The Kentish Hare in Tunbridge Wells

Delicious Cornish Cod. You must try.

Excellent attentive service and beautifully presented great quality food. Option of two or three course lunch menu. Limited choice but this makes the quality so much better. Great lounge area for pre dinner drinks or coffee after. There is a separate front bar for less formal bar snacks.

Beautiful pub. Atmosphere was fantastic and the food was amazing. Could not recommend enough.

We have dined here several times and always found the staff friendly and helpful and the food delicious. The restaurant has a lovely atmosphere and we will keep returning.

I was taken to the Kentish Hare for a birthday Sunday lunch. The food at this restaurant was very high quality. I had yellowfin tuna tartare starter which came with watermelon, avocado and orange ponzu, it was divine. For a main course my son-in-law and I shared a roast beef dish and I finished with Bramley apple crumble. My wife and daughter had fishcake followed by roast lamb and then Amalfi lemon parfait. The main course came with a selection of perfectly cooked vegetables. There was a good and varied wine menu and a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails. I had the non-alcoholic passion fruit martino shown in the picture. It was all delicious. The portions were generous and the service was friendly, efficient and quick. The atmosphere was relaxed and we could see the chefs working in the open kitchen. I will be returning frequently.

I popped in for a cheeky lunch here this week, having been before and being in the area(ish). I was warmly greeted and seated straight away. The menus were provided, and the set lunch option was an obvious choice. The staff are very attentive to dietary requirements and ask about allergies before taking your order. I chose the terrine to start with, which arrived with some sourdough bread on the side. The terrine was made up of chicken ham and black pudding and was delicious. It had a great texture mixing the chunks of ham and chicken with the softer black pudding. Served with a little salad leaves and some shitake and date ketchup. It was very tasty indeed. Next, I went for the lamb and ordered a side order of hispi cabbage. This was an absolutely delicious plate of food and very well executed. The lamb was a rolled shoulder that was incredibly flavoursome and a little crispy and not soggy and fatty. Served with this was the most smooth and decadent mashed potato. A few turnips and some leaves of perhaps Cavalo Nero and a plentiful amount of sauce (jus) made up the rest of the plate. Delicious! Now, I am going to mention the side dish of hispi cabbage as it was without doubt the best cabbage I have ever had. It was simply delicious. Yes a bowl of cabbage.!! It was just cooked and well seasoned, and coated with white miso, butter, and chili. It really was fabulous. I should have stopped here, but my greedy side came out when they offered dessert, and I saw the Bramley apple crumble and custard. It's apple crumble, big deal? Under a big mound of crunchy pebble like crumble was a tart but sweet, deep pile of apple, unmistakably Bradley's. A little jug of vanilla custard on the side finished it off. The crumble was buttery, yet crunchy, the apple was pure Bramley deliciousness and the custard, warm, not hot, not too thick and heavy with vanilla. The most comforting choice for a dessert and it certainly delivered. All in all, everything i ate was well thought out and very tasty. Now I must also mention the staff, who were attentive but not intrusive, very engaging and knowledgeable about the menu too. I also want to mention the young lady who greeted me and found me a table. I don't think she was waiting staff, as such, but more the front of house and bar manager. (I apologise for not getting her name). She worked nonstop, always on the go, and always cheerful. There is a great team at the Kentish Hare, making for a great experience. I will certainly be back again for sure.

I hate writing reviews about great places because it means it becomes more popular and the prices go up but the 'Hare' is just wonderful and punches way above its weight. Food, service and ambience are all top- notch. I only hope I can still get a table in the future!

Fantastic restaurant with high quality food and excellent service.

First visit, our party of four had a very memorable lunch. Excellent food beautifully presented. All members of staff were delightful. Thank you, we'll be back!

First visit, our party of four had a very memorable lunch. Excellent food beautifully presented. All members of staff were delightful. Thank you, we'll be back!

This was our first visit to the Kentish Hare. We booked a table for a Thursday lunchtime and chose from the fixed price three course menu. The pub/restaurant itself is modern clean, airy and informal and, when we went, not particularly busy. The service was friendly and attentive but not overbearing and the food was well thought out, superbly cooked and very tasty. The wine list was not extensive but covered all the bases and looked well considered. All in all, it was a great experince, fantastic food at a reasonable price (certainly for the quality). We're so glad we discovered this gem and will definitely be coming back.

Had a sunday roast, was very high quality. £35 for two courses. Higher price point definitely reflected in the excellent quality. Drink prices reasonable.

Excellent food and service as always. The steaks and sauces are amazing! Already looking forward to our next visit with our friends next month.

Lovely food, hot and good portions.

