Alim-Et Larkfield — Restaurant in Tonbridge and Malling

I booked a table well in advance at Alim Et in Larkfield to celebrate my birthday with my family, a party of seven, for my first visit to this Turkish restaurant. What should have been a special evening turned into an utterly deplorable experience that ruined my birthday and left us all deeply disappointed. Upon arrival at 5:56 PM, we discovered no table had been prepared despite my confirmed booking. The staff initially offered us a table by the entrance, surrounded by staff and foot traffic—hardly suitable for a family celebration. After I requested an alternative, they moved us to a cramped six-person table next to the toilets, with an extra chair squeezed in, leaving barely enough room to move our elbows. When I expressed my upset, pointing out I had booked in advance, a staff member dismissively responded, “Your booking was for 6 PM,” as if this justified their lack of preparation. After further complaints, we were finally moved to a table with enough space, but this was just the beginning of a disastrous evening. Once seated, we waited 30 minutes before having to ask for someone to take our order—a shocking oversight given the initial blunder. The menu prices were exorbitant for what was offered. I ordered a small lamb doner for £17, only to find that sides like salad and chips cost extra. When I noted that the takeaway next door includes salad with the meat, the waitress explained, “People waste salad, so we stopped including it.” Why not make salad optional instead of charging £17 for just meat? It felt like a blatant upcharge. Also, when the meals did come out, there were no pitta breads like you’d get in the takeaway, there was a tiny paper thin piece of bread that we mistook for a napkin.

The wait for our food was unacceptable. By 7 PM—an hour after arriving—our meals finally appeared. We were told delays were due to a “table of 21” on the other side of the restaurant, yet I watched later arrivals served faster. Excuses piled up: “It’s raining, so more people are coming” (the restaurant wasn’t even full) and “we’re low on chefs” (despite me seeing 10–12 chefs in the kitchen as I left). It felt like our party was deprioritized because the larger group was more profitable.

When the food arrived, the portion sizes were laughably small. My partner’s £22 combination kebab included just three chunks of meat in one portion (see attached photo for proof). By this point, our group was so agitated that the mood was ruined, and we’d lost our appetite. We ended up taking our food home in takeaway boxes, a far cry from the family celebration we’d anticipated.

When I asked for the bill and raised our concerns, the waitress informed me she’d “taken off the service charge.” The audacity of even considering a service charge for such abysmal service left me speechless. After negotiation, we received a measly 10% discount, which did little to address the ordeal. I left the restaurant furious, embarrassed for choosing this venue, and deeply upset that my birthday was ruined. Alim Et’s lack of preparation, dismissive staff, extortionate prices, tiny portions, and endless excuses made this the worst dining experience I’ve ever had. We rarely dine out as a family, and this was meant to be special, but it was an avoidable disaster. Even if seating issues don’t affect others, the overpriced menu and poor value remain a rip-off. I will never return and strongly urge others to avoid Alim Et. Save your money and your...

I met with two close friends today on a grey wet Monday for a catch up lunch as I have moved to West Sussex after living in Kent for nearly 40 years.We were neighbours for many of those years, so we try to meet up for lunch every few months. I found Alim-Et online, and having read the reviews decided to book our lunch as it was easy for us all to get to with a convenient carpark at the rear. This was important as one of my friends was on crutches after a foot injury, so we wanted easy access to the entrance. Our reception couldn't have been better. The staff couldn't do enough to get us seated comfortably in a corner table with plenty of room. The place was absolutely spotless, including the toilets which can often be a let down in some premises. There was even a disabled and baby changing toilet on the same floor with a wide doorway for easy access. The service was impeccable, and the food was delicious, as it was all freshly cooked and beautifully presented. The Turkish white wine we ordered was presented in an ice bucket to keep it chilled throughout our meal, and we were even given a taster beforehand, as we didn't know if it suited our palate. We were not rushed, and the two lovely ladies serving us were very attentive, ensuring we were happy withour food, and helping with our coats when we were ready to leave. Altogether a great experience, and we'll be making it our favourite meeting place for...

Visited here for dinner with 3 friends, on first impression the restaurant is spacious, modern looking and clean. The plastic bagged cutlery and napkins are a good, hygienic touch for those who are concerned surrounding such things however may be seen as slightly 'cheap' but personally I appreciated it. The service was fast if not slightly unfriendly, in a time where customer service is half of the experience one should feel that nothing is too much whilst paying for a meal however many requests were met with... Fed up responses. The food was incredible, we (4 of us) ordered the warm platter for 2 and cold platter for 2 as a sharing starter which was amazing, the variation of dishes and amount of food was fantastic if not a little expensive. We all had the mixed grill which was fantastically presented and everything was cooked brilliantly, was tender and I would certainly have it again. The only other downside was the price, for 2 courses each (technically) and about 1.5 pints each the total bill was £230 which personally I found rather pricey, although this would not discourage me from returning. All in all a lovely place with fantastic food but slightly let down by the...