Our famous restaurant guide is regularly updated, and we
would like to hear your opinions and share your experiences

Cafe Nero

CAFE NERO is a nice place to stop for a coffee on the High Street, and is
situated next to Chois. It is one of the places 'to be seen in' within the area.
It's convenient for Prickend pond, and the Queen's Head is just up the road.
The coffee is superb, and they also provide horrifically overpriced snacks. We
visit regularly, and it's great for warming-up after a spot of window shopping or
perhaps feeding the ducks. *7/10*

CHOIS is an excellent Chinese restaurant, situated next to
the Queens Head pub, in the High Street. Chois has a nice
atmosphere, a modern interior, and the food is superb. Book well
in advance for Friday and Saturday nights, as it's always very busy.
The Lobster is very good value, and specially good cooked in spicy
salt and pepper. The combination meals are very good, and represent
good value. The service in this restaurant is excellent, although expect
a brief delay at the busiest times. A victim of its own success?!?
Highly recommended, although now loses a point for looking
increasingly tatty. Needs a lick of paint, a new sign, and
the cracked window needs replacing after five years! *7/10*

ZizziRestaurant

ZIZI'S ITALIAN RESTAURANT

ZIZI'S is a child-friendly Italian restaurant, another one of which may be found in
Bromley.  This is a non-smoking restaurant (hurrah!) and gets a thumbs-up straightaway.
We took our daughter to Zizi's for Sunday lunch in the summer of 2006, and despite some
initial language problems with our foreign waitress, the experience was very good.
We had a very nice table by the window, and it wasn't too crowded.  We enjoyed our meals,
as did our daughter, and overall the service was helpful and fairly attentive.  The decor is
nothing spectacular, but it was pleasant enough.  This is one of only a few good
family-oriented restaurants in Chislehurst.   We are regular customers.
*7/10*

    Caffe Uno

CAFFE UNO is an Italian restaurant in the High Street, not far
from Sainsbury's. It has a family atmosphere, and is nicely
decorated inside. The restaurant has been completely refurbished,
and is very nice inside now, with a bar area, if you just want to have a
glass of wine. It's great to pop in for a coffee and a croissant, and as
for the food, I can report that there has been a great improvement
in this respect. We have visited this restaurant many times,
as it is very child-friendly. The service is still only fair, and it appears
to be luck of the draw whether you get friendly, attentive service,
or surly 'I'll be with you in a minute' service. Surprisingly, some of
the available dishes are English in content, but given fancy Italian
names. Service is inconsistent, but overall it's a nice place to stop for a
coffee and a chat. One final point - beware the price of drinks!
The Caesar Salad with Crayfish tails, Prawns and Anchovies
is excellent.  Kids will love the Fish 'n' Chips as well.*7/10*

CAFE ROUGE is a French restaurant, almost opposite CHOIS Chinese restaurant. It's nicely done
inside, and does have a continental feel to it,although the service is mediocre - but the food's good.
The bar area is quite small, however, and the atmosphere is not quite as good as some of the other
restaurants in the area. Cafe Rouge appears to be somewhat expensive, when compared to some of the
 local competition. Overall though, it's quite a good effort. Ok - but nothing special. Incidentally,
the Cafe Rouge in Bromley is far better managed, and the service is excellent; so much so,
that last time I visited Bromley, I asked the manager of Cafe Rouge if he would consider
applying for a job managing the Chislehurst restaurant! *5/10*

PIZZA EXPRESS 6 Royal Parade, BR7 6NR - Tel: 020 8295 0965, situated in
Royal Parade, near the Bull's Head pub. We have visited Pizza Express several times ,
and genrally enjoy our experiences. The restaurant is quite small inside, and fairly
intimate. The one thing I would say, is that it feels a bit like being in a converted shop,
which of course is what it is. I think more attention needs to be paid to the decor and ambience.
I understand that the Pizza Express chain normally use fairly basic interiors for their restaurants.
I guess it's a matter of taste... However, the pizzas are excellent, and possibly some of the best
to be found in the UK. There's a good selection, and the pizzas may be customised to your
requirements. The bill isn't too horrific, either. Recommended. *6/10*

DUE AMICI 11 Royal Parade, Chislehurst, Kent, BR7 6NR · 020 8467 4496
My own experience of this restaurant consisted of efficient service, good food,
and a huge bill at the end of the evening! This is a very nice restaurant, the surroundings
are suitably Italian / Romanesque in style, and the food is fairly authentic. The wine list
is superb. The reason I have rated it so low, is I consider the majority of visitors to
The Chislehurst Guide expect value for money from a restaurant - something Due Amici
doesn't really represent in my opinion. *5/10*

