If you’re planning a celebration, going out on a date night or just looking for somewhere to enjoy a good meal, there are plenty of exciting new places worth a visit.

From Turkish meze bars to top-rated burger joints, Kent has some mouth-watering restaurants to book this year - and we’ve picked 10 of our favourites…

Boys Hall near Ashford

It took three years of renovations and restoration, but in autumn the Grade II listed manor house in Willesborough finally began its phased reopening as a luxury boutique hotel. Part of the new hotel is the oak-beamed restaurant, led by head chef Shane Pearson, which serves local, seasonal food and Kentish wine and fizz from the on-site cellar. The menu includes classic dishes such as roasted butternut gnocchi, porterhouse steak and corn fed chicken breast.

The Jacobean building is also the home of 10 brand new luxury hotel rooms, which are available to book from Wednesday, January 18.

Book your table online here.

Details: Boys Hall Road, Ashford TN24 0LA. Open Wednesday to Saturday, 12pm to 11pm, and Sunday 12pm to 8pm.

Brasserie at One Warwick Park, Tunbridge Wells

If you’re looking for somewhere to start your day, this upmarket breakfast spot is the perfect place to grab a morning bite. The Brasserie at Tunbridge Wells hotel One Warwick Park opened in September, offering unique breakfast options such as the breakfast burrito, overnight oats and smoked salmon scrambled eggs, as well as your traditional full English. And of course, what is a breakfast menu these days without avocado on toast?

The restaurant also offers a grab-and-go service where you can pick up quick eats to take on your morning commute, and there’s also a bottomless brunch at weekends.

Book your table online here.

Details: 1 Warwick Park, Tunbridge Wells TN2 5TA. Open daily from 7am to 1pm.

Café Nucleus, Rainham

Gearing up to open its fourth location in April, this Medway-based gallery and cafe chain is going from strength to strength. Café Nucleus, which already has three restaurants in Chatham and Rochester, will open the Rainham branch this spring. Following in the footsteps of the other locations, the new dining spot and arts hub in Rainham’s former solicitor's practice will offer an extensive brunch menu, afternoon tea and British classics.

However, to set it apart from the other branches, the new restaurant will feature a wall of up to 2,000 wines hand-picked by managing director Aaron Telford Sergejenkovs.

When the restaurant opens, you can book your table online here.

Details: The Langton Studios, High Street, Rainham ME8 8AT. Opening times are yet to be confirmed.

Chef’s Table, West Malling

Since opening last summer, this interactive dining experience has already had the seal of approval from celebrity diners. Boyzone singer Ronan Keating was spotted tucking into the six-course tasting menu, and chef and director Brad Redding counts Peter Andre, Made in Chelsea's Sam Thompson and Love Island’s Zara McDermott among his clients. The exclusive eatery seats only 12 diners at a time and offers a rotating tasting menu with dishes such as beef short rib, pheasant breast and bay leaf gelato.

“It’s more of an interactive experience,” says Brad. “We have created an open kitchen, so every table feels like a chef’s table. We are trying to create a really calm and chilled atmosphere here and still hit that perfection level.”

Book your table online here.

Details: 46 King Street, West Malling ME19 6QT. Open Wednesday to Friday, 6pm to 10, Saturday, 12pm to 3pm and 6pm to 10pm, and Sunday 12pm to 3pm.

Cinar Kitchen Meze Bar, Sittingbourne

It’s only been open for a few weeks, but since December this new Turkish meze bar has been getting rave reviews. The restaurant, which took over the former unit of Italian eatery Amalfi after it closed down last year, is serving up authentic Mediterranean cuisine including lamb and chicken shish, babaganoush and feta salad, and there’s an official grand opening celebration planned for February.

A spokesman for the restaurant said: “The secret of the best taste is finally in Sittingbourne. Cinar opened its doors and all fans of Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine in the area will be able to enjoy the tasty menu of chef Ahmet Usta.”

