The George & Dragon at Fordwich in Canterbury - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

This is a pub/restaurant that I have used many times previously and had some great meal from a good pub menu. This time I was disappointed and embarrassed as I took my son and his new girlfriend for lunch. The menu seems to have moved away from good food and tried to push upmarket. They have missed the mark. My son ordered the steak- expensive but you expect that with steak. What you don’t expect is the tiniest portion of meat I’ve ever seen. About 4 mouthfuls of average steak. The other 2 meals were expensive, pretentious and very average taste wise. Having frequented the pub regularly it was so disappointing I won’t be going back.

There were 12 of us, who had parked further up the road to enjoy an evening paddle-board, when we finished we drove into the carpark to change into dry gear/shoes etc. before heading into the pub for an evening drink, when the rudest barmaid ever came marching across the road shouting ‘this is not OK!’ Assumed we’d parked there all along to paddle board (which we hadn’t!), we explained we’d just turned up and were about to come and have a drink, but she continued in the rudest manor, so we got back in our cars and drove elsewhere where we would feel more welcome! Perhaps get your facts straight first!! 2 of our party had been enjoying a drink in your garden prior to this -so we technically were customers! Rude rude rude. Avoid!

Fantastic roast, lovely atmosphere and very friendly staff.

Food, atmosphere and location are to die for. Waitresses looked overworked. Their service was good but a few more smiles would make a big difference. There should be someone to meet you when you arrive as we waited a long time for someone to appear.

Beautiful, clean pub with outdoor seating, part of which overlooking the River Stour. Friendly staff, delicious vegan options 😋

Didn't eat here. Such a lovely pub. Friendly staff. Beautiful garden. Very nice and clean toilets. Great location

The grub at this lovely pub is to die for. So hard to choose as everything on the menu looks sumptuous. Generous portions with well-balanced flavours and top-notch ingredients. Their pies are perfection, their mash utterly delicious and the sauce was just incredible. Their chips are the bomb and the onion rings have to be seen to be believed. If you have room for a pud (we often don't as their whopping main course really fills you up) they are wonderful, the triple chocolate brownie is moist and superb. The staff are friendly and attentive, we can't praise them highly enough, they remain cheerful no matter how busy. (Take a small car at busy times - the car park can be a nightmare!)

Friendly welcome, great food, great service. Will return again when we are down here again. The only downside is the parking. We could not park on the car park as it was full. We had to park quite a distance away. Need a registrar your car number plate for customs only system. Because lots of the spaces in the car were taken up by none patrons.

This was our first visit to The George & Dragon and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The food was lovely with very large portions. We sat outside as it was a nice evening and the outdoor dining area is lovely, undercover with lights and heaters for the colder months too. We were served by Finn who was wonderful, very attentive and friendly. A great visit and we look forward to returning soon!

You need to know where to find this fantastic pub (found with Google Maps). Real cozy pub, Great food, friendly staff, nice atmosphere

It was delicious and the staff were really nice. Warm setting.

The food itself was lovely when finally delivered. We were seated in the bar area even though there were plenty of tables in the main restaurant available (and I booked) and we were forgotten about. It took 25 minutes for someone to take our order, it took 40 minutes for our starters to come out, another hour for the mains to come out and then 20 minutes for 2 bowls of ice cream to be delivered. Not once during our meal did anyone come over to ask if we wanted another drink or clear any of the empty glasses. There were tables covered in finished plates and glasses everywhere and even though the place was busy it was not overrun. There were 3 toilets in the ladies and 2 were out of action so there was a constant queue for the bathroom. We had a similar experience the last time we came but gave it another chance as the food was lovely. Can’t say I’ll be making that mistake again

Stopped off for a coffee and dessert - had the biscoff cheesecake with cherry sorbet - was honestly the best dessert I’ve ever had. Great ambiance and very friendly staff too - hope to come back next time I’m in the area to sample the menu further.

Best ever pub!! On the river gorgeous setting - service food beers n vino outstanding value. A real gem!! Thanks a lot!!!

