insideKENT Magazine Issue 74 - May 2018 | Page 115

FOOD+DRINK
Castle View Restaurant
A WELL CONCEIVED SEASONAL MENU, FRESH LOCAL KENTISH PRODUCE,
A BEAUTIFUL OAK-BEAMED DINING ROOM, AND A QUITE
UNFORGETTABLE VIEW FOR DINNER… BY SAMANTHA READY
My guest and I are no strangers to Leeds Castle,
having been regular visitors to the magnificent
castle itself and to the myriad of activities and
events held throughout the year in the
grounds. However, on this cold spring
afternoon, our destination was to the aptly
named Castle View Restaurant.
The dining room itself is a cosy and relaxed
wood-themed affair; vaulted oak-beamed
ceilings, a mixture of round and square tables
and chairs configured to cater for intimate
tables of two or larger groups of celebratory
diners, and an efficient and friendly team of
waiting staff catering to every whim without
interfering with the evening’s natural flow.
But of course what sets this restaurant
aside is its view, and my goodness this is a
beautiful view!
Outside, through the windows (be sure to
request a window-side table) and across from
the terrace lies the 900-year-old Leeds Castle.
If you arrive before sunset for an evening
reservation, you’ll get to witness the view
change from sunlit splendour to nighttime
grandeur – it is spectacularly lit as night falls
to provide one of the most unique and awe-
inspiring dining views in the county.
The team at the Castle View Restaurant don’t
just rely on the view either. Harnessing the
abundance of fresh, local, and quality Kentish
produce, they offer a varied, modern British
seasonal menu with a nod to all that is great
about our country, as well as a changing daily
specials menu both of which immediately
had our taste buds watering as we made our
decisions for the evening aided by a large
bowl of olives from the appetisers menu and
some soft, fresh bread.
For our lunch main course, my guest was
swayed by the 6oz beef burger adding bacon
and cheddar cheese. The burger was perfectly
cooked and served on a soft white bun with
tomato, lettuce, onion and skin-on-chips
before being pretty swiftly devoured.
I opted for the classic fish and chips, and what
appeared was a huge fillet of Spitfire Ale
battered cod, chunky mushy peas, a cup of
skin-on-chips and some homemade tartar
sauce. It was everything that fish and chips
should be: crispy batter, white meaty fish and
a good crispy chip.
My guest opted for the naughty sundae –
served with vanilla ice cream, mini
marshmallows, brownie chunks, popping
candy and heaving with chocolate sauce and
fresh whipped cream, it was a treat that’s
definitely ideal for sharing as we both had to
dig deep to finish this off.
While there was lots of options including
cream teas of freshly baked scones with clotted
cream, jam and butter, the hot waffle swayed
me and appeared as a nicely presented dessert
– a large, freshly cooked waffle with a
chocolate and caramel sauce served with a
generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. Before
ending our lunch we decided to sit with a
coffee – the perfect finishing touch
accompanied by that perfect view.
Castle View Restaurant at Leeds Castle
Maidstone
ME17 1PL
01622 767766
www.leeds-castle.com/restaurant
leedscastleuk
Needing a breather between courses afforded
us some time to truly take in the view and
note the mutual contentment of our other
diners, and it didn’t take much persuading to
plump for pudding.
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