The Beacon

Tea Garden Lane, Rusthall, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN3 9JH 01892 524252

We were poking around the Happy Valley, so having heard great things about it, decided to try The Beacon for lunch.   "KerIST, look at the prices; this had better be good" exclaimed my wife as she perused the menu, her Scottish Presbyterian roots coming to the fore.
Although the Beacon has a beautiful interior, we made a beeline for the beer garden, which surely must have the most spectacular view in the county, if not northern hemisphere.  If there is anywhere in Kent you would want to sit on a sunny afternoon and get slowly sloshed, well THIS IS IT.
Firstly, the choice of drink is quite limited, and on a sunny day when you want a nice cold lager, having the choice of such low quality fare as Carlsberg and Red Stripe is a bit of a letdown.
Time to order, and looking at the menu and the plates of other diners it all looked rather promising.  I had the steak, which at £13 you would expect to be rather good.  It wasn't.  The trimmings - handcut chips and onion rings - were great, but hardly made up for the gristle-ridden piece of meat.
My wife had the loin of pork with lentils and chicory salad.  "This is NO way to treat a lentil," she sighed sadly, poking at her overcooked lentils which were drowning in a sauce which had been reduced within an inch of its life.
We decided not to stick around for any more food or even another round of drinks, I suggest you don't either, just go for the view.
Upon further investigation, this pub has been in the running for several awards for its food, I can only come to the conclusion that it was the chefs day off or they cook different meals for the judges. As far as our experience goes, its only a place to sit on a sunny day to admire the view and a bit of a cheek for over twelve quid a course.
We'd love to know your thoughts, let us know and leave a comment.

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Comments

[Kirsty]

The range of lagers may not be great at Teh Beacon, but for the ale drinkers out there, the range is excellent and there is a plentiful supply of Larkins, which is hard to get elsewhere. Don't diss it too much!!

[Mrs Anke]

Yes, I agree wholeheartedly, if you want a pint of ale and a lovely view then this is deffo the place to go. Just don't order the steak or the pork!

[Mick]

I found the Beacon much the same, it seems to rely on its reputation as a fantastic place to sit and look off over the valley. Pity the food was so poor, I got the impression we non locals were little more than a hindrance, trying to find a gap at the bar to order was a task in it’s self. Part of a good meal is the service we receive as paying customers, both meal and service fell short of an expensive meal. Take the Bea from Beacon and your left with a con.

[Imogen]

I'm afraid that we had much the same experience. We won't be rushing back either, my husband's fish and chips had soggy batter and my lasagne was reminiscent of a school dinner circa 1984 which was disappointing at £10 each. A shame as the views and drinks are good.

[Anke]

Thanks for your comment, Imogen, exactly how we feel. That view is go great you just want to go back for that but not to eat.

[Marcelo]

Dinner was fine in 2008, not sure what people are complaining about. Service is sometimes inconsistent sometimes, but generally good as is the food. Admittedly not on the same scale a Senior Franco's and alike. I went for my birthday of 15 people and everybody was satisfied. Its a real shame about the private rooms, as they could be nice but sadly arnt. Poor chairs and tables, and no atmosphere in the private rooms. Can't comment on the lunches.