FOOD + DRINK
MODERN DINING IN THE HEART OF KENT
THE WIFE OF BATH
BY SAMANTHA READY
HAVING FIRST OPENED AS A RESTAURANT IN 1962 , THE TEAM AT THE WIFE OF BATH ARE COMMITTED TO CONTINUING THE HERITAGE OF ONE OF KENT ’ S FINEST FOOD DESTINATIONS , ALBEIT WITH A NUANCED TWIST .
Welcoming weary pilgrims to Canterbury for centuries , the quaint village of Wye , nestled in the Kent Downs , is the setting of the beautifully restored and renovated grand house that is home to The Wife of Bath ’ s restaurant , bar and six comfortable B & B rooms . Joining the stable that boasts the acclaimed Rocksalt in Folkestone and The Duke William Pub in Ickham in 2016 , it opened to Galianinspired fanfare as authentic northern Spanish flavours swept the rural Kentish countryside . Fast forward half a decade , 2 AA Rosettes , lockdownenforced closures , and time to truly settle into its village bolthole postcode , and The Wife of Bath has been re-energised with a contemporary British menu , bursting with locally sourced produce , and a signature cocktail list that is worth the visit alone .
Arriving for a well-deserved celebratory Friday lunch in the typically quieter start to the year , it was reassuring to see a range of diners already poised in the contemporary dining room . The winter sunshine that ’ s been a recent source of positivity was flooding through the original sash windows framed with neutral linens , bouncing across the exposed brickwork fireplace and catching on the wooden floor and crisp white napkins , as well as showcasing the huge rustic dried flower wreath that dominates the far wall .
Taking our seats at the round table nestled in the Georgian bay window we were naturally encouraged to try one of the new signature cocktails , each the brainchild of new mixologist Toby ( of Rocksalt fame ) who is fast creating a speakeasy affair of refined standalone cocktails which can be enjoyed at the table or indeed in the bar pre- , post- or who-evenneeds-dinner .
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