Canterbury Restaurants

While there are many tea rooms in and around Kent, this is one of my favorites. If you love a traditional English cream tea served on lovely crockery while listening to live piano, you will love this place too. It is very welcoming, offering a full range of teas and menu options to suit every budget and craving imaginable. During the spring and summer you can have tea in the garden which is much nicer as it can get a little crowded inside. It is also a more comfortable setting unlike some other tea rooms, and therefore the perfect place to unwind after a day of sightseeing or shopping in Canterbury.

I have been visiting Wheelers for years and would recommend it to everyone who visits Whitstable. Aside from the fact that the fish is always as fresh as it can be, the restaurant never overcomplicates things., Everything is simply good, honest food served in really unfussy, traditional setting. Superb food in a very informal atmosphere, after a long day at the beach.... bliss!

Windy Corner Stores is a small cafe just off the Whitstable beach on Nelson Road. It's a really quaint little place offering coffee, cake and homemade meals and snacks. Like its name suggests, on a windy day in Whitstable, there is nothing better than popping in here for a good tea or coffee and something sweet. It's a very relaxed place where you can just chill out, read the paper or admire the changing artwork on the walls.

Don't let Coggeshall's wedged-in-the hedge criminal stories get you down; just visit Baumann's Brasserie and savor some Coconut Crab Cake with Pickled Cockles and Green Beans! Leave the Courgette Basil Soup with Nutmeg Croutons to soup supporters, though. If you have opted for breakfast, go for the very special Baumanns British Bangers with Sticky Cheese and Bacon Mash. Diets will fly out the window for a while - you see, that's what this brasserie does to you! So do share those Belgian Waffles and Toffee Syrup, you'll be sharing the calories too!

With a host of options on where to sit and eat, this restaurant, which was once a 15th century pub, offers up a delightful mix of British and European meals. The menu is seasonal, which gives a good indication that the restaurant values unsullied and innovatively cooked foods. A mix of contemporary and classic dishes is available, such as Baked Somerset Goats Cheese, Seared Yellow Fin Tuna Steak and Roast Breast of Chicken served with a dash of panache that include Foie Gras Champ Potatoes and Oyster Mushrooms. Choose from an alfresco dining area, terrace and marquee (great for those special occasions) and a private dining room.

Located in Maidstone, around 30 miles from London, Azzurro offers its diners fine Italian cuisine. Based in the 6 Lock Meadow Complex it is surrounded by a hustle and bustle, but the interiors are calm and clean. Pizzas, pastas, antipasti, minestrone and more feature on the a la carte menu at reasonable prices. They even have live music some nights of the week.

The Outback Steakhouse in Basildon has rich red interiors with rustic, woody furnishings, which give off an earthy ambiance. Here patrons can feast on the specialty of the house; steaks - in the true Australian way. An adequate amount of smoke and noise, albeit minus the cowboy swagger, adds effect. A friendly staff and value for money meals top the experience. Newbies might want to give the ribs, chips and the overloaded baked jacket potato with sour cream, chives, bacon and cheese a shot. Patrons claim the fare is gluten-free, but you'll have to hit the spot to ascertain that. Given how hard it is to find Aussie fare in England, this one is a gem!

This restaurant is located in the town of Battle, around 28 miles from Brighton. It is housed in a 15th Century edifice and it was used to house monks visiting the close by Battle Abbey, built by William the Conqueror to commemorate the Battle of Hastings. Lots of tourists hop in for its tea and scones. However, you can always have some meat and vegetable dishes, all made from fresh local produce.