The Old Coach & Horses in Canterbury

Dined there yesterday evening on a spur of the moment thing for a family get together. They managed to fit us in despite not booking. Nothing was too much trouble. Service was excellent and the food delicious in a wonderful bistro style atmosphere.

Unfortunately, we haven't managed to dine in this pub. We booked a table for a family of 4 (including 2 kids), and when we arrived in the pub, there was a note that the pub was closed due to staff issues. Which is very much appreciated, but they could have blocked bookings through opentable for the day or have the courtesy to come outside and inform us about the closure, rather than shouting from the inside of the pub "CLOSED CLOSED CLOSED" and ignoring the fact that we stayed outside of the pub for another 10' waiting for an uber. Can't say anything about food obviously and overall service, most probably will be amazing. I would only suggest for them to monitor the booking apps and communication, to avoid similar incidents in the future.

I came to Canterbury for my birthday and we booked a table after seeing the good reviews. We turned up just in time for our booking, just to be told they were closed because of staff issues (not there fault) pub seemed like they were full of locals but told to leave and didn’t care about our booking. Birthday meal was ruined because they didn’t inform us. Clearly didn’t care, selfish behaviour. I hope you have a better experience than us.

We went here for Sunday roast, one of our party asked where the toilets were only to be told there weren’t any as they hadn’t had any water for 4 days! Surely you must tell people this ahead of time? Is it legal to open without toilets when serving food and drink? People were there with young children and they were told the same. The food was basic at best with definitely not homemade Yorkshire puddings, just Aunt Bessie’s ! The roast chicken was just a chicken breast and not from a whole chicken. The place was covered in cobwebs, we expected Miss Haversham to arrive at any time! All in all very disappointing.

Popped in for a Sunday roast with my dad as we used to visit a lot and was always amazing but you always had to book so alarm bells rang when I rang ahead and they said they had plenty of availability. Arrived and seated straight away so no problem there but the upstairs is looking tired and in need of a good clean - the red paint and chandeliers don’t take away from the massive cobwebs hanging from the celings. We both ordered the roast lamb with a side of cauliflower cheese! Drinks arrived really quickly too. Food arrived fairly quickly and I have to say the veg was fab and the roasties (only two per plate) were spot on but the lamb was the fattiest, chewiest most overcooked brown lamb breast (I think, definitely wasn’t a joint) I’ve ever eaten. A slab of packet stuffing was buried under the veg and what looked like a frozen Yorkshire pudding on the side didn’t improve things. Weren’t offered any sauces either which would have hidden the taste of the lamb. Plates were clean apart from the piles of gristle and fat left on them. Two women on the next table ordered the beef and that looked far worse than ours so grateful we seem to have come off slightly better than they did. Staff were great and the bill wasn’t bad at £38 for two roasts, a pint and glass of wine but if you’re going to charge top whack for a roast get the meat right!

Great food very friendly service, they forgot to charge me for a bottle of wine, I phoned them afterwards and paid for it over the phone, very disappointed that they didn’t phone back and say thank you!!!

The Wild Mushroom Stew was uneatable. Instead of wild mushrooms were canned champignons. The mashed potatoes were cold and the green beans were crude. The vineglasses were dirty and the service was meager. I don't understand the good reviews.

