"A Kentish coaching inn that won a Michelin star in 2022, now cheaper under David Gadd — book it for a first date."
About The Bridge Arms
David Gadd spent six years cooking at The Sportsman in Seasalter before he took the stove at The Bridge Arms, a 16th-century coaching inn in the village of Bridge, three miles south of Canterbury. The pub won a Michelin star in 2022. In August 2025 Elliot Hewitt bought it, cut the steak from forty pounds to under thirty, and told the local press he was not chasing the star back. What is left is a charcoal-driven Kentish kitchen — smoked short rib, butter-poached skate — at gastropub prices, with mains around £20 to £30.
The Kitchen
Head chef David Gadd learned his trade over six years at Stephen Harris's The Sportsman in Seasalter, the most quietly influential kitchen in Kent, and he cooks in that lineage: local produce, charcoal, almost nothing flown in. The Bridge Arms runs a Josper grill fed with charcoal burned from Kentish woodland, and the signature smoked short rib of Kentish beef comes off it with horseradish cream. The lighter half of the menu shows the same hand — a butter-poached skate wing with brown shrimp and sweetcorn, harissa-cured mackerel with summer vegetables, monkfish scampi with a curry sauce that nods to the old seaside chip shop. Start with the wild mushroom sausage rolls. The 53 High Street address won its Michelin star in 2022, ten months after Dan and Natasha Smith took it on; when Elliot Hewitt relaunched the inn in August 2025 he kept Gadd, kept the grill, and dropped the formality, so a main now sits around £20 to £30 rather than £40. For the wider county scene, read the Canterbury dining guide and our seven signs of a great restaurant.
The Room
The Bridge Arms still reads as a village pub: low beams, a working fire, bare oak tables and a proper bar you can drink at without ordering dinner. Sound stays conversation-easy, a low hum even on a full Saturday, and the lighting is warm and dim against the Kent dark outside. Tables in the bar room sit close and convivial; the back dining room is a little more spaced. Dress is smart-casual, no jacket needed, and walkers come in off the Nailbourne valley in clean boots. It seats roughly fifty across the two rooms, with a handful of covers in the garden when the weather holds.
Best for a First Date
Book The Bridge Arms for a first date because the room does the heavy lifting: a 16th-century coaching inn with beams, a fire and a low hum is intimate without being intense, the noise lets you actually talk, and since the 2025 relaunch the cheque no longer turns the evening into a statement. The food is good enough to give you something to say — order the smoked short rib to share — and the village setting makes the whole night feel like a small escape from Canterbury. Take an early table in the bar room. For more ideas, see the best restaurants for a first date.
Not for
Not for a long Sunday lunch with toddlers in tow: the kitchen runs lean since the relaunch, the bar room is tight, and there is no separate space for a buggy or a high-chair scrum.
Frequently Asked
Is The Bridge Arms worth it?
Yes. The Bridge Arms won a Michelin star in 2022 and still cooks at that level, but since Elliot Hewitt took over in August 2025 it has dropped the tasting-menu formality and the steak price with it. David Gadd, six years out of The Sportsman in Seasalter, runs a charcoal kitchen on a Josper grill. Expect smoked Kentish short rib and butter-poached skate at roughly forty pounds a head.
How hard is it to book The Bridge Arms?
Easier than it was as a starred destination, but weekends still go fast. Book through OpenTable or call 01227 286534, with the reservations line open 09:00 to 17:00 Wednesday to Sunday. The pub closes Monday and Tuesday. Aim two to three weeks ahead for a Friday or Saturday dinner; midweek lunch in the village of Bridge is the quiet, easy table.
What is the dress code at The Bridge Arms?
Smart-casual, no jacket required. Since the 2025 relaunch the room is deliberately a pub again rather than a hushed dining shrine, so neat jeans and a shirt are fine. People dress up a little for a celebration dinner, but nobody is turned away for arriving in walking clothes after a day along the Nailbourne valley. Leave the black tie at home.
What should I order at The Bridge Arms?
Order whatever has been near the charcoal. The smoked Kentish short rib with horseradish cream is the signature, and the butter-poached skate wing with brown shrimp shows the lighter side of David Gadd's cooking. Start with the wild mushroom sausage rolls, and ask what came off the Josper grill that day. The menu changes with the Kent larder, so trust the specials.
Is The Bridge Arms good for a first date?
Yes. A 16th-century coaching inn with low beams, a fire and conversation-easy noise is close to ideal for a first date. The food is good enough to talk about and the prices are no longer intimidating, so the cheque will not loom over the evening. Book an early table, sit in the bar room rather than the back, and let the charcoal do the work.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at The Bridge Arms
Book via the pub or OpenTable; reservations line 01227 286534, open 09:00–17:00 Wed–Sun. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
Address53 High Street, Bridge, Canterbury CT4 5LA
NeighbourhoodBridge village, near Canterbury
CuisineModern British, charcoal
PriceMains £20–30; about £40 a head, before wine
Dress CodeSmart-casual
Seating~50 covers, bar room + dining room, small garden
ReservationOpenTable / direct
