Wells Brasserie at the Royal Wells in Tunbridge Wells

We booked this hotel for a few nights away with our friends, one of which was celebrating her birthday. We didn’t know at the time that the hotel was offering a birthday treat of deducting the cost of the birthday person’s main course and dessert from the total bill. This was a lovely surprise and as we had eaten in the hotel’s restaurant on our first night, we were more than happy to have our friend’s birthday dinner there as well. The choice of food was very good. We all had a different choice on both nights and every dish was cooked and served to perfection. The Royal Wells Hotel is a very old Victorian building with bags of character. Each room has a different design, with unique furniture. The open plan reception area, lounge, bar & restaurant is a warm & welcoming place to sit and have a few drinks. All the staff were friendly and efficient. With a special mention to Adam & Millie. Unfortunately we didn’t get the name of the gentleman who served us at breakfast, but he also deserves a mention. Parking at the front of the hotel was not a problem while we were there, but that was in March, so it may be different in the summer months. The walk down to town took approx. 10 – 15 mins. There’s a short cut in front of the hotel across the road and through the park area. Royal Tunbridge Wells is very hilly, so the walk down is ok, but for some, the walk back up may take longer! We would definitely stay here again and have been recommending it to our friends and family.

Three generations enjoyed a really excellent meal in this beautifully refurbished hotel. The period features have been retained with tasteful modern additions such as an orangey roof and parquet flooring. Service was just right from a pleasant welcome to efficient but not intrusive waiter service. The menu was well chosen with a mix of roasts and standards. The quality of cooking and presentation was excellent throughout and the portions were generous. Our starters were smoked salmon tartare- lovely and fresh with capers and gherkin, home made pea soup with good home made bread and a fish cake. Roast turkey and lamb were excellent well cooked with good yorkshires roasties and rich gravy. Greens were just right. The star of the show were the imaginative and delicious puddings. Rum pineapple with a dark chocolate mousse and soil and Chocolate bombes. Someone was really trying here and they succeeded. I really hope this hotel regains its rightful position as a go- to venue in Tunbridge wells. On today’s performance they deserve to achieve it. Thanks.

I am trying to be positive but there is nothing positive about this experience. On a Sunday lunchtime I expected it to be busy however on arrival found a car park space without any problems. We were greeted by the door and led to our table. It was the only one decorated for Christmas. Considering they did make a fuss and asked us to confirm menu, people time and date, we were the only ones there all afternoon. However although we were the only table, the order was wrong, a meal was delayed and the staff didn’t really seem to around. My beef bourguignon had hardly any beef in it and looked like it was out of a boil in the bag from bookers, the roast potatoes I asked for fell apart and the generous vegetables weee not enough for four people. It just seemed to be in the too hard basket. The rooms are superb as we have stayed here before, but the food was terrible. My friends had the turkey which arrived like a turkey loaf, mostly stuffing and no very much of it. My wife had the vegetarian roast and again not great in a bowl. I am not sure what this restaurant are trying to do but the manager did ask us what we thought it was worth but I felt out of respect, we paid for the meal and he didn’t charge us for the drinks. That was nice of him however it’s not for the client to say, it’s for the host to sort out.

We booked in advance for the restaurant and were told it wasn’t necessary. How true! We were the inly people there which was slightly strange - most places are heaving on Sunday lunchtimes. The place has been very tastefully modernised. The me unis a slightly strange mixture and slightly at odds with the surroundings - more pub grub than fine dining. The staff were very sweet and attentive but there was only us there.

When we arrived we were surprised to see nobody in the restaurant. Thought maybe because Wednesday lunch time. We had to find staff to sit us down. Leek and potatoe soup was bland, unseasoned and cold. My main was catch of the day and risotto. The fish absolutely stunk and was dry and wrinkled. Certain it was off and risotto was peculiar! Sent the meal back. My husbands burger was ok but the bun was burned. My grandson ordered steak which had so much charcoal on the top it just tasted burnt. We complained and one meal was deducted from the price but no apology received. Will never return.

Fabulous view across Tunbridge Wells from our rooms window. Nice, comfortable room with everything we needed. Just the right distance from the town to have a nice walk in. Quiet location. Great parking. The staff were really friendly and helpful. We had a problem with our breakfast, but the manager agreed not to charge us for it and apologised, you can’t be fairer than that. Comfortable beds and great shower.

