Restaurant in Saltwood, United Kingdom
Two stars, Kent produce, book ahead.
Hide and Fox holds two Michelin stars and an 83-point La Liste ranking, making it the most credentialled restaurant in Kent. The seasonal tasting menus are built around local produce and executed with precision in a small, relaxed village dining room. Book well ahead — availability is near impossible and the room fills fast.
Hide and Fox is worth booking if you can get a table. Holding two Michelin stars since 2024 and scoring 83 points in La Liste's 2026 rankings, this small-scale tasting menu restaurant in the Kent village of Saltwood delivers cooking that punches well above its rural postcode. Book this for a special occasion, a food-focused weekend in southeast England, or any trip where the meal is the destination. Do not expect easy availability — demand is high and the room is intimate.
Six years in, Hide and Fox has settled into a clear identity: tasting menus built around Kent produce, executed with precision, and served in a dining room that runs on genuine hospitality rather than theatrical service. The venue occupies a converted village shop on the Saltwood green, which keeps the atmosphere grounded even as the cooking reaches two-star level. For food-focused travellers who want serious technique without the formality of a London flagship, this is the most compelling argument for a trip to this corner of Kent.
The seasonal rhythm of the kitchen is the strongest reason to plan your visit around the time of year. The five- and eight-course tasting menus shift with what Kent's larder produces. Autumn visits have yielded dishes such as Cornish crab with elderflower gel and chervil granita, a raviolo of girolles and Welsh autumn truffle bound with egg yolk, and Creedy Carver duck breast with fig tarte fine and pickled shallots. These are not arbitrary seasonal gestures — the kitchen uses the season to set the flavour logic of the whole menu, so arriving in a different month means a genuinely different meal. If you are considering two visits, space them by season rather than by calendar year.
The wine list is worth your attention. Rather than defaulting to French classics, it looks to Georgia, Croatia, and Macedonia , regions that reward curious drinkers and pair naturally with the produce-led cooking. The list is personally chosen, which shows in its coherence. If you are the kind of diner who treats the wine pairing as integral to the meal rather than optional, this matters.
Hide and Fox reached its current form through careful, unhurried development. Allister Barsby has been refining this kitchen since 2019, and the two Michelin stars awarded in 2024 and retained in 2025 confirm the cooking has found its level rather than overreached. At ££££ pricing, the value case is stronger here than at comparable London two-stars because the room is smaller, the sourcing is direct, and the experience is built around restraint rather than spectacle. For context: CORE by Clare Smyth in London operates at a similar award level but carries higher London pricing and more competitive booking pressure. Hide and Fox is not easier to book, but the per-cover investment feels more concentrated here.
The Google rating of 4.9 across 300 reviews is unusually consistent for a two-star operation and points to a kitchen that holds its standard across services, not just on benchmark nights.
For travellers building a southeast England food itinerary, Hide and Fox sits alongside other destination restaurants worth the journey. The Fat Duck in Bray, Moor Hall in Aughton, and Gidleigh Park in Chagford are the relevant comparisons for countryside fine dining at this level , but Hide and Fox is the only two-star in Kent, which makes the case for it within that geography direct.
| Detail | Hide and Fox | CORE by Clare Smyth | The Ledbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Saltwood, Kent | Notting Hill, London | Notting Hill, London |
| Price range | ££££ | ££££ | ££££ |
| Format | 5 or 8-course tasting menu | Tasting menu | Tasting menu |
| Michelin stars | 2 (2024, 2025) | 3 | 2 |
| Booking difficulty | Near impossible | Near impossible | Very hard |
| Setting | Village restaurant, Kent | London townhouse | London neighbourhood |
Booking is near impossible , plan at minimum several weeks ahead and check for cancellations. The room is small, which means every sitting matters. Walk-in availability is effectively zero. If you are travelling specifically for this meal, confirm your reservation before booking transport or accommodation.
Hide and Fox is in Saltwood, a village in Kent close to Hythe. If you are pairing this with a wider trip, see our full Saltwood restaurants guide, our full Saltwood hotels guide, and our full Saltwood experiences guide for context on what else is worth your time in the area.
Other destination restaurants in the UK at comparable standard worth knowing about: L'Enclume in Cartmel, Restaurant Sat Bains in Nottingham, Midsummer House in Cambridge, and Restaurant Andrew Fairlie in Auchterarder. For Modern British cooking in London at ££££, also consider The Ritz Restaurant and Hand and Flowers in Marlow. If you are exploring the wider region, Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons in Great Milton and Opheem in Birmingham are worth adding to the shortlist. For something at a different scale in the Modern British category, 33 The Homend in Ledbury is a useful reference point.
Yes, at ££££ pricing, Hide and Fox delivers two-Michelin-star cooking in a setting that does not carry the overhead of a London flagship. Compared to CORE by Clare Smyth or The Ledbury in London at equivalent pricing, you are getting comparable technical quality with a more intimate and less pressured atmosphere. The value case is strong if you are coming specifically for the food.
The eight-course menu is the stronger choice if you want full range of the kitchen's seasonal sourcing. The five-course is appropriate if you want to keep the meal tighter. Both menus change with the season, so the specific dishes depend on when you visit , this is not a restaurant where the menu is fixed year-round. The La Liste and Michelin recognition confirm the cooking holds at a level that justifies the tasting format.
Book as far in advance as possible , this is near-impossible to get into at short notice. The format is tasting menu only, so this is not a venue for a la carte dining. The setting is a converted village shop in rural Kent, which means the atmosphere is relaxed by fine dining standards. Arrive having looked at the seasonal menu if it is available, and consider the wine pairing given the list's focus on unusual regions.
