The Star Inn in Tunbridge Wells

Met up with a friend who was staying with her daughter in Paddock Wood . She’d had lunch at The Starr before. Gosh what a wonderful suprise . Proper Pub Food . My husband had the most delicious Pork Belly with crackling …my friend and I had one of the meat Pies . Well what can I say absolutely delicious. Tender meat , lovely pastry . Proper gravy . Vegetables cooked probably. We all had desert . My husband had the Syrup Sponge which he said was perfect . Light and not to sweet . Judith and I had Lemon Meringue Pie and Cream . Perfect .Great service . Thanks so much

Stopped for lunch after a good 7 mile walk with friends around the area, very muddy but gorgeous countryside. After poring 4 pints of beer our keen eyed land lady swooped in and declared the bottom of the barrel and deftly replaced the barrel and served the fresh beer to our table. We ordered our Kentish speciality pie which they say sells 100 per week from their range of differing fillings. We’ve eaten pies in a number of pubs all over Kent and these did not disappoint. The Tonbridge beer was excellent, the hospitality was excellent and so friendly, why would we want to return and tell our friends. The pub is in an excellent location with a great ‘pub style’ decor. Toilets were clean and hygienic, this is a great pub to visit any time day or evening.

Faultless! Best Sunday roast to date. And we’ve been for A LOT! The meet and greet was spot on (we didn’t book but they accommodated us), the attention to detail was second to none, it’s clear that this is a well-run business, the toilets (according to my wife) are as they would be at home, quote “home from home and I actually sat on the seat” (lol). We both had the lamb and it was actually amazing. Perfect portion size, veg cooked just lovely and a massive credit to Theo who was ever so attentive. We are far from local but we are already planning our return. 👌

We choose the Star Inn due to its handy location 'halfway' between ourselves and our friends. Immediately felt welcome with the friendly bar staff and our table was made available before our 'sit down' time. The staff were exemplary throughout our visit and the food was plentiful and tasty. We'll definitely be back. Keep up the good work.

We came up this way to walk the dogs at the nature reserve. We booked this for after the walk. We were thrilled with the outstanding service as it was very busy, also dogs allowed. Staff friendly and we ordered 3 roast beef and one pork belly. Excellent; We couldn't fault it, so tasty and good value too. Shame that it's an hour away but definitely recommend this place 5 *****

The Star is my idea of a perfect British pub, warm, inviting and very friendly staff. Called there for Sunday lunch on the way back to Whitstable. I had chicken and my wife pork and we both agreed that it was first class and for me the best Sunday pub lunch I have experienced. Beautifully cooked with generous portions. Dog friendly.

Great, helpful & friendly service and its dog friendly! If you like a “proper” cosy English pub with an open log fire and excellent food then give The Star a visit. Ps the pies are delicious and really filling - no nouvelle cuisine mullarky here!

NYE curry was delicious! Great service and the singer was amazing! Have had a couple of meals in here recently and they have been delicious! They do the best chips!

Excellent Sunday Lunch at the Star Matfield, what a treat! The food is a treat on the eyes and well executed! A great amount of food, and well worth the price, you will not be disappointed from walking into the pub and greeted by the bar staff with a smile And made most welcome, service is Second to none, top class, which is a breath of fresh air, this is a hidden gem and well with the visit, you will not be disappointed!

Never been here before but loved it. Went with friends and had the Sunday roast - delicious! Vegetables were not overcooked, meat was beautifully tender (I had the pork belly) and the portion sizes were just right. Lovely atmosphere and very friendly staff - will definitely go there again.

Lovely Roast! The portions were a great size and the meat was delicious. I had chocolate fudge cake for dessert which killed me off but was amazing! Will definitely be back 🥳

Best roast dinner we’ve had out!!!!! Was perfect! Staff were friendly and helpful!! Will definitely come back

Visited The Star last Saturday whilst staying locally. Big Pub, lots of wood on show for that traditional feel, with areas for TV-watching, Family Dining, & smaller, quieter spots for couples. Sport was on the TV but all very civilised. Nice friendly welcome, & prompt & efficient service. Good choice of standard pub fayre which was extremely well priced. Local Beer (Tonbridge) & Aspalls Cider on tap. There's a small garden & play area that the kids were enjoying. & Plenty of parking. Recommended :)

The Sunday roast is superb - the best I’ve had. I ordered the chicken my partner had the beef and my 4 year old son had a burger - all delicious!! Staff were amazing. Play area in the garden for the kids also dog friendly What more could you want!

