Goudhurst Restaurant Guide

“Hyper-local and hyper-seasonal set menus, with a lot of the produce coming from their own farm”, is the ethos behind chef-patron Will Devlin’s engaging venture – “the result is delicious food and friendly service, which makes for an enjoyable evening”. He also runs Birchwood at the nearby sustainable development Flimwell Park, but closed The Curlew in Bodiam in the face of rising costs two years ago.

2023 Review: This former coaching inn “offers a good range of well-cooked dishes in its small dining room” – “pre-booking is advisable as it’s close to Sissinghurst Castle and Gardens”. In the summer, “a pop-up pizza hut is open in the garden for a more casual dining experience”.

This well-established dining pub – named after war poet Siegfried Sassoon, who lived nearby – “still maintains a high standard of unpretentious cooking in relaxed surroundings” under the new leadership of “top chef” Lee Adams, originally from Kent, who spent 10 years working in Dubai and Hong Kong. Ratings were slightly dented, though, by the account of one long-term fan who feels it “used to be a go-to but has lost it”.

Named after the coppiced woodland upon which it sits – Flimwell Park, an über-modern 46-acre sustainable community – this three-year-old is the third venture for Will Devlin, whose nearby The Small Holding holds a Michelin Green Star. “The standard bearer for excellent, locally sourced food” – small and large plates served in the “well-designed but canteen-style” interior or (preferably) on the stunning terrace overlooking the forest – it’s “pretty unbeatable for a fixed-price lunch”, though they’re also now open until 20.00 on Friday and Saturday night.

“Home-grown seasonal produce” means meals “as fresh as food can get” at this daytime café-restaurant (plus dinner on Friday & Saturday) at a long-term project, the restoration of a Victorian walled garden in the High Weald using organic no-dig methods. It makes a “super setting” for lunch or a “slice of lovely cake”.