The Falstaff Grill in Canterbury

Fantastic cocktails and friendly service at this classy hotel bar!

Quick cocktail on our way home after the Theatre

A wonderful oasis in Canterbury which I always gravitate to when in need of quiet rest bit.

The cocktails were absolutely first rate and the service is efficient and friendly. Their cocktail menu is a bit artsy and doesn't have any of the classics on it, but in fact they will do any classic you ask for which is good to know. All good.

I'll still never forget when the manager accused my 70-year-old mum of faking a £20 gift certificate and refused to let her leave without paying cash. When I went in with the credit card statement, he refused to apologize and made out she was in the wrong and would not refund the cash payment for the voucher instead of issuing a 2nd gift card. Obviously we never went back and never will.

Had a bottomless afternoon tea with my friend for her birthday. The food was very good apart from the fact the scones had shards of what appeared to be coconut in them which completely spoilt them. Also it was meant to be bottomless drinks, the first one we were given and then waited and waited and nobody came to top our glasses up. I had to go outside to the bar to ask if we could have some more. Nobody was checking to see how our glasses were. last time we went the glasses were being topped up without needing to be asked. We only had 2 glasses each of Mimosa and quite honestly couldn't be bothered to get up to ask for more. When I asked for the bill the chap said oh I thought you would have had more drinks than that as you paid for bottomless. Why were these not automatically served to us. It wasn't as if they were busy. Very disappointed from having been previously.

Our party of 9 was looking forward to bottomless brunch at The Falstaff which was booked months in advance to celebrate a significant birthday. Despite the booking being confirmed by email earlier in the week, when we arrived we were told very rudely that the Falstaff do not offer the package we had booked (it’s on their FB page) and we’d have to take the afternoon tea package instead. There was no apology and no attempt to rectify the situation, although they did eventually agree to provide complimentary drinks while we looked into an alternative venue. I can’t comment on the food but the service on this occasion was appalling and very nearly ruined a special day.

Couldn’t be more disappointed, went as a large group for the bottomless brunch and pizza that was booked in January to arrive to an unwelcoming and rude atmosphere and to be told that they don’t do the bottomless brunch and pizza anymore and that we were only able to have afternoon tea. We went for a 50th birthday and had friends and family travelling from all over to join us just to be let down by the rudeness of the staff and the unwelcoming atmosphere. We didn’t get the name of the person that was seating us but I couldn’t be more shocked by how rude the (who I assume was) South African gentleman was and how unhelpful he was. He was rude unhelpful and unwelcoming and I’m glad we went and found a better alternative at the cozy club who I couldn’t recommend mor

Not as good as it used to be, cocktail menu is limited. No more table service. Very quiet for a Saturday night.

Not sure if they still serve food, but it's a really nice relaxed vibe!

Second time staying here after a trip to the Marlowe theatre cannot fault the service we received can recommend a pint or two of the "Camden " lager from the bar the breakfast is also first class

Awful and over priced afternoon tea. Not what was advertised on the online menu the duty manager was rude and argumentative when query was raised regarding menu. £167 for 5 people eating scones and sandwich’s RIP OFF!!!

I can't comment on the food as we didn't eat. We popped in for a drink, and the staff were friendly. Bar staff were very knowledgeable when it came to mixing drinks.

Visited The Falstaff bar for the first time and would not return here or recommend to others. As we walked in, we weren’t greeted by either of the staff at the front desk as you walk in, and weren’t greeted or acknowledged by any bar staff as we sat at the bar. There were at least four members of staff at the bar and it wasn’t busy there was only one other couple at the bar. We looked at the drinks menus and had decided on our drinks, but still no acknowledgment at all and no orders were taken. Feeling very frustrated, we left after 10 minutes and wouldn’t return. As we left no one acknowledged that we had walked out without having ordered, and again, there were at least four or five members of staff who saw. Very disappointing.

Very comfortable hotel with good breakfasts. Very helpful and friendly staff.

Charmed sophisticated and mercifully quiet in a busy part of the town. Unreservedly recommend.

