The Black Horse Inn

Guesthouse

As an American I wanted to experience an authentic English pub. What a find. I was lucky enough to score the owners seat prior to him showing up. In addition, there was an older couple seated next to the fireplace who proceeded to share the history of the pub and inn. Who would have thought this was one of the Inns the pilgrims would stop at on their way to Cantebarty to visit the seat of the Catholic Church in England. The staff and food were amazing. Decided to stay the night at the inn. It was clean and the staff was great. The full English breakfast was just what I needed to prepare for a full day of visiting the areas castles.

Always loved this pub for many years, great food and now making it my regular 5star rating.

Popped in on the off chance without a reservation, the staff were lovely and accommodating. The food was to die for and the pub was quant and beautiful. Extra shout out to the chefs who pushed my car out of the carpark in unexpected snow!

Has to be the cutest pub. Staff are very friendly and attentive food was on point shout out to the kitchen.

Fantastic venue with a great view of the countryside. Very welcoming staff and delicious food.

Fantastic Sunday roast at The Black Horse. Thoroughly recommended. Beautiful pub with great food and friendly attentive staff. Thank you.

Lovely lunch and drinks very good service.

This place is amazing. Every member of the staff is welcoming and friendly. The pub restaurant decoration is gorgeous. The food is great, you can eat something light or go for the full starter, main and desert. The breakfast is certainly one of the best I have ever had. The room is modern, comfortable, spacious and the whole place is very quiet. The countryside around is superb and just at the doorstep. Perfect starting point for some nice hiking on the hills. Cherry on the cake, they welcome dogs and you can see they really love them. Can't wait to go back.

Food, atmosphere, service, location and views excellent, look forward to our next visit.

Highly recommend the back horse in rooms were lovely an the staff were friendly helpful and happy to deal with any questions. the food was fantastic had mains and desserts both were absolutely lovely thank you for a great stay.

Really friendly. Good choice of ales. Had a Baguette it was more like a meal. highly recommended.

Staff very friendly and helpful. Not really suitable for disabled people. No disabled rooms. Parking was a problem as I was in one of the rooms right at the end of the property. There was no way that I could walk up that hill, it is called Cardiac Hill! I had to drive up for my evening meal and hope that I could park as it is a very busy place. The meal was very nice but rather expensive, then I am south of Watford so expected a hike in prices. Would I come again, probably not as I will probably be more disabled as the years go by. The room is big, clean and the bed comfortable.

Beautiful setting, warm and inviting. Staff are very friendly and we felt very welcome and relaxed.

I actually think I’m going to go vegetarian after having the Burger at the Black Horse. The meat tasted so strange, it was probably off. Despite reviews the food was not good. And the hygiene was poor.

Place is amazing great food/drinks and the service is 110% 👌

Absolutely spectacular food, cosy rooms. And the friendliest staff. My place to stay when I'm down this way. Just awesome.

Lovely friendly staff, lovely spotless comfortable room, Gorgeous food & breakfast. Would highly recommend.

Laid back, lovely staff, cosy setting, great food. What more do you need?

The food was top quality, service was amazing. Definitely will return.

Absolutely lovely pub. Great atmosphere, food was lovely. Quick service.

Very dog friendly accommodation, extra touch providing throws for beds and a towel. Stayed in larger room as mobility issues so could park right outside door. Dog loft for eating evening with your dog or in bar for breakfast. Lovely staff.

Absolutely delightful place to drink and eat and stay. The food is wonderful and great vegan options else I would be hungry 🙂. Dog friendly too. What more could you ask for?

Great food, very friendly staff.

Amazing food …. Amazing setting ……amazing service.

The food and drink was amazing, the room we stayed in was lovely and the staff were very friendly and helpful.

Nice place. Great food & attentive staff. Will come again.

Excellent service and meals, would recommend. Have visited a few times previously and today was just amazing. Great food and a lovely atmosphere. Charlie was our waitress and she was on point. No complaints about anything. Will carry on returning and enjoying our experience.

Food is delicious and the staff are very friendly we had l lovely evening.

An amazing overnight stay for my husbands 40th birthday. Lovely modern & clean rooms, delicious food & drinks, great atmosphere. Will definitely be back soon!

The staff, the food are great what more can you say.

Amazing food and service very welcoming.

The rooms are clean and comfortable and the food is delicious.

Nice room and well thought out lovely staff and the pub is good too.

