Bonjour lecteurs! You know us, the Frenchie family loves a good adventure and we are always looking for new places in the UK and abroad to check out. But we love nothing more than exploring Kent and its beautiful landscape. Do you fancy a weekend in the Garden of England? Then I found a new charming (and very family-friendly!) place for you to visit… We stayed a The Wishful Thinker in Lenham earlier this month and we fell in love with the location.
The Wishful Thinker
If you are local to us, you would have certainly heard of Elite Pubs. The 12 gastro pubs and 2 cocktail bars in the South East are classiques in Kent.
We love their good food with fab atmosphère and we even stayed at the Potting Shed a few years back.
The Wishful Thinker is a beautifully refurbished foodie pub right next to Lenham, un village historique in Kent.
It reopened this summer with a new addition. You can now stay at the pub in one of its gorgeous 17 boutique rooms right above the restaurant.
Think shabby chic decor and yummy food not far from another one of our fave, Leeds Castle.
Our Arrival
As it was a cold but sunny weekend, we decided to go for a walk in the village nearby before heading to The Wishful Thinker.
We found the hotel pub up the street. You could not miss the imposing premises made by the original village pub with the extension at the back.
Such an impressive place with an adjacent beer garden on its left.
We made the most of the play area with some drinks before checking in. What a great start!
L’Atmosphère
What do you think? The beautiful venue has such cool country vibes with some touches modernes.
Sit by the fireplace with a drink et voilà!
You can’t make it cosier than this. As always with Elite Pubs, the decor equals the food and you are in for a fab meal surrounded by flowers and modern sofas.
But with all the original ‘old pub’ vibes too.
You can even book in one of the shacks for a bit more of exclusivité. C’est très spécial.
Our Family Room
We made it to the first floor where we stayed in the ‘Chamomile’ room.
Each chambre is named after some beautiful flower or herb so that it goes with the gastro pub branding.
Made of a main bed and a sofa bed for Stanley, it was very spacious with WIFI and a huge TV screen.
It’s placed right opposé your bed so that you can be snug while watching a good film.
As for the decor, it is rustique chic so it keeps the original ambiance of a classic English pub.
J’adore the fun and refreshing wallpaper with its lemon print!
And you also have a big salle de bain moderne for all the family to use.
A great contrast of modern and vintage touches with the same vibrant interiors of the pub.
Dinner At The Pub
We made it back to le restaurant where we enjoyed a 2-course meal.
It started with the best cocktails in town while Stanley was occupé with his children’s pack full of colouring and puzzles.
Une excellente idée to make the place even more family-friendly. The food was délicieuse and the service was énergetique.
It went well with the Michael Bubblé act that was playing that night.
Elite Pubs always offers vibrant and young events to match its colourful menu.
What would you have? I tried the venison burger while Grumpy Boyfriend went for the classic kebabs you can find in all the Elite Pubs.
Pas de dessert as I also had some chicken Kievs balls for starters. But it was just parfait!
Le Petit-Déjeuner
After a lovely sleep, we also tried breakfast at the Wishful Thinker.
You can get a petit-déjeuner or some brunch there if you fancy. A nice way to take it slow at the weekend.
From smoothies to granola, the restaurant offers some classique British options.
Personnellement, I like an Egg Royale. Grumpy Boyfriend LOVED his scrambled eggs and Stanley went for pancakes.
Once more, the food was very good and the service was excellent.
So even if you don’t need to book a night at the Whishful Thinker, it’s worth getting a table for breakfast.
The Wishful Thinker – Le Verdict
Like many other Elite Pubs dans la région, the Whishful Thinker has it all to please.
You get the classic English Pub experience but modernised with elegant touches.
From the decor to the menu, it’s young, vibrant, and fun, but it kept the original features of the village pub.
Our room was beautiful, comfy, and looked really pretty. The bed was comfy and we had a lovely night.
The tribute night seems to be a hit with the audience! We did not stay late because we had Stanley, but I reckon the pub will have more fab dates for you to check out.
A great way to visit Kent! I could not recommend it more and we will certainly stop by next time we go for a walk in the area!
A lovely Kentish succés like only Elite Pubs know how to do it! Bravo!
Wow! What a hotel. I love their rustic look but all very sophisticatedly done. Their restaurant is just beautiful, especially with their ceiling art and all the wood makes the place feel very homely and cosy
Author
Yes, I agree Elite Pubs have a selection of places in Kent so if you come down one day, definitely worth a visit
Just can’t beat a good pub stay for a short break!!
Another amazing place I’d love to visit and stay too
This place looks lovely.
That looks a lovely place to stay, full of nature, love all the floral touches
The family room looks a very good size! love the look of their meals!
Author
yes it was very spacious for all the family 🙂
You do stay in Some lovely places and this is no exception.
Looks a great place!
Author
it’s beautiful in the heart of the Kent countryside 🙂
This looks gorgeous and so does the food. You stay in some lovely hotels!
Wow it looks lovely!
Wow those booths like incredible and look very comfy
This looks so cosy! Like you could just hibernate for the winter!
This looks heavenly, a perfect place to relax and hibernate!