Yes , the combination of two Michelin stars, a warm service style, and a small, unhurried room makes it well-suited to celebration dinners. It works better for two or a small group than for large parties, given the room size. If you are planning a milestone meal in the southeast of England, this is the most credentialled option in Kent.
The room is small and operates as an intimate restaurant, which limits group size. Large party bookings are unlikely to be direct. Contact the restaurant directly to confirm capacity for parties larger than four, and book well ahead regardless of group size.
As a tasting menu restaurant with a strong seasonal and produce-led approach, the kitchen is likely to accommodate dietary requirements if notified in advance. Contact the restaurant directly before booking to confirm what can be adapted , do not assume flexibility without checking.
There are no other two-Michelin-star restaurants in Saltwood or the immediate Hythe area. For comparable fine dining in Kent, options are limited, which reinforces Hide and Fox's position as a destination in its own right. If you want alternatives at a similar award level elsewhere in England, see Midsummer House in Cambridge, Restaurant Sat Bains in Nottingham, or L'Enclume in Cartmel. For the full picture of what is available locally, see our full Saltwood restaurants guide.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hide and fox | Modern British | La Liste Top Restaurants (2026): 83pts; Start your night with a cocktail at this delightful neighbourhood restaurant that was once the village shop. There is no small amount of skill on display from the chefs, with dishes that are exquisitely crafted and deliver fabulous flavours and textures, be it an exceptional raviolo or glistening turbot. The very best ingredients from Kent’s larder are a feature, while the wine list looks further afield to up-and-coming regions such as Georgia, Croatia and Macedonia. Service comes from a charming team who work with pride and passion.; Locals are in complete agreement that this smart neighbourhood restaurant at the heart of a pretty Kent village not far from Hythe is worth knowing about if you are going to be in the area. Allister Barsby has been carefully nurturing Hide & Fox since 2019, gradually refining his version of modern British cooking. It helps that he is ably supported by his wife Alice Bussi, a perfect host who brings charm and engaging warmth to the approachable dining room. Together, they make eating here a rare and inestimable pleasure. There’s a pleasing seasonal rhythm to the five-and eight-course tasting menus, but what appeals about the cooking is that there is no needless experimentation, just a collection of fine ingredients, all sensitively prepared and working in harmony. Our autumnal lunch produced a gorgeously fresh combination of Cornish crab, elderflower gel and redcurrants, the anise-like flavour of chervil granita working particularly well, while a silky raviolo yielded a magnificent amalgamation of girolles, Parmesan and slivers of Welsh autumn truffle, bound with a runny, golden egg yolk. These were outriders for principal dishes that tended towards the boldly simple – from translucent salt cod with cauliflower, black garlic and bouillabaisse to a thick slice of tender, pink, Creedy Carver duck breast alongside a fig ‘tarte fine’, slices of fresh fig, pickled shallots and a rich, glossy sauce. The bread is irresistible, and an inspired 64% Manjari chocolate mousse with passion fruit, miso caramel and cardamom proved to be a treasure trove of sensations. Alice Bussi’s personally chosen wine selection is notable for its eclectic grape varieties, impeccable producers and all-round excellence.; Michelin 2 Stars (2025); Michelin 2 Stars (2024) | Near Impossible | — |
| CORE by Clare Smyth | Modern British | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Restaurant Gordon Ramsay | Contemporary European, French | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Sketch, The Lecture Room and Library | Modern French | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| The Ledbury | Modern European, Modern Cuisine | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Dinner by Heston Blumenthal | Modern British, Traditional British | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
Comparing your options in Saltwood for this tier.
Hide and Fox is a small neighbourhood restaurant in Saltwood village, so large group bookings are limited by the dining room's size. Parties of two or four fit the format well; larger groups should check the venue's official channels before assuming availability. The tasting menu structure means everyone at the table typically follows the same format, which suits groups where everyone is aligned on that experience.
At ££££, Hide and Fox is priced at the top end of regional fine dining, but two consecutive Michelin stars (2024 and 2025) and 83 points in La Liste's 2026 rankings provide clear external validation. For that spend, you get a tasting menu driven by Kent and British produce, executed with precision and served with genuine hospitality from Allister Barsby and Alice Bussi. Compared to two-star equivalents in London, the price-to-experience ratio here is considerably stronger.
The venue data does not specify a formal dietary policy, but tasting menu restaurants at this level routinely accommodate restrictions when flagged at the time of booking. check the venue's official channels when reserving to confirm what is possible given the fixed menu format.
This is a tasting menu-only restaurant in a converted village shop in Saltwood, near Hythe in Kent, not a walk-in neighbourhood bistro. Allister Barsby runs the kitchen while Alice Bussi leads front of house, and the service style is warm rather than formal. Book as far ahead as two Michelin stars demand, plan your travel since Saltwood is a small village, and expect five or eight courses built around seasonal British produce.
Yes, if tasting menus are your format. The five and eight-course options are built around a seasonal rhythm with strong Kent sourcing, and the cooking avoids unnecessary complexity in favour of well-matched ingredients. If you want à la carte flexibility or a shorter meal, this is not the right venue — the format is fixed and the experience is designed to be taken in full.
There are no direct Michelin-starred alternatives in Saltwood itself. The closest comparable fine dining in the broader Kent area would require travel toward Canterbury or the wider county. If you're considering the trip specifically for a two-star tasting menu experience and London is an option, The Ledbury or The Clove Club operate at a similar level, though Hide and Fox offers a notably different, more intimate village setting.
Yes. Two Michelin stars, a personally curated wine list overseen by Alice Bussi, and a small dining room with attentive service make this a strong choice for a significant dinner. The village setting and the warmth of the hospitality give it a different character from formal city fine dining, which suits occasions where you want the meal to feel personal rather than corporate.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