If you are after a quiet drink in an olde worlde pub this might do the job, if however you are looking for even vaguely french cusine you have come to the wrong place. A good French restaurant should have at least 1 slightly surly waiter and some dangerously under cooked meat. The staff were pleasant , if not too efficient, but there was no chance of any under cooked food. Of 8 plates of food only 2 were not overdone and they were the pate starters( which i strongly suspect were straight of a packet). Mussells, over cooked, the smallest King Prawns i have ever seen overcooked and not particularly garlicky ( i suspect from a packet in the freezer). 2 salmon en croute, pastry clearly burnt and very dry inside. The real crime against French cooking was the Filet mignon with triple cooked chips. One ordered rare the other medium rare. What we got was one plate with at best medium and 1 of which with an obvious line of gristle running through it and 1 plate with what can be best described at beef flavoured ice hockey pucks. These were promptly sent back , no filet left ,offered a minute steak off the bar menu which was declined, as we would have finished ours meals before that was ready. The chips were brought back 10 minutes later , now looking quadruple cooked. Forgot to mention before the so called triple cooked chips. Not for the first time in Gastro pubs the triple cooked chips were a huge disappointment. I can only assume they are lying about them being triple cooked or are simply incapable of following the triple cooking process. In this case I think the same freezer where the prawns came from might be the source of the chips. The waiter then informed us that we would not be charged for the meal we did not have! -very generous. We finally gave up on the night when over 30 minutes after asking if we wanted to see a dessert menu there was still no sign of a dessert menu. The bill was paid in full ( against my better judgement) -no tip I'm afraid. At no point whilst we were at the table did anyone senior come to see us, again a disappointment. Needless to say we will not be returning any time soon.

An excellent lunch had here. Generous portions. Great service from Jordan. A lovely restaurant that I am glad we found.

very generous sized roast dinner with plenty of vegetables and a great selection of desserts. good service

Popped in for a business lunch. Had Lovely food as always and service was fantastic from Pete the manager. Highly recommend the duck!

We have been here before, lovely pub. Very busy for Mothers Day so food not quite as good. Vegetables weren't cooked especially the parsnips and neither were the frozen roast potatoes.

Had a beef stew meal with carrots and mushrooms but sadly very little beef, advised waitress and all she did was let the chef know, no “I’ll see what I can do” just very poor for a so called “gastro pub” will not be recommending

Charming pub in a picturesque village. Food was very disappointing.

We havnt been here for 5 years but were really looking forward to a nice toast. It was nothing like in the pictures or what we had before. Small portion over cooked beef. Undercooked veg (we like veg with a bite) just really average. We’re hoping it was a one off but at 12:30 it should have been well prepared

No good don't go there for food it's a waste of money.

Think we were unlucky as they had a big private event upstairs and we were not impressed with our experience, unfortunately think they lost focus on the diners Had no Pastis which is a French apperitif after all 🤷 Starters were good They made a point of explaining that it's a "Minute"steak just one minute each side and these were tough -Think they were left under warming lights? Moules were over done and too small pot for shells Guinea fowl was well overdone and sauce was so salty . Asked us if we wanted dessert menu before our mains were served Had to ask for cutlery Desserts were nice but pear very small for £8! Needs a refurb Toilet entrance doors dirty and inside floors needed cleaning! Staff were pleasant and friendly

The Old Coach and Horses is a nice pub, that does good food. Unfortunately, if you want to go for a drink, you have very limited choice of accommodation. There are a number of bar stools, which do not suit all preferences, or a very low leather sofa and two chairs. I would suggest the management reconsider how they use the bar area, as it is not appealing for people to stay for more than one drink😞

Edited to add jan 2024. They changed this restaurant recently to a French bistro and the food is really amazing. I highly recommend it I had the mushroom bourguignon but the other dishes were great too. Will be back soon -------- Just had lunch there in their garden The new owners really made the place nice for covid Social distancing measures Nice big gardens for food and to drink The food was great staff really friendly and efficient. Highly recommend!!

What a fantastic gem of a pub restaurant. Made to feel so welcome. food was fantastic staff very friendly. nothing was to much. Will definitely be returning. we ate here three nights steak was so nice, chicken pete amazing and the Sunday Roast was fantastic.

