Terms & Conditions of Business and General Policies & Information
Liability absolute limitation: We accept no liability whatsoever for guests, children of guests, visitors, drivers you engage, your possessions or your vehicles and you accept that when you book with us and when you visit our restaurant or garden or premises for any reason. The gates are electrically locked when all booked guests have arrived, so your vehicles should be secure but we do not guarantee this nor do we accept any liability.
Booking: by booking with us you are deemed to have accepted these Terms & Conditions of business and General Policies in full including our liability absolute limitation. The most recent T&Cs published on our current website always apply and all prior T&Cs are automatically superseded.
Guest Numbers: We typically limit reservations to 12/14 for normal daily service but our team can easily serve up to 24 by arrangement.
Deposits: We require a reservation deposit of £35 per person on booking or £50 per person if booking within a week of your dining date. Additional guests require an additional deposit. Deposits give us assurance that you are serious about coming to dine with us and discourages the unfortunate practice of a few people who book multiple restaurants then cancel some at short notice (or simply don't arrive), and more importantly for us we order premium ingredients well in advance, and we always pay our suppliers immediately. The deposit system means we have assurance on guest numbers and helps us to keep our prices reasonable for a superb experience, and we back this up by having pre-ordered menus which achieve almost zero food waste as we know exactly what we will be cooking for you. Deposits are not refundable unless we can re-sell the table for the same number of places (or more) on that day, which we try to do - though it is impossible if you cancel on the day. As we often get booked a long way in advance cancellations for the table or diner numbers within 28 calendar days of the reservation date are not refundable unless we are able to sell your places to people on our waiting list. However, you can usually use your deposit for a future booking within the following 12 months. Deposits are not refundable in any case if we have bought or made special produce that you have requested, such as cakes or special vegan dishes, or for a bespoke menu agreed for your group booking. Often we need to order special ingredients - such as wild boar or fallow deer - several weeks in advance for bespoke menus: in such cases deposits are not refundable.
Deposit expiry: Where we at our discretion allow a deposit to carry over to a future date, then that deposit must be used up within 1 calendar year of the date the deposit was made, failing which it may be forfeit. It can be put towards the cost of the current menu when you eventually dine with us - it does not secure the original price when you first booked (menu prices change depending on the ingredients etc). Deposits are not transferable or marketable. We do not allow diners or booking operators to secure future dates and then offer them for sale to others.
Discretion: Business friendly, private and discreet.100% friendly and discreet for LGBTQ+ too.
Allergies: see separate web site link please. This is on the button on the Book page.
Service: 12.5% is added to your total bill as a fixed service charge. It is not discretionary or optional, but part of our pricing structure. If you have any issue with quality of service, please tell us straight away during your meal and we'll try our best to put matters right. Service charges are shared fairly with the team and may be incorporated into wages or hourly rates (as they are not discretionary). If anything is even slightly wrong, please tell us straight away as soon as you are served or taste, and we'll fix it somehow as we really want you to be happy.
Sustainable: Yes. It's not just buzzwords for the media. No ultra-processed food. We buy only what we need for bookings we have and we buy everything fresh apart from dry store cupboard goods. We ask you to make advance selections from our menu choices and in that way you help us to achieve near total sustainability as we only harvest, buy and cook exactly what we need. We don't waste produce. No landfill. We recycle properly and ethically. All food waste goes into our hot composter system of three bins plus a compost heap and eventually grows your vegetables & herbs. Wine leftovers (rare) make vinegar or sauces, marinades and stocks. We grow a lot of herbs, vegetables, salads and fruit in our large kitchen garden and glasshouses. Single use plastics are minimised, as are food miles. We self collect a lot of produce using a low impact electric car.
Produce: We source the best. We're open about where it comes from: we know the best local butchers, farmers and fishers, cheese makers and mushroom growers personally. We grow a lot. We don't cut corners on quality and sustainability. We pay our suppliers immediately. We are fully organic and high welfare.
