The Cook's Tale Restaurant in Canterbury

Really good food. The meat was perfectly cooked and the people working was attentive and welcoming.

The best Indian food we have ever had outside of India. Exceptional!

This was an exquisite experience- the food was out of this world and the service exemplary. So many interesting tastes and flavours, twists on classics, the best of India! I was given 4 complementary starters, and little complementary choccy desert. Sasha felt like a friend, explaining everything to me- ingredients, how to eat… They adapt the menu if you have any dietary needs. I am gluten free and I could eat almost everything. Favourite moments were the Uppama and pea/ artichoke curried soup (complementary) the crispy okra, a sweet beetroot cutlet and the creamy paneer curry which had a delicious taste of cardamom. Honestly I was blown away. Do not hesitate!

Super tasty well balanced vegan food that didn't leave you feeling heavy. Lovely atmosphere and informative about the food and regions each dish comes from. Thank you!

Amazing food and wonderful service! Everything tasted great, and the staff was very knowledgeable about the food. Great place, would definetly come back

Very, very good Indian restaurant - very fine. The thalis are very good and plentiful.

Excellent food. Excellent service

A lovely change for an Indian restaurant. Not your average menu. A lot of thought and care clearly goes into the dishes. The complimentary pre-starter and mini dishes served were delightful and a personal touch to the service. Would definitely recommend and will be returning.

Was a delightful evening pianist playing food was nice a little spicy when tolled it wouldn’t be. Waiter spilt wine on partner but reflected in the bill all in all a good evening x

Great food with lots of little extras.

Well presented Fusion Indian dishes, not authentic Indian food, very pricey, portions are limited, it's catering more to English palate, service was good, ambience good, wouldn't recommend it for regular dining

Probably the best restaurant in Canterbury. The spices are subtle..

Absolutely incredible food and atmosphere, recommend!

Fantastic very original food Will be coming again 🤩

Awesome! Highly recommend this restaurant.

A real delight with the service being on point with complimented appetisers whilst waiting for our mains.

Beautiful food, excellent service , would highly recommend

Amazing food and service, Indian with a fine dining twist. Highly recommend. Will be back

I've walked passed by The Cooks Tale for years, always wanting to give it a try and never knowing when to pop in. For my 30th, I recieved 2 vouchers for a 3 course meal and was so excited to finally try it. My meal was better than I could have imagined. Every bite was fantastic and we were given so many surprises during dinner that added to the experience. Shout out to the pea and artichoke soup while we were browsing the menu. It was one of the best things I've ever had. It was clear all the ingredients were fresh and the food was made with love. The chef is truly passionate about what he does and creating an authentic experience for diners. I will be back to The Cooks Tale again, ready to try anything and everything else on their menu.

Fantastic as always can't fault the food or the service. Had the 12 course tasting meal with accompanying wines was fantastic 😋

I can never tire of this place. The food is amazing, the people are lovely and I've never had a bad meal here. Wonderful blend of Asian and traditional British Update: we returned with my 3 yr old daughter today and they were so welcoming to her. I can't recommend this restaurant enough

Wonderful food, excellent service and lovely relaxed atmosphere. This was our first visit and we will definitely be back.

Our favourite restaurant in Canterbury, always such amazing food and service!

The food is really good my friend said she really loved the chicken biriani and I loved the dark chocolate, the taste was lovely

Great food ,I really like the chicken biriyani because it was so spicy, i like that spices. The dessert was so so yummy it was mouthwatering delicious pudding. It was the best pudding ever I had in my life, paani poori is must try item. Staff Sakshi was very helpful and friendly.

Excellent service from Tasha as our hostess, amazing food and a lovely selection of complimentary courses in between!

Good service, loved the complimentary sides and Sakshi was very helpful. Would recommend the Pina Colada

We had a really good meal. The staff were friendly and accommodating. Live pianist made it very special. I would strongly recommend.

In a pleasant setting, pleasantly enlivened by the melodies of the pianist, a smiling and attentive service for a culinary escape to India; Based on traditional cuisine, creations revisited with talent for the pleasure of the senses. Delicious and harmonious preparations enhanced by expertly measured spices. An excellent moment and a beautiful discovery!

The food was very good, a great experience. Sasha is our server and was amazing.

Beautiful!! Food - fresh ingredients and wonderful combination of flavours Staff - welcoming and helpful with menu choice Overall - Great to have authentic dishes. Would definitely recommend and hope to come back .

Lovely food, had the fixed price menu

Staff were welcoming and friendly - the food was delicious and fresh

Very tasty modern Indian cuisine. Lots of delicious flavours and textures. Completely different to your average Indian takeaway, the dishes here taste like I imagine genuine Indian food tastes like, rather than what is usually made for English taste buds. Staff are very friendly and accommodating. There was a great pianist playing a mixture of music, it was a bit loud and fast at times bit that was our only criticism. The prices are at the higher end but the portions are very generous, you'd have to be very hungry to manage a starter and a main course. I would highly recommend this restaurant.

