Updown Restaurant in Dover

Updown was recommended by friend's, so popped in to check the place out. Greeted by Marlon who was fantastic. Hotel and restaurant booked for next month’s visit to Deal.

Sunday lunch here was lovely and in a beautiful setting. Food was good but didn’t warrant the prices. At the prices they charge you want to be totally wowed and we were not. Set Sunday lunch menu at £40 but a £15 supplement if you want the beef 😱 making it over £60 with the service charge and it just wasn’t that good. Starters were ok nothing special ..tomato and peach salad sadly very unseasoned. Seabass ceviche badly presented and no more than a mouthful. Pea and pancetta tagliatelle okay again nothing special .

Nice staff very attentive , very average food very salty. Nothing special at all. Nice setting. Go for the outside setting that’s all we would recommend

This place is a little off the beaten track but not miles from anywhere. It is a beautiful house and grounds, and when we arrived there were a few people just chilling in the garden. We went on their steak night, which meant that there was a set 3 course menu. Not a problem as we knew what to expect. The food was excellent and well presented. The staff were really friendly and helpful. There were a small number of local beers and wines available. I would say that the price was at the top end of what you would expect to pay for what you got, and personally I don't like it when restaurants automatically add a service charge to the bill. You can ask for it to be removed but that feels awkward.

We booked an evening meal with both our parents, and our children (5y & 8y). It was an enjoyable meal, and the children liked playing outside whilst waiting for their meal. Food was good - veggie options for me. The staff were friendly and the dining room was very pretty.

Returned to Updown for a birthday supper & it was superb. Simple, high quality ingredients which are very well cooked and served with charming and attentive, but not intrusive, service. A beautiful place to visit which deserves its excellent reputation

No one greeted us on our arrival so we weren’t quite sure where to go … we walked through the lovely main house to the gardens and saw the restaurant beyond the lawn in front of us. There was a surprisingly limited menu (including limited side dishes). My friend and I chose the hake with mussels which was excellent - lovely tastes and lovely colours. However, my partner had the ravioli as a main course which consisted of only 4 pieces of ravioli and a great deal of runny sauce! My sister chose the lamb dish which lacked any form of presentation and the meat wasn’t of the best quality. Maybe it was an ‘off night’ menu! Unfortunately the white wine we chose was not cold enough and we had to ask for a wine cooler with ice cubes but the bottles we ordered never became cold enough. Overall we felt that we had not had good value for money. I really don’t mind paying for lovely food and wine however, the standard of the meal we had at Updown was disappointing and did not match the prices asked. For us, the best thing about our meal was the beautiful setting - it really is a lovely place to go on a summer’s evening.

I’ve been to Updown on several occasions recently. It is a great experience with terrific food and young, smiley, friendly and attentive staff. Go if you get the chance - you won’t be disappointed.

The staff make this place, the front of house makes me feel as though I'm a regular (I wish!) and the waiting staff are brilliant, can't fault them, my only criticism might be on steak night that little roast potatoes are a little too roasted!!. We will be back

We visited for lunch on Sunday - we have been several times before so we were keen to return . The service , quality of food and attention to detail was amazing . When you arrive here you feel like you are dining in a friends garden . It feels secret , so special ! The food is epic , we had a pregnant guest with us and. Suggestions were made as alternatives without prompting . This place exudes confidence and style and 5 star service , in a very relaxed vibey environment. Don’t hesitate to book !

Beautiful seasonal food in a gorgeous (surprisingly warm!) setting. Pleasantly busy, great service and a lovely birthday dinner.

This was my fourth visit to Updown and, sadly, a bit disappointing this time. Portions were small and the lamb in particular, meagre: almost £200 for four people and when it arrived I queried it, as I thought they'd brought only one double serving instead of enough for four. It came with a potato and bean dish but the only extra vegetables available were mashed potatoes (small bowl) and some very bland greens (another small bowl). The dessert choice was one rich choux pastry offering, and the cheese plate was meagre, just a few pieces with three crackers on a plate. On the plus side, the food is well cooked, the drinks menu very appealing, and the staff are lovely. Perhaps this was just an off night but I'm not rushing to repeat it.

