The White Lion

The White Lion

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+44 1580 765077+ Add websiteWrite a Review
Hours
Sun
10:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Mon
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Tue
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Wed
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Thu
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Fri
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sat
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
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What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Does this restaurant offer highchairs for toddlers?
About
It's great to be back! Thank you for your ongoing support over the last year. A few things to consider before you visit: Booking is not essential, though we would recommend you book in advance. Outdoor service is limited to guests in groups of six or two households (no limit on number) is permitted. Please note we may need to vary our opening hours and food service times given the time of year and the unpredictable nature of our Great British weather! Track and trace requirements have changed meaning all guests over 16 years of age must check in and provide their contact details. Unfortunately we must refuse service if guests do not comply. To get the most up-to-date notices on our re-opening, keep an eye on our Facebook page. We look forward to seeing you soon!
PRICE RANGE
$18.00 – $36.00
CUISINES
Bar, British, Pub
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, Drinks
FEATURES
Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service
4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles979 reviews
Excellent
452
Very good
225
Average
131
Poor
88
Terrible
83

Ali70
3 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 none
We only booked this hotel as it was advertised as free breakfast and not just free continental breakfast which the hotels we didn’t book in favour of this one were more honest about, the continental just consisted of bread fruit and cereals and no meats or cheeses. Despite there only being 3 other couples in the restaurant we waited almost an hour for our cooked breakfast which then turned up burnt but cold, and were shocked when we got home and saw the added charge of £18 for two awful breakfasts on our bill. Despite that the room was cosy and spacious. I just wish they’d been more honest about the breakfast and we wouldn’t have bothered wasting an hour for something we thought we’d already paid for.
Written March 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BDPaige
We are sorry to read of your disappointment in the breakfast during your visit Our continental breakfast we believe has a lovely selection, to include a variety of cereals, fresh fruit, Greek & fruit yogurts, sliced cheese, selection of berries, crossiants/pain au chocolate, toast, fruit juices, tea & coffee, yes cooked breakfast is an extra charge and we are sorry that this wasn’t explained to you on check in Kind regards The Management Team
Written March 11, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Wayne P
Kent54 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 couples
My wife and I recently stayed at my favourite place to celebrate our anniversary. The room was immaculate, with a sense of luxury due to the furnishings and space in the room. The food was on point, with their pizzas and steaks a highlight. Our waitress was particularly helpful advising us on the ingredients in certain dishes due to an allergy we have. I would thoroughly recommend the White Lion for its atmosphere, range of drinks and comfort food menu.
Written March 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BDPaige
Thank you for writing such a wonderful review We are pleased that you and your wife enjoyed your visit and everything about it Hopefully you will have the opportunity to visit again Kind regards The Management Team
Written March 15, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

@ Pub Club
2 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 none
The pub is very pretty with fairy lights and log fire but seating is limited. The sharing platter for lunch was perfect, we had two between four of us and it was tasty and plentiful. Tables were cleared regularly and staff were very smart. The restaurant in the evening is very nicely laid out, however they had run out of ribeye and fillet steak, pork and sea bream! Not great as it was only 8 pm on a Saturday night ! That said, great ambiance we never felt rushed and reasonably priced menu.
Written February 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BDPaige
Thank you for your review We can only apologise that the kitchen had run out of a few items, as we are a fresh food restaurant it’s not always possible to gage how busy we will be so sometimes items aren’t available Kind regards The Management Team
Written February 12, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

HC1
8 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 family
Steak sold by weight apparently so that means it's acceptable to put this amount in a baguette!! They did put more in when we complained however we felt staff had a bad attitude. I asked for medium/rare steak and it arrived rare and pretty inedible as it was so tough. High hopes for eating here but the worst meal I've had out probably ever.
Written August 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BDPaige
Good Afternoon we are sorry to read of your disappointment during your recent visit to us And can only apologise Kind regards The Management Team
Written August 29, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Italianophile37
Herne Bay28 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 none
I was disappointed to find out that the check in time had been changed to 16.00 when we arrived at 15.30. No one had been in touch to advise this. Also, something we missed in the small print was that only Continental Breakfast was included in the cost; we had to pay another £14.00 on top. Apart from this, the White Lion is a lovely place and the bedroom was spacious, clean and the overall facilities were good.
Written March 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BDPaige
Good Afternoon We are sorry for the misunderstanding about our check in times, it is correct that check in has changed to 4pm since the update to our website We believe your reservation was made via booking.com who should have informed you of the changes Please accept our apologies that you weren’t informed Kind regards The Management Tean
Written March 6, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

