The Crown Inn at Finglesham in Dover

Dear Ben, I hope you had a wonderful holiday. Got to give feedback, as I’m very disappointed to hear that the Crown Inn doesn’t want me as a barmaid. I had an impromptu interview with Ella on Monday 4th. I loved the pub the second I walked in. I was totally enchanted by the round table/seating area with the fake grass/plants etc. Been telling my mates re this “Enchanted seating area!” How magical it was and how gorgeous your pub is. Ella asked for my availability. She asked what days I could and couldn’t do. I also told her how flexible I am and that I’m happy to work Christmas, New Year etc. No staff, mates I’ve ever worked with are happy to work BOTH those periods! No one. I have tonnes of previous experience. I have excellent references. I speak French and Spanish, which native tourists have loved! I even had my local Chinese takeaway in New Malden (for 20 years) say; “You bring in more business when you come in Lucinda!” 😊 I stopped my search for work in other pubs as I was so taken by The Crown Inn. I’ve watched your videos, read social media posts and thought you were the best pub in Kent. And incredibly loving, kind humans too. As I thought I felt that energy in the videos. (Being a medium, I’m very sensitive to others’ energy.) I’ve waited all week to hear your thoughts. And I expected an interview with yourself. But Ella’s just said I’m not needed. That was a cold thing to do to someone so keen! To leave them dangling like that for nothing. Ella should have said there and then, on Monday, that you didn’t have any vacancies. To dangle someone’s hopes for a week (Because you were on holiday) isn’t kind or compassionate. I could have been knocking on other doors and been in a job by now, which I need URGENTLY! My car is out of action with a £800 bill that needs paying. :-( I told Ella about my car on Tuesday and she only told me today, Friday 8th, that I didn't get the job, when I rang up for an update. The Burstin hired me on the spot and started me immediately, Christmas Day, so there is no excuse to leave someone dangling if you don't want them. Wishing you well. Kind regards, Lucinda

Friendly service and very tasty food. Further visits are possible.

Well done to Ben for your upstanding & customer service. Top man would give 10 stars possible

Beautiful pub with excellent food, great drinks and nice atmosphere! Ben took good care of us ( family of six with baby in stroller). Will definitely come back!

High quality food in a pleasant environment. Highly recommend the pie of the day 👌.

Went for Sunday lunch as in the village for my birthday. Both me & my husband had the prawn on sour dough which was tasty followed by beef & vegetarian roast. Beef was nice & good selection of vegetables given.

We have had an outstanding experience at the Crown at Finglesham tonight. Staff were very friendly and helpful and the food was amazing

Having popped in the last couple of weeks for an after work pint and seeing some amazing food coming out of the kitchen I booked a table for my son’s 18th. We all had the Brie starter which was served with a delicious bacon jam. For mains we had Shin of Beef, Fish n Chips and Pork Belly. The shin of beef just fell apart, really rich and indulgent. Was served with mash potato and carrot. My only tiny critique is I would have liked a little jug of the sauce on the side. The fish n chips had the option of skinny fries or home made chips, we went home made which and they were perfect, the fish itself was lovely and moist yet light. The slow braised pork came with gratin potatoes and a pea fricassee, again all perfectly cooked. For desert we had Millionaire Tiramisu and Hazelnut Brûlée. Both were decadent and ultimately outbid in to a lovely food coma!! Service was great, the Manager was really chatty and engaging, the staff on the whole are very friendly. Smashed it guys, well done!

We stayed Saturday night in Foxglove lodge. It was ok to be fair. You can only book through Booking.com & we thought we had the bed & breakfast deal for £90.00 per night but we were misled a bit. No breakfast was included & if we realised we wouldn't have booked at all. The lodge was adequate. A few bugs up in the eaves. The outside security light shone through our front door glass and bathed our room in light all night. The wedding guests woke us up around midnight heading to bed. Bed was comfy & linen was clean. Shower ran hot & cold. Pub itself was cosy & we had a meal which was pretty basic. I had ribs, fries & slaw. My wife had the fish pie. £20.00 & £18.00 respectively. See photos. Make your own mind up. Staff were helpful but the whole breakfast debacle left us feeling a bit flat. Wouldn't come back as I only book rooms with complimentary breakfast. Was hoping to come back with the grandchildren & stay here as a base for Betteshanger Park. Won't use Booking.com again for anything. Try it here though, you may like it?

