The Old Rectory in Tonbridge and Malling

Served by Sydney.very polite and very helpful, my brother and I are both disabled and she was amazing she made everything so easy for us xxxx

Worst meal I've ever had in 30 years of eating out absolutely disgusting! Avoid the fish and chips I'm still burping up stale oil and burnt batter 4 hours later!!

Bar staff and floor staff were lovely, but never again! Burnt cod, was told by manager that's how it comes. I work for another well known pub chain so I know how cod should be! Also replacement food took 20mins. Manager miserable and rude, also sent bar staff to bring dessert, so I know she was moaning about us in back ground! I know.. I've done it before! Also no check backs. Sorry but won't be coming back.

Went for a quick drink with my friend before heading out for a meal. Great service and atmosphere. Looks like a great family pub.

Sydney, is just amazing! Always so friendly and incredibly helpful. The rest of the team are doing their best under a lot of pressure, and it's clear they truly care. Their hard work doesn't always get the recognition it deserves, but they are all doing a fantastic job!

Visited 6pm on a Saturday. Private function in place within the gorgeous building. Not an issue apart from not enough staff behind the bar to cope. Football being shown on a number of TVs which suited our group. Good selection of drinks. Would return but due to location from family, not because of the atmosphere or service. Didn't eat so can't comment on food.

Honestly the worst fish and chips I’ve had. Straight out a freezer section in a corner shop by the looks and taste of it. The Texas bbq chicken wings was just some plain wings with bbq sauce in a pot on the side. Eat somewhere else

Glad I didn’t have to drink from this glass!!!!! So glad I had a pint glass in which to tip my half as the glass was dirty

Great old pub very spacious. Food is not bad and prices are reasonable. Easy to book and plenty of areas to choose from. Car parking available and outdoor dining too x

We had a lovely afternoon, food was lovely and hot and Sydney and her team looked after us well, tables were cleared well and pub was clean and tidy.

Lovely staff, food drink and service were brilliant. Can’t wait to come again definitely booking again for Christmas. Would recommend for any event. Best service I’ve received in a long time from a Greene king pub. Thank you for accommodating me and my family on such short notice.

Ancient inn in the cinque port town of Rye. Oldy worldy feel. Has a garden area with booth type huts you can sit in. Moderately priced food menu with some main being up to almost £30 but other options around £15. I had an item from their nibbles selection, sour dough toast with black olives tapenade. It was very tasty indeed. The staff were attentive and the food came up quite quickly. The pub was quite busy but not packed, I have walked past it a few times and this has nearly always been the case.

Only had drinks, great historic building

Local pub, friendly service, pub food

Visited the pub on 2nd September for an evening meal, far from impressed, firstly we ordered the Nacho sharer, the nacho's were well overcooked, then whilst eating I ordered a pint of Abbott on the app, 20 minutes later I went to the bar as it still hadn't arrived, finally after 25 minutes minimum I got my drink, the main meal then arrived, after running around trying to locate some salt I asked a member of staff who also had difficulty in finding some, two sauces and a vinegar on the tables but no salts and pepper, something that should be on every table, then to top it off the chips were extremely bland and tasteless, not even the addintion of salt helped. A very dissappointing experience.

It was Bank holiday weekend so pub restaurant's were busy. We tried a few places which were too busy. The car park was not very busy although it is large. Bar staff were busy. I asked if Dogs were welcome, which they were in certain areas of the bar. Sat down decided what we wanted and went to the bar to order. Three people in front of me and only one bar staff serving. We had Roast Beef & Turkey duo dinner. The food was OK. Waitress who brought our meals was friendly. Overall it wasn't bad but not somewhere I would put high on a list of similar bar restaurants.

Not sure what's happened to the food in here lately but, it's taken a big nose dive. Both dishes came out lukewarm and very bland in flavour. Microwave quality at the best Bar was very sticky and dirty. Children's play area was taped off and out of order. Staff and service were very good though, shame about the rest of what used to be a very good pub not too long ago. Much better options for some nice pub food short drives away.

