we pop our head in - even if its just to enjoy a drink on the terrace.My only word of warning is that they do cater for bus trips so if you time it wrong you could end up waiting a while. Easily rectified if you book and the staff always warn you. I've never been disappointed with the food and whenever we have taken friends or family there, neither have they.

We booked well in advance for a surprise 50th birthday meal. We were told on arrival that the service may be slightly delayed as they had a party of 25 booked in at the same time - fair enough. There was another large party in the room next to the restaurant which opened up into the restaurant. The noise and guests from which, overflowed into the restaurant throughout the evening which IMO is very odd and poorly designed. Balloon popping and children running around the tables was not ideal. - no apology or even acknowledgment of this all night!We waited an hour of our starters after being told multiple times that it would be 5/2 minutes. Excused by the fact that they had a large Freemasons party to cater for in another event room at the hotel - not the customer's problem. There was minimal staff left to look after the restaurant and keep everybody happy - obviously bigger parties took precedence!Starters were minimal and after waiting so long for them they were gone in seconds! Only to be told the mains would be yet another 30minutes. As we were all getting very hungry, we asked for more bread rolls to keep us going...these would be a 9 minute wait but our food would be only 5. 20 minutes later, our mains arrived. The food, we all agreed was just beautiful! Well presented, cooked to perfection and quality ingredients throughout. So on that note I cannot complain, delicious! Another long wait on desserts which came as no surprise. Although again the food was excellent quality. Our server, was baffled when asked what scotch they had and spoke informally and without care the entire evening. When we complained discreetly in regards to all of the above, we were offered a free bottle of prosecco (which can be bought over the road for £6)I feel there should have been more staff for that evening as they had such an abundance of people to cater for. Also....be realistic. If a chef tells you food will be 5 minutes, tell the customer 10!The fact that restaurant was empty aside from our table of 8 and the party of 25 that were finished 1 hour into our evening and we STILL received consistent awful service was just so disappointing and aggravating. I will not be returning to The Coniston for a meal because this, my first experience there was TERRIBLE. Which is a shame because the food really was great, Front of House really, really let you down. I hope this gets better and Best Western invest a little more into training staff on all levels.

We just returned home after having Sunday lunch at the Coniston, it was a 3 coarse carvery for £13.95 and worth every penny. A choice of soup cold meat, fish and salad to start, roast beef Turkey or pork and a good selection of veg all of it fresh and hot, then a choice of hot and cold puddings,all very good in nice surroundings

A party of 20 of us went for Sunday Lunch 2 weeks ago to celebrate a friends birthday. We had drinks as well as lunch and left a very substancial tip.However, because some of us had seconds (which you are entitled to do as per carvery rules) we were accused of being Gypsies by the waitress.We complained to the restaurant manager who offered to buy us a drink by way of apology, but we refused.I contacted the general manager on Monday, was told he was not in but would phone back. Alas Mr Azam has not!I, as a local business owner put several visiting people into the Coniston through the year. I will now be looking elsewhere.

We were staying nearby but thought we would try this restaurant as they did Tastecard and it was very close to our hotel.On entering the restaurant, the place was totally full, there was a weekend event and as we had reserved our table we were glad as I don't think we would have secured a table without a booking.Our food was tasty, delivered quite quickly and we thought the standard of cooking was excellent - quite "cheffy" but modern cuisine. Each course was tasty, filling and we couldn't fault it.We had a trainee waitress Tiffany who was very helpful and polite.Excellent menu with lots of choice, would definitely come back if we were in the area - the meal was good value and highly recommended.Shame we never stayed here, would have liked to see how breakfast was - if it compared to dinner.

Had one evening meal and two breakfast's here. Every course and dish was excellent. The special touches on our visit meant a lot and the attention to detail was a pleasent suprise.

Buffet style, with an excellent choice for all tastes from Continental, cheeses, and a good fry-up if you wanted

I would advice booking, we had a Sunday carvery, there was plenty of choice you can choose from a range of starters a well as desserts. Staff are friendly and efficient. Food was good too.

I booked lunch at the Coniston Carvery recently and we feel that it was a bit OTT with service especially when you are trying to eat and more than 5 waitresses asking if "Everything was okay?" On top of which we found the food quite tasteless and bland, we had been here for a family lunch previously which was better, unfortunately they regularly have large groups of parties inso again you can line up for quite some time before being served. Not rushing to go back.

