The Leicester Arms Hotel Restaurant in Sevenoaks

Absolutely astonishing food. Came for Saturday lunch after a walk. The refurb and new menu has been a triumph. This is without question the best meal we’d had in the area, and is well worth a visit. The burger was perfect, and the pie was probably the best we’d ever tasted. Even the mash was amazing. The crumble we had for dessert also blew us away. In terms of food, vibe and attention to detail, it’s akin to The Bailiwick in Windsor which is very similar and well known for being a cut above. Really beautiful decor too. Highly recommend. Best pub in this part of Kent for sure. Whoever is in charge, keep doing whatever it is you do, will deffo be back!

Had a great meal here today, service was excellent. So refreshing to have friendly and attentive staff who clearly had training. Highly recommend the scotch egg and steak. This pub and hotel have recently been refurbished, it looks amazing and has a great feel about this beautiful old pub, decor tasteful and respectful of a very old Inn. We highly recommend the Leicester Arms which is included in our port folio of Ebike tours and a great stop off point for a bite to eat and refreshments. Denise

Great country pub, popped in for a beer on a Sunday very busy with a good atmosphere and service the Sunday roasts looked amazing, so will be booking a table

What an amazing place to stay, apparently the Leicester Arms went through a massive renovation, and everything looks super nice, the selection of wines are incredible, the food is delicious, very friendly staff and nice decorated rooms! Can’t wait to be back.

Great pub! Great Sunday roast, great wine selection, lovely decor & service to accommodate our 3 month old son great too… Great addition to the pub scene in the area. Keep up the great work LA!

The food was amazing and the building is lovely. The staff were also amazing - especially Edwin and Archie. Thanks so much for having us!

Stopped by for a lunch mid hike. Food and service were top notch. The batter on the chicken and fish was some of the best I have ever had. Would highly recommend and will be back!

Utterly charming English country pub in the stunningly picturesque Kentish village of Penshurst. Its recent refurbishment has been really well done, producing rooms of great charm and comfort. The bar is cute in the extreme and our breakfast in the stylishly decorated dining room was spot on. There are a few small things still to be sorted - for example the shower didn’t have anywhere to put toiletries - but I’ve no doubt that these will all get done. Worth a detour.

This has had a complete interior revamp it's amazing

We went for Sunday lunch , well after only 3 weeks of new ownership it is a completely different expedience. The atmosphere is pleasant and the welcome warm . Our food was excellent. A definate venue to return to.

Delicious food, beautiful decor, fantastic knowledge staff. Had a wonderful dinner on Saturday night and a delicious Sunday roast. Will definitely be back to make the most of the outdoor space in the summer.

We were eagerly awaiting the re opening of this wonderful local pub. First excuse to dine here to celebrate a family birthday. They have done a great job refurbishing the place. The menu is fairly limited but that’s ok. The croquet started were overcooked and dry, however the seafood risotto was probably the best I have ever had, as was the steak my guests ordered . What let the place down was the service. Thursday night and the place was hardly full, very long wait to take the food order, the wrong wine served and no idea how to serve the wine. We wanted to order a second bottle of wine but no staff around so I had to go to the bar to get service. Altogether very poor service in an establishment where you are paying top restaurant prices. The owner who we met on the way out was charming but if this is going to be successful they really need to up their game (and I hope they do as we are locals who are spoiled for great pubs/ restaurants in the area).

Absolutely stunning pub, visited for a weekend out of the city. The rooms are so nicely designed and the beds are very comfortable! The little extra touches (freshly baked amazing cookies) were a nice treat with proper coffee in the bedrooms. The pub itself has a cosy bar/seating area as well as a main dining room. Really nice design here too (I think they just had a refurb) We made ourselves comfortable in front of the fireplace, the staff are very knowledgeable and friendly, without being overbearing, they helped us order wine and food. Intact the staff really went above and beyond during our entire stay! The food coming out of the kitchen was superb! Best steak I have had in a long while, and because of this we decided to stay for a roast on the Sunday. The Porchetta roast dinner is simply perfect, perfectly cooked Porchetta with a nice crackling, fresh veg and gravy gets 100% from me! The outdoor space looks perfect for the summer (was raining during our trip, although the dog enjoyed exploring a little!) Leicester Arms is a perfect getaway for the weekend to decompress, feel a bit cosy and have a great meal.

Absolutely stunning pub, visited for a weekend out of the city. The rooms are so nicely designed and the beds are very comfortable! The little extra touches (freshly baked amazing cookies) were a nice treat with proper coffee in the bedrooms. The pub itself has a cosy bar/seating area as well as a main dining room. Really nice design here too (I think they just had a refurb) We made ourselves comfortable in front of the fireplace, the staff are very knowledgeable and friendly, without being overbearing, they helped us order wine and food. Intact the staff really went above and beyond during our entire stay! The food coming out of the kitchen was superb! Best steak I have had in a long while, and because of this we decided to stay for a roast on the Sunday. The Porchetta roast dinner is simply perfect, perfectly cooked Porchetta with a nice crackling, fresh veg and gravy gets 100% from me! The outdoor space looks perfect for the summer (was raining during our trip, although the dog enjoyed exploring a little!) Leicester Arms is a perfect getaway for the weekend to decompress, feel a bit cosy and have a great meal.