Excellent food and service thankyou

I wrote a review for this place 18 months ago and to say it has gone down the toilet since then is an understatement. We booked a table, turned up just before the allotted time and kind of hung around the doorway for a bit. You used to have to wait to be seated but there were no signs and staff were just walking passed, the bar was busy with people buying drinks. Eventually we stopped a staff member and mentioned our booking which was eventually found on the computer. Point 1: Don't leave customers just wondering what the hell is going on when they pitch up, this is hospitality 101. You have a big sign about water for dogs, make one similar to let customers know what is going on when they arrive. Will they be greeted, or just left to find out themselves what the deal is, either way, just let them know. We decided to use the app as I already had it downloaded. So we ordered everything up (annoying that it doesn't mention anything about the discounts offered on the menu but they do come off at the very end, when you think you aren't getting any and may have even changed your order because of that) and waited. And waited. And waited. Over an hour after we arrived the starters turned up. 2 were pretty cold, but we couldn't wait any longer. My wife actually went to the serving area to enquire that the order had in fact gone through and the kitchen staff had it. They replied that they were busy tonight. Point 2: Tell your customers when you seat them that there are delays for whatever reason so they are not wondering if the kitchen staff have gone out to grow the lettuce for the salad so they may be able to serve it. Starters polished off, it was now another enormous wait for the mains. The table sat cluttered with plates and glasses for a good 40 mins. I honestly thought something had happened and the mains never made it through on the app. Then just as we were about to go insane from the young children whose parents allowed them to run utter riot throughout the restaurant without any word from the staff to perhaps, I don't know, consider the enjoyment of other paying customers and ask the parents to curb their children's enthusiasm, the table was cleared. Another long wait later and the mains finally arrived. But we were one short. We left it 5 or 6 minutes whilst the rest tucked in and then decided to ask if it was coming out. It appears there had been some kind of problem and the food would be brought out. Which it did, about 10 minutes after the rest of the party had all finished their meals. It's totally no fun staring at a person whilst they eat their food, or for them to stare at you eating yours whilst they wait for theirs. Point 3. When delivering food to the table, ask if the party all have the food they ordered before leaving so they don't have to go wandering around the place trying to find a member of staff to find out what has happened to it. The food was mediocre to say the least. Chips overcooked, steak not done to the way it was supposed to be as per the online app, and lots of things absolutely cremated on the plate. Maybe it was the guys first day in the kitchen but some QC at the pass should ensure that charcoal masquerading as food didn't make it under a customers nose. Dry, flavourless muck, and that's being kind. Green chips should never be served because those sensitive to solanine can be affected and it's just common sense not to serve up bad looking food. Whilst there may be a fine line between caramelised and cremated, that line was definitely crossed tonight. Yes we said it was all OK when asked but who wants to cause a scene in a restaurant? Oh, well maybe the party seated just 15 feet away who appeared to be equally disgusted with the food and service but had decided to be fairly vocal about it. It's not fair on the waiting staff, so I always complain later in the hope note is taken and things improve. However, as it is, I won't be returning to the Old Rectory. Since Castle Lake closed down, it has now taken the crown as the most awful place to eat in the area. Which is a terrible shame as it used to be quite lovely and the venue itself is very pleasant to dine in.

Went with friends and had a great time. Excellent service and the pies truly are award-winning! I can't wait to go again!

We were here for a family celebration, so lots of different requests for drink and food. The traditional roast dinners were good and the roast potatoes excellent! Veggie roast dinner equally good. No complaints from the meat eaters in the family tucking into their burgers and even the Vegan burgers were tasty too. Only a couple of us could manage a dessert but we all agreed the caramel cheesecake was yummy ! The staff were really friendly and knew the menu inside and out .. even knowing which ice cream sauce was vegan

Honestly wouldn’t rush here again. Slow service, average food, Beef was good in the roasts but the rest was just ok, disabled toilets out of order, kids play area out of order, the pub needs a good clean throughout. Staff are pleasant enough, but seems understaffed.