This was supposed to be a romantic getaway for Valentines weekend after shielding for so long due to the pandemic. After reading all the amazing reviews we decided that this hotel was just perfect. How wrong we were!!!! Upon arrival, the first thing we noticed were the two large planters at the front door being used as ash trays… my heart sank! The front doors were wide open, bearing in mind it’s winter, the hotel foyer was freezing!! We proceeded to reception, where we waited for a long time for someone to appear. My partner had to actually go and find someone in the bar to check us in. We were shocked that there was only one member of staff to check in guests, work in the bar and generally assist guests. We asked if there were any other staff members working and were told the evening crew would be there later in the evening. We were also informed that there was no porter available that evening and the doors would be locked! We booked a superior room as the photos showed luxury… well, how disappointed we were! It was as if we’d just booked a Budget B & B… it was awful! Freezing and very tired looking. Certainly not the room that was advertised. I was devastated. We decided to give it a try. We turned up the heating to maximum and went to the bar for lunch! The Main doors were still wide open and the bar area was sub zero!! My partner had to close the doors several times as we were sitting shivering. We had read the reviews that the food was outstanding!!! Again, it was not what we expected. Poor quality, poorly cooked and badly presented!! It was nothing more than bought in, pre-prepared frozen nibbles! Shocking!! We over heard the barman speaking to another guest explaining that the hotel has changed hands and the new owners wanted to change so many things as it was tired and not “up to scratch”. My question is why they haven’t shut to complete the renovations and address the issues which are blatantly obvious!!! There are so many negatives about this hotel, I could write a book!!! We decided to return to the room in the hope that it was warmer. It wasn’t!!! We hadn’t even unpacked our bags but had no choice but to check out. There was a different receptionist working and she was understanding of our dissatisfaction and we received a full refund. Our hopes of a romantic getaway was ruined! How can a rosette awarded hotel get so many things wrong?!! So…. If you’re looking for something special, intimate and luxurious, go somewhere else!

We came here for a meal for extended family after my dads funeral and they were brilliant. Tasty food, courteous service and helpful staff plus a beautiful sitting meant it was fab.

The staff are lovely super friendly and helpful. The restaurant is clean and modern. The tables are nicely spaced and the service is nicely paced giving you chance to read or digest before moving on. The fish was fresh and the batter light the chips were fresh and not greasy. Pretty good value for money.

Stayed for 2 nights, didn't bother trying to find somewhere to eat and glad I didnt, the food the 2 nights was brilliant, staff in the bar resturant were fab also.

Nearing the end of lockdown we were apprehensive about how well the hotel would be functioning. Apart from scaffolding at the front of the hotel the hotel was working well. We had booked several weeks ago and it had been uncertain that the restaurant would be open but fortunately for us it was. There was a good choice on the menu and the staff were most helpful. The dining room was bright and airy and the food good. We had a room overlooking the town. I was relieved that it was an easy short walk into the main town. There is a path almost directly opposite the hotel. We all managed to park in the hotel car park. The rooms were bright and comfortable and well stocked with the usual toiletries and items for hot drinks. The hotel has several areas where you can sit and have informal meetings. Thank you to the staff who were cheery and helpful. It was a nice short break after the problems of lockdown.

We had not intended to eat in the Royal Wells Brasserie but our intended plans went awry. The Brasserie menu is varied and sufficiently broad to meet most requirements. The steak listing looked interesting and upon enquiring it seemed a rib-eye had my name on it. Choosing steak in any restaurant holds a certain risk, but my goodness on this occasion wasn't it a good decision? Oh yes, indeed it was. Cooked as ordered - medium rare - the steak was DELICIOUS and possibly one of the best I have eaten in the UK. It certainly met my 'melt-in-the-mouth' criteria. Accompanied by sweet potato fries the the meat disappeared very quickly. Everyone else in our group also enjoyed their chosen dishes but I could not stop talking about the steak. Our whole meal experience was unhurried with attentive service. Thank you so much.

I was upgraded to the bridal suite, as a solo traveller this was a lovely surprise! The hotel rooms are well decorated and are spotlessy clean. The bedrooms are quiet rooms which can be hard to come by in the centre of Tunbridge Wells. I particularly enjoy the food here, again a comfortable atmosphere to to dine alone. Good choice of meals and I like the calorie conscious options. I had a slight discrepancy over a glass of wine I chose, but management were very fair and discretely resolved the issue promptly. This is my second business stay here and I really cannot fault the hotel or staff. A fantastic value for money, upscale hotel.

We absolutely loved it here. Went for a mummy and daughter break (she’s 12) for 1 night. Bit of shopping in town and Turkish restaurant Havet for dinner and then comfortable room/bed/good facilities and fabulous breakfast.

the breakfast was very good and the service excellent. The dinner menu did not change on our 3 days there. ..but good food

Went for dinner before a private function (function room was great)Was empty for dinner on a Saturday night.Choice on the menu was pretty good, but the main thing was out waitress.She could barely speak English which made it hard for her to understand our orders, and that was for both food and drink.Food was nice and pretty good value.

I organised for a private function to be held at Royal Wells Hotel in the Alexander Suite for 21 people. Beautiful room, perfectly elegant and barely any additional decor needed as it already stands out amongst many other venues available for hire. Would make a lovely wedding setting also. Steve suggested the most appropriate room layout for the function and on arrival it was set up exactly as agreed. We had the buffet lunch, which was super tasty, plenty of food per head, all arrived/served fresh/hot ready for everyone to help themselves... Most went up for 2nd and 3rd helpings, those Plaice goujons were delicious! The staff on hand on the day, in particular Alice, were superb. Regularly checking in on us to be sure all was going well and we had all we needed. Alice cleared up from the lunch really quickly so that we had more space again. Some from function stayed overnight in hotel and everyone commented on really comfy rooms and great breakie too. Wouldn't hesitate going again for the bar, restaurant, hotel or functions. Thank you!