Wine: Our Chef is licensed to sell retail wines etc. This wine business is legally separate from the restaurant food business but usually billed together for guest convenience. You can have wine and alcohol billed separately if you wish. We have an extensive wine list of both accessible and very fine wines and champagnes, and also use the Coravin system that enables us to serve some fine wines and wine flights by the glass without removing the cork. Please enquire. We specialise in German and French wines mainly, though we carry a selection from various countries. Chef may taste a very small quantity of any wine that we serve on the premises to check that the wine is not tainted or corked. If you are offered wine to taste, that is to check for taint, not whether you like it or not.
Corkage: We allow bring your own (BYO) but in order for it to be economic for us as a restaurant business selling food & wine we charge corkage and also require that you buy some wine from us - at least one 37.5cl bottle (or equivalent charge) for every BYO 75cl. Zero alcohol wines from us do not fulfil this requirement. We do not permit BYO for wines that are also on our own wine list so please check with us in advance if you plan to bring your own wines. We do not publish our very long wine list on line, but you are welcome to visit to peruse it. Corkage £25 per 75cl still or half bottle, £40 per magnum, £30 per sparkling 75cl and £50 per sparkling magnum. Includes fine hand washed and polished Riedel stemware – which must be used indoors only and not taken into the garden. We do not allow BYO beer, cider, spirits, minerals or soft drinks. If you want BYO wines chilled or conditioned you may deliver them in advance by arrangement. We can aerate, filter & decant fine and aged wines requiring special handling: fines / sediment removal etc. Service charge of 12.5% applies to all BYO.
Times: Gates open for pre-dinner drinks at 6.45pm unless prearranged otherwise & food service usually starts promptly at 7.30pm. We close fully at 11pm though are not super strict on this for regular guests. Gates open for lunch drinks at 12.15pm and lunch service begins promptly at 1pm unless otherwise arranged. Lunch usually closes at 4pm. If you're going to be late, please call us asap on 07463 897435 to let us know. You might miss a course, though we will try to catch you up, but you'll still have a great time and be well fed. Timings can usually be flexible for full room bookings.
Tables: 4 large rectangular 6 to 8 seat and sometimes one oval 4 seat indoors. We do not provide restaurant service outdoors. The oldest table is from the Henry VIII early 1500's era so you'll get a slice of ancient history with your meal. Seating is casual and comfortable so you may meet new friends, especially at couples evenings, but we can generally do whatever you want. There's no dress code but we appreciate guests dressing nicely. We can combine tables to seat a single group of circa 14/16.
Teaching: Courses for small groups: skills people struggle with such as sauces, pasta, baking, knife skills & sharpening, plating, etc. Please enquire.
Payment: We use MyPOS for credit & debit cards, cash & BACS. Sum Up as a back up system. All bookings require a deposit. Sorry we do not take American Express or Diners Club cards or any premium / business card or cash back that charges us extra and reserve the right to invoice you for non-standard charges levied on us.
Guests: We reserve the right to refuse or terminate admission or service to anyone at any time, including during service, and kindly ask our guests to behave with courtesy.
Children: We're very happy to welcome children as long as this is pre-arranged with us on booking please and guests accept that we are primarily an adult focussed fine dining restaurant with guests who expect an adult environment. We accept young children and babies at our sole discretion by prior arrangement, usually as part of a large group booking, but they must be well behaved and remain seated at the table. Guests expect their dining experience to last say 3 hours and need to consider whether that is suitable for children. We do not have high chairs, bibs, child seats or children's cutlery. We do not have formal baby change facilities but can find a solution for new mums who dine with us. We can discuss child sized portions of course, but we don't have a children's menu as our food is focussed on relaxed adult fine dining. SAFETY: because we are a chef's table set up, where guests are close to the action - which means very hot things, machinery and sharp knives - we need children to stay seated at the table please and we do not permit felt tip pens etc as cleaning linen furniture is expensive. The ornamental Japanese garden has a number of deep fish ponds, open bridges and stepping stones, hence for safety reasons we do not allow children anywhere in the garden unless accompanied by an adult guest at all times. There is no play area and children must not go on the raised banks or canal boardwalk or anywhere beyond the Japanese garden area close to the restaurant. We have a small team and so require a parent or adult to take young children to and from the lavatory please every time and ensure it is left pristine. Pre-teen children are not allowed stemware - again for safety reasons as we use delicate and expensive Riedel glassware. Children are not permitted alcohol by law. For teenagers of 16+permitted by law to drink wine, this must be ordered and paid for by a responsible adult who is present and the restaurant premises manager (who is also our chef) must approve it.