Really lovely vegan dinner. The cauliflower tart to start was amazing and the burger huge! Attentive friendly staff and always a warm atmosphere plus dog friendly in the bar. 5 stars!

Great atmosphere lovely log fire excellent staff great service and selection of drinks and food…

Had Xmas dinner here on Saturday 21st and it was lovely. Lovely meal, service great staff friendly. Great atmosphere. Only thing lacking was perhaps some Xmas music. Not loud music but perhaps white Xmas album or something just as background. Other than that great night. Great food. Definately be booking here again.

Great Kent pub good food and beer.

Had a lovely Sunday lunch. Lovely food and staff.

The accommodation, bar area and food were excellent. The breakfast was wonderful.

Food was great and sticky toffee pudding was as good as our wedding there 10 years ago! Steak was tender and cooked well, chips were crispy in the outside and fluffy in the middle and the halloumi burger was huge! Good service from nice, friendly staff. Had a delicious anniversary meal and would definitely recommend.

Lovely food, great friendly service and good prices. Food very well presented and on hot plates. Beautiful old pub. Will definitely go there again.

Beautiful surroundings, friendly staff and great food.

Great night had by all great place in a lovely setting.

Found us a table for two good friday at the last minute. Very tasty meal and great service.

Dog friendly. Friendly staff. Lovely wine. Great food.

Bar meal sandwiches tasty and very big, 3 layered and not cheap but more like a meal so quite satisfying, accommodation very good if you choose the brand new rooms, Daisy etc. Breakfast was shabby unfortunately so won't be going back, 100.00 a night for b&b so would expect more than what we got, all considered.

Very nice pub/inn, it has a charming old england interior with a large extending restaurant out the back. The food is excellent and there is a choice of real ales and the staff are very good. Be warned though its a popular place so you need to book in advance for a table and the same goes for the holiday rooms located out back, there is plenty of parking but it can get close to full if there is a wedding reception on at the same time as your visit.

4/5 is spot on for this place. But it could easily be not only a five, but a must visit hotel/b&b/pub. The pub itself dates back a few hundred years and has lovingly maintained many of its original features and added bric a brac of character, humour and relevance. Unfortunately it is very much set up as a restaurant these days and when we returned after the local concert at 9:55 the staff had almost finished the breakfast set up and to say we were unwelcome when we asked if we could have a drink would be an understatement. We were told if we were quick we could have a drink and told to sit in the corner. The doors were locked soon after and many others were turned away. A bizarre approach to what I am sure would have been a vibrant and fun evening with many concert goers buzzing. We had certainly planned to stay for 3-4 drinks (at least). This actually brings me to the main negative about this place. The service is somehow cold and unfriendly. We came at lunch also and checked in to the hotel and the lack of genuine welcome and helpfulness is consistently average and occasionally rude. The rest is at least good and sometimes outstanding. The pub is fantastic to look at. The Sunday lunch was large and tasty. Great value at £13. The accommodation was clean, comfortable and good value. We would love to bring a group of friends back for an event, take a few rooms and have a few drinks at the bar in the evening… if this was ever on offer!

Stayed here with our dog on our way back from France. What a great place. Lovely big airy rooms, comfy beds, and the breakfast was brilliant. We had an evening meal on arrival and the food was delicious. We can't praise this place highly enough, we will be back.

Booked the Garden Room for a birthday party. From the first phone call the staff were helpful, flexible to our needs and efficient, they made everything very easy. On the day they were so friendly and everything was done without a hitch. Buffet food was good quality and great value considering the quantity we got. It was an excellent experience throughout and I would highly recommend Black Horse for events.

We had our wedding here and it was fantastic! Michelle and her team were unbelievable and helped so much not just on the day but with all the planning too, really going the extra mile for us. Our only grumble was that the day had to end : — (the food was excellent as usual and Michelle even got some low alcohol beers in for me due to having medication. Thank you for making our day amazing! If you want a small initiate wedding this is the place!

We went to The Black Horse with friends. Service was quite slow, though the waitress was very bouncy and enthusiastic. My main gripe was that for main my husband asked for his duck to be cooked pink. We raised this with the waitress, she asked the chef who had decided to cook it differently because other people had sent it back when it came out pink. Not a problem as such but this very definitely should have been communicated to us. The waitress was very flustered and said she didn't know what to do so I suggested talking to a manager. It wasn't a massive problem but it should have been communicated in case it want wanted when it was cooked differently to how the customer requested. The manager did knock it off the bill which was nice but not necessary. Just about more communication needed! I'm not sure if I'd go again.

