Enable JavaScript to run this app.
Skip to main content
OpenTable logo
  1. Home
  2. United Kingdom
  3. Kent
  4. Canterbury
  5. Canterbury
Welcome to The Fordwich Arms - The Fordwich Arms Restaurant, Canterbury, Kent

The Fordwich Arms Restaurant

4.8
4.8
48 Reviews
£41 and over
Gastro Pub

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 12 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
  • Great for fine wines
The Michelin Starred, Fordwich Arms, located in the smallest town in England, dates as far back as 1828. Draped in ivory and wisteria in the most picturesque location over looking the Great River Stour, the perfect setting for an idyllic summers lunch. Boasting open fireplaces for the colder winter months, creating a cosy and welcoming ambiance.
Daniel and Natasha Smith took over The Fordwich Arms in 2017 and were awarded a Michelin Star within the first year, as well as being in the top 100 gastro pubs in the UK, multiple culinary awards, notable wine awards and various other accredits, a testament to their hair work and talent.
The seasonal menus focus on provenance, showcasing the best of local Kentish ingredients, sourced directly from local farms and producers. Dan's cooking is accomplished yet approachable, served in a relaxed pub environment with a choice of a la carte or tasting menus.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    £41 and over
  • Cuisines
    Gastro Pub, English
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Wed–Sat 12:00–14:30 Sun 12:00–17:00 Bar Wed–Sat 12:00–22:30 Sun 12:00–19:00 Dinner Wed–Sat 18:00–21:30
  • Phone number
    01227 286690
  • Website
    https://www.fordwicharms.co.uk/
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Daniel Smith
  • Private party facilities
    For smaller events we offer a private hire of our dining room and in warmer months our idyllic terrace, for either lunchtime 12-5 or dinner 6 - close, which seats a maximum of 33 guests. For larger parties we offer exclusive venue hire which seats a maximum of 63 guests across our two rooms. Please email us for further information.
  • Location
    1647 King Street, Canterbury, Kent CT2 0DB
  • Area
    Canterbury
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Public transit
    You can reach Sturry by train or from both the number 8 and 6 buses. Follow the signage for Fordwich. Once over the Bridge, follow the road around past The George and Dragon and head straight down toward The Town Hall where The Fordwich Arms is directly opposite.
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Dog Friendly, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, View, Wine

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 48 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
  • 5Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.5Value

Noise • Energetic

Loved For

  • Kent

    Best Overall

  • Kent

    Best Food

  • Kent

    Great for fine wines

  • Kent

    Good for special occasions

  • Kent

    Gastro Pub

  • Canterbury

    Best Overall

  • Canterbury

    Best Food

  • Canterbury

    Best Service

  • Canterbury

    Best Ambience

  • Canterbury

    Best Value

  • Canterbury

    Healthy

  • Canterbury

    Hot spot

  • Canterbury

    Great for fine wines

  • Canterbury

    Good for special occasions

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Fordwich Arms Restaurant offers an "outstanding" fine dining experience with "exquisite" food, "fabulous" service, and a cozy atmosphere. Known for its "superb" tasting menus and "exceptional" value, it's a perfect spot for special occasions. Attentive staff and inventive flavors create "a memorable dining experience" that guests highly recommend.

48 Reviews

  1. Maria

    Kent

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    I was not advised at the time of making the booking that I would be sitting by the bar, rather than the dining room. I did not appreciate paying nearly £400 to sit right in front of the bar, where people were laughing, talking loud and enjoying drinks, as you do when you sit by a bar. I”m afraid that tainted the whole experience

    Is this helpful?

