The Lane in Dover

Amazing, taken 'it's because I'm green isn't it', to leave out for Santa tonight!

We’ve just returned from our annual girls Christmas cream tea, this year at The Lane…. It was without a doubt the best cream tea we’ve ever had, and we’ve had a few ! The attention to detail, the creativity, the decor, the matching cocktail, the quality and quantity of food alongside outstanding service was unmatched! Thank you so much ! We’ll be back next Christmas (and before we’re sure!)

Beautifully decorated and very welcoming. Food was lovely but expensive

There was no Xmas spirit, could only have the table for a short time, Took ages for breakfasts to come, and it was only just warm, then had to wait for condiments. They was too busy preparing for their own work do !!

Food was lovely, staff are very polite, would definitely come back.

Visited for the Grinch afternoon tea. The tea was great but service was pretty poor, we weren't offered more drinks & trying to get the waitress's attention proved difficult!

We've been three times now and everytime there is a mix up with our booking. Being vegans it's exhausting every time for there to be a problem. I even called half an hour before arrival today to remind them and try to prevent it happening again. This time again they said was due to the notes on the booking "they were unsure" why not call or say on phone. Always results in substituted food etc. Food took over half an hour to come but a table that arrived 20 minutes after us got theirs before we did? No discount which definitely would have made the experience more acceptable. Sadly won't go back as tried 3 times now. Dont get me wrong the workers are lovely, always polite and upbeat and the place does always look nice. Food is okay but for the price and inconvenience and irritation each time just not worth it.

Grinch afternoon tea ,in short, lovely set, up loads of food ,savoury and sweet, shame the potato dish is served cold not very appealing would have been better hot , same with the sliders would have en better warm , food was ok but definitely not the best I’ve had green biscuits were bland ,service not particularly great only served one drink wasn’t asked if we wanted any more or if everything ok once served with food just left which is a shame. But overall an ok experience probably won’t book again in a hurry think it was because we were last booking of the day everyone wanted to get home , but the decorations made it very festive

I chose the Grinch Afternoon Tea to Introduce my Grand daughter to Afternoon Tea and she loved it.Decor was great, the Food was excellent and the Staff were friendly, welcoming and attentive. The food was delicious and the portion size of each item was substantial. The staff supplied boxes for us to bring the items we didn't eat home. It was an excellent introduction to Afternoon Tea for our Grand daughter, who informed us that this is her new favourite thing................................

Grinch christmas afternoon tea for our granddaughter, absolutely brilliant.

I recently visited The Lane again, having enjoyed my previous experiences there, but unfortunately, this time was a disappointment. I spent £38.00 on two burgers, and both my partner and I found the quality to be subpar. My partner's burger was alarmingly undercooked, prompting us to send it back for recooking. Additionally, the dirty chai we ordered was lukewarm, necessitating another return to the kitchen for reheating. This experience was quite a letdown compared to our past visits, leading me to wonder if there’s been a change in chefs or ownership. The food quality has noticeably declined, and I truly hope they can address these issues moving forward. It’s disheartening to see a place I once loved offer such sloppy food. I sincerely hope they can regain their previous standards, as it would be a shame to lose what made The Lane enjoyable in the first place.

As allways the lane does not disappoint so much flare and creativity on display with there grinch themed afternoon tea can't wait too come back for the next one

Shameful service on 26 October 2024. We were the first customers for the Beetlejuice afternoon tea and so I guess we didn't matter to the young female staff (3+) congregating behind the bar, chatting away loudly amongst themselves. The noise was overwhelming: no background music yet, but hundreds of freshly washed cutlery from the kitchen in a metal bucket on the bar counter, being bashed around (sorted) for like 10 minutes. We couldn't hold a conversation because of this jarring noise. Then 1 girl finished her shift and insisted that the rest of the staff count the tips jar content so she can take her cut home. More loud bashing of coins on the counter, with some running commentary about customers tipping or not tipping. Took forever to order a second pot of tea, just couldn't catch anyone's eye to summon service. The only member of staff who stood out was a young man on kitchen duty, who would pop out occasionally and ask us about our needs. The floor runners just didn't bother. We felt utterly underappreciated and like we were imposing on some private party. It got a little better once more customers arrived and music was turned on, thus highlighting that we, 2 pre-booked early doors customers, just didn't matter to these young female staff. We paid our £60 and left without tipping, really disappointed by the ordeal, which also happened on my birthday, and being 7 months pregnant I was sooo looking forward to that special afternoon tea... 😢

Needed half an hour to serve food. Asked can l help you? Felt like saying have you got a starter motor for a Ford escort.