Food and service was amazing. The fish and chips was very light and crispy. The ribs had alot of meat on there.

Popped in for a quick drink and fish and chips. Rest value for money. Rapid and friendly service and really good crispy fish and chips.

A warm welcome, easy to reserve a table, and the best Sunday lunch for miles. Deserts were homemade, and it was all very reasonable. You will not be disappointed!

Great place to eat and meet friends staff very friendly and accommodating, and the food was lovely and well presented. Plenty of room in the car park. And outside dining. 👏👏

Lovely pub and great menu Great Sunday lunches and the rest of the menu looked great Very quick service and all the staff who were majority friendly young people were excellent and a credit to the pub , will be back soon x

Good food and brilliant service . Really great pub. A real great meeting place at the centre of Matfield our lovely village.

Lovely food. Friendly staff. Good atmosphere. Service, especially when waiting to pay, could have been a bit quicker. Overall a very enjoyable lunch.

A family lunch for Mothers Day on a Friday. All 4 of us ordered pies which were delicious but took 45 minutes to arrive. There appeared no enthusiasm to clear our table and even though I stacked the plates the hint was not taken by...

Came for Sunday lunch and bowled away but the fabulous roast dinner… Exquisite roasties - crust outside and fluffy in the middle! You must give it a try!

Found this place by chance, so pleased we did, very welcoming, service amazing along with the roasts that we ordered. Will definitely be back!

Have not been to this pub for 20th was very pleasantly surprised very nicely decorated, relaxing, welcoming friendly staff. Great food had to wait. Little while but guess what it was a lovely home made pie well worth the wait. Thank you for a lovely...

Today my husband and I were looking for somewhere to eat in a nice country pub but couldn’t find anything that was serving food until we found the Star Inn wow what a gem the food was delicious we had the steak and Ale pie...

Lovely characterful pub in a stunning village - the food is well priced and on a par with the poet up the road. I was surprised it wasn’t full being a Sunday lunch as it really is lovely in all aspects. Friendly staff - great...

Great village pub with a large selection of ales and lagers. They offer good food, especially the pies!

The four of us visited The Star for a birthday lunch. We started with tea and coffee - well, it was a cold December day - and chatted while the log fire near our table was being lit. The key to a good visit is...

Lovely pub in a lovely village. They specialise in pies and we sampled the steak and stilton as well as the chicken ham and leek. Amazing ! Really good portions, freshly made and hot. Very tasty. Florence was on her own serving and waitressing and...

Our lunch was very satisfactory, indeed. A warm welcome from the friendly, helpful staff. There was a good choice on the menu and my wife's Gluten Free diet did not cause any problems. Our meals were served promptly. I had scampi, which was well presented...

Lovely pub, well presented, friendly welcoming staff. We were the only table in the restaurant area but that was fine. Starters were tasty and served very promptly. The mains came very quickly but I’m sad to say the food wasn’t great. The fish and chips looked ok. The chips were nice, the fish was completely flavourless. Even after salt and ketchup it had very little flavour. The fish itself I suspect was frozen. It was quite wet. The batter wasn’t good either - it was soggy. Some of The plates were cleared whilst a couple of us were still eating which felt like we were being hurried. Then we were informed there were no desserts except ice cream as they’d sold out. Strange when we were the only customers.

My partner and I had a lovely dinner here last night. Nothing too fancy but even so it was served well and it was just what we needed. The attentativeniss of the staff was brilliant, they were a real credit to the pub. So pleased you have come through Covid, you have certainly gained two new friends.