Open kitchen: For safety and security reasons no guests are permitted behind the island / pass or in the larder / chiller / prep room, laundry, office or cellar or anywhere upstairs.
Menu changes: Menus may change without notice, even when pre-agreed or bespoke, due to produce availability, produce quality, because we've sold out of produce or the chef thinks something is better that day, and your booking is always on this basis and you by booking are deemed to accept this. For example: it occasionally happens with fresh fish as despite having the very best suppliers, both we and they are in the hands of the weather and what the boats catch. Seasonal produce like local wild mushrooms, asparagus or truffles can have erratic supply too. Price supplements given on our web site are a guide only as market prices are often volatile, especially fish and truffles.
Menu substitutions: we do not permit guests to substitute menu items or swap or substitute courses, because we have a set menu offering at a set price, usually with some options and possibly supplements, because it disrupts a carefully planned kitchen flow. Any guest may opt not to have a course served if you wish but this will not change the set menu price. Our primary offering is a four to five course menu with a cheese course as an addition at a supplement. We source fine local cheeses in perfect condition and plate them individually or put them on a sharing board or plate - quality artisan cheese is expensive and we obviously have to buy it in - we drive to Canterbury to collect it from the artisan maker, so we do not substitute a cheese course for a dessert without the cheese course supplement. Desserts are being made anyway so we do not save anything. We make some organic unpasteurised cheese ourselves in house.
Cakes & food brought by guests: You can bring cakes for which we charge a minimum of £25 plus service to cover the costs of plating, service and washing up. We can make cakes for you or have our very creative specialist local cake maker do so, for example for a wedding. We don't allow any other food to be brought to our restaurant or garden by guests, including food or drinks for children (except babies). Based on experience we would gently suggest that, except for wedding receptions, when guests bring cakes very little tends to be eaten.
Parking: Free and plentiful - we can generally accommodate 18 cars behind locked security gates & hidden from the road. Private CCTV may be in use. All parking is at your own risk - we accept no responsibility or liability for you, your vehicles or your belongings whatsoever.
Smoking: the law requires that we prohibit smoking in the restaurant or anywhere indoors. You may smoke / vape outside if considerate to other guests and the property. We will provide an ash tray. We don't allow access to the Koi pond terrace in winter or when wet as it can be very slippery on the oak boards. In such cases we allow access to the north side of the building outside.
Japanese Garden: booking the restaurant does not give automatic access to the Japanese Garden, though we may permit it at your risk, due to deep ponds, unguarded bridges and trip hazards such as stepping stones typical of a Japanese garden style. Guests are never allowed in our kitchen garden, greenhouses or orchards.
Take away "doggy bags": We don't do this as we can't control how food is handled or stored once it leaves our premises and we don't have take away boxes or a take away licence. This is a food safety issue. If you consume part of a bottle of wine (not if decanted - as then the bottle will usually be disposed of immediately) we can on request re-cork it and you may take it away, but we do not guarantee quality or condition.
Disabled guests: always most welcome of course, though access to the lavatory may be impossible for wheelchairs and mobility scooters due to numerous steps & narrow doors in this ancient tithe barn. We will assist where possible. If you have particular needs please discuss with us in advance.
Steps: there are several steps in the building, because it is both ancient and changes level by a yard or more from one end to the other. If you are elderly, disabled or infirm and need assistance with steps, please tell us and we will guide you to the lavatory and point out the steps. All visits to Silk House Dining are entirely at your own risk.
Dogs: registered guide dogs / assistance dogs on a lead by your seat please at all times. As an open kitchen, loose pets risk our FSA 5 star hygiene standing and so are unfortunately not allowed even though we love dogs.
Closing time: Dinner service ends at 11pm, which is our closing time, unless by prior arrangement or on New Years Eve. Lunch service ends at 4pm. This is variable at our discretion by prior arrangement, especially for large groups and our valued returning guests.
Taxis: we recommend (without any liability) a local taxi service who frequently bring & collect guests. Please speak to Silke. If you want to sample our wines, then taxis are a good idea.