Had to edit my review. The pub, restaurant is now totally refurbished to a high standard. Excellent food and drink. The previous owners didn’t have a clue.

A fantastic meal from start to finish. We were a group of 6 on Mother’s Day and the restaurant was fully booked. The service was impeccable - friendly and personal without being overbearing. The food was magnificent. The whole chicken to share with enormous Yorkshire puddings was a highlight. The kids portion of fish and chips was generous and delicious. The desserts were out of this world and, again, very generously portioned. The new interior is gorgeous and has given this wonderful pub a beautifully clean and fresh look while staying true to its traditional character. It is certainly our new favourite Sunday lunch and we will be back again and again.

Very nice pub with friendly staff. Great find

Had a great Sunday lunch in March for a table of 8. Service was prompt and friendly. Food was really delicious. Roast chicken was just the right size. Good menu options. Lovely new refurbishment.

From the outside this looks like a inn from the days of horse drawn carriages. In fact it is a traditional hotel and pub which has recently undergone a high quality refurbishment. In the centre of the village there is plenty of parking round the back. The interior is bright and airy with views across the countryside, log fires and comfortable seating as well as a well stocked bar. The staff are polite but the service was quite slow. This may be because a number of us pitched up at the last minute for a weekday lunch. The food is very good indeed and well presented. The Beef Croquettes are particularly good being full of pulled beef and garnish around. Caesar Salad is also worth trying with a freshness as it should be. Overall this is a destination restaurant and deserves to do well.

A fantastic stay. Beautiful hotel bar and restaurant. Amazing food, both dinner and breakfast. Top quality cooking and ingredients. Such friendly staff. It was pretty busy considering it only recently opened. Walking distance to Penshurst Place and Gardens, which is spectacular.

Came here for a Sunday roast after seeing someone mention that it was really good, and I have to say I was not disappointed. It is a lovely place, nice decor and beautiful location. All four of us had a starter which were all lovely especially the beef croquettes, then we all had the roast beef which was perfect. The sticky toffee pudding was delicious too. The staff were friendly and service was quick. Definitely recommend and will return in the summer as the views from the beer garden look wonderful.

Lovely old pub with very friendly people.

Amazing roast, highly recommend! Lovely setting and staff

Dining at the Leicester Arms in Penshurst was a delightful experience. The atmosphere was light and inviting, making for a comfortable and relaxed meal. The service stood out for its efficiency and friendliness, ensuring a seamless evening. The food was the real star, with each dish showcasing fresh, quality ingredients and a flair for flavor. It was a memorable meal in a charming setting, making the Leicester Arms a must-visit for those in the area.

Delicious lunch at the newly refurbished Leicester Arms! The staff were excellent and very attentive. I had Fish and Chips and it was utterly delicious! All of us really enjoyed our food. Great village pub, I wish the new team every success.

Wow. The recently reopened Leicester Arms has exceeded expectations, beautifully curated spaces, cosy fires and lovely staff. Held a working lunch there and found a lovely table suitable for a meeting followed by lunch, handy touches include power points (with USB), car parking to rear and a very decent lunch / Bar and Al a carte menu. Decent range of beers and wines, however as driving coffee was great and lovely to a see a place happily offering filtered tap water for free. A lovely touch by the friendly team. Had the Sugar Pot cured Bacon Chop and it was absolutely delicious, the charred sweet cure giving way to perfectly cooked quality meat with crisp (not limp) fries and a lovely dressed mixed leaves. My colleague had the Monkfish which was equally well received. Lovely spot for a business lunch, will be returning with the Mrs very soon for dinner.

Popped in for breakfast on our normal dog walk. Everything about the new set up is fantastic. It feels the perfect balance of luxury and comfort. Smells and looks like a 5 star hotel - not a stinky pub. The team catered amazingly to our requests. The breakfast was really fabulous quality, great size portion and very reasonably priced compared to other options in the area. So good to have an option of this quality on our door step

Wow 🤩 Just wow 🤩 The new Leicester Arms is simply amazing! Lovely atmosphere, great service, and the food is fantastic! Sunday roast dinner was superb! Beef croquettes, tuna tartare, and French onion soup with Stilton croutons were faultless, the roast beef was simply exquisite, as was the chicken, crispy but fluffy roast potatoes, definitely made on the day, rich gravy, nice touch of cavalo nero, and a massive Yorkshire pudding! Top quality! Well done and keep it up! Can’t wait for summer nights in the garden! 🥂