Absolutely excellent food and service, very attentive staff. Beautiful room for the function. Would definitely return!

Birthday meal with my wife, very nice evening. Food was good and staff helpful. Watched the storms roll by and listened to some good music from the wedding reception.

Came for dinner with visiting family, it's a lovely place mixture of old wood bars leather sofas with modern dining, nice outside area for pre-drinks or to enjoy the weather.Food was great tasting we all had something different, although one dish was served in error it was quickly replaced with no fuss. Only one staff on duty covering the bar and restaurant, she was over worked but professional and extremely friendly, it was an enjoyable experience. Averagely priced for Tunbridge Wells.

First visit on a recommendation, salt and pepper squid followed by five spice duck salad. Struggled to finish due to the generous portions. Lovely light restaurant, under the impression that the waitress was new, as she didn’t clear the glasses when bringing new drinks and didn’t ask my colleague how she would like her steak cooked. Reasonable prices and pleasant ambience. Would return.

But a different room at the front of the hotel. The staff are friendly, helpful and willing to go the extra step.

Braa serie accattivante,come ambiente. Menù abbastanza ampio. Piatti buoni e ben presentati. Prezzi giusti. Ma servizio pessimo. Nessuno ti viene incontro, ordini due volte da bere, e anche con pochi clienti per perdere gli ordini passa mezz'ora. Peccato. La cameriera comunque pareva dispiaciuta

My wife and I went today for Sunday lunch. We both chose the garlic prawns in lime juice with garlic bread. Truly heavenly! It came with a wetwipe, a spare serviette and a bowl for the shells, which not every restaurant would routinely provide. I ordered the Sunday roast beef, which came with all the trimmings and was more than most people could eat. The beef slices were thick and perfectly cooked. My wife had the fillet steak, which was cooked perfectly and came with a bucket of proper chips, tomato, mushroom and garnish. I had to help her finish the chips, which were as good as I've had in a long time. The food was all served hot, service was friendly and efficient, the restaurant had a nice ambience and there was a car-park. We recently returned from a cruise on a "foody" ship and can honestly say that what we had today would not have disappointed on our holiday, particularly the prawns. Hotel restaurants often have a reputation for mediocre food and service, but I would not hesitate to recommend the Brasserie at the Royal Wells.

Highly recommend the afternoon tea it was fab! Lovely warm scones, cake, sandwiches and macaroons! The staff were lovely and its a great hotel. The main menu looked great too, lots of choice from classic pub food, Steaks as a speciality and some interesting chef's favourites!

We ate here with friends a few days ago, the food was absolutely amazing, I had a steak cooked perfectly and the rest of our group were very happy with their food.

Awful, awful. As a family of 9 e arrived at 12:50 (lunch booked for 13:00) and had to wait until 13:20 until we sat down as no one knew how to use the disabled lift for my mother who is in a wheelchair. First course arrived around 30 minutes later and the main course which was cold and unappetising arrived at 14:35. At the end of the meal the coffee tasted as if it had been on the side all morning - in other words stone cold. The parsnips were like concrete. Such an utter waste of money not only for the venue but for the food as well.

This was so disappointing. We were really looking forward to our first Christmas lunch out. The food itself was okay but the service time was appalling. We were booked for 1:30 and sat waiting for 3/4 hour before even a starter arrived. No bread or anything on the table. Finally, main course arrived at 3:20pm. We waited and waited- as did others. When we complained staff apologised but gave no explanation - we had all pre-ordered and pre-paid - so why were they so disorganised?. No festive music - no ambiance at all. Nothing to make us feel welcome. Certainly won't go back.

We stayed for one night. Evening meal was excellent and staff friendly and attentive. Our room and en suite were very clean and the bed was comfortable. Breakfast very good with excellent choice. Will definitely return.

On approach to the hotel it looks rather lovely, nice hotel reception, looks clean, even the restaurant seating area looks recently refurbished. However, the food really is up to par. Expect the same sort of food at a Harvester Pub! Waiter service needs to be improved, including appearance and dress sense!

Myself and my wife stayed in the hotel for a few days over the Christmas period and I've just written a 5 star review about the hotel and service. We ate here several times on our stay, including breakfast and Christmas lunch and felt like our experience was mixed. An evening meal in the bar on the first night was really good (Cod), the breakfast the following morning was a little disappointing - interestingly I've never stayed in a hotel where cappuccino is charged for additionally at breakfast! Christmas lunch was 'okay', pretty standard really, the winter veg including red cabbage, carrots and brusel sprouts were steamed without the addition of anything like bacon or chestnuts to make them stand out... service was good and the staff were lovely... Based on our experience I wouldn't recommend because for sure there are a number of better restaurants in Tunbridge Wells.