Situated next to the Great Stour river we have visited this pub twice now as we enjoyed our first visit. There is a nice garden with a large shaded area with plenty of seating for those hot sunny days or even warm rainy ones and lawned area with tables and benches with parasols. The food each time has been very good and enjoyed by all in our group. There is a fairly large car park on the other side of the road which has disabled parking. I will say the ladies toilet is not wheelchair friendly as there is a step up into the ladies and then another step into each cubicle and the same for the mens. As with most pubs, it is old and this could be the reason why? If there is a disabled toilet, we did not see it. When we are in the area again we will be sure to visit.

What was good: chicken wings starter, son's ham egg and chips he loved. Bad:extremely slow service, took 45 mins to get a starter, 1hr 15 to get the mains. Lamb shoulder was chewy and tasteless, potato was cold..we would have had desert but couldn't face the wait. Had to pay at the bar after getting bored waiting for the bill. Quite expensive, so would expect much better.

A lovely pub. We went there twice, when on holiday from Devon. Really friendly staff. Lovely food and drinks.

We booked a table for our wedding anniversary and went with family, only to be sat there waiting for an hour for the mains to be served without cutlery or plates which we had to again ask for. So much delay that we were forgotten. Wasted our special day waiting.

Can't fault and of the staff at all and the atmosphere is lovely. Sorry to say the food however was absolutely awful. I had the carimalised pork. The pork meat was like rubber and served with about 2 inches of fat on top, which wasn't particularly carimalised. The veg was bland and overdone. My wife's meal was nicer, being fair, but still pretty average. Safe to say I wouldn't ever go there again. She had the lamb. The meat was better cooked but the veg was still pretty poor. The wine had with the meal was nice.

Lovely riverside pub, very welcoming, dog friendly, lovely food.

My sister has recently moved to the area,so after helping with diy head to the george for some lunch in the sunshine. Pub is in a lovely location with plenty of outside seating. We ate from the outside menu most going for the burger and I had the steak sandwich. Food was lovely and the service was nice and friendly. Great for dogs with water bowls placed around the garden which was needed on a hot day. Would recommend a visit and will be back I'm sure to try the main menu. My sister is lucky to have this within walking distance.

On holiday and kept driving past this pub so gave it a go one night and went back for a 2nd visit. Both times the staff were friendly and professional. Good variety of dishes on the menu and not over priced in my opinion. For me there was nothing not to like about this pub.

Excellent sunday lunch in very pleasant surroundings with excellent staff. Car parking was an issue as some non customers were using so had to park 100 yards away!

The crab (etc etc) linguine was, o, God, soooo good. We were shattered and I was hangry to say the least, but the coke and garlic bread staved off madness till the lunch proper arrived. Shame I don't live nearer as otherwise I'd eat lunch there every day. Maybe just as well. Price for 2 very reasonable, I thought, considering the superb standard of food. Aces all round.

Excellent food and lovely atmosphere every time

What an amazing place. It's a very good experience. Food is amazing lovely place will be going back again tomorrow for anniversary ❤️

Popped in for a light bite, BBQ chicken wings too tough, under cooked. Prawn toast worst we have ever had, two small pieces for just under £7, dark, very over cooked and tasted of old burnt oil. Based on this experience, we would not eat here again.

The food was extremely over priced and either under cooked or over cooked. BBQ chicken wings were very very tough and the Prawn toast was the worst we have ever had. Two thin pieces very small for £6.95 and barely any prawn, and very dark, over cooked and tasted of old oil. Nice location for a drink but would not eat there again. Shocking!

Excellent food , service and ambiance. Nothing was too much trouble for the attentive staff. No wonder the car park is always full !