I had booked for a Sunday Roast for two of us. On arrival the lovely hostess welcomed us and showed us to our table. My husband placed his order at the bar. The barman taking the order was very friendly. We observed every patron being served at their tables, with a 'is there anything else you need' followed by a short visit a while after asking is 'everything okay'. Sometimes on more than one occasion. So a very attentive service. It started to go wrong when I politely asked an older member of staff (a woman about my age sixty-ish with blonde hair) if she could check how much longer our meal might be (having been there 45 minutes). She went to check and came back with our meals, telling us there was a 30 minute wait. When I responded 'we weren't informed of that, she told me 'there's a sign by the bar'. She didn't ask if there was anything else we wanted, and walked away. She also didn't come back until we were nearly finished and that was only to serve the lovely couple at the next table, asking if they 'were okay?'. Having caught our eye, she then asked us. I said that we hadn't been given Yorkshires as per the menu or asked about anything we might have needed, like horseradish sauce. I said maybe it was because she was busy. She said she was. She offered to get some Yorkshires but we stated we had nearly finished, so I said 'no thankyou' to which she responded 'okay, sorry about that' and turned her back on us and proceeded to talk to couple next door. They commented after that she was rude and dismissive of us following our polite enquiries and said to us that they would not be returning again either. The couple the other side had noted her rudeness too. As we left, the hostess who had greeted us, wished us a lovely afternoon. It is such a shame that the lady that served us, let your establishment down, because the ambience, the other staff and the food were very good.

Unfortunately, following our meal today 15/08/24 at The Old Rectory Leybourne, we have decided to cancel our booking for Saturday 24/08/24 for five. Our reasons being:- 1) There were no napkins to be had and we were offered Blue kitchen paper, which we had to help ourselves to. 2) The disabled Toilets were closed and I currently have to wear a sling which wasn’t conducive to a small toilet. 3) There were several alterations to the menu due to a freezer being out of order. 4) The children’s playground was closed so my seven-year-old great grandson was unable to go on the swings. Anyone of these items above within themselves is reason to complain but with so many I feel that cancellation is my only option to save my embarrassment should this happening again on 24th August.

A catch up with friends brought us here to the Old Rectory for a very reasonably priced lunch. We started with a drink in the beer garden as it was such a lovely day then ate at a very cosy table inside where we enjoyed some very tasty food. Thank you to the very friendly team who always make every visit a pleasure.

Great pub, foods good quality with a good menu, plenty of drink variety, staff is friendly. Pub has a great garden area with heating. Would return too 👍

Decent for a quick stop in bite of food or drink. Friendly staff, and it’s quite clean.

Excellent service and a very competent waitress (Mel) . Food OK and well priced.

Tasteless, badly cooked fish, ordinary chips - frozen food at its worst. Tatty furniture.

Fantastic little find alway able to get a table great atmosphere welcoming staff with great food & customer service would highly reccomend

Lovely food, great price 😋❤️ and a lovely place to visit, 100% recommend a visit 🤗😄

Great service lovely food will definitely visit again 😊

Lovely pet friendly pub, great place to bring the family when visiting friends in the area. The building itself is beautiful, very warm and cosy with a relaxed atmosphere and welcoming staff. Service was top notch, prompt and friendly. Thank you for a wonderful evening!

Came in for a few drinks and a bite to eat with some friends, we were looked after by Cassie who was very friendly and efficient. Food was lovely, good standard pub grub, drinks were cold and reasonably priced. Pub was clean, menus weren't sticky and plenty of cutlery available. All in all, good experience and will be back again!

I went here with my dad to celebrate his birthday. The pub was lovely and we had a great server, I think her name was Cassie. The food was good and well priced.

Awful experience here, one of the girls who worked here was so rude. Put me on a drink ban for 30 minutes, I was respectful of this even though I was completely fine watching the euros all having fun! She then allowed me to be served, me and my partner paid for the drink she waited for me to sit outside then came out and snatched my drink out of my hand. I asked for a refund to which she looked me up and down, embarrassed me and said she won’t give any refund and wanted me to leave. Sadly, I can’t remember the young brunette girls name, wearing a white tshirt but I think the employees here need to be taught basic customer service.

We my mother in law, my wife and I plus the dog we went for drinks and dinner yesterday and Melanie attended to us she was delightful and extremely helpful. We initially had drinks outside as the weather was wonderful then we moved inside for our meals. For my meal I had 3 small plates which was lovely. We had a wonderful experience especially as Melanie was very attentive and helpful. I would definitely call again and would highly recommend the Old Rectory.

