Michael Caines at Abode Canterbury Reviews

The grazing menu is the best value for money by far in Canterbury and possibly anywhere else? We have sampled four menus since Jan 1st this year and all have been excellent. If like us you can walk to and from the centre of Canterbury, the wines included with the money at only £16 are excellent, interesting and match the food well. It was full to bursting at Saturday lunchtime and we gather that it was yesterday too. So book!

We were attracted for a very special occasion by the availability of a vegetarian menu for my partner. We checked in the afternoon and although they couldn't show us the menu as such they did promise choices other than the usual fallback of mushroom risotto. We arrived on time at 8pm and after a couple of reminders that we were examining the menu in the champagne bar were shown to our table by 8.30pm. Nibbles, appetisers and the starters were lovely and there was plenty of time to avoid indigestion. However, by the time we got to 10pm, we really thought the main course was overdue. When it arrived, my veal was fine but my partner, who although a vegetarian still needs feeding, was presented with a small plate with two chestnuts, three cloves of roasted garlic, a few mushrooms and a bit of salsify. This was simply not acceptable and the staff went away embarrassed and got the chef to drum up some mange tout and broccoli. The cuisine of this ‘dish’ was certainly not ‘haute’. We needed puddings to fill us up but almost fell asleep before they arrived. The members of staff were very pleasant and removed some items from the bill in compensation. But we left three and half hours after entering leaving some people behind who'd been there even longer. The restaurant has great potential and the chefs can cook, but the speed of service must improve and if they are to offer a vegetarian menu it must be offered every night and be up to the standard of the rest and use more imagination. Vegetarians, like the rest of us, want a night out eating things they don't cook for themselves. That means more than risotto or plain steamed vegetables.

We ate there at the end of July 2008. The decor was attractive although perhaps a little austere. The food was excellent and the members of staff, quite friendly for a formal restaurant. I would eat there again and also try the attached pub as it was quite expensive. My only complaint is that although the restaurant was quiet the service was slow; particularly the main course and our orders were mixed up. We were given others food, which was ordered after us. It took nearly three hours. Also they had run out of Pimms. As they were not busy being a weekday night, and the fact that they were in the main street of Canterbury, surely someone could have gone to the nearest ‘off licence’. The main thing is that the food was good and plentiful. I would recommend it.