Visited here on a beautiful sunny Sunday with friends. We sat outside under the canopy and was served by a delightful waitress. Drink and food order taken by a lovely young man who’s often served us. Efficiency personified. Knew all the ales available and reeled off the wines. A fantastic ambassador for this wonderful pub. The chef on was also first class as the food came out piping hot and beautifully seasoned. We all had the roasts and our veggie friend throughly enjoyed the Wellington. Her bug bear is always the poor options you get in most pubs but this was cooked with a great knowledge of the need for protein. Butternut squash and lentils. The beef/lamb and pork options we had were also superb. The quality of their ingredients is obvious. I’d love to know their meat provider as I struggle to get my beef so soft and tasty. The whole experience was just first class. We all said what an enjoyable couple of hours we spent at this establishment. We can’t wait to come back!

We have had a lovely meal today here at The George and Dragon. I had the Chicken and wild mushroom pie with buttered mash and vegetables in a white wine and tarragon sauce. My girlfriend had tge mixed roast dinner, Beef and pork loin with roast potatoes veg, gravy and crackling. The portion size was really good and food presented very nicely. The waitresses were all very helpful and polite, we had the pleasure of spending some time talking to to the landlady Diana also a very nice person. The food was lovely as was the atmosphere in the pub, they have a great beer garden with a food tent aswell as the restaurant, we will definitely be returning for more lovely food and will also try the food outside.Thank you so much to everyone, we had a great couple of hours with you.

Best roast with trimmings. Nothing is too much trouble. Could not recommend more highly.

Margarita was an excellent waitress! She was very helpful, polite and attentive. We go here often so we regularly recommend your pub to friends, family and our Airbnb guests! Unfortunately though, we found the Yorkshire pudding to be quite dry and crispy when we visited yesterday.

Excellent food, service and ambience. Appreciate the voucher scheme offered, thereby getting a small discount on meal costs

Great outdoor seating, situated in lovely village. Staff very friendly and food was delicious!!

A great English pub experience- friendly efficient staff and beautiful food. Excellent vegan selection and 10/10 vegan biscott cheescake.

Amazing, driven past all my life but finally went in and wish I had sooner

Lovely location, we ate outside and really enjoyable. Good choice and excellent food, thank you.

Nice food, good service, good atmosphere. On the river in the summer is a great place to be.

I love this pub, in summer is great because of the garden that they have. In winter the inside is an amazing experience, and all the time the waiters are helpful and kind

Three of us had the seafood linguini (pasta), the prawns on mine were well over cooked the other two dishes seemed to be ok but promotions between the three were so different. Surprised to see no sugar free soft drinks (Coke zero, pepsi Max or diet lemonade) except diet Coke Shame as this was my first visit

We Popped in on the ofchance on a Sunday (family of 4) we hadn't pre booked but the staff managed to fit us in. Amazing food great service. A little pricey but you get what you pay for and I was happy to pay me and my wife had the lamb followed by a dessert of cheesecake and chocolate brownie. Absolutely delicious.

Really good food and even better service. Very cosy with a lovely garden space.

We had a family meal last week end and everything was just perfect! The pub is nice as in certain areas you can relax and have a drink and in others you can have a table and eat your lunch. The quality of the food is much higher than you would expect from a pub; in fact it is good restaurant quality with a good choice of beers thrown in!! The other distinguishing thing is that we could order a small or large size desert which is a great idea as often you want to treat yourself but not eat too much! The service was very attentive and professional. You were well looked after and yet they never tried to hurry you up. The atmosphere was very vibrant and we all enjoyed ourselves. Thank you to all at the George an Dragon for an amazing evening out.

Best pub in Kent. Food is always high quality and the staff are 10* servers. It’s always hard to try somewhere different for dinner as I will always come here every time without fail.

Superb old pub with lots of nooks and crannies. Good selection of local ales. Imaginative choice of bar snacks. No piped music, so conversation can flow.

Delicious meal with family, our waitress was working super hard and was great, food was yummy!

Amazing amount of gluten free options available on the menu. Real care and attention given to the preparation. Fantastic flavour. Would highly recommend going especially for gluten free food.

