The Swan at Chapel Down in Ashford

Tasty food but not much of it. Service average. Chef's table? Couldn't see kitchen, no chef to be seen. Pricey. Nice wine.

Had a lovely set lunch with paired wines. Food expertly cooked, tasty and interesting. All staff efficient and friendly.

Absolutely outstanding food. Extremely delicate and incredibly well structured dishes of the best British ingredients to be had ! Extremely lucky and proud to have had the pleasure to dine here !! Be back very soon !! Many thanks to the staff ! Jonathan & Jo

We really enjoyed the recent Valentine’s evening at The Swan. It was a special set menu with wine flights of the wonderful Chapel Down wines. The whole menu was lovely although we particularly enjoyed the seafood course which was amazing. Thank you Kate and your team for a lovely evening- we will be back again soon!

Honestly the food is fine, the service is horrendous. We visited the swan for Valentine’s Day, firstly the website didn’t say anything about a set menu so we had checked the regular menu and decided to book. We got sent the £90 set menu a week before and one of the courses I couldn’t eat so I tried to contact them to ask if they could change that course for me or if we should cancel. It took three days to get through to anybody, but eventually it was sorted and they said they could make something else. We arrived for our table on time after having a wonderful time at a different vineyard. We were asked to take a seat and told they would bring us a drink, there were three other couples waiting too. As we sat there more and more couples came in and it was taking them a long time to seat anybody. Eventually they came down and started calling in the people who came into the restaurant after us, when it got to an hour after our table time and the hostess called another couple who came half an hour after us (after they had complained) I went to speak to her. This is where I got frustrated, there was excuse after excuse. Firstly it was because they were busy, I explained that was wine but they had seated everyone who came after us. Then it was because those people came before us, again I explained they didn’t. Then it was that we looked quite comfy with our drinks, we actually had been spoken to by one waitress in the hour we sat there and had had empty drinks for half an hour. Eventually she just asked me to sit down, said she was sorry I was ‘disgruntled’ and that she would look at our bill. This began our awkward dinner experience, when we were finally sat it felt like the service we received just wasn’t the same as the people around us. We were being rushed through the experience and it was very evident they just wanted us gone. Each course came with either a singular wine or a wine flight and the entire experience was so quick that at one point I personally had 9 glasses of wine on the table untouched, we physically couldn’t taste the wine and eat the food quick enough to keep up with them. Eventually the lady who was meant to be talking us through the wines went home so we ended up without that part. We asked our taxi to come half an hour earlier, paid the bill and left. (We got told we had been given a discount and had the service charge removed, but we still paid more than £90 per person) Really sad because I was looking forward to going to Chapel Down. We’ve paid for a membership at another vineyard and will stick to going there from now on.

We visited the Swan yesterday after a tour and winetasting at Chapel down. The food was excellent with a lovely chilled atmosphere. Our waitress Kate was so attentive and friendly, she is a credit to the restaurant. Totally recommend.

The venue was pleasant and the staff friendly, unfortunately the cuisine did not live up to expectations as it was too involved!

We went for a meal to celebrate our Wedding anniversary. The restaurant staff were very friendly and attentive, we thoroughly enjoyed the food - the chef really excelled himself. We will most definitely return in the future

We recently celebrated our wedding anniversary with a meal here. The service was exemplary, and the food was simply stunning.

Disappointing. Luke warm food, even when sent back to warm up. Veloute was a very small portion, charged to have bread with it, warm not hot. Mains ok but cold sides despairs sending back as cold, came back Luke warm again! For £54 for Sunday lunch, there are much nicer places. All round average and we won’t go back.

Such an expected gem in the Kent countryside. We were visiting as part of the Chapel Down Deluxe Experience. Kate looked after us fantastically- we left the wine choices to her to match the food and we loved them all. The food was wonderful .A perfect way to spend a winter’s lunchtime.

Kate and her team made us feel so welcome. Exquisite customer service and attention throughout, with absolutely beautiful food, which was both stunningly presented, but tasted incredible too. Highly recommended. We made some fantastic friends as a bonus too!

Restaurant was rather quiet in the evening but nice decor. Friendly service (if slightly too many « thank yous »). Food slightly hit and miss. But the good was very good. The ‘cheese course’ turned out to be a sort of plum cake spread with grilled blue cheese - a very surprising and excellent dish. The tomato salad was pointless (no longer the season). The sides were tasty (eg spicy bravas) but didn’t go with the dishes at all. But I always appreciate a short changing menu - suggests fresh food and an active chef.