Teniendo en cuenta que he tenido recientemente sobre prensa terrible cubrir el estado de sus cocinas y ser multados con una enorme cantidad de dinero por esto, creo que todo el lugar sería de primera categoría. Pero no es así. Después de pasar, así que es de cree, millones en una reforma por una cerveza local bien conocido, el lugar necesita ser mirado, no sólo las cocinas! Roto el inodoro, bordeando las tablas mugrientas y toda una sensación de abandono. La zona exterior no es cuidado con el agua en las bombillas y asientos no puede sentarse como fueron tan polvorienta y sucia. Es una pena. Realmente espero que ellos mismos tire de este como podría y debería ser uno de los mejores hoteles.

Fui con dos amigos como regalo de cumpleaños, para el té de la tarde. Fue increíble. Los bocadillos y pasteles son deliciosas. Sin duda volvería aquí, estoy tentada a tomar la otra mitad como come mucho y me ahorro llevar mucho en casa! Sin duda lo recomiendo. El personal era amable y profesional, muy servicial. :)

As we stayed at the hotel it was an added benefit to have such a delicious restaurant on premise .. Food was great and staff even better .. GREAT value as it was included with the rate ..

Nos alojamos en el hotel y probamos el restaurante. La comida era buena y bien de precio, más barato que algunos establecimientos menor en la ciudad. Si se aloja en el hotel y no le apetece ir andando o en coche a la ciudad, este es el lugar para comer.

Experiencia General malo durante todo el año. Restaurante climatizado muy cargado sobre. Orden ideal y dijeron diez minutos después mi pedido no estaba disponible, así que pedí. La comida llegó 30 minutos más tarde con una disculpa por la demora. Cangrejo patata puré fishcake era predominantemente, muy soso sin sabor de cangrejo. Mi pareja la hamburguesa que estaba muy seco y más preparado, las patatas fritas estaban tibios. La ensalada estaba bien, lo mejor. La camarera preguntó cómo nuestras comidas eran, así que fue honesto y ella podía ver que había comido menos de la mitad de nuestras comidas y se disculpó. Tuvimos que pedir agua del grifo 3 veces antes de que finalmente conseguimos. Podía ver otras 3 mesas la comida era enviada de vuelta a la cocina o pedidos para los comensales en la misma mesa llegó 20 minutos aparte. Las mesas de los alrededores no fueron aclaradas después de izquierda, dejando un diners vista muy desordenados de una mesa familiar, comida anterior amontonados y todo el suelo. Nos cargará el importe completo de nuestra comida. Tal vez tenían un mal día, pero no recomendaría comer en este establecimiento.

Nos alojamos en el hotel, así que decidimos comer en el restaurante. Esta fue una muy buena elección. El restaurante es espacioso y moderno y espacioso pero se encuentra en un precioso edificio antiguo y tradicional. La iluminación y el ambiente en general es relajante y sofisticado. El personal es bastante atento sin ser más presente. Son amables y serviciales y profesionales.

Another great meal at The Royal Wells, under the watchful eye of the ever helpful James. One of the friendliest hotels I have ever stayed in!

Delicious good quality food,accompanied by a great wine list,a lovely setting for either a romantic meal or a meal with friends. The staff are incredibly friendly and helpful.

We had a meal in the evening here with friends. The food was good, although my Lamb Cutlets, were slightly greasy. The puddings were brilliant, I had the Churros and they were great. Service with a smile and a cheery banter made it a good...

Why me ? My last report was back in September 2015. Took another chance with family and booked a last minute table for five. Service friendly BUT SLOW.....AGAIN !!!! Before meal we ordered drinks at the table. Took about 20 mins for them to arrive. Then ordered meal with wine. After another 15 mins Head Waiter arrives with the white wine we had chosen and said it was not chilled but they could place it in an ice bucket - we agreed ! Another 10 minutes and first course arrives. Between the five of us we had soup, prawns and a couple of salads. No complaints re first course food. Again we had to wait for our main course for about 15 minutes and each serving came at different times. My steak was last to come ( others had almost finished their main course ). The steak, veg and plate was cold so I asked the waiter to send the meal back and for them to serve me a hot meal. By now everyone had finished their meal. My steak returns hot and I end up eating alone. The food was OK to be fair BUT the service was friendly BUT VERY...VERY....BAD !!!!!! We did not have pudding or coffee as we just wanted to leave asap. Now, I was NOT paying for this meal as it was a treat from a family member aged 82. We did not want to make a fuss etc so went ahead and paid for everything. Had it been me paying I would have asked for some discount as I was YET AGAIN disappointed with this restaurant and will not be returning. There were plenty of staff waiting on tables and together with my group of five there was a table of two and a table of four there.

Nice meal with work friends. Good atmosphere. Meal could have been better, it was rolled Turkey and stuffing and the veg was a bit hard.Drinks are expensive as it is a hotel bar. Staff were polite and helpful. Maybe a normal evening meal would be different.