To book your table, call 01795 474922 or email at info@cinarkitchen.co.uk.

Details: 60 High Street, Sittingbourne ME10 4PB. Open Sunday to Thursday, 12pm to 10pm, and Friday and Saturday, 12pm to 11pm.

Cosy Club, Canterbury

This quirky restaurant chain, boasting colourful furniture, taxidermy mounts and eclectic decor, opened its first Kent location back in August. The Canterbury restaurant and cocktail bar is already known for its ambiance, theming and food, which includes bang bang cauliflower, buttermilk fried chicken and crispy duck salad.

The contemporary dining destination offers menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as desserts, kid's meals and an extensive drinks menu from martinis to sparkling wine.

Book your table online here.

Details: 20-21 St Margaret's Street, Canterbury CT1 2TH. Open daily from 9am until late.

Pearly Cow, Margate

Not too much has been revealed about this new Thanet restaurant, but its intriguing ‘fire and ice’ concept is enough to get excited about. The Pearly Cow, from the trio of brothers behind the GuestHouse boutique hotel group, will see Tristan, James, and Tom Guest now turn their attention to dining. The restaurant is set to combine quality meats cooked on the grill - the ‘fire’ aspect of the menu - and ‘ice’ elements including crustaceans and seafood.

The Pearly Cow is set to open in Margate in May this year, but no further details about the restaurant’s opening times or location have been announced yet. You can find out more online here.

Please Sir, Whitstable

The original Broadstairs burger joint is rated the best restaurant in the county on TripAdvisor, so it’s no surprise that the team behind Please Sir decided to open a second location. The Whitstable branch opened in October and is serving up its usual favourites to a host of new customers, including smash burgers, beef dripping gravy and milkshakes.

“Broadstairs will always be the foundation but now we’ve grown,” says founder Steve Lawrence. “But the product doesn’t change and people have an expectation now. They’ll be coming from all over and one bite is all it will take to change your life.”

To book your table, call 07361 833425 or email whitstable@pleasesir.co.uk.

Details: 41 High Street, Whitstable CT5 1AP. Open Sunday to Thursday, 11am to 9pm, and Friday and Saturday, 11am to 10pm.

Sotirio's Bar and Restaurant, Folkestone

This Folkestone eatery isn’t a new addition to Kent’s dining destinations but, after being named as one of Britain’s top 100 restaurants for the second year in a row, it’s probably worth booking your reservations now. Lucas Sotiriou runs the restaurant alongside his brother Alex and father Costas, who has been operating restaurants in Kent for more than 35 years. The family-run business offers Cypriot-inspired dishes such as kleftiko and moussaka, as well as seafood, vegetarian and vegan options.

The top 100 list is based on more than 1.4 million reviews from diners who reserved tables via the OpenTable booking platform. The Poet in Matfield, near Tunbridge Wells, was also named in the 2022 list.

Book your table online here.

Details: 2a Bouverie Road West, Folkestone CT20 2RX. Open Wednesday to Saturday, 12pm to 11.30pm, and Sunday 12pm to 8pm.

Updown near Deal

It’s not every day a barn is turned into a fine-dining restaurant serving up Italian-inspired cuisine, but that’s exactly what has happened to this 17th century farmhouse in Deal. Owners Ruth Leigh and Oliver Brown have spent years renovating the restaurant and hotel and, in July, it finally welcomed its first guests. The menu, which includes roast beef sirloin and plaice fillets, is limited to make the best use of seasonal, local produce.

"Updown is a celebration of what the area has to offer - from some of the most beautiful fruit and veg from our neighbouring farms to wines from local vineyards,” says Oliver. “We have big plans for the Updown - watch this space.”

Book your table online here.

Details: Updown Farm, Updown Road, Betteshanger, Deal, CT14 0EF. Open Thursday, 6pm to 10pm, Friday, 5.30pm to 10pm, Saturday, 12pm to 3.30pm and 5.30pm to 9pm, and Sunday, 12pm to 5pm.