Had an evening meal in the Coniston Kitchen, absolutely delicious; cooked to perfection. Staff friendly and helpful.

We visited the Coniston on a Saturday night with two friends in late January 2015. We had booked a table for 7pm. The restaurant was quite busy and buzzing by about 9pm when we left.We took advantage of the 'Taste Card' which gave us a 50% discount on the food part of the menu.We started off, two of us had pigeon breast wrapped in bacon. Unfortunately one of the pieces of pigeon still had a ring of plastic/cling film wrapped around it. When the maitre'd cleared the table I pointed this out. She spoke to the chef, and offered a bottle of wine on the house. We gladly received this as the retail value was £25.00.Two of us had venison for main course. There was a lot of beetroot on the plate and some square blocks of celeriac which was beetroot coloured. The venison was excellent and quite rare. However I thought that the confit potato was quite overdone.The service was very good.All in all the bill came to £88.00 for 4 covers , including one desert and a cheese and biscuits with 3 glasses of port. We left a good tip. The price we paid for the food and wine that we had was good value.However, if I had to pay the proper price which I calculate at about £175.00 (including £25.00 for the bottle of wine on the house), my review might have been more critical.I would probably try the Coniston Kitchen again.

My husband booked a table at the Coniston to celebrate our wedding anniversary, we have eaten there before, Sunday lunch and breakfast.We both ordered Slow Cooked Belly of Pork and one serving of vegetables. The main courses arrived minus the vegetables. After waiting 7 minutes I managed to catch the waitress's eye and informed her. She went to the kitchen, returning seconds later asking whether it was one or two servings we ordered. She obviously hadn't checked the order slip. We asked them to replace our main courses because they were now only luke warm. This was done without any comment. The food was very mediocre. We were not given an apology and left feeling very disappointed. We will not return, a shame because it us very local to our home and we have in the past recommended this restaurant.

We had a lovely meal the service was very good and friendly (Tiffany). This is the second time I have been this week with friends. I will be trying the Sunday carvery in the near future.

Well, im not sure what some are moaning about regards Sunday carvery, but then again, some people arent happy unless they are grizzling all the time, its a hotel for gods sake not a Michelin restaurant! 4 of us were booked in for a table for the carvery and absolutely no problems at all. Staff were great and everything was nice and quick. 3 choices of meat all carved by the chef with nicely cooked seasoned vegetables, cauliflower in white sauce and proper Yorkshire puds, meaty gravy too. It was all hand prepared and had a bit of love and attention in it unlike some gastro pubs that would not know a good bit of food if it hit them in the face! Starters were lovely as was pudding, again lots of choice. Im fussy about taste, and i know whats nice or horrible, and it was very very nice and you can eat as much as you want. Will definitely return and thanks to all.

We chose The Coniston for our post Christmas family get together, there were 15 adults and 4 children to feed! We booked the Sunday Carvery, it was excellent. Great atmosphere and service, excellent food and a really good price. Would thoroughly recommend, we will certainly be returning soon.

We returned to the Coniston, as it is within walking distance, for a meal with friends. The last time we visited, prior to this, was two years ago on it's official opening night and what a disaster that was, vowing never to return. However two years have past and decided to give it another go. The atmosphere is non existing, with bare walls still in the dinning room. The waiting staff are better trained, but still lack experience. The ones serving us were polite though. The meal was adequate, which in itself was a vast improvement on two years ago, but not exceptional. The price charged was comparable with another restaurant the other side of town, but the service, warmth of the place ie atmosphere and quality still needs work to match it. Perhaps we will give it another two years before going for another evening meal there. On the positive side, it was 100 per cent improved on the opening night and I did mention this to the hotel.

Enjoyed stay at this hotel, certainly different. Staff very helpful and pleasant. Forgot to use taste card. Food was good value and tasy. Good wine, served well to table.

I have used this restaurant several times over the last few months & have never been disappointed by the quality of the food or the service no matter how busy they have been.The only thing that goes against it is the ambiance which rather resembles a school canteen. A real shame because everything else is so good. Not a great place therefore if you want a romantic, intimate dining experience.