Had a lovely meal with family. Food was great. Staff were friendly and welcoming. Great atmosphere

WARM & COSY - Harbledown’s hidden gem - this old local pub has undergone a remarkable transformation with its introduction of delicious French cuisine with a fabulous new Head Chef, Jack. The beautiful open fireplace and décor and creates a warm and cosy atmosphere. Led by manager Pete, all the staff (especially Luke, Amy, Izzy and Jordan) show wonderful attention to detail and warmly welcome us. We keep going back… I highly recommend the traditional French onion soup, the Wild Mushroom Croquettes, and the Garlic Prawn skewer… Amazing. Sometimes we just have two starters… The Sunday roasts are huge and great value, prompting us to choose this exceptional pub for our Christmas Day dinner this year. With its charm and comfort, this spot is one of Canterbury's best-kept secret - a delightful hidden treasure. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

We have had our staff Christmas party there for the past 2 years. Both times have been extremely good. Great food and service from all the staff.

Parts of the menu were wrong, however food pretty good for the price.

Very good value for money With excellent food

Portions ridiculous small, and distinctly averaga. service incredibly slow. This is a miserable place to eat.

Lovely small pub, good food, good service, reasonable price. Lovely Sunday lunch had with the family. Would return

French food served only. Food and beers very expensive.

Lunch with friends as heard it had changed to french cuisine but we wanted a roast which they dud. Wide range of Roast choices, plenty of room and staff very attentive. Roast was beautiful and Creme Brulee was lovely. Thankyou will return with husband x Highly recommended

Arranged to meet a new friend here today (17/09/23) and so glad to have found this gem. All staff super friendly and kind. Decor lush and quirky! Food lovely and tasty. Will definitely be going back and strongly recommend 👍

We had such a delicious "spontaneous" meal here. We came for a drink but decided to stay for food and we were pleasantly surprised to find the restaurant was serving french food. Each meal was superb, we couldn't find fault with anything. The service was excellent and the ambience was great. We will be recommending this restaurant to all our friends and family and we can not wait to return.

Good vibes, excellent food and service, thank you for allowing dogs in, as you have a nice restaurant in a nice location. When we arrived, a dog water ball was expecting our furry by our table. Thank you for a nice sticky salmon, ribeye stake, good wine selection!

Nice put outside of town, lovely outside seating area, good range of beer, food was good, toilets were clean,

La calidad de la comida no es muy buena. Además nos trajeron la carne quemada por fuera (amargaba bastante) y cruda por dentro. Lo siento, pero no recomiendo este restaurante. No volvería.

Sadly no gluten free options at all.Sat and watched my friends eat.

Fantastic food. Service was great. Couldn't rate the atmosphere as we were the only ones in there!

I am very impressed by this place. I think I must have visited on a day just before the beer delivery as they didn't have many local ales but the food was truly fantastic. I have never had chicken wings as tender as these. The burger is very good. My wife works at a very posh Italian restaurant and she said the arranchini and linguine were on par if not better than her restaurant. The music playlist was good too. We will definitely be back

Lovely pub and amazing food im always met with a smile would highly recommend!

Spacious building with helpful efficient staff. Reasonably priced meals.

Over priced 60 guests at a party only one member of staff VERY SLOW service won't be going back

Mann muss hin...sehr empfehlenswert

Friendly publican and warm setting. A little pricey but worth spending a little more for the experience.

We met up with friends and had a lovely Sunday dinner. I totally recommend this place.

Lovely little pub on the fringes of Canterbury with a delightful outside space. Only stayed for a quick drink but will definitely be back. Lovely friendly staff and owner. Returned today (28/4) and sampled the food which did not disappoint. Daughter had awesome looking burger and my wife and I shared a bounty of French onion soup, scotch egg (wow) and the amazing loaded fries. Very pleased we returned to sample the food and to experience the great service once more.

Unfortunately I think the chef was having an off day when we visited. We were very excited to visit due to the plethora of great reviews about the Sunday roast, but it was a real miss for us. The roast wasn’t nice, the potatoes were hard and undercooked, my partners chicken was tiny and bland. We had cauliflower cheese which was nice, but generally left underwhelmed. The staff were very nice, hard working and the pub itself is really interesting. But I would say you can get far better roasts in the Canterbury area.