We had been looking forward to going as it reopened after a refurbishment they had been plugging the big reveal On instagram all week When we arrived it felt fresh and newly painted but none of the fires were going it wasn’t freezing but they make a pub so welcoming no excuse not to be lit in feb Dried flowers on all the tables were used before the refurbishment surely some cheery daffodils would be nicer and fresher and more jolly for a reopening of a country pub . The Barman seemed unable to understand which non alcoholic beer we wanted despite us pointing and trying to describe it We had no welcome from any of the staff We ordered some snacks from the snack menu one arrived and we waited half an hour for the other 3 apparently they thought we had wanted the one that arrived first as a starter not what you usually want when ordering sandwiches for a quick snack from a snack menu one doesn’t normally have a starter the menu didn’t state this either This pub has been through many hands we were so hopeful this time it would improve but sadly no No welcome, no cosy atmosphere ,terribly poor service We understand on opening week there might be teething issues but we received a very abrupt apology for the lateness of our sandwiches and no offer of a peacemaker We left feeling so disappointed as this is our local Please try harder you are a beautiful pub a beautiful building in a stunning village please make it work ! Thank you

Top marks for the food in taste, presentation and quality. The raw venison with bone marrow starter was Michelin star standard as were the beef cheek and chicken mains. We will definitely be back. The location and great views at the rear were lovely and the service perfect. Too full to try the deserts which I am confident would have been delicious too.

So disappointed with the whole experience I had with my friend when we visited for lunch - no-one around to greet us, drink forgotten, food tasteless, small and overpriced (main course) and very erratic and disinterested service, even when we did complain. Hopefully this was a one-off as I’ve been coming here for years, but judging by other reviews, I’m not sure now…

I wish I read the reviews before coming The pub is in lovely setting and is great inside However the food is pretty awful we had Sunday lunch chicken and the beef The roast potatoes were very undercooked and the veg was over cooked and bland The chicken was very bland no seasoning and was greasy The beef was too thick and very very rare and you couldn’t even cut it I refused to pay for the lunch as the food was absolutely awful The excuse ! We are busy , this is no excuse Don’t serve Sunday roast if you have noIdea how to cook it Chef needs changing !! So many other places to visit Will never return !

Went for Sunday lunch, the beef tough and vegetables and potatoes tepid, greasy gravy and greasy Yorkshire. Have been here a few times in the summer and everything fine don’t know what happened today but I noticed other people complaining too.

Our party of 4 people & 2 dogs stopped here for lunch after a Sunday morning walk. The welcome was warm and the pub itself is an attractive old building, tastefully decorated. It quickly became apparent that, at least in the Bar section, dogs are the norm not the exception, so book the restaurant if you don't like dogs! We're a pretty picky group but all four of the dishes we ordered exceeded our expectations so I wouldn't hesitate in recommending it. Some of the staff were clearly new / inexperienced but overall we found the service quick & efficient.

We went for a lovely family walk around Penshurst Place and grounds then, had a drink while we waited for our table to be ready. Told it would be around 20 mins it was an hour. We ordered around 3.10pm and at 4pm still no food, chased and was told we should have been told there was an hours wait for food and the food was just coming, 15 mins later chased again. When the food did come, the meat and chicken was hot but the potatoes and veg was undercooked and freezing cold. One of the meals had one carrot. The manager popped over asking if everything was ok. Said she would get us more vegetables and then brought across a plate of cabbage which was also undercooked. Absolutely disgusting. If we weren't hungry and could have got a table at another restaurant we would have walked out. Not easy when you had a frustrated baby in tow. What has happened to this place, the food and everything in general used to be great 'Before Covid'.

About a year ago we found a walk from Leigh that takes you along the Medway west towards Penshurst then loops back through the extensive grounds of the House, past the famous Sydney Oak. A pleasant 5 miles round trip. We have since been back 3 times and enjoyed lunch at the Leicester Arms each time. They have a lovely garden area and plenty of indoor seating. The menu presented good choices and I recall having an excellent risotto on our first visit and subsequently hearty and traditional Sunday roasts with different friends. As most of these visits involved various Covid protocols, we are grateful to all the staff for managing the requirements sensibly and professionally. Highly recommended.

Cannot praise enough the fantastic staff !!! Room was fab Food is fantastic The whole team were so friendly and attentive Little dog Coco was spoilt rotten and fell in love with the resident dog Art who is the loveliest dog !!! FIVE STARS

We popped in for a drink and snack after visiting nearby castle. Great atmosphere, lovely staff, nice and chilled pint 😃 We were informed this place have rooms as well so we are already planning our stay in.