Visited on a Saturday night for the first time, reading on their website that it was an outdoor restaurant I was a bit concerned about our comfort being in the middle of winter but was pleasantly surprised that it was perfectly nice and warm. No need for coats, blankets or hot water bottles! Menu is simple but interesting. The pizzetta was quite nice and well presented (£10 was a bit too much for the tiny portion though), pork rillette was bland, it lacked proper seasoning and the mozarella was good, but it was less than a quarter of a ball and £15 was too expensive in my opinion. The main courses of duck and sea bass were excellent, my only criticism is to see radicchio twice (mozarella and duck), I understand and value seasonality but this is just a lazy approach, I didn’t expect the repetition of ingredients. Dessert was a bit ordinaire but pleasant enough. I was a bit surprised to see the same wine I get in my local Chinese as a house wine, I think considering the quality of the food and surroundings, they could do better. Overall, it was a good experience and I will certainly return when the weather improves.

Updown Restaurant appears to be an old farm house, in the middle of no-where near Deal in Kent, which is part of its charm, however when it is very dark, the route to and from the carpark is poorly lit and not well sign posted. Don't wear your best shoes! I really expected good things from a menu which offered very little choice. There was a rump steak. A beef pie and a vegetarian option. We had the Ribollita soup for starter, which oddly featured what looked like small black turtle beans instead of the usual large white cannellini type beans? Tasty, none-the-less. For main, my Wife had the beef shin and Guinness pie. which I tried and it was very nice! The pastry was short and crumbly and the filling was succulent and tender. I ordered the rump steak and it arrived very rare, making it chewy and unpleasant. The ends I ate and were ok, but none of it had been seasoned either. Oddly, it was pre-sliced, so why the chef didn't notice that it wasn't cooked properly is a mystery? The waitress offered to "cook it some more". The grilled tomatoes were nice, as was the cheese. The Hasselback potatoes were pre-cooked, obviously as no one wants to wait and hour for a fresh one, but these were dry and had that stale-oven taste. They were in no way freshened-up or glazed with butter or anything. For desert I had the rice pudding. The pudding itself was delicious, but there was a Crème Brûlée brown sugar crust on the top which was way too big and way too sweet for my taste. Had it been served in a ramakin instead of a wide flat dish, the balance of pudding to sugar may have been nicer. The restaurant décor inside is an old farm building with bare brick and exposed timbers, which would be nice but for the dozens of orange glowing patio heaters. The tables and chairs are plastic patio furniture. This probably wouldn't have been noticed had the food been all that was promised. The staff were pleasant and attentive. I really wanted to enjoy Updown, I love nothing more than finding hidden gems, but the experience for me was pretty average. For a restaurant with premium prices and with such limited menu choices, and such a small number of tables, I expected everything to be quite exceptional, but was sadly left quite underwhelmed.

I have been quite a few times with family and friends since i retired here in February last year. Food & service have always been excellent. Today we had a small problem which I discussed with Leah the manager. It was all handled very well and we are very grateful for the professional way Leah handled the matter.We look forward to our next visit.. Many Thanks Alexandra Mahaffey

We have visited a couple of times when they first opened and was excited to return for a third visit for a special occasion. Unfortunately we had a completely different experience. The food selection was very poor and the desert was inedible. Sadly the service was terrible too, the restaurant felt like it was being ran by teenagers, who barley acknowledged us when we arrived and left. It was a large party that we were with and it was a shame that all members felt the same and said they would not recommend. With so many other lovely restaurants in Deal and surrounding areas I would not waste your money going here.

We had an amazing dinner and stay at the Uptown Farmhouse. The setting in-between the foliage is very special and cosy, with the kitchen next to you and the open ceiling. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful. The food and wine was great, although my husband said his steak was very fatty and parts inedible. In all, we enjoyed the atmosphere and the food. I've recommended for my parents to visit and stay for their anniversary.

We visited today for a birthday lunch. We both had a cold beer as it was unseasonably warm while we perused the menu. When the waitress took the order I went for the whole red mullet and my partner the roast pork with cheesy leeks and a bottle of white wine. When the food arrived the whole fish turned out to be a small fillet not the whole fish as the waitress had explained, however it was nicely cooked. My partner’s pork was perfect apart from the overcooked roast potatoes. The cheesy leeks were very tasty apart from being gritty and crunchy due to not having been rinsed properly before cooking, I did mention this to the waitress who said she would pass the comments on to the chef. We then had desert and cheese which were good. All in all a mixed bag in pleasant surroundings.

Absolutely perfect. This is a very special place. You feel like a house guest. Rooms are delightful. Fantastic steak night and the best breakfast I have had in any hotel…I had the ricotta, mint and courgette omelette. Yummy

Disappointing We were a group of four for evening dinner for special occasion. The restaurant is lovely in a beautiful location. The food was disappointing; starters were ok, mains were nothing special with no vegetables other than potatoes. It should have been better for the price. Only two choices for dessert, crumble or ice cream. We wouldn’t return.