A lovely place where you can eat good food (despite the warning notice) and sleep very well in warm rooms. Charming! A place to live!

Positive: typical, restaurant OK, quiet, free and abundant parking. Negative: average cleanliness. Bad camber service. Uncomfortable beds.

Great Location, excellent food, good value for money.

Stayed here 3 nights and ate breakfast and dinner in the pub. The food is great — quality, tasty, big and not too expensive. Staff fab. Place is hop covered, cosy (despite being big) and everything you want a country pub to be. The Inn side are in granny-annex style buildings down the hill behind the pub. Modern furnishings, comfy, very spacious — I had a great time.

I can't recommend this place enough, the food was cooked to perfection I need this chef in my local town, the best cooked steak I have had so far in my life, seasoned and cooked beautifully, the staff are very kind and welcoming. I am also staying in the hotel which is excellent accomadation, very clean and modern. Perfect.

My wife and I recently used The Black Horse Inn as our wedding ceremony and reception venue. As expected before the day and the morning itself we were both extremely stressed and nervous, but Michelle and the team were incredible. The day went without a single hiccup — the timing of everything was perfect and Michelle was always around in case we needed anything. We couldn’t recommend this place enough if you are looking for a perfect, beautiful wedding location and a support…ive, dedicated team that helps you every step of the way. The food was also delicious and the rooms both the guests and ourselves used on the day before and night of the wedding were immaculate. Every single guest could not credit the venue and ceremony enough. We will remember this day for the rest of our lives and we could not have done it without this incredible team. A huge thank you must go to Michelle for all of her hard work and dedication to us throughout the process and build up to the day. We really couldn’t of done it without you. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

Booked a table for 6 for Easter. Lovely meal. Friendly staff. Made to feel very welcome.

My partner brought me here for my birthday recently and its absolutely wonderful. Really cosy and pretty inside, but spaced out really well and not crammed in close to other tables. The menu was great and it was incredibly difficult to choose, but everything I had was lovely and I was really impressed with the choice of vegan and vegetarian food they have along side more traditional meat and poultry dishes. Would 100% recommend, will definitely return :)

Very good food and nice room.

Well, we arrived and was unable to book in until 45 minutes later. The staff were very young and very unprofessional. We had to keep asking for drinks. When we got our drinks not what we ordered. Was kept awake all night because we couldn't turn off light in the bathroom. Also noisy neighbours until midnight. Next morning, the guy sweeping up outside the pub was rude. The matron like bossy management at breakfast was awful. We will never stay again.

Traditional pub with a cosy interior and nice terraced pub garden. Had a Sunday roast here and were pleasantly surprised by the quality. Friendly staff and dog friendly.

Just had beer and chips from the bar. Beer was Westerham Grasshopper, always good, always well kept. Chips are better than they were — now in nice china bowls and a decent portion. They are still a bit stingy with the sauce and it's all a bit pricey or it would have been four stars.

Had a fantastic meal with excellent friendly staff! We stayed the night in a very comfortable, clean, lovely warm room with everything supplied, just had to bring toothpaste, toothbrush and hair conditioner.
Would definitely recommend it, and will definitely be returning with our dog Lexi.

Went here for a bit of lunch today. I ordered the Hake from the menu which was beautifully cooked. It wasn't very busy and there was a bit of a wait for our food but it was definitely worth it. The pub is in a lovely location and has a oldy worldy feel to it. Would definitely come here again.

Normally a great relaxing evening supping a pint. Surprised at the attitude of the young staff members. Training needed. If you’re shutting early be honest and say you’re going to close early, 10pm on a Sunday is fine if you let people know. Don’t then offer a last order at the bar, let people buy a round with the following 15 minutes used to make it clear you want them to leave by turning off the lights and sitting with your coat and handbags reading the paper. A regular dropped in to find they’d closed the bar and left unhappy for one of the young women to say out loud “do these people not know we’ve got homes to go to”.

Fantastic food, staff and lovely little pub in the middle of nowhere, off the beaten track Updated 10/01/2018 Having got married here back in June last year, I say hand on heart, this is a really lovely little pub, with great service and great food. Our wedding day took place on the hottest weekend of the year in 2017, but we couldn't have asked for a better day, and everything was arranged and organised perfectly. The fact that our guests could stay on site, in really nice rooms located to the rear of the venue, added a great touch, that everybody could be there the morning after. Everybody commented on how lovely the venue was decorated and presented, and it's all kept separate from the main public house, in a dedicated hall and outside space for the ceremonies. Would recommend the team to anyone considering a wedding venue, with a little extra special touch. Fantastic!

