Ye Maydes Restaurant in Ashford

Sorry it has taken so long to review the best roast dinner in Biddenden! Such a friendly warm place for a family meal. Don't go there expecting glitz and glamour, this is a proper countryside restaurant, you will not be disappointed!

Very friendly atmosphere, meal served promptly and was very tasty. Lovely historic, comfortable interior with welcoming warm inglenook fire. Would recommend this restaurant.

A nice drink next to the fireplace and tasty food served by a nice lady. We really enjoyed the kidney pie! And the walk around the church nearby is very nice!

From the outside you might just think Ye Maydes is about full 3 course meals only. Well don't be deceived. Three friends (60s & 70s), including me enjoyed a pot of tea for three by the open fire before moving into the beautiful restaurant area with stunning table displays, cream linen serviettes, poppies and beautiful white crockery to enjoy three starters for our lunch with no pressure whatsoever to have a further course. We opted for a further tea and coffee rather than a dessert, and the bill (including our initial tea by the fire) came to just over £28. Our host Sheila couldn't have been more accommodating and the food (avocado bake with cheese & ham, cauliflower cheese with bacon and home-made vegetable soup with French bread) was delicious and piping hot. We couldn't fault our trip. A fellow guest indulging in a main savoury course with dessert seemed equally pleased and in fact beat us out of the door although arriving much later, as we had been allowed to linger - a priceless thing these days. This really is a restaurant with a little bit of everything!

Visited here in a group of 16 adults for dinner. I had sought the menu beforehand offering plenty of choice, and notified the restaurant of our choices.The restaurant is attractive being a little olde worlde, and there were fresh flowers on our table. The two young ladies who served our meal silver service together with the owner, were excellent - friendly and efficient. All the meals including the vegetables were cooked to perfection. Altogether a delicious evening meal.If there was a downside it was a slight lack of atmosphere as we were the only customers. Perhaps a little background music would have helped.....However it was a lovely evening and all our french friends were very impressed.

We visited this beautiful historical restaurant today on the off chance of grabbing some breakfast before heading to Headcorn Aerodrome. It was my partners 40th birthday, I walked in to the restaurant at 09:15 ish, and explained our situation to a lovely elderly lady who I presume was the owner. She was so accommodating, as actually they don’t normally do breakfasts yet they all went out of their way to make us a fantastic breakfast, with great traditional food. We had Korkers sausages, fabulously made poached eggs (which I’m super fussy about) bacon the works, it was all amazing. I believe the ladies name was Sheila, and I would like to thank her for making our morning wonderful, such a kind and super funny lady!!! She had us in stitches

Had a delicious evening meal, silver served by Sheila. The menu options including specials were plentiful, I had 2 courses of seafood, first langoustines in garlic sauce. Absolutely delicious. Followed by tempura battered seafood with oriental noodles, again delicious. We were not rushed and even had a lovely long chat with Sheila at the end of the meal. I highly recommend this quaint establishment steeped in local history.

For those who prefer their dining slow, rich & satisfying, The Maydes is right up there. Generous & sensible portions, cooked by someone you sense is committed to excellence. Perfect olde worlde atmosphere - two open fires, oak beams, low ceilings, deep red carpet. Not ostentatious, just very, very nice. Exceptional customer service led by proprietor Sheila.Deffo a firm favorite for the Special Occasion!

Restaurant is in charming building, decor and ambiance is 1970's (original not retro). Chicken and vegetables were bland. Good portion size. Sheila and staff pleasant, but service is very slow.

We had a lovely lunch for four, each of us choose something different from the menu which all arrived on splendidly warm plates and served to us, Abundance of vegetables , so go when you are hungry! The owner/manager was friendly, helpful and informative. The history / story of the Biddenden maids was also a revelation. Further on in the review I was asked to rate the facilities but only was allowed Ione dot- so ignore it saying terrible for service , food , hygiene as all were excellent

The staff had no time for us, they only greeted ‘locals’ that they knew. Its a pity because we are locals so if they had been friendlier, we would have returned but instead we felt uncomfortable. The staff forgot our coffees, and gave the wrong dessert to someone with health requirements. The staff gave the nice vegetables to the locals they knew and served us with the tinned stuff. We definitely wont return.

I have been to Ye Maides a couple of times and have enjoyed. It’s a lovely country restaurant run by a great lady and her staff are friendly and always have time for a chat. The food is home cooked and delicious and plenty of it. Good value for money to. Worth a visit.

Do not understand why this restaurant was not busier. The food was excellent,spotless every where including the toilets, always inspect the loo. Everything cooked fresh and good service

Lovely restaurant. Charming building, very welcoming and homely with roaring open fire. Staff were friendly and attentive. Food was everything we hoped for and more. Really good quality Sunday lunch. Highly recommended. We will definitely be going back soon.

