The Ivy in Canterbury used to be the kind of place that attracted the upper echelons of society, but now? Now they let cunts like me, a street food guy, in. Use that information as you see fit.
So, why would I go to The Ivy in Canterbury? Well, as it turns out I have a great £100 meal voucher with American Express that I have to use every 6 months. It turns out The Ivy in Canterbury was the closest available one.
Click to read about the best Chippie in Chatham.
Table of Contents
What the Ivy?
The Ivy Collection is a chain of brasseries across the UK. It started as a single restaurant in London and has expanded into a nationwide group with locations in most major cities including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Canterbury. It is essentially a standardised “upmarket” dining concept.
You walk into any Ivy and you get the same polished interior, same style of service, and a broadly similar menu. It is basically McDonald’s for posh people. Yeah I went there, because this is basically the concept. That though does not mean it is not good.
The Menu at The Ivy in Canterbury
The food menu here is bloody epic and even includes a £19 set menu option with three courses. To be fair though I was never getting that, particularly as I had almost $150 start on the meal.
We will deal with my choices later, but here’s a wee sample of what they have:
- Truffle arancini – £7.25
- Salt-crusted sourdough bread – £5.95
- Zucchini fritti – £6.95
- Spicy avocado purée – £7.75
- Burrata with pesto – £10.50
- Salt and pepper squid – £11.95
- The Ivy crispy duck salad – £12.95
- Roasted scallops – £16.50
- The Ivy cheeseburger – £16.95
- Fish and chips – £19.95
- Triple-cooked chips – £5.75
- Truffle and parmesan chips – £6.95
- Chocolate bombe – £11.95
- Sticky toffee pudding – £9.50
- Crème brûlée – £8.95
The Drinks at The Ivy in Canterbury
OK, so while it is not that cheap, it is also not ridiculously expensive and frankly is bloody good. We had a few glasses of Laurent Perrier which were £16 a glass, as well as epic cocktails like Sticky Toffee Pudding Martini and the like. This is real cocktail bar territory, rather like at the Manila Hotel or Raffles, and well worth the trip itself. They also had “English Champagne”, but I skipped this because frankly I am a baller.
Here are sample drinks with prices:
- The Ivy Royale – £13.50
- Toffee Fudge Espresso Martini – £13.50
- Cucumber & Rose Margarita – £13.25
- Peach & Custard Sour – £12.95
- Raspberry Jam Paloma – £13.25
- Bread & Butter Pudding Martini – £11.50
- Cherry Honey Sour – £13.50
- Sloe & Rhubarb Negroni – £13.75
- Laurent-Perrier Champagne – £15.50–£20.50
- Ivy Champagne – £14.85
Food and ambience at The Ivy in Canterbury
It is located right on the High Street in Canterbury and if I am honest is a little underrated if anything. It does look the part when you walk in, with a huge bar and well-dressed, attentive staff. We grabbed a whole heap of different bits from the menu with a few real standout pieces. The steak tartare was out of this world, with taste actually matching the presentation.
This is rare in places like this and I almost wish I had had it as a main course. I also went Hollywood on the chips, upgrading to parmesan-coated truffle fries. Totally opulent and over the top, what is not to like? The burger was also solid, topped with proper English cheddar.
The only let down was the salt and pepper squid, which was a bit average compared to South-East Asia. Overall though a fantastic meal that for three set us back £220, minus the £100 I had towards my meal – more on that later…..
Location of The Ivy Canterbury
The Ivy Canterbury Brasserie
16 Parade
Canterbury
Kent
CT1 2SH
United Kingdom
Phone: +44 1227 647077
Website: https://ivycollection.com/restaurants/the-ivy-canterbury-brasserie
Bookings: https://ivycollection.com/restaurants/the-ivy-south-east/the-ivy-canterbury-brasserie/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivycollection/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheIvyCollection/
X (Twitter): https://x.com/TheIvyCollection/
How you can get free meals with American Express
If you travel even vaguely seriously then nothing quite compares to the Amex Platinum card. For around $600 a year I get extensive travel insurance, full lounge access with Priority Pass and £400 per year in UK and international dining credits.
And the good news? I have an affiliate link if you want it! Simply click here.