In a bid to find out where you prefer to eat out locally and communicate
your views to fellow gourmets, The Index surveys over 1000 people in Kent,
Sussex and Surrey and asks them to name their three favourite restaurants.
Read on to find out the people's choice, and you will also find examples of
prices and contact details should you wish to savour the delights of these
recommended restaurants for yourself.Don't forget we are always on the look
out for your opinions. If you have eaten somewhere where the food, service,
prices or just the general ambience of the whole experience was so memorable
you think we should give them a mention, then email us at: restaurants@indexmagazine.co.uk
Chapter One, Farnborough Common, Locksbottom
Michelin-starred restaurants are few and far between, but Chapter One has
held this prized award for many years. They have also recently been voted
AA Restaurant of the Year 2004. Head chef Andrew McLeish creates dishes that
both combines favourite ingredients and introduce exciting new flavours. Starters
on the dinner menu include risotto of organic cauliflower, crème fraîche
and parmesan and ballontine of organic chicken, foie gras parfait and roasted
hazelnuts. Main courses included fillet salmon, caramelised artichokes, wood-roasted
piquillo peppers and vanilla sauce. Desserts such as cannelloni of white chocolate
mousse with honey-spiced orange and organic lemon tart, crème fraîche
sorbet and millefeuille of passion are unlikely to find diners too full to
indulge. The wine list is exceptional, with imaginative offers for all budgets,
and for informal occasions, the Brasserie is open at lunchtime from Monday
to Saturday. Menu: Weekday lunch: three courses £16, Sunday lunch: £16.95,
a la carte: c£26.95 Extensive and varies wine list with house wine from
£13.50. Call 01689 854848 for reservations.
Greggs Restaurant, 28-30 High Street, Sevenoaks
Gavin and Lucinda Gregg like to remember their Irish roots when, with chef James Browne, they draw up menus at Greggs in Sevenoaks. Traditional dishes include pan-fried calves' liver with smoked bacon, Ulster champ mash and a baby shallot jus, and tarte tatin of goats' cheese, ratatouille and garlic. Greggs, which was named favourite restaurant in an Index survey of Sevenoaks readers, will not knowingly use GM foods, and will meet special dietary requirements.
Menu: weekday lunch: two courses £11.50, Sunday lunch: from £15.95 including coffee and mints, dinner: a la carte c.£24.50. House wine: French, Chilean and Australian, £10; celebrating: Chevalier de Lascombes 1997, £49.
To book a table call 01732 456373.
The Griffin Inn, Fletching, nr Uckfield, East Sussex
For over four hundred years the Griffin has stood for quintessential Sussex hospitality, and its recent history has been one of a growing culinary reputation. On a summer evening the restaurant's terraces make for the ideal spot for outdoor eating. The Griffin has two acres of garden and boasts a staggering panorama of the Ouse valley with Sheffield Park on the horizon. Inside the inn, both the restaurant and bar a la carte menus are changed daily and whenever possible the food is locally sourced. The menu combines modern British and Mediterranean styles as witnessed in the roasted hake with linguini, bouillaibaisse, mussels, and clams. Prices range as follows: starters: £5-£8, mains: £8-£18, puddings: £5. The sophisticated cuisine is backed up with an impressive wine list of over eighty wines.
House Wine: (Cheapest from the Selection of 12) Arpeggio Rosso/ Blanco 2001, £10.50
Celebrating: Chianti Classico Fonterutoli 2001: £27.50
Call 01825 722890 to reserve your table.
Hotel du Vin & Bistro, Crescent Road, Tunbridge Wells
The relaxed and unpretentious atmosphere of the Hotel du Vin Bistro provides
the perfect setting in which to enjoy head chef Matt Green-Armitage's
cuisine. For lunch and dinner, starters are priced from £4.50-£8.50, main
courses range from £12.50-15.50 with side dishes at £2.75. Desserts are
£6.75 (cheese £6.95) and coffee or tea £2.50. There is also an extensive
wine list with house wine starting from £11.90 a bottle.