Welcoming staff but dreadful timing. My burger was fine but my wife's game pie was not great and arrived 20 mins after I had finished my meal; was given some poor excuse about it being placed on a different order when I asked where it was despite being told "the pie is on the way" when handed my meal. I hate starting eating before the rest of my group but food was getting cold so started eating slowly. By the time I had finished the pie was yet to turn up. Welcoming people, terrible timekeeping / kitchen management.

My first pub lunch since they reopened. Decent fish and chips - crisp batter, great chips, home made tartare sauce, plus a pint of local Tonbridge beer. Not the nicest pub terrace ever ...paved rather than grass..., but well looked after and you were only allowed indoors to visit the loos. Pleasant staff and the service was swift and attentive

Stopped by with my girlfriend on Saturday 24th and was told 20 - 30 minute waiting time just to place a drinks order. Fine as understandably things are taking a little while having just opened up again. After 40 minutes one member of staff came out, cleared the next table over, asked if anyone had come to take our order and said they would send someone out ASAP. Waited another 20 minutes. Final straw was seeing a family who seemed to know the staff get sat down and served within 15 minutes. Waiting over an hour just to be served, and then sidelined is unjustified. Went to The Poet down the road - instant service...

I only stopped for a beer and crisps. Most others in the pubs were tucking into Sunday lunch and it looked lovely. There were plenty sitting outside too. COVID measures in place and really pleasant bar staff.

Lovely village setting with large pub garden and car park. Saturday lunch for 5 was pre-booked. Good track and trace and sanitizer on arrival. Friendly service. Starters we chose were next door local butchers Hammonds sausages and honey, tempura prawns and pork belly bites. Great tasty meaty steak and Stilton pie with gravy, chips and peas. Others had scampi with the usual trimmings and a super fish and chips. Reasonably priced. All well presented and a good selection of Tonbridge and Harvey’s beers. Delightful lunch.

We organised a meal and a few drinks for our friends birthday. Staff really welcoming, service was good and the food was perfect. Can’t ask for any more, we will return.

Good points: 1) Serving staff were welcoming and friendly. 2) There was a play area to help keep a four year old occupied (see bad points below). 3Bad points: 1) The child's meal was due to arrive with the starters but it didn't. In fact, it finally arrived with the mains but last. 2) Service was very slow so mains took over an hour to arrive (therefore, a hungry four year old had to be kept occupied for all this time--see good points) 3) Fortunately, we cut up the chicken goujons when they finally did arrive as they were not cooked (had we not, a four year old could have eaten raw chicken). 4) When the bill arrived, there was an extra Fosters we had not ordered and we had been overcharged for the food. 5) The food was fairly bland.

We visited for a drink on Sunday, and unfortunately wished we had turned back. There was a loud group of locals inside the bar, swearing and just being inconsiderate of others, and the staff seemed to not have a problem with their behaviour at all, as they weren't asking them to tone it down. There were children in the pub and the language was awful. Not a place that I'd recommend to anyone with families unfortunately due to this experience, and I won't be visiting again. Such a shame, because the pub and food look beautiful, with a lovely beer garden.

Visited this pub with family last week and will be back. Food really tasty and freshly cooked. Staff were very friendly. The home made pies are amazing and I now want to try all flavor's.

Worst Sunday dinner I've ever had. The food was so bland and badly cooked they might as well have served me a gravy soaked £12 cardboard box.Carrots were grey, roast potatoes were frozen ones, no green veg and having a bit of overcooked bacon on the side is hardly 'wrapped in bacon'.I wouldn't eat here again if you paid me.

We vsitied the pub by chance.The welcome was fantastic. We had a nice cosy table by the fire. I was concerned we would roast but the fire was managed just right.The food was excellent. Teh steak and kidney pudding I had was the best I have everr had. We will be going back again.

TL;DR - Had lunch with the family recently and it was ok. Nothing to write home about. Service was good and friendly and communication was alright. We had a selection of food quick was all perfectly decent but no one was overwhelmed.Highlight was the steak pie, which looked amazing and had a full pastry case. Will definitely be back again.