Quite a surprise was not expecting the quality and presentation ....absolutely first class and very tasty nothing was too much trouble and was made to feel very welcome

Great food in restaurant and bar, have eaten here a few times. Also love the fact they take the taste card which entitles you to discount. Making it even more value for money.

very surprised to find that the restaurant of this hotel is not open at lunch times. On arrival we were told that we could eat in the bar area. The bar area was very impersonal, no character at all. Dull, lifeless decoration. Comfortable bucket seats with low tables, not at all suitable for eating a meal. There was music playing and also a large screen tv which was tuned to motor bike racing! We arrived at 1pm and the bar was completely empty, we were the only customers and it remained that way until we left at 3pm. It felt very uncomfortable. The food was Ok, over priced for what was normal bar food. They did not have the soft drink I requested, even though it was a common brand.. The member of staff was attentive although I am not a fan of facial piercings. Don't think we will be going back.

Went there on a Ladies Night diner and dance. Not very impressed. We were a bit cramped, tables too close together. Very strange way of serving but probably different in the main restaurant. Food was average and entertainment terrible but then that wasn't the fault of the Coniston

Just had the sunday carvery. Food was good at 13.95 for 3 courses. Modern and clean. Loos were cool!Enjoyed it.One gripe it seemed understaffed. Not much choice of beers and the other bar was closed.

Arrived to find short staffed and main bar closed as a result. Open bar had one lager hardly pouring and no beer other than bottled. In carvery no plates for starters had to ask, starter counter not kept topped up and running out. Main course - unbelievable chef was using bare hand to handle the meat and carve with the knive in other hand, then served meat into dish with bare hand. Dessert, hardly any choice but for waiting for a waffle or candy floss.Positive points, food on starter counter was good, good choice of vegetables.General feeling was very poor indeed and would not recommend.

The food was fine. I had fish with a beer batter and a really lovely plate of vegetables, on another occasion I had a calamari starter and vegetables and last night a gammon with fried egg and vegetables. I also paid to have breakfast there. Given that they found it acceptable to charge almost £8 for a glass of wine and £12.50 for a breakfast, I have to say I was bitterly disappointed with the quality of the food. On one occasion seasonal veg included a lovely range of very tasty veg beautifully presented but last night I got a few fried almost to the point of being burnt slices of carrot and courgette. I arrived late for the breakfast but even still the baked beans, tomatoes and mushrooms were tried out and luke warm.For the quality of the food provided I consider this a very expensive option!

Fantastic meal at The Coniston Kitchen yesterday, had the Sunday Carvery and the food was great, traditional english sunday fayre with a choice of 3 meats, 4 veg, roast pots, yorkshire's to die for and gravy/sauces to accompany! Pudding was equally as good with a choice of two hot with custard, fresh waffles with accompaniments, 2 cold plus fresh fruit and even ice cream was amazing - no cheap tub stuff here! If you're a local and like me detest the usual places for a Sunday Dinner in Sittingbourne (you know the places) you absolutely must go to the Coniston. The Staff were helpful, polite, friendly, smiley and all importantly 'nothing too much trouble' attitude. On a practical note, all on a level surface from the rear car park with ample parking and children were most welcome. A little dearer that the Town's other places that do '2 for offers' or 'all you eat' but trust me if you're looking for something that bit nicer, The Coniston fits the bill, the food is fresh not nuked in the microwave and presented well. None of us could find any fault whatsoever and will be back asap for another Dinner - big Thank You to all the Staff that really made it a welcoming and friendly environment.

Decided to dine at this local hotel for a change from cooking at home. Food was decent but service from the very attentive and lovely Kit was outstanding. An absolute asset to this business. Thank you Kit.

My first time here and was impressed with the new Coniston although others in my party didnt go much on the modern look.Lacked in atmosphere. We had the carvery which was good value but the way that the veggies were displayed meant that they were not very warm. The beef we had was first class.The sweet selection although tasty had a look of canteen about it.I think perhaps visit to a Toby carvery would be a good idea for their team.This Hotel is in walking distance from my house and so we would consider another visit.

Beautiful food served by very friendly staff. Nothing was too much trouble. Very fresh and restaurant quality food.

I have stopped many times at the Coniston Hotel and used the hotel restaurant for evening meals with colleagues, which has been a pleasure every time. The food is always fresh and the menu offers an excellent choice. No issues here.

I had dinner here one night whilst staying in the hotel. The service was good and welcoming. I am gluten free and the chef accommodated me. I had the pork which was yummy and parsnip mash. The only negative was it was a bit cold. Have a try and they will accommodate your needs. A really helpful waiter helping another couple who were fussy. Just one small thing the chef has to shout service and the staff would collect the meal. A bell would be easier as I found him shouting a bit distracting. Still have a try!