Went for a meal there, food was pretty un inspiring, Service was pretty average. I can't say I will be coming back anytime soon, sorry.

Fuimos a este restaurante en un grupo el viernes por la noche. El personal y la hospitalidad eran excelentes y no podría ser criticado. El restaurante es un hermoso edificio histórico catalogado de grado 1 y hay una zona de jardín encantador si desea sentarse fuera. La comida era excelente: era fresco, variado y teníamos una amplia variedad de alimentos salados y dulces. Biddenden es un hermoso pueblo de la campiña de Kent. Durante todo este un lugar fantástico. Bien hecho, Sheila y personal!

He estado viniendo a este precioso restaurante ya que mis padres me trajeron la primera hace años. Puedo absolutamente 100% recomendaría el Ye Maydes para una comida inolvidable y deliciosa. El personal es fantástico, y el juego sólo por la excelencia de su cocina. Particular especialidades incluyen el Steak & tarta de riñón, la calidad de sus carnes son fabulosos, y todo parece buena atención al detalle antiguo, a diferencia de tantos restaurantes de "cadena". Los platos principales y acompañamientos se sirven directamente en la mesa por el personal, no trajo ya en el plato, que es un bonito detalle.

Amazing old building on Biddenden high street, traditional tasty food. Sheila the owner is very nice and friendly! Been here a few times as live locally and menu is nice and varied.

Fuimos a este restaurante como parte de un grupo para una comida de Navidad. El personal era excelente, por encima de la media, y su atención a nuestras necesidades eran muy buenos. La comida estaba bien preparado y sabroso, y uno fue ofrecido segundos si te gustó, especialmente de hortalizas. Lo bueno era la manera, el personal vino con platos de comida y nos ayudó a más, no dejando un plato en la mesa para conseguir frío. Aunque todos los del grupo elegido su propio plato del menú antes, todo el mundo estaba encantado con la comida, nadie se quejó, y nos pareció que era una buena relación calidad-precio.

Salimos para un coche cuando nos topamos con este restaurante así desde fuera nos detuvimos para el almuerzo. Ten en cuenta que el servicio de almuerzo es sólo un plazo muy corto de 12 a 1. 30 llegamos a 1. 20 y al entrar se enamoró con el fuego abierto muy grande en la zona del bar, si éste fue un sillones orejeros pub sería llamado. Bajo techos de vigas y baja iluminación en la zona de restaurante para un agradable ambiente acogedor. Dio una cálida bienvenida y rápidamente el personal era muy atento. El menú tenía suficiente en limitado para permitir la elección. Disfrutamos de la comida, todo servido era fresco y caliente, aunque un poco para la salsa jarra patatas asadas no estaría mal. 3 campos de pasar 2 horas y 60 libras en alimentos y bebidas fue una estupenda relación calidad-precio, que en realidad era incierta si nos cobraron por todo! Pero sí que tuvimos. El propietario estaba interesado en nuestras necesidades y nosotros, pero no hasta el punto de ser intrusivos. Este restaurante no es de ningún modo "profesional", pero muy competente. Altamente recomendado hacer disfrutar.

Fuimos para un Golden Boda junto a familiares y amigos. Sheila nos dio un cálida bienvenida y una comida maravillosa y un servicio para siempre 11 personas. La comida era maravillosa y abundante, y todo el mundo estaba servido juntos. Mucha variedad y nos lo...

We visited this restaurant for dinner, we were seated in the bar area whilst we waited for our table but were seated fairly quickly..all of our starters were lovely and followed by delicious main courses, cheese board and cheesecakes for dessert also very tasty-safe to say we were stuffed!..great value for money and very attentive waitresses made for a very enjoyable evening!

Went her for dinner, all local produce on the menu, the proprietor Sheila was lovely, ordered food came promptly and was piping hot, they encourage you to eat load of veg and fill you went on a Saturday night not overly busy and did not have to book...3 course meal with drinks for two £60 and worth it.

Ye Mayes fitted 8 of us in last minute on a Friday night. The food was wonderful, the service was lovely, and the atmosphere was excellent. The garden was beautiful and we had a wonderful experience.

Is it unreasonable to go into a restaurant at 13.20 and expect lunch especially when the sign outside says it closes at 13.45. I was greeted with basically "What do you want"! I asked what time they shut and was told 13.30 (not as advertised outside).We left! How can a restaurant advertise lunch when it shuts at 13.30 ~ quite bizarre... We went over to the Bakehouse where we received a very warm welcome, great service and food and noted there were over a dozen people having lunch comapred to Ye Mades which appeared have just two customers.

