The Cook's Tale Restaurant in Canterbury

Worst Indian restaurant ever gone. Smelly kitchen area and dirty toilet. Very small portions and seems stingy to serve even though charge extram high prices. Ordered a large Masala dosa for £14.95 but less than 12 inches diameter and stringy potions of other supplements and smelly coconut chutney. Tandoori chicken tikka was £11.95 and only a 3 small chicken pieces one kebab. This restaurant is a big scam.

Quite expensive for such smaller portions. We have tried many modern Indian restaurants in London and around the UK but this was disappointing. The coconut chutney has gone bad but when we spoke to the manager he didn’t even try to admit it. Ladies washroom was dirty, like they haven’t even washed the floor. Weird smell coming around the ladies washroom.

Had a lovely afternoon tea. Lots of delicious food, and a great selection of savoury and sweet things. Wonderful service and good value for money.

6/4/25 lovely server who took real good care of us! beautiful dishes

The presentation and pagentry in serving the food was outstanding. Overall, a lovely restaurant with amazing food

A culinary adventure, superb service, great food. Thank you, loved it a lot.

It wasn’t the best of the best, maybe we should call it the worst of the worst. A really fancy looking Indian restaurant, a non-compliant piano playing inside, none of the tables were cleaned when we walked in with my wife in 2023. The smudge near the ceiling. Very much pricey. For a tasting menu, we paid around £180. Really! Since we’re living very close by, sometimes we get to see the kitchen staff outside, sitting on the curb, hands all over the place. Very dirty indeed. Plus, a Michelin Star from 2018 at the entrance. Why wasn’t it renewed again?

Fantastic service and a great mix of western and Indian with a focus on some great Indian dishes

Food was amazing, with complimentary dishes in between meals. Had the cauliflower Manchurian and the veg thali. Bigger portion than expected. Sakshi was excellent, very friendly and helpful too.

Loved the food. The masala dosa was especially good. Great service. Thank you, Sakshi. I hope to be back soon.

Excellent establishment and staff. Live music on Thursday evening was most congenial. The food is also very good.

Fantastic food, quite original, excellent service, nice atmosphere, lots of little nibbles on the house - highly recommended!

Excellent Indian fusion food. Very friendly and attentive service from Alfie. Would highly recommend a visit.

Alfi was a fantastic waiter. Thanks Alfi

This is our treat place. Never fails to be an incredible place for epic flavours and welcoming service.

The best food I've ever tried. Put this place on your must go to list!

Alfi. Brilliant service very very professional great asset to your company 👍🏻

Alfie is an outstanding host and even brought me a special vegan biscuit instead of the complimentary chocolates! Thanks so much for a lovely night!

Alfie was the perfect host for my birthday meal. Thank you!

Lovely, lovely food. And great service from alfie really fantastic for my wife's birthday.

Loved the food! Super lovely staff!

Staff brilliant food out of this world great event all round and especially out server Alfie

Alfie was brilliant Food also brilliant Pianish soooo good

The most authentic Indian experience I have had in the world. Amazing food. May as well be a top restaurant in India

Alfie was an amazing waiter, very attentive. Thank you.

Lovely and beautiful food, great variety, and Alfie was very friendly!

Came here for my husbands birthday in January and we had the 12 course dinner with matching wine . What can I say. The food and drinks were absolutely superb ! The flavours were incredible and the whole experience was great. Service is lovey. Absolutely recommend it for special night out. We‘ll be back !

Amazing food and service. This is my new home. Thankyou.

We had the most exceptional lunch at this restaurant - we have been before and the food is always excellent. Beautifully spiced and wonderful flavour. The waiter was also very good and explained the food to us. You cannot do better than this lovely restaurant in Canterbury.

Great dinner & live pianist gave a wonderful atmosphere. Exceptional staff

Amazing lunch menu. Fantastic friendly and knowledgeable staff. The thali in particular was stunning. We’ll definitely be back!

One for my 2 favourite restaurants in Canterbury! The food is always excellent and the service is spot on. There are always some tasty little extras seved alongside the main menu too. Thoroughly recommended!