Lovely food and attentive service but a bit slow.

Delicious food, lovely decor, great service. Fine dining at very reasonable prices - 3 courses for £45!!! Wine selection from Chapel Down (of course), also great! With wine pairing advice.

Amazing food, fantastic wine tasting experience. Lovely knowledgeable staff. Highly recommend

Highly recommend, great service and food. Our waitress Jess provided us with a warm, tentative and exceptional service which made our lunch highly enjoyable. The food (Sunday lunch) was very tasty, each course was the right size and well balanced. We will be coming again!

Me and my parents came and had the most wonderful meal. Kate served us who was the shining star from everyone else and gave us so much help with my mums bad hip. I had the tomato salad to start, trout and then lemon merengue. The trout was cooked to perfection and the ricotta on the starter was super creamy. Definitely recommend the fish dishes 🐟 Georgy x

We had a wonderful anniversary dinner here, with complimentary chocolates when they found out we were celebrating! The food was incredible, there were lots of different combinations of distinctive and delicate flavours and the portions were the perfect size. Jess, who was our waitress, was absolutely lovely and made us feel very welcome throughout - the service as well as the food is excellent. It's worth the money, we would strongly recommend this to anyone and we will definitely come back!

Absolutely excellent dinner with fantastic food and paired wines from the attached vineyard/ winery. Room ambience was good, and we were extremely well looked after by the lovely Kate. I had beef carpaccio, lamb rump and local cheeses. The cheese was extra on the menu prix fixé but absolutely worth it. Price for two people including a gin to start, three courses each with an appropriate wine, plus two sides with mains and service came to £180. Not cheap, but very much worth it.

Excellent gastronomic experience. Imaginative dishes - vegetable sides outstanding. Mackerel starter was fabulous. Good value, great service. High end dining at a reasonable price.

Absolutely stunning meal; the best we have had for a long time, including at one of Tom Kerridge’s restaurants. Every course was exceptional and the suggested wines from Chapel Down complimented the food perfectly. The service was outstanding and if we lived closer, this would definitely be a regular venue for us!

Extraordinary dining experience. The food was a culinary pinnacle!

**"This was my second visit to this restaurant, and once again, it did not disappoint. The staff were extremely friendly, enhancing the overall experience. The selection of wines, particularly the Chapel Down varieties, perfectly complemented the meal. The food was not only beautifully presented but also delicious. I highly recommend trying the different types of Chapel Down. Overall, a delightful dining experience."**

The food is above average but the experience was spoiled for me by intrusive music, loud diners and flies! Indeed we were warned about the flies when we sat down but they were a real nuisance. Fairly easy to prevent. However the food was ok although my side dish of potatoes was disappointing and my lamb not that tender. I was offered another piece of lamb so fair enough. Why is music over speakers needed? I went there to dine and talk to a friend not listen to poor cover versions of pop music. Loud diners is not something that management can deal with! I won't be going back as I detest Muzak and hate flies.

Amazing place, food was excellent as was the service and wine. Will definitely be returning.

After reception we were directed for "drinks at the bar" in a separate corner of the restaurant. Then they were busy with other customers for 10 minutes. Food was tasty, but quite small portions indeed. I liked the side dishes the most, but they were very dominant in terms of taste. Drinking all the sparkling wines, they are delicious. The glass poured over me by the waiter was not charged. Pretty neat.

When booking on the website, unclear it’s a three course set price menu, not a la carte, which costs £48 per head. Not entirely sure it’s worth the cost, food was nice but not amazing. Service let it down. Our table was delayed by 30 minutes to sit down, and then a 30 min gap between finishing dinner and ordering dessert, despite trying to get waitresses attention. Also, very noisy atmosphere.

We thoroughly enjoyed a wonderful Sunday lunch at The Swan after a wine tasting and tour at Chapel Down. An inviting menu did not disappoint with starters of asparagus, morels and truffled egg yolk, tiger prawn and kimchee toast and tomato with cashew ricotta and raspberry. All beautifully executed and utterly delicious. Mains of ribeye of beef and pork loin with apple butter were equally impressive and accompanied by an exquisite array of fresh vegetables. Yuzu and orange tart followed and it was all washed down with a lovely crisp white by Chapel Down. Service was friendly, skilled and well judged and it all made for a gorgeous Sunday afternoon. I would highly recommend The Swan whether you’re wine tasting beforehand or not!