Very busy lunchtime. Bar area is small as the remainder of the bar was being used as an extension to the restaurant. We were sat at our table on time and the staff were very attentive for food and drinks. All our food arrived piping hot, tasty and we did not have to wait too long. Slightly more expensive than most pubs but the food was good quality with great service. Thank you.

Great ambience, good service but food not up to previous standard. Have had many Sunday roasts here but last Sunday’s roast chicken did not appear to have seen the oven. The chicken skin was pale looking and the chicken itself tasted stale, as if it had been cooked previously and reheated. Shame as the vegetables and Yorkshire were great.Won’t be returning any time soon as there are plenty of pubs nearby where you can get a proper roast.

Lovely place along the riverside.

Quite possibly the best fish and chips I've ever eaten! Lots if tables in the garden next to the river. Will definitely be back.

Lovely lunch, great service, great food

Always a great go to for a family lunch dog friendly even in winter time. Proper pub but with a restaurant as well as bar food. Outside tables in summer make meeting up relaxed and easy. Staff are welcoming and the old building retains its charm.

Been a few times and it’s always been enjoyable so I’m not sure what went on this time. I can only assume someone gave the chef the bank holiday Monday off because my food appeared to have been cooked by the glass washer! I ordered the mixed roast; pork and beef. When it arrived I initially thought the meat was coming on a separate plate until I noticed the one slice of pork and one small slither of beef next to the spoonful of runny mash. The crackling was smaller than my little finger. I could forgive the meagre offerings if the meat was of an amazing quality. It gets worse. The pork was 80% fat, which can be expected with pork belly, except I’m used to the fat being somewhat cooked. In this case it had the same texture as overcooked calamari: rubber bandish and raw tasting. I can hear you screaming at the screen, if you don’t tell them they can’t make it right. I did. I asked them to replace my pork with beef. Which they did; 1 slice of particularly chewy beef. The best part is saved until last: they still charged me the higher price for the mixed roast! Nearly £25 for a well below average roast dinner. Perhaps they hadn’t cooked enough, in which case take it off the menu. 2 small slices of poorly cooked meat isn’t acceptable. I still left a tip as the waitress was great but the food was decidedly below par and I’ll not give them another chance I’m afraid.

Staff are always welcoming. Good choice of delicious food. Generous size of portions. Popular venue.

Superb place. We booked in advance and they were able to accommodate a last minute schedule change for us. Although the vegetarian menu was quite limited, the food was amazing. I ordered a lentil bolognese pasta, that was spot on with the flavour. The service was impeccable and atmosphere was warm and cozy, without being too loud and typical pub-like. If visiting Canterbury, Dover or Fordwich, I would definitely recommend a visit here. Would have given a 5 star if there were more vegetarian/vegan options on the menu.

Decent foor and star service. Nice atmosphere.

This was our first visit to this pub for over 30 years. We were very pleased with the pub and its decor. We visited on a Saturday lunch time and had booked in advance. It was very bust so so a good job we had booked. The menu was great small but included all we wanted. We could have ordered anything on the many except for the stew. This meant we had difficulty choosing what to have. We want for the burger and were not disappointed. We saw other peoples food arriving which all looked great. We will be back soon possible to try out the Sunday lunch.

Great food very reasonably priced and in a great location

Went to this restaurant tonight. Been here loads but tonight they had a new menu. Vegetarian choice very limited. Soya Burger or pasta for £17! Lentil bolognese was nice but not worth the cost and wouldn’t want it again. Couldn’t offer anything else. Sadly won’t be going Back.

Guaranteed change of scenery, UK cottage/hostel atmosphere, fairly short menu which is generally a sign of quality. Classic fries and chips, the rest of the menu is a real discovery. Located in a very natural setting, the whole is a must-see in the region.

The Yorkshire pudding was the lightest I have ever had! The food was delicious and super friendly service!

