- Saint Smokey’s
Smokey’s is an authentic family run BBQ house, with a Caribbean twist. Saint Smokey’s BBQ house also has a healthy and very reasonably priced menu.
Also promising a minimum wait of 15 minutes as all the food is freshly cooked! Smokey’s has a superb menu, with incredible specials and mouth-watering chicken and a variety of sauces to have both as a sit in meal or as a takeaway.
Monday- Friday open: 12pm – 10pm
Saturday open: 12pm – 11pm
Sunday: closed
- Kitch
Kitch believe in serving delicious, fresh, homemade food made with all natural, wholegrain and seasonal ingredients for maximum flavour and a whole lot of goodness. Their deliciously healthy kitchen is free from refined sugars, refined flour and processed foods. Plus, their fresh free-range meat and eggs come from local farms who rear their animals traditionally so that their animals live a happy healthy life. Not only is a Kitch cake made with love in house but Kitch only use natural ingredients and alternatives. Letting the good stuff do the talking. Kitch make sure there is always something vegan, something gluten free, dairy free or, what Kitch call an ‘everything cake’ for those who just don’t care.
Weekdays: 8:30am – 5pm
Weekends: 9am – 5pm
Kitchen closes at 4pm daily
Oscar and Bentleys
Oscar and Bentleys is an award-winning, intimate bistro in one of Canterbury’s beautiful, historic buildings. Oscar and Bentleys serve both classic and seasonal dishes, in a warm, welcoming environment. Quality is at the heart of everything they do; from carefully selected suppliers to the finishing detail of the dishes. Light snacks and hearty meals served with a smile by friendly, knowledgeable staff.
Weds to Sat: 10.30am-Late (last orders 9pm) Sun to Tues: 10.30am-5pm (last orders 4pm)
- The Goods Shed
The compact, seasonal menu constantly changes, using the best local ingredients the market has to offer. Slow proved loaves are drawn from the ovens in the bakery throughout the day, whole carcasses of meat, broken into cuts on the butchery and dishes being prepared and cooked from the open kitchen.
Lunch is served from noon and is popular for three courses or for some, just a couple of starters. Supper is slightly more formal and served from 6pm as the market is winding down for the day.
“Enter, and you are confronted by the kind of scene that makes you wonder if you’ve died and been whisked off to gastronomic heaven: the finest Kentish fruit and veg, glorious, doughy pillows of fresh bread – and the said dead animals, lots of them, all heaped under a rustic wood-beamed roof, flooded with light from grand Victorian windows. It’s enough to make a Londoner burst into tears and decamp to the country.”- The Telegraph
Tuesday – Friday Saturday Sunday
Breakfast: 8 – 10.30 Breakfast: 8 – 10.30 Breakfast: 9 – 10.30
Lunch: 12 – 3.00 Lunch: 12 – 2.30 Lunch: 12 – 3.00
Dinner: 6pm – 9.30 Dinner: 6pm – 9.30
- A La Turka
At A la Turka they serve dishes originating from Gaziantep, a city and settlement in Turkey’s South-Eastern region, and are proud to be the only restaurants in Kent representing this regions authentic cuisine. Giving the best possible service to customers is very important to A La Turka and they are pleased to welcome people of all cultures to introduce and share the flavours of Turkey. All meats and vegetables are locally sourced and the herbs, spices, sauces and pulses are sourced from Gaziantep, Turkey.
Opening hours 11:30am -11pm all week
- Café Des Amis
Café Des Amis is all about sharing good food with friends, enjoying the warm friendly atmosphere and service surrounded by the vibrant décor and great Latin music.
At Café Des Amis they have created a menu that draws not only on the exotic and earthy flavours of ancient Mexico but also the fresh and healthy ingredients associated with its rich Mediterranean heritage. Many of the dishes are for sharing, and this makes for a sociable and informal atmosphere, great for a group.
Student discount: 25% of food and drinks bill (excluding Friday and Saturday evenings after 6pm).
- Café Du Soleil
Cafe du Soleil is situated beside the river Stour in Canterbury occupying a former 18th century wool store. The restaurant is accessed by its own bridge over 
the river. The building was restored with a grant from English Heritage and it now showcases the extensive use of reclaimed building material from the 14C city wall.
The cuisine draws influences from Provence in southern France, from Italy and from the Pacific rim, to create a modern cuisine with a Mediterranean heart. The menu changes with the seasons, and much of the food is cooked in Café Du Soleil’s wood burning oven, fed with locally sourced wood from managed forest.
Open 12pm-10pm everyday
- The Ancient Raj
The restaurant is set in a beautiful partially-restored 15th Century Grade II listed building. The Ancient Raj is a fully licensed, air-conditioned restaurant. The spacious dining area and gallery lounge means you can dine and relax in comfort. In addition to traditional and established Indian cuisine favourites, The Ancient Raj has a splendid selection of house specials. The menu is varied and caters for many different tastes. Our staff will be happy to assist you in choosing something special.
Opening Hours
Mon – Sat: 5.30pm – 11.00pm, Sunday: 12.00pm – 11.00pm (Last orders by 10pm)
The Ancient Raj provides a 10% student discount to anyone with a valid university ID.
- Pork and Co.
Pork and Co. pride themselves on making everything from scratch, baking all bread and smoking and curing all their free-range Kentish pork. Pork and Co. are renowned for their superb scotch eggs, and pulled pork burgers, the chips are absolutely superb and crispy. Pork and Co. has a fun atmosphere with plenty of music and friendly, helpful staff.
Monday to Saturday 11am-9pm
Sunday 11am-8pm
- Canteen
Located just three doors to the left of the beautiful Canterbury Cathedral Gate, Canteen is an independent café and take-away serving freshly made-to-order, tasty food and drinks.
The food which Canteen serve includes: deli filled flatbreads, baguettes, salads, toasties, jacket potatoes, home-made hot dishes, soups, cakes and delicious cream teas. Fillings for the flatbreads, baguettes or salads can be chosen from a range of suggested recipes or you can ‘make your own’ from numerous locally sourced ingredients, including a good ‘veggie’ selection which caters for most diets. Drinks include a whole range of coffees and teas plus freshly pressed ‘super juices’, smoothies, milkshakes, sparkling presses and other cold drinks. In the historic building Canteen have seating for up to 40 people across three floors and some fabulous views of the Cathedral.
Opening hours
Monday-Friday: 10am-5pm, Saturday: 9am-6pm, Sunday: Closed
By Oliver Daws, current Kent student