  2. Katie

    VIP

    London

    113 reviews

    5.0

    113 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    One of the best value Michelin star dining experiences in the South of England, we love it here. We had the festive tasting menu and every dish was a banger once again (although the turbot was slightly over but we didn’t care, we were loving life with their very generous wine pairing pours). The trout, suckling pig and chocolate orange were my highlights this time. We will be back for our third visit very soon.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Roland

    Kent

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Fabulous festive tasting menu, bags of flavour from bursting from small plates. Our second visit and planning to come more often. Very welcoming and enjoyable time, our favourite place.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Joanna

    London

    4 reviews

    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Lovely venue . Highly recommend. It was more chilled pub vibes in the bar area great cocktail menu and drink selection but we had quite a wait before we were acknowledged by the one person behind the bar and we could order our first drink which he was openly following a manual to make so maybe a new staff member . We were only ones sitting on stools up at the bar so that felt a bit odd. Cocktails were great and good selection . Our visit we had small children in bar area with iPads on high volume so we were all listening to Peppa pig for 45 mins. We thought staff might ask them to lower the volume but no one mentioned anything. Couple next to us in bar also mentioned the iPad volumes as it was very noticeable loud and at 8pm lots of people on evening out or special occasions.. Once in the dining room it was delightful wood panel room stunning fire place and good lighting. Was not advised when booking it was a tasting menu fixed price we assumed it would be a menu we could choose from as per website. Regardless food was fantastic as was the service and pace of food coming out. Lovely ambience and wine sommelier was excellent. Allow a good 2. 5 hours for tasting menu. Cabs on a Saturday night were booked in advance as advised it could be tricky. Overall food and dining experience was excellent as was the restaurant service. Highly recommend . We came here after a long weekend in Canterbury so this was a great way to finish out trip.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Karen

    Baltimore

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on 6 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had the tasting menu with wine pairings. Food was outstanding—beautiful presentation and delicious. The wine pairings were great compliments to the food and from varied countries and continents. Wholeheartedly recommend!

    Is this helpful?

  6. Simon

    London

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 29 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Superb dining experience. We were delighted, intrigued, satisfied and wonderfully satiated when we departed. A truly memorable dining experience.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Mark

    Kent

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 27 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Since we moved to East Kent three years ago this was far-and-away our best dining experience. Pampered from the moment we sat at our table, we chose the à la carte option. Each dish was inventively presented and consisted in a blend of imaginative flavours. Service was impeccable throughout. We will be coming back to appreciate the outdoor dining experience in the New Year.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Michael

    Kent

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 22 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Incredible food. Service was outstanding. Will go again.

    Is this helpful?

  9. steven

    Kent

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 20 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This has to be the best tasting menu this year by a long way

    Is this helpful?

  10. Gabrielle

    Kent

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 14 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fantastic dining experience. The service was amazing and our dietary requirements were taken care of. Both of us have Coeliacs and our gluten free meals were exceptional!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Fordwich Arms Restaurant is rated 4.8 stars by 48 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 12 times today
Google Map for The Fordwich Arms Restaurant

1647 King Street, Canterbury, Kent CT2 0DB

Additional information

  • Area
    Canterbury
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Wed–Sat 12:00–14:30 Sun 12:00–17:00 Bar Wed–Sat 12:00–22:30 Sun 12:00–19:00 Dinner Wed–Sat 18:00–21:30
  • Price
    £41 and over
  • Cuisines
    Gastro Pub, English
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Public transit
    You can reach Sturry by train or from both the number 8 and 6 buses. Follow the signage for Fordwich. Once over the Bridge, follow the road around past The George and Dragon and head straight down toward The Town Hall where The Fordwich Arms is directly opposite.
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Daniel Smith
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Dog Friendly, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, View, Wine
  • Website
    https://www.fordwicharms.co.uk/
  • Phone number
    01227 286690
  • Private party facilities
    For smaller events we offer a private hire of our dining room and in warmer months our idyllic terrace, for either lunchtime 12-5 or dinner 6 - close, which seats a maximum of 33 guests. For larger parties we offer exclusive venue hire which seats a maximum of 63 guests across our two rooms. Please email us for further information.
Discover
OpenTable
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Careers
  • Press
More
Our sites
Businesses
  • Delight more diners
  • Restaurant Blog
Join us on
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Impressum
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
Copyright © 2024 OpenTable International Ltd. Alphabeta Building, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1AH - All rights reserved.
OpenTable is part of Booking Holdings, the world leader in online travel and related services.
Booking Logo
Priceline Logo
KAYAK Logo
Agoda Logo
OpenTable Logo