Royal Inn

Really friendly staff and amazing food all in a relaxed and nicely styled atmosphere.

A very friendly welcome, even though (eating early) we were the first to arrive for a midweek dinner. As my wife was cold, the lady moved a heater near us. Food was excellent, with a free portion of prawn crackers and dip. Only thing missing was a plate heater to keep the main dishes warm.

This is a different healthier chinese choice and makes a change from the eat as much as you want local resaurants. This is our favourite chinese in the local area. Good quality food, fabulous service. Great restaurant for romantic meal, business meeting or just a cant be bothered to cook location. Used to be the Augustines, which was our favourite canterbury restaurant, so sad to see it go and change to a chinese, however after eating here were pleasantly surprised. Their rice in a hot stone bowl is to die for along with the squid and scallops which we have each time and melt in the mouth. The price is more than you would expect from a chinese, however you get what you pay for and well worth it.

A Real Find 2010-​05-​18
Having moved from London to Canterbury 3 years ago we have been hoping to find a first-​rate Chinese restaurant. We did today. Prompted by some other reviews elsewhere we popped in for an ad hoc lunch prior to a tooth extraction (my wife’s not mine). We had deep-​fried mushrooms plus crispy smoked chicken for starters, then Szechuan Chicken (not actually the 3 chilli symbols on the menu only moderately hot) and jumbo prawns in black bean sauce, plus a vegetable fried rice. Oh, and they provided prawn crackers with a very tasty chilli sauce prior to the meal. Well, we were blown away. Everything was straight from the wok or fryer (and obviously absolutely clean oil not always the case in some places), cooked and seasoned to perfection. The chef comes from the Royal China in London (where we have been many times) to be with his parents in Canterbury, and I hope the locals appreciate what they now have in their midst. The Royal Inn is about to celebrate its first anniversary; I hope it can generate enough custom to keep going for many years more. Situtuated in a listed building it has a cool, calm ambience with discreet background music (songs of the ‘60s). The staff are cheerful and friendly, with keen attention to the guests. Encouraging to see a Chinese couple lunching next to us. One word of warning the portions are well-​sized, and on reflection we could have given up one of the starters but we have a takeaway lunch to eat tomorrow! Cost was very reasonable: 4 courses and 3 Tsingtao beers came to just under £38. Highly recommended.

The Royal Inn is expensive but then I would expect to pay for the quality of food and service that they offer.
I have eaten in many of what are described as London’s finest Chinese restaurants and the Royal Inn is at least as good as anything I have eaten in London.
Although «hidden» from the main shops on the high street in Longport it is in fact only a five minute walk from the high street and I would personally rate this as one if not the best restaurants in Canterbury.