James
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2020 couples
Firstly the service was very slow, it took me and my partner over 45mins to receive our drinks order, some staff were lovely other were the complete opposite, the members of staff in uniform were very attentive and nice when they spoke to us however the management seemed very aloof and arrogant, their service was awful, rude and snappy, I have spoke to friends and they have had identical experiences. Over ‘eat out to help out’ I came in on two occasions, I’m a very understanding customer having worked in hospitality and even still was appalled but my experience each time, waits of over an hour for starters alone, although i know they were busy I when I tried to follow up to where it was or find out how long the wait would be it was met with attitude and muttered comments. The white lion won’t have my business ever again I deliberately gave it chance after chance and never again now. I decided to write this review after hearing that friends and colleagues have had very similar experiences- IF NOT WORSE THAN MINE- and haven’t complained. Be warned
Written October 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WhiteLion-Manager
We're sorry to hear you've experienced some poor service recently, although we are unsure when your most recent visit was Since re-opening we have faced many challenges with government guidelines and staff levels All comments, good and bad, are taken on board and discussed with the team We are now under new management and remain committed to delivering good food and service
Written October 15, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Tony L
13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019 family
We went for lunch on Sunday 5 of us and were very pleased. I had the scotch egg for starters, Very nicely presented and perfectly cooked, Then the fish and chips, Again very good portion and homemade chips!!! We are definitely coming back. Thank you.
Written January 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WhiteLion-Manager
Hi, Thank you so much for this great review. We welcome all feedback but it’s so great to get lovely reviews like yours. I shall pass your kind words on to our team here at the White Lion. Kind Regards Fraser.
Written January 3, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Lisa W
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021 none
My husband and I were staying at a nearby hotel which unfortunately could not open its dining room due to staff shortages. Although they were happy to offer a takeaway selection of vendors, we decided to have our main meal in Tenterden and picked the White Lion. We had dined there before and had been very happy, so thought why not? The pub is welcoming, dog friendly, and very cosy. The atmosphere is calming and not overly 'boppy'. The staff was polite and happy to cater to all needs including giving our very gregarious Westie the odd treat. The menu is 'gastro pub' which can be quite pricy, however, there were items on the menu which were comparable with other venues. Our choices were provided in good time, were very well presented, and were excellent. The portion sizes were enough without being stingy or too much. We went back the following day and ate there again it was so good.
Written October 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tracy J
2 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021 friends
Just had a very disappointing meal here. A lot of basic food not available. If you like steak or pizza prob OK. Had Fish and Chips sooooo greasy couldn't eat the batter. Limited menu no pasta only one Fish dish with no meat in it. They were out of burgers but only told us when we tried to order. We had a table of five booked for when it came to dessert we were told the kitchen was closed but they might do us a dessert. We were told the chef was doing us a favour and we could have dessert but the Apple crumble takes ages. When the dessert arrived it looked like it had been thrown on the plate. I had what looked like the last scrappings of ice cream and the end of my torte was missing. All in all a horrible expensive meal. The menu needs rethinking!!!!!!
Written October 23, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WhiteLion-Manager
We are sorry to read of your disappointing visit, this is not what we like to read and can only apologise Kind regards The Management Team
Written November 29, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Stella H
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 family
A disappointing experience. Pizza was ok, burger description sounded fabulous, but was really poor. Cauliflower burger was a big slice of cauli with overpowering curry spices thrown on, very hot but no depth of flavour. I very rarely review meals online but this was so bad. Plus we were overcharged. Not to be repeated.
Written August 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BDPaige
Good Evening I’m sorry to read of your disappointing visit to us It’s certainly not what we want to read and can only apologise for this You mention you was over charged, if you would like to email us a copy of your receipt explaining the overcharge, I will be more than happy to refund the amount to you Our email is info@whiteliontenterden.com Again please accept our apologies I look forward to hearing from you Kind regards The Management Team
Written August 21, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jeff CDO
8 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022 none
the hotel and bar were fine, all the staff were hard working and the room was perfectly adequate for the price. we really appreciated the dressing gowns and the excellent coffee machine a real extra touch that added value and pleasure to our overnight stay. however we rather foolishly as it now transpires, booked a table for our dinner. the food was very very underwhelming, not quite bad enough to be sent back but utterly very poor value for the cost and to be charged £35.00 for a very average bottle of Malbec was the final insult. so finally your Hotel and breakfast was acceptable for the price. your food was a disgrace your food was an insult for the price charged the starters were absolutely tasteless ( pi prawns and the Scallops) I asked for a salad instead of chips with my steak and got rocket leaves covered in Parmesan the steak ( Sirloin) was grey and tasteless. my wife's ham hock was again utterly tasteless the whole experience ruined by very poor over priced food
Written May 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WhiteLion-Manager
Thank you jeff289CDO for leaving us feedback on your visit. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your hotel stay with us. I am however saddened to hear of your experience with us when you dined in our restaurant. I will pass your feedback onto the relevant members of our management team both front of house and kitchen so that we can ensure we make improvements where we can. We hope to see you again! Many thanks, Bryony & The White Lion team
Written June 13, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