Service was pretty slow and disinterested but the cocktails were incredible. The setting is lovely with a variety of different rooms to sit in offering a wide range of seating options.

Cocktails were nice, cosy ambience. But the prices... were literally double what you would usually pay at any other place.

I have stayed at the falstaff many times.. and I love the ambience.. the 🍸 cocktails... the polite staff..the location... my only gripe on this trip was the room we had was absolutely tiny.. had to walk sideways at the end of the bed.. The bathroom was also very tight and was all a bit claustrophobic .

What a lovely stay, the reception was 24/7 and they were all very helpful, we arrived 2 hours early and were welcomed warmly, because the room wasn't ready our luggage was locked in a store room and we was given a ticket per piece of luggage. The cocktails hit the right note too. The room for the standard room was really nice. And the full English every morning is a must, the eggs and sausages you could tell are locally sourced. Would stay there again.

It's a cozy place. Fabulous cocktail bar.

Lovely place, good food and polite staff

Very good - available drinks on show

Looks posh but great price. Beautiful varied seating

Staff were welcoming friendly and attentive.

Great weekend stay. Quality throughout, from reception, bar staff and service staff. Stay here when ever we can. Back again in August for another weekend break, looking firward to it.

Lady behind the bar was a bit direct however the waitress was lovely who served us st our table. Nice cocktail in a nice environment.

Rooms very clean, amazing breakfast

Lovely venue x lovely staff shame about some of the drunks who were wedding guests. 💑

Super dejligt sted. Kommer her gerne igen

Great place, nice decor friendly attentive staff . Cocktails yummy. Pizza is very nice. Toilets clean well stocked. Went with a group of ladies all enjoyed the atmosphere, and a very pleasant afternoon was had

Gorgeous cocktails, lots of different seating areas both inside and out. The bartenders were lovely and really knew their stuff.

Great selection of alcohol, but pricey. High turnover of staff and spurious jobs advertised.

Really nice on the inside, wonderful garden and some quirky staff too. Only bad thing was the cola tasted off.

Great afternoon/early evening. Friendly attentive staff, who served us at our table; saving us having to go to the bar. Relaxing atmosphere. Smashing 60th celebration for our relative. Only difficulty was for wheelchair users, limited access.

May 2022- Popped in and was so pleased that they do a 'Charcuterie' - it was delicious. Lovely with the Pinot Bianco Blush. Made my day. Great staff and vibe. 2020 - Amazing night at the Falstaff Bar last night. Their cocktails are really imaginative and delicious. The Truffle Mushroom pizza with white truffle cream, wild mushrooms, pecorino, black truffle, fresh basil was one of the best pizza I ever ate. There was a great atmosphere. The staff are so nice and friendly. Love the décor too.

Posh pad, lovely environment and building with polite staff. Great selection of drinks but hotel prices.

My sister and I took my mum here for Mother’s Day for afternoon tea, and, unfortunately, it was a disaster from start to finish. We had ordered two afternoon teas and three drinks. After around twenty minutes, a young waiter came to our table to tell us that the bar hadn’t put our drinks through and asked us again to repeat our order. The staff were incredibly young, unprofessional and hadn’t received adequate training. We were asked twice on separate occasions whether there were any dietary requirements to which we said no. We waited around an hour before just the first afternoon tea arrived and they apologised for the wait which was due to a mix up in their system about the number of orders or something. They mentioned there was confusion as they thought somebody in our party was vegan. My sister was vegan at the time of booking but when confirming the booking online the day before we arrived, she cancelled this dietary requirement. We asked how long the second afternoon tea would arrive as we had already waited an hour for the first one and they couldn’t respond. We decided in the end to cancel the second one as it would probably take too long but this hadn’t been communicated to the kitchen staff who proceeded to bring out the second lot a short while after. We informed the lady who brought the second afternoon tea out to our table that we had cancelled this, to which she replied lazily, “Eh?” because she hadn’t heard what we’d said. It was rude and embarrassingly unprofessional. When it came to paying the bill, they had forgotten to take off the second afternoon tea that we had cancelled and then had to wait another ten minutes for this to be rectified. Bearing in mind, the place wasn’t busy. Once rectified, we told the waiter we wanted to split the bill. He told us that he ‘had no idea how to do it’ and had to find his supervisor to take payment instead. It was embarrassingly bad. It’s a shame as this place has a lot of potential. I’m all for giving young people opportunities but some of them really lack knowledge, professionalism and competence which really tarnishes the whole experience.

