Basil — Restaurant in Tonbridge and Malling

I tried this café out for the first time and the guy who served us was very friendly and welcoming. We only ordered drinks and they came really quickly but the cups and dishes were very dirty. There were a lot of stains, dust and in general some left over bits of coffee etc. I think if it weren’t for that it would be a really nice experience, but it’s that little detail that made even the best coffee not as good.

I don’t know if this is just a one off, but generally I would advise to properly rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher and checking the dishes before you put drinks in them and give them to a customer.

The coffee was really decent and would go again if the dishes and tables were cleaned to standard. Otherwise really good place, so this is just some room for improvement x

I really like the interior, as it has a cosy feel and a lot of choices in drinks and food. 4 stars just...

Ordered the soup of the day which was served with a granary roll although it didn't specify this on the menu. When it arrived and I explained to the server that due to a medical condition my client wasn't able to have seeds and asked if it could be swapped for wholemeal bread I was told there was no alternative. As this constituted half of the paid for meal I asked if he could have a cappuccino for after the meal instead and was asked 'Why?'. The server then proceeded to tell me it was advertised with Granary although did concede when I showed him it was not, then told me I should have asked first dispite me explaining we had never had this problem before anywhere else. If there was no alternative available, I accept that, but to be made to feel like dietary requirements were an inconvenience/our fault in 2025 is not acceptable, we...

I first visited Basil' when it opened on London Road in Tunbridge Wells approx 11 years ago and was a regular Saturday luncher for 3 or 4 years when it was run by one of the owners and her daughter and then her brother joined her.The service was always friendly and the food was very tasty and then reasonably priced. The food is still very tasty, now over priced. I visited Tonbridge Basil's today with my son for milkshakes. Sadly the service was not friendly. The young man serving was pleasant, however the young women will him was not. I got the impression that we were just in the way. II have for a while thought that Basil's has become "too big for it's boots" and the staff a bit full of themselves.Today confirmed it. There are now lots of other coffee shops around in Tonbridge, so I think I may try them...