It's a lovely character pub in a great location. Fantastic selection of ales and lager including Lowenbrau on tap which I've not seen for ages. However, value is poor...2 sandwiches and 2 drinks and hardly any change from £50. I'd rate this place lower if it wasn't for the Lowenbrau and location as the pricing is a joke

Amazing lunch, I love this pub, I have Been here several times for lunch and have never been let down. Btw the sorbet is devine!

Brilliant mother's day lunch. Service was impeccable, food served within 15 minutes of ordering (even though the restaurant was full) and piping hot. Polite and friendly staff, couldn't fault.

A lovely rural pup near Canterbury with cosy atmosphere and great food, beer and wines. A must visit!

We loved our Saturday lunch, it was relaxed, the food was delicious and delivered by a waitress who brought such great energy. Exactly what we wanted! Thanks so much, we will be back!

Just came across this pub whilst driving out for the day. Originally had intended to go elsewhere but locals recommended this. The menu is lovely and you must have the pies they are amazing and great value.

We popped in for a light bite to eat and we weren't disappointed. The menu is fantastic for choice and I had the croquet monsieur and it was gorgeous followed by the raspberry sorbet totally amazing. The staff are lovely this pub is a real gem.

Fantastic setting. Great food. Friendly team. Dog friendly. Always a go to for Sunday lunch

Lovely village pub, extremely good food, dog friendly.

Good food, good atmosphere, good service. Always happy to recommend

One of the best pubs in Canterbury if not the best! Food, staff and vibes are always perfect, had a lovely Sunday afternoon here thank you x

Visited for dinner on Wednesday evening the food was lovely and service from the two brunette girls, I think their names were Chelsea and Ria was wonderful! The reason I am not leaving a 5 star review is due to the fact all we heard coming from the kitchen was the food bell being rung an unreasonable amount at least 10 times each time, once or twice is enough but it was being rung constantly until one of the waitresses went out the back. Just seems like the chefs have no consideration for the waitresses or the customers as it really ruined what could have been a perfect evening.

Good food and very friendly and attentive staff.

Cannot fault this establishment, staff were extremely polite and helpful, food was absolutely beautiful Fantastic experience and will definitely return

As ever great food and exemplary service. My coq au vin pie was great and the vegetables excellent. The rest enjoyed their fish and chips. Beer was good and Noah gave us excellent service and attention.

Our go-to place for guaranteed good food, our favourite being the roast dinner which we recently had last week. The price matches the quality and the food is always delicious. No matter how many new places we try, we always go back to The George and love it every time. The outside area has a large covered area with heaters and a lovely garden for the warmer months. The place has a warm, family feel to it and all in all a great place for food, atmosphere and service.

Lovely meal for my partners birthday, the food was delicious. The outside garden/ seating is wonderful especially in the summer time. Beautiful views.

We stopped here as first time visitors, for lunch, for just a quick bite to eat. We was recommended this by a villager we spoke to. There is a varied menu there with light bites, burgers, steaks etc but they also do a pie menu. All the food is served fresh. We ordered the steak sandwich with fries as a light bite option but was compelled to try the pie menu. We shared both dishes between us and we have to admit we should have ordered 2 from the pie menu. The food was great tasting and the pie was loaded with meat and vegetables. Fantastic meal with very informative staff that helped us to choose to our taste buds. Friendly service and just a generally lovely pub. I will definitely return here. Food 10/10 value 9/10 atmosphere and staff friendliness 10/10.

This is a quintessential British Pub with fantastic and tasty food - one of best Pub roasts we've eaten. We had the Christmas menu - the veggie Wellington, and the roast Beef - everything on the dishes were perfectly cooked and delicious. The atmosphere is lovely and warm, and the staff are super friendly, attentive and welcoming especially Harriet, Noah and Lauren. Thank you we'll certainly visit again when we are next in Canterbury!

Lovely old pub, with a cosy atmosphere. Staff were helpful. Food wasn't the best unfortunately. Cold tea served and cold risotto too.

Stopped for a quick bite. Fish finger butties hit the spot. Mains looked good as well.

