Nestled on the backstreets away from the hustle and bustle of the busy high street lies a hidden gem. A must-visit; well worth the trip to the historic town, if its crumbling castles and long-standing history with some of the greats’ hadn’t already enticed you. The Corner House, Canterbury–its underwhelming exterior keeps the secret, best-kept. Inside you can expect bright lights, spacious seating and the most atmospheric dining room that has recently been renovated bringing it well and truly into the 21st century. Donned in deep turquoise and gold and antique wooden details, overlooking the beautiful garden that extends the venue's seating to well over 50, carefully dotted with wild plants and home-grown herbs. Lavender lines the side of the building, allowing a beautiful summer aroma to fill the room as you sip on a welcome cocktail: a raspberry based prosecco for me, a mint-laden mojito for my guest with discerning tastes who never veers too far away from the classics.

The restaurant, surprisingly busy for a random Monday night, but you wouldn’t know it if you didn’t lift your head away from the delicious morsels placed in front of you for more than a moment to look around. The ambiance hushed... not rushed. With welcoming and friendly staff delighted to chat about their favourite wines on the menu to ensure you pick only the best. Over the shoulder of the maitre de, happy couples packed with bottles of said wine paired with sharing platters - resulting in a lot of smiles and happy bellies - and hopefully, returning customers. ”[Although] we get a lot of walk-ins” Emma May, Opps Manager comments when discussing the full covers for the night. After Matt Sworder, Chef Owner and cookbook author proudly sitting on my shelf at home, decided to close his first site in Minster to allow the Canterbury restaurant to operate up to 80 covers a day with all day trading. “It was of course disappointing to close my first restaurant” Matt states, “but the extension at Canterbury heralds a new era for the Corner House. Its location brings so many exciting opportunities and enables us to grow… [and] I’m absolutely delighted with the [new] design and can’t wait to welcome our wonderful guests” And with the international footfall Canterbury is known for it’s no surprise they are seated with guests from France, to Spain, and beyond, we learn as we chat to the guests beside us while awaiting our starters.

A dressed heritage tomato salad with miso whipped tofu and a goat's cheese mousse with confit carrot and pickled raisins. “The kitchen works around the covers,” explains May. Which is why “you will only find one hot starter on the menu; the rest cold” A note we failed to notice when presented with a plethora of delightful choices. On the salad, the umami of the seeds with their expected crunch added a new level of depth and enjoyment. The tofu lacked the miso it promised but the sweetness of their heirloom tomatoes made up for it. A reflection of this slightly missed flavour yet outstanding in the rest of the dish was present in the carrot starter also, which was perfectly smooth and balanced, with sweet raisins that had a delightful tang (and probably my new favourite addition to dishes that I’ve replicated at home). The truffle, like the miso, was subtle and was left searching for on the palette but I guess it allowed the other flavours to shine, so no complete unhappiness here (or lingering truffle taste into the early hours of the next morning). The cold dishes clearly do not make a difference in choice and set the meal up for a wonderful start. “We work around our chefs' skills so they can truly focus on the mains and desserts” May continued, and they did not disappoint.

A shared main of lamb shoulder caught our eye and presented us with a fall off the bone centrepiece accompanied by seasonal vegetables showcasing their ethos of simple done well. Dauphanoise was served family style and an extra jug of sticky rich jus was a welcome addition. Most are stingy drizzling and dotting just a thin line across the plate (but well within their rights given the time and effort that goes into creation). Not a complaint here, apart from the portion being too large. The guilt crept in as I added yet another spoon of creamy garlicky potato to my pate - and dessert had already started calling my name.

I live by the motto that you can always tell a place or chef’s worth by the quality of their vanilla ice cream, and their tonka bean variety was right on the mark. A decent base to work from and their ginger variant definitely elevates their knowledge of flavour blocks and profiles. The Sticky Date and Ale Pudding which accompanied the spiced heat of the ginger ice cream was both sticky and moist and of course, completely moorish. Following suit from the mains - the portion being a little on the larger side - but is that really a complaint? And probably the only one we could find for the entirety of the evening. Which equals a win in my eyes.

The ice cream was an extra portion ordered alongside my actual dessert (all in the name of research, right?) - a dark chocolate mousse that could give Areo a run for their money. It disappeared far too quickly as my subconscious kept reaching back for more, never letting myself prepare for the ‘final bite’ to savour its incredible rich yet light flavour that hit all the right spots. The plating was a little old school for my liking, but the homemade honeycomb that had just the right bite between sticky and crunchy made the dish a standout one.

It’s a rare occurrence to find a spot so brilliant that the only complaint you really had was they were offering too much of their delicious food and I’m slightly against sharing this review for fear of not being able to book a seat next time I need a Corner House fix again.

This was a comped meal on the base of a review - but all thoughts and opinions are of the writers with no influence from the brand.

A Rare Gem: The Corner House, Canterbury

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