Beautiful establishment well thought out to be warm and relaxing. Super bedroom and large bathroom well equipped for our use. Delicious dinners and breakfasts. Lovely kitchen garden and nice walks in the grounds. We will return

We have been here about 7 times since it opened including New Year’s Eve. We had recommended this place to many people. We would now suggest people avoid it. Went back on Saturday Sept 2nd for my cousins daughters 30th. It wasn’t as good as before with several issues, so as I paid the bill, I asked to give feedback to the owners. As they were away, I asked duty manager to ask them to call me. Instead of contacting me and finding out the issues we experienced, I got a tirade of abuse from Oli the owner by text, WhatsApp and email. Here are the issues we experienced. Booking issues - Georgia had struggled with the team to get responses to her communications for a group booking. The booking process was protracted and difficult. It did not give a good impression of the business. Georgia made it clear the mixed dietary requirements of our party of 16 but was sent a menu that did not reflect these complete with a rather “take it or leave it” advanced payment link. A revised menu was eventually agreed and despite considering moving the event to one of the competitors she decided to stick with The Updown and go ahead. A revised menu was agreed and pre-payment made. Welcome On arrival we were greeted by the team. We were not very warmly greeted with no acknowledgement that it was a celebration. Poor Service The service throughout the evening was very poor where we had to constantly call over to the staff to serve us. The menu contained no vegan options despite this being requested. The Food The shared items were fine, if a little sparse between 16 and the starters were ok, although the vegetarian option was awash with olive oil making it way to greasy for me to eat. The fish starter was enjoyed by those who choose it but under seasoned. The main courses - the chicken was ok but unremarkable but the macaroni cheese was rich, delicious and decadent. The courgette main dish was bland and one dimensional with way too much of the cold and claggy broad bean puree and again swimming in olive oil. It was also cold. The proportions and balance of the dish were poor with a bland rice filing and a sauce vierge that had no acidity or flavour. I ate about 40% of my dish as did several others. We had the Vermentino which is a nice white but one guest questioned others to say hers smelled and tasted “odd”. Indeed, the glass had probably been cleaned with a dirty glass cloth or dishcloth leaving a revolting residue on the glass which tainted the wine. We politely mentioned this to one of the serving staff who sniffed the glass and immediately agreed and offered to replace the glass and its contents. We waited patiently but a replacement was not forthcoming so we asked again twice and eventually received one. They had accepted a booking for a table of 16 for a 30th birthday party. As you may imagine we were animated and lively. A larger but broadly similar group to those who had attended on New Year’s Eve. There was another large table for another 30th birthday close by who were similarly animated and enjoying themselves. There was a lot of laughter and fun which was ruined when one of the team came and spoke to Georgia’s brother and told us to “keep it down”. Despite asking, we were unable to ascertain that anyone had complained. We were the only table in the bar area that was occupied and on questioning the people from the other 30th party they said that they thought the level of jollity was similar if not less than their own. I found this request unnecessary and annoying. Poor Dessert I chose summer pudding. It was “close to the edge” in terms of its time to be served. The bread had taken on a very unpleasant gelatinous texture and mine had a distinct metallic taste from the mould it had been made in. I ate about 1/5th of mine. None of the staff ever questioned the fact that dishes were not completely consumed. On previous visits food had been eaten with relish and plates entirely cleared. Payment At the end of the evening, the staff eventually brought us the bill after being asked and I went over to pay as no one came to take payment at our table. By this point, I was very disappointed especially when Georgia’s best friend had spoken to me about how poor the entire evening had been. The young lady who was at the till had a real attitude problem and was so rude when I queried the fact that she had keyed in £1400+ into the card machine and ignored the prepayment. I asked her to check the amount as it was wrong and I can only use the word “sulked” as the word that best describes her reaction she didn’t even apologise for her mistake! Duty manager I asked to speak to whomever was the duty manager, which turned out to be her colleague standing close by. I said how disappointed we had been and how it had not been to the standard of our previous visits. I explained that I was unhappy with aspects of our evening. He reacted like a deer caught in the headlights and did not know what to say. I said that I’d like to speak to the owner and give them my feedback and asked that he request that they call me on Monday. I had to leave as our transport had arrived. He seemed unable, incapable and inadequately trained to address the issues. The blond lady and her colleague were overheard making disparaging remarks about our group as we departed. Amenities The toilets were not maintained during the evening. The paths were not lit and were a real trip hazard. One of our party (who is 76) almost falling over the brazier/log basket on the corner of the path as it was pitch black as there were no lights illuminated. Feedback request I wanted to talk to the owners as I genuinely wanted to give them some feedback on our experience. Response from The owner. I got a really angry, nasty and personal attack including swearing telling me not to go back and informing me he did not need or want our money and would refund the evening. Two weeks later he has not done so. Suffice to say we will not be returning nor would we suggest anyone else spend their hard earned money here.