We head a delicious diner in a wonderful surrounding. An excellent value for money. The kids menu is one of the best we have ever seen

Used to come here a lot before the current proprietors. Wanted to see what it was like. Chose from the set price menu. Starter wasexcellent, but don't bother with the fish pie. Not good, it was dry - no sauce, lacked seasoning, but I did get a couple of bones and some skin. Having said that that staff were pleasant and our wine choice was good

Had an absolutely amazing Valentine's meal X the starter was incredible and the main of lamb and my husbands beef wellington was equally amazing. The lovely barmaid made me an amazing sex on the beach and the manager recommended the most amazing red wine to compliment my lamb. Was perfect. Thank you so much

We arrived for dinner on a Tuesday evening to be slightly alarmed by the empty restaurant, it felt very much a 'hotel brasserie.' Thankfully a few additional diners arrived over the evening. Starters were barely a 6/10; the squid was difficult to find in the cold batter. The staff member didn't know much (anything) about the menu but we ordered the lamb and pork as mains which were both first class. Chocolate desert was also excellent. With a bit of staff training and sorting out the not- worth- starters it could have been a five star meal. Very pleasant surroundings and reasonable price @ £70 including house wine.

A group of us went for Afternoon Tea at the Wells today. Mixed result. Sandwiches were excellent and pastriy was good too but ratio sour/sweet was not balanced. We needed (asked & got) more sandwiches. There was far too many choux pastry with cream. We took some home ( thank you Wells for the boxes), but would have prefered a better balance. Brownies & maccarons were lovely. But service was very slow and we would have loved a fresh pot of tea as ours got cold very fast. Same for the coffee.

We booked a table for 6 for Sunday lunchtime but were told we could not come at 1.00 as they were too busy so booked for 1.30. When we got there the restaurant was really quiet with only two other tables occupied. I was last there after previous makeover and thought it was a cosy and interesting dining room. The new makeover makes the room cold and not particularly comfortable. Lack of other diners made for lack of atmosphere. No buzz. Drinks took ages especially the cocktail and 3 different service staff meant that they bought too many jugs of water. We wanted a glass of fizz to start but waiter said they only had prosecco by the bottle and looking at the menu I noticed they had cava by the glass which he did not suggest. The food we ordered was OK but something as simple as steak chips and salad should be perfect. Please serve salad in separate dish. I ordered glass of red wine with my steak which did not appear. We ordered desserts and one in our group specified no cream. It was bought back twice and sent back twice. Staff seemed unable to comprehend easy instructions. It seemed there was a function in other room but there needs to be someone in charge of restaurant. It's not fair to leave it to young ones. A bit pricey for what the food was. All in all disappointing. Years ago the Royal Wells was the place. Suich a shame to see it's gone downhill and money wasted on unnecessary makeover. Get the basics right lads.

I heard good reports about this place but was not impressed with the meal i had. The menu had british basics and I ordered lamb navarin. It tasted like a good quality ready meal. I won't be in a hurry to return. The staff were really good and attentive though.

we went to the refurbished brasserie at the Royal wells hotel it was a very pleasant evening. The food was great a bit different to some we have been to locally but in was good nice choice of wine. The staff where very pleasant. A very nice relexing evening just what we needed. We will be going back.

We ate hear on a Saturday night and had a lovely meal with wine - prices were fine, not too expensive. Service was good and plenty of choice.

I went here for an afternoon tea with friends on Sunday. I had not been for many years and was pleased to see how lovely the place looked after being refurbished. I can honestly say it was one of the best afternoon teas I have had. It was beautifully presented and the food quality was fantastic. Just one small disappointment was that we were charged extra for a refill of tea, which, if you have had a few afternoon teas before, you know that you are normally offered more and it is included in the price. An extra £9.00 for 2 pots seemed a little excessive. I emailed the hotel telling them how lovely it all was but that the extra charge seemed unusual, but they have not responded. I would certainly go back, but would not ask for a refill!

All I can say is I have eaten here 5 times in the last 3 months for different reasons and every meal I have had was disappointing. Unfortunately it's not just the food it's the service as well. As noted on other reviews they always seem to be under staffed and unhelpful. Compared to other restaurants around please avoid.

The refurbished Wells Brasserie is a lovely, open and light place. The food is plentiful and delicious. The wait staff friendly and helpful. The restaurant has been completely reworked and is quite improved. A very enjoyable lunch was had by all.

Monday lunchtime, popped in with a colleague for a light lunch. Friendly service, food order turned round quickly, excellent chicken club sandwich, fair prices.

Having worked here you may think im biast but actually your wrong, having ordered food from here after work. a fat burger which left the toilet needing some attendance afterwards. I dont even no where my gurkin ended up. I can honestly say it was delicious, large portion which is great, all the food is lovingly prepared.Still fairly new staff as only revamped in March 14, so be nice unlike some stuck up people ive read on here. Big shout out to Jimbo Slice, Dan yeah you. and Julia Ceasar, and Izzy wizzy lets get busy.chow

Had a family meal here last weekend. Was excellent. Service was good (although we ate early so was quiet). We ordered a variety off the menu, all was excellent. I had the calamari and belly pork and was very impressed with both courses. They had a good children's menu too with free pudding! All in all good value for money, good service and good food.

