Best Restaurants in Canterbury
The best restaurants in Canterbury, from Odia tasting menus on Beer Cart Lane to hotpot at the Riverside and aged steak on Northgate. This list covers proper sit-down places for date nights, birthday dinners and the meal when your parents visit and offer to pay. Places are ranked using their Google rating weighted by how many reviews they have, so a handful of glowing reviews cannot leapfrog somewhere hundreds of diners rate highly. Student tip: a few spots publish lunch deals or student discounts on their own websites, so check before you book.
- 10 places, ranked by Google rating
- Open places only, checked every month
- Website and Google Maps for each
- 1
The Cook's Tale Restaurant
Formerly The Ambrette, The Cook's Tale on Beer Cart Lane cooks contemporary Odia food from eastern India, built around seasonal Kentish produce. Expect street food classics alongside more refined plates, plus a tasting menu and a bottomless thali. Vegan and vegetarian diners are properly looked after, and the cathedral is minutes away. Save it for a big occasion.
- 2
Thai Orchid
Thai Orchid brings Bangkok-style street food to The Riverside on Kingsmead Road. Think roast duck on rice, holy basil pork belly, noodle soups and salads pounded to order, with more than 60 dishes cooked fresh when you order. Book a table, collect your order or get it delivered for a night in with the housemates.
- 3
Olimitzi
Olimitzi is a Mediterranean kitchen at 15 Palace Street, named after the founder's mum, with family roots in Paphos, Cyprus. Dishes are freshly prepared from locally sourced ingredients, and new ones join the menu regularly. Settle in for a long lunch or an easy dinner, or take the Mediterranean home with their takeaway.
- 4
Mama Suki Hotpot & Dimsum
Mama Suki at The Riverside turns dinner into an activity. It is a hotpot and dim sum restaurant where you cook your own food at the table, which makes it ideal for groups who like to chat, dunk and argue over who gets the last bite. Vegetarian options are available, and you can book a table through their official links.
- 5
Il Posticino
Il Posticino has been bringing a slice of Italy to Dover Street since 2015. Run by Jerry and Cristina, it pairs traditional cooking with a polished but welcoming feel. Sundays are the big draw, with a Tuscan lunch inspired by the chef's grandmother Giuditta. Book it when someone else is paying, or when you want to impress.
- 6
Salt Steakhouse
Salt Steakhouse on Northgate, part of the King's Mile, is the place for serious steak, including 30-day aged cuts, with a wider menu for anyone not in a steak mood. On weekday lunchtimes it runs a Weekday Burger Club, which the restaurant itself pitches as a student lunch deal. Casual, cosy and easy to book.
- 7
El Sol Tapas Bar & Restaurant
El Sol is a tapas bar and restaurant on Sun Street, close to the cathedral. Order a spread of small plates to share, add a cocktail or two, and grab a table outside when the weather plays along. It also runs a lunchtime special menu, which makes a midweek treat much easier to justify.
- 8
The Corner House
The Corner House on Dover Street, just outside the city walls, keeps it simple: British, locally sourced produce, done well. Watch the chefs at work in the open kitchen, or book the garden-facing second dining room for a bigger gathering. It has rooms to book too, which is handy when family come to stay.
- 9
Cafe du Soleil
Cafe du Soleil sits in an old woolstore on Pound Lane, raised on the foundations of the medieval city wall, with its own bridge over the Stour and a riverside terrace. The kitchen is all about wood-fired cooking with a southern French influence. Bring your student ID: its own offers page lists a student discount, with conditions.
- 10
La Cabana Bar & Grill
La Cabana is a bar and grill on Palace Street, a short wander from the cathedral, with a glazed frontage and outdoor seating for prime people watching. The menu leans on small plates inspired by international and seasonal flavours, and it changes regularly, so there is usually something new to try. Ideal for a dinner that turns into drinks.
Ranked by Google rating, weighted by the number of reviews so a place with a handful of five-star reviews does not jump the queue. We check the list every month and drop anywhere that has closed.
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