David O
Miribel-les-Echelles42 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2020 family
At 4.30 pm one wet Thursday afternoon, finding several pubs were enjoying their afternoon pause in serving food, my wife and I and our 2 dogs returned to the White Lion in Tenterden High Street for a late lunch and were not disappointed. Cheerful and efficient service as always. The food and drink was simply excellent! We started with a great caramelised onion soup, followed by a beef burger topped by melted cheese and bacon rashers for my better half and rump steak, cooked medium-rare to perfection, with skin-on skinny fries for me. My wife drank Chardonnay with ice as usual, and I enjoyed spicy tomato juice with ice, as I was driving. To wrap up our meal in this rustic oak-beamed bar, we shared a delightful lemon cheesecake with clotted cream and crême anglaise (yum).
Written September 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WhiteLion-Manager
Thank you for writing such a lovely review, we find lots of people enjoy bringing their dogs with them to the pub for a few drinks or whilst eating, we normally have a tub of treats behind the bar to share with them Hope fully next time your near, you will visit us again Kind regards The Management Team
Written September 28, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

AnnH1954
Faversham2 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021 none
I had a Sunday lunch (roast) with a friend at the White Lion yesterday. We both had beef which was completely overcooked and tough. The vegetables were pretty much inedible as they were so underdone to be almost raw. At over £17 it was not a cheap meal. An incorrectly delivered drink was grudgingly swept off the table with a tut and generally we didn't find the welcome warm! On complaining about the food we were given a speech about how vegetables are better for you, having more vitamin C if they're presented as they had been - shame they were so raw we couldn't eat them! We won't be returning and were very disappointed with the whole experience.
Written November 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mike F
Tenterden15 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 none
A great meal for all of us with superb thin oven baked pizzas and great delicious choices for starters and other mains. Highly recommended. They also serve Chapel Down which I love!Our friends eat out a lot in London and agreed that The White Lion easily compared to London food with better service to boot!
Written February 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BDPaige
Thank you for our wonderful review It is great to read that all the hard work that our staff put in has been truly appreciated We look forward to welcoming you all again Kind regards The Management Team
Written February 12, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Nick E
2 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022 none
We have been going here for over 20 years , mainly for special occasions . Having booked and visited today for a table of 5 at 2.30pm ( only time available online yet the place was also at empty ) . We were celebrating 3 birthdays amongst those 5 of us and this was noted at the time of booking yet nothing at all was acknowledged during our visit . I’m afraid it’s with a sad heart that we will not be visiting again as on this visit 4 of us ordered the Sunday roasts and when the vegetables arrived we had just 1 parsnip each and a ramakin size bowl of red cabbage , mangetout and carrots between all of us . We questioned our waitress who apologised and fetched out another serving of the same size . Having eaten our main courses we waited another 30 minutes for our plates to be cleared ( there was now only us in the restaurant) . We then waited another 25 minutes waiting to be offered some desserts but no staff at all could be seen . We then decided to pay and leave and so I searched the bar area until I found the same waitress and duly paid our bill . We were not asked about our meal or if we had wanted any desserts , just took our money and disappeared. We then found that our parking fee could be refunded in the restaurant as we had dined there and so I searched again for the same waitress who looked at me like an alien and said “ I’m afraid we could refund only at the time of paying for your meal “ and so I pointed out the 2 tills nearby and still she said it was too late . Please restaurant manager …. train your staff to be way more attentive as today cost you the £30 we were looking to pay for a 2nd bottle of wine and an estimated £38 in lost desserts . On top of that we shall not be looking to book again anytime soon .
Written October 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WhiteLion-Manager
Hello nickeE8790HO, Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, we appreciate all our guests feedback. i am very sorry to hear of your recent experience, please can i ask you to contact me so we can discuss the issues in greater detail. Duane Webster.
Written October 25, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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THE WHITE LION, Tenterden - 57 High St - Updated 2024 Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Phone Number - Tripadvisor

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