We thoroughly enjoyed a wonderful Sunday lunch at The Swan after a wine tasting and tour at Chapel Down. An inviting menu did not disappoint with starters of asparagus, morels and truffled egg yolk, tiger prawn and kimchee toast and tomato with cashew ricotta and raspberry. All beautifully executed and utterly delicious. Mains of ribeye of beef and pork loin with apple butter were equally impressive and accompanied by an exquisite array of fresh vegetables. Yuzu and orange tart followed and it was all washed down with a lovely crisp white by Chapel Down. Service was friendly, skilled and well judged and it all made for a gorgeous Sunday afternoon. I would highly recommend The Swan whether you’re wine tasting beforehand or not!

This was our third visit. From the time we arrived was made to feel welcome , all the staff are lovely. Love the way each dish is explained as it is served so you know in more detail. I have food allergies and not is to much trouble.

We arrived late, was no issue at all, Amazing service, food, wine and atmosphere. Their operation ran like clockwork 👍 Hard to find a restaurant where you can relax and walk away with a smile. Keep up the good work.

Great location and a lovely garden for pre and post lunch drinks. Food and service were excellent save for the potion sizes. My wife had a tomato salad which she thought contained one tomato. I had carpaccio of beef, great but just one small slice. We both went for the halibut, beautifully fresh but oh so small.A few hours later we gorged on pizzas to cope with our hunger. Again all good, superb even , but portions are minuscule.This is so easily remedied without much of a hit to profits.

Absolutely perfect. Sunday lunch from the excellently balanced and priced fixed price menu for my birthday. Kate, the restaurant manager, could not have been more welcoming and was so knowledgable about the dishes and the appropriate wines to accompany them. Stunning location with amazing views across the vineyards and valley and a lovely room. The different things they did with beetroot were amazing! I thoroughly recommend The Swan for any special occasion, but we shall definitely be visiting again before long just for a magical Sunday lunch.

Each dishes are well decorated. Asparagus was fresh and the Lamb Rump was tender. I felt varieties of Chapel Down sparkling wine selections were limited. I would like to try Three Graces etc without ordering a bottle. Rating 4-star for food given that it’s a £45 for three courses.

Very nice dinner, the view on a clear day are amazing and Chapel down wine.

Chapel Down is a lovely spot and the Swan compliments the overall experience when you visit the vineyard. The staff were brilliant and the food was fantastic. All the better with a glass of Chapel Down Brut too!

Lovely place to stay and to eat

One of the best meals we've ever had. The food was excellent and service very atte time too. We had the wine pairings so sampled a number of Chapel Down wines and enjoyed them all. Highly recommend The Swan!

Fantastic lunch at The Swan. Amazing food with great flavours beautifully presented and great quality wines. Fabulous service from Kate and the team. We will definitely return.

Lovely food though not large portions.

The people were very nice and happy and the kids loved the food it was very nice

The food was delicious, and whilst we tried things out of our comfort zone both the starters and main really shone as outstanding. I thought the dessert was a little disappointing, but that is probably just a reflection of how good the starter/ main were. I think portions were far too light for the price, and having to order sides to make sure there was sufficient food is unreasonable for the price. Overall I think 10-15% too expensive for the quality of the food, especially given the price of the wine when it's made on site!

Lovely evening, good food and wine. Perfect birthday celebration evening

Decent quality food but nothing special to justify the hefty price

We went here in November to celebrate my wife's 50th. It was our first time visiting and we loved it. We relaxed in the lounge/bar area before eating. Their own wine was extremely reasonably priced, but the rest of the drinks menu was a little sparse. The most surprising thing for a restaurant if this quality was the lack of a decent whiskey; Jameson's, Bells and JD was all they had, they're really doing them a disservice there! But that's where the gross end really. The staff were all extremely happy, polite, engaging and attentive. The food was initially a disappointment as the portions were on the 'tres petite' side, but all was forgiven on tasting. The presentation was excellent and flavours were wonderful and fulfilling. We were there chatting though many other tables arriving and leaving and returned to the bar at the end to finish the evening with one of their beautiful Rosé reserva.

Delicious food, exquisitely presented. Small dishes consisting of a number of carefully selected ingredients, with sauces and dressings producing a subtle depth of flavours. Lovely people with great service. Enjoyed the wine and the suggested pairing with the menu items. Portion sizes were such that there was room for dessert - what a treat!