The menu is limited and not very imaginative. The food we have had has been fine but on our two most recent visits the service was appalling. On one occasion we had to wait an eternity to order and on both occasions we had to ask for a wine list rather than being given one along with the menus.The wait staff seemed to have little or interest in their customers and disappeared for long periods. When you see the chef appear four times looking for staff to serve the meals he has waiting in the kitchen, you know the place has problems.We will not return any time soon.

Family outing.We were looking forward to experiencing the new refurbished restaurant. Not a good start with staff slow to get drinks to us. We then waited far too long to get someone to take our order for food.Eventually the first course arrived but 3 of starters were wrong and most had finished before wrong starters were returned.By now the children were restless having to wait 50 minutes for the main course after it was ordered is not acceptable. The food was good so hopefully it will be better next time. However we will not be rushing back.

Another last minute.com meal out in TW. Long day and too tired to cook at home - so out we venture. Couldn't find a car space in town so we drove to Mount Ephram and found a space and ended up in Wells Brasserie. Had lunch here a couple of weeks previous and was happy with what I ate and found the service slow despite few people in the restaurant. Anyway, ordered pre dinner drinks which took ages to come. Plenty of staff around and restaurant not that busy. Just finished pre dinner drinks then meal arrives at the table. I had the Rib Eye 10oz which was cooked as I lked but had no flavour. The salad and chips just piled on top hence food fell off the plate whilst trying to eat a warm steak. The knife was blunt so asked for another which was blunt as well. I do wish some restaurants would specialise in providing the correct knives for steak. My partner had the Salad Tuna Nicoise which she thought was very good - plus points there !!! The service was polite but slow. Tables well spaced out and the decor was comforting on the eye. Would I return ?.....well err...maybe if someone else was paying. Sorry, BUT nothing special about this Brasserie.

We came here with friends as we were keen to try the refurbished restaurant, big mistake. We arrived and the back bar had been reserved for a wedding and all the seats in the front bar had been reserved for a large group (who weren't using the seats!) so we had to have a pre dinner drink on a chair in reception, this meant that we didn't see our friends sitting and waiting for us for half an hour in the restaurant. We sat down and waited 30 minutes still no offer of the menu or drinks so we had to find someone, I asked the waitress what something was on the menu, she said she had been on holiday to lanzarote and didn't know! The starters came, scallops nice but cold, salt and pepper squid rubbery and far too salty. The main came, unseasoned mash with the pork belly, the lamb was swimming in gravy, so much so you couldn't see the chops! Dessert was terrible, my brownie was so hard I couldn't eat it. Our friends had experienced a bereavment so we didn't say anything,me walked to the bar to find a waiter and paid for the bill. I then began to feel unwell and in the night was violently sick, I spoke to my friend the next day and she had been up all night being sick too, when I spoke to food hygiene authority they said this was consistent with shellfish poisoning. I rung he manager of the hotel who took 5 days to look into it, he said that it wasn't his food, I was furious that he insulted my intelligence, of course it was the scallops, we were fine before we went to the restaurant and hadn't seen each other for months, I am a healthcare professional and certainly know the symptoms of food poisoning. He said he would refund the scallops and offered us a free meal, which I have no intention of using. Do not go here. There are many excellent restaurants in tunbridge wells, this is certainly not one of them.

This restaurant/bar has recently had a re-make. An enormous amount must have been spent as it is clean, smart and a really lovely place to eat. The eating room is bright and airy with space between the tables. The food on the two occasions we have eaten was excellent and the set lunch menu is fantastic value.

Just returned from a birthday meal here. We had a drink in the bar first and didn't tell the restaurant we were there so when my sister went in looking for us they told us they had cancelled the table as we were 15 minutes late. The restaurant was empty.We sat down, I ordered the mushroom starter but being pregnant needed a well cooked egg. It arrived runny although they said it was well cooked, the starter was extremely bland so the egg may have helped !Had pork belly for main. The crackling was soft, the pork was hard and dry, all the veg were stone cold and the mash was lumpy and tasted of flour. I tried adding flavour and juice with ketchup but even that didn't work... My brother who is a chef and used to work there had 2 bites of his lamb and couldn't eat anymore a it was so bad, he tried his sons burger and said that was just gristle. The staff were lovely and being typically English we just said it was alright but it was awful, we also didn't want to complain on my dad's birthday. Definitely won't be going back anytime soon.On the plus side the refit is lovely !

Devoid of people until a large crowd of loud ill mannered oiks arrived and drove what few of us there were away. Cold. Very average food. The Wells used to be known for good food but that was several years ago.

Having stayed at the hotel pre-makeover, we were impressed with the makeover which has also been given to the menu. Several dishes had interesting/innovative ingredients or pairings and were a touch above some "bog-standard" hotel menus. They also do a very good value set menu lunchtime to early evening (6:00 p.m. if I remember correctly). 2 courses for £10 or 3 for £15.