Absolutely beautiful food, brilliant service, and considering we popped in in hope, and that they were fully booked for the afternoon, they still found space for us.

Came with my children for The Grinch afternoon tea. Staff were great, drinks were replenished regularly, food was fantastic and plentiful. Boxes were kindly supplied to take home the cakes we couldn’t finish. Brilliant experience and well worth the money.

This is the best place we have found to eat and drink in Kent. Staff were all friendly, and the service was great. We will definitely be visiting again.

I went with a friend to the Grinch Afternoon tea. I've been to several of the afternoon teas.. not reviewed till now. I've made a point of doing it today as it was once again a 'can't stop smiling' experience. The staff are so welcoming and helpful. The menu is lovely and so creative. It's the attention to detail that I always love so much. Even down to things like the 'ice' shard and the little tart with the lane grinch logo on. Each afternoon tea is obviously well planned out and any dietary adjustments are made so they still fit the theme. You get so much for your money and I love that you can box up and take home the rest. The drinks are also never ending, very generous and you are never rushed even when you can tell they are getting ready for another sitting. (Happened on another occasion- a friend and I had chatted for so long we were the only ones left. The staff were still really friendly and chatty, answering random questions I had.) There is beautiful decorations everywhere which are hand painted and details galore. A really nice touch was a candy cane on the grinch plate and there is always a puzzle on every table. To the team, keep doing what you're doing, you're bringing a lot of joy, cleshay yes but true, its very much appreciated. To anyone else, pick a theme you like and get booked in.

We absolutely love afternoon teas at The Lane. Such a special treat!!

Had a lovely Grinch afternoon with my family, great service and the food was delicious and brilliantly themed.

So-so coffee, amazing breakfast. First class presentation, ingredients, taste, atmosphere and staff friendliness. If you are in the area, find it, feed there and enjoy.

Honey is an ingredient listed in at least one of the vegan dishes at this restaurant. Honey is generally not considered vegan. A vegan breakfast option came with two portions of butter and the spinach in this dish looked suspiciously like it had been cooked in butter. Our three other dishes ranged from fairly to exceptionally good.

Had a Halloween themed lunch, which was wonderful. Staff great, and you feel welcome as soon as you arrive.

Fantastic breakfast to start the weekend. It’s a beautiful setting and we loved the dishes, in particular the American pancakes, savoury, sweet and satisfying.

Came here for lunch after being treated like school kids in a mad queueing system at another restaurant (sent outside and sat by queue here sign and then told off and sent to the end of the queue by a staff member, load of people sitting outside, how were we supposed to know where the queue was !!) the service here was friendly, the food good, we had 3 small plates shared between us with drinks and was very good value, will certainly visit again

Such an imaginative menu. We had the vegan version which was delicious as always. My favourites were the corn ribs and burger, favourite dessert was the cookie. Couldn’t finish it all so lots to take home. Great soundtrack and the decoration was superb. Well done the Lane for a great themed tea. Looking forward to the Grinch Xmas

This was my second visit to The Lane and it did not disappoint. Service was really good, atmosphere was lovely, the staff were attentive and knowledgeable about the dishes. I had the Korean bibimbap bowl and wow, it was so delicious, full of flavour, just the right amount of heat and the portion size was just right too. For dessert I had cheesecake and again it was delicious. The prices were so reasonable, I would have paid more for for my main. Honestly couldn't fault anything about it, highly recommend

I had breakfast at the Lane for the first time today after my partner had been with some friends for lunch and loved it, i was so excited and the breakfast definitely did not disappoint. The pancakes and coffee were delicious, the service was super quick and friendly and I would love to come and try some of the items on their new menu too !

