No more cem of kent — Restaurant in Maidstone

Went here last weekend for a friends birthday. Not that impressed with the service or food.

The food –

Between us coming into the restaurant and getting our pre Mezze took nearly one hour. This wasn't too bad because as a big group we spent time catching up and enjoying the unlimited beer and wine. However it was nearly and hour an a half till the warm Mezze came out to us. When the warm Mezze did come (Falafel and Borek) there was four of each on the plate. This meant that each person had one of each. Now this doesn't sound too bad, but a friend of mine stated he had been there before with another friend and between the two of them they had two of each Mezze. When a friend of mine stated there wasn't enough to go around everyone the waitress just rolled her eyes and said it was fine.

The main meal came about 2 hours after we had sat down. I had ordered the Tavuk Beyti, but ended up having to have Lamb Shish as they messed up the order and I couldn't be bothered to argue and wait longer for my main course. The Lamb shish was pretty average. 4 pieces of lamb with what looked like 1/8th of a flat bread, accompanied by a handful of rice and a mixed salad. The lamb was tasty but there was more plate than food in front of me. Hardly filling.

The desert was again okay, nothing special. A Sekerpare and Baklava accompanied by ice cream was the only portion size out of the whole meal they seemed to get right.

The Service-

I understand that it was a busy evening with 3 groups of people taking up multiple tables for birthday meals. However I do not feel there was enough staff around to cover all the tables. Having worked as a waiter myself for a number of years, it was always made apparent to me that big tables should always have at least one member of staff keeping an eye on the table to make sure drinks were topped up and customers kept happy. This wasn't the case at The Gem of Kent. We were stuck at the back of the restaurant and pretty much forgotten about for half the time with the staff avoiding eye contact when they was busy. Adding to this, the air conditioning that was right next to us was not on. Either the staff didn't know how to turn it on or it was simply broken. Considering we dined on one of the hottest days of the year so far, this factor made the dining experience very uncomfortable. One noticeable point I picked up was there didn't seem to be any leadership on the floor for the staff. Either that or they was hiding as half the staff were running around everywhere.

If you're looking to 1940's style rationing with a Turkish twist in Sauna conditions with vaguely interested staff, the Gem of Kent is for you.

I don't like to end on a bad note, so here is a positive. The Beer was unlimited and very refreshing and cold. Luckily because of the food delay we was able to feel up on unlimited beer and ease the pain...

We had a lovely time at the gem of kent for a birthday. There was a group of 6 of us and we opted for the set menu B. There was very little on the menu that you couldn’t choose with this option and it meant that your drinks are essentially bottomless. The staff are really on it with this, you never have to ask them to refill anything and you really get you money’s worth! The mezze starter was a really nice mixture of dishes which were all veggie. It came in plentiful amounts and we were able to keep it all on the table when our mains came too. Everyone said they loved their mains and we had everything from veggie to lamb to seafood. I had the chicken kulbasti and it was so tender and really flavoursome. We were also pleased with how quickly all the food came out, being a group. The only thing that’s held me back from a 5 star is just that the decor is a bit run down and plain. The waiting staff were also a little quiet (not that I usually mind!) but it lacks a little bit of atmosphere. For quality food and value for money though i would absolutely...

Well goodness me...... what an unexpected oasis.

For a start, this place is like the Tardis. You walk into a small, unassuming shopfront and it opens out into a deep and rather lovely restaurant that is quite a bit bigger than you might expect.

The menu has everything that you would hope for in an Eastern Mediterranean restaurant so no big surprises there. But the whole package manages to be more than the sum of its parts..

The meat was all tender and moist and had clearly just been cooked. No stuff left over from an earlier order that's all dried out. The salad, rice and bulgar were delicious and fresh too. The portions are generous enough to make you feel a bit spoiled without being overwhelming. The humus, olives and flat bread were all excellent too.

Finally, the staff are super helpful. We got there late and we were warned that the kitchen would be closing in 20 minutes. Our orders were taken promptly and we never felt rushed. The staff were warm and welcoming and happy to explain bits of the menu.Thank...