The quality of the food is excellent. I really enjoyed the ham hock and the sea bass main course. My wife said that the cod fish was excellent too. I would happily go back.

We had seen great reviews about the Kentish Hare, but the food, service and ambience absolutely surpassed our expectations. We will be back

We had lunch here today with our daughter. She had checked all the reviews and menu and booked it due to these. Well it was perfect amazing Sunday lunch thank you chefs. The caring staff were great attentive but unobtrusive thank you. Lovely lady who helped us choose. Nothing too much trouble.

My second visit here and this time for Sunday lunch. Sunday lunches in pubs are often very hit and miss with roast beef in particular being often unsatisfactory. My Kentish Hare roast beef was excellent, tender, succulent, perfectly cooked and accompanied by light Yorkshire pudding, crisp, fluffy mashed potatoes and a generous selection of interesting vegetables. Starters were great too, quite delicious and presented skilfully. My rhubarb pavlova dessert was superb. Couldn’t fault anything and when service is efficient, friendly, perfectly timed and competently executed, you know you’re in a superior establishment. Will certainly return, The Kentish Hare is very special.

Special evening with friends, one off the bucket list. Beautiful restaurant, wonderful, attentive staff, no frills but definitely on it. It is pricey but the food is obviously of high class and standard. Different level of pub food.

Lovely gastro pub with delicious food and great service.

Absolutely lovely restaurant one of the best ones I’ve been to!

Absolutely brilliant restaurant 👌

Thank you to all the staff at the Kentish Hare for an absolutely wonderful dinner on 23 December. We had pre-booked from the Christmas menu, and every dish was perfectly cooked - just delicious! Warm and welcoming atmosphere. I can recommend without any hesitation.

It was only ok. I would not really want to go again. and it was expensive. The staff were a bit offhand.

Visited on a last min Sunday. Food was great and service was fast. Will come back for trying out the menu. Generous portions too.

Another great meal. Food all served hot, and beautifully presented.

Most visits have been for dinner, but we decided to go for lunch because the menu is different with some intriguing dishes. We both had the Brown sugar cured Loch Duart Salmon followed by the Line caught pollack. We spontaneously agreed that this was the best lunch we have had for a very long time. In the case of both dishes the quality of the raw materials, the preparation, the cooking and the presentation were sublime; apologies for failing to show a picture but conversation overtook that consideration. Greedily, I had the Saint Domingue chocolate Namelaka which was smooth and rich as it should be. Our server was warm, friendly and attentive. My wife had a Bloody Mary and I had a pint and we had some sparkling water. We thought the bill was good value for a first class lunch. Most impressed!

It’s great to find a pub that doesn’t serve pub grub. The Kentish Hare is a real find, providing an interesting innovative menu, beautifully presented, perfectly cooked flavoursome dishes which illustrate culinary skill and real understanding of palate. This is a super place with efficient, accommodating and friendly staff. Its interior is modern, but period features have been retained and it’s lovely to see open log fires. I highly recommend The Kentish Hare.

The food, staff and general feel was absolutely top notch. We had 2 course Sunday lunch which was better than any Sunday roast I can remember (apart from Mums 😂). The staff were attentive and so friendly. Visit if you get the chance!!

First time here and delighted. Not cheap but absolutely worth it. Friendly efficient service , tasteful understated decor, interesting menu and tasty food. Thanks!!

Love love this place, wish it was my local. Fab food, ambience and service. We'll be back for sure.

Last Friday, a dear friend booked a dinner for us at this restaurant. Three couples were booked for 8 pm, and we arrived 15 minutes early. The decorations and ambiance were welcoming. James, our server, politely informed us that our table wasn't ready because other guests were still dining. We went to the bar and had a drink. Our table was ready by 8:20 pm, a bit later than expected, but we didn't make a fuss. We ordered still water and a red wine, Saint Clair New Zealand Pinot Noir. For starters, we ordered various dishes, and I opted for the ravioli with mushroom and English truffle. Keep in mind that English truffles have a subtle flavor, working well when you want a touch of truffle without overpowering other ingredients. Unfortunately, I wasn't aware of this until I tasted it, and it turned out to be quite tasteless. English truffle won't be my choice again. We enjoyed several delicious main dishes, and I decided to go with a bottle of Stellenrust SIMPLICITY SHIRAZ: CABERNET SAUVIGNON-MERLOT, recommended by James. I chose the slow-cooked lamb (10 hours), but, apologies to James, due to excessive seasoning, the classic lamb flavor was overshadowed, making it taste more like beef. Overall, it was an amazing experience, and I'd love to return, but I'll steer clear of the lamb next time.Nick

Great roast with all the trimmings!

