The Restoration, Sevenoaks

Located right in the heart of Sevenoaks town centre, the Restoration (formerly the Black Boy) is a smart food-led pub with a decent outdoor drinking area. The pub is quite old, but from what I saw of the interior, you wouldn’t really know this, as it’s been given a typical contemporary makeover, making it look much like any other corporate dining pub. The furniture appeared to be pretty good in terms of quality and variety, whilst the modern floorboards and plain painted walls help to ramp up the ‘mediocrity-factor’ even further. Having visited during the ‘outdoor-drinking only’ phase of the government’s roadmap, these were fairly fleeting impressions that may well change were I actually allowed to sit inside in a room full of other customers. The pub benefits from being situated on the junction of two pedestrian passageways, which has afforded the management the chance to spread out their al-fresco seating in a way that other town centre pubs appeared to be struggling to do. Several rows of decent garden furniture radiate out from the main entrance area, with some under a broad shelter with decorative filigree supports, that runs along one side of the pub. We’d called here for some lunch, having been impressed with the menu on their website, so were a little disappointed to find that they were only doing sandwiches since reopening, due to uncertainty over the weather/demand for food. They had managed to get some ales on though, with a choice between Shepherd Neame Master Brew and Spitfire offering a degree of pleasure to cask-starved customers. The Spitfire was a hefty £4.55 for a pint but was in very good condition and slipped down nicely, despite being far from a personal favourite. My sandwich was okay but the loaded chips we also ordered were a bit of a soggy mess and didn’t get finished. The pub’s best asset appears to be its staff, of whom three or four crossed our path whilst we were here, all of whom were incredibly friendly and helpful. I can’t really pretend to have seen this pub in the best light, but a few things stuck out to me. Firstly, the pub has a pretty generic corporate look to it, which is not to say that it’s unpleasant, just that you’ve seen it all before. Secondly, the beer range is Sheps, so your milage will vary based on your fondness for this particular brewery – for me, it marks the pub out as a better option for food than for a session on the beer. Finally, they scored a big win on the customer service front and no doubt will get a lot of repeat custom on the back of it. Overall, I didn’t mind the pub and would give it another go to check the interior out properly.

Official site of The Restoration - www.therestoration.pub

Official site of The Restoration - www.therestoration.pub

My pet hate.... waiting at the bar, bar staff busy sorting out Ice Cream orders, and they don't even bother to acknowledge you. Lovely looking external - bright, gastro internal - three beers from Shepherds Neame. I know... I had ten minutes to look at the them, whilst holding a £20 aloft in the hope they might swap it for something. Left, disgruntled, and went next door. Visit blogged at http://bit.ly/2G6jH6n

From my time living here in the early 2000, this was a pub which had a board outside taking great pains to point out that the name wasn't intended as a racial slur but was historic. This was a pleasant pub, clearly aimed at those with a bit more money to spend. I'd return if passing.

This is what looks like an old Shepherd Neame pub that I can find no reference to in a Kent beer guide from over twenty years ago. It looks the real deal from the outside It's set just off the High Street with a fairly substantial sheltered outside area that overlooks the pedestrianised shopping street. Inside it is a single room, not that large compared to the size of the building with wooden floors and three hand pumps on the bar. These had the seasonal Early Bird, Spitfire and Whitstable Bay Pale. I went for the Pale (£3.65) which was in very good nick but a tad on the expensive side. I though this place was reasonable enough but maybe a bit trendy for me.