The Lodge at Princes is a by far one of Kent’s most unique places to stay. It has 12 ultra-modern bedrooms on offer across two floors, a fine dining restaurant, a beautiful coastal location and last but not least, 27 holes of championship links golf.

My guest and I arrived at The Lodge – which opened in May 2012 and is nestled on the Bay of Sandwich – after a pleasant drive up on a Friday evening. We were greeted at reception by friendly receptionist Rachel who checked us in swiftly, and off we went to our room: The Links Suite. When entering the suite it was clear that no expense was spared when the rooms were decorated and furnished. For the avid golfer, there’s a designated area for golf bag storage, plus a plug point for charging your electric trolley after a long day on the course.

The Links Suite provides a lavish experience with unrivalled views across the courses at Prince’s – a great sight on opening the curtains of the four floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides of the room. Designed in a contemporary style, it also boasts a private dining area as well as a large lounge space with comfy sofas and a wall-mounted 42” LCD TV.

The large king sized bed – set back in its own private space – ensures each guest will benefit from a wonderful night’s sleep. I was rather impressed with the bathroom which was very bright and spacious, hosting a good sized bath, stand-alone shower and heated towel rail. Free WiFi is also available in the room and throughout The Lodge.

At dinnertime, we made our way down to the Brassiere on the Bay Restaurant. After a drink and canapés in the bar we took our seats in the main restaurant. I had a feeling we would be in for a treat as we ordered the taster menu which caught the eyes of not only me, but my guest as well.

Up first was the seared diver scallops – large in size and accompanied with raisins, capers, cauliflower and finished with Vin Santo (an Italian wine); a great start to the evening ahead. The next course was a creamy Jerusalem artichoke soup with warm chestnuts and oyster mushroom. Just the right sized serving to leave enough room for the fish and meat course.

Next up was the sea bream; it looked amazing and tasted even more amazing with a crispy skin accompanied by vanilla gnocchi, wilted spinach, and a brown shrimp sauce. Restaurant manager James, who is local to the area, had a real enthusiasm for the food which came out of the kitchen and is very passionate about putting The Lodge on Kent’s culinary map. My guest was over the moon with the next dish: the venison loin, and commented “this is the best venison I have ever tasted.” The dish was put together with love and all the flavours complimented each other greatly, from the caramelised shallots and parsnip purée, to the braised red cabbage and dark chocolate oil.

For dessert, the assiette of chocolate was a real treat with a mini chocolate fondant, ice cream and a dark chocolate mousse. After dinner while enjoying coffees and petit fours in front of the fire, we were introduced to head chef Michael Fowler, who has recently won two AA Rosettes and has, quite impressively, worked under chefs Marco Pierre White and Rick Stein. Michael was quick to tell us how keen he is on creating a positive dining experience while using locally sourced produce wherever possible.

After a great night’s stay we headed back to the restaurant for a full English breakfast; the sausages are the kitchen’s own recipe and produced just down the road in Sandwich. For any links-lover, or if you just want to get away from it all, The Lodge is a fantastic getaway for delicious food, fabulous golf and relaxation by the fresh sea air.

by Adam Ready

The Lodge at Prince’s
Sandwich Bay
Sandwich
CT13 9QB

01304 611118
reservations@thelodgeatprinces.co.uk
www.thelodgeatprinces.co.uk