Just stopped by, but the menu and choice of food was very good. Had delicious lunch and coffee with nice atmosphere. Do visit of you have a opportunity.

We went to watch the football and thought we would treat us to a sharer. Thought 2 at 12.99 would be more than enough for 2 adults and 2 children. My son also ordered a kilo of wings seperately, lucky he did look at the sharer, minus one of the garlic breads, which had already been eaten. The other sharer was the same minus the forgotten chips!! What a joke!! Can’t fault the atmosphere though!!

Staff not welcoming to our large party. Pre-booked I might add. Food is very average. Good selection of non alcoholic drinks. Most food seemed to have a spicy sauce on . Luckily company made up for it. Too many kids running around though

Food & atmosphere has come back up again menu has changed with a better selection & smiling friendly staff. Starter and sides is a good selection the Mixed grill is a great choice too.

Lovely restaurant, lovely staff and very reasonably priced! Definitely recommend.

The Old Rectory is a great place for a lovely meal

The worst meal I have ever had and I have eaten in a lot of places! Must have been an off day based on the other reviews. We had to wait 40minutes for our starters and then 40 minutes for our mains. The food was awful and disappointing.

Nice place. Chatty friendly staff. Steak over done and fingerprint on my knife so food needs a bit of work. Bit over priced for quality of food. Staff saved the day!

Ok meals, was hungry. Drinks great, staff great

Had a lovely enjoyable meal with my friends. Food was lovely and we all thought the prices were good.We all said we would go back again.A few deals which were good.

Came for dinner Sunday afternoon and had a terrible meal. I only had a chicken burger and it was so burnt hardly edible. The service wasn't great either. Never had a meal from here like this so not sure what was going on but has definitely put me off for the future.

Great place. Happy staff easy to chat to. Good food - we had a buffet and used upstairs room for a meeting. Suoerb venue. Highly recommend.

Food was very tasty and quick to come out. I would however say there's not much choice if you have allergies.

Amazing staff, Food and atmosphere!! Honestly couldn't fault them. There was a problem with out order going to the kitchen but we were completely unaware and the lovely staff kept coming over rand apologising and seriously made our visit the best we've had. The Eton Mess is so good, and apparently all children have a desert tummy aswell as a food one 🤷‍♂️😅.

Lovely meal with friends. Nice atmosphere mel was so friendly and chatty made us feel welcome. Will definitely return again.

Haven’t been here for a few years as didn’t used to enjoy it. Thought we’d give it another go as there was a new manager and WOW the food was amazing, great quality and friendly staff. Would definitely come more often

Lovely building and decor. Nice atmosphere. Friendly and welcoming staff. Nice outside space and small play area for children. Didn't eat here but the food looked good and the prices seemed very affordable on the menu.

Visited, for multiple reasons, this is a nice clean and busy place. Excellent attention to detail from staff, managed by Amy who was brilliant. Reasonable food, good menu choice catering for all. Massive free car park and a great selection of beer wines and spirits albeit a tad expensive at £5 per pint on average

Had dinner with my family at the old rectory last night and it was absolutely brilliant! The chef Toby is so passionate about food! He should be running that kitchen! Our waitress Caitlin was so attentive and was so friendly with my 19 month old daughter also! Couldn’t recommend the old rectory more. I visited about 3 years ago for food and it was a dive and the food was awful!

Booked to spend a Saturday night out meal with my Parents and was very unimpressed. Huge queue to get to the bar, our table wasn't ready and when it was we were told there was only 2 members of staff working so was instructed to select our food and then go to the bar to order. It was rowdy, the entrance doors were blocked by groups of people smoking, so had to walk through their smoke. The language from groups of males in front of my Mother and Wife was inappropriate and quite frankly rude. We had one drink and bailed without having our meal. We won't be going back!