We had seen reviews on local social media suggesting that this place serves an excellent Sunday lunch. Eventually, we decided to give it a try even though it is a bit of a journey. The pub and the village are picture-perfect, but we found the Sunday lunch to be overpriced and not at all spectacular. To be clear, It is not at all bad, but it is oversold to suggest that it is one of the best. I must however add that the service was appalling. Normally, you would expect to be offered drinks when you are first seated. We were at the table for twenty minutes before a different waitress came to take the drinks order. We had four different waiting staff throughout the meal and it was well over forty minutes before we had any food in front of us. We will not bother making the journey again.

Great meal and service. We all ordered different meals from menu and specials- every course was fantastic. Will return!

Spacious room (21m2) bed is unfortunately 140cm/200

We are not local and called in without a prior booking with the hope of a table for our evening meal after travelling home from the continent. We were given a very warm welcome and all staff were polite and pleasant. The Crown Inn has a really nice country feel, with locals in the bar area adding to the atmosphere. Very good food at a very reasonable price. Thoroughly recommend.

Lovely lunch, staff were welcoming and had a good sense of humour. Pizza very tasty, chips looked homemade, tasty coleslaw too. Service was very good and accommodating for our large group. Plenty of options to choose from. Would recommend and will revisit.

Lovely friendly welcome and really good food. Will be back 💜

Rooms were immaculate and presented well. Everything needed was included. Great value for the price The location is peaceful and well situated. Service from all staff was fantastic. The food was delicious. Highly recommended and would certainly return again.

Went for a family meal, food was very good with helpings of a plentyfull size. Nice atomisphire with a play area in the garden. Worth a visit.

Great country pub with a good atmosphere and a brilliant little garden. Our daughter loved playing in the play area which even included a bouncy castle! Good selection of drinks and the food was good. Only thing I would say is the menu felt a little limited with some items off but what we ordered was great and we enjoyed it. Well worth hitting up if you are in the area as its a real little gem

We came here last year for a birthday meal out and it was amazing, however it must of changed hands as the menu was not the same as it is online, food was extortionate and not nice, I had a Buddha bowl which was £16 and it was a bit of hallomi and a bit of courgette in a bowl! Was hoping for a decent steak! The staff were rude and acted like they didn’t care, wedding on at the same time so maybe that’s why. Not one of my family enjoyed their food, ranging pizza to a very small bit of steak on a slice of bread! And they ran out of the wine we were drinking and what they replaced it with was warm and not nice. Won’t go back which is such a shame as it was lovely before!

We Went here yesterday for dinner was absolutely amazing, best roast I’ve tried , portions was huge , all 4 of us was full ! Very recommended!!

Lovely place to take the family, excellent service, nice food with a friendly atmosphere, well done to the owners off the pub making it such a lovely welcoming place, will be back soon.

Went in for a Sunday roast hadn’t booked was ignored at first ,to enquire about a table for 2 the reply was NOT A GOOD IDEA TO WALK IN you have to book ,(plenty of empty tables in the bar) so we turned around and went elsewhere

Went in on the off chance for a Sunday roast for two to be told there was no tables available and was told not a good idea " just to walk in ". Not a warm welcome and staff was rude we will not be back !!!

Fantastic place with the best pub food I have ever had Well worth going a small gem in the Kent country side. I personally cannot fault it

We recently stayed in one of the 2 bedroom mobile homes and it was a beautiful stay, lovely holiday homes and very well thought out, clean and really comfortable. Lovely area and the food at the crown was amazing with amazing atmosphere. Staff are accomadating and a beautiful location surrounded by nature. We will definitely be back to stay for a few days and I would highly recommend.

Lovely pub with really welcoming staff. Nice play area for our little one. Nice beer selection too

The food was so good I returned to try it again and was not disappointed. The food was served quickly, hot and delicious. I will coming here more frequently. Sunday lunch was cooked perfectly, I would go back as the food was great.

We had an evening meal and the starter if king prawns was flavourless and over priced. The salmon fillet with pickled mushrooms wasn't nice. The fish was fine, but it was overloaded with samphire and made it too salty and the pickled mushrooms did not compliment the dish at all. Again, overpriced for what it was.

We had booked for breakfast with a guest at 9.00am. We arrived at 8.50 (normal opening time 8.00am) and the place was locked up. Eventually a young man opened up and told us there was a staff rostering problem and we could not be served. After waiting until 9.30 we left along with about 20 other people who had arrived subsequently. We later learnt from our friend , the guest staying in one of the rooms, that breakfast was not available the following day either. It’s a nice pub but very badly run.