We have been coming here for years as my parents live on the outskirts of Penshurst and many years before that as kids. This was my first visit since 2019 and my husband and I thought we'd treat mum to a birthday lunch. Sad to say that the food was terrible! I ordered crispy duck salad, which was a mound of watercress, very little else and some fatty (not crispy) duck pieces. For a main it was small and disappointing. Mum's pearl barley risotto looked like baby food and didn't taste of much apart from cheddar cheese (no parmesan in this risotto!) and the charcuterie board which was asked for as a main came without any chutney, some semi-toasted bread, the pickles were a tablespoon of baby onions and the "charcuterie" looked like it was straight from Tesco out of a packet, the chorizo and salami variety - disgusting. When we asked where the chutney was and enquired as to where the charcuterie was from the waitress went to check and we were told "a local farm". Not plausible at all. We also asked for a side of seasonal veg which was hugely undercooked, the sprouts hadn't even been tailed so they had the brown-ish stalky end still on them - how do you get veg wrong?We were reimbursed a round of drinks which was nothing (I am pregnant and my brother was driving) but no word from the chef or a manager despite us commenting on pretty much everything on the table! The only positive from this experience was a lovely bar maid who was very apologetic and looked embarrassed. I can honestly say that it's the worst meal I've had in a pub for a long time and what's worse is that before we left, we were told that the owner of the pub is the chef and was on duty that day!!! I don't know any chef that would be proud to serve food like that.

Sunday lunch had to wait 1 hour for food that had to be sent back cold , lots of young staff that don’t communicate with each other ! Food very overpriced and average!

Went in for some drinks to be greeted by someone sitting at the bar with a face like thunder complaining about someone doing something she didn’t like which is not appropriate nor appealing for a customer to witness highly unprofessional in my opinion especially when they’re claiming to be a manager!!!!

First of all...I love the pub its location and its ambiance. But something is missing here. My partner and I have made a few visits to this pub and every time we've left feeling disappointed about something whether it's the service (being turned away for wanting a coffee!) or the basics (like pouring a shandy). Please please please will someone get a hold of this pub by the horns and make it the pub it should be as it should be a cracker.. Jonathan

We booked our lunch visit at short notice but Lawrence managed to find us a table. The food was excellent as was the wine and Larkins Ale. All of the pub team were very professional and friendly. Well done all.Book early at busy times !!

A nice place for a drink but our lunch was dreadful. The “baguette” was just a bread roll, the bbq sauce was cheap and the fogaccia could have been used to prop up the Eiffel Tower- it was so stale. It’s a popular place which is probably why they were not interested in our feedback.

Lovely garden area for lunch. Great fish & chips & prompt, courteous service by a lovely member of staff. Will definitely return!

The surly looking lady on the bar. Greeted us with a scowl then proceeded to clatter about slamming cupboards for 10 minutes before serving us. I don’t mind a bit of a wait but seems strange when we’re the only customers

Great food and friendly staff. Service was a little slow, but then they had a long walk back inside to get the food and drinks each time.

I stopped for lunch while on a walk through the village. This pubs is certainly much better than a few years back! I ate outside - nicely-cooked burger, good crisp chips and coleslaw that tasted homemade. Several of the other meals on offer looked worth a try too, as did the Scotch egg bar snack that I saw on its way to another table. I passed a group of friends on my way out the village...I hope they took up my recommendation

Nice country pub in Penshurst. Garden at the back is very pretty overlooking the Kentish countryside. Staff are very friendly and helpful. Nice vibe. I had a main course the pan roasted duck breast which was well executed. The only problem was the size of the portion which was very small. For the price (£19) it should have been twice the size, so the food is not very good value for money. I had a pint of Harveys which unfortunately was over chilled. Real ale needs to be served cellar cool, not cold as if it has been in a fridge. I know why pubs chill their beers like this as they last longer. Overall it was quite a good experience but not sure I would eat here again.

Verity and her trusty team did all they could to make my wife and I, along with our fairly amorous Labrador ‘Purdey’ feel welcome on a hectic Bank Holiday Monday. No mean feat in these Covid testing times. We have stayed here and frequented The Leicester Arms many times and it still keeps on giving. However under its latest reincarnation, new owner Laurence Bowes appears to of nailed it!

Outstanding food of extremely high quality. Starters were fresh and tasty (both had fish). Steak was the best I have had in a long time and fish n chips was very good too. Good value for money.Super friendly staff made a complete fuss of our dog and made us feel very welcome. Will definitely be coming back.Lisa

We love this place, amazing staff who really seem to enjoy their work, very tasty food, probably the best breakfast ever (Apologies to my wife) premium quality ingredients, it's so nice to find a place to go that really does put the interests of their customers 1st. Very good reopening offer with half price rooms, definitely will return.

ProsGreat staff, nice atmosphereNegFood was overcooked, no allergy or dietary awareness on menu, towards higher end of price in the area which needs to be meet with better food quality and cooking.

Excellent meals with very friendly service. I have eaten here three times since lockdown eased and all my meals have been delicious and the service has been excellent. I would particularly recommend the Hake and the sticky toffee pudding!