Had a great steak dinner here, but what really made our evening was our waitress Melanie. She was attentative without being intrusive, and the food arrived quickly. It is very refreshing to see someone happy and upbeat in her work. We will definitely be back soon. Service was delivered with a smile, which I think goes a long way

Another lovely meal, excellent value. Slightly taken aback on arrival, as there were just two of us, we didn't think it was fair to sit at a table set for 4, so we took the only remaining two seater. We very politely asked a nearby member of staff if she would kindly mind wiping it down for us as it was sticky. Her reply was, "There are plenty of clean tables you could have sat at!" excuse us!! We thought we should not take a bigger table when only two of us thought her response was very unprofessional and not called for, have to be fair and say it did upset us. Wasn't like we had sat at a table that was still waiting to be cleared. No, it was cleared and laid up, just needed a wipe, which was litetally all that we asked. Putting that aside the rest of the service and the food was, as always, impeccable. Can't usually fault this place and always give it the 5* reviews it deserves. We are regulars here because of the lovely staff, now considering whether we will be back. It's such a shame how one person's attitude can change your whole opinion.

Vegan burger for lunch which was delicious. Great value for money what’s not to like. Great service as usual. Plenty of parking

We visited the old rectory for the first time and we loved the look and feel of the place. It is also dog friendly and has outdoor service. The building has plenty of private areas and seating . We were greeted with table service from the lovely Melony who was very pleasant and service was very prompt. She event took out picture. Food was lovely and we were ok to stay for more than 2 hrs as we had a meeting. And was given a private section. All around very friendly and forthcoming. Thank you Melony xxx

Booked a get together to say goodbye to our son who had died unexpectedly. Service was exemplary both in the booking and the service on the day. We were well looked after and the food was good. Our son had originally been a Greene King pub landlord and a lot of his friends there were in the pub trade and they all felt that the team there had surpassed themselves. Well done

Lovely pub and with Amy now there it’s got even better. She certainly knows what she’s doing. Can’t wait for my next evening out. Thank you

Wow! This place is stunning, was just passing through, but stopped here on Sunday for a roast and it was amazing! Really attentive team, special thank you to Amy for everything, she went above and beyond. Will definitely try to detour this way more often!

Absolutely love the new GM what a delightful young lady she is. Cannot wait to see what you do with the place. Will definitely be back soon!!

Very friendly welcome, Melanie serviced our table very warm, friendly approach

Following on from the response by Old Rectory, they did cancel the fine even after the ECP and POPLA had rejected my appeals. Thank you!

Ok place to come and eat and enjoy food

Service good one starter missed,main course lukewarm

Hannah my wife and I enjoyed our evening out at the Old Rectory. Your staff provided excellent service and the food was great. Gerry Rumney.

Wish we could have had dessert first, they were very good. How ever, starters and mains were quite disappointing 😞There was nothing that suited me on starters, no soup, no prawn cocktail, breaded mushrooms. The main, my steak was ok, ish, but the Wife's was tuff riddled with gristle, not was expected of rump no mushrooms, and who serves rocket these days, with hot food it was just mush. This used to be a great place to eat and felt you had a meal. No we won't return.

We went here for a birthday lunch and the food was delicious, filling and reasonable too. Drinks were lovely and refreshing. Thank you to Maria who took our food order and cleared our plates and also offered desserts but we were stuffed! Lovely and clean venue and busy for a Tuesday lunch time so it must be a very popular venue for a nice, cosy pub lunch! Definitely coming back soon!

Went for lunch with a friend. Lunch was lovely. Staff were lovely. Emily came to our table a couple of times to ask if everything was OK. She made us feel welcome.

Absolutely fantastic Sunday lunch. Great service and staff really helpful. Staff are always friendly when me and my family visit. Definitely will go again.

Really lovely place. Beautiful inside, the staff are very helpful and hardworking. Went for a Christmas meal. Food and service was great and well timed. Would definitely come back! Edit: Been back a few times, still great service, lovley food and welcoming.

Great pub based in a converted rectory - vast building with huge amounts of space. Menu is a bit beige but overall good quality

Our group of 7 came on Christmas Day and enjoyed our lunch SO much we want to book again for next year !! Big thanks to all the staff especially Cassie who brought her Christmas sparkle to our table!

