The Poet at Matfield

4.8

3037 Reviews

£26 to £40

British

Make a booking

2 people

22 Dec 2024

21:30

Booked 6 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, 268Hawkhurst, 6 Tunbridge Wells
Additional
Dog Friendly, Indoor Fireplace, Patio/Outdoor Dining

Experiences

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.
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 Day at The Poet!
£65.00 - £110.00 per person
Prepaid
25 Dec 2024 only
Join us on Christmas Day for a fantastic 4-course menu using delicious local ingredients as well as some more luxurious ones! Lovingly prepared by our team of Chefs who have worked in Michelin-starred establishments all over the world, this isn’t your usual Christmas fare, but with prestige ingredients such as Orkney scallops, local trout, turkey thighs, figs, caviar, artichokes and decadent WEISS chocolate paired with rum and salted caramel, it’s a Christmas event that’s not to be missed. Due to the ethos of The Poet, we will not be catering for the following allergies: Alcohol, Onion, Garlic, Salt or pepper. We will not be catering for the vegan diet. Please DO NOT book if you are allergic to any of the above.

What 3,037 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."

3,037 Reviews

A
Alfie
Kent
8 reviews
1.0
8 reviews
Dined today
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 1
I don’t like to leave negative reviews ever but feel so strongly disappointed with the meal we just had at the Poet it’s Sunday so their Sunday lunch menu which both my wife and I were looking forward to we had not been to the Poet for a number of years I have to point out at the start we are very small eaters and do not enjoy a blow out it started ok we shared a starter which we both enjoyed we had the scollops that is 2 large queen scollops with a curried flavour fish cake although it was with a £6 supplement why ? But still nice I ordered the roast beef pink my wife ordered the belly pork I had two slithers of sirloin that did not constitute a single portion the belly of pork was minut and I know it’s pork belly but the majority of which was fat not crispy and no crackling both looked as if they had been reheated due to the darkness in colour both were discribed as with all the trimmings what arrived was the smallest amount of gravy which tasted good I have ever seen I asked for no veg just peas got none my wife said no cauliflower cheese up came the cauliflower cheese along with a huge bowl of carrots along with a bowl of pees with broccoli spears all in all very disappointing I had a zero bear a zero G& T and a cranberry juice and a cappuccino my wife had three glasses of English Blanc de Blanc at 14.50 for a small glass no other bubbles on offer apart from champagne ordered the dark chocolate parfait to share appeared to be milk chocolate cappuccino was nice but the tiniest I have ever had received the bill it was a hefty £167.75 I don’t care how much I spend on a good meal but needs to be better than what we experienced I did see a couple of negative reviews on Tripadvisor but passed them off as there is always one nice people but need to look seriously at what they are serving I probably wouldn’t give another try because it’s 40 minutes away sorry if it hurts but it’s the truth I could have mentioned a lot of other gripes I have just stuck to the food
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R
Raphael
London
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined today
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We booked a meal for 4 at 3pm 22/12/2024. The food was excellent as always and the service was 1st class. My favourite pub and will definitely be returning.
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H
Heather
Kent
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined today
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Our first visit as a party of six and everyone thought it was fantastic. Will be back!
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L
Liz
Kent
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
The service and food didn’t disappoint . The staff helped make our experience memorable. Having not visited for at least 3 years we do not intend to leave it as long before our next visit.
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P
Paul
Kent
15 reviews
5.0
15 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Yet another first class dining experience at the Poet. Fantastic food, friendly, professional service and relaxed atmosphere. Firmly in the top 2 of our favourite dining venues. Never fails to impress.
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M
Mark
Berkshire
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Tom creates the most welcoming and enjoyable environment for indulging in outstanding food from the kitchen, and delicious wine from the cellar. Toms love for food, wine, coffee and all things to make your experience really personal is a gift that infuses through the team who'll be looking after you as they deliver the magic from the kitchen Its a must visit!
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P
Penny
San Francisco
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on 13 December 2024
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 on 12 December 2024
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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FAQs

The Poet at Matfield is rated 4.8 stars by 3037 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people

22 Dec 2024

21:30

Booked 6 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

Winter Themed Afternoon Tea!

Tuesday Night Steak Night

Christmas Day at The Poet!

Menu

What 3,037 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