The Halfway House — Restaurant in Tunbridge Wells

Where do I start with this review? I don’t have one positive thing to say about Halfway House. I booked lunch for my 50th birthday for yesterday and booked this via email on the 11th December. This was confirmed via email by Sam. When we got to Halfway House I stood at the bar for 5 minutes whilst the Landlord spoke to his mates that were all gathered round one end of the bar. He acted like he couldn’t be bothered to take my name and said there was no booking under my first name or surname. When I said I booked via email he said he I should have done it via phone and that is what “Niki” is like. I said I had it confirmed on email (showed him the email) and this was by Sam not Niki. I also mentioned that it was my birthday lunch and was greeted with no response.

Then the other lady working there and the landlord said you can wait over there and pointed to a corner by the fire exit. So my family and I waited over in the corner for 5 minutes not sure what was happening. So I went back to the bar and was again ignored and then the Landlord finally and again reluctantly spoke to me as I asked are we going to be seated there in that corner by the door/fire exit or are we going somewhere else. He responded very rudely and said “well where do you want to go”. I said I would prefer not to be stuck in the corner (which was also dirty). He was rolling his eyes and they were huffing and puffing and again I said this is supposed to be my birthday lunch and again no reaction. In the end we walked out. The Landlord was extremely rude and there were definitely misogynistic vibes.

At no point at all was there an apology for not having made the booking even though I had it confirmed in writing or showing any sign of caring that it was for a special occasion. The staff acted like I was irritant and there was not even an offer to ask us what we would like to drink. I think the way we were treated overall was disgusting and I will definitely be spreading the word to everyone I know in the local area not to visit this pub. There is no charm, customer car or just...

Had a delicious hake and chips with peas. The hake which I haven't eaten before was tender and had a lovely flavour and the batter was crispy. The portion size of the hake could have been larger for £11.50 as it was a bit on the small side. The peas were good but it's not hard to get peas wrong, just standard boiled peas. Would be nicer as homemade mushy peas for the price. The tartare sauce was delicious, light and tangy and contrasted well with the hot chips.

The reason for 3 stars is now the worst part, the waiting time...

We (5 adults, 5 meals) ordered at 7.30pm and unfortunately being the last order taken, the food didn't arrive until 8.45pm. I understand completely that it was a very busy evening but having experience as a waiter before, you should always give a rough estimate on the waiting time when there are a lot of customers. It was disappointing that we weren't offered a free drink or crisps at all and due to our hunger 1 hour after ordering, we had to get 4...

Great pub with amazing outside area We visited for the first time in 2021 and had an amazing meal and afternoon in the garden. Visited again this year and while the place itself is as good as ever, sadly the food wasn't a patch on last year. A £7 starter of salt and pepper squid consisted of 6 tiny pieces of nuked squid on a massive plate, and our mains which we waited over an hour for, were very dissappointing burgers with zero garnishing on the burger, just a patty with melted cheese on it in an oversized bap. On the plus side the burger was cooked well and the chips are very good. Whereas I would have recommended this place to anyone for lunch I would probably say rather just have a plate of chips and a drink in the garden. Also, the smoke house outside was closed which seemed odd given it was a glorious summers day in the middle of July. Maybe it was just an off day, but it was enough to make us give going here again when we next visit Kent a...