Had the 3 course fixed price lunch menu today. 5 or 6 choices for each course to suit a wide range of palettes. Excellent food, good service will definitely return

The stuff was really kind and helpful. The food was good especially the meat plates. I would recommend it.

Such a delicious meal, friendly staff, great mocktails. Would definitely recommend!

Really lovely afternoon tea with Indian snacks as well as sandwiches and delicious sweets, not all of which I could eat and so the staff kindly boxed them up for me. There were also amuse-bouches and add ons (soup, lassi, chocolate truffles), which added to the experience. The best Indian restaurant in Kent?

We had lunch here, found it a very relaxed atmosphere, excellent service, and really tasty food with complementary treats. A reminder of how eating out should be.

Great food and amazing hospitality from Ashar. Would surely recommend this place.

I had the vegetarian Thali and it was one of the best Indian meals I have ever had. Alfie, our waiter was professional, informative and helpful. Highly recommended.

Can recommend :) good for vegetarians too!

What a wonderful dining experience. Food was amazing and our server Alfie was so attentive and polite. Would highly recommend, you will not be disappointed.

Alfie was incredible - he gave us excellent, prompt service and was very friendly! The food was amazing - the lamb melted in the mouth, and the King Prawns were nice n meaty, very good chutneys too! Honestly if you are in Canterbury, don't miss out! Thank you again, Alfie!!

Alfie was a very attentive host, taking time to explain the foods as they came. The food was incredible, absolutely delicious.

Alfie is great and very helpful!

We had a fabulous evening at the restaurant and Alfie has done an amazing job!

Service is good we tried the meat and veg thali food is not worthy for the prices they are charging, the guy who served Alife he made us feel so comfy and, food is okay for English people especially no for the South Indian people.

Alfie was so please , and offered a lot a good service for a perfect lunch

Wonderful vegetarian food: very balanced, nutritious and tasty meal! Good service and nice peaceful environment.

Amazing dining experience, food and service. Alfie was very attentive and knowledgeable about all the food and made us feel comfortable and welcome. Thank you we will be back

Delicious food. A tasty vegetarian tali and the Tomahawk tandoori. Alfi was a great waiter. We got all kinds of tasty snacks. He was funny too.

Afternoon tea was delicious, as was the soft shell crab. Great service as always. Thanks

This is not a normal run of the mill Indian. Read the menu and then go and eat. Food is great but watch the liquid ball!!!

Alfie provided great service, had a great time away on my weekend away. Definitely recommend.

Alfie gave us fantastic service during our meal. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was great

Wonderful food. Great service from Alfie. Eating here is a must for a great evening. Pianist and Magician just adds to the experience.

We had an amazing time eating here. The food was incredible and the live music created a magical atmosphere. The service by Alfie was so lovely! Will definitely return. Thank you!

Looked after brilliantly by Alfie. Excellent amuse bouche and perfect starters. The Cook’s Tale has a blend of classic and innovative dishes. We had a beautifully presented roast featuring perfectly cooked meat, crisp yet fluffy roast potatoes, and rich, flavourful gravy all served with top end Yorkshire puddings and the best ever onion bhaji. The tomahawk steak, tempered with Indian spices, was a highlight—a bold and aromatic twist on a premium cut, cooked to absolute perfection. The subtle heat and depth of the spice blend complemented the meat’s natural flavours, making each bite an experience in itself. We’ll be back!

Had a fabulous afternoon tea. Great food, great service. Highly recommend eating here.

Alfie was our waiter/chef. He was great.

Alfie was a really great waiter and took a lot of care over our tasting menu.

Good food and good service by Sakshi

Make sure you visit this fantastic restaurant, food absolutely amazing, service and staff particularly Alfie were very knowledgeable and helpful. Will definitely be back again soon

Lovely meal and brilliant service would highly recommend

A brilliant gem in the heart of Canterbury!

Alfie was courteous and attentive. Food was amazing

Amazing food, great pianist too! Alfie gave us service which was second to none. Totally recommend.