Professional friendly and beautifully presented it's a credit to the owners and all staff. Well done Steve

We love it at the Falstaff. We've been to 2 Cocktail Making Classes with John, previously-which were really good fun. We've never eaten here, but the pizzas look and smell amazing. The cocktails are not your '2 for 1' style and there is an automatic service charge added, but we haven't seem to have suffered a nasty headache the next day. I assume this is down to the quality of the products they use. If you fancy a little treat-somewhere special-head to the Falstaff.

Excellent cocktails and service. Espresso martini was a standout 👌

Waited an hour for our drinks in 2-3° weather, staff being friendly and beer garden being nice aren't helpful if there's no service .......................................................... Came back 2 weeks after reopening, staff were friendly, and drinks were timely, any earlier problems were likely teething issues after lockdown. Would go again!

You HAVE to try the pizza- they have many varieties but the spicy pepperoni was my favourite. I demolished it rather quickly as it was yummy. The porn star cocktail slushie went down a treat too.

Hmmmn this place should do so much better, basic customer care as stated in previous reviewers posts, lack of interest and mega expensive will be finding elsewhere else to visit from now on and they can have my money!

Highly disappointing meal at the Falstaff. Group of ten went for pizzas which took hours to come to the table and once they did, half the group had finished before all the pizzas where out. Pizza isn’t the most difficult food to cook and get right. It may have been a one off but unfortunately will not be visiting for food again. I gave an extra mark due to the manager reducing our bill but to be honest, we would have all preferred a better experience as this was someone’s birthday!

Last night we booked in for a birthday celebration... the service was awful... we waited over 2 hours for our pre ordered meal (just pizzas!)... no explanation until we asked for the manager... One meal had to be gluten free... the person has been ill all night... the pizza was different but cross contamination could have happened.. ? With the poor service I would not be surprised if that happened... Also all they seemed to want to do is sell us bottles of champagne or cocktails..!

I have just had my 3rd visit to The Falstaff for their Afternoon Tea. It's reasonably priced in comparison to other establishments and there is a great selection of yummy treats.

I travelled from Ramsgate with three friends today; we were looking forward to Afternoon Tea which we had booked as an early Xmas Treat. Having spent nearly 30 minutes looking for a space in one of the heaving city car parks, we were pleased to spot a car park at the rear of the building for the Falstaff Hotel and Restaurant. There were plenty of free spaces so we parked and went in. We apologised for being late and explained what had happened. We were then told that we could not use the car park as it was for residents and there was a £10 charge for 24 hours. We said that surely they could make an exception as there was plenty of space and the restaurant was empty; we were keen to start out tea. We offered £5, but £10 when we would only be there around 1-2 hours was ridiculous on top of what we would be spending in the restaurant. The waitress couldn't agree and we were left standing while she went to find a manager. Eventually the manager came and we had to explain the situation again, only to have her insist we paid £10 as we should not be using the car park at all. There was no customer care applied and no flexibility. We were very frustrated by this time and all agreed to leave rather than be treated in such a manner. The manager seemed to find it acceptable to lose the business of four afternoon teas plus drinks ( from the empty restaurant) rather than apply common sense discretion and some customer service!! We won't be booking there again!

