The Old Dairy in Dover

I went with a very good friend to this restaurant today (19/06/24) for lunch - The Old Dairy - at Goodnestone Park Gardens near Canterbury. The car park was very busy, and we wondered if we’d get seated, we were happy when we did and sat inside. There’s a variety of seating both inside and outside. It’s a nice airy area with good, but not harsh lighting. We were offered a choice of two tables. We each had a toasted sourdough sandwich which came with a small side salad. My friend had a cheese and ham one and I had the Brie and bacon with cranberry. See photos attached. I had tap water. My friend had a pot of tea and it was presented with a lovely dainty bone china cup + saucer (teapot left too). As they were relatively busy, her tea was getting cold whilst waiting for the food, they replenished the pot at no extra charge. The food was really tasty and you can see from photos tastefully presented. We weren’t rushed in any way which was nice. You pay at the till point. There’s a little shop adjacent to the restaurant which sells items such as tea towels, glasses cases, candles, books and lots of other items, mainly about the House and Gardens itself.

The Old Dairy is beautifully restored and serves excellent freshly prepared food. The butternut squash soup, swirled with cream and seeds was the best I've ever had, served with tasty sour bread. We'll be back for afternoon tea very soon, thank you

Always an interesting menu with well prepared food. Staff are always attentive and the restaurant is clean and well laid out.

I went to the old dairy cafe for Christmas dinner with my family, a bit late putting up this review, sorry. The food was amazing and plentiful, the turkey was cooked to perfection , the roast potatoes and parsnips were roasted just right with a lovely crunch to them . We also had cauliflower cheese, carrots, pickled red cabbage, which tasted divine. To add to the plateful there was bread sauce and of course cranberry sauce, with very flavoursome gravy, it was a truly delicious meal, well served and presented on the plates, no body went hungry and there was just about enough room to have Christmas pudding to follow. The food was cooked with care and commitment, with customer satisfaction in mind I am sure. The staff were friendly and polite and I shall definitely be going back there in the new year, several times I am sure. What an amazing place which is tucked away in the lovely Kent countryside

Just back home after delicious Christmas lunch! Absolutely perfect meal from start to finish. I had the beautiful Roast Turkey dinner with all the trimmings and friend had the vegetarian option which was superb. All staff are really friendly and welcoming. Can highly recommend a visit.

An excellent afternoon tea with professional customer service. A really good and plentiful choice of sandwiches and savouries followed by an exceptional choice of pastries and homemade cakes. Will definitely visit again.

Great hospitality and great Sunday roast at Goodnestone Park - The Old Dairy Cafe. Everyone were friendly to cater for our large party group. The normal cafe menu, looked great as well but we had a set menu for the day. Would recommend to others to try.

A fantastic coffee and cake on the tranquil, immaculate terrace followed by lunch inside the cute cafe. Calm, relaxing surroundings and excellent food. As a coeliac, I was delighted with the gluten free options: GF flapjack, a Brie ploughman’s with GF bread and the most immense GF scones I’ve had since being diagnosed, with jam and cream (so good I needed to check with the staff that they were gluten free - they were that good!) Will definitely be returning and spreading the word :)

Really beautiful location, we just visited the cafe. Had to wait a little while for menus. But it was worth the wait had a really lovely toasted sandwiches. Lovely calming atmosphere and dog friendly which is great!

Afternoon tea with friends. The table was beautifully laid and the staff super attentive. Tea refills given regularly and food beautifully presented. Lovey selection of savoury and sweet and not left wanting.

Booked afternoon tea for 12.30 to celebrate two family birthdays having had an excellent experience last year. Special dietary requirements given and accepted at time of booking 2 weeks prior. Arrived on time but food took 45 mins to arrive and when it did very disappointing. Served on individual plates, ( no finesse) and 3 little finger sandwiches, a 10p sized tart and a wafer thin sausage roll slice. The vegetarian had even less. Had to ask for tea refills and not once did a member of staff ask whether everything was ok or if we needed anything, even when I went to pay. Another 30 mins for cakes to arrive and again only because I asked and although very nicely made and this time presented on a cake stand, a very strange choice including buttered gingerbread slice and Rocky road’s containing marshmallows ( unable to attract staff’s attention to ask if these were vegetarian). On the whole def not worth the £23 a head we paid.

Decided to have breakfast before walking around the park. We were the first in, lovely large indoor space with a gorgeous suntrap courtyard. Breakfast was excellent, so much so that we returned for drinks and cake after visiting the gardens. Everything looked delicious that was coming out and it was a very fresh menu with lots of lunch options. Will definitely return, lovely little gem

Very nice food for lunch. Lovely place to sit outside when the sun is shining. Would recommend visiting

I booked a table for 3 as had a friend coming to stay with us. Have been in the café twice before just for a hot drink but never had food. Certainly not disappointed, the service, efficient and not slow. Out food was served to us in around 15 minutes of ordering it and delivered to the table by one of the chefs. We each had 2 courses and a very good selection was available. Will certainly be returning as only 25 minutes from where we live

Very friendly and attentive staff. We enjoyed delicious tea and cake followed by a walk in the beautiful, tranquil, 17th century walled gardens. We then returned and enjoyed sausage roll with salad and chutney. Delicious. We then washed it down with a glass of wholesome Apple and Pear juice.