We visited today for the first time. We noticed how friendly all the staff were and looked like a fun team of people. We had three courses and enjoyed each one equally. The roast was lovely and it was so refreshing to see all the vegetables were cooked to perfection rather than over cooked like many other restaurants. We are looking forward to returning to enjoy the garden in the summer. Thank you 😊

Absolutely wonderful food with a very friendly, courteous & real staff!!! Dietary restrictions were not a problem!! Fabulous!!

It was quiet when we went in, so not really sure what the atmosphere is like. I had steak and chips. My partner had fish and chips. Both very tasty and looked lovely. Nice big portions.

We had a lovely spring walk from Oakside Lodge to the Old coach and Horses and back (30mins EW). We booked a table for 2 for 1800. The 🍻 Lady was welcoming, friendly and polite. We were served our drinks which were welcomed. We were given a few minutes to choose our meals and both went for the home made Burgers which were fabulous, piping hot and delicious. We had a lovely evening and we would highly recommend this place to eat. The menu is not extensive but of good quality.

Had a Sunday roast in here the other day, was absolutely fantastic! Perfectly cooked and reasonably priced, hats off to the chef! All very friendly.

Good food and reasonable prices. We were a large group of 24, the food came out swiftly, it was hot and the service was excellent. We ate in the upstairs room which is good for private/group bookings.

Such a lovely place with great food and lovely staff. The owner is fantastic and very welcoming, which makes this place even more special.

Just had a really fun evening at the monthly pub quiz. Lovely people, yummy food and excellent wine. Great stuff!

Had an amazing cocktail making masterclass with Pete! Would highly recommend to anyone with a birthday or a hen party coming up! Food was delicious as well! Thank you to Pete and the team for a great afternoon.

Great! A PLACE TO COME BACK! Un pub auténtico con una excelente cocina y en un lugar privilegiado

We had an excellent experience at The Old Coach and Horses. A lovely friendly welcome and excellent food.

Work Christmas night out. Worst Christmas roast ever. Burnt yorkshire puddings. Under cooked vegetables. Roast potatoes soggy. Strange pudding. 15% service charge a joke. Avoid.

Food was shockingly bad! Under cooked and inedible and they had a cheek to ask for a tip! Won’t get our business again that’s for sure!

Great local pub, excellent food, lovely tiered gardens.

Food ok service ok nothing really to shout about

Amy the lovely young lady behind the bar serving was absolutely brilliant a credit to the pub

Food was ok wouldn't rush back tho

Birthday celebration. Allowed own cake and candles and served up excellently.

Went for the new Winter Warmer special menu. Very disappointed. Pie was sold out at 7pm, no alternative offered, toast with the starter was burnt and the Yorkshire pudding with the toad in the hole was really overdone and dry. Waitress apologised and drinks refunded but it spoilt a rare evening out.

Good food and drinks, pleasant atmosphere worth a visit.

The service was great, but the food was a big let down. No one in my party thought it was very good. The cod and chips consisted of a lot of batter with very little fish inside. Some complained of the food being too dry. The tables were sticky and the highchair needed a good clean. I wouldn't go back.

Loved it. Great lunch choices and a good vegetarian selection

Lovely pub nice food friendly staff

Great food, great staff, pleasant location in garden, parking on road.

Sehr freundlich, sehr leckeres Essen, frisch und gutes Preis/Leistungsverhältnis , TOP . Vielen lieben Dank.

No onsite parking. Lots of steps and slopes. Varied menu.

Food is really nice as are the staff.

