Tudor Rose, Sittingbourne

The Tudor Rose is found on the less than desirable Chestnut Street that runs alongside the A249, much like a slip road. Visiting late on a recent Tuesday evening I had to walk down the long unlit road past a few parked cars that had occupants in them, best not to think about it. This is a Shepherd Neame pub with an L-shaped front bar and additional extension on the rear that is used as a dining area. I was the only customer in the bar, but there was a young family in the restaurant, although they left halfway through my visit leaving me as the only customer. The staff were friendly enough, but were busy cleaning up. Standard keg and Birri Moretti were available, and two of the three hand pumps were in operation drawing Masterbrew and Late Red, the letter being decent. The pub’s location means that it has embraced food as its major selling point. The cheapest thing on the gastro specials board was the king prawn and smoked salmon linguine for £17.25, which is top end for the area. I thought it was pleasant enough in here and I’d be happy to drop in for lunch on pay day, but I wouldn’t go just for a drink again.