The online reviews for this Kent bowling alley are not promising, to say the least.

On Tripadvisor, MFA Bowl in Whitstable is described as a “health hazard”, “simply dreadful”, “dire” and “an embarrassment to the town”.

Another, from March, simply says: “The bowling facilities are the worst in the country.”

But is it really that bad? Surely a town cannot be home to both the worst KFC and bowling alley in the UK?

My colleague Max Chesson and I went to find out for ourselves – with (spoiler alert) the winner having the privilege of writing up the review.

Rocking up at the Tower Parade site, a gaudy carpet and musty smell met us at the door.

The establishment opens up into an arcade full of flashing machines and dotted with tables and chairs.

Beside the Boxing Champion game in the corner, neon lettering labels the bar, which had several Slush Puppy flavours and some beers on tap – including a pint of trendy lager Madri for less than a fiver.

We approached the counter, paid for two games and were surprised to learn there would be no need to swap out our normal footwear for rented bowling shoes (it’s no longer mandatory since Covid).

Just as well - I’ve never been a fan of paying extra to don stiff leather steeped in strangers’ foot sweat.

The staff were helpful and we quickly got used to the slightly dank odour and cold temperature inside.

Max was as keen as I was to write up our review, but as with any semi-athletic competition among friends, it was the bragging rights that held greater allure in our eyes.

As my competitor strode into his first release, I wondered how I would fare against him.

I’d been bowling a handful of times before but never done particularly well. I always found the motion awkward.

I much prefer the part where you get to sit waiting for your turn, sipping cheap beer and watching the bowler on deck twirl around gleefully as skittles crash aside, or shrug and shrink back into their seat after another gutterball.

Max got off the mark with a spare, celebrating with an understated fist pump. I followed up with a seven, but steadily improved as the game went on.

Several times throughout our game, a glitchy mechanism failed to replace a full set of pins and I wasn’t convinced my score was being kept correctly by the computer.

I can see how such errors could be frustrating for those taking the game seriously, but as the two of us just having a bit of fun, it didn’t really bother us.

Many people on Tripadvisor reviews had warned of such issues.

One unhappy customer said: “The pin stacker fails every time giving you 9 to 3 pins [...]and that’s if they stand up. The sides collapse if they are hit and that’s by children.

“The balls are chipped and damaged, making a noise like it’s on a train track rather than a flat surface.

“Sticky floors and carpets, I could go on. I wouldn’t even give it a star if the option was available.”

Luckily we had a better experience. Since Max and I were the only customers in the place when we first arrived on a Friday afternoon, there’s every chance we were given the least broken lane to use.

But the machinery and computer system were far from the only outdated things.

The furniture, carpet, and music seemed to have not been updated since the 70s (sadly, the same cannot be said for the ticket price).

In my opinion, a bowling alley being a bit rough around the edges adds to the retro charm of the activity.

But having said that, if they’re not going to invest in the infrastructure I think it’s a bit of a cheek to still charge £14.95 per person for two games.

That’s more expensive than Bugsy's Tenpin Bowling in Margate or Hollywood Bowl in Ashford.

Max and I kept it pretty close for the first game, but once the strikes started coming to me in game two I built up a healthy lead and in the end cruised to a 37-point victory.

The two of us agree MFA Bowl in Whitstable isn’t that bad – perhaps a fitting match for the poor quality of our bowling.

Perhaps things are improving. The most recent review on Tripadvisor, shared this month, gives MFA Bowl five stars and says: “Bowling and whole experience was amazing! Staff were super friendly and helpful. It was also very clean. We all had a lovely time. Would definitely go back.”

You wouldn’t exactly call it one of Kent’s hidden gems, but it’s not as awful as some of the Tripadvisor reviews would have you believe.