Four Fathoms — Restaurant in Canterbury

On arrival to what appears to be just another pub on a corner you are met with a fresh and modern interior. It's no micropub but the bar area is a bit of a squeeze they serve local ales, larger and stouts as you would hope and a large selection of spirits, prices for a drink are as reasonable as any other good pub.

I went as part of a party of 6. We were shown through to a restaurant area at the rear that was warm and as welcoming as the main bar area. My 1st and only grumble is that they have bench seats which are far too low for table.

The menu & food. The menu is select it had a couple of options per dietary style (vegetarian, fish and meat) I sampled the delights of the confit of duck spring rolls which were packed full of meat and flavour and presented in an appealing way. For mains I had tried jack fruit, not because I was trying to be a trendy vegan but as it sounded amazing, (which it was)a large portion was presented that again was packed full of flavour and something of a rarity extremely filling. Desert selection is again refined to about 8 dishes catering for most tastes, I had some sorbets which were very nice and refreshing.

We were lucky as there was entertainment provided by means of a band called 6 shades of grey, very good band which we could hear on the restaurant area without it being intrusive to the conversation.

Overall amazing food, friendly staff and atmosphere, limited menu that's worth reading before you go to check you would...

What a little gem this pub is! Myself, my husband and some good friends decided to go somewhere completely different this year for New Years Eve and the Four Fathoms did not disappoint - Sara and John - the delightful couple that run this quirky sea side establishment were sublime hosts! From the pristine venue down to the fantastic Blues Brothers Live act and the cuisine lovingly prepared by John that wouldn’t be out of place in the likes of such top West end restaurants (John himself a chef for many years at both Rules and Christopher’s we found out later to our delight) the whole evening was a rollercoaster of fun that we didn’t want to end! West end cuisine for a fraction of the price and the ambience and great welcome from John, Sara and their well run pub by their superb team was a joy to experience. We will most certainly be back and look forward to many of their upcoming events in 2022 - Watch this space! This jewel in the crown is one to watch as I believe it will be very popular in the coming months! Sara, John and your exemplary team keep up the good work! If you don’t believe us then experience it for yourselves and take a look at the wonderful menu, drinks and cocktail lists! Competitively priced and real value for money. Jackie and Barry Morement...

Food Poisoning!

This might have been Kent Pub of the Year under previous owners, but beware – it is rather different now. Visiting for dinner in August I got extreme food poisoning from the Chicken Satay starter that totally spoilt the next 2 days of my holiday. John initially offered to refund my food cost (but reasonably not the drink or my partner's meal) but a day later he changed his mind. Not really good customer service from a new owner trying to establish a reputation. To be fair, the food tasted fine and although expensive it seemed like a good experience – that is until 3am later that night! I really did not want to post a bad review here but was left with no alternative after my final correspondence from John bluntly stated: ‘Charlotte. Very simple. You did not get food poisoning from here. This is becoming very Tiresome(sic). I’m very surprised you called us several days later making allegations. This is now ended as far as I’m concerned.’ So, if you visit The Four Fathoms I suggest that you avoid the Chicken Satay and don’t bother complaining to the owners if you are not satisfied...