Excellent. Visited on Sunday for family birthday lunch. Seven of us, including me - temporary disabled with a non weight bearing broken leg. All of the staff were so helpful and welcoming from the moment we walked through the door. So kind and understanding as well. Service - first class by highly professional team. The meals were served to perfection and were delicious. Thank you for a lovely lunchtime.

We decided to pop into the Wells Brasserie for a well deserved long lunch having not been here for some time. The appearance and furnishing throughout were of a very high standard and we were looking forward to a nice relaxing time. We stood waiting at the bar to be served drinks and to order food, but after a very long 10mins wait, no-one had even asked if we would like to order drinks. In the end we went searching for staff to take our drinks and food order. The staff were polite but disorganised at best.Having taken our seats after finally having our food order taken, we then waited quite a long time for the food to arrive, not excessively so, but after having waiting so long to be served in the first place, it felt unnecessarily slow.The food arrived, looked appetising and well presented but unfortunately was quite cold and completely tasteless. It had clearly had no seasoning added whilst cooking and the sauce that was present with the chicken dish had jellified due to being so cold.We ended up leaving most of the food and left. With so many excellent alternative venues in Tunbridge Wells,we won't be returning to the .

Booked a table a week ago, having arrived early we had a drink in the bar before going to our table. Found the staff helpful and the Chef's did justice to the locally sourced ingredients. Definitely on my list of places to return to.

The restaurant or so-called "brasserie" is quite noisy and the staff, particularly for an evening meal are untrained to the point of being immensely annoying. I have to follow a gluten free diet and was assured that there would be a list provided of the food available to me. However, on asking for the list it was recited to me by the waiter who laughingly told me I could have olives. Gluten free living is difficult enough without people finding it hilarious! There is nothing funny about it let me assure you. Upon requesting the "list" the waiter told me he had the "list" in his head! Eventually it was decided that I would choose what I would like and he would find out from the chef (who, incidentally couldn't be asked to come to see me him/herself) if my choice was gluten free.Later, I enquired what cheeses were available on the cheese board. I was informed that there was cheesey cheese. Enough said, appalling service!

We arrived at about 6pm and it was fairly quiet with just a couple of tables in use. I had never been to the Royal Wells before and from the outside wasn't drawn in but once inside there is a lovely "conservatory" style area as the restaurant.The food was some of the best we have had, we shared a garlic fougasse, and had rump steak for mains, this was really well cooked and had a chargrilled flavour to the outside, it came with a generous portion of chips which tasted french if such a thing is possible and salad. The staff were keen to please and very attentive, if anything a little too much, though this isn't a bad thing, we did have to remind them we were waiting for the bill though.We were too full for desserts and with a drink each this came to £40 which we felt was very reasonable for the standard of the food and location.A couple of pointers - Don't sit underneath the air conditioning, it was freezing, and we were there quite early, I am not sure how much noise would carry in from the bar later on.

We had lunch in the Brasserie and it was a totally unknown venue to us. Very impressed by the service and quality of food. There were some interesting choices on the menu and we thoroughly enjoyed our meals. We will definitely go back again.

A good meal with nicely prepared ingredients. The service wasn't quite up to speed but I suppose they had only just opened. If the service had been slicker and more professional then I would have considered it an excellent place to dine.

Hotel recently been refurbished to a high standard. New menu which was uninspiring. No set lunch?? Salmon and crab fish cakes as starter - not good mostly potatoe. Stuffed muchroom just OK. Both courses were served luke warm. Would not eat there again.

We decided to give the Wells a go for Sunday lunch today. Really impressive. Lovely friendly staff, super service, great value roast lunch and excellent children's menu (much better than the usual chicken nuggets you often get offered). The wine list seemed very reasonably priced and the final bill seemed extremely good value.

I met a few friends up at The Royal Wells Hotel for the set 3 course menu for £14.95 each on 29/11/2014. I was surprised at how empty the restaurant for a saturday night was but the food was delicious. I had pate, Monkfish and a poached pear as my choices. It is a pity that they have closed for 3 months for a renovation as I would love to take my fiancee there for a meal as she had been unwell so could not go for the meal. I will definitely be taking her when they have reopened for business but by then she will be my wife.

my friend and visited the Wells Brasserie for an impromptu lunch. the restaurant was quiet but this was not an issue it meant that we were served promptly and the meal arrived quite quickly, which is a bonus when you only have an hour for lunch. the serving staff were extemely helpful and courteous. i had the cheese bacon burger with fries and although its not a gourmet dish it was presented well and was very tasty. my friend had a club sandwich and said how filling it was for 'just a sandwich'. it was a very pleasant experience and we would definitely go back

Fijne gerechten, modern restaurant in een klassiek hotel. Er werd rekening gehouden met mijn lactoseprobleem; een verrassend lekker toetje zonder deze toevoegingen. Fijne bediening, een aanrader als je 's-avonds niet meer zo ver van het hotel wilt eten.