Gourgeous food in a lovely countryside pub located on the Notth Downs near Detling. Meals here never disappoint.

Food is amazing and really well-priced; fantastic value for money. Atmosphere and decor is lovely.

Lovely old pub. Great food and staff very friendly.

Very nice and cozy pub. Great food and service. The waiters were extremely polite and attentive. Will go there again for sure.

Beautiful old English Gastro pub nestling in the lee of the Kent Downs. Superb food served every day with a menu to satisfy the most discerning of foodies. Also has excellent accommodation on site, so leave the car behind and unwind in the charm and atmosphere of this little slice of England.

Beautiful traditional pub /restaurant in the countryside. Reasonably priced drinks and good service.

Old pub in beautiful setting. Good varied food and option for a very nice bed and breakfast experience.

We went for our 12th wedding anniversary. The food was amazing, as ever. Very nice atmosphere and romantic. We will keep coming back.

Lovely medieval looking atmosphere here. Beautiful not too noisy. Love the outlay of the restaurant.

Set in the most delightful and quiet of locations (for the south east of England at least) this pub is a find for those seeking old time charm. Pictures of hop pickers of yesteryear about the walls remind the visitor of an agricultural past only recently lost (and possibly returning in some areas if the local brews on offer are anything to go by! ) Friendly and genteel service compliment excellent beverages, wonderful ambience and tasty food. I cannot say my meal was the finest or most generous I've sampled (I'm a veggie so perhaps my options were more limited than most people's) but one can nonetheless be sure of thoughtfully prepared and moderately priced fare. The surroundings — whether dining inside or out — certainly make the overall experience extremely restful and pleasant. With inspiring views close at hand, this authentic inn is definitely a worthwhile stop on any journey along the historic Pilgrim's Way.

Very little in the way of access. There was a mistake in our booking so there were no wheelchair accessible rooms, and so we were put into a room with two steps up to it, and a bathroom whose door was so narrow my wheelchair couldn't go through. Bar and restaurant were not accessible at all despite claims otherwise — ramp up was so steep that it took three of us to get my wheelchair up there and the tables were so close together that I couldn't go anywhere afterwards. The disabled toilet in the restaurant and bar area wouldn't even fit my wheelchair in it without my partner partly folding it and lifting me in. Not happy as we were assured over and over that it was wheelchair friendly and I couldn't even pee without everyone in the restaurant getting up so we could squeeze my wheelchair through and then being carried in to the bathroom. Very embarrassing and absolutely stripped me of my independence.

Been here a few times to eat both for diner and lunch. Really nice place, lovely setting, great fresh food, friendly staff. Definately recommend.

Great pub! Fab food, great staff, lovely atmosphere in summer and winter — be it indoors or outside in the garden. The pub had it all, been to several events and even weddings there. Can't recommend this place enough!

Great location for Leeds Castle. Nice block of rooms. Bedroom not entirely clean. Warm and rather spirited staff. Breakfast a bit on the dry side.

Arrived at the restaurant and when ordering my food I noticed an attitude on the waitress serving us and she came off as very rude. Food today was very disappointing. The cod and chips dinner came out and the fish was 100% rotten. Four others from my table all tried the fish and immediately spat it out in disgust. After being put off my meal I left it as the last thing I wanted was to eat another bit of fish I think I've been put off for life quite frankly. So the same waitress came over to take out plates and without asking about my FULL plate of dinner she went to take it away until we pointed out how rancid the fish was. Her reply was "why didn't you say anything" with such a foul attitude! After saying that id been put off and didn't want another dinner she just said very emotionlessly "oh. Okay" and when leaving the restaurant I let her through the narrow corridor and smiled only to receive a snarl and rude look and didn't thank me for waiting for her. I don't know her name but she definitely affected my mood at my Fathers birthday meal which wasn't a nice thing to do. Disappointed as this restaurant is a regular for my family.

Cannot fault this place, stayed for 2 nights and everything was spot on, would certainly recommend the Black Horse, Food is excellent, staff very friendly.
You do need to get a ski lift installed from the bottom of the hill to the bar though, lol.

