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Beetroot and Sumac Labneh. - The Poet at Matfield, Matfield, Kent

The Poet at Matfield

4.8
4.8
3027 Reviews
£26 to £40
British
A photo of The Poet at Matfield restaurant

The Poet at Matfield

4.8
£26 to £40
British
Tunbridge Wells

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 12 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 12:00–14:00 Mon, Tue, Thu–Sat 18:00–20:30 Sun 12:00–17:30
  • Phone number
    01892 722416
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Lee Adams
  • 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
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Dog Friendly, Entertainment, Full Bar, Indoor Fireplace, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Wine

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 3,027 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

NoiseEnergetic

Loved For

  • 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."

3,027 Reviews
  1. Richard

    Kent

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    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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  2. Pennie

    London

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 7 days ago

    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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  3. kelly

    London

    18 reviews

    3.0

    18 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    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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  4. ralph

    London

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    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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  5. 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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  6. 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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  7. Christine

    Kent

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 23 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The best restaurant for miles. Delicious food, beautifully presented. Friendly yet professional staff. Cosy ambiance. We will be back.

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  8. SHARON

    Kent

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on 22 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This is a restaurant for that very Special occasion....Why only Special? Because it is a Special place to enjoy fine dining at its best. Exquisite tasting plates of food, locally sourced alcohol, beautiful ambience, welcoming and attentive staff. It is on the higher price side but every mouthful is worth every penny. Thank you Tom, Your Head chef and all your staff for a Very Special Evening.

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  9. Andrew

    London

    11 reviews

    4.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on 17 November 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Lovely food. Cute old pub but could do with sprucing up a wee bit.

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  10. Philip

    Kent

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 15 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Extremely welcoming; excellent food and service; expensive but you get what you pay for I don’t like background music most restaurants that I’ve been in have it - indeed once InCornwall we were the only diners at lunch and asked for the music to be turned off. The staff said they were unable to do this, but they could turn it down a bit, I suspect that a poll of diners would overwhelmingly ask for a quiet restaurant. I have not seen such a poll.

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FAQs

The Poet at Matfield is rated 4.8 stars by 3027 OpenTable diners.

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

A photo of The Poet at Matfield restaurant

The Poet at Matfield

4.8
£26 to £40
British
Tunbridge Wells

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 12 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for The Poet at Matfield

Maidstone Road, Matfield, Kent TN12 7JH

Additional information

  • Area
    Tunbridge Wells
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon, Tue, Thu–Sat 12:00–14:00 Mon, Tue, Thu–Sat 18:00–20:30 Sun 12:00–17:30
  • 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
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Dog Friendly, Entertainment, Full Bar, Indoor Fireplace, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Wine
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Impressum
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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