Saturday Lunch . Dining room which is perfectly pleasantbut ,only one other table occupied, which meant that the atmosphere or rather lack of it slightly marred the occasion.Tunbridge Wells seemed generally quiet due no doubt to the fact that by car it is the worst town in Kent to enter or leave.Once you are there this hotel/restaurant has a car park, big bonus!We would use again. Few half bottles of wine would not go amiss but I am pernickety now.Use it and enjoy!!

We sat outside as it was a pleasant evening, my friend opted for the fixed 3 course menu at £14.95. All 3 courses - Chicken skewers, pork medallions and panna cotta - were very good and was excellent value for money.I started with Baked Camembert which came with a small salad and lovely onion chutney, followed by cheese & bacon burger. I was disappointed that the burger and accompanying salad were served on a narrow wooden board. It was too small and the food kept falling onto the table - not very nice. The chips came in a separate container and were very good, nice and golden. However, although the burger was OK it had a strange underlying taste which I couldn't identify - sort of herby - which I could have done without.My dessert was lemon & blackberry cheesecake and it was amazingly good. Especially the raspberry coulis that came with it - could have eaten more!All in all a good meal and the staff were so friendly and efficient - would recommend.

We arrived in the Pantiles for the free Sunday lunch classical music concert with the intention of having a snack lunch we bagged the only free table and were attended to very quickly by the staff, we ordered drinks and then we both chose the roast chicken, tomato and aioli sandwich with fries. The sandwiches were served on very nice granary bread but for me was lacking in the aioli. we had a coffee each to finish and the bill came to £33:00 Whilst I couldn't fault the food or service in my opinion a bit overpriced, if it was around £25 I would do it more often.

Special set menu 3courses at £14 95 excellent - the other menu and house wine rather pricey 2 set meals and one other with the wine cost £78 The room is beautiful but only one other table used so little atmosphere -look out for the wine glass chandelier very quirky . The new waiter was very pleasant but we had to ask him to open the wine -he just left it in the ice bucket!

Both the duck and steak meals are well presented and tasty. Also the deserts are good value. Wish that I had tried the fish dishes as well but ran out of days in the hotel

We ate here with some people from work and whilst the sandwich and chips I ordered were very nice, home cut ham, freash bread etc. there were only 5 of us there and our food was brought to us in 4 separate stages, so we didn't really eat together and were out longer than you'd expect to be for 4 sandwiches and a salad.

A great menu and lovely tasty food, a nice wine list too. The breakfast was delicious. Staff really nice and food hot

A group of us went for a celebration meal the Saturday before Christmas. We had an area reserved in one of the restaurants. The food was delicious, beautifully presented and the service was exceptional.

I returned again on business. You will see from the previous review that I wrote here, that all was not well at The Royal Wells.An apparent transformation, nay, epiphany perhaps has occurred.I started with Stilton soufflé, went on to have chicken as a main and I think creme brûlée for dessert.I could not fault anything. The food was well prepared, well cooked and skilfully presented. Clearly there was love in the food.Chef this time appears to know what they are doing.Lets hope that the fantastic improvement lasts.

Three course meal.Starter was a terrine. This was dry almost like tinned tuna with a bit of dill. Served with small diced pickled beet root, salad and two slices of toast from mass produced bread. Balance of toast to terrine was completely wrong, another slice of toast.Main was Cod. The Cod was over baked to the point where it was drying out inside.Dessert was bread and butter pudding with apricot compote. The compote turned out to be 5 dried apricots, nothing to do with any compote I have ever seen and the pudding was sickly due to this and was overloaded with currants.Not fine dining.Chef appears inexperienced.I have noted that over the last 9 months, this establishment has been offering poorer and poorer standards, smaller portion sizes and a lack of interest in quality.

We had a nice meal in the Wells Brasserie but the smell of drainage was a little overpowering, We will definately try again in the hope the offending small has been deal with.

I visited with friends recently and had a lovely meal. Portion sizes not too big which suits me. I had the duck and it was delicious.The decor was definitely to my taste, modern but comfortable. It was very quiet on the Saturday night we visited, but it was January! Service was friendly and quick, but we were given plenty of time between courses.

Good views from outside, interesting decor outside & in.Friend booked a table but the management couldn't find the booking. Sorry! was the reply and left us to it. Had the same problem there several years ago. Maybe they over book? I do not know. I will never go there again, nor will my large circle of friends or collegues, who will no doubt pass it on. Such rudeness.

I visited with my family recently and we enjoyed the menu, the three courses were rather too much for us but being a Sunday it is fair enough that they had a set menu and didn't allow us to pick just one little course. I understand if you go during the week you can order less.Wine was lovely, and all the food was tasty, beautifully presented and nicely served. Lovely little bistro.

We live very close by this restaurant and always enjoy eating here, especially as it is often so quiet and you get served really quickly. I cannot understand why no-one has written a review before, but the set lunch time menu is exceptionally good value and the food in the evening is consistently good. They have also recently refurbished the place and it now looks a lot more upmarket.. The food is modern european, I particularly enjoyed the chicken (no doubt organic) main course Definitely worth a try!