We enjoyed our meal at this restaurant and food and service were good. We were welcomed in by staff and given menus and asked if we would like a drink. The food was of an excellent standard and the bottle of St. Emillion was superb. A really enjoyable meal.

Ye Maydes serves the sort of food you want to eat. Short but well balanced menu, good selection of wines, owner managed. Lovely old building and good ambience. Usually open Friday-Sunday but better check when you book.

I organised a group of friends for a tour of the local vineyard and then a meal at ye maydes - suffice to say we had a fantastic time with the staff being friendly and the food seriously yummy. To top things off the owner gave my friend, soon to be married, a large bottle of the local cider as a pre-wedding present

Beautiful old building in a pretty village. Beautifully cooked fillet steak in a delicious sauce. Really generous serving of vegetables too. Good variety of choice on the menu. Lots of other diners appeared to be local regulars which is always a good sign that the food is good quality. Lovely to be in a restaurant where you can hear yourself speak and have a great conversation over dinner. Staff were really friendly and meal felt relaxed.

We had just thoroughly enjoyed a lunchtime meal nearby and were looking around the village when this place caught our eye. The menu looked reasonable so I went inside to enquire about booking for a forthcoming family occasion. I was waiting at the bar for about three minutes whilst two "ladies" behind it were independently tinkering around with something and they totally ignored me. A customer came to the bar and said something to them to which they responded and completely ignored me. When they had finished their repartee they continued tinkering around so I left saying "How rude!" I don't suppose they noticed. Anyhow, their loss is another restaurant's gain.

Just had a fantastic afternoon relaxing with good friends at this delightful restaurant. The service was wonderful and the standard of food was exceptional. Nothing was too much trouble for the staff. The local Pluckley tea was divine. I don't think I can eat for a week now as the portions were very good! Definitely will be returning!

This family run restaurant is very much an old fashioned establishment but don't misunderstand that to be a criticism... The service and food are first rate. The menu is traditional but because the ingredients and cooking are excellent you really do wonder why so many "modern" places mess around and over complicate food when the opposite approach is often better. We enjoyed bacon wrapped langoustine in a delicious pernod sauce and all three main courses were equally good. The vegetables were again, just right. We tried a bottle of dry white from Biddenden Vineyard around the corner which also was a really enjoyable introduction to English wine. Added to everything above the prices for food and wine are extremely reasonable and the staff are fantastic. Sheila has been at Ye Maydes for years and has a very loyal customer base. If you haven't been, give yourself a genuine treat and book a table. I do have to declare a very small bias as I am related to the owner bit please don't think that any of the above is any less true for the fact. It's a beautiful 16th century restaurant offering great food and value... What's not to like?

A beautiful Tudor building, cosy restaurant, very good food indeed and huge portions. When the main courses arrived, we realized we'd not thought about vegetables - but then they arrived (at no extra cost): piles of roast potatoes and 3-4 other perfectly cooked veggies. Lovely, attentive service and we were surprised at the very fair prices. Enormous, tasty starters, very good main courses, delicious desserts. What a gem - delighted to recommend it. Check opening times carefully rather than just turning up.

Had a wonderful meal here while on my hen do at nearby Bloomsbury's. On our arrival the table was beautifully decorated for us and the staff were extremely welcoming (despite our tardy arrival!). The food was delicious and superb quality, and the team went out of their way to accommodate some special dietary requirements, shout out to the chef and thank you for not making me feel like 'the awkward one'! The table service was traditional and very professional, and two staff members even gave two of our party lifts back to their accommodation to save us waiting for a taxi! I will absolutely be coming back :-)

We visited to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Warm, cosy surroundings, extremely welcoming on arrival, fantastic menu with a full range of vegetarian options. I couldn't recommend the service, the food, the atmosphere enough. Possibly one of the best meals I've enjoyed. Definitely not to be missed if visiting Kent.

I attended the picnic and piano afternoon on Saturday afternoon and have to say it was absolutely fantastic. The locally sourced 'pluckley' tea was served alongside the most delicious, warmed scones and topped with local 'cranbrook' jam and a generous helping of clotted cream. I loved the use of original china as I think tea always tastes better in bone china cups. The atmosphere was very relaxed and the staff very friendly and polite. The sandwiches were so fresh and tasty. They were carefully wrapped in dotty paper, although not necessary, it was an excellent personal touch. The cakes were homemade and delicious but I have to say I took mine home as I couldn't eat another thing! A pianist played in the background, which just added to the chilled out atmosphere. I have to say it was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon. I definitely recommend this event and will really hope they put on another 'picnic and piano afternoon tea' soon.

