The Dining Room at the Railway Hotel

After years in culinary exile as an underwhelming station hotel (Faversham Station is across the road) the Railway has teamed up with a pair of ambitious, talented chefs & now its dining room has a big reputation locally. While the decor – lots of natural daylight, mismatched tables & chairs, a plain wooden floor & quirky chandeliers – tick all the gastropub boxes, the upmarket menu aims higher. Seasonal & imaginative, the repertoire is built around great produce from local growers, producers & foragers. Translated, this means starters of intensely flavoured butternut squash soup with homemade bread, or Chislet mushroom pancake with parmesan froth & a stunning wild salad, while mains include a deeply satisfying autumn cassoulet with herb dumplings & a delicious seared sea bream with fragrant Thai risotto, Asian basil broth & wilted pak choy. Service is charming but the international wine list could do with more choices by the glass.