Exquisite indian food and great hospitality. Sakshi was an excellent waitress and really knowledgeable about all of the courses. The Primitivo was fantastic.

Alfie provided outstanding service, the food was delicious - we will definitely return.

The food was delicious and the service excellent!

Loved it. Brilliant food and service

Amazing fusion of Mediterranean and Indian cuisine, service is outstanding and the talented pianist is the icing on the cake creating a wonderful, warm atmosphere.

A whole new way of experiencing Indian food! Very attentive service, unique flavours and generous portions. Thank you for a great experience!

Great meal. Very interesting twist on Indian food - delicious and unusual. Excellent for a special occasion. Friendly service. Really enjoyed pianist playing wide range of well known tracks. Appreciated al the extras which kept being presented to us - soup, popadums, puris, chocolates… Alfie is an excellent waiter!

Lovely food, couldn’t fault the evening. Alfie was particularly friendly and helpful and his food was amazing

Omg amazing superb food above and beyond - 4th visit and it never disappoints

Excellent food, service and music. Recommended

Had a wonderful lunch here on Saturday 22/02/25. Staff hit the perfect spot of friendly and attentive without being overbearing. Food was absolutely delicious each course had plenty of choices. You feel spoiled with all the little free additions a small glass of delicious juice, a fantastic amuse bouche of soup and bread, petit four biscuits with tea and a chocolate with the bill. Can't wait to return.

Really tasty menu. Lovely to try new things. Superb service. We will definitely be back.

A really great and very original meal

Super service great tasting food would highly recommend. Thank you Alfie

Excellent food and service Will definitely be back

Great food with a spicy twist. Generous portions and friendly service. The amuse bouche is a lovely touch and always very tasty. A great start to a meal.

Fantastic meal and lovely attentive service. Had a really special night out and it was perfect, would highly recommend. Our waiter, Alfie, was wonderful! Thank you so much.

Delicious food, great service, live piano music and close up magic between courses

Love this restaurant - unique ambiance in Canterbury and amazing food. Love the touch of receiving extra bits between meals which are always incredible. There is sometimes a pianist playing which adds to the experience.

Service was great with amazing atmosphere, there was a magician named Ferdinand who made the night very special with a very nice pianoist in the background

Alfie was a fantastic host, food amazing and service from Alfie 5* nothing to much trouble Chocolate samosa the best desert

Gorgeous hidden gem in Canterbury. Food is incredible and the waiters were so lovely and kind. Look forward to coming back

Delicious food as always 😋 great service from Alfie and Asher

Food was absolutely gorgeous. Service was tiptop amazing attention to detail. Super impressed!!

Stunning food - Alfie was lovely

Every dish was a delight. Delicate flavours beautifully presented. Charming professional service from our waiters, Alfie and Asher, who explained each dish and were attentive but not intrusive. The restaurant is a lovely space with nods to Asian culture. A bit chilly the day we came as it a large room but most people were dressed more appropriately for the weather (cold and rainy) than me so fine. Highly recommended.

Great food and excellent service from Alfie. Try the chocolate samosas (eaten too quickly to photograph 😆)! Well worth a visit if you’re in Canterbury.

We booked for The Silk Road tasting menu and was served by Alfie. He was absolutely amazing! Very friendly and attentive without being too much. Nothing was too much trouble and he took care to explain each dish. Alfie obviously takes great pride in his work and, watching him interact with other customers, is clearly a people person. A great evening made even better by the exemplary customer service. Thank you Alfie!

Had the 12 course degestation, was delicious and service impeccable and friendly

Beautiful food in a lovely restaurant. Warm, comfortable and relaxed. Food was carefully and delicately flavoured. Alfie was professional, attentive and friendly. Great experience!

Great food and service. An excellent experience all round.

The food was very tasty although was lacking in the main ingredients, crab and fish. Both main meals stated they would be accompanied by green vegetables but weren’t. The service was very good.

Love the piano, and good was amazing!

A* experience. Lovely service from Alfie and fabulous 12 course menu