It should have been a great day out, soon after pubs were allowed to open again - at least outdoors. The menu was (understandably) restricted and we were told by the waitress that there were two "roasts" - chicken or beef. We chose one each. The servings were small, poorly presented and the vegetables were all either over or undercooked. Portions were small, despite (we discovered when the bill csme) extortionate at £18 each. The deserts sounded marvellous but were tiny, insipid and again, overpriced. The cafetiere coffee was very good! Service was appalling. One waitress knew what she was doing but the others were hopeless. I had to ask three times for some horseradish sauce (while the tough, cheeky beef got colder and colder) and they messed up the drinks order. To add salt to the wound, when the unexpectedly large bill was produced, I noticed that the charge for a pint of lager shandy (that's half a pint of lager and half a pint of tapped lemonade) was £5.80. I queried this ( given that a pint of local bitter was £4.15) and the waitress tried to justify this daylight robbery. To be fair, she did eventually offer to reduce the bill but far too late to prevent completing a really terrible lunch. Shame. I love Penshurst. If only they had a decent pub there. Never again!

My family and I visited the Leicester Arms on Sunday for my son's 3rd birthday. We all had such a brilliant lunch. 3 of us shared a roast platter which we all agreed was the best pub roast we've ever eaten. The food was delicious, the drinks were generous and the service was first class. A lovely post-lockdown experience in the sunshine that we can't wait to repeat. Thank you

Delicious al-fresco burger with Larkins ale on first day of post-lockdown re-opening. All ran like clockwork, many thanks!

The Burns night cook at home box that we purchased during COVID lockdown was a fantastic alternative to eating at the Leicester Arms which of course was not allowed. Well done to the chef and team for a beautifully prepared box of food with easy to follow instructions for a fantastic meal.

Great service from the landlord and his team today. The HOPT app works well and is quick. Quicker if you do it before you go to place your order before you get there. ‘Must try’ are the scotch eggs- cooked perfectly. We are going again next week for a takeaway roast. Walk it off with a fantastic walk around Penshurst. Thank you Team Leicester Arms. See you again next week.

We have lived locally for many years and in the past visited a lot. We have seen The Leicester Arms change hands a number of times and previously to an unsuccessful over the top bistro.Based on other reviews we decided to eat Sunday Lunch here as things look better and more reasonably priced (?)Our food was good but not exceptional given the prices paid and the service was very good. We however came as a couple and specifically asked for the restaurant.This was our mistake as we felt we had landed in the middle of a chimps tea party!! With young children unsupervised and running around the room and the noise of crying babies and loud kids this was about as far removed from a restaurant as you can get. If they are serious about this dining experience being up market then book families into the bar area. We scout out venues for our walking group and have eaten in so many of the good local pubs and restaurants so know there is a fantastic choice. It has easily been a decade since we were last here and will probably be a few more years till we return again.

Came for lunch on a Friday - was quite quiet and relaxed, really nice. The staff were wonderful - very friendly and relaxed, and gave clear instructions about mask wearing and table service without being awkward or weird about it. The blonde lady behind the bar was particularly friendly and efficient. Food was excellent and reasonably priced, with a focus on local products. Seemed to have a good range of drinks too. Really nice ambiance, really clean, overall just a really nice find! Will definitely recommend and return if in the area :)

Had a meal whilst staying in the hotel and could not fault a single thing about the meal/service/ambience. The vegan pumpkin main was a delicious autumnal dish with beautiful presentation. Vegan dishes are usually an under-seasoned afterthought so it was lovely to see that is not the case here. I believe it’s a new chef and proprietor and seems like they’re doing great stuff. Staff were very accommodating to us wanting a drink in the bar before and after our dinner in the restaurant and we particularly liked the vibe in the dog friendly bar area with the warm fire. We can’t wait to go back and try the cocktails!

We had mussels , chicken , excellent wine and to end the best panacotta I have ever tasted . thoroughly recommend this restaurant- this was our first visit and I have added another review as our second visit was even better! Thank you and we will be booking again soon

Visited for Sunday lunch yesterday (18/10). Staff were polite and friendly. Regarding the food two of us had the roast beef and two the pork belly with crackling. Personally my pork was very nice and the crackling was pretty good but the other pork’s crackling was not at all crispy. The beef was described as being served with horseradish sauce but there was none on the plate or in a separate dish. We did try to catch the attention of staff about this, and to get some condiments, but although there seemed to be lots of them around they weren’t really focussed on looking to see if people needed anything and rather than have cold food we ate it without. When we were asked how the food was when we had finished we mentioned the crackling and the waiter seemed completely flummoxed as to how to respond. We were not seeking a price reduction or anything like that but a simple apology would have gone a long way. Another minor gripe was that the shared vegetables did not come with a serving spoon so we had to use our own cutlery( the dish did not arrive with the mains and as there was some veg on the plate we had already started to eat not realising what was still to come) dipping forks into the shared dish - not the most hygienic especially in current times. Finally the restaurant temperature was rather cold and we were not the only table to have some people who dined with coats on. Would we return? I certainly wouldn’t rush back but I have a sneaky suspicion some of the staff may have been very new and a little overwhelmed so our experience may not be relevant for future weeks.