We recently visited this restaurant for a cream tea. What a treat to have good quality tea and coffee in bone china cup and saucer ! The homemade cakes were absolutely delicious and presented beautifully. The attention to detail was second to none. Highly recommend it . Too full to eat for the rest of the day !

We stumbled upon this place by accident. The menu offered only a small selection of choices, but our food was very good. The service seemed a bit over-achieving, but in a charming way. All in all we had a pleasant evening.

The restaurant occupies a beautiful Tudor (?) building in the heart of the village and my wife and I visited for lunch on a warm July day. The menu offered a (perhaps rather limited) choice of traditional English fare. My wife chose lamb and I opted for fillet steak in a Blood Mary sauce, both served with seasonal vegetables and plated at the table. For pudding I treated myself to home-made Rhubarb Crumble. Everything was cooked to a good standard, and often from local ingredients. The standard of cooking was very good and delivered with a personal service from an earlier age. Clearly (and thankfully) the staff have not studied for a degree in Leisure and Tourism or Hospitality. This is NOT to say the service was lacking in courtesy or consideration - just that it also had charm and character. No-one could accuse the restaurant of being fashionable or up-to-date, but I loved it. My wife and I felt like we'd been transported to an earlier, more honest and more personable age when people dealt with one another directly and not through the lens of globalised corporate branding. This feeling was strengthened as the only other guests were a single older man in suit and tie, and a pair of elderly ladies wearing tweed - clothing choices made regardless of the warm summer weather. I will return to the Two Maydes - and I earnestly hope others will before the whole world gets covered in a bland film of corporate smarm.

My wife and I were exploring villages in the area and we came upon Biddenden. We had already eaten in Pluckley but as it was hot we popped in to, Ye Maydes Restaurant, to get a dessert to cool us down. Despite not eating a starter or main we perused the menu which looked contemporary and quite appealing. My wife had the lime cheesecake and I had vanilla icecream. Both were very tasty and refreshing. We also ordered a pot of tea for two.There is a garden if you want to sit outside. The staff were very polite & efficient and we waited no more than 10min for everything to arrive. Reasonably priced and a nice convivial atmosphere. We would like to have lunch here, the next time we are in the area and if the quality of the food is as good as our dessert, then we can thoroughly recommend the place.

Le Maydes inhabits a beautiful building in the centre of a lovely village. I had been past but never eaten there before so I had a look at their menu. Over the a la carte menu outside had been placed a slimmer, cheaper menu with a selection of 5 or 6 starters with about the same number of mains. This appeared to be what was on offer and it contained a couple of meals per course that took my fancy so I went in. It was just before 8 p.m. on a Saturday evening and there was one table of 2 inside plus a table in the rear garden occupied, though I couldn't see who by. This left an awful lot of empty tables. I was about to find out why.1. No-one greeted me when I arrived. I rang the bell. No-one came. One of the other diners went to get a member of staff for me.2. It turned out that the menu on display outside was the lunch menu that they had neglected to remove (it didn't mention that on the menu).3. I ordered an orange juice to drink and was given the smallest portion I've seen since the '70s (at a cost of £1.70 by the way). I was never offered another drink after finishing that one.4. Someone from the garden table came in and asked for the toilets. She directed him to them then added "oh I don't think I turned the lights on - they are on the right as you go through could you just turn the whole bank of switches on as you go past?5. My plate arrived for my main course and must have just come out of a very hot oven. This was not explained to me and I nearly burned my fingers on it.6. She was just about to serve the mains when she exclaimed "oh I forgot the wine" and she left me and ran off to take a bottle of wine to the garden.7. The bill came based on a template that was so badly photocopied you couldn't read what it said properly. The mathematics were wrong with the total being slightly more than the sum of the items.8. The food itself was ok but nothing special. My beef with mushrooms in red wine gravy was exactly that - overcooked beef, mushrooms, red wine and salt. Vegetables were better than the beef but there was nothing to soak up the gravy (pots were roasted).9. At 8.45 the chef came in and announced she was going home to a barbeque.Now I know why there was only 1 other table present in the restaurant and they were friends of the owner. I have given them a generous 2 stars.

Apparently the owner opens when she feels like it, which was a shame as it looked lovely and the reviews were great on here so we looked forward to visiting!

This was the first time we had visited this restaurant, for a birthday lunch. The whole experience was very good indeed, a warm welcome, friendly efficient service and a menu with plenty of choice.The food quality was excellent and the portions were very reasonable, we were all full when we left. Waitress service was second to none and ALWAYS delivered with a warm, friendly smile.It may be seen as being a little expensive but for that special occasion it is very worthwhile and to be highly recommended.All in all a great experience.

