Hengist

Name: Hengist
Telephone: 01622885800
Price range: £30 - £49
Rating: 1

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British, Gastropub·

££££

2 Reviews

Aylesford, Kent, ME20 7AX ·Website·Call01622885800

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Overview
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Average Price

££££ - £30 - £49

Cuisines

British, Gastropub

About

The Hengist is set in a 16th Century building in the heart of Aylesford village.
With a downstairs brasserie, two separate upstairs fine dining rooms, and champagne bar, the Hengist is a versatile destination offering the very best of British cooking, served in refined surroundings.

To the rear, The Hengist has a garden with stream, offering separate outside dining and drinking areas.

Location

7-9 High Street, Aylesford, Kent, ME20 7AX

01622885800 01622885800

Website

Reviews

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2 Reviews

Food/Drink

Service

Atmosphere

Value

Anon

12 March 2023

Food & Drink 0.5

Service 0.5

Atmosphere 1

Value 0.5

DISASTROUS EXPERIENCE 12th FEBRUARY 2022

CONDENSED COPY OF EMAIL SENT TO HENGIST (BUT IGNORED)

Two of my friends had a Birthday in January, so I suggested The Hengist for a Sunday roast lunch for 8 of us. I had checked that there was a menu which included either 2 or 3 courses for a set price. On arrival at 12.30, we were handed a menu which wasn’t the set menu I’d seen online. The young lady said this was the only menu which had a roast dinner choice, and that we could add a starter and a dessert for an extra price. I was quite embarrassed at this, as this put the cost up for a three course meal considerably. So 4 of us chose a starter and/or a dessert, whilst the rest of us only had the main course of the roast. We ordered one bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc (approximately £38), two bottles of Yellow Tail red wine and some beers. The scallop starters were three small shrivelled offerings grouped in the centre of a large plate, looking nothing like the online picture. However nobody complained as we could see the young staff were very busy as they also had a party upstairs to look after. Then the roast dinners were brought out, and at first I sat waiting for the vegetables as there just looked to be slices of lamb on top of two halves of soggy roast potatoes, and a handful of frozen peas thrown over the top. I asked for the vegetables that were described on the menu, to be told they were underneath this pile of food that looked like leftovers scraped onto a plate after Sunday lunch. When I looked, there were two baby carrots that looked like they were either frozen, or out of a tin. A few tiny squares of cabbage, and a tablespoon of some beige coulis. The “wine Jus” was congealed round the edge of the plate as if the whole thing had been kept under warming lights. All the roasts were served the same way, with a rubbery Yorkshire pudding plonked on the top. Two of us had to ask for a steak knife to remove the gristle from the pork and lamb, and to cut into the tough Yorkshire pudding. We then had to ask for a side plate to put all the fat and gristle from both the lamb and the pork, which then looked like another small meal! Once again we didn’t complain as we didn’t want to spoil the atmosphere of our get together. We ordered a second bottle of the same New Zealand wine as the one we’d had previously. The young lady brought up the bottle and put it straight into the wine cooler. It wasn’t until I picked up the bottle to unscrew the top, that one of the ladies realised it wasn’t the same as the first one. She recognised the green screw top as being one she'd bought in Tesco which she hadn't enjoyed. We pointed this out only to be told they’d run out of the first one but this was still a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc! We sent it back untouched, We then were told we’d have to vacate the table by 2.30 as they had another booking booked for 3pm. The waiter then dropped a used knife and fork from his tray into my friend's lap. He was so embarrassed, he uttered a quick apology and rushed off, leaving the dirty utensils in her lap. We paid £57 each towards the total of £456 for inferior food and service. It appeared that the young waiting staff were untrained in serving supposedly high quality food, and didn’t know the menus enough to realise there was a set meal on your website for 2 or 3 courses far cheaper! Any change in the availability of a previously ordered wine should be advised of, rather than just assuming another brand would do. Also dropping food or used utensils onto a diner’s lap should be addressed, and dealt with professionally. I think your kitchen was overstretched due to the extra party upstairs , and had taken shortcuts in keeping food hot before serving, causing all the roasts to be soggy with tough Yorkshires.
I also wasn't told on booking by phone, that it would be only a 2 hour slot.
I therefore suggest a refund of £20 per person would be acceptable to placate myself and my guests, totalling £160. Which could be credited to the the Debit card of Mr X who paid £171 of the total. He will then disperse the refund amongst us all.

DESPITE SENDING REMINDERS SINCE THIS EXPERIENCE MY COMPLAINT HAS BEEN IGNORED

Anon

14 February 2022

Food & Drink 0.5

Service 0.5

Atmosphere 0.5

Value 0.5

A JOKE ** YOU NEED TO READ THIS ** > THE HENGIST VILLAGE BAR & DINING ROOMS AKA THE HENGIST - MODERN RESTAURANT AND BAR

REVIEW MADE 14TH FEB 2022

**** YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED *****

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR £££££££

** You really need to read this ** > if your thinking of going here !!!!

Complete and utter rip off, managed via utterly incompetent people.