Just had the best roast dinner ever! We both had beef, which was pink and so tender and delicious, 3 thick slices on our plates, no fat at all, bonus for me, ☺️ the roast potatoes were like my homemade ones, so crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy inside. Then the veg, broccoli and cauliflower in a cheese sauce, half a carrot cut lengthwise, cabbage, and a smear of purified Swede on our plate. A square of sausage meat stuffing too. Oh and a very nice homemade Yorkshire pudding. Absolutely the best Sunday roast ever! 😄 Then desert, we both chose Lemon meringue cheesecake with blackberry crumble ice-cream, this also was so delicious! Nothing left on our plates and a place we shall definitely return to. 10/10

Lovely place. I attended a meeting and would love to go back and book in as a guest. Clean and really peaceful

We had a lovely Sunday lunch. Great food and wonderful service. Thank you

Friendly welcome in this hostel where the hotel part at the back had the feel of a holiday village. The room was clean and functional. If we don't give 5 stars it's because one slept well and the other slept badly because the mattress was too soft. The cuisine at the inn is excellent and the service very friendly. Well done and thank you!

Very friendly atmosphere, good service plus a great garden.

Just had a dinner for two for the first time at The Crown. The staff were very attentive, the seating cosy, and the food delicious. We both agreed it was the best steak in the area and everything on the plate perfect, really crispy but fluffy chips, a big juicy garlic mushroom, sweet cherry vine tomatoes, and rare steaks perfectly cooked. We really enjoyed our starters too and felt the prices were very fair.

Food was incredible, service A+++ (thanks Noah). We’re staying at an airbnb down the road so wandered down with a last minute booking. Not only an amazing meal but also my partner who is gluten free got his first apple crumble in two years - made specially for him by the kitchen. And chef was generally great for GF options, adapted everything for us. Definitely go here!!!

The best pub around for sure if you’re looking for really great food and a lovely atmosphere The menu choice is good and varied, service is spot on and the staff are so friendly and welcoming. It’s our no1 go to favourite place for food or just drinks. Highly recommended!

Stayed for a one night at the The Crowns lodges and have to say we were very impressed how modern, spotlessly clean they are. Everything about this place is spot on. The staff cant do enough for you, we had a lovely meal in the evening and Dave and his team did a fantastic job looking after everyone. We will definitely be coming back. 5💫 all the way.

Great for party etc in the converted barn to the rear.

Went there on a Bank Holiday Monday for a lunchtime meal, to celebrate a birthday, having previously booked. Though it wasn't busy. Was met by friendly staff who showed us our table, then had to move us, as we needed a high chair, and it would have blocked the walkway. Nothing to much trouble. Food was well presented and excellent. Good experience had by all. Thanks.

Me and my partner stayed overnight the food was amazing especially the steak and staff were friendly always looking out for you, would highly recommend staying here lovely peaceful area

Have eaten here 2 or 3 times recently , the welcome is always warm , they are dog friendly and the food is really good !! Would recommend !

A lovely warm welcoming place, staff very friendly and helpful 😀 Food was excellent and will def recommend to everyone that wants a family place to visit and eat. Value was good and will def return.

Newly refurbished and it didn’t disappoint. Food beyond excellent. Had to wait for our son and staff so accommodating. Thank you so very much. Can’t wait to come back. x

Have enjoyed coming here a few times now during 2023 and plan to return in 2024. Feel that the landlady knows the importance of efficiency, providing good food at a reasonable price and food that arrives on time. Really impressed with the 3 times we have visited. We will be back and sorry it has taken me awhile to write a review.

Fabulous food, good price point. Will go again.

Fabulous meal with quick, attentive, friendly service in a cosy warm country pub.

Nice friendly Staff frist time I have bn there...

Great Sunday roast. Nice atmosphere, very friendly service.

Family lunch with pies and burgers, all very nice. Staff friendly, service good, nice atmosphere and lovely Christmas decorations 😀 Garden looks like a great spot in the summer so we will definitely be back, thanks

Had the most perfect evening and meal at the Crown tonight..big thanks to Ben who made our evening so special..big smiles 🙂

Lovely food, good price and extremely good atmosphere.

The best Sunday roast in the area! Very polite and helpful staff too.

Lovely pub and lovely food. Used to be so cosy with a fire. Today it was very chilli in the pub. Pls put the fire on again as it makes it sooo cosy!

Excellent service. Great food. Lovely atmosphere and parking.

Lovely old country pub feel with a log burner blazing in the corner, excellent food, all courses were extremely tasty and I would highly recommend trying this place 👍

Fantastic Place, exceptional food, best pork belly roast I've ever had! Brilliant selection of beers and service that most 5 star hotels would aspire too! We'll be back again soon!