We had not planned our visit to this lovely old restaurant but happened to be passing through Biddenden at lunchtime on Saturday. We were welcomed warmly and chose to eat in the beamy and comfortable bar. The atmosphere was relaxing, no background music, just the crackling of the open wood fire and the conversation of the diners. This was a real treat for us, so far removed from the busy urban eateries we usually frequent.We chose deep fried whitebait with salad and crusty bread: delicious, delightfully presented and very reasonably priced. Desserts were of an equally high standard, truly home cooked and followed with a lovely pot of coffee complete with petits fours. A perfect lunch and remarkable value at a shade over £34 for both of us including drinks.Off road parking was available just a minute's walk away in the village car park (free).

My wife and I recently visited and found the food to be good and reasonably priced. The décor is warm and inviting and the whole ambience pleasing. Would recommend and will return for a second helping!

We travelled 70 miles to meet friends and it was well worth the journey. The plates were hot the food which was excellent, was served by the waitress at the table. The choice of food was excellent, freshly cooked with fair sized portions. We had four different starters, 3 different main courses and 4 different sweets all of which were much enjoyed. including drinks the final bill only came to £25 each. If we lived nearer we would certainly be making a weekly visit.With regards to the 1 star review I can only think that this has been entered by a jealous competitor !!!!

Great food and service. Yes you do step back in time where the waitress serves your main course and veg for you; the tables are covered in table clothes and the whole place is far from modern. That is the charm of this place.The food though is traditional and truly home made. I have never tasted a better cheescake anywhere apart from making it yourself. The steak and kidney pie was blissful and we enjoyed all three course.Total recommendation

My wife & I live recently moved to Biddenden & went to Ye Maydes to celebrate me getting a new job & we weren't disappointed ! First class old fashioned service from the owner herself & excellent food quality served on properly hot plates accompanied by quality wine at sensible prices, which was refreshing to note.We will be back very soon as this is a privately owned establishment that needs patronising.....it certainly will be by us on a regular basis !

Inside the restaurant, a warm and cosy bar area welcomed us and we were immediately offered a seat and drink, together with a dinner menu, by a most charming lady host. The authentic dark beams creates an ambience of elegance and luxury and we enjoyed a super meal served by polite and helpful staff. After being disappointed by several restaurants in the area, looking for somewhere to celebrate our Wedding Anniversary, this was a very welcome find and we recommend it without any hesitation and will definitely visit again when we visit the area.

A colleague and I were working in the area and went to Ye Maydes on recommendation. It was a lovely day so we ate in the garden at the rear of the restaurant. The food was reasonably priced, fresh and all home cooked. The garden area was well kept with mature trees and shrubs and it was so nice to be able to sit outside where we enjoyed the cool breeze. I will definitely visit again if in the area.

The food is worse then average. Chicken breast in garlic sauce turns out to be lumps of diced chicken in a shapeless white sauce. Fish cakes mainly smash not fish. And the very odd service by your maiden aunt assisted by her neices. Two other people dining when we went there. Not an experience that needs repeating.

This was meant to be a 'stop gap' meal pending our visit the next day to The West House. However, it turned out to be a terrific meal, easily coming up to the standards of The West House without the fine dining fancy bits.The owner is a tad eccentric but is most welcoming. The food and service are both excellent. Definitely worth a visit.

A very strange experience - very average food, and quite dated and old fashioned. Felt like visiting elderly aunt's for dinner and eating in their liviing room.... have not been for a very long time, maybe it has improved>?

A small, almost quirky, restaurant tucked between the house fronts in Biddenden. We found it through other visitor recommendations on Tripadvisor and we ate there last night (Friday). It did not disappoint. The bar area had a lovely log fire which was very welcoming on a cold, wet February evening. The "front lady" was a gem - as mentioned previously she was just like your favourite Gran and she made the evening a real pleasure. The food was excellent with a good selection on the menu. The portions were generous, very well prepared and presented, and were not at all pretentious. The price was reasonable and we all left at the end of the evening agreeing that we would go back again.

We visited on a Saturday evening. The service was excellent with a friendly owner and waiting staff. The food was unpretentious and in generous portions. The building was really quaint and there was a nice bar area with fire which was great on a cold wet night.

Tasty food served hot, in generous portions, at reasonable prices. A great "front lady" who is the epitome of your favourite Gran; solicitous, kind and a pleasure to meet. .

Good service and lovely food. Meat was tender en lots of vegetables. We left very satisfied for almost half price of pubfood at three chimneys!