Last visit, the place was pretty poor. Not so today, so congratulations to the staff. It is really a tearoom with a limited range of food, and it was fairly busy. This time there were enough staff, and also enough in the kitchen to make sure guests could generally get what they wanted to order. We went for a light lunch. The speciality sausage roll was pretty good, and comes with some salad. The full ploughmans offered some good bread, cheeses and a small piece of tasty ham. They only had one type of Old Dairy beer, but that was fine: Boss had a pleasant rose. Reasonable prices, so it all worked out fairly well. I would say it was a convenient place if you are out in the area, but I would not travel very far to get there.

My mum phoned me this afternoon to let me know how well a large group of walking friends were treated for lunch today. To quote “ the plates were warm, the food was hot and delicious. The staff were simply brilliant. “ Praise indeed and...

I have just returned from a fabulous Christmas lunch with a group of 15 friends. We all enjoyed the food, though we had a different range of courses. My roast turkey was delicious, piping hot, generous portions with great vegetables too. I had an apricot...

We have just had the most delicious Christmas meal, 3. courses all beautifully cooked and well presented. The service from the staff was exemplary, very friendly and welcoming. Always a treat to come just for coffee or a meal. Wonderful surroundings and atmosphere. A NOT...

Lovely food and friendly service, with my two sons,I had an amazing turkey roast dinner, the food was delicious, cooked to perfection and very well presented, the chef is to be complimented for such a delicious meal which came with side orders of lovely vegetables....

The cafe was packed with people and everyone kept there coats on as it was freezing in there! The red wine was icy and the roast turkey dinner the same as you get in hospital. My suggestion is stick to cakes and coffee as they...

Yet another simply delicious lunch with lovely service in a warm and relaxed atmosphere. Pay attention to the 5 star reviews, if we could give it more we would. The food is outstanding, took a friend for her first visit, best lunch she has had...

Best roast dinner I’ve ever had out! Not the cheapest but certainly worth it. Great service and lovely space. We’ve also been here for sandwiches and cake and have never been disappointed. Gardens are lovely, but in honesty, we come for the food!! Compliments to...

We’ve been great fans of the Old Dairy Cafe for years but hadn’t been for ages due to Covid and other illnesses. So imagine our delight to get there yesterday for lunch to discover it’s a huge success. Chris and Liz , who own the...

As a frequent visitor to the cafe I took my friends over from America for lunch. What a great visit, food perfect, the waitress so knowledgeable on the food, lovely atmosphere and achieved my aim of taking them to a classic English venue which they...

We had a delicious Afternoon Tea here yesterday and couldn't recommend it enough! The way it is presented with sandwiches and savouries first, followed by the scones and sweet treats (with a break offered in between) was brilliant. The sandwiches were all fresh and well...

Great cafe in a gorgeous setting. Friendly staff and varied menu. Sit inside or out of the walled courtyard.

This is a lovely cafe, the room is pretty with fairy lights on the beams and a nice outside space. We visited on Mother's Day, which was mad, lots of people and they were gearing up for their lunch sitting. We only wanted coffee and...

My wife and I visited the garden at Goodnestone and popped in to the cafe for a quick bite after. It was very busy (good sign). We hadn't booked but the very nice lady (Sue, I think) cleared us a table very quickly. We ordered...

A lovely cafe which is open to both visitors to Goodnestone Gardens and non-visitor and has seating both inside and outside. The staff are friendly and helpful and the food was well presented and good to eat. My wife had prawns and I had the...

We celebrated our Golden Wedding here on Saturday evening. We can't rate it highly enough! The torrential rain stopped long enough for us to take lots of photos in the beautiful gardens. Then back to the Old Dairy cafe for dinner. The chef, Chris Larman...

In the eary 1940s I lived at the pub in the village (The Fitz) with my Grandparents and had memories of walking to the dairy through the pub gardens to collect milk. In all these years i'd not been back to see if my memory...

We visited The Old Dairy for the first time for a family “Ladies Afternoon Tea” and everything was perfect! The surroundings, the food, the staff all made for a fantastic combination and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! Followed by a visit to the lovely little gift...

The Old Dairy might seem like a place for a quick cuppa and cake but don't be fooled. The food here surpasses not just cafe grub but is as good as many a top eatery. The chef, Chris Larman, is excellent. Yes he does do...

Lovely evening. Food was delicious and staff really attentive. Perfect for a small evening reception.

Visited with some friends. Had an amazing meal outside with a few drinks. The food was great and the location is stunning. Can’t wait to come back!

The friendly staff and delicious food were only enhanced by the beautiful setting. A slice of paradise in Kent

Was fortunate enough to enjoy a meal here after experiencing the stunning gardens here. The food was delicious, service impeccable and prices reasonable. The service in particular was a delight.

Stunning grounds and a beautiful setting. The food was fantastic and the staff were extremely friendly. Great day out with friends, highly recommend.

Visited here with some friends for a meal and some drinks. Food and staff were both excellent, really nice venue in a lovely country home.

We visited The Old Dairy following a walk around Goodnestone Park. Great service and lovely atmosphere. We took a noisy 4 year old and didn't feel unwelcome which can sometimes be the case at quaint locations! Delicious Glution free chocolate brownie. Reasonably price too. We've...

As of last Sunday The Old Diary at Goodnestone Park has added Sunday Lunch to its Tea and light lunch menu. Having enjoyed their yummy cakes (particularly their extra chunky pie-size shortbread biscuits) we went expecting something a little special and were not disappointed. For...

The old Dairy cafe at Goodnestone park, was like going back in time, the setting is is lovely,a friendly family location, surrounded by rolling countryside the views are amazing, a place that is hidden away in the Kent countryside, the gardens are extensive within a...