Harden's says
Rob and Donna Taylor - formerly of The Compasses in nearby Crundale - opened this 26-cover bistro in early November. When Grace Dent of The Guardian heard they were moving on, she wrote “Wherever they go, I will follow”.
Harden's survey result
Summary
“Very interesting flavours and excellent cooking” lead to an “excellent-quality” experience at Rob & Donna Taylor’s “lovely” venue: a small room in a converted townhouse in Southborough, which burst onto the local dining scene in 2021 and was instantly fêted with awards and boosts from ‘big name’ restaurant critics in the press. Service is “incredibly friendly and knowledgeable” and serves a focused à la carte menu that changes on the first of every month: some of the same dishes are available in a five course tasting format for £85 per person. A typical autumnal meal might start with Roast Pigeon with Pickled Kentish Cherries, then proceed via Roasted Monkfish with Celeriac and Apple puree to Warm Ginger Parkin with burnt Honey and Thyme ice cream.
Summary
It’s been a good year for Rob & Donna Taylor, who moved to this “charming, cramped little room in a fun stripped-out townhouse in Southborough – a near-neighbour of Tunbridge Wells” – and who topped the Good Food Guide’s list of Top 100 local restaurants in July 2023 just two years after their opening (having moved here in 2021 from The Compasses Inn in Crundale). For a second year, it is one of the more commented-on venues outside the capital in our annual diners’ poll: the “highly skillful” food is “out of this world” and available à la carte (yay!) as well as in an alternative tasting format. Dishes include “plenty of well-judged strong touches” and “the presentation, balance and clarity of flavours are standout” (“meat cookery is a highlight, but the pastry section runs it a close second”). “Staff are super-sweet too and know their stuff!”. “The overall feeling is of a place that’s fairly priced (if not cheap) and a special place for a special occasion”.
Summary
Not only “an excellent new addition in Tunbridge Wells” (“a fine-dining desert for too long”) – Rob & Donna Taylor’s move in late 2021 from The Compasses Inn in Crundale to this “small and intimate” (26-cover) beamed venue has created the most commented-on newcomer outside London in our annual diners’ poll. The menu can seem “limited” in scope but “changes monthly and every dish is put together with thought, care and obvious skill” delivering meals that are “full of flavour and beautifully presented”. “Front of house really know their stuff too. Highly recommended.”
Summary
After eight years at The Compassess Inn in Crundale, Rob and Donna Taylor moved on to open this 26-cover bistro near Tunbridge Wells in November 2021. Both Grace Dent in The Guardian and Marina O’Loughlin in The Sunday Times are fans, so we can likely expect both of their takes on this new arrival.
For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Tallow?
15a Church Road, Southborough, TN4 0RX
Restaurant details
Tallow Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Great wines and a short and sweet menu that will have me coming back."
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £20.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.00 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 10.00% |
15a Church Road, Southborough, TN4 0RX
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Sunday | CLOSED |
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