Lovely beer garden and great service

Loved the chemistry style to the cocktails! Very in depth info and nice venue

I love the look of this place and the cocktails but the service is so very hit and miss and all your ever get poor excuses. My girlfriend booked us a table here for NYE from 22.30 and when we got to the bar and informed them they said find a waitress. When we did they had to go and find a spare table to sit us at despite the reservation so we were squeezed in to a very uncomfortable space. We had booked a table not only to guarantee a place (as last year they wouldn’t let my girlfriend and I in despite being half full) but to get table service. This however we were informed was not available as they were short staffed...... on NYE!!!! It really did sour an otherwise lovely evening I only wish this place would sort out their customer service for patrons who want to drink in an up market bar. Unfortunately this is not the first time I have been let down when booking a table here so I will look to go elsewhere as when I invite friends out I want them to enjoy the evening with minimum fuss. I won’t be back here anytime soon.

Our bartender, breaking down his serves to my guest (new to cocktails) was brilliant and certainly impressed. Piano melodies and sunshine brightening the room, The Falstaff offered the perfect ambience and range of drink needed for a lazy afternoon of cocktails.

A little on the steep side price wise, but you do get what you pay for! The cocktails are delicious - particularly any of the speciality barrel aged ones. Amazing selection of mezcal too!!

Trendige Bar. Bei der Jugend beliebt

Afternoon Tea here for a party of 11.Well it started when we phoned to make a booking!! We mentioned that we had 2 children with us to which they said they are the same price as an adult!! But not to worry as they could have chips or something instead!! We arrived to jugs of water service slow, well it came out I asked for some chips for my son to be told the restaurant had been closed for two years, and all he could have was a panini I couldn’t believe it, we then asked for a few more sandwiches to which the response was yes for and extra charge!! The only nice thing was the scones, it was tasteless and not great at all. Coffee tasted like water too!!!! Much better and cheaper places to go would never go back it was the worst overpriced we have ever been,

The whole place was well designed in modern styling which complemented the old setting. Great servic and a good menu

We decided to pop in here whilst on a day out in Canterbury, staff were not helpful or watching who wanted serving. We should have stopped at the Abode...

I like the Falstaff it's got a good feel to it and I like the craft beers and cocktails if I didn't live in Canterbury I would stay at the hotel

ウエストゲート近くにあるファルスタッフホテルに併設されているパブレストランです。夜遅くまで開いているので使いやすかったです。ホテルの朝食もココでした。

Very disappointing evening here yesterday. Initial drinks were good. The starters were not great - tiny portion size. The main meal was shocking. Those that ordered the fish got their meal first and one guest sent their meal back as the fish was cold. Those that were having turkey waited at least ten to fifteen minutes longer. By the time the turkey meal came those that had the fish meal had finished. The turkey meal was a real disappointment. The vegetables looked like they had come out of a bag from the freezer and boiled. Very watery and soggy carrots. The brussels were under cooked. There was no stuffing. I think a supermarket Christmas ready meal for one would have tasted better. Those that had the vegetarian option said it was ok. The Christmas pudding was tough and sticky. We will not be returning here next year for our work Christmas meal.

Using my birthday voucher for afternoon tea I was surprised to be served 4 scones and tea.Although it was very nice I was disappointed, this to me is a cream tea.After checking with various friends we are all in agreement that a scone and tea is not afternoon tea.Too pricey for what was served.There are other places that serve a proper afternoon tea.

We were invited to afternoon tea to celebrate a friend's birthday so came across the Falstaff purely by chance. As a large party we were seated in the garden room at the rear of the hotel. It was a lovely setting on a warm/stuffy day. Plenty of space and, thankfully patio doors to enable air to circulate. The tea was excellent value for money..a very pleasant surprise. Reasonable sandwiches but excellent scones and variety of cakes. Loved the macarons. Good service. Definitely planning a return visit.

Subjected to a vile tirade from bar staff for asking to pay with Amex. The barman clearly thinks he's very clever and witty, but I don't think humiliating customers is ever good business practice. The volume of his rant meant that everyone else at the bar could hear. I know some people are against paying with amex, but I think a polite "I'm sorry, we don't take American Express" would suffice for this situation. This was not even one individual member of staff as his female at the colleague clearly also found his rant hilarious and openly laughed at me. I'm sorry I use an Amex to make ends meet and for having the audacity to try and spend my money in your establishment.Had I not had company with me, who thankfully was out of earshot, I would certainly have walked straight out the door after being spoken to this way. I can only think that you get so much trade you think you can get away with being so rude to paying customers (not that the bar was at all busy that evening), but I will certainly never return.