My husband & I visited The Leicester Arms for Sunday lunch today after a lovely walk around Penshurst with our 2 dogs. From the moment we stepped inside the atmosphere was warm & welcoming. We were given a lovely table with our dogs in the bar area opposite one of the 2 log fires. All the food was delicious. I had the smoked mackerel for starters followed by the pork belly while my husband had black pudding scotch egg and sirloin steak. We tried but failed to resist dessert, sticky toffee pudding and crumble. All superb and all delicious. All the staff were charming & helpful, with drinks arriving promptly. A lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon and we looked forward to going back.

Had lunch here a couple of sundays ago after our morning walk, delicious fish finger sandwich washed down with a delicious mocha

We had a lovely, long lunch with our two dogs. Cosy bar area, great pub food, super nice, friendly staff, even in Covid times, everyone was so relaxed and friendly. We had fish and venison, both excellent. My husband loves Larkins, its was very fresh apparently, not always the case. All in all, great to see life back in this lovely pub. Will be back soon.

I was visiting Penshurst on a walking holiday and booked into here for dinner one evening. I was quickly seen by a very polite member of the young staff and seated in the bar area. The service, food and ambience was all of a very good standard and I really enjoyed my evening. It's also worth noting that the pub and restaurant both appeared to be taking COVID guidance very seriously, with all staff wearing masks and punters who weren't wearing one when not seated politely asked to put them on.

One is always wary about pubs close to major tourist attractions (nearby Penshurst Place) as they tend not to try hard. This is an exception. This was the first day of their autumn menu and the mussels (with bacon) and the cod and chips (cod fresh and enormous size) were outstanding. Fast friendly service. Good value for money, covid secure. Park either in the pub car park or on the street (free). Booking recommended. There is a garden.

We went to the Leicester arms for Sunday lunch. We waited over an hour for our food. The waiter came over about 25 mins after our order to clarify what we asked for and then we waited a further 25 mins after which the food still haven’t arrived. When we queried this the waiter was very rude and defensive at which point we left. The staff were inattentive and unprofessional. We also noticed that there were large tables of parties of more than six people. They did not seem to abide or care for the new distancing rules. We will not be recommending this to anyone.

We stopped for lunch here on a cycle ride from Tonbridge. We sat outdoors with a nice view over the valley, although adjacent to the car park. The lunch menu was inspired with a good selection of starters and lighter bites, including several vegetarian options. Good friendly service and very good value for what we had.

What a lovely place went there for dinner on Saturday night had a steak platter which was amazing it was tasty I had to go there on Sunday for the roast dinner I had the belly pork with side dish’s of cauliflower cheese and greens which I have to say 10/10 all the staff was lovely I would definitely recommend it

Nice restaurant with lots of character. Food was cooked well, fresh with quality ingredients used. Portions are small though. Manager/owner was attentive and had humour.Would have been nice to see staff wear masks as they get up close and personal to you (makes their other COVID measures redundant as they don't wear masks).Would go back again -

I used to live in Penshurst but I had not eaten in the restaurant for many years. The outside garden area is much improved so we thought that we would try the restaurant. It was quiet but the service and food were very good including mussels,a crab salad, smoked salmon and sea bass. We also shared a delicious almond and rose desert. We also found out that the LA was under new management and the pre- Feb 2020 reviews ( which we had read )were not very helpful. We have always rated the Kentish Hare as the best food locally but on this experience the LA is just as good. We shall be back!

After visiting previously for a quick drink, we decided to book a table for 4 last Saturday night (15th Aug) , and were enthusiastically told by the barman that Saturday was their Steak night and there would be Chateaubriand amongst others on the menu. When we arrived at 8pm and started to order our meal we were told that they only had 2 Chateaubriand and they had been sold at 6.30, but we could have either Ribeye or Fillet. My medium rare ribeye was completely inedible, and had so much fat it wasn't pleasant. This was sent back, and I asked the waitress for a fillet instead. The second one turned up and wasn't a fillet but another very fatty ribeye. Admittedly the manager took the cost of my meal off the expensive bill, but the evening was ruined. Also the manager told us we had ordered another ribeye when we hadn't. There was no apology or goodwill gesture. The rest of the food was ok, but generally not a good experience, and our post lockdown evening out was ruined.

Please get your pricing right for your non alcoholic beer as to charge me £5.20 for a Peroni small bottle 0/0% is a complete Rort ! RIP off. I queried it but you’re barman said it was correct ! This should be no more than .£2.95 in my opinion. Plus no desserts menu either ! Apart from that food pretty good but very small portions with the octopus salad. Plenty of salad but not enough Octopus for £15

Disappointing. Staff really didn’t seem to know what was going on (badly trained/briefed?)Food was ok. It was just.... odd. Some trained up, attentive, ‘on it’ waiters and waitresses would make a huge difference.

