The Poet at Matfield

4.8

3031 Reviews

£26 to £40

British

Make a booking

2 people

17 Dec 2024

19:00

Booked 9 times today

Experiences are available.

Good for special occasions
Charming
Neighbourhood gem

The Poet offers an informal yet refined dining experience in the heart of the Kent countryside. Set in a charismatic 16th century building, diners can expect food of the highest standards, made using the finest local and seasonal produce and lovingly prepared by a small team of chefs led by Head Chef & Director Lee Adams.

In addition to the food, we offer a selection of fine wines, quirky cocktails, and have a collection of over 25 craft gins available.

World War I poet Siegfried Sassoon lived in Matfield and is the inspiration behind our name. Sassoon was awarded the Military Cross for "conspicuous gallantry" and later won acclaim for his writing. We're pretty sure he would have loved our food too!

A warm welcome awaits diners from General Manager and Director Tom Haacke and his team. We look forward to seeing you!

Please be aware we do not cater for the vegan diet.

Late cancellations - £20 per person.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
£26 to £40
Cuisines
British, English
Hours of Operation
Mon, Tue, Thu–Sat 12:00 pm–2:00 pm Mon, Tue, Thu–Sat 6:00 pm–8:30 pm Sun 12:00 pm–5:30 pm
Phone number
01892 722416
Website
http://www.thepoetatmatfield.co.uk/
Payment Options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Executive Chef
Lee Adams

Location
Maidstone Road, Matfield, Kent TN12 7JH
Area
Tunbridge Wells
Parking details
Please note: we have limited parking and would appreciate our guests respecting our neighbours when parking.There is additional free parking located at Matfield village green, 5 minutes walk from us.Many thanks!
Public transit
Bus stop The Standings Cross: 267 Hawkhurst, 268<br />Hawkhurst, 6 Tunbridge Wells <br />
Additional
Dog Friendly, Indoor Fireplace, Patio/Outdoor Dining

Experiences

Tuesday Night Steak Night
Multiple dates available
At The Poet we use an array of techniques in order to give the best possible flavour and texture to different cuts of beef sourced from all over Britain. Our in-house dry-ageing chamber holds varying cuts of different ages, giving us flexibility with our menus and pricing, to curate an experience well worthy of a visit. Seasonal offerings such as aged wild boar loin or venison haunch, could be sharing a menu with aged Scotch beef sirloin, or smoked hanger steak, all cooked in our 300-degree charcoal oven. The steaks on offer are served alongside seasonal vegetables, local potato preparations and sauces tailor-made to complement the flavours of the steaks available on that day. Prices range from £34.95 - £94.95
Christmas Eve at The Poet at Matfield
£75.00 per person
24 Dec 2024 only
We wanted to do something slightly different for Christmas Eve, so we have decided to host a 4-course tasting style menu filled with indulgent & beautiful ingredients. Tradition meets modern with dishes lovingly prepared by our team of Chefs who have worked in Michelin-starred establishments worldwide, this isn’t your usual Christmas Eve!
Winter Themed Afternoon Tea!
£65.00 per person
29 Dec 2024 only
Christmas week is made for eating and drinking, a fact we all know well. However, when the end of the week arrives most of us are bored of turkey sandwiches, leftovers and anything roast related! So we have decided to host a Winter Afternoon Tea on Sunday the 29th of December. Join us for a winter flavour themed Afternoon Tea before the New Year celebrations begin!    Includes a glass of English Sparkling! As always, this is the only menu we will be serving and we will not be catering for allergies or the vegan diet.

What 3,031 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8

4.8 based on recent ratings

4.8Food
4.9Service
4.7Ambience
4.4Value

Noise • Energetic

Diners' Choice Awards

Kent
Best Food
Kent
Best Service
Kent
Best Ambience
Kent
Great for fine wines
Kent
Good for special occasions
Kent
British
Tunbridge Wells
Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

The Poet at Matfield offers an exceptional dining experience with "excellent food" and "friendly, attentive staff." Guests rave about the "beautifully presented" dishes, imaginative flavors, and an impressive wine list. The cozy atmosphere and personalized service make it perfect for special occasions, despite being "expensive, but wonderful."

