The Ambrette

The dishes served at The Ambrette restaurants are testament to the rich blend of experiences and influences that feature on the CV of head chef and owner, Dev Biswal. Named Kent’s chef of the year in 2015, Dev’s career has taken him from the kitchens of Dubai’s top hotels, where he prepared classical French cuisine, to the heart of London and its fusion of global cuisine and cooking techniques. He has now settled in the Kentish countryside, where he serves the best local produce sourced from the fields and coastline just a few miles from his restaurants.

The Ambrette serves innovative and generous plates of fusion cuisine, blending local produce with aromatic spices and flavours. In addition to a popular à la carte menu that features renowned dishes favoured by the UK’s top food critics, regular multi-course tasting menus give diners the opportunity to discover Kent’s seafood offering, learn about the health benefits of spices and try exotic meats.

Part of the ethos at The Ambrette is that innovative, fine dining should be enjoyed in a relaxed atmosphere. The service is attentive yet discreet; the tables are generously spaced, giving plenty of privacy, and diners are encouraged to take time over their food and discuss the dishes with the chefs who created them.

When I visited, I tried the ten-course tasting menu, which opened with an amuse-bouche of pork with pea chutney and sea spinach. This dish raised my expectations for the starters, my favourite being clove-smoked wood pigeon with rosemary- and cinnamon-poached peach. For the main course my companion opted for slow-cooked, melt-in-the-mouth grilled mutton paired with pickled carrots and masala potatoes and was thoroughly impressed. The tasting menu allowed me to sample two main courses: sea bass with South Indian spices, followed by venison loin with spiced beetroot and pickled pears. I couldn’t possibly pick a favourite. After a shot of popping candy granita, the desserts arrived and were just as outstanding as the preceding courses, particularly the mango and vanilla crème brûlée.