The Leicester Arms Hotel Tonbridge, Penshurst

Reviews

1. Rajan Malhotra ★★☆☆☆

   We had a new year's dinner here so this is a restaurant only review. First up, the positives. This is a beautiful pub/restaurant set in the lovely village of Penshurst. It's clear a lot of thought has gone into the decor and the atmosphere was very warm and festive. The same couldn't be said of the service though. As we arrived, there was no welcome from the waitress. In fact, barely a word was exchanged. When my mum asked for some warm water to accompany her meal, it felt like we'd asked for something illegal. Our waitress was completely put out and it took her a while to process our request. The food portions were tiny. We ordered the vegetarian wellington and were told it came with potatoes which made us think we didn't need to order sides. Cue the food arriving and the tiniest sliver of wellington on our plates. It really did feel like a bit of a rip off for £20 a plate. Luckily we were able to order an extra portion of chips which arrived very quickly. The final issue is that the dining area was very cold. When we asked if the heating could be turned up to match the bar area, we were told because it was so cold outside, that was the reason for the dining room temperature. I had to convince my son to remove his coat which gives you an idea of the temperature. All in all, the setting and environment was top notch. The food was actually very tasty albeit small portions. Would I come back here? Possibly, it would be interesting to see what it's like in the summer, perhaps ordering a Sunday roast rather than off the a la carte menu.

   almost 6 months ago
2. NCGK Coach ★★★★★

   Ever been to High Brooms? No, me neither. Until today. Sunday Roast tourism takes you all round the houses. Today’s pit stop the Leicester Arms. Tip of the day: Pay the taxi fare before you’re out of signal range. The pub sits slap bang in the middle of Penshurst. Albeit Penshurst is so small it doesn’t really have a start or an end. In essence you’re between Penshurst House and Gardens and the Post Office, and opposite the town hall. The building is rustic with a warm village feel both outside and inside. Staff friendly, good toilet artwork and whole rolls of bog paper rather than the stingy dispenser nonsense - always a plus. Anyway, the roast. Oval plates that lip up at the sides with gravy up to a circa 2mm waterline leaving the hull of the potatoes and vegetables submerged. Two hearty slices of juicy pink sirloin and a Yorkshire pudding athletically perched on top. If art exists to be appreciated ad infinitum this installation was ripped apart in minutes. Devoured. 90 mins of travelling and an eating time shorter than a F1 pit-stop. Worth the visit? 100%. Washed down with a brownie that was warm, satisfyingly sludgy and had a thick slate of white chocolate inside. Lovely surprise. The menu quoted £8.50 the bill read £10. No complaints though, I would have paid £11 for it. All in a good day out.

   almost 7 months ago
3. mike smith 2 ★★★★★

   We arranged for our FB group to have a Xmas dinner (I think it around 30+ of us) and they were outstanding. Their food was unbelievable (half a chicken each with veg !!), cooked to perfection, they couldn’t do enough for us, they was worried they might not be able to get all the food out at the same time ? But they did, and the organisation was incredible. I can 100% recommend the beautiful pub, we will most definitely be back. Well done to all that sorted it out, with all the pubs we use for our walks/meets, this is in our top 2…. And we do visit lots of pubs/restaurants.

   almost 7 months ago

1. Jane Dunleavy ★★★★☆

   Delicious Sunday lunch after a nice walk in this lovely village. Our waitress was very efficient and friendly. The food was great- the sirloin of beef was cooked perfectly with plenty of vegetables, crispy roast potatoes and gravy. Definitely recommend and we will return. Good value too .

   almost 8 months ago
2. Kirk Tree ★★★★★

   After a long day of traveling, it was great to feel so comfortable and welcomed. The rooms are spacious and well-equipped, and the food served in the restaurant was superb. I did encounter a small issue with the door to my room, which wouldn't lock. I was offered a different room but opted for my own security improvisation rather than repacking and moving. Despite this minor issue, I thoroughly enjoyed my stay and will definitely return when in the area

   almost 8 months ago
3. Stephen Gowers ★★☆☆☆

   Unless you are an absolute dog lover don't even consider it. When we visited there were nearly as many dogs squeezed in as people, giving the whole place an overwhelming smell of wet dog. Because it was a bank holiday the menu was very restricted ie breakfast or fish and chips, it would have been nice if they had warned of this when taking the booking . Service was incredibly slow, and a12-5% service charge added to the bill a bit outrageous for a basic pub. Food itself was OK but the hygiene of the place with all the animals was not inspiring. Would give this place a wide berth in future.

   almost 3 years ago

1. Cat C ★★★★☆

   We had a Christmas get together here with friends for lunch. Service was slow, we had to ask for plates to be taken away. There was, it seemed, a collection of staff that were experienced and some were not! The food was nice, the guys chatting to us about booze was lovely and charismatic. He suggested a nice bottle which we enjoyed. It was a shame they'd run out of vanilla ice cream. Would go back despite the slow service.

   almost 3 years ago
2. Sam Plowman ★★★☆☆

   This is a lovely pub full of character and history. Sadly I was rather underwhelmed by their Sunday roast offering today. If you're going to advertise your roast pork as coming with crackling, it should resemble crackling, not a strip of bendy leather. Three of us had the pork, all with the same issue. Also, if you place the meat on top of the two (yes, only two) roast potatoes, these too will end up soggy. If you are going to say the meal comes with seasonal greens, I expect more than a few strands of cabbage. Finally, the menu describes the roast as coming with a 'ladle of gravy.' I thought this an odd description until my meal arrived with such a meagre amount of gravy that I could only imagine they have a tiny ladle. More gravy was bought to our table upon request. The puddings were excellent as was the service. Staff were very friendly and attentive.

   almost 3 years ago
3. Stephen Godwin ★★★★★

   I'm commenting here as walker who visited for a Saturday lunch in the autumn. A lovely traditional Public House, that is walker and dog friendly. We enjoyed the great food, for me excellent pan fried Seabass with pesto served on pearl barley. I would definitely recommend this for a great refreshment stop, even if your boots are a little muddy. And for free you can play on the Shuffleboard.

   almost 3 years ago

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