Fine Dining with Local Produce

If you're looking for a formal dining experience, The Corner House is a beacon for food enthusiasts with a menu that celebrates modern British cuisine and locally sourced ingredients and is praised by locals and national critics alike. If you are looking for a taste of the sea, Chapman's Seafood Restaurant is brimming with the freshest catches sourced from local waters, from succulent lobster and delicate crab to perfectly grilled fish. 

The Cook's Tale is a jewel on Canterbury's foodie map with fine-dining Asian fusion dishes expertly crafted and created by an award-winning team. The elegant restaurant is a wonderful place to entertain or for a romantic date, and is sure to set your soul aflame with flavour.

One of Canterbury's most popular landmarks with a twist, The Goods Shed is a 6-day a week farmers market - with a restaurant that will blow your mind. Housed in a former railway shed next to Canterbury West train station, the menu is built around the fresh produce selected from the market's veg stall, butchery and fishmongers and you can dine while people-watching in this stunning Victorian warehouse. 

A Taste of the Mediterranean

A popular choice for pizza lovers seeking a taste of Italy in Canterbury, Chapter serves up delicious wood-fired sourdough pizza. With its thin-crust pizzas topped with fresh ingredients and flavourful sauces, this restaurant has a warm and idyllic ambience that is perfect for get-togethers and date nights. Enjoy authentic Neapolitan cuisine at Posillipo on the King’s Mile. The upscale but warm ambience offers guests an array of fine wines to be paired with a delicious menu that showcases a variety of pastas, pizzas and antipasti. Café du Soleil, with its wood-fired cuisine, produces mouthwatering dishes with everything from bread and pasta to cured meats made in-house.   

Spanish restaurant, El Sol is a great spot for tapas lovers, with incredible fresh flavours and delightful drinks in colourful surroundings. The Pound also offers delicious Spanish-inspired Tapas made freshly in-house, using fantastic local suppliers like the traditional family butcher based just a stone’s throw from their kitchen door. The Olive Grove offers a full mix of Mediterranean and Turkish cuisine indoors and outdoors. A La Turka is renowned for its delicious Turkish menu with two venues in the city - head to their St Dunstan's branch on a warm summer's night and you will find that you are dining under the stars, thanks to their retractable ceiling. We also have the fantastic Mezze Bar & Grill, providing customers with traditional Turkish recipes using the fresh local ingredients - enjoy!

Spice up your night 

Next stop Latin America  - those in the know go loco for one of the city's most popular foodie spots - Cafe des Amis, a vibrant Mexican restaurant known for its bold flavours and warm atmosphere. From sizzling fajitas to cheesy quesadillas and refreshing margaritas, Cafe des Amis offers a taste of Mexico right next to the River Stour. Las Iguanas is a popular restaurant offering a modern take on traditional Mexican cuisine, with a lively atmosphere full of loud colours and two-for-one cocktails every day of the year. 

How about a taste of the Caribbean? Saint Smokey’s is an authentic family-run BBQ house, with a Caribbean twist. Serving their infamous, signature homemade ‘Saint Smokey’s BBQ sauce’ and freshly prepared grilled BBQ chicken. Speaking of Chicken, Canterbury's local branch of Nandos offers two floors of seating for all party sizes, ready to welcome you with their famous Peri-Peri chicken.

If you are looking for as taste of Africa, head to Northgate and visit Chingah Habesha. This Eritrean and Ethiopian restaurant provides home cooked, beautifully presented, delicious meals. They have various meat and vegetarian dishes, served with the essential injera bread to soak it up. 

Take a trip to India with The Kashmir Tandoori, situated in a beautiful medieval building on Palace Street, has been serving the residents of Canterbury delicious Bangladeshi and Indian food since 1966.

Or celebrate a fusion of the best of East and West at The Korean Cowgirl. This very popular restaurant blends subtlety-spiced oriental cuisine with the big, brash smoked BBQs of the Texas Panhandle. Think slow-cooked brisket, spicey chicken wings, sticky ribs and delicious drinks. 

Enjoy East Asian Delights

Pho brings the flavours of Vietnam to Canterbury with its fragrant starters and sides that are perfect for sharing, fried rice and noodle dishes and delicious Pho.  Mister Miyagi’s Sushi offers classic Japanese cuisine with its sushi rolls, bento boxes, and Izakaya-style small plates. If you fancy trying to learn how to make sushi, they offer classes that might get you addicted to making it at home!

With a shop entrance that looks right out of the streets of Kyoto, Happy Samurai is a hidden gem specialising in Japanese cuisine. They prioritise creating meals just like ones you would see in Japan, with freshly prepared ingredients every day. The ramen, Izakaya and sushi on the menu are a healthy and tasty choice for a night out.

Tamago, Canterbury's independent, authentic Japanese soul food restaurant is tucked away along Northgate and is a great place to stop off while exploring the city's creative quarter. Alternatively - head over to the opulent surroundings of Sekkoya at the Riverside complex for Pan-Asian small plates, big dishes and elegant cocktails. 

Fast Food to Enjoy Slowly

Next stop - the USA! Chuck and Blade Burgers is a popular spot for burger enthusiasts, offering an award-winning selection of gourmet burgers made with locally sourced beef and served on freshly baked buns. From classic cheeseburgers to inventive creations like the BBQ bacon burger, diners can enjoy a juicy and satisfying meal in a casual and laid-back setting. You might think that pizza is only Italian, but Square Peg Pizza showcases how the locals of Detroit turned it into a whole new dish! Try the rectangular-shaped pizza with a thick and chewy Sicilian crust and bubbly cheese. Notorious BRG specialises in delicious burger dishes, fries and mac & cheese. They also offer a very well stocked vegan menu that centres around the idea that vegan food shouldn’t be an afterthought. With limited seating inside, this a great spot to pick up a burger and enjoy in the park with friends.