Came for Sunday lunch with the family, genuinely the best pork belly we've ever had (and we've tried our fair few) decent portion and hands down the tastiest restaurant roast. Extremely good value for money as well and the staff were so friendly which added to our already pleasant evening. We will absolutely be back and definitely recommending to friends

Really nice place for a family meal or a quiet drink in the evening

Beautiful food, highly recommend if you like something yummy. Very friendly staff as well😁😁 great garden if you have children as well.

This was an amazing place to stay. We were looked after so well, the food was cooked to perfection! We had booked for one night and upon arrival booked a second night. It is within easy reach of a lot of coastal towns, we will definitely be returning :-)

Had a lovely meal with friends. Really nice friendly staff, and nice atmosphere. Didn't stay there, so I'm not sure about the rooms.

We eat regularly at the crown and are never disappointed! The staff are very friendly and welcoming and we are able to take our little dog too!

Great place will definitely come back. Edit.- 2 time here and really enjoyed the stay ,the food was great and the staff and service was great to . Might look into a 3rd trip

Great pub with a great atmosphere this is the second time here and will definitely recommend the staff are friendly, particularly Michaela, the manager, offering a very warm welcome. The food is great in bar, might be worth booking a table before you come if staying on a saturday as it was busy. The lodges are modern and clean with a great outlook.

Lovely cosy fireplace in the winter and a lovely garden for the summer!

Village pub, great service and beers. Lovely outside area

Quiet and restful environment, rooms are nice and kept very clean. Great food at the pub.

Beautiful pub with gorgeous food

We’ve been to the Crown multiple times, for lunch and dinner, and can’t fault it. The food is always excellent (the homemade pies are fantastic), the service is always friendly and they can’t do enough to make sure your experience is a great one. Highly recommend.

Can’t praise this place, the staff, atmosphere, or food enough. Remember Ben from the coastguard at at Margaret’s who is now turning this place into the inn it should’ve always been. Delicious food(!), wonderful service, and an all out great experience. Been coming here for many years, but can honestly say this is the best it’s ever been. Our kids are so happy, entertained, and safe here. We’ve made a pact to come back for a weekly joy. 100% recommend.

Sorry to say this but it was the worst meal. I have ever had out. May be a one off sort of day? The staff looked quite miserable and had little time. We were a party if 6... It was my birthday. Mine was the only meal that did not arrive. After waiting..... I asked where my meal was and it was obvious they had forgotten it. They said it would be 5 mins. When everyone else had finished their meal. I was presented with mine.... Almost 15 mins later! It was a meal not fit to eat. Yellow Thai curry with veg. The veg were hardly cooked and has just been dropped in the sauce as an after thought. Apart from the meal, the service was abysmal too.... Cutlery being handed over piece by piece... Then the serviettes. Not a good experience The meal was not paid for. Sorry I will not be going back....ps this is the first review I have written like this

A lovely old pub , a good menu food was fantastic three courses plus a couple of drinks £80 staff really nice and polite good parking

Great Pub…… Great staff…… Food was amazing…… Highly recommend….. The whole experience was professional from start to finish….. Thank you….

Had lunch here with a friend. An attractive pub with a comfortable friendly atmosphere. I loved our little alcove table. Prices are not the cheapest but the food is excellent quality. We had the beef and mushroom pies which were absolutely delicious. Good pastry and a proper pie with top and bottom. Home made. A rich dark gravy and lean tasty beef. I would be hard pressed to find a better pie. The lady advised us that the wait would be 25 minutes as they were cooked fresh and well worth waiting for. Served with gratin potatoes which I would say were also home made and very tasty and proper fresh vegetables not frozen or tinned. Carrots, cauliflower, cabbage. Desserts are £7.50 so not cheap but high quality. White chocolate brulee for me with shortbread which appeared home baked, so delicious. I'm quite glad they don't sell them by the packet as I wouldn't resist. Coffee cheesecake for my friend. We both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves so thank you to all at the Crown.

The pub is been allowed to slip down hill I’m sorry to say they’re more interested in turning it into a caravan park I sat at a table which flipped over covering me in beer yes they replaced the drinks but failed to remove the table just stood it back up for another customer to do the same if my partner had sat down first there would have been a claim as she’s only just had a knee replacement the lady manager preferred to aerie rather than rectify it’s sad to see it deteriorating

Sunday lunch at the crown I can only say from entering the pub to leaving was one of the best experiences we have had staff are so friendly they make you feel so welcome the food was one of the best Sunday roast well done to the team

Had a lovely time at The Crown today, took my little boy with family and the Barman (Ben) did everything he could to make sure we were happy. He set the bouncy castle up for my toddler and carried a tray of drinks to the table. We will definitely revisit for drinks and food. Great staff make an establishment and he’s a credit to the pub. Thank you!

