Eating his words

The new chef-proprietor at Thackeray's, named for the famous man of letters, has made some dramatic changes. Fiona Sims read the manuscript.

Set back on a stretch of green off the main London Road in the quaint Kentish town of Tunbridge Wells is Thackeray's restaurant. Named after the writer, who once lived there, the 350-year-old, Grade II-listed, white-painted house has been a restaurant for 17 years. Opened by former chef-proprietor Bruce Wass as Thackeray's House, it notched up plenty of favourable comments from the critics; now it's the turn of new chef-proprietor Richard Phillips.

Phillips has made some dramatic changes to Thackeray's, both on the menu and to the interior. With business partners Mark Pullinger and Paul Smith, both businessmen with fingers in many pies but newcomers to the industry, and wife Claire, Phillips has transformed the place at the cost of a cool £1.3m. There being Philippe Starck fittings and chocolate leather in abundance, it comes as no surprise to learn that Phillips's former job was as executive chef of Ian Schrager's St Martin's Lane hotel in London, and previous engagements include a four-year stint with Marco Pierre White.

In fact, many of his St Martin's Lane colleagues have made the move to the former spa town, only an hour's drive - on a good day - from the capital. They include general manager Oliver Barker, Dion Morrow behind the bar, and Kieran Steinbourne-Busse, now Phillips's sous chef.

"I'd been looking at coming out of London for some time, and I wanted to stay in Kent - then this came up," explains Gillingham-born Phillips. "Thackeray's has built up a good reputation, hence the reason we kept the name. Its reputation was a big factor in the decision to come here."

Phillips and co spent just six weeks refurbishing the 64-seat restaurant and its two private rooms - "Fish", seating 14 (the centrepiece is a wall-mounted, gilt-framed aquarium), and the "African" room, seating 18 (complete with hide fittings and fertility statues) - with the help of Starck designer Mark Pimlott.

Then there's the entirely gold-leafed lounge bar on the first floor, and another holding bar - lit day and night with a hundred tea lights - on the ground floor. There are also plans to develop the gardens, with more seating outside, plus further tables at the front of the property.

Prices have been kept deliberately low, says Phillips. "We're not trying to reinvent the wheel here," he says. "We want to offer great food that won't cost you a fortune - that's something I learnt from Marco." As well as the à la carte menu with an average spend of £25 (without drinks), there's a seven-course tasting menu at £50, a weekly-changing lunch menu at £14.50 for two courses and £15.95 for three courses, including coffee. "Ninety-five per cent go for three courses," says Phillips. Sunday lunch costs £19.50 for three courses.

Most popular dishes on the à la carte menu include the lobster risotto with a tomato, chive and vanilla sauce (£25), roasted sea scallops with black pudding, apple and grain mustard sauce (£8.50), pan-fried millefeuille of Dutch calves' liver, roasted shallots, chestnuts and Madeira wine sauce (£13.75), and roasted sea bass fillet with buttered calamari noodles, lemon, caper and parsley sauce vierge (£14.25). "I'm still seeing where people's tastes are going at the moment. People have higher expectations down here," says Phillips, who has never worked outside the capital before.

Thackeray's, 85 London Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Tel: 01892 511921

A selection from the menu at Thackeray's

Celeriac velouté with poached quail's egg and white truffle crostini, £5
Seared rare Szechwan crusted tuna, mixed herb salad and truffle cream, £7.75
Pan-fried duck foie gras with caramelised apples, red wine and chive sauce, £12.50
Roast rump of lamb with Provençal herbs, sautéd spinach and olive and thyme and lavender jus, £14
Roast maize-fed chicken with sun-dried tomatoes, truffle risotto and red wine sauce, £12.50
Baked halibut fillet with a wild mushroom crust, braised leeks, red wine and five-spice sauce, £17
Vanilla and lime panna cotta with poached rhubarb and strawberries in Champagne, £5
Hot chocolate fondant with spiced pear and praline ice-cream, £5
Trio of crème brûlées: cappuccino, pear and ginger, nectarine and lemon grass, £5