Walnut Tree Inn, Aldingtonback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Six of us booked for lunch. Landlady (Karen) was most welcoming as was the barmaid/manageress (Katherine) along with the waitress (Kim). The welcome was brilliant with much good humour. The food was first class as was the service. There were three menues available to choose from all priced most reasonably. Having seen other reviews I was a little nervous, however, The Walnut Inn was recommended and happily my five guests and I were delighted with the trip and will return in the not too distant future.
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Party of twenty enjoyed an excellent post christmas celebration. First class service and first class meals. Will undoubtably visit this great pub again in the near future. Thanks to Karen for the welcoming atmosphere and running such a wonderful old world english pub.
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NEVER NEVER NEVER eat here, I went to this pub on a recommendation to have the worts possible food I think I have ever seen and the poorest and most impolite service,
Not only did we wait 20 minutes for a drink, I got a slovenly waitress slouch when I requested to know the weight of the steak, the fact that it would take 2 minutes to ask the chef didn't occur to her, then when the heated frozen starters arrived there was a fly in the food, to which I received no apology, a ranting landlord and questioned as to whether it was there in the first place.
I wouldn't wish this place on my worst enemy.
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Well, this is one of only three pubs in which I've seen Shepherd Neame's porter. One of my favourite beers. Shame it was sour.
A minor contretemps with the pub's technology not working and so we weren't able to pay by credit card. Fortunately I had enough cash on me.
The food took nearly half an hour to arrive, and when it did.... I can best describe it as "variable". With six of us in our party the food varied from excellent (the lamb) through average (the fish) to frankly disappointing (the sausages).
For no adequately explained reason half way through the meal a small portable TV was switched on and the volume set to "deafening" level. And the toilets were a tad feral.
This pub has a reputation as being a good pub because a certain TV celebrity is rumoured to drink in there. All I can think is that they are relying on that reputation to pull in the punters. I won't be going back in a hurry. If you're a local, you're welcome to it. If you're visiting the area, the Good Intent is only a mile up the road amd has this place beat on all counts.
As the previous reviewer said, this place had promise. But failed to live up to it. A pub that could do a lot better, and so in my book that warrants 4/10.
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Well, The Walnut Tree had promise, being situated in the picturesque village of Aldington. There is only parking available for 10 cars, otherwise you have to park on the road. Getting to the pub was difficult as the most direct route from Ashford was closed off due to a road incident. That meant having to use back roads which are very slim, especially if you have a lot of traffic.
The pub itself is nice enough inside with wood fires burning away and generally having a country pub feel to it. As a non-drinker, I had the coke which was fizzy and tasted fine. The orange juice was good too. They had a wide selection of food available from the menu and specials board.
However, this is where the problems started. A friend of mine had problems paying for food and drink with his card, as the card authorisation device couldn�t pick up a single and eventually the staff had to ring it through. This caused a delay at the bar, as they only had one member of staff working the bar. The delivery of the food took 25 minutes; a little longer than I�d like. It wasn�t really that busy in there and I�ve seen other busier pubs deliver a lot quicker. I had the sausage and eggs for lunch. The sausages were overcooked and burnt where the skin had split. The eggs and chips were greasy and left a nasty aftertaste.
The toilets were my biggest cause for concern. Apart from them being rather dated and in need of repair, there was only a single towel available for the men to dry their hands. There were no paper towels (even though there was an empty dispenser) and no hand blowing machines. I�m not sure but I believe this to be a Health and Safety violation (I�m having this checked out). All in all, this pub didn�t rate highly with me. I will give it some points for the friendly nature of the staff.
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Welcoming local pub.
Small and intimate bar areas.
Shepherd Neame Spitfire pretty good.
Food served - good selection, nicely cooked.
Excellent pizzas.
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