Phoned at 1 got a table for 4 booked for 2. Beautiful pub inside but unfriendly staff . We ordered starters that didn’t arrive and all had roast beef . Beef and potatoes delicious but only a spoonful of red cabbage and few cubes of roast swede . 2 of us got a stem of broccoli and 2 didn’t which was a bit odd !! No one came to check we and food ok . Paid at the bar said we hadn’t recieved our starters , young girl just said “ she’s taken them off “ . Disappointed and overpriced .

Thought they did pie and mash so that is why we stopped there. Unfortunately they no longer served Pie and Mash. So, we ordered baguettes with side order of chips. They have to be the best chips I have ever had. Plus the baguette was excellent. I just wish I had your recipe for your chips.

Popped in for a little lunch on a damp Saturday. Nice mix of traditional pub with some modernisation. Good range of ales (Doombar, Harvey’s and Tonbridge). Satin a quiet nook by a large old fireplace. Attentive friendly service. Well kept beers too. Lunch menu we had breaded Brie and a carrot and coriander soup served with warm bread. Well cooked and tasted great. This was followed by traditional scampi and chips and ham egg and chips. Generous plate for each and again timely service and tasty. There was a choice of burgers, and a board of pies too. Not as fussy as a pub just down the road but good traditionalPub fayre well cooked. Large car park with a picturesque village green and pond just down from the beer garden. Has changed hands in the last few years but the friendly behind the bar staff were great. Will be coming again soon thank you.

Lovely meal had by all. All courses were very nice and everyone enjoyed their choices. Nice traditional pub and love the atmosphere.

Called in for lunch on a very busy Saturday between Christmas and New Year. Recieved a very friendly welcome from happy staff. Notwithstanding them being very busy (two large parties), the service was still quick and efficient. The lunches we had were just what we wanted. They were well presented and cooked and good value for money. An extra bonus was that the establishment is dog friendly. The Star Inn is noted for its pies. I did not have one but they looked delicious. We will probably be back and, then, I will certainly try a pie.

We have had the most amazing Christmas dinner at The Star today, fantastic food, fantastic service and the staff were fab. Would definitely recommend!

Party night- good music, great food, friendly service, clean facilities, onsite parking . What’s not to like?

A regular pub, warm welcome and meal was well cooked and presented scampi etc + a bottle of chilian red . Well supported by locals in bar and dinning area.

Visited here yesterday on our way to visit a relative in nearby Pembury hospital. All three of us had the fish & chips, an excellent price and very tasty food! In a lovely traditional pub setting. All helped by excellent service from Amy, would definitely recommend

What a lovely pub for a family gathering, the atmosphere is lovely and the food was really fantastic. The staff were extremely helpful and everyone praised the quality of the food. Will definitely be back.

Came across this fantastic little gem of a pub with a group of friends, food was fantastic and the service was great, lots of room for our children to play in the spacious outdoor area . We will defiantly be visiting again!

Fantastic family pub set in the lovely village of Matfield, with low ceilings and a real welcoming and homely feeling.

Nice pub, plenty of space. Staff very friendly and service was good. Food is good if not spectacular, but good value. Would recommend the fish and chips.

Midweek lunch at a nice old country pub. Whilst menu not extensive, home cooked, good size portions at reasonable price. As others have said, pies are really good! Staff friendly and helpful - everything we wanted for an impromptu lunch. Thoroughly recommended.

Thank you to Jay and the team for giving us a day to remember. We had a lovely lunch and evening buffet.not was too much trouble. Will come again soon Sue and Dave

This is a very friendly pub that does very nice food. Been here more than once.

Went to The Star Inn for a midweek meal. It wasn’t busy as it was a Wednesday so didn’t book a table. A beautiful pub in the middle of Matfield. The food and service was very good. I recommend trying the pies which are just delicious and are their specialty. Will be going back soon for a Sunday lunch but have been told by friends the lunch’s are really popular so should book a table to avoid disappointment.

Visited with family after finding the pub on the Dine Club app.

