The Cook's Tale Restaurant — Restaurant in Canterbury

Attended for a, what was supposed to be, a special evening meal for three girlfriends. I had been here several times, when it was the Ambrette, and had raved abour it to my friends, as I was expecting greater things since the rebranding, and Michelin Star. How wrong I was! Firstly, the older male waiter, who met us at the door, told us that we were late...when we had called through to say that were going to be, so it shouldn't have been a surprise to him...and how rude! Then my friend, who like spices but not heat, was trying to decide what to have to eat. The same waiter put his hands in the air and said, 'why did you come here if you don't like spicy food! '. Again, very rude, and jone of his business! The tasting soups came out, and the soup was all splashed up the side of the little pots, and over the rim...really poor presentation. We had the seafood platter, as a sharing starter. It was tasty, but no where near as nicely presented as the Ambrette used to be...just brought out on a three tier cake stand. Our mains were presented in bowls, with the meat in the middle, and the sauce poured around the outside (my sauce was exactly the same as the tasting soup we were given at the beginning of the meal, and it didn't taste that great at all...very tomatoey). No skill in the presentation of any of the meat dishes. There were a small amount of overcooked seasonal vegetables next to the meat, and an aluminium round pot of rice each...again no skill, and poorly presented. Deserts were nice, just slices of cheesecake etc, with some fruits around them. We would have been happy with them, had we had a good meal prior, but they didn't set the world alight really...just standard desert fayre. They had a pianist playing all evening, which was pleasant. However, I would rather they spend their money on attention to detail in the restaurant. After all, that's what everyone is there for! Oh, and the ladies toilets had clearly not been checked recently, as there was quite a bit of toilet paper on the floor, under the toilet door, where people had dropped when drying hands l I suspect. I was so, so disappointed with my evening, as the Ambrette had become my favourite restaurant (before the covid pandemic). What a let-down! I definitely won't be back in a hurry! It's certainly not worthy of its Michelin Star...I've had much better food in pubs. Cooks Tale...you need to sort your staff out, both reception/waiting, and in the kitchen by the look of it. Attention to detail is seriously lacking, and your senior man is downright disrespectful...

Complex review so please buckle up... we heard many, excellent, things about here and were very excited by the prospect of bottomless thali with bottomless cocktails.

The table was booked in advance for 6 people (very easy online form) but, due to availabilities we dropped to 3 people and went back up to 5 at short notice. The email booking confirmation advised us to email any updates (so we did). We had no response to any emails and the initial 3 arrived (on time) to a table still for 6 people... not an issue. The waiter was lovely and turned the air conditioning on as the two young ladies with me were cold from the rain. He bought over some nice, complementary, tropical vodka as our 2 colleagues arrived as well.

From here the service went down hill... whilst the menu states bottomless this is very dependent on getting the attention of the waiting staff (considering it is the evening before a bank holiday you may expect a busy night but we saw 1 waiter and a lady one would assume may be a manager?).

The soup starter - prompt, delicious, unexpected, delicious. Pea and artichoke with garlic naan (very nice). First round of thali (meat, pictured) - excellent, filling. Most of us only just finished this. Two of us shared a seafood thali and then we gave up as our belies were very satisfied.

Cocktails though... first of the evening definitely hit the spot but as the evening went on it was extremely hard to get the attention of the lone waiter and the drinks were not the promptest. There was also a query as to the strength not being particularly great (admittedly we attempted to get our moneys worth for the £50 given we could not manage more food) as we all left far more compos mentis than one may expect from "bottomless cocktails". To top this off the, rather abrupt, manager lady (?) started clearing our table and (when we attempted to order another round) stated "this table is out of time" [you get a 90 minute slot] despite one of our table still waiting on a drink ordered a good 10 minutes prior.

It was also exceedingly slow getting our bill (very odd given that we were told we couldn't order more and were just sat waiting with no drinks). Kudos to the waiter being alone, less so to the lady, they needed more staff on - thus 2 stars.

Atmosphere was excellent and we all loved...

We had the pleasure of dining at Cooks Tale Restaurant in Canterbury recently, and our experience was made all the more enjoyable thanks to the excellent service provided by Miss Sakshi.

From the outset, Miss Sakshi made us feel genuinely welcome. Her friendly and professional manner stood out immediately. She greeted us warmly, guided us through the menu with confidence, and offered thoughtful suggestions based on our preferences — all of which turned out to be spot-on.

Throughout the evening, her attentiveness and calm demeanour ensured everything ran smoothly. She was always available when needed but never overbearing, striking the perfect balance between attentiveness and discretion. She managed our table efficiently, answered our queries with patience, and ensured every dish was served exactly as requested.

One of the things we appreciated most was her attention to detail. Whether it was remembering special instructions or simply ensuring our glasses were never empty, she brought a personal touch to the entire experience. Her ability to stay composed and focused even during the restaurant’s busier moments is a testament to her professionalism and experience.

Miss Sakshi’s contribution significantly enhanced our visit. Her warm hospitality and dedication to excellent service make her a true credit to the team at Cooks Tale. We left the restaurant not just impressed with the food, but genuinely grateful for the thoughtful and attentive service she provided.

Overall Experience:...