Intimate Dish: Kent’s Best Restaurants With Private Dining Rooms
Exceptional dishes, impeccable service and a private setting designed especially for connection and indulgence – perhaps the ultimate trio for a meal both memorable and refined, and also one that Kent excels at.
They say food is enjoyed best when served in the company of our nearest and dearest. With a wealth of Kent’s most revered foodie hotspots offering delightful private dining rooms – where outstanding fare marries perfectly with a beautifully intimate setting to toast and indulge with your chosen party – this has never rung truer.
Whether you have an occasion that deserves a setting as special as its guests, or are simply looking to gather friends and family for a long overdue catch-up with a little extra splendour, private dining within the culinary greatness of our county is both plentiful and utterly unmissable. Here’s just some of our favourite destinations for when planning your party’s next dining adventure.
Image by: Saltwick Media
The Beacon, Tunbridge Wells
Brimming with pride for a colourful past which has seen it transform from a public bath house to a war shelter, hotel, community pub and finally the dreamy restaurant-with-rooms and wedding venue it is today, The Beacon keeps its legacy burning bright by remaining as community-focused as can be.
Set within 17 acres of landscaped gardens and a hidden gem in regards to its wide array of delicious food, The Beacon’s Arts-and-Crafts-style Hearth Restaurant is set across two dining rooms and offers everything from traditional afternoon teas and hearty breakfasts to candlelit dinners and popular Sunday lunches, as well as a number of additional private dining rooms that benefit from the same commitment to quality cooking.
Led by head chef Scott Goss, the seasonal private dining menus are a crowdpleasing combination of classic dishes and new recipes with a fresh twist. This winter, groups can expect the likes of warming soup or a ham hock terrine complemented by house bread, oil and balsamic for starters, mains such as a sirloin of beef or bream fillet, and signature Beacon tarts and puddings topped with sweet compotes and cream to finish.
St. Leonard’s, West Malling
Perched proudly on West Malling’s well-trodden Swan Street stands St. Leonard’s – an unassuming market town foodie hotspot that has gained quite the name for itself for its brilliantly executed dishes and thoughtfully designed spaces.
When it comes to private dining, St. Leonard’s triumphs. Located on the first floor and perfect for lavish dinner parties, working lunches or Sunday feasts, the intimate rooms are beautifully decorated with both comfort and style in mind – think soft furnishings, ambient lighting and seasonal florals. The Turner room seats up to eight guests and is named after landscape artist Joseph Turner who famously painted West Malling’s St. Mary’s Abbey. For slightly larger gatherings, the Barton room accommodates up to 12 and takes its name from the celebrated commercial photographer Freda Barton, who was once a proud West Malling resident.
Whether you choose a Sunday get-together and tuck into a produce-led spread of quality meats, winter greens, beef dripping roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings and red wine jus followed by a velvety pudding. Or, you opt for the classic menu which also showcases its fair share of superb cuts and fresh fish with a showstopping Kentish cheeseboard for the table, you can expect a true celebration of seasonality and the local terroir, and a masterclass in fresh British fare cooked splendidly.
The Pig & Sty, Bethersden
Situated in the quaint village of Bethersden, Elite Pubs’ The Pig & Sty is a rustic, family-friendly pub and restaurant serving farm-fresh food, with 85% of ingredients sourced within a 25-mile radius of one of their pubs, and a large selection of local craft gins, beers and ales.
Inviting, warm and a year-round favourite for its open fires, heated terrace and garden area, The Pig & Sty prides itself on being home to one of the most unique private dining rooms in the Kentish countryside. Positioned away from the main restaurant, the pub’s wonderful Rocking Horse room can seat up to 25 guests for private dining and takes its inspiration from a craft workshop, showcasing a quirky collection of rocking horse pieces from the renowned Stevenson Brothers. For something a little more intimate, up to eight guests can also drink and dine within a seasonally dressed alfresco Adventure Shack set within the gardens.
Boys Hall, Ashford
A romantic 17th-century house famously refurbished into a glorious boutique restaurant and hotel steeped in heart and indulgence, Boys Hall is a true Kentish jewel. Swiftly gaining countrywide recognition for its exceptional offerings, it became the first in Kent to receive a prestigious One Michelin Key for its stays, and is proudly listed in the Michelin Guide for its restaurant.
Cooking over flame and coal using an Asado-style grill that lends extraordinary flavour depth to every dish, the remarkable Boys Hall kitchen team work closely and passionately with local farmers, butchers and fishmongers to source the freshest, seasonal and most sustainable ingredients. The venue is also renowned for its expertly curated wine cellar which underpins its rightfully raved-about wine list – meaning the finest bottles await to be savoured over both leisurely lunches and special occasions.
Tucked away from its main oak-beamed restaurant, Boys Hall is home to numerous unique and characterful private dining spaces for all manner of elevated suppers. The beautiful Drawing Room – complete with garden views from stone mullion windows and a roaring fire – accommodates up to 18 guests, while for smaller groups, the fully panelled cosy Snug seats up to 10. Within the oldest part of the house, its very own pub is also available for private hire, offering more crackling fires and access to a sun-soaked terrace in the warmer months.
Image by: Joe Howard
The Ivy, Canterbury & Tunbridge Wells
For an intimate dining experience with a true sense of occasion, The Ivy Collection’s two glamorous Kent outposts, located in the buzzing destinations of Canterbury and Tunbridge Wells, make for a sublime choice.
Long upholding its reputation for dining with heaps of style, poise and precision, it’s The Ivy’s contemporary British menus and iconic art-deco interiors that keep diners returning again and again. Sharing the same attractive quality of stepping off historic high streets and into stylish surroundings, both Kent restaurants offer considered and versatile rooms for a gathering tailored to you. From bespoke menus and personalised music playlists to stunning floral arrangements and glittering extras such as Champagne and canapés, every detail can be curated for lunch or dinner reservations.
At The Ivy Royal Tunbridge Wells, the refined Wells Room comfortably hosts up to 16 seated guests in a convenient location steps from The Pantiles, while The Ivy Canterbury Brasserie’s Becket Room, featuring Adam Ellis wallpaper and striking artwork, offers a sophisticated retreat for up to 21 diners in the heart of the city.
The Dining Club, Deal
Priding themselves on being not just a restaurant, but instead a unique dining adventure that invites loved ones to pour over good food and good company in an array of private settings, The Dining Club is all about eating experiences built upon connection and enjoyment.
Similarly to your very own private dinner party with an individual room offered to each booking, founders Scott and Suzanne Roberts – Scott an experienced chef who has previously won two AA Rosettes whilst running his family-owned hotel in north Cornwall, and Suzanne who holds over 30 years of experience within the hospitality industry – offer an unparalleled service that can be as discreet or familiar as your evening requires.
The pioneering couple offer a weekly changing set menu dependent on the highest quality local produce available, with ever-changing themes of a wealth of global cuisines also keeping things fresh and exciting. Each of the five rooms is also decorated in their own contemporary Georgian style and suit a range of different group sizes – or you can hire the entire venue and choose a menu to suit your party for those extra special occasions.
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