Great atmosphere in this pub. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. We were a large group and the food came out quickly and efficiently but more importantly tasted great and was good value.

Staff were really lovely and helpful, food was amazing, good portions. There wasn’t loads of gluten free options but they knew about cross contamination which was reassuring. Overall good food and would go back!

the four of us went for an evening meal, it had a very nice feel, light, airy and clean. the staff were friendly and very helpful, food was good.

The food and service is good.The access for the disabled is bad.There are two entrances,both with a step to get up or down.If I had been using my mobility scooter or a wheelchair,I would not have been able to get in.

Excellent. So friendly and helpful. Not a massive menu but what there was was excellent. We were early so sat outside at a table in the cold. The door opened and we were asked in even though they were not technically open. Meant we could sit and wait in the warm. Excellent meal and made to feel very welcome.

No atmosphere sadly. Although the band was very good. It was £10 a ticket which covered an average quality finger buffet. It would have been nice if the fires were lit whenever we have been in they’re not lit, I do think this brings a cosy elatmosphere to a pub.

Wow ! What an absolute delight. Warm , friendly and inviting. Great service, Great Food & Drink The home made pies and pudding were delicious.Would highly recommend. Only one regret, I didn’t visit sooner. Return visit already planned. Well done Landlady Jay .

Our first visit here. Not overly busy for a Sunday and where we were seated was rather chilly. Skinny fries didn’t look appealing and my roast was not very hot!! Coffee served separately due to problem with machine. Friendly staff. Would probably visit pub again not sure if I would eat.

First time for lunch at The Star Inn. It wasn't crowded and the staff were friendly. Always a nice ambience here but it was rather chilly in the restaurant on the day we visited. The roast was apparently very good and I enjoyed the steak and ale pie. The fries and peas, not so much! Coffee was good but our group was served separately as the machine had broken down. Prices were fair.

Visited the Star as one of my sons wanted to have a good pie on his 13th birthday (I didn’t question why or ask him twice) so headed to the Star. Friendly service and lovely pies, shortcrust case and puff topping , ticked all the pie boxes. Lack of cheese on burger only reason for not a 5 star rating (another son without a loving for pies...).

We were made to feel very welcome, from the moment we walked in. The Pies are the best we have ever had!! Excellent beers and great food from very friendly people. Perfect.

Today I went to The Star Inn with my wife and two young children (2&5) after a country walk. I ordered the roast beef and it was fantastic. Really nice tender beef and lovely vegetables. My wife had a nutroast. Really tasty and great sizes. The Yorkshire puddings were awesome. Must have been home made for sure. Loved it

Visited on 31st Jan 19, food was good, helpful friendly staff, nice relaxed atmosphere - would recommend a visit Martin & Isobel

Great place to have your Sunday lunch.Wonderful friendly service from Elisha and Kirsty. Whole pub has a friendly welcoming atmosphere.Will be visiting again soon xx

A real pub, with a real atmosphere. A perfect pint of Harveys served by the very pleasant Elisha. Although we didn't have time to stop for something to eat, the food being served around us smelt and look very good.

I went there last Sunday with 4 friends for my Birthday. We all chose to have the Sunday Roast 2 had the beef, one the chicken, one Lamb and one pork. Each meat was perfectly cooked and they even managed to serve one beef rare and one well done as asked. The veg were interesting and perfectly cooked. I loved the red cabbage and the swede and carrots. The roast potatoes were delish and great Yorkshire puds. We are in our 50's and we all agreed that it is the best pub Roast dinner we've ever had - and we've had a LOT!!

The Star @ Matfield is a traditional Village Pub, offering kent beers ane beverages, and serving quality Pub Food , But not on a Monday Night!!

Go to the star for the best pies and burgers in Kent!! Great country pub, lovely atmosphere, great staff.

Coldest pub in kent , take your overcoat if eating there , there's a lovely log stove,but they dont use it ,there is a small fire in bar , but nobody keeps it going .

New year party. Ticket price fair, included band and nibbles. They didn’t oversell so it was not uncomfortably crowded. Parking was easy. Staff are very efficient and friendly even when under pressure.