Lovely food. Beautifully presented

Amazing food, you can see that the people running this place, those cooking it really care about what they do.

Enjoyed a great evening at the Hare... Whatever your preconceptions of food is ....leave it at the door and put your trust in these wonderful chefs..I guarantee you,they won't let you down!

The Kentish Hare is a fabulous pub/restaurant where the food never disappoints. The menu has something for everyone and the food really is delicious. It appears diners travel from far and wide to enjoy the Kentish Hare and consequently there is always a great atmosphere both in the bar area and the restaurant. The staff are attentive without being annoying and go the extra mile to ensure you enjoy your time there.

Visited here a few weeks ago, not a pleasant experience for several reasons, too long and drawn out to explain but we were treated badly and regular customers were put before us in unfair circumstances, we only gave a 1* because it’s not possible to give a zero, food mediocre and certain foods not available (we got there when they opened and ordered immediately) why then place the food on the menu?! Would not return or recommend this place certainly does not deserve a mention in the michelin list very dissapointed

Food was excellent, my husband had a fillet steak that didn’t look or taste like it was barbecued despite the menu stating all steaks were cooked on one but otherwise the food was faultless. What let this place down was the service, it unfortunately really lacked in that area. It was quite a cold atmosphere and I would say that 80% of interactions with the staff were because we had to flag someone down. We found that certain people were just stood around not doing anything but I got the feeling it was because there was a hierarchy of staff and certain employees only doing certain things which is quite common in high end restaurants but it didn’t work out well here in this instance. We didn’t order from the set menu & whilst it worked out quite expensive I would say that portions were on the large size which was good, but in all it was 2.5hrs to have a 3 course meal which I feel is too long.

Lovely place for a relaxing long lunch. Excellent food with great service in a beautifully crafted interior.

Absolutely delicious food and a great variety of dishes. The outside doesn’t reflect the inside but it’s a lovely atmosphere once you’re through the door.

The four of use enjoyed a relaxed afternoon meal, the food was enjoyable with a good selection of wine, time well spent.

This was the first time we ate here and it was superb. It's not 'huge' portions because it's Masterchef quality. You can have snacks, starter, mains, pudding & coffee without feeling bloated and great value for money. Lovely staff and enough of them so that service is exemplary. There were four of us and we all agreed it was a great experience and we are coming back.

A really good lunchtime experience. Taste buds came alive I didn't know I had. The 2-course option wasn't cheap at £28 but it was worth it. The service was efficient and friendly. Totally satisfied!

My first visit to this restaurant was for dinner, it definitely won’t be my last.! The food was fantastic, and the staff so polite and helpful. Although the portions did not look big, the richness of the food ensured we were very full at the end. Every part of this dinner was delicious, and the presentation was delightful. Well done to everyone on the staff.

Very solid food. Everything we had was really good! If I would have any complaint is that the portion is fairly small for the price. The 4 of us ended spending 300 pound , for a starter. Main and dessert each and 3 glasses of wines.

Another lovely meal out with the family. Food was delicious and very friendly staff. They made a nice effort to help celebrate our birthdays. Looking forward to coming back again!

Chance find. After a short wait we were shown to our table. We had three different styles of burger. Steak, chicken and mushroom. All were delicious. Special mention goes to the fries. Double fried. Crisp outside and floury insides. Bl"*dy delicious, and we all agreed. Deserts...one of my companions had the honeycomb ice-cream and absolutely raved about it. She's 11 years old. Meantime we adults had coffees. Again delicious and my other companion asked if they had almond milk ....and they did! Service impeccable. WHAT a lucky find. Sadly I live 70 miles away or this would be my favoured place to go. Try it. You won't be disappointed.

Truly spectacular pub, gorgeous decor, amazing service? Recommended

Our second visit but years apart and we were not disappointed. A lovely village pub and setting but well laid out restaurant and garden with a very nice feel to it. Excellent selection and good food and wine, but the staff are something else and so genuinely friendly even under pressure on s Saturday night. Expensive but worth it.

Went for a Sunday Roast. Food was absolutely banging. Three course meal for 40 quid. Can’t beat it. Will be going back.

Honestly a great experience. The food was perfect, but we were also blown away by the service. The staff have obviously been trained really well. We'll be back soon.

Taking my friends there for a spot of lunch at this beautiful establishment. There are not enough superlatives to describe our time there. Very friendly service, amazing delicious food that are both very pleasing to the eyes and the palate. Delicious cocktails and beautiful ambience (the weather helps!). Will definitely visit again.

