Ashford
The Black Lion

The Black Lion

15 The Street, Ashford, United Kingdom

Pub • Fish • Steak • British


"This had been a review that I have been wanting to write for a while, but never got around to it, but after yesterday’s Sunday lunch I couldn’t forget anymore!! We have been attending the black lion since July when we moved to the village and found out that the local pub had been taken over by new landlords, and what a cracking job they have done so far! I’m a professional chef and been working in top restaurants and gastro pubs for the last 22 years and understand all the aspects of hospitality…and I have to say they made one of the best roast dinners I’ve had in a very long time! All the meats were cooked to perfection, alongside amazing array of veggies and fluffy crispy potatoes! Yorkshire puddings bigger than your fist, perfectly seasoned throughout and a tasty gravy to bring it all together! The landlords should be proud of what themselves and their team for what they have produced. This wasn’t a one time affair either….we have visited 3 times in the last couple months and has equally been as good each time and think we are becoming hooked I can’t speak for the rest of the menu as I haven’t seen it or tasted it, but if it’s as good as the roast, then you will be in for a treat! Brad and Natasha and the team are always very inviting and the atmosphere feels very relaxed, especially when the fires are roaring away! We will definitely be recommending this pub in the future to all our friends and local colleagues, and look forward to seeing this public house grow in the future as it deserves to."

The Secret Garden

The Secret Garden

Mersham-le-Hatch Village, Ashford, United Kingdom

Tea • Coffee • Cheese • Chocolate


"Got married here on a Saturday in May and the team here was the best venue we interacted with. Nothing was too much trouble for Alisha, Amy, Louisa and special shout out to Ellie who was delivering shots to the dance floor and started dancing with my cousins! The team made the day extremely smooth, the tables set up the day before in prep which meant we could see it the day before and make any changes if necessary. The mics and ceremony space was all in working order and all our guests said they could hear every word. We viewed so many venues and I had some specific requirements. My now Husband (how weird) was set on this place and I wasn't sure as we were only able to find time to view during winter but he was so right. They let us plate smash, have candles lit at dinner and use every single room for different activities (e.g. beer pong in the greenhouse). They had lots of different spaces which meant the day could be split up and feel like there was always something going on instead of waiting around. We had a set plated menu several guests said it was the best food they'd had at a wedding! The portion sizes were very generous and the service smooth. Mas made sure to save a tray of canapes for us while we were taking photos and at the end of the night Ellie made us a pizza to take back to our hotel room as we didn't have any. We wanted to ensure all the evening guests had enough but there was always more than enough so we didn't need to worry! We were able to leave things there that night and come collect it all the next morning. The team had collected it all and kept it aside for us. During the night we hit our limit for the open bar and they gave us fair warning when we were getting close to the limit. Only criticism was for the tastings, the menu was split into two different days and because we lived out of town it meant we would have had to stay over to try it all which was too difficult so we only tasted half the menu before choosing. Overall, it's a beautiful venue, staff always on hand so friendly. Highly recommend."