I had breakfast at the Lane for the first time today after my partner had been with some friends for lunch and loved it, i was so excited and the breakfast definitely did not disappoint. The pancakes and coffee were delicious, the service was super quick and friendly and I would love to come and try some of the items on their new menu too !

Amazing place. Great food, great staff and delicious cocktails! I would highly recommend going here if you visit Deal. I’ll be back for sure!!

Absolutely brilliant. We had the themed brunch and it's such good value for money, the food was delicious and all in all such a good experience. The staff were so lovely and I enjoyed the whole experience. Can't wait to try more of the menu and cocktails!

A lovely place to eat, or just have a coffee. Good for private functions as well.

Brilliant server! So friendly and accommodating and wonderful with my small child. Best halloumi burger I’ve had—crunchy, flavorful, delicious. Can’t wait to visit again.

Booked for breakfast at 9 and we're the only ones in there! Excellent breakfast and lots of choice.

Amazing food, accommodated us at late notice. Friendly staff who were welcoming.

Visited for a Wednesday breakfast. Some of our meals weren't quite as described and missing some items - kids pancakes didn't have the banana, eggs didn't have the candied beetroot. Poached eggs were very overcooked which is a shame. Also had to ask for condiments and seasoning. Good to see that the venue is dog friendly, with some wonderful good boys enjoying themselves.

It was brilliant here. The burger was delicious and the hot chocolate I had was incredible. Service was fast. Overall I highly recommend coming here.

We recently visited The Lane for their themed afternoon tea, and while the experience didn’t initially meet our expectations, I wanted to update my review following some excellent follow-up from the restaurant. To start, the food during our visit was quite different from what was advertised. The chicken, for instance, was not as described—instead of a proper dish, we were served what looked like cut-up chicken nuggets. There was no orange or pineapple juice available, which was a disappointment. The toasties, while containing some pulled ham, were served cold and lacked the amount and quality we were expecting. Several other items were also missing key components, such as garnishes, salsa for the chili, and crispy onions for the hotdogs. My husband is dairy-free, and we had informed the staff in advance. He was assured that he could have all the meat options or suitable non vegan alternatives. However, he was given a vegan menu instead, which was disappointing as he enjoys chicken and meat, just without dairy. Unfortunately, he ended up with an upset stomach afterward, leading us to suspect that something may have contained dairy despite our request. The Toy Story theme was another letdown. Despite the presence of some toys, the overall experience felt lacking. There was only one song the kids recognized, and even that was barely audible. We had expected a more engaging and lively atmosphere, especially for the children, but it fell short. However, I must commend The Lane for their prompt and thoughtful response after we shared our concerns. They reached out to explain that a few things went wrong on the day of our visit, and they completely understood our disappointment. As a gesture of goodwill, they have offered us a complimentary afternoon tea to make up for the experience. This kind of customer service is commendable, and while our initial visit had its issues, we appreciate their efforts to make things right. We’re looking forward to giving them another chance and hope to have a much better experience on our next visit.

This review is solely based on the “Toy Story themed brunch” and i cannot comment on the normal service of the cafe. I attended the themed brunch with my partner and our two year old son after seeing the hype on social media about the Toy Story themed brunch. This was the first time we had ever visited this venue and we only were because of this brunch. We paid £30 per adult and £15 for our son and booked in advance. The brunch appears to be held upstairs in a designated area which had various Toy Story related pictures on the walls, such as the aliens and also a mannequin wearing a Jesse outfit and also a hat however when you actually sit down there isn’t really much that relates to Toy Story other than a hand painted/coloured Buzz on the wall. In the background was some Toy Story music which was playing on repeat but it wasn’t that loud. There was also random toys around the display area which didn’t have any relation to Toy Story and the only ones i could see was a small Buzz figure and a Slinky dog. The food was presented nice, with two towers, one for the adults and one for the child. Each tower had the same food on, the adult had a couple of extras. In short you had one toastie which had been cut into quarters, a small frankfurter hot dog each, a chicken nugget which appeared to just have been cut up and put into a small bowl and also a small bowl of chips each which contained about 5 chips each. There cakes were nicely presented and we had the option to take them home in a box. I felt maybe more could be done to potentially make the experience better, such as having the staff dressed up as toy story themed or something which entertained the children more. Personally i feel that the price is very steep for what you get and it is merely that price due to the advertisement of it being Toy Story linked and the social media attention it has received. With the price you only get unlimited Tea and Coffee and the children get squash, there is no named brands included such as Fruit Shoot. Considering it was unlimited we were never offered another drink or asked at all. Overall i wouldn’t do this again for the price you pay and if you don’t live near Deal i wouldn’t travel a considerable distance for this even though social media makes it look extra special.

