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Detail Pages
Halfway House, Tonbridge
Brenchley
Postal town: Tonbridge
TN12 7AX
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 9½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Halfway House
Been here many times over the years, and it has always been a great place for quality beer as well as meals. Haven't been able to get inside the very attractive, traditional, multi-room interior on our last couple of visits due to coronavirus restrictions, but the pub benefits from a huge beer garden that now has plenty of tables under cover as well out in the open. Other facilities include two outside bar counters, an external kitchen and servery for some of the food options and a barbers! In this visit, we found six real ales being served by gravity - the 'house' Brenchley Bitter and Horsmonden Pale, Goachers Fine Light, Kent Session Pale, Long Man Best and Tonbridge Rustic (all priced at £3.80) - with six local ciders also available. Remains a destination pub, always worth seeking out.
On 5th May 2021
- rating: 9
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about Halfway House
Now this is a country pub that is well worth seeking out and it gets a rare 10 from me. A seemingly unspoilt traditional building (or two buildings?), it features wood in many aspects: beams, pillars, floors, tables. The beer is served directly from several barrels on a stillage immediately behind the bar, by a barman who clearly knows his regular customers well. Beers are listed on a blackboard above the bar, and all are priced at £3.40 a pint. My pint of Tonbridge Rustic was absolutely gorgeous, a beautifully dark traditional bitter in superb condition - I was glad that I had asked for a pint rather than the half I would normally have when cycling. This was my beer of the week, by a fair distance. And my pub of the year, so far.
On 12th May 2019
- rating: 10
[User has posted 3745 recommendations about 3482 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
. Wittenden left this review about Halfway House
A pleasant old brick built pub, set at an angle to the road in a suntrap in the Isle of Wight area of Brenchley in the Weald of Kent.The entrance to the bar is to the side,through a door vaguely reminiscent of a 1950’s village hall.Inside, tables and chairs, a fine fireplace and the finest stillage imaginable,holding casks of, on our visit at the start of April a good selection of beers from Kent and further afield. The main body of the pub is comprised of little rooms and cubby holes, mostly laid up for dining,on different levels.Brick floors,exposed studwork.
Early on a sunny Sunday, most tables were reserved or taken, so we sat outside in the Adults Garden,at a remove from the family area.This area is home to the regular beer exhibitions hosted by the pub. The food was good,pleasantly served,though we mainly had starters, as I recall. Being part of my Goacher’s weekend, I stuck with their Fine Light and Goldstar,served by gravity,in my opinion the only way to serve Kentish beer. The Fine Light wasn’t as crisp and nettley as I’ve drunk it in the past, but the Goldstar was a revelation:stone fruit, biscuit malt and the undying grasp of Kent Goldings.
For a pub so near home, I don’t know why we hadn’t been there before:plans are already being laid for a return match.
On 14th May 2012
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 283 recommendations about 282 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Halfway House
After a long day spent walking in the Kent countryside we made our way to the Halfway House for some much needed hearty food and liquid refreshment. Whilst I was aware of the pub's fine reputation for good beer, I was not ready for the amazing multi-room, multi-level traditional country pub interior that all but took our breath away on entry. The eye is captured by a complex array of beams, pillars, shelves, supports and ledges which are adorned with pump clips, photos, miniature pub signs, books, farm and tradesman tools, beer bottles, hops and various other bits of brewerania. There are lots of different rooms, with the bar on what appears to be the highest level and several other areas, mostly being used by diners on this Saturday evening visit, spreading out down steps and along passageways. One room has some unusual bench seating with ledges along the tables, just above head height, whilst another is dominated by a large fireplace. There were at least two smaller, snug-like rooms that I spotted and a large beer garden provides even more seating and a children's play area.
All of the beers are served from stilage behind the bar counter and these are detailed on a blackboard at one end of the bar. We had a choice of Goachers Light Ale, Westerham 1965, Ushers 1836, Old Dairy Copper Top, Skinners Betty Stogs, Rother Valley Mild, King's Red River and a house beer called Halfway to Paradise. The Copper Top was fantastic and others in the group enjoyed the Goachers. Food is also listed on a blackboard in this area and apparently the menu changes relatively frequently. I tried the duck which came with a haggis and black pudding potato cake which, despite being a bit of an odd combination, was very tasty. The staff were all incredibly welcoming and the young lad who waited on our table was very helpful in sorting out a mistake with our order. I noticed a sign outside detailing an upcoming May Bank Holiday beer festival which will have 60 beers and should be a great day out.
I thought this place just about had everything you could want in a pub - a wonderful old interior, great food and beer, a lively atmosphere and friendly staff and locals. I'm very tempted to give a 10 out of 10 rating, but I usually reserve those for pubs that have stood up to repeat visits, so for now, based on my only visit, this is a very, very good 9 out of 10.
On 27th April 2011
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rich Gibbs left this review about Halfway House
Wonderful old-fashioned pub in a beautiful location. Great ale and food. 10/10.
On 28th March 2011
- rating: 10
[User has posted 35 recommendations about 35 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john mcgraw left this review about Halfway House
A classic pub for the real ale drinker.One small bar with several different rooms and up to about 10 real ales direct from the cask.Winner of CAMRA awards.You can't go wrong here.
On 7th September 2009
- rating: 10
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
train man left this review about Halfway House
Gorgeous rustic bar to right with some ancient timbers & hop-adorned rafters, original blackened wood floor, wood burning fire, decorated with old tools, bric-a-brac, brasses, old pump clips, the feel of an old farm building. All beer served by gravity, 16 stills behind wood cask fascias at bar, 8 were in action ystdy, listed above bar and on individual boards above each still; Goachers Fine Light, & Best Dark, Rother Valley Mild, Harveys Best, Westerham 1965, Wyre Pea in the Pod, the splendid Halfway to Paradise, plus local Chiddingstone cider (7.5%), all were in top shape, £2.40-£2.80. Some chunky wooden tables as you enter, where some were enjoying lunch and, beyond the bar, a window from which is visible the large, well-tended garden with picnic sets. Most at the bar seemed to know each other and timing may be key in grabbing a barstool (I did) but there is plenty of space elsewhere; descend from the bar, past piano, into adjacent building (main brick bldg when photo appears) for lots of seating incl a bench & table hewn from very old wood, beyond this a smaller room seating 12ish almost privately, up a coupla steps to more seating with fabric settles & rustic wood tables (nb the country mural with oasthouse-size carthorse), still another room beyond this set for slightly more formal dining. Must be popular for food, I overheard the barman advise a phonecaller that they were fully booked last nt &, unusually, I had a bite to eat and the homemade burger with blue cheese, proper large chips & salad was very good indeed, £8, and last night's specials included a choice of 4 curries, 2 for £9.50. I wouldn't fancy walking down from Brenchley as the traffic really belts along dangerously, but the 297 from Tunbridge Wells (£4.70 rtn) stops immediately outside. If I rtn with others for the 24-26May beerfest (45 beers, all £2.80, daily spit-roast), Paddock Wood then taxi would be a little quicker. One of the pub signs proclaims Isle of Wight, Brenchley, apparently due to surrounding road system being shaped like IOW. Sorry to ramble but thoroughly good visit, highly recommended.
On 9th May 2008
- rating: 9
[User has posted 412 recommendations about 411 pubs]