One of the best restaurants around friendly atmosphere will definitely be going again. 10/10

Booked for the Boxing Day Menu, lunch. Paid £20 deposit. On arrival we were seated quickly however we were the only table not to be dressed in a table cloth and crackers... When I questioned why our table wasn't dressed like the others they said we didn't know you had booked the Boxing day menu... and that they would see what food the chef had left for us to have. It was supposed to be a 3 course menu! Not the scraps that no one wanted!! Manager couldn't care less, if it wasn't for Emily our waitress we would have left with no food and come home. She waited on us and made it enjoyable experience. Overall not happy with our time there at what was supposed to be a relaxing Boxing day lunch with our 2 babies. Would not recommend. Had no compensation for the complete lack of customer care from the manager and food wasn't great. Would appreciate HO to come back to me regarding this. One very unhappy customer.

Fairly standard food for a pub chain. Not exiting but no complaints and a fair price although totally ruined by the £100 parking fine. When photographing evidence for an appeal I was asked by a customer leaving what I was doing. When I explained, they...

Lovely bottomless brunch with really good service by Melanie and other staff

Had a great evening, lovely meal, served by Maria, who was cheerful, friendly and polite. Very helpful with menu choices: Very comfortable ambiance, bar staff friendly and efficient especially Richard

Bottomless brunch this was a great day could not fault anything good value for money and the waitress Melanie was great

Ordered from their 3 course menu, starter came very quickly, waitress took away the starter dishes then we waited 40 minutes, enquired what the delay was and was told the order had been lost, waitress was very apologetic and offered a complimentary drink when this hadn't come in another 10 minutes we decided to leave and requested a refund. Disappointing as when we arrived the restaurant was empty and we've used this place on several occasions.

Melanie was our waitress, she was very attentive and explained the different menu choices some of which had special deals. Melanie was polite and very hard working. Food excellent, prices amazing and staff great

Ate here on Sunday with my family. We all had Sunday roast dinners a mixture of each meats. The roast potatoes were cooked to perfection and we all had dessert! Food was good, service excellent. We will be back! Thank you!

I visit here regularly with friends, family, as a couple as it’s local. I’ve had brunch, lunch & dinner. The staff are always friendly & helpful with the most recent being Emily & Melanie (who we are served by most regular) The food is good...

So we arrived and tried to order roast dinners via app, to find only meat left was beef. No turkey. Meals arrived wrong. Extras weren't provided until asked. One meal was missing so it was late. Parts of the meal weren't pleasant to eat. Extremely disappointed.

Upon our arrival, we attempted to order roast dinners through the app, only to discover that the sole available meat was beef, with no turkey left. Unfortunately, our meals were served incorrectly, requiring us to request the missing extras, which were initially overlooked. Furthermore, one meal was missing entirely and arrived late. Additionally, certain components of the meal were unsatisfactory, leaving us thoroughly disappointed with the overall dining experience.

really good meal we were well looked after by Emily she was very pleasent and caring made for really nice time will be going again soon.

Good spot for some drinks on the weekend, also show the football on weekends. Thanks Cameron for serving me.

Excellent food excellent service as usal Staff who served was Emily she was Brill as usual. We dont eat any where else good value for money

Served by a man named Richard and had a great night!

Visited on my wife's birthday, didn't get the food we ordered, 2 starters never arrived, took nearly an hour to get food in the 1st place and when we enquired how long we were met with a very stroppy and ice cold attitude, food was awful, dry burgers and cold roast dinner, the best bit was watching a spider devour a wasp in the huge cobweb on the unclean window behind us, we won't be visiting again !

Steaks were poor Service ok .. But to park a £100 fine what a joke sad was going back to try dinner again i dont think so .we did not see the sign it must be a scam cheap food but a fine to park...

Really good food to be honest ...we will definitely be returning!

In the area for a weekend, great pub, friendly staff. Food for a party of 6 adults, 4 children was very good, served hot and well presented.

Really can't fault this place. Service is always top notch, food perfect. Amazing value. Two great meals, a beautifully presented side salad with a tasty house dressing that really 'makes it' a pint of beer and a large white wine, and still with change from...

Saturday birthday lunch for Grandad. As there were 10 of us we booked a couple of days in advance and everything was as we asked for. We were well looked after by Melanie who was attentive without being over the top. Food was good and...

Good food at a good price beautiful setting it’s my first choice to take friends for lunch. Melanie our waitress is fantastic nothing is to much trouble