Visited the lanes for my friends 60th .birthday they said it was toy story theme. Suitable for adults. Foods was tacky and cold .pudding had no flavour would not recommend for adults and probably wouldn't give to child with high colours and artificial products. Couldnt eat so order nachos but the nachos were Stale. 90 pounds late of for lunch somewhere else.. such ashame as heard good things about this resturant. Wouldn't return as they the staff wasn't that bother. Really sad as was ment to be a lovely experience for my friend

Booked table for mid week lunch. Pleasant staff. Limited lunch menu. They offer a low gluten free menu. Lovely place… food average.

Toy Story afternoon tea with my daughter was absolutely outstanding. The effort The Lane goes into for these themed afternoon teas are 2nd to non. Beautiful scenery, quality ingredients used and the themed menu was delicious. A special treat for my daughter and she absolutely loved it, so did I. Great staff whom were friendly and welcoming. Thank you for another incredible experience.

What a lovely place. We went in on the of chance just for drinks & was greated by a very nice young lady. She showed us up stairs to the bar. We didn't realise that they do themed afternoon teas, so will definitely be back for one of those. We just had a cocktail & beer. The atmosphere was really friendly & welcoming. Will definitely be back.

I have been a regular customer of The Lane for a number of years and always had a lovely experience. The entire team are so friendly, welcoming and the atmosphere is pleasant whether you visit for brunch, afternoon tea or an event! We always look forward to visiting and make trips to Deal especially for The Lane.

Thank you 😊 for being so accommodating as we arrived late due to traffic. The food was delicious and the service was excellent.

Wonderful service- lovely staff- super food - super theme afternoon tea - keep up the good work - see you soon

What a fantastic find. Tucked away off the high street. Great staff, attention to detail, theming great fun and finally the dog loved his scrambled eggs. Thoroughly recommended.

Our 2nd visit in a month celebrating birthdays. This time, we had the afternoon tea. Excellent as was anticipated. Large quantity of delights provided and boxes available to take home what you can't manage. Dietary requirements catered for, i.e., vegetarian and vegan.

Excellent afternoon tea with top service. Would recommend to anyone

Wow wow wow what else can I say ? The lane burger is a must, the relish had lots of flavour the patties smashed down and the chip were perfectly seasoned with salt. The service was a 10/10 our server was so kind she liked f1 meaning that we could have an engaging conversation. She also brought the dog menu along which was a lovely touch, our dog loved the sausage. The deserts were also superb even after taking it home the mars brownie was not to sickly and had the perfect amount of caramel to satisfy me after a nice walk home. Overall 5/5

Fantastic experience at this restaurant. The chicken burger we had was delicious, and the service was friendly and attentive. Definitely recommend!

Three of us ate here for dinner tonight - we had our four year old daughter with us - and everyone with children knows that eating out can sometimes be stressful! Not at the lane! The food was fab- as usual, but it’s the staff that really blew us away- so kind and attentive and really made a fuss of our little girl - getting her colouring books and joking with her - she was in her element and had such a fab evening (which means we all had a great time :)) Jess and Sharon thank you so much for making our evening super special - we will definitely be back soon for a family meal xx

Lovely Willy Wonka afternoon tea!prompt and friendly service!

Lovely Charlie and the Chocolate afternoon tea experience!

Birthday treat from my Son and Daughter in Law it was lovely

I was so excited to come to the lane and been meaning to come for a while after hearing amazing things from friends and following on social media. I came in the other day while the wonka event was on but not part of that event we just came for lunch. I’m not sure if it’s because they had an event on but disappointed by experience, the food was okay not piping hot. Staff were more worried about the customers for the event, maybe close off the rest of the place while they are going on. I’m hoping we just got unlucky and I will come back to try again!

