There is a particular pleasure to eating and drinking in Kent in summer. The days are long, the hedgerows lush, and the vines heavy with the promise of another outstanding English vintage. Strawberries tumble from Pick Your Own farms, centuries-old orchards sway with heritage fruit, and kitchens from the Romney Marsh to the North Downs are alive with the very best of what this extraordinary county grows, brews and produces.
Whether you're following wine trails, lingering over a seafood lunch above the White Cliffs, or discovering the best new tables in Royal Tunbridge Wells, this is your guide to the unmissable flavours of a Kent summer.
Biddenden Vineyards
Kent's oldest commercial vineyard, family-owned since 1969, tends 23 acres of Wealden slopes producing 80,000 bottles a year. In summer, self-guided and group tours take visitors through the vines to a tutored tasting. Pre-book a Kentish Sharing Platter of local produce paired with something chilled from the cellar door, and settle onto a sunny courtyard bench.
Summer tip: Book tours in advance as they fill quickly. Add a Sharing Platter for the full experience.
Terlingham Vineyard
Perched on the North Downs north of Folkestone, with views to France on clear days, Terlingham is a boutique four-acre family vineyard on chalky terroir almost identical to Champagne. Its natural, biodiverse approach produces award-winning Bacchus, sparkling wine and even a Bacchus Dry Gin. Pre-booked tours walk the vines, taste wines at outdoor benches, and finish with a local cheese board.
Summer tip: Book a tasting for a golden afternoon — the cross-Channel views are extraordinary. En-suite rooms available for overnight stays.
Gusbourne Estate
Named in the Top 50 World's Best Vineyards (2024) and WineGB Estate Winery of the Year three times running, Gusbourne produces exclusively vintage English sparkling wine from 60 hand-picked hectares near Appledore. The Nest tasting room welcomes walk-ins for flights and self-guided tours; in summer, a Vineyard Platter for Two, local produce with a chilled bottle of Brut Reserve, is a perfect Kentish afternoon.
Summer tip: The alfresco Vineyard Platter with a bottle of Brut Reserve is one of Kent's great summer experiences.
Brogdale Collections
Home to the National Fruit Collection, one of the world's largest, with over 3,500 apple, pear, plum and cherry varieties, Brogdale is a living library of fruit heritage set across 150 acres near Faversham. Summer guided orchard tours run daily, April to October, with guides letting you taste right from the branch. Pick Your Own weekends for cherries and plums are a joyful family highlight.
Summer tip: Check the PYO Fruit Weekend calendar for cherry and plum picking in July.
Macknade, Faversham
Built on 175 years of food and farming in Faversham, Macknade is arguably the finest independent food destination in the South East. Its 10,000 sq ft food hall houses 100+ cheeses, a Pasture for Life butchery and a superb deli. In summer, the outdoor Food Village reopens for wood-fired pizza, street food, craft cocktails and Friday Night Live music — the ideal warm evening out.
Hythe Imperial
A grand four-star seafront hotel on the edge of this historic Cinque Port, Hythe Imperial is surrounded by 44 acres of gardens with the sea directly in front. Its AA Rosette-awarded Coast Restaurant champions local provenance - fish from Chapman's, Kentish vegetables, local meat. In summer, afternoon tea is served alfresco in garden gazebos, with champagne and the sound of the sea.
Dover Marina Hotel & Spa
A landmark 19th-century seafront hotel - now part of the Tapestry Collection by Hilton - with views of the White Cliffs and France beyond. Mr White's English Chophouse serves Marco Pierre White-curated steaks and seafood with panoramic Channel views; Wheeler's Fish & Chips honours a Dover institution dating back to 1856. Eat alfresco on the Waterfront terrace as the ferries come and go.
voco The Clifton, Folkestone
Atop The Leas, Folkestone's elegant Victorian clifftop promenade, voco The Clifton has watched over the Channel since 1864. The Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill anchors the hotel's dining, with alfresco summer terraces overlooking Clifton Gardens. On clear days, France is visible from the Coral Bar & Lounge, the finest spot in Folkestone for a sundowner with a view.
Eastwell Manor, a Champneys Hotel & Spa
One of England's most beautiful country house hotels, Eastwell Manor sits within 500 acres of North Downs countryside near Ashford. Its two-AA-Rosette Gardenia restaurant delivers contemporary French and modern British cooking deeply rooted in the Kentish landscape. Afternoon tea on the terrace, picnic baskets in the ancient grounds, and a Champneys Spa make this a destination that invites long, unhurried stays.
Ashford
Ashford's dining scene rewards the curious palate. The New Chimneys leads the way with Michelin-recognised tasting menus built on seasonal Kentish ingredients, while the two-AA-Rosette Gardenia at Eastwell Manor offers the finest formal dining in the district amid 500 acres of North Downs countryside. For a long, convivial dinner, Stubbs Restaurant remains a trusted local institution, and The Korean Cowgirl brings bold, buzzy flavours to the town's emerging independent scene.
Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge Wells is one of the South East's most exciting food towns. Thackeray's, in a handsome Georgian building on London Road, is a long-standing Michelin Guide listing and a benchmark for modern British cooking. Tallow has quickly established itself as the town's most talked-about new table, praised by national critics for its precise, seasonal menus. The Warren brings contemporary European flair to the High Street, and Essence at The Pantiles by Atul Kochhar adds a sophisticated pan-Asian dimension beneath the colonnades.
Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks sits at Kent's northern gateway and its dining scene has never been stronger. Samuel Palmer holds an AA Rosette and a Good Food Guide listing for its accomplished contemporary British cooking, while Shwen Shwen has earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand for its inventive pan-Asian cuisine and exceptional cocktails. For summer alfresco dining, few settings rival The Chaser Inn in Shipbourne, and The Little Brown Jug at Chiddingstone Causeway remains a warm, reliable favourite for long countryside lunches.
White Cliffs Country
Dover and its coastal neighbours have built one of Kent's most compelling food scenes. Cullins Yard at the Marina serves fresh local fish in a shipyard packed with character, while The Marquis of Granby is a trusted pub classic. Further along the shore, The Pier at Deal offers seafront dining at its most spectacular.