The atmosphere was warm and inviting. The food was absolutely delicious—beautifully presented, full of flavor, and clearly made with fresh, high-quality ingredients. Every dish we tried exceeded our expectations. The service was top-notch. The staff were friendly, attentive, and genuinely cared about making sure we had a great experience. It’s rare to find a place that delivers so well on all fronts—food, atmosphere, and service—but this spot truly nails it. Highly recommend and can’t wait to return!

Excellent service from Sakshi....great food and ambience... enjoyed our lunch, would definitely recommend this restaurant for some homely, well spiced food. A bit pricey though 😞😞

So so so so good. Absolutely delicious food. Best Indian food I’ve had aside from when I’ve actually visited India. Must try.

Fantastic food, great service and awesome ambiance.

We got the vegan thali which was delicious! Can’t wait to come back and try more of their food! Amazing!!

When you eat at this restaurant, you don’t just have lunch. It is an experience and celebration of Indian cuisine. The service is excellent. Highly recommend and we will certainly be back.

Fantastic food , great atmosphere xx 12 course fantastic

Interesting and different food. A memorable evening!

Just the way a restaurant should be.

The food was excellent and we had such a wonderful experience. We will definitely be recommending to other locals.

Best Indian food I have had outside of India (and I have been quite a few times) outstanding quality and taste

“We loved the restaurant. The food was delicious and Sasha was very kind and friendly. Very good value for money.”

Sasha and Ashar very good service and nice food

A slow start but an excellent meal, attentive staff and an enjoyable, atmospheric evening. Thank you!

We came in late and they were so friendly and never pressured us to leave. Food was great.

Rude and untrained staff with an arrogant owner who clearly lacks basic hospitality skills. Avoid this place if you expect respect and proper service.

Fantastic food. Good amuse bouche.

The food was amazing and very tasty

Fantastic 12 course tasting menu, every course so different and extremely tasty, a wonderful meal

Our first time in Canterbury and we chose to have diner here based on previous reviews. What an amazing evening we had! The food was excellent. We tried three different mains and two starters. All spot on. Great flavours and quality plus generous servings. The live music was the cherry on the cake. If we are ever in Canterbury again, we know where will be eating.

Great food and awesome service—our host (Sasha) was super friendly. Made the whole experience even better.

This was a very lovely service and the place, staff especially Sasha, and food made it so nice. We will be back in the future

Fantastic meal. Sasha and Asher really looked after us and took time to explain all of the dishes and how they should be eaten.

Amazing food served with such care kindness and dedication to a fine dining experience, perfection!

Came here for my partners birthday, they were so attentive and the food was cooked beautifully. Will be coming back again, a new favourite place to eat

Very authentic Indian cuisine and great service!

The best ever birthday treat. Excellent taster menu and Vegan Thali

A very pleasant lunch, excellent attentive service and high quality food. Very much recommended.

I cannot remember the last time I had a meal this good! Every single thing was delicious - the spices were beautifully balanced, the meat tender and the salads gorgeously fresh and crisp. Sasha (our waitress) was friendly and knowledgeable, and the pianist (an unexpected addition) was fantastic! All together, a brilliant evening - I will definitely be back!

Delicious food and wine. We booked the 12 course of 12 states of India tasting menu. Thoroughly recommend it.

Delicious food and wine, well paced efficient and friendly service. A very different and authentic experience.

Staying locally for the weekend. We had the 12 States of India tasting menu on a Friday lunchtime. Brilliant! We went for the matched wines. Every course was delicious. Just the appropriate level of spice. Unhurried and very relaxed. Such a great experience. Thoroughly recommended 😁

Delicious food, helpfully guided by informative staff, Sasha, accompanied by pianist. Lovely evening, thank you.

Sasha looked after us so well as we made our way through the amazing tasting menu to the accompaniment of Luke Smith’s wonderful and eclectic piano playing! A great evening out!

Fantastic as ever! We had the wonderful 12 course tasting menu with pairings. Great food and friendly service.

Brilliant very tasty food in a great environment

Great hospitality and service. Food was great..the pani puri pops were a surprise and great to cleanse the pallet.