Had the Wonka afternoon tea and it was great. The attention to detail is amazing.The food was really lovely , and I still cant eat it all in one go. Its nice to take a little bit home for later.They have really put a lot of effort into the experience for people. I have always come here before for afternoon tea but haven't been since covid. I was very pleased to see it is still the same. The same high quality menu, wonderful atmosphere and great staff. Will be back soon..

This will be a review unlike most. I am the new DJ for The Lane. I have been DJing for over thirty years and in all my time and across all the venues I’ve worked at The Lane have been the kindest most compassionate team. They make me feel so welcome and cared for. And it’s a true representation of the personal ethics of the owners . Anna and Chris. They’ve created a team who care so much about every detail , from cleanliness to cocktails, the food quality presentation and exceptional customer service. It’s truly an honour to be a part of this team. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Hospitality is understood as a concept at the Lane but more than that the level of kindness of this team truly shines through. 10/10. Come and find out for yourself.

This place is amazing eat in or takeaway

Visited for lunch with elderly father. The service was outstanding and very supportive of an elderly man’s needs. We had pancakes and eggs on sourdough. Delicious and well presented. Thank you very much for making the visit so special

An absolutely brilliant place for a different treat.

Since being diagnosed with Coeliac disease my options to eat out have been limited. The Lane were amazing when I spoke to them about my requirements. They were super knowledgeable and helpful. I've eaten here a couple of times now and the food has always been amazing! Great gluten free options and lovely staff.

We were here today for Beauty and the Beast afternoon tea and it was absolutely phenomenal - one of the best afternoon teas we've all had. Nothing was too much trouble and they swapped items to accommodate dietary requirements/dislike of certain ingredients/items!! Highly recommend this venue for food and customer service!

Came here with my sister and niece for the Beauty and the Beast Afternoon Tea as I was unable to make the Harry Potter one. I can honestly say this is one of the best afternoon teas I have had. The decorations throughout were great, the Disney themed music was lovely. The food wow what can I say the Ragu was delicious, the cheese soufflé was really nice and the onion tart was good. The sweet options were exceptional and I have to admit I was beaten and had to have a box to take some leftovers home in. I look forward to returning for more afternoon teas.

What a great little find! Have lived in Deal for 2 years and not been in so thought I'd treat my husband to a birthday brunch. The breakfast deal, £20 for two, is tremendous value (2 breakfasts, 2 juices, 2 coffees) and the quality of the food is superb and beautifully presented - we had the sourdough eggs with whipped feta and dukkah. The front of house staff were friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. We added in a glass of prosecco to help the celebrations along! Highly recommend - will definitely be back.

A hidden gem that is always worth a visit, whether you are local to Deal or travelling from afar. Relaxed atmosphere, friendly and helpful staff, consistently good food and a treasure loved by all our family, from the little ones to the oldies. The team at the Lanes could not be more supportive and kind, always on hand to accommodate us and they never fail to deliver on quality food that makes everyone smile. Whenever family visit everyone always wants to make sure a trip to the Lanes is planned. Thank you. We are lucky to have you in our town x

Great themed afternoon tea, lovely food, excellent service. Decor was lovely, nice chilled vibe. Menu very well put together, lots of thought put into it.

My daughters surprised me with a Beauty and the Beast Afternoon Tea for my birthday last week,I've had lots of Afternoon Teas but this was one of best, lovely staff and good atmosphere, will certainly be making a return visit.

A special treat. Beauty & the beast afternoon tea. What a fantastic event. Lovely food and staff. I can't recommend this enough.

I went with my daughters and grandaughters for lunch which was superb the food was delicious with such an excellent variety hot and cold sweet and savoury. The service was brilliant, kind, helpful and such a lovely warm and cosy place to enjoy lunch.

What a lovely place. The staff were so friendly and the food was great. Plus they have a gluten free menu which is fantastic.

The themed afternoon teas are fantastic. Have come for 3 different ones so far. Need to try their normal menu at some point as it all looks amazing!

We had the afternoon tea. We started with Negronis. There were 11 items each, 5 savoury , 5 sweet and a mini hot chocolate. Far too much for us to finish them all, they do give you a box to take the rest home. Very friendly staff.

