Castle Inn - Chiddingstone Review

Castle Inn
High Street
Chiddingstone
Kent
TN8 7AH

Phone 0871 223 8981
Calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras

Type of Cuisine Modern European / Gastro pub
Chef Jiri
Number of Covers 30

Lunch 12.00 - 2.00pm
Dinner 7.30pm - 9.30pm

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Review of Castle Inn, Chiddingstone

If the Castle Inn looks familiar, that's because it has featured in countless films and TV dramas including A Room with a View and Wind in the Willows. This venerable hostelry round the corner from Chiddingstone Castle can trace its lineage back to 1420 - and it's still going strong. The interior has its full quota of antique furniture, timbers, nooks and crannies, and there's a delightful vine-covered courtyard for outdoor drinks and meals.

It may seem quintessentially English, yet this is one of the few pubs where prices are in euros as well as pounds. Whatever your chosen currency, there's always plenty on offer. Ploughman's and other classic pub grub features on the bar menu - but there's not a chip in sight. In the evening you can pick something from the informal Fireside Menu (smoked chicken Caesar salad, fishcakes, crème brûlée) or aim high in the restaurant. Here the repertoire runs along the lines of blue fin tuna tartare with pickled cucumber, roast rump of lamb on buttered white cabbage with tomato and thyme sauce, and summer pudding with Mascarpone.

'Locally brewed ale' is no idle boast at the Castle: the real stuff is produced by Bob Dockerty at Larkins Farm just down the road from the pub and drinkers can sample beers such as Chiddingstone in the bar. Wine buffs also have plenty to enjoy, with a fascinating 150-bin list that tours the globe in search of interesting tipples (check out the bottles from Luxembourg, for example).

Also featured in: AA Guide.