Disappointing Experience at The Cook's Tale As frequent patrons of Indian cuisine, we were excited to try The Cook's Tale in Canterbury, especially given its promising reviews. However, our recent visit left us quite underwhelmed. To begin with, though 7 tables of the entire restaurant were occupied, we were made to wait for a table for about 15 minutes. Not sure why! Next, the service was unexpectedly slow — we waited around 45 minutes for two Thali meals, despite the restaurant not being particularly busy at the time. While we understand that quality food can take time, the delay felt excessive for a relatively simple order. More concerning, however, was the attitude of the staff, which came across as disengaged and somewhat indifferent. This lack of warmth detracted from the overall dining experience. In terms of the food itself, it seemed tailored more for a Western palate, which may appeal to some, but for those familiar with authentic Indian flavors, it might fall short of expectations.

Incredible 12 course tasting menu. Lovely staff.

Excellent food and very friendly staff

Amazing food and a pleasant evening. Worth a visit

We were looking forward to eating here on a Sunday night. Unfortunately due to traffic travelling down from Sheffield we were running later than anticipated, so we phoned ahead to ask if we could eat there at 9 15 instead of our original plan of 8. They assured us this was fine. When we arrived just before 9 15 we were told that we couldn't go in and the kitchen was shut. Fortunately Sekkoya on St Peters St/the High Street was open, which had great food and service, which we would strongly recommend as an alternative with very friendly staff.

Inventive, inspiring and very tasty. A great price as well.

Sasha was awesome! the food was outstanding some regional delicacies as well as some broad base favorites from Mumbai

Really nice service！Love the steak. It's one of the best I‘ve eaten！

The butter chicken curry was really good. And thanks to Sakshi for the great service. We did not have any trouble in spite of having a toddler dining with us.

Delicious food and innovative flavours. The desserts were especially delicious.

The first impression of the restaurant was very disappointing. We were served unclean plates, and the service was poor. All four of us were given plates of different sizes, which was quite unprofessional. The portion sizes were not at all proportionate to the high prices they charge. We ordered a paneer gravy dish, which was extremely watery. When we brought this to the manager’s attention, he said it was prepared by a Bengali chef and that it was meant to taste that way—but it had a strong, unpleasant smell. The paneer was raw and not fried properly. Overall, it was not a good dining experience, and I would not recommend this place.

We visited this place and enjoyed the Indian Thali. Sasha who served us was very welcoming and pleasant. We also had some complementary starters(papadam with chutney and pani puri). Enjoyed eating at this place and will highly recommend

This was the best meal I had in England! Sasha and Asher were so friendly and welcoming and everything they brought tasted amazing!

Incredible Indian food in the heart of Canterbury!

Love this place. Excellent food, live piano player, wonderful atmosphere.

We absolutely love The Cook's Tale Restaurant and have eaten here many times. We think it is truly the best restaurant in Canterbury. The service is wonderful and at the weekend the piano man adds such a wonderful atmosphere, we never want to leave! The flavour in each bite of food is impeccable and if you want to enjoy a dining experience then this is the place to go. 10/10 every time!

We visited the cook's tale restaurant for dinner while staying in Canterbury for my birthday. There was a pianist playing music which added to the atmosphere, and our server Sasha was welcoming and gave us excellent service. The food was incredible! We had food from the a la carte menu, and it was all delicious. They even gave us some wonderful extras, and we particularly appreciated that they told us information about the food and where in India is was from and how to eat it to make the most of the flavours. Thank you for such a special evening, we would highly recommend for others visiting Canterbury.

parents always bring me or bro here. our elders are super fussy and hectic. cooks tale waiter is a gem! looked after us so well despite my demanding fam. the food is the nicest indian food i’ve had in the uk: for real. i am sri lankan. curry is life. if u are coming to canterbury i really insist u eat here oh! theres a nice looking cocktail list but i couldn’t try cos of my parents. cheers to cooks tale!

Had a taster menue with wine. Ok, but have had much better here.

Sasha was a fantastic host and went out of her way to make us feel welcome and to make our dinner special. The food was delicious and I cannot recommend it enough.

The food was out of this world Dosa, Byrianin and Chat as good as it gets and a few freebies beteeen

There is absolutely nothing I can fault about this brilliant restaurant. The service is absolutely top notch, and the staff are friendly, attentive and extremely helpful. Absolutely recommend

Fantastic food and service, interesting tastes and good quality, definitely recommend their Thursday bottomless Thali. Sasha and Ashar were wonderful hosts :)

Perfect evening! Beautiful tale of excellent cuisine and hospitality! Great service from Sasha. Must try!

Thank u Sacha and crew ! Wonderful experience !!!

Every mouthful a wonderful delight!

We had an amazing experience at The Cook’s Tale. Easily the best food we have ever had, and it was a highlight in our vacation. Our server Usher was attentive, knowledgeable, and funny. Thank you so much for a wonderful meal!

Food here is always amazing and the staff uniformly lovely. Thank you!

Excellent service and great food. The Thali is a real treat, as are the complimentary tasters and drinks. Piano accompaniment from legendary Canterbury journeyman Luke Smith as good as ever. Highly recommended.