Having dined at The Updown 3 times previously I was surprised how the standard of food and service has declined with each visit and sadly I won't be returning. Service was lead by a young team who are willing but need more training. For example serving drinks in dirty glasses which smell of dirty dish cloth is not acceptable and that we had to ask for it to be replaced three times before it was done. Our starters were pleasant a pasta seafood dish but the chilli was harsh on the palet having not been cooked out enough and there was not a hint of seasoning in the entire dish. The main course was totally horrible a hot courgette filled with plain white rice, no seasoning spices or any attempt to add flavour. This was served on a bed of broadbean mash which was cold and oily and overwhelmed by the taste of tahinni which was cloying on the palet. This was surrounded by a tomato concass swimming in olive oil all horribly underseasoned yet again. I left most of my main course on my plate untouched. To say I was underwhelmed by the food experience at the Updown is an understatement and I will not be returning or recommending it to any friends. What a shame!

I had the most glorious lunch at Updown with a large group of friends this summer. Simple, delicious and generously served cooking, in the most idyllic and picturesque setting, completely unspoiled by the rainy weather that day. I couldn’t recommend it more, and can’t wait to go back with my friends and family.

We chose this restaurant for my birthday lunch and we were very impressed. We were a party of six plus one dog and we were looked after very well indeed. The food was incredible, particularly the pasta starter and the veal main but we were incredibly impressed with the service. Every staff member was so incredibly professional and helpful and our dog was looked after very well. Overall very impressed and can’t wait to return.

After perusing the July menu on line and deciding on the courses I was Very disappointed to be given a menu without my choices.The Langoustine had been changed to Courgette flower and the Sea Bass to Hake!!I was even scuppered on my choice of dessert...

We tried this restaurant with friends who had previously been and raved about it. Unfortunately it was not as per their previous visit. Tables were very close together with not much space. Our starters were fabulous but the main Sunday roast at £25 each wasn’t...

I had read an amazing review about the restaurant so I was expecting something out of this world. Our starter was good and then I had the lamb which I couldn’t fault and my husband had the vegetarian option even though he is not vegetarian....

Very pretty location in an old farm outbuilding. The staff were great and Izzy could not do more for us. The prices are top end for this part of Kent but quality was good. A small gripe - we asked for a side of new...

Our first visit having said we would go for many months. Our initial thoughts are mixed and it will probably take another two visits to make a fair review. Our initial thoughts also possibly compunded by the night of our visit was the first of...

Absolutely beautiful surroundings make this place a treat. The staff are super friendly, accommodating and the food was very enjoyable. I especially loved the desserts. All-in-all we had a lovely afternoon here and would recommend. Thanks!

The first thing you think when you get anywhere near The Updown is "this is a nice spot". Then you think "this is a quaint setting". Then you think "this looks lovely!" Like stepping into a restaurant in the south of France, or Spain, the...

This family meal was on the final day of a weekend break, celebrating my husband's birthday. It was a lovely meal; beautiful surroundings, delicious food and really nice staff. We booked a late lunch and it was all very relaxing, with lots of space outdoors...

This is exactly the sort of place I wish I could live here in. We went when the weather was (finally) lovely, used their very attractive car service and had the most lovely lunch. I rarely eat pasta but here it was delicious. Staff lovely,...

Really good food small menus of perfectly cooked food well chosen wine list lovely service A bit Notting Hill in the country but the food is perfect fresh flavours all served in a pergola in the garden bit like petersham nursery cafe but I actually...

The setting is lovely, alfresco dining in idyllic surroundings. We’ve been three times and sadly we won’t now be returning for a long time. Our first visit shortly after opening was wonderful. The food was lovely with attentive waiting staff. The second time was not...

I had the pleasure of discovering and experiencing Updown this weekend. My partner and myself booked in for the Sunday roast yesterday and we were blown away not only by the amazing food but the 1st class service. We can't wait to go again and...

Such a magical place , an old farmhouse in one of the prettiest parts of kent . We were a table of 5 and they were lighting candles as we arrived . Setting the scene . Currently it’s outdoor dining but the team have plans...

Oh my word! What an experience. Energetic front of house team, led by the delightful Freddie. Alex and his team produced some wonderful food, and Ruth matched it with a great wine list. Chilled Beaujolais! Mmmm. Chicken Liver Parfait and Pannacotta wwith Grappa were heavenly,...