Was here for Boxing Day lunch..... Nice old village pub, but the management could do with reading their Tripadvisor reports and sometimes even answering them so that some of the problems pointed out can be addressed. The beer I had (Adnams) was excellent... | The mains .. turkey roast dinner excellent... however brussels sprouts hard as bullets.... not impressed. Afters, Black forest trifle.... pretty good. "Accessible" toilet not very accessible. Toilet seat not fitted properly and, in my opinion, dangerous.... Suggest inadequate maintenance. Car park... quite large, but full of stupidly parked BMW's Audi's and Range Rovers taking up the space of two cars.... not surprising these days with the yobs that drie them.... You scraped a four...

The pub was really busy for Christmas Eve but staff and service were fantastic

Noah and the team of waiting staff made our family Christmas get together here very special. They created a wonderful atmosphere, they were friendly and they went above and beyond with their professional service. The waiting ladies (I forgot to ask their names) were engaging and delightful with all of our party of 10 but especially with my 88 year old dad-in-law who had a great time. Also Noah reserved the perfect table for us in the library near to the disabled toilet.

Great staff, great food, great atmosphere. Nice to have somewhere a bit nicer in the area

I have been many times before and never disappoints. This time, we made a spontaneous stop for lunch midweek, they accommodated us and we chose their three-course menu. Solid menu, delivered well. Good selection of drinks nice staff. Go and visit, judge by yourself

Amazing food & reasonably priced..wonderful atmosphere with the open fire.

The service and general ambience were good, shame food let it down. Hard potatoes, good moules but tasteless meurnier, tiny plaice - more like a dab really, (at£25), indifferent cheese board with stringy celery (£15). There was a burger on the menu, maybe this is the sort of food they shoupd aspire to. Service was good and a finger bowl was supplied, 5stars for that, but alas not enough to make it a worthwhile experience.

Early dinner. The squid starter was so good. And the steak burger - juicy and tasty with a healthy portion of skin on fries. Excellent.

The quality of the food cooking doesn't match the high prices such as roast potatoes that are hard and aren't roasted, sprouts like bullets, carrots similar, gravy doused over whole meal making everything taste of Gravy (should be served separately in a boat for the diner to choose where to pour it) and serve it all hot on hot plates, not like warm on warm plates. And don't serve pies lacking in decent amount of filling, or meagre puddings for the price and not exactly as described.....sticky toffee pudding should be sticky and not merely a piece of sponge cake. And add in more staff or train the staff to slow down instead of running around like duracel on speed from the moment of arrival making the customer feel anxious.

Work was being done so was noisy. My quiche was only slightly warn on the outside and cold in the middle, but tasted lovely. Lettuce was not washed and was served leaves that really should have been binned.

Lovely and warm on a cold, miserable day with a log burner and subtle festive feel.

We were invited to return on a recent Sunday afternoon after an unfortunate experience earlier in the year. This visit was superb. Welcoming, attentive and knowledgeable staff resulted in my son saying ‘this is the best restaurant I’ve ever been to’. This was before the food. We had starters of pigs cheeks and halloumi, followed by a steak and a bisque main, all very agreeable. Excellent ingredients and accomplished cooking with pleasant add ons. The wine choice was good with nothing ropey on the list, we had a smooth Spanish red. Good to see the restaurant busy. Thank you, we will be back.

Excellent lunch, delicious food. Good, diverse menu. Parking in the car park across the road is a bonus.

Beautiful 15th century pub, absolutely gorgeous inside, low ceilings, so much character. Recommended by a local Audi car dealership and we weren’t disappointed! Friendly staff. Ordered a Coq au Vin pie. Pastry delicious and plenty of filling, very tasty and well cooked and presented, served with colcannon mash, carrot, green leafy veg cooked just right. Generous portions. So full couldn’t fit in a dessert. My husband had a burger and thick cut chips also very good. Can definitely recommend.

the sunday roast was very good 9 out of 10

Great place great food warm friendly. Definitely visit again..