For quicker, lighter meals, try the 'Menu Rapide' which is a 2-course menu
(from a choice of 3 courses), including a glass of house wine at £14.50 per
person.
Call 01892 526455 for reservations.
The Hare, Langton Green, Tunbridge Wells
Recently reopened after a refit but retaining its unspoilt character, the Hare has a suite of dining rooms with a cottage atmosphere. The original building dates from 1733. It became a pub in 1785, was rebuilt after a fire in 1901 and was for a while a hotel. The Hare has carved out a niche among lovers of good food with hearty portions of unfussy fare, served amid an engaging clutter of memorabilia. Try pepper-crusted monkfish with bacon bubble and squeak and balsamic roasted plum tomatoes or crusted noisettes of lamb with broad bean and Parmesan puree and fondant potatoes. Menu: starters from £3.75, main course from £6.95. Call 01892 862419 for reservations.
Thackeray's House Restaurant, 85 London Road, Tunbridge Wells
In the 19th century satirical novelist and observer William Makepeace Thackeray, author of Vanity Fair, lodged at a pretty, weather-boarded house overlooking the Common in Tunbridge Wells, but today's visitors to Rock Villa are in search of the fine food that has won Thackeray's a rare Michelin star. Executive chef and owner Richard Phillips, a protégé of the celebrated Roux Brothers and formerly executive chef of the St Martins Lane hotel, prides himself on using only the best ingredients with the minimum of intervention. "When you start with the best fish, meat, fruit and vegetables you don't have to mess around with them," he told the Index upon winning the Michelin award. The menu changes with the season and lunch starts from £18.95 (table d'hôte) with dinner from £32.50 (à la carte). House wine costs from £11.50 and the wine list includes Chateau Margaux 1988 at £600 for a very special occasion! Call 01892 511921 for reservations.
Sankeys, 39 Mount Ephraim, Tunbridge Wells
Sankeys' seafood specialities include mussels, crab, lobster and oysters as well as fresh fish. It is also well known for its paella and fish and chips (£8.50) with fresh Lerwick cod. Starters range from £4.50-£6.50, main courses are £8.50-£22 for a lobster, and side dishes from £2. Desserts are from £3.75 and tea or coffee is £1. House wine starts at £10 a bottle and there are also speciality beers from around the world from £2.20-£5. Call 01892 511422 for reservations.
The Beacon Bar & Restaurant, Tea Garden Lane, Rusthall
With beautiful views from its outside dining terrace and a relaxed ambience
inside, this restaurant offers a bar menu ranging in price from £3.25
for soup of the day to £7.50 for peppered steak, chips and salad. The
a la carte menu of traditional and more exotic flavours has starters from
£3.25-£7.25 and main courses - with fresh seafood a speciality
- from £10.50-£14.50. Wine is priced from £9.50 upwards,
with a wide selection to suit all tastes. To reserve your table, call 01892
524252.
Si, HIgh Street Tonbridge
An Italian eating experience with nothing on the menu over £5.50. Starters range from 95p to £3.50. Main course salads are priced from £4.50 to £4.95. Other main course pizza and pasta range from £3.50 to £5.50 for a traditional folded pizza, or calzone. A great place for lunch, with a relaxed atmosphere for evening dining. Open Monday to Saturday 11.45am-10.45pm. Si does not take reservations, but for more information call 01732 368877.
Thai and Shanghai Cuisine, Calverley Road, Tunbridge Wells
Tasty and hot, this restaurant offers three-course set dinners - for a minimum of two people - from £18-£20. There is also a choice of two two-course lunch menus at £6 and £7. A la carte starters range in price from £3.50-£4.95, main courses from £5-£22 for a whole crispy duck. Specialities include squid and scallop from £6.95. You can also order anything from the menu to take away, at a 15% discount. For reservations call 01892 511370.