The best pub lunch we’ve had for a while. Great atmosphere whether you want to sit out in the fresh air or inside for those wintery days. Wish this was our local.

The Kentish Hare is great pub in Bidborough, Kent. Unlike other pubs in the area, the food is fantastic. You pay 'London prices' but it is definitely worth it. The service was very good as well. I recommend this place for an evening out but if you're planning to go at the weekend book well in advance as it gets busy. We went on a Thursday night and booked the night before!

We booked lunch at The Kentish Hare, and the food and service were excellent. We would throughly recommend it especially as it’s dog friendly!

I would like to be more positive because it is a hard time to run a restaurant and getting skilled staff is far from easy. The restaurant on a Thursday was full so there may be plenty of demand but we found the prices to be above what the meal was worth. The food was good (but not excellent or particularly memorable) and the young servers did try but this is not their strongest suit. The gap before the dessert arrived was far too long and we watched others being served faster. Worth a try but don't set your sights too high.

Lovely village pub with friendly staff and delicious food.

Went for mid week lunch Beautifully cooked and presented. I would say rather expensive for lunch a la carte menu The bar menu alternative was burgers or fish and chips, which, though cheaper, couldn't compete.

Took my partner here for her birthday, the food, wine and everything was fantastic. We had the cote de boeuf and it was the best I have ever had. Highly recommended this restaurant if you happen to be in the area or are staying in Tunbridge (like we were).

The Kentish Hare does not disappoint. The food is cooked with finesse and skill using the freshest of ingredients. The waiting staff are attentive, unintrusive, friendly, and professional. The atmosphere is both relaxed and upmarket. Highly recommend

Perfect pub roast lunch. Not much else to say! If you want a fantastic pub roast, this place will do it. Excellent family meal and highly recommend.

It was my 1st experience of fine dining, and it didn't disappoint. The lunch menu is reasonably priced, the food quality is excellent and the Kentish hare have a warm atmosphere / decor with an opened kitchen

Excellent food and great service

Staff very rude .and over priced

First visit to this gastropub. Really delicious food and excellent friendly service.

Food was beautifully presented and delicious. Service was friendly and attentive. A lovely way to celebrate our wedding anniversary!

Saw this recommendation on the Michelin website as a Bib Gourmand. High quality food at a cheaper price point than a Michelin Star. We went for a Sunday Lunch. Place was very busy and we booked online a while in advance to secure a spot. Walk-ins are welcome but at busy periods you might be disappointed in not getting a seat. Decor and atmosphere were very nice. Staff were friendly and attentive. Nice and cosy pub. Of course, the food was excellent. We had 1 minor issue with a hair in one of our starters which is why I rated it 4 stars. Stuff like this happens even in the best of places. I would go back as I think this is a one off. Apart from that, everything was great. Portion sizes for the roast were generous and the side of veg was huge. The quality of the food is amazing, everything is fresh and flavourful. You can really tell that they use high quality ingredients to get started. Plating is very pretty too if you are into that. We paid £40 per person for a 3 course Sunday lunch. After drinks and service charge it was just over £210 for a group of 4.

Absolutely top notch Sunday roast with perfect service by the hosts. We had difficult dietary requirements which they were happy to accommodate.

First visit to this restaurant and I will guarantee this won’t be our last. Hospitality was very good, all staff were friendly, knowledgeable and highly professional. This is the best food I have tasted locally for a long time. Fillet steak and the lamb was beautifully cooked and was outstanding and there’s nothing I can say about the triple cooked chips apart from AMAZING. Lovely venue. We will be back.

Lovely restaurant, friendly service and great food and wine

Staff extremely nice and smiling. Easy to get to. Book early seating as parking limited

Undoubtedly the best restaurant for miles around. Excellent food, excellent wine, excellent cocktails, excellent service, excellent ambiance. A bit expensive but worth it. Love it to bits. Come back regularly and would come more if we could afford it!! Had lunch today. It was packed. You must book even for lunch. Nice bottle of Chablis and food that was even better than I remember. Fixed price lunch menu is good value. So this now relates to a visit on 23rd December 2022. It was even better. Try the venison fillet. It's absolutely fantastic. 8th March 2023. Lovely Cornish Pollack. Excellent.

My husband and I visited yesterday for a Sunday lunch. It is our second visit which has not changed since six months ago. Not only was the Sunday lunch outstanding the staff are a true credit and very professional. We were always asked how the meal was. We hope to be back again very soon.

Pricey food, not the best range on menu but cannot fault quality and service

I live nearby in Tunbridge Wells and this is the best Roast in the area. The menu is varied and today I loved the Tiramisu. The wine and Gin menu is also great!