Excellent food, wines and service 🙂

Don’t eat here if you’re hungry….Take a whistle to attract waiters attention….Check the bill as they like to add items you’ve not ordered….No disabled access.

Tremendous all round , a Great dining experience

We had a meal here last night after a vineyard tour of Chapel down lovely place, great food and for the service we received and quality of food very reasonably priced and being a shareholder got 25% off what isn't there to like.

Lovely restaurant with fantastic service. Good and wine are great.

10/10 restaurant Staff are very trained and know what they are serving Food is just pure flavours and textures all beautifully presented Enjoyed here our 1st wedding anniversary on a la carta menu

Nice lunch, not quite as good as we'd hoped. Lovely restaurant and setting.

Had previously visited Chapel Down for a vineyard tour and wine tasting and had wanted to visit the restaurant for a while. Dinner menu is decent, lots of choices. Pork belly option was very good. Went on a Saturday night and it was fairly busy and good atmosphere.

Far too expensive for the quality of the food provided. Tiny portions.

Visited for lunch after a wine tour. Food was very tasty and rich, but small portions, meaning you've only just started to enjoy it... and its gone! Deginitely need to top up with (yummy, by the way) extra 'sides'. With Chapel Down shareholder discount its not bad value, but the staff were a bit pushy about drinks and a little pretentious (maybe to be expected in this context). Not so sure what I feel about them taking a £20 deposit, either... but if you can afford it, its a nice, worthwhile experience.

What's not to say! Service was impeccable, food was absolutely divine, so was the wine. Super restaurant experience.

Great place to eat. Good cooking, very welcoming service, lovely location.

We very much enjoyed our dinner at The Swan. Everything we tried was really good, cooked well and nicely presented. We had burrata and mackerel for starters, pork and hake for mains and the orange and chocolate desserts. In our view, one thing that could be improved was the waiters attention to guests drinks finishing or being nearly finished. Our starters drinks had finished, and our mains arrived before we had the chance to order more drinks.

A lovely meal that added to our English wine experience

Do not miss this restaurant! We had a great expeience and could not fault anything.

Great food, service and atmosphere. Really recommend!

Wein und Sekt aus England? Gibt es - und überraschend Guten!

We had lunch on a nice sunny day. First of all, they refused to serve outside although they had several tables on the terrace. Such a shame, we had to sit inside. The food was too little, every dish contained max 2-3 bites, to fill up ourselves we asked for extra bread, they said they would charge it. The lamb was so chewy, some kind of old meat, or not cooked enough. I haven't eaten this bad lamb for quite some time. The waitress was so assertive, she was pushing too much to order drinks etc, came to the table directly to ask if we wanted sparkling or still water without giving the option that they had also tap table water. In the end, they added a 12.5% service charge for a service we didn't quite like. Neither food nor service is up to the quality that is expected from such an expensive restaurant! The wines are nothing special either and cost a fortune.

In short: disappointing and unfairly disappointing experience for actually good wines. As the pictures show, the dishes do look nice, but e.g. the lamb needed more sous-vide, it was too chewy. Finally, when paying and still asking not to fully pay the gratuity, we were not asked if something was not right. I think that summarizes enough the carrying service. The waitress preferred to put her time explaining how the POS worked than hear why a customer would leave not willing to come back. Good job, and good luck.

Beautiful location. Food tasted great. Beautifully presented and excellently cooked but some of the portion sizes were risible. Think nouvelle cuisine micro portions. Hake main: not enough fish to make up a fish finger! The pork was better.

Very nice atmosphere but the prices are far too much - large glass of wine £9!!!!???

Loved it! Not cheap but you get what you pay for. Beautiful food, wonderfully pressented, helpful attentive staff stunning views. Wines from the vineyard.

Great meal and friendly service.

Had our Valentine's lunch here. Inspired tasting menu. Thank you, such a lovely way to spend the afternoon

Lovely place to eat in the vineyard of Chapel Down. Nice views across the Kent countryside, well when there is no fog. Valentine's Day meal was well thought out and portions were just right to cover the five courses without feeling too full. Staff were friendly and efficient if a little bit overstretched with the numbers in for the special meal. It is about 45 minutes drive from the M20 and about the same from Leeds Castle. We would certainly return for another meal, even if it wasn't a special occasion.