We stayed one night in the Falstaff and would definitely stay again.We were greeted at the reception and the staff had already observed that we would require disabled facilities and gave us a ground floor room (25) very close to all aspects of the hotel .All facilities were explained in full and a local restaurant at which to dine was recommended .Café de Soleil see review.Our room was comfortable with nice bathroom facilities, coffee making facilities and a flat screen tv . Even though the room was situated on the ground floor at the front of the hotel we still had a great nights sleep as the soundproofing on the windows kept any excessive noise at bay. We had breakfast before we left the next morning, although a minor point it is worth mentioning that that eggs should be cooked to order as our fried egg was hard although this did not spoil the quality of the food presented. Service throughout our stay was very good thankyou all.

Had afternoon Tea here which was excellent value for money. Lovely, attentive staff. There was a good selection of tea available, water was offered which came ice cold in a fancy bottle, exactly what was needed on the hottest day of the year. We choose the afternoon tea which included some really good quality sandwiches, cakes and scones with jam and cream. Way to much for one sitting but a box was offered to take away. The surroundings were beautiful, old, beams, sofas and armchairs creating a lovely ambience. Cosy but not pretentious.

The food is goo. The breakfast is incredible. Staff could be more alert, but all in all, not bad. Loved the yogurt and toppings.

Ate here with a group of friends. The place is lovely, it has been done up really well and is a lovely setting to meet friends. i have read many of the comments about service, this is what i found: The waiter who first served us had so little English it was awkward, his colleague took over our table and was very efficient. He had to come to our table frequently to tell us wine after wine we chose was not available. There were also many missing items from the menu meaning we had 4 choice for dessert (an orange cake, cheese, ice cream or sorbet!). The food however was lovely really well cooked chateaubriand, fresh lobster, oysters from Rye. We were a late table 8.45pm and were asked to pay the bill and hurry with our orders as they were closing which i found a little rude. Would i go again, probably yes. The service and stock levels need addressing though.

Visited the hotel on Saturday, 26th December for a drink and some lunch. My wife and I went to the bar for a few drinks before lunch and asked for white wine. The excellent barman had to tell us that virtually every white wine we ordered was out of stock. No New Zealand wine, no South African white wine and not even an Australian white. We settled on a Spanish white which was fine. The barman, who I must say gave superb service to everyone, was clearly embarrassed as he was having the same conversation with lots of guests. For a top hotel in Canterbury why would you not have in stock enough wine for what must have been a very busy Christmas. Have to say lunch was excellent and as I am in Canterbury next week on business I will pop in again for lunch as it was delicious.

Great place for a drink, meal whatever in the heart of Canterbury near the West Gate and train station. Met and conversed with others at the bar/restaurant and stayed one night in the adjacent hotel.

This is a typical hotel restaurant, could be a little more intimate. Food was very good, but the staff seemed a little distracted and unattentive - had to call across the room to ask for things. Waiter spilled wine, and didn't appear to know what he was doing! A little basic amenities for the price. Didn't take the right order for the sauces, it was all haphazard!

Great refurbishment in the public area's, the lady responsible has good taste!Service in the restaurant needs attention to detail, but considering there has been no restaurant in this hotel properly for nearly 5 years, only breakfast and snacks, they have made a great start. Give it ago, and they value the feedback, so be honest!

We were very pleasantly surprised with our lunch. We all had a roast and experienced a wonderfully cooked plate of meat and potatoes. The vegetables were superb and generously served. The chocolate pot was amazing and well worth it. Excellent experience!

salad not dress chip very poor steak ok. service charge add and water charged this meal was over priced its a sham as i was looking forward as the kitchen had just had a make over