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hand picked restaurants

Part of the Whitbread family, Table Table restaurants aim to bring great value tasty pub food to an ever increasing eating-out public who like well prepared and genuine food served by friendly staff in relaxing surroundings. If that sounds too much like a dream come true be assured that at Table Table they also walk the talk, and are pleased to have the chance to prove it.

Their well located restaurants are spread across a wide range of decors and styles, and all of them share a determination to provide comfort, warmth and relaxation. Their buffet menus for special occasions are remarkable value.

In keeping with modern trends they provide dishes to nibble or share as guests consider the spread of options on a menu that could be described as British with welcome incursions. So as you share long Italian flatbread, and dough balls and dips, or a sharing platter with an imaginative range of finger food starting with garlic and breaded mushrooms, it's time to think about the relative merits of aromatic duck parcels, a prawn cocktail, breaded Camembert or sticky chicken goujons to name but a few.

Many an innocent dish from the past has been hi-jacked in the best possible sense into becoming what is now called a 'pub classic'. Wiltshire cured ham with eggs is served with chunky chips and beef, mushroom and ale pie, or chicken and chips are all familiar with British tables, be they in the dining room or the kitchen. Now they have been added to by chicken fajitas, a sweet red pepper, crème fraiche and fennel tart, a leg of duck slowly cooked and served with a Bramley apple and cider sauce, or chilli con carne with basmati rice, sour cream and guacamole and nachos. So is the humble burger with six enticing toppings.

The point is they, and others, are all here at Table Table, well prepared with quality ingredients, and presented in a way that makes you hungry even if you thought you weren't.

Getting down to the more serious side of the table keep an eye open for the seafood pie, a delightful assembly of things fishy including crayfish, red snapper, prawns and clams. Many of their steaks are 28 days matured, including a 7oz fillet. All steaks are served with watercress, roasted cherry tomatoes, a flat mushroom and chunky chips. A choice from 4 sauces adds the final touch of enjoyment.

Pastas and salads embrace some well known and loved names, but for sheer enjoyment the hot smoked salmon salad takes some beating - flakes of hot smoked salmon mixed with a house salad and soy and ginger sauce. A real winner.

Snacks aplenty cover hot baguettes with the like of grilled pork loin and Bramley apple sauce, sandwiches filled with Cheddar cheese, or prawns and Marie Rose sauce, and jacket potatoes with such temptations as chilli con carne. Add a bowl of chips for only a little extra.

A well travelled wine list offers helpful advice for the uninitiated and there's an impressive choice of draught and bottled beers and lagers. All in all it would appear that Table Table are more than achieving their aims, providing the opportunity for people to eat out enjoyably, with excellent value for money. Long may they continue to do so.

For completely up to date information on menu changes and special offers do make a regular check on their lively Website.

While the tavern serves the best of Kentish ales and ciders, the coffee shop offers guests superb views from the large panoramic windows and superb cup of coffee, made freshly from beans roasted and ground on the premises. Luxurious hot chocolate is an added attraction at the café. The main menu offers light bites and mains which consist of a mix of Mexican and the more traditional steak and burgers alongside show stealers such as risotto and mussels.

Number 11 is a Folkestone creation, a lovely bistro style restaurant featuring typical Kentish delights alongside regular modern British fare in an elegant and inspired setting. Formerly a florist's, this light and airy eatery on Old High Street captures the attention with its fresh and local produce that is brought together without much fuss but with every bit of focus on flavour and taste. Drop by for a tasty brunch with friends or head down there for a leisurely lunch or maybe a quiet dinner and chances are it could well become your favourite dining destination.

Begin a meal with razor clams, broad beans and chorizo followed by wild black bream, samphire and lemon butter sauce or maybe a rump steak with sautéed potatoes and Bearnaise sauce. End with a chocolate and raspberry cake, while their Kentish cheese board appeals particularly to those with a love of the savoury. There's a good selection of local wines from the Chapel Down vineyard which complement your meal expertly.

With a complete refurbishment, Pauls has accompanied this change alongside an extensive menu. A range of options are on offer there, where somebody with imagination and commercial flair has come up with an interesting formula. The popular lunch club menu at £7.95 offers rather lighter food including coffee. An a la carte starter on the main menu could be guineafowl and foie gras terrine with an apricot and rosemary chutney or mussels and prawns baked in cream, and a main dish might be pan seared pheasant breast served with boulangère potato, caramelised apples and cider jus or pigeon breasts with wild mushroom sauce. The place is a great success, as it deserves to be.

After pacing around The Hermitage one soon discovers that the 1920s style décor and the buzzing atmosphere are all meant to evoke images of a French café, but the lovely large garden with a fountain also has a significant appeal. Those with a predisposition for all things sunny could head out there for a cup of morning coffee, lunch or an evening meal.

This restaurant specializes in fish and seafood, especially Scottish mussels, skate knobs, Fresh local scallops and langoustines. Although seafood is their forte, a decent selection of signature meats also vie for attention. The famed skate knobs with rocket and coriander could first emerge from the kitchen, or local scallops poached in white wine and fine herbs.

This could be followed by fresh fillet of beef cooked in olive oil with black pepper, and finished with a hot sweet, brandy sauce, or English lamb cooked slightly rare. The combination of langoustines and mussels with garlic, tomatoes, small potatoes, paprika and Provençal herbs is a revelation; add to this a dash of fresh cream, and enjoy the mix of flavours.

The Sandgate Hotel is an exercise in luxury that never strays into grandiose opulence but always welcomes you with its quiet sophistication. This seaside hotel is the perfect place to relax during a holiday or if you're en-route to France, and most of the comfortably furnished rooms look out over the brilliant expanse of water. Food is exceptional as the restaurant demonstrates a consistent level of expertise in producing delicious modern English dishes from locally sourced produce and fish.

The regularly changing menu could feature char grilled black pudding with honey and apple salad for starters followed by pan fried lambs liver, olive oil mash, pea and pancetta jus and ending with a golden syrup sponge with custard for dessert. Both bars are well stocked with wines, beers and spirits and are atmospheric, while entertainment options are plenty as live music, murder mystery and a comedy club vie for your attention.