-------------------

Well… where do i start, my wife and i had been gifted as a 25th wedding gift, a red letter day from our children.

We looked through the red letter website for somewhere close to enjoy a meal out and come across the HENGIST. all the website images ticked the correct boxes, a place not to miss, HOW WRONG WAS WE !!!!

FIRSTLY >
We called and booked a table the where upon we was asked to refine our dinning time to a 15min window, what a joke the place had many empty tables around us during the evening ?

SECONDLY >
We arrived on time for our table booking and found the reception area ( unmanned ), after standing here for around 8min a very young man appeared from a door way like Mr Ben.

We told him our names and booking time and presented him with the red letter gift. this gift covered the following> 3 course meal with 2x glasses of med size wine.
Now the fun starts, this only covers… a starter to £9 / a main meal to £20 / a desert to £7, just about everything on the overpriced menu is well over these prices.

We were lead to a number of table’s and told to choice where you like to sit ( really packed out then ) we took our seats and viewed the paper menu. meanwhile a table of 4x walked in after us and was seated, their drink & starter orders were taken immediately.

** 30 minutes later ** after watching the service staff standing around looking like rabbits in a cars head lights, We were asked would you like a drink. My wife had one of the included med wines i asked for cold ale, the young lad had to go off and ask what beers they had, not being on the menu ? We ordered our drinks which took another 15 to 20min min to be delivered.

During the drink delivery the service staff asked if we’d like to order food now !!! We’ve now been sitting here well over 45min.

Our starter and main course orders were taken. meanwhile my wife & i watched the table of 4x eating your starters & then having their main courses delivered, while we has only just ordered our starters.

** LETS TOUCH ON THIS TOO **

i had scallops @ £12.50p utter rip off, simply disgusting overpriced 3x small scallops outrageous !!!! I've given more to my Cat, my wife has the potted crab etc with bead this was almost ok but again way to small.

So…… My wife & i have now had a drink from the bar and a starter this has taken well over 2 hrs to complete.

Another 40 minutes passes, the table of 4x are now drinking coffee having all had their deserts. By magic Mr ben appeared again with our main course meals. However he couldn’t serve these main meals to use due to no one had cleared the starter plates we had sat looking at for over 40min. He had to place the main meal food on another table next to us, remove the dirty plates then serve us the main meals simply unbelievable !!!

Well here we go again MORE RIP OFFS !!! My steak was £35 remember the red letter gift covers only £20 my wife had the same meal.

The steaks where ** NO WAY ** outstanding, I’ve had better in a beefeater, the chips i could count on one hand, no veg other than a small mushroom and tomato @ £35 each who the hell thinks this is value added serving up this substandard food at these prices.

My wife & I have now eaten our main meals and watched the table of 4 pick up their coats and leave ** after ** their full 3 course meals. We’ve been seated in this HENGIST for over 3hrs now.

SO… TO OUR DESERTS.

We sat another 20min looking at our empty glasses and plates, this time i went to find a server they’d all vaporised… After a good look around i found a young lad again standing looking totally void of any urgency and told him “ IS THERE ANY CHANCE THIS SIDE OF MIDNIGHT “ someone could take our desert orders, his response was ohhh yes sorry we a bit busy ( what standing there looking at the wall ).

Our deserts where delivered much faster this time, WAIT FOR IT !!!! ….. Yes this was also a total joke, we had no cutlery, instead of a desert fork my wife & i where give tea spoons !! The deserts where both over £7 and so small i had issues finding it on the plate.

We eat these deserts, got our coats on AND AGAIN !! WENT TO FIND SOMEONE to settle whatever bill we had over the red letter gift.
We’ve been here over 4hrs !!!! & I’m watching the staff take out the back door black bin liners of rubbish as they’re about to close up !!!!!

THE BILL > NOW IT GETS REALLY GOOD !!!

A very young girl gave me the bill at the till for £118, i gave this back, that’s not right, we have a red letter gift we’ve handed in over 4hrs ago !!

she altered the bill again this time charging us for the free 2x med wines @ £13, again i gave the bill back, it’s still wrong, she disappeared and returned with the heavy gang some young lad who got onto the cash till and an older chap standing there like some 1960’s Kray twin hard man with his arms crossed.

This time the bill was almost correct, i gave the bill back for the 3rd time and said “ You can take off that 12.5% service charge” ** You think I’m paying that after a 4hr+ 3 course meal your very MISTAKEN **

THIS HAS TO BE THE WORST PLACE I HAVE EVER EATING IN,

its simply beyond a joke, to be frank anyone that uses this place… needs their heads looked at.

if there was ever a place that needs GORDON RAMSAY’S HELP…. this is it !!!

a complete and utter rip off, managed via utterly incompetent people.

**** YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED *****

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR £££££££

The best thing that could happen to this outrageous place is….

It goes under, and someone else runs it..... Maybe a NEW Beefeater.