My husband and I went on a Friday evening for dinner using our Hi-Life card. Although the restaurant wasn't busy it took some while to get our drinks order, but the food came very quickly after. Lots of staff, would have been nicer to have one waitress all evening, rather than the 5 we had. Food was delicious, and well worth the price. Will be going again soon.

Visited the coniston after work this evening with my husband, sister in law and partner and was impressed on the decor. The place looked clean, tidy and very modern. Unfortunately both the service and food let us down. After paying a ridicules amount for two drinks we were then shocked to see that our two portions of chips that we had ordered to go with our burnt pizza had a total of 8 per chips per plate!! Honestly!!!! They weren't even that nice to look at let alone eat! And i think the girl taking the order must have thought we had wanted the garlic bread as a dessert instead of with our food as it finally came out (undercooked) once we'd finished our food. Will i be going back , absolutely not, would i recommend? Ummm, NO! Shame, though a little class had finally arrived in sittingbourne. Cant ask for miracles i guess.

Breakfast very good and helpful staff .Dinner not so good , just average , only worth what you oay with a Tastecard giving you 50 off , service slow .

Although the meal was disappointing the entertainment alone was well worth the money at the Motown night. Melon sat on the table at least an hour prior to being seated, Gravy granules on the chicken and a corner hard piece of chocolate brownie meant the meal was far from appetising. We felt the event was over sold making it difficult not only to get to the dance floor but to find a space to dance on it. Dance is what we wanted to do as the tribute act were fabulous!!!!

My friend and I visited the Coniston bar for a meal. We ordered a sandwich each at £5.95 and extra chips at £2.75 each. It took 45 minutes to arrive and what we received was utterly laughable!My Tuna sandwich was literally two bog standard slices of bread with the thinnest layer on tuna you've ever seen in the middle. The £2.75 chips were served tepid and stacked up. When dismantled they actually amounted to 8 chips. Yes, that's right - 34p per small, tepid chip! I immediately took the food back to the bar and complained saying that both 'meals' were quite ridiculous and that I am not paying £8.70 for a pathetic sandwich and 8 chips.The barman was profusely apologetic, didn't charge the card and, following an apparent conversation with the manager, didn't charge us for the drinks we had.I kid you not, the food looked like it had been knocked up in a couple of minutes by someone who really didn't care what we received! I've seen better sandwiches for half the price in a petrol station!I have no intention of eating there again.

Me and My family went to the carvery today the food from the starter selection to the main course was excellent the desserts were brilliant...the presentation and freshness was unbeatable...the people how have complaind please look around this is great value for money the staff we had goeorgia very attentive and friendly managers were there tracey and jane they had the whole resturant running like clockwork well done we will be back and My family went to the carvery today the food from the starter selection to the main course was excellent the desserts were brilliant...the presentation and freshness was unbeatable...the people how have complaind please look around this is great value for money the staff we had goeorgia very attentive and friendly .

As my brother has just moved to Sittingbourne he invited me and my husband to visit for the day and so took us to The Coniston Hotel for lunch. We were not too impressed, the reason being that all three courses were self service and only drinks were served at the table. Also, the selection for each course was poor and some of the serving dishes were depleted when we went to serve ourselves. None of the dishes were labelled and there was no staff around to ask! If you want somewhere to go for a special occasion, don't choose The Coniston.!!

My children treated me to a Mother's Day lunch at the Coniston, and what a treat. Food excellent, freshly cooked and well presented. Staff excellent & very friendly. I have eaten here before, always lovely food, always freshly cooked. I would recommend eating here to all my friends. To the chef and all the staff well done and thank you for a lovely meal.

My husband & I returned to The Coniston for our Sunday lunch after a very enjoyable first visit two weeks previously. It was extremely busy, we decided against a starter and went directly to queue for our main course. The serving area where people helped themselves to a starter was extremely messy with bits of lettuce and prawns dropped between the serving dishes. The young man carving struggled to keep up with the long queue, something that wasn't his fault. This method may need to be looked at, an additional member of staff may help this. The food was well cooked and enjoyable. We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch in this lovely venue however as we left the reception area a young man on Reception said, "cheers guys". My husband & I are in our 60's and although not fuddy duddies expect to be spoken to appropriately as guests. We will return for another lunch though.