Decent ploughmans. Wish it was served on a plate not a chopping board! Good beer selection. Lovely atmosphere inside.

A lovely pub in the middle of nowhere. Perfect for an afternoon away from the hustle and bustle. Friendly staff await and the garden is beautiful. There is plenty of shade for those like me that burn far too easily. The food menu is very nice and certainly not bland as well as there being good choice of drinks including ales local ales.

An amazing stay over the Easter weekend. The rooms are lovely, all on lodges a short way from the pub, so no noise from it is heard. Roomy and comfortable, can't fault it in any way. The food is quite good too and the hotel team actual make provisional dinner reservations for guests, which was a really good touch. Highly recommended!

Lovely pub/restaurant tucked away in the Kent countryside.

Really lovely location, comfortable spacious rooms, with all the amenities you could want. Recommend to book into the restaurant, as it's quite popular — and for good reason.

Staff didn't seem interested in having us comfortable and despite a quit restaurant they sat us near the busy bar. The soup of the day was mushroom, not sweet potato as they said. I mean, I like mushroom soup but anticipated sweet potato. 3/5 is "average". Nice locale and nice pub with a good atmosphere.

Great food and good menu very nice service.

Place and menu looked interesting. We were excited to order from the sunday menu We visited when celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary. The food ok (bit over priced) Service slow and slap dash. Children running past use on several occasions playing chase through the restaurant. Food missing from plate — run out of Yorkshire pudding! We had to ask as it was missing off the plate but we werent told when it was served and I had to ask for horseradish sauce as it wasnt offered. The waitress bought a jar! and a spoon! The carrots were dirty and then to top it off there wasnt any custard to go with the desert as theyd run out so I ordered the ice cream but it had melted before it was served. All in all a bad first impression of this restaurant we were told it was like this because of the waitress shift change during the service.

Really not helpful at all. Wanted to book a big event looking to spend at least 5-6k and he wouldnt let me use my own DJ — even if the DJ was a celeb special guest DJ from the BBC! Would't reccomend if you want a party your way which you organise and plan with your money.

Went today the staff were helpful and friendly the food was lovely x.

Excellent, not pretentious, not too expensive. Simply good quality, tasty food. Nice interior and nice service.

I've been going there since 2005. My family love it when I take them there, it is a treat! I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every meal I've had there, and I am a VERY fussy eater. I have to say the Saturday menu is slightly better, my Mum insists we go on a Saturday. Funnily enough I'm taking Mum and Dad there this Saturday! It's the amazingly relaxed atmosphere coupled with top notch food that does it. I would recommend you try it.

Great food and friendly service. Beer is well kept too.

Fantastic food, the quality of the cooking is excellent. It is best to sit at the front of the pub in the original part if possible as the back lacks the atmosphere and taste. The beers and wines are excellent too and not too expensive. This is our favourite pub in the Maidstone area.

Saddly not good, we were told by our neighbour as we live one mile away that this was really good food and the best around the area, we went for sunday lunch and 2 chicken roasts and three lamb roasts were ordered, the lamb was 50/50 fat and meat and the chicken was rock hard and we will not be returning a second time. Much prefer the oak on the green, great food cooked professionally and great value for money.

We had our wedding here and have nothing but good things to say about the venue. Great food, lovely friendly team who will do all they can to make you happy, well equipped rooms.

Always loved the Black Horse, food lovely and service always great, however was a little bit let down Christmas day by their child pricing policy. Adults were £56.95 and Children age 4-12 were £28.95. We took my 3 year old and 8 month old, obviously the 8 month old we took his food however we believed that my son would be provided a smaller portioned children's meal at no cost because of his age. However when the bill arrived he had been charged for and the reason given for this was a very flippish ' well he had a dinner'. Because it was Christmas day and so we didn't spoil what was otherwise a lovely afternoon we left it, paid the bill (including the £43 service charge.! ) and left, however we are all very disappointed with the pub's attitude and feel that, if they are reading this review, they need to take heed and detail their children's pricing a lot more clearly. Obviously we were never going to take our 3 year old and either a) he wouldn't eat or b) take him his own food ie a sandwich however detailing your child prices between the ages of 4-12 indicates that anything from 3 down to post weaning age they are given a child's meal and the price of the 2 accompanying adults would cover this. Just feel really disappointed with what is in every other way a lovely pub, and we have decided we won't be spending our Christmas day there next year because of this.