We visited the pub for lunch on bank holiday Monday. When we arrived we were greeted by two lovely ladies behind the bar. Very quick service, and well priced drinks. We hadn’t booked but asked if it was possible to eat. We were found a table with no problem. The restaurant staff were lovely, and the food was amazing. I’m not sure how they make their chips! But they are a must. Even if they’re not included with your meal, get a bowl on the side 😊 We had a lovely afternoon at the pub, and will be going back.

Well what can I say they do the most amazing Sunday roast it’s a real must and so is a steak night on a Wednesday night. One of are most favourite places to go, good value for money. Ben is a absolute diamond as is all the staff very friending and welcoming.

Always sure of a great Sunday lunch. Beef was perfectly cooked, fresh vegetables and the best roast potatoes ever! Staff always very friendly and helpful. I will always return! Sensible wine prices with a good selection.

As always an amazing meal served from entering the pub until leaving by an amazing lady - Thank you Michaela for your attention to detail for Brian’s birthday tonight. xx

The Crown has recently had new owners. The pub is very clean and has very friendly staff. The menu is fantastic and they have even started to do breakfasts and it's a great menu too. If you haven't tried the food here you're missing out....

Visited to try out the new new Spring menu with a friend who hadn't visited The Crown before. She thought it was a lovely welcoming traditional village pub. We had the chicken breast dish which was full of flavour, plenty of it and served on...

A great place to go for fab food and good service. Sunday roasts are amazing or try Wednesday night for a good steak ! All of the staff are warm and friendly, Ben is always helpful and goes above and beyond with any requests, Thankyou...

Just found this by chance on TripAdvisor, probably the best nut roast I've ever had, very friendly and helpful staff, very chatty and made us feel very welcome. Great food, great service and a really nice friendly and warm environment, can't wait to come back,...

We come to stay in this beautiful little village quite often and this pub never fails to let us down. We feel like locals when we arrive, the gentleman at the bar always remembers us and is extremely welcoming and friendly. ( plus he’s an...

This is a great place for a Sunday Lunch. Have been before hence, our return. Cosy restaurant with pleasant staff. Only let down was the Prawn Cocktail starter. Probably the least complicated of any starter. They call it a " Posh Prawn Cocktail" it is...

Had a Sunday roast with the family 15th Jan. Great service and delicious food. Would highly recommend.

Visited the Crown this morning for a lovely family breakfast. Food was excellent and staff very friendly. Will definitely be returning

We had a Sunday roast, this last Sunday. Food was cooked perfection. Nothing left on our plates. The Chef is clearly talented, well done! Nice pub, lovely village atmosphere.

Visited with 3 friends for our traditional get together. The pub was very welcoming, warm and 🎄 Christmasy. We sat in the restaurant with a lovely log burner glowing and warming. We all had the festive menu. The food was plentiful, the plates warm and...

Great pub great food and a good choice of beer our second visit and won't be our last fantastic landlady good staff , ample parking would recommend a visit .

It was a real pleasure to have breakfast today at The Crown Inn. They have recently added breakfast opening hours and I hope it continues; the food was well cooked fresh and of a good quality being sourced locally. Considering the surroundings, it was also...

Great food But think the new owners are a missing a trick with how to make money We had to ask for menus and our table to be cleared of mains! No one came at any point and to ask if we needed drinks and...

Visited this lovely country pub on a Monday evening. There was a lovely atmosphere as soon as you walk through the door. Sat in the restaurant that had a warming log burner fire lit which was very cosy. Ordered from the set menu which is...

Booked a Table after a long car journey. The restaurant was quiet but the bar area was bustling! We had a lovely meal the service was very good. Staff were very friendly and welcoming particularly as this was clearly a favourite pub with the locals!...

Six of us had dinner here on Friday night. We were pleased to be able to secure a large table in the bar, but the restaurant is just as salubrious. The food was excellent - a cut above normal pub fare and reasonably priced. Staff...

Had a meal at Christmas 2021 which was very good. Returned in September this year as a birthday treat. The meal was excellent and enjoyed by the three of us. My brother-in-law said his steak was cooked to perfection. A car park is a real...

Went on a Wednesday evening at 6ish to have a meal at this venue. On arrival the pub area was extremely busy, with only one member serving drinks. Asked about a table for 2 to eat, was advised they had many bookings this evenings but...