Returned to the village I grew up in to have family lunch at one of the village pubs. Ate in a separate restaurant area with bigger tables for groups, but good atmosphere as relatively busy. Food was of a good standard, if fairly generic pub grub. That said, it was all hot and tasty and excellent value. Also offered separate and varied children's menu. Service was excellent. A good choice.

We have been numerous times over the last few months. Good food, good service and so reasonable Cannot fault it

Went for a pre-Christmas group lunch (8 of us) on a Monday in December. Very good, friendly and efficient service. The food was excellent and the pub has a lot of character, enhanced even more by the lovely Christmas decorations. Enjoyed my fish and chips, which tasted and looked very fresh and appetising. My companions enjoyed suet bacon roll, Hunters chicken and belly of pork, all very much meeting expectations. These were followed by delicious puddings. My only comment is that it would have been good to have more vegetarian options. Would definitely recommend and I intend coming back, probably with my family.

Visited for the 4th time and I’ve got to say it is so worth the 4 hour drive! Every time we’re in town we have to pop by for a homemade pie or lamb roast. We love it that much we are coming to stay with relatives over new year so we can attend this pub! All staff are very welcoming and lovely, nothing is to much hassle! And of course all the dogs that visit make our trip!

We had a quick jolly lunch here before a rather sad family event. Scampi and chips all round ticked all the boxes. Charming attentive service - good home-made pork scratchings - job done thank you very much.

Me and my fiancé came here after a busy morning house hunting. I had the bacon and cheese burger and my fiancé had the blue cheese burger. Most places usually put home made on the menu and I always feel that I’ve eaten a cheap dried up piece of meat, but not here. I know it’s only a burger, but I can honestly say that we both thought it was one of the tastiest burgers that we’ve ever had. I must also add that the staff are very friendly and welcoming. Can’t wait to go back for what I know will be a lovely evening meal. Good job guys.

Twenty five members of Staplehurst WI had an absolutely lovely meal at The Star Inn last Tuesday. We had a wonderfully decorated room all to ourselves with excellent service.

I kept passing this pub and thought that would be a nice one to try. So we did. Our first impressions weren't that good. Our mains came out and yes it was nice but nobody came back to us to either take our plates or asked if we wanted a pudding and we waited at least 30 minutes and still no-one so we just asked for the bill and went. Really did want a pudding but didn't think this acceptable. May think twice before going there again.

Really enjoyable lunch,Very pleasant service,best ever Brie & Bacon Baguettes,hot bread ,plentiful filling and crisp salad to accompany,our friends meals were also excellent.

A friend and I went for dinner here mid-week and were given a warm welcome and were seated straightaway. I felt at home immediately as the bar was full of dogs, which I love. It has also retained it's old interior, with a lovely fireplace that would be great in the cold weather.

This is the first time we had visited The Star. We both had Tempura prawns . My husband had belly pork and I had the chicken ham and cider pie. The service and the welcome was wonderful.

Trip for my Partner's birthday. Great food, great staff & decent selection of real Ale's for a pub of it's size.

Drove past 9 restaurants to eat the fabulous Star steak & kentish ale pie. Well worth it. Great food, great service. Always worth a visit.

We stopped here today (13/08/18) having been shooting at West Kent Shooting School to have lunch and we were really happy we had decided to stop here.The Barman was very friendly and helpful, food was quick and also very good, I had the Hunters Chicken and my wife had the Fish and chips, both of which were Gluten free.

Thank you so much for making Jessie’s tea party so special ! You are all amazing and very generous 😘

Our meal was very good and reasonably priced: fish, chips and peas, and scampi, chips and salad. It was served piping hot. The chips were hand cut and delicious; everything was fresh. The service was friendly (big smiles from the lady of the house). I used the facilities - very clean. The atmosphere is of an old place, with a beautiful fireplace, with some old-fashioned touches, very well kept. We were just my husband and I but, next time, we will take our sons and daughter-in-law. Lovely!

What a beautiful pub, lovely settings and made for familys.