Last weekend we stopped at The Coniston to sample the carvery. We were very impressed. The restaurant had a lovely relaxed atmosphere, the staff were all very polite & helpful and there was a good choice of food. I was impressed with the two vegetarian options available and the waitress was also kind enough to provide a vegetarian sausage for my little boy. The only disappointment was the lack of vegetarian gravy! There was plenty to choose from on the dessert menu and I can recommend the chocolate mousse. We all really enjoyed our carvery experience and it was good value for money! We will be back again!

My husband and I live very local to the Coniston Hotel but today was our first visit. The carvery lunch was excellent, we had the roast beef---- delicious! There were plenty of roast potatoes, light fluffy Yorkshire puddings and four vegetables. We could have gone back for more but decided to enjoy a dessert. Unfortunately once we had enjoyed a light starter and a wonderful roast the idea of a dessert was very tempting but we decided we couldn't do justice to another course. The staff were excellent, courteous, attentive but not hovering. The restaurant area reminded us of the dining room on a cruise liner. Will definitely return on a regular basis but will take the advice to make a booking. Well done The Coniston!

went for a Sunday carvery lunch, all fresh veg and not watery as other places.cauliflower cheese was excellent, as the other veg.nice pleasant atmposhere.very reasonable prices.drink price let it down slightly.

Had a brilliant Sunday carvery today - which is now available and for the most reasonable price in the area (as far as I am aware) with 3 courses for £11.50, 2 courses for £9.95 or just a main course for a little less (not certain of price but think it was about £7.50).A great selection of food - three starters to chose from then a choice of two carved meats, a chicken chasseur or veggie option with two types of potato, four veg, pork crackling & yorkshire puds followed by a choice of 3 desserts. Fantastic.Service was great too - attentive but not intrusive, just right.Can't wait to return again soon - this time with our family or friends.

Took my staff there for our Xmas corporate event. Started off well, venue looked nice, food was ok but then the bouncers showed up! Bouncers! In a hotel! These weren't polite security men, they were common thugs. I saw no trouble all evening apart from the trouble the bouncers caused, walking around intimidating people. The ONE barman forgot to charge for two of our drinks, instead of calling my husband back he sent one of the bouncers after him, who said "Oi! You haven't paid your bill. Get back to the bar or I'll throw you out!" And that was only one example of our treatment that evening. What kind of customer service is that? This is meant to be a professional hotel, not some nightclub with scummy staff. Will not be returning!

During my stay I had dinner in the restaurant. The space is huge but the staff really make it feel comfortable. There are two menus. An a la carte which provides a good choice of dishes and a weekly changing table d'haute menu, with a fixed price for two or three courses. I opted for the latter and what a fantastic choice. Starter of assiette of pork , followed by partridge and as a dessert St Clements tart. Flavours were intense and well balanced and presentation was clean and artistic at times but never forgetting its main purpose. The service was very professional if a little bit quick at times. Overall a great experience and one of a kind in this area.

Visited on a Sunday evening in a party of eight. The décor is modern & well done but not particularly intimate.We were properly greeted & shown to our table by a charming young waiter. The new menu was interesting without trying to be pretentious. The only omission was a choice of main courses for our vegetarian guest. So many restaurants do not provide a proper choice for specialist diets sadly. The food was carefully presented & sufficient in quantity to please all but the largest appetites. The service was attentive throughout. Value for money is always important to me & at just over £ 200 for our party was particularly good value. If this restaurant can provide this level of food quality & service on a busy night then it deserves to do well.

Reasonably good standard, although the beef and mushroom pie I had was too salty, otherwise tasty food.

We dined at The Coniston Kitchen tonight for a family meal, taking advantage of the 2 dine for £19.95 for a 3 course meal. Good choice on the set menu and food was well presented and tasty. Would recommend this restaurant as a good value alternative to other choices in the local area, although I would probably agree with some of the other comments about the lack of an atmosphere.

This is basically a business hotel, and there was no special event on when we visited, so we were sat all on our own in a huge room which is decorated in a very Spartan, minimalist style with absolutely no atmosphere whatsoever.That said, the staff were all friendly and efficient, and the food from the table d'hote menu was really beautiful.I would recommend the restaurant any day, but would advise going when there's a chance of a bit of atmosphere

We went to The Coniston on Friday night 5th July for the tribute night. We were greeted by a charming receptionist, Danielle Kemp, who was very knowledgeable about the hotel and the evening we had booked. She kindly told us of an event in September that we will definitely book. The food was excellent, the serving staff were pleasant. We were very impressed and had a fab evening. It makes a difference having a very good receptionist, thank you.