The Pub and restaurant is much better than it has been with previous owners. The food has been excellent every time and I had a very nice birthday here. The Bar staff are lovely as were Lara, Sam and Amelia who served me on different occasions in the restaurant. Laurence the new owner of the pub always seems to be around and takes part in looking after customers, something the previous owner did not. He is very knowledgeable about all the food and drink on the menu. He's a nice guyI Have had the Ribeye steak twice so far and its really tender and flavourful. I Do wish it came with a mushroom but the redwine sauce I had the first time was great. I personally love the bread they serve here. It is warm, made in house by chef's Luke and James and has been different each week. I believe the last portion I had was fig. Yummy.

From the moment we walked in all the staff were so pleasant, especially Lara and Luca who seemed to have unlimited patience and humour.Delightful meal sponsored by Boris and even without that it was meal that went the extra mile. (Good to Diet Coke in a sensible bottle size).

Hurray, the pubs are open again! I was walking in the area and so stopped by for a beer and a sausage roll. I had been less than delighted with a stop-by last year so it's great to see that the place is under new management and returning to historic good form. The Camden pale ale was great for such a hot day and the sausage roll kept me going until I reached Tunbridge Wells. The bar staff were efficient and enthusiastic. I hope it prospers under its new owners. I will be back!

We were served staled bread & after pointing it out they took it away & replaced it with the exact same stale bread. The octopus salad was dreadful, mostly lettuce & grated carrot - I was starving but still couldn’t eat that much watery lettuce. My husbands “Hastings day boat fresh fish” arrived as a fish pie instead of the fish special the menu promises. The highchair was forgotten for most of the meal. The staff were polite & apologetic, but were in a real muddle with no coordination between them. I’d like to make excuses for them about the new COVID ways of working but this just wasn’t the case. The staff I can forgive, the food I cannot

This is a place my family and I visited regularly and in fact had the last 2 Christmas lunches. Last Christmas lunch was lovely, but a bit of a disaster, so we hadn’t returned. We stopped for lunch today as we were passing.The hotel/ restaurant is under new management and was fab! We all had burger and chips, which was lovely. Dessert was cheesecake and sticky toffee pudding, the chef even made us homemade custard on request. Couldn’t fault it! Food, staff and environment was lovely. New management shone through, recommend and will definitely return. Loved it!!!

I went to the Leicester Arms to meet friends for lunch after lockdown, I have tried many places for Sunday lunch and whilst they all look amazing on being served there is usually something that is not quite right and cooking on mass I tend to forgive it!I have to say! WHAT AN INCREDIBLE SUNDAY ROAST! The only person that could top this would be my gran! It was out of this world! The gravy was so good I almost ‍♂️ licked the plate.There really wasn’t anything to fault on this! I hope I can get the same next week! Keep up the good work! And all the best to the new owners.

We came to the Leicester Arms last weekend when we were in need of a place to stay whilst house hunting. When I found the Leicester Arms’ website I knew immediately that new owner Laurence had put his heart and soul into the place. Upon arrival Laurence and his staff made us feel right at home, going out of their way to ensure we were comfortable and well fed. Our room was absolutely stunning with a view onto the fields. The bed was so comfortable we slept like babies, and the bath was amazing at the end of a long day. The food is what you would expect of a London restaurant without the snobbiness and with a real focus on local produce. We loved our stay so much we came back again this weekend! We stayed in a different room and I can confirm every single room in this place is incredible. It’s safe to say we’ll be regulars when we move to the area. Well done Laurence and the team for creating such a beautiful experience unlike any other.

Came for lunch and drinks for 6 people food was amazing especially the steak salad, attentive staff and friendly owners. Special thanks to Finn and Verity on the bar, knowledgable, polite and quick with drinks. We then sat in the garden, social distancing is easy down there as it’s so large so definitely will be frequenting more often. Not to mention a sun trap too in the these summer evenings. Glad to see the pub has reopened and wish it and the new owners the best of luck.

Had Saturday lunch here , service was friendly and the location and ambience of the building is nice...but that's where the good stuff stops . One barman, so the drinks service was very slow, and the food service was even slower. I would reckon the pub being half full at most, and given the time of year none of 20+ outside tables were in use, so there was excuse that they were at capacity. When my food did arrive, Fish & Chips for £15, the chips were cold and overcooked at the same time, and the fish was about 90% batter....I have had better "fish" from a frozen birds eye packet. I am well used to pay Gastro Pub prices in this area, but this is a country mile away from being Gastro Pub food. Very dissapointing

Been here many times, the last being last autumn. A drink in the garden can be a perfect end to a walk or indeed a decent lunch. Huge disappointment today though, lacklustre service and frankly poor food. Parsnip soup with so much pepper it was inedible, swordfish steak over cooked (dry) and drowning in oil and dry hamburgers. Wasn’t much helped by a 1/2 of Larkin’s that was so cold it felt as if it had been through a chiller and then to discover that there was something rather nasty stuck inside the bottom of the glass, which when pointed out barely any elicited a grunt. Still a great place to start or end a walk but stick with a G & T and a bag of crisps. Love to see them come back to form but was certainly far off today.