We booked an afternoon tea . The food was amazing although too much , but we took home the extra cakes in a box which was provided. Will certainly go again.

We absolutely love starting our day at our go-to breakfast place. The service is top-notch, and the atmosphere is warm and inviting. It's the perfect spot to enjoy a delicious meal and have a great start to the day.

Super fresh, tasty and innovative food in a cool and stylish, yet laid-back and inviting atmosphere. Loved it!

The best afternoon tea you will find anywhere. Absolutely amazing homemade food & presentation is fab. Had a great afternoon with family. Would 100% choose this place over anywhere else.

Excellent eggs Benedict and teas from Bird & Blend are always a treat; blue raspberry pictured.

Superb burger, highly recommended.

Great food (loads of it !), great atmosphere, great staff. My mate, Tony the tiger says......it's great !!

A really fantastic quality breakfast. We had two vegetarians in the party and the choices were brilliant. I had poached eggs on whipped feta topped sourdough toast. Our son had a kids veggie breakfast. My wife eats meat and she had a really generous breakfast with thick rashers of bacon and two sausages. No notes from us 5/5!

Cosy and friendly cafe with fantastic breakfasts for vegetarians, meat eaters and kids alike. Will definitely revisit.

This is a really lovely place with great service

Excellent food as always. Would have been good if we had have been told everything we had

Absolutely brilliant bottomless brunch. Loved the festive twist to the food, service was good and being able to dance the night away was amazing - fab DJ too. Will be back and thoroughly recommend.

Great for breakfast, lunch and dinner - oh and afternoon tea :) Always well cooked food regardless of how busy they are.

Lovely place, good food and a nice team. Fitted us in last minute yesterday evening as a walk-in; we were made very welcome

This was one of the nicest afternoon teas I have had, with the added bonus of a brilliant DJ and atmosphere. The food was varied and creative with a nice nod towards typically festive flavours. The drinks flowed and it was great to be able to stay on in the bar afterwards. Thanks Team Lane; you put a lot of work in and it showed.

Came here for afternoon tea and the food itself was fine - felt a little bulk produced. Upon arrival, we stood in the entrance error a few minutes before anyone asked us for help. We were the only ones waiting and the place didn’t seem particularly busy. We had to wait for our table to be ready. Overall the service was disappointing - came for a special Christmas afternoon tea and wasn’t offered any tea selection. Quite a wait for the drinks and the food to arrive. No goodbyes or thank you’s when we left, some staff were just eager to finish for the day. Unfortunately it really wasn’t anything special.

Nice friendly and relaxed atmosphere

Food was good. The staff were young and quite inattentive often just chatting behind the bar but the interiors were nice, it was clean and the food was tasty.

Service was brilliant and the food was delicious.

Went for drinks and live music, nice.

Had a festive afternoon tea here today. Our waitress was lovely and attentive. The food was amazing, however I couldn't quite eat it all in one sitting so took some puddings home. Would like to come back to try the restaurant food.

We’ve just visited The Lane and enjoyed a delicious festive afternoon tea! We were served by wonderfully helpful staff, and what I’m so impressed about is that they catered to my picky self… we asked for quite a few elements to be taken out of one of the afternoon tea portions and they nailed it, and added in some tasty fries to boost the amount up a bit! Very impressed and grateful, so thank you! 🙂

I had the afternoon tea with my best friend, truly mouth watering food,great atmosphere and friendly service, the cocktails were awesome to. Will definitely be visiting again with more special people 😊

Found here by accident,asked if they could make a cheese tostie seeing as I wasn't on menu. It had to be best tostie I've had in a long time,service was amazing. Next time we are in Deal we will visit again.

Beautiful afternoon at the lane for afternoon tea with friends, Harry potter style 😍😊 amazing food, amazing staff and had an amazing time xxx

Had a Harry Potter afternoon tea. Lovely preparation and creative. Would recommend

Visited for the first time for the Harry Potter afternoon tea and wow - we were blown away. The decor was brilliant and the food first class. I especially loved how much attention was paid to the savoury elements of the tea, which are often overlooked and unimaginative - not the case here. The stew was especially delicious. The service was excellent and given the quality, the experience was good value. Can’t wait to return!