3,031 Reviews

P
Penny
San Francisco
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Expensive but worth paying for the delicious, creative food. As a vegetarian I found the choice somewhat limited but the option offered was a superb blend of flavours.
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V
Valerie
Kent
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
We couldn't fault the food nor the service. We have been to The Poet a number of times and are never disappointed. An excellent restaurant
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S
Sam
London
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on 9 December 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Top drawer! Delicious food, excellent service and great atmosphere. We were treated to amuse-bouche and petit four on the house, plus an anniversary desert plate to share. The starters were creative and flavourful. The mains were substantial enough to constitute a good meal, and beautifully cooked. Meat was tender and ingredients high quality. We’ll be back, I’m sure!
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R
Richard
Kent
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on 1 December 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Lovely Sunday lunch at the Poet. Surprised to be offered additional side dish of parsnips when menu stated ‘all the trimmings’. Obviously not ‘all’. Anyway. Didn’t need any extra as pretty full.
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P
Pennie
London
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 28 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food, wine, and service at The Poet was quite simply exceptional. I had to be persuaded by my partner that a chocolate tasting menu was worth going to. I’m so glad he managed to make me realise how good it could be! The chef excelled, having eaten at the Poet before I did have high expectations, Chef Lee surpassed my expectations by quite some way. An excellent evening which we will be repeating for sure.
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k
kelly
London
18 reviews
3.0
18 reviews
Dined on 28 November 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
The food was lovely but we got so cold it ruined the evening for us.
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r
ralph
London
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on 28 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The quality of the food was superb. Multiple tasting courses, but I was definitely full at the end of the meal. The wine pairing just added to the whole experience and the staff were so friendly and informative on the food and drink.
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V
Virginia
Kent
26 reviews
5.0
26 reviews
Dined on 28 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fantastic one off chocolate menu, what a treat! Brilliant informative service throughout too, all flowed perfectly.
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M
Marian
London
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on 26 November 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Lovely food and ambience. Rather overpriced in my opinion
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M
Michele
Kent
12 reviews
5.0
12 reviews
Dined on 24 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Food / service always Exellent however 3 of our party had roast sirloin of beef (had it before a few times ) however this time 2 very thin/ small slices of beef appeared on a plate with an enormous Yorkshire pudding the rest of the vegetables / jus was Exellent just thought the chef a bit mean with the meat !! desert Exellent
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FAQs

The Poet at Matfield is rated 4.8 stars by 3031 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people

17 Dec 2024

19:00

Booked 9 times today

Experiences are available.

Maidstone Road, Matfield, Kent TN12 7JH

Additional information

Area
Tunbridge Wells
Hours of Operation
Mon, Tue, Thu–Sat 12:00 pm–2:00 pm Mon, Tue, Thu–Sat 6:00 pm–8:30 pm Sun 12:00 pm–5:30 pm
Price
£26 to £40
Cuisines
British, English
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
Please note: we have limited parking and would appreciate our guests respecting our neighbours when parking.There is additional free parking located at Matfield village green, 5 minutes walk from us.Many thanks!
Public transit
Bus stop The Standings Cross: 267 Hawkhurst, 268Hawkhurst, 6 Tunbridge Wells
Payment Options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Executive Chef
Lee Adams
Additional
Dog Friendly, Indoor Fireplace, Patio/Outdoor Dining

Website
http://www.thepoetatmatfield.co.uk/
Phone number
01892 722416

The Poet at Matfield

Make a booking

Additional information

Experiences

Tuesday Night Steak Night

Christmas Eve at The Poet at Matfield

Winter Themed Afternoon Tea!

Menu

What 3,031 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Diners' Choice Awards

Review summary

FAQs

How is The Poet at Matfield restaurant rated?

Is The Poet at Matfield currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Additional information