Excellent Sunday lunch served on the sunny terrace adjacent to the pub. The salt and pepper squid was cooked to perfection served with chilli sauce. The Sunday roast _ the beef pink and tender, the lamb perfect, both served with a delicious selection of vegetables and crisp, fluffy roast potatoes Cheerful attentive service. Highly recommended

Tuesday night burger CLUB 1st timers to pub was fairly busy found a table place our order 1 well done 1 medium afraid well done came out rare as did the medium it's not hard to cook a burger 🤔did fetch this to the attention of the waitress will return to try again hopefully the chefs working 🙃

Lovely time out at the old coach and horses this afternoon. The gardens were very peaceful despite the sun being out. The staff was very welcoming and accommodating. The food was delicious and the portions were generous. The visit was great and we will definitely be back!

First class streak..bonus 2 for the price of 1✓✓✓

Never a bad meal there..... Outside areas in the summer are second to none, great atmosphere and great location

One of the best burgers we had in Canterbury. The place has a cozy and traditional vibe! Can't wait to go back.

Excellent service. Drinks and food top quality!

A finer experience than you'd expect from a place so out of the way. While we didn't get to try the food, the busyness spoke well.

Superb food, huge portions, great service. Winner!

Good pub grub with loads of parking and friendly service 👍

Very unimpressed. Made a food booking through the website for 8:30pm and when we arrived they had decided to stop doing food because it was quiet, leaving us having to find somewhere else at the last minute. No call and no message sent. Customer experience isn't at the centre of this pub's motivation.

Very large portions - fine if you're a big eater.

Welcome warmth and hospitality on a chilly December day, with very generous portions of quality food and excellent bar staff

Great tapas style meal with great peoplex

Not going to tell you about this place. It needs to be kept a secret! (so I can always get a table).

Went in for a drink and some small plates for lunch meeting. The food was lovely, especially the peanut satay chicken. Staff were very friendly and welcoming. Definitely will return when in the area.

I had heard on the grapevine that The Old Coach & Horses Sunday roast was the stuff of legend, so I finally got myself booked in for a lazy Sunday packed with meat, gravy and beer. What more could you possibly want? Settling in quickly in the quaint upstairs interior, we ordered swiftly, but it wasn’t an easy choice. Personally, I went for the Chicken, which if I’m being honest was a bit off piste for me as an avid red meat eater. But you know what? I fancied it, and if it was going to be anything like The Old Coach & Horses outrageously tasty food on their menu I knew I was going to be in for a ride. And let me tell you, it lived up to expectations. Perfectly tender and full of flavour this roast was juicy and as far away from your mums dry roast chicken.

Amazing place and the food absolutely delicious. Recommend the sharing seafood platter.

Lovely pub, and friendly service, food was delicious just absolutely massive portions, so felt bad for leaving so much!

Very friendly staff and nice food. Service was a little slow but they were quite busy. So don't expect it to be a "short" meal on a busier night. But worth it if you're in no rush

Food was awesome as was the staff and service

Massively dissapointed!!! Booked for 7 people for a birthday meal. Cutlery was old and worn, table was dirty and sticky. Very worn furniture. Felt more like being at someones house for dinner. Sauces were non-existent. One tiny paper pot of sauce for seven isn't sufficient, Commonsense would tell you that. Dogs walking around freely in the eating areas. The lamb was so tough. 3 people orders lamb and it was so tough. Response being "new supplier's" The vegetables were very lame. Only decent parts were the roast potatoes and Yorkshire. £240 bill later.... felt robbed after going home hungry.

Good food and nice outdoor seating, relaxing place :)

Loved it! The food was fantastic, service was great and really good value. We didn't know there wasn't a car park so just make sure you can find a space on the road

Nice place friendly landlord comfortable bed good breakfast

Good value vegetarian platter for 3. Perfect for lunch time. Pub was quiet so maybe why it felt it was lacking atmosphere

Excellent lunch. Fish sharing platter was lovely. Great staff. Lots of seating in different areas. Looking forward to returning for Comedy night. Check out Facebook page for what's on. Very nice, professional but relaxed atmosphere.

Good choice of drinks and food menu had some nice traditional dishes. The hidden garden is very clever and well thought-out. Parking is limited to the street outside.