The best restaurants serving British food in Cowden and Hever Sevenoaks South East

As part of my birthday treat of visiting nearby Hever Castle, we booked to stay at The Greyhound at Hever restaurant with rooms for the night (September 2024). It’s a delightful little place, with just five bedrooms, a few minutes drive from Hever Castle and well placed for exploring this lovely part of Kent. Our room, number four, was a ground floor room that opened onto the garden where we sat and enjoyed a cup of coffee whilst listening to the sound of birds singing in the trees. The room had everything we needed for an overnight stay including the most important things - a comfortable bed and a very good shower. We ate dinner in the intimate restaurant where the tables were well spaced so we didn’t feel cramped or overheard by nearby diners. The food that we chose was delicious and reasonably priced, as was the wine list. The owner was friendly and welcoming and we felt at ease both at dinner and again at breakfast. Breakfast was another very good meal with a good range of choices. It was a very enjoyable and relaxing stay and if we return to that part of Kent again we’d definitely return to The Greyhound.

Great food delivered in a fine dining room, Breakfast menu was a little light on the number of dishes and to be honest paying £15 for an English breakfast was very expensive. We therefore expected a breakfast of high quality so we wouldn't feel hungry. Sadly the food was lovely but wasn't enough to salve our appetite. Very disappointed.

Visited on a Friday morning and was struck by the friendliness of the team. Great location with lovely view across countryside.

Ended up sharing 3 finger sandwiches and a sausage roll (split into 3) between the two of us. This trip and afternoon tea was booked as a special treat but left me feeling embarrassed as we were dividing miniature cakes into two! The castle and gardens are indeed amazing but the afternoon tea was massive disappointment. For about £45 for two people this was a waste of money and should have asked for a refund. I would suggest going to the coffee shop instead.