The Guinea — Restaurant in Tunbridge Wells

Very disappointed. We have lived in TW for almost 10 years and we’ve seen The Guinea turn from a spit and sawdust pub to really nice classy bar/restaurant. The food has been it’s saving grace for a long time…. but something is wrong. I’m not sure they are reading the reviews but the quality of food has deteriorated. So Unfortunately our visit this time was a real let down. I really didn’t want to do this review but I feel I have to! I asked (via their online booking) for a tall table and stools, due to a back problem, but was not allocated one. (Ok, not the end of the world) arrived on time but we were sat on a table at the centre of the main thoroughfare for staff and customers. Not comfortable at all. The food we ordered arrived and although the food was well cooked and tasty there was a lack of the “traditional roast”. When you think of a roast you think, mmm Roast Potatoes, meat veg and unlimited gravy. What we got however was 3-4 potatoes the size of a dice, two long cut half carrots, 2 long thin cut quarter parsnips, red cabbage and greens. My husband’s rib roast beef consisted of 2 very very slim cut slices of beef and my roast chicken was a wing quarter with very little meat. Just all in all a very disappointing roast. This was a real disappointment and we left feeling a bit hard done by. The meal cost £62 for a lack lustre rib roast (£20) a mediocre chicken roast (£18) and two glasses of wine. We’ve had better and cheaper.

Will only visit again if the reviews...

Have eaten here before and enjoyed it which was why i booked a table for 6 for a family anniversary! Unfortunately on this occasion it wasn’t an experience I would like to have again…! We all ordered the Sunday roast of differing versions asked whilst ordering that one must come out without gravy and when it arrived covered in gravy. Drinks took forever and had to be chased and whilst food in the most part was good it didn’t arrive with some of the accompaniments (no crackling for pork, no pigs in blankets with any) and when asked sorry run out instead of being told that when ordering. Also having to ask for the veg (twice) whilst food was getting cold, was a disappointing lunch and never once offered an apology!

I have received a call today from Jamie apologising for our experience and hoping we wouldn’t be turned off going back. I am grateful of the call and the future offer.

Follow-up - we booked a table for 4 this Sunday just gone (18/02/2024) and it was a chalk and cheese visit from the last one. Everything was perfect, from the service, the wine selected, and the 4 roasts ordered including the side of cauliflower cheese. Big thank you to the Guinea team that served us and more in keeping with our previous visit than the last...

We booked for Sunday lunch today, late in the afternoon. When the food arrived , I must admit I was disappointed. The Yorkshire pudding was large, however, it was hardly warm and very hard and crispy, it had obviously been sitting under a heat lamp or something for a while. The same with the roast potatoes, I think I had 2 or 3 pieces, which amounted to less than half a normal potato and they were very crispy and overdone. I had 2 very thin slithers of roast beef, which I thought was hardly an average portion of meat. The vegetables were separate. I don't like parsnips, so I had the equivalent of half a carrot at the most. There was some red cabbage, but barely a spoonfull to share and some green leaves, which I thought was rather tasteless and insignificant. I don't know whether, this was because we had a late booking. But for the full roast price, I felt this certainly not good value for money, compared to other roast dinners at comparative prices. Maybe because we were eating later, we were let down... I did mention this after the meal and my concerns were...