We hugely enjoyed a Huge and delicious Sunday roast beef Lunch. Even the kids portion was big!Really good Lovely views of the river valley (flooded when we were there)Friendly prompt service - straight away replaced my pint of Harvey’s that was first out of the pipes with a fresh one and added more lime cordial to my wife’s lime and Soda.Fantastic location for pretty walks around the Penshurst Place estate

We had been to hever castle so called the pub last minute for a lunch booking Wow great service great food great atmosphere Thank you

7 of us for lunch after a dog walk. All meals under or overcooked. Didn’t bring drinks despite asking twice. 1.5 hours to bring the main course. 20 minutes before asked for a drink order and then not asked again. Very pretty pub so a sad disappointment as it used to be very good.

Last stayed here 2 years ago. It was very convenient and comfortable whence I chose it again when working down that way. But oh dear.....no one answered the phone all day when I tried to book before I did it online. On arrival all looked the same but the restaurant food ( simple burger and chips) tasted like it had been warmed up and chips slightly stale, was so disappointing. Restaurant - on a freezing cold night - was empty and matched the temp outside! Escaping back up to what was a very nice room and bathroom my heart sank further when I discovered no heating and stone cold water at 9 o’clock in the evening. So I packed and left for a reliable but soulless travel lodge type place where I warmed up in a hot bath. Reading other reviews the hotel appears to be for sale and other recent reviews had identical issues to me. You really can’t charge people £70 plus and drag them out of their way for something like this. I didn’t have to pay but I so wish I could have had the experience I expected. Really hope you guys can sort it out

I read in the Times of Tunbridge Wells that this place is now up for sale. Sadly I read that (and all these other recent poor reviews) after we had actually visited. What a shame. The service was pretty poor - little care or attention to detail. The chef may have already departed, judging by the quality of the food. This used to be such a lovely little pub which we last visited 3-4 years ago. Needs a complete re-think. Good luck to the new owners, whoever they may be.

Even though I booked only a few days before visiting this restaurant I was not informed they had 2 functions going on. This meant the service was slow( I felt sorry for the chef). The food was good but it was difficult to have a conversation as the level of noise from the functions was intrusive. If I had been informed of the functions when booking that would have at least given me the option to go elsewhere.

Disappointing short break at the end of a chilly October.Room and bathroom fine but noticed heating not on. Returned to hotel in the evening still no heating. At dinner informed one of the bar staff who said he would adjust thermostat. Returned to room in the late evening and room still unheated (single radiator and towel rail).At breakfast raised the matter again and was told that there is an ongoing ‘issue’ with the heating system. They could provide hot tap water or radiator heating. The staff member said that a portable electric heater was provided (not sure if we were expected to put it in the bathroom).We were more than surprised that this wasn’t mentioned when we booked through the hotel, or upon arrival. When we booked we were asked for telephone number and e mail address as usual. We received no confirmation of booking despite fee being taken the day before arrival. When we rang for confirmation we were told there was an ‘issue’ with their e mail? There seems to be quite a few ‘issues’ at this hotel.Self closing(keep shut) fire door serving the stairwell continually wedged open.Portable electric heater had two deteriorating insulated tape repairs on plug lead.Lighting poor around hotel and car park which, together with pot holes in the path, meant a torch was essential.Two steak and ale pies at dinner should have been listed as ‘carrot pies with a smidgeon of meat’.Breakfast day one good, breakfast day two awful.Handbasin sink plug wouldn’t lift; evidence on the basin of somebody trying to affect a repair.Had to request hand towels.No bath mat on day one.Spoons not replaced after room clean.A chair in the room is not much to ask.Not all bad; bed very comfortable and we did have hot running water (even in the cold taps for a couple of minutes).

We went for Sunday lunch but couldn’t make it before 3pm. We called the restaurant to book and they said fine. But our mistake was to expect the food and service to be up to standard. They obviously had had a busy time and service was passable but the food was poor and not up to the standards of our previous visits. We will now give the place a miss and hope that it may improve some time in the future, until then goodbye.

So decided to spend my gourmet voucher from xmas here ..big mistake ... on arrival sat next to an open window ( night time and 10c ) dead flies inside the secondary glazing , poor house keeping and had small flies around us !! bar code sticker on the water jug ( couldn’t even be bothered to peel it off before they used it !! .. paper napkins .. ...

Went to the Leicester Arms for dinner and an overnight stay with a group of friends. The hotel is full of character with a reasonably good bedroom and a large en-suite bathroom.

Food was of variable quality. Place lacked atmosphere. Expensive for what it was and the service was very hit and miss. Such a shame, it could be so much better as the village is gorgeous. Sadly we won't be returning.

Food was ok and so was the location but the service was incredibly slow and the 12.5% service charge was an insult. Expensive food for what it is, better places to eat locally and service with a smile. Certainly won’t be returning anytime soon. No atmosphere and overpriced :(

Although the lads working behind the bar were new, you really would have thought they would have had to have some additional training before being allowed to man the bar. One of the lads couldn't pour a beer without the top of it being all trough.