TY-8 The oddly-named TY-8 is yet another oriental restaurant.
It faces fierce competition from Chois (opposite) and the Courtyard,
which is up by the Cave, and now the Thai on the Hill, based above The Lounge
pub. The food is quite different though, with an interesting fusion of Thai, Chinese
and Japanese styles. They do very nice sushi as well. This is a smallish, and fairly
intimate restaurant, with above average service. I hear good reports from visitors
to this website, too. *7/10*

   

SHAON The service and food are generally excellent. The restaurant is nicely decorated,
and has a pleasant atmosphere, and friendly and efficient staff. The bill is normally
very reasonable, too. I have found this restaurant to be consistently good. The selection
of drinks available appears to have shrunk recently for some reason, so it loses a point.
Recommended. *7/10*

ROYAL INDIAN CUISINE Situated just round the corner from the Bengal Lancer in an
alleyway off Royal Parade, this restaurant offers pleasant surroundings, very good service
and decent food. I visited this restaurant for the first time in April 2000, and was impressed
by the authenticity of the Chicken Jalfrezi Korai that I had. This particular dish wasn't on the
menu, but I like to be awkward! The jalfrezi came complete with whole green chillies,
which I have to say were some of the hottest I have ever tried! The Royal Indian Cuisine also
offers a reasonable selection of Lagers, such as Cobra and Becks. Having now been to
this restaurant several times, it is definitely my favourite Indian restaurant in the
area. Highly recommended. *8/10*

     FOXES BRASSERIE Smart, sophisticated brasserie in the High Street, next to JdM estate
agents. Nicely decorated inside, friendly, helpful staff, and varied selection on the menu.
The food is excellent. Astmosphere is relaxed, and you could wear jeans at lunchtime without
fear of feeling uncomfortable. The restaurant is central to other pubs and shops.
Highly recommended. We visited Foxes recently and couldn't fault it.
The food, service and in fact, whole experience was excellent. Due to many recent comments
from visitors to 'The Chislehurst Guide' concerning poor service and declining food quality, this
restaurant is down to a more average 6 out of 10.*6/10*

DENNY'S LOBSTER & OYSTER BAR Compact, quaint and bijou fish and shellfish restaurant.
Cosy atmosphere, a little romantic, but more homely. The food is very good, service
average. Being next to Chislehurst station, it's also very convenient. It's always wise to
phone ahead to reserve one of the very few tables inside, and to check the opening hours
and menu availability. Pick your table carefully, as you may find your fellow diners, and
staff bump into you repeatedly! Official website: http://www.dennysseafoodrestaurant.co.uk/

The address is as follows:
3, Station Approach Chislehurst, Kent, BR7 5NN Tel: 020 8467 5612 *7/10*

Tom Bell

TOM BELL (was Istanbul Restaurant) is a franchise, and appears to be managed
by the same people who run the Kebab take away next door, but I could be wrong.
The fish 'n' chips is above average, although I still prefer both
the food and the service at The Fish Shop in the High Street, which is
well established, and was previously a Tom Bell anyway. I have serious
doubts as to whether the Tom Bell will survive more than a year or so. *6/10*

Istanbul Kebab House

ISTANBUL KEBAB HOUSE is a take away situated in Belmont Parade,
opposite the Gordon Arms pub. I have visited this establishment three or four
times over the years, and have found it to be fairly pricy, although the food
is reasonable if all you want is a kebab. The service is generally surly and
matter-of-fact, rather than warm and friendly. Maybe they make more of
an effort for regular customers, of which I have never aspired to be. The
telephone number above the shop has had numbers missing for as long as I
can remember, and I wonder if that lack of attention to detail extends
to the kitchen. *4/10*

Address: 14, Belmont Parade, Green Lane
Chislehurst, Kent, BR7 6AN - Tel: 020 8402 0240

   

THE BENGAL LANCER Situated in Royal Parade, not far from The Bull's Head pub. This
restaurant is quite sophisticated, and caters for an upmarket clientele. The waiters and staff
wear smart uniforms, and there is usually a pianist on Friday and Saturday nights. The Bengal Lancer
is very popular, and tends to get very crowded, and the service suffers as a result. The food is
quite good, above average even, but not exceptional. The bill tends also to be above
average too. As the overall experience is merely above average, I have reflected
this in the ratings. *6/10*

Oyster Bar Oyster Bar Interior

TAPAS BAR High St, Chislehurst. This funny little place is no longer an
'Oyster Bar', and is back to just serving tapas?! Very odd. This establishment has changed
several times over the eleven years we have lived in Chislehurst, and again, having
looked at the Tapas Bar, The interior looks very dark, and despite signs
saying it was open at lunchtime, it was all locked-up and nobody was inside, which
isn't very inspiring. I will have to pop in to try out the food at some point,
and I expect this is more of an evening venue, so that's when I intend to visit.
In the meantime, please let us know what you think of the Tapas Bar.
*?/10*