Food and service were excellent only a slight problem with the sun coming through the window and no blinds to shield us - but staff were able to move us to another table - well done nice staff

The Swan is part of Chappell Down vineyard. The decor is modern. The restaurant is open to the general public and groups visiting the vineyard for a wine tasting experience. On our visit this caused the restaurant to become quite noisy. Having said that the staff were very helpful and the food was good, but a little expensive for the portions and contents offered. The wine selection was pretty good:) Overall a good experience but not sure we will repeat it.

One of the best Sunday lunches I've ever had. The beef melted in my mouth and was served with the perfect combination of vegetables. Portions were perfectly sized and, as you would expect, paired with some excellent wines. Price for 3 courses seemed reasonable and a beautiful location. Friendly and helpful waiting staff meant that all round, this was a great place to dine.

Delicious set menu for a family milestone birthday - amazing service, great choices, great drinks, we've visited before and will visit again!

Booked as part of a wine tasting at Chapel Down with some friends from Cambridge... we were expecting it to be good but all 4 of us agreed that the food was as good as anywhere. We had cured salmon to start followed by roast beef and the trimmings, and one of our friends described it as the best Sunday roast she'd ever had....

Good quality food limited menu but food done well great service

Food was wonderful staff very helpful

Cheguei muinto bem no local e as direção foi esata

We had a lovely meal celebrating our wedding anniversary, all the staff were lovely and the food was spot on. I would have given 5 starts however, the bread we were given with the oil was very tough, cold bread. Other than that, would 100% recommend to anyone!

Conveniently co-located with Chapel Down vineyard. In good weather the patio seating would be excellent. Good food, more than ample servings and great service. The staff were efficient and friendly. Not sure if reservations are necessary, but it would be wise to check. The restaurant was busy. We were on a tour, no responsibilities...

2 course for £27.50, 3 course for £30. Menu recommends wine to pair with each meal, but be cautious of if you also have a tasting booked for after. Food is OK - it was good but nothing extraordinary, I thought the restaurant lacked the level of service to match the location and Chapel Down vibe. Everything was so slow, a table near us was dirty from previous guests all throughout our 2 hour lunch!

Outstanding, fine dining, excellent food/ drink and service. Faultless

Good local wines and beers, friendly staff. Good service.

Really need to change their policy about not letting dogs in the restaurant. Seems very disjointed that dogs are allowed on the vineyard but not in the restaurant. Who came up with that logic?

Unfortunately the restaurant is not dog friendly, which is such a shame because it really limits what you can do when wanting to visit and make a day of it.

This restaurant should be dog friendly, just like the rest of the vineyard is. Very disappointing and I bet they would attract a lot more people to dine there if they weren't so narrow-minded.

Great service, food and wine. Definitely recommend.

Excellent food & wines. Efficient & friendly staff.

Fantastic food and service! Staff were really friendly and it was the perfect end to the day after an excellent wine tasting tour at the vineyard!

Food was great, such a nice lunch and wonderful service from the staff in a nice setting. Tasting some more of the wine from Chapel Down with the meal obviously a bonus! Will definitely make a point of going there again whenever I'm next around.

This is our favourite restaurant of all time! Every single bite of food here is a delight. Beautifully presented, thoughtfully prepared and totally delicious. The food is exceptional, but the sucess of the restaurant is in no small way down to the amazing staff, managed by Kate. The welcome from Kate and the level of service from every member of staff is truly wonderful. On Saturday we had the pleasure of being served by the caring and efficient Char and the lovely, newish sommellier, Freddie. It was an evening we will will always cherish and remember. Thank you all.

Great pub, some nice beers food generous servings

Five stars doesn’t do this justice - honestly one of the best lunches I have ever had eating out in the UK. And only £30 odd for three courses! We both had scallops to start which were fresh and delicious (though hidden under some roe foam as you can see in the photo!). My other half then had sea bass and I had lamb, which was as tender as anything I’ve had in a long time. Finally the puddings were lovely too, a panna cotta and a lemon curd dessert. Absolutely 10/10 would recommend

Had such an amazing lunch at The Swan. We went after doing a tout of the vineyard which was also amazing. Loved all the food and the staff were great

Went today for lunch.. Absolutely amazin food.. And fantastic service. Thanks Kate. Luv ya x

Excellent meal and excellent value too. Great service as well - thanks - we will be back

Very good meal and service. We enjoyed the three courses - scallops, monk fish and chocolate/beetroot brownie (which was a little dry).

Fantastic food, quirky bar area, can't fault the service highly recommended if you are in the area and a nice treat after the vineyard tour to pair your favourite local wines with food 😙