Excellent menu great steak wonderful service

Love this restaurant! I had the Christmas menu and chose the salmon starter, fish for main and chocolate for dessert. Delicious! My friends had same starters, turkey for main and different desserts and they said they were all delicious too! Compliments to the chef! Service was excellent throughout and mulled wine a great treat! We shall return.

Excellent food and service. We had the three course lunch option and could not fault the food. Very well flavoured and seasoned. No negative comments to make. £35 for three courses was excellent value.

Wonderful dinning experience! We ordered the deer and risotto, tartar and tuna. They were really great! Honestly yummy. Tidy and polite service

Great food excellent service All food cooked fresh you can even see the chefs at work

Fantastic lunch, food was excellent and so was the wine!

Really delightful evening, service and food were exceptional. Tuna crevice & fillet steaks were delicious. Thank you for a lovely evening

The tuna cervice was very nice but needed something extra to fire up the taste buds. The roast beef dinner was also very good. I asked for my beef to be medium as I was informed it would be pink but it still came out rare but not a major issue. There was only 2 small quarter roast potatoes on the plate - a suggestion here would be to include an additional plate of potatoes with the vegetable selection which was very very tasty. The biggest disappointment was the Pavlova as the merengue was particularly dry and sugary - not a hint of chewiness, or feeling of being home made. The staff and ambience was fantastic. We were the last ones to leave the terrace and would have been perfectly happy to stay longer as it was a beautiful afternoon. £125 per couple was above average for a restaurant Sunday lunch but this is Bidborough. I would certainly recommend The Kentish Hare to friends etc. with a couple of small caveats but will definitely be going back.......

I came here for my birthday with my husband, We had a lovely evening. We arrived an hour early for drinks and sat in the garden and the service was incredible,Very attentive and down to earth. They made me my favourite cocktail a cosmopolitan even though it was not on the menu. On the table was fresh sweet pea flowers and a citronella candle that kept the wasps mainly at bay while we where eating which was a lovely touch. We chose an array of picky bits from the starters including there freshly baked bread which was heavenly. For mains we shared a steak and sides which was prepared expertly and tasted scrumptious! Highly recommend even just to sit in the garden for drink 🍸 👌 😋 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The dining experience was lovely, great location, venue and service but I felt the food was a little ordinary for the price.

Came here for Sunday Roast - the beef was perfectly cooked and the sides were delicious, too 🤩 Wasn't a big fan of the starters however, the ceviche and tuna could have been a bit more exciting. The Isle of Wight tomatoes and the 🍋 posset were delicious though, so overall a good experience.

We visited the Kentish Hare while staying in the area and not only found it to be over-priced but also had our card cloned. Suffice to say i will not be going back, ever.

Great pub and lovely staff, located in a great village

Great food! Good customer service and the venue is very clean and well looked after.

Amazing food, local fresh ingredients, everything tasted so flavorful. Local ingredients used, staff were very friendly. Just a tiny car park.

Great food and lovely atmosphere

Excellent service and good food

Fabulous food - a real fine dining experience. Great service and ambience.

Thank you to a the Fabulous Staff at The Kentish Hare for a lovely evening. We visited the restaurant for the first time this weekend (although have intended to go for a while now!) having been given a Kentish Hare Gift Voucher from one of my amazing and very generous clients for Christmas. Great, friendly, polite and professional service. Lovely food and local produce and nice to see very different options available on a menu. Impressive drinks list with local beers and cider. If you can’t decide, the friendly staff are happy to present a tasting option first!!!! Thank you to Mark who was perfectly attentive and knowledgeable and indulged my husband with the beer and cider decider. The warm welcoming atmosphere is just right here. Karen Alexandra Beauty & Well-Being Tonbridge will definitely be recommending The Kentish Hare.

I celebrated my 60th birthday at the Kentish Hare in January. It was amazing, nothing was too much trouble and none of the 20 guests felt rushed in any way. The food was just perfect and designed around my own choices which meant special things to my family. I am very excited to be going back today Mother's Day to enjoy Sunday lunch with my Mum. Thank you to everyone at the Kentish Hare for making every meal special

Sunday lunch was nice meal would be an 8/10 in my opinion, lovley decor, very attentive staff

Early Sat evening dinner and almost everything seemed to be over-salted, my monkfish, my wife's cod and even our friend's lamb. Starters and puddings were good. We did mention this to one of the waiting staff but got no response. Very disappointing

Fantastic service for a family birthday meal and lovely menu as expected! We really enjoyed the seasonal cocktails🍹

The first great steak I’ve had in 2 years. Great service, delicious food and wide selection of interesting wines.