Papa Charlie 
MOUNTAIN VIEW is a new Nepalese / Indian restaurant in the High Street.
A few of us visited on a Friday night recently, and found it hard to fault.
By using a clever raised area with a balustrade, the restaurant no
longer seems so dauntingly huge. The food was really excellent, and
beautifully presented. This isn't just an Indian restaurant, as it
makes a bigger impact than is usual, especially when the reasonable
prices are taken into consideration. The service is the only area
where there is room for improvement, as it's not entirely consistent,
and not always snappily efficient. It is, however, friendly.
Interestingly, this restaurant used to be the old police station,
which was closed in order to 'improve the service'. *8/10*

METZ RESTAURANT & BAR
Metz closed in July 2006 and has now gone for good.

  MIRAGE2
Cafe in the High Street, opposite the Queen's Head.  Visited in May 2008.
Good value, nicely-cooked wholesome English fare, fast and friendly service,
and they cater well for children and families.  Some of the food tastes quite processed,
so when you order burger and chips, bear in mind the very low price will reflect the
quality of the food.The Chestnut Cafe is only a couple of doors away, so you have
a choice of two cafes opposite Prickend Pond.  *6/10*

THE CHESTNUT CAFE
Opposite the Queen's Head.  Top quality cafe, lovely food and fast, efficient and
friendly service.  Their sandwiches are the best in the business!  Their breakfasts are famous
in the area, and offer easily the best value. One of the dead giveaways that this is a top
cafe, if the combination of being always busy, and the 'steamed-up windows'. Their sandwiches
are among the best available in the area. *9/10*

ABABIL INDIAN TAKE AWAY Green Lane, New Eltham. Yes I know - it's not a restaurant, and
it's not in Chislehurst. However, they do provide the best home delivery service in the area.
Generally, the food is delivered on time, and is very good indeed - but allow an hour and
a half on Friday and Saturday nights. Another victim of their own success? *8/10*

THE BICKLEY HALL HOTEL
Large, imposing building in Bickley.  Good service, cosy bar, food is high quality.
Sunday lunch is well-presented, if a tad expensive, but then I suppose that is to
be expected in surroundings such as these.  There are nice woodland walks nearby,
so when you have finished dining, you may work off those calories.  *6/10*

THE FISH SHOP High Street, Next door to Shaon. Another take away, but it's
easily the best fish 'n' chips shop for miles! Quick, efficient and friendly service,
and the fish is usually freshly cooked while you wait. Slightly higher prices than
normal, but then the food is way above average, and you get large portions.*7/10*

THE COURTYARD 1 Old Hill Chislehurst Kent BR7 5LZ Tel: 020 8325 7526
A very pleasant little restaurant situated behind the Imperial Arms pub in
converted Georgian stables. Wooden beams accentuate a high ceiling. Good,
attentive service, but only a few tables so booking is an absolute necessity.
The food is not as good as it used to be. The price of drinks remains an
issue at The Courtyard, and beer in particular is a rip-off, which is a shame.
Overall though, this little restaurant is worth a visit. *6/10*

THAI ON THE HILL is situated above The Lounge pub on White Horse Hill.
A nice restaurant owned and managed by the same people who run The Courtyard.
Attentive service, but only a few tables, so booking is an absolute necessity.
The food is similar to what you will find at The Courtyard. Some of the clientele can be
a little rowdy, so ask in advance if any large parties are due around the time you book
your table.*7/10*


UDAIPUR is a small Indian restaurant and take away in Old Hill, opposite The Bickley
and not far from the Chislehurst Caves. It is currently being refurbished,and will be
re-opening soon (18th May 2009). I have always found the food and service to be A1.
I believe this restaurant will be renamed 'Chilli Dal' when it re-opens. *?/10*

MRS BRIDGES KITCHEN is a very popular cafe, opposite The Bickley and the station approach.
There is a good range of breakfasts available, and you always get good helpings. The sullen service is
famous locally, but the main thing is the quality of the food and the convenient location ensures
ongoing success. Depending on the time of day, you will find builders, van drivers, executives,
estate agents, and quite often, me enjoying breakfast at Mrs Bridges Kitchen. *8/10*

The above reviews are my personal opinion, based on personal experiences, so naturally
I can't be held responsible for yours! However, I will attempt to add more information,
and phone numbers, addresses etc. in due course. If you have any views on the above pubs
(or others in the Chislehurst area), then feel free to email them to me.
I may (or may not!) decide to include your review - Rob Holman.

 

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