Coming to Kent this autumn, Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve near Hythe is delighted to announce the opening of its new restaurant and bar: The Garden Room, nestled within Sir Philip Sassoon's original stable yard.

For the first time a restaurant within the main reserve will be open to guests not visiting the park or staying in its award winning accommodation. The Garden Room's carefully curated menu will feature only the freshest and best local seasonal ingredients that the autumn harvest has to offer. Many of the ingredients are sourced from the Reserve's very own local growers based at Walmestone near Wingham. The menu will ensure there is something to suit all tastes & occasions. 

Designed by Port Lympne's Executive Head Chef Lee Edney, it will offer unpretentious food that celebrates the best of British cuisine, dishes include: Romney marsh lamb with confit garlic, broccoli & pearl barley risotto, tuna sashimi with soy & mirin dressing, avocado, orange and tobiko caviar as well as Longland farm chicken with sweetcorn, cep puree, girolles and cavolo nero. The food is complemented by an extensive drinks menu, which includes a unique botanical themed cocktail that provides a nod to the garden-inspired surroundings, locally produced fine wines, and a range of Kent ales.

The Garden Room will initially be open for dinner reservations 7 days per week and will also introduce a traditional Sunday lunch menu. Diners who book a table for Sunday lunch will also have complimentary access to the reserve and can use the benefit as a way to work up an appetite or walk off their lunch later in the day. 

Executive Head Chef Lee Edney comments: “The new menu will appeal to every taste and showcases the exceptional range of produce available in Kent, including a seasonal crumble with fruits sourced within the Port Lympne and Howletts estate. The highlight of this menu is not only its innovative use of great, fresh flavours, but also its commitment to seasonality.” 

The Garden Room, recently refurbished by Interior Designer Victoria Aspinall, features glass chandeliers, vaulted glazed ceiling, mirrored garden walls and oversized brass lanterns to create a relaxed and charming garden experience.

The new 100 cover restaurant joins the Reserve's impressive portfolio of thirteen different types of luxury accommodation and three other onsite restaurants. 

The Garden Room opens its doors to reservations for dinner from Thursday 1st October and for Sunday Lunch only from 4th October. Reservation requests can initially be made by filling in an online reservation request at https://www.aspinallfoundation.org/garden-room/

For further information or imagery, please contact the following:

The Aspinall Foundation: +44(0)1303 234184, Chantelle Harman: chantelleh@aspinallfoundation.org

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Editors notes:

• Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve and Howletts Wild Animal Park are breeding sanctuaries for some of the world's most endangered species. The two Kent parks are charities and rely on visitor funds and donations to carry out their conservation work. Where possible, animals born at the parks are released into protected areas of their natural habitat, as part of The Aspinall Foundation's Back To The Wild programme.
• Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve and Howletts Wild Animal Park work with The Aspinall Foundation, a world leading conservation charity. The parks, in Kent are two of the County's most popular visitor attractions. Profits from the parks in Kent and accommodation at Port Lympne Reserve go towards helping The Aspinall Foundation's efforts to save rare and endangered species, both in the UK and overseas.
• Howletts Wild Animal Park and Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve in Kent, working with The Aspinall Foundation, are some of the most successful breeders of captive endangered animals in the world. In conjunction with both Kent parks it has successfully released eight black rhinos, 135 primates, 11 European bison, and over 70 western lowland gorillas back to the wild.
• Howletts Wild Animal Park and Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve are members of Visit England's accreditation scheme for quality visitor attractions VAQAS.
• The Aspinall Foundation manages conservation projects in Congo, Gabon, Indonesia, Madagascar and Southern Africa, as well as providing financial support to various partner projects around the world. The conservation charity's important work helps protect some of the most endangered species on the planet.