I’ve been wanting to write How to spend the day in Sevenoaks: The ultimate guide for a while. In January, I wrote How to spend the day in Chelmsford: The ultimate guide and I was amazed by the response. I even ended up having an interview on Chelmsford Radio about it.
It encouraged me to write one about Sevenoaks, Kent. I grew up in West Kingsdown, a small village which comes under the umbrella of ‘Sevenoaks’ but is actually about 20 minutes from Sevenoaks high street. So, when I say ‘how to spend the day in Sevenoaks’, I mean the wider area too, from Shoreham to Eynsford, there are so many things to do on your doorstep.
All of my recommendations are tried and tested and baby-friendly.
Where to eat in Sevenoaks & the surrounding areas
There are so many delicious places to eat in Sevenoaks and the surrounding areas, you’re spoilt for choice. I’ve split these up into breakfast, lunch, dinner and coffee and if they’re good for more than one, I’ve put them in more than one category.
Breakfast
Nonna Cappuccini’s
Sopranos
Twig & Spoon
Beaux Bagels
Rafferty’s
Gail’s Bakery
Riverside Tea Room
Lunch
Bartella’s
The Cricketers (dog-friendly)
White Finch Bakery (dog-friendly)
The Green Man (dog-friendly)
The Plough Eynsford
The White Hart (for Sunday roast)
Mount Vineyard
Dinner
Hattusa
The Cricketers
Bartella’s
The Green Man
The Plough Eynsford
The Lion Inn (dog-friendly outside & for a drink only, the food isn’t great)
Rajdani
Branded
The Castle Eynsford
Coffee
Nonna Cappuccini’s
Sopranos
Twig & Spoon
Rafferty’s
Gail’s Bakery
Riverside Tea Room
White Finch Bakery
Castle Farm coffee cart (phenomenal coffee)

My favourites
White Finch Bakery (shown above) is my favourite place to visit locally. It’s in Meopham, but if you’re visiting the area it’s near enough to visit. The menu is jam-packed with locally-sourced and fresh ingredients and the location is just wonderful, surrounded by fields and a PYO.
More locally, I love Sopranos, just off the high-street in Sevenoaks. It’s an authentic Italian-run café serving everything from delicious coffee to huge breakfasts. Although I love the instagram-worthy vibe in Gail’s, Sopranos is your best bet for breakfast in Sevenoaks.
For dinner, I’d pick The Plough in Eynsford. There are a lot of good country pubs in Kent, but my friends and I always seem to levitate towards this one. It’s surrounded by beautiful countryside on all sides & the menu is equally as great.
My brother – and resident Sevenoaks expert – tells me Hattusa, Branded and The White Hart for a good Sunday roast are must-visits.
Where to explore in Sevenoaks
The parks
Considering Sevenoaks is quite a major town, it’s surrounded by parks. Knole Park, a national trust property, is just the tip of the park iceberg, but it’s a great place to start. If you’d like to get up close to the friendly deer, Knole Park is your place. It is a bit hilly – and dogs aren’t allowed off the lead because of the deer – so these are things to consider.
Lullingstone Country Park is my personal favourite. It does get very busy in the height of summer and of weekends, though. There’s a great 2.5km loop walk that finishes (or starts depending on what direction you go) along a lovely river. You can head up into the woods at the top of the park and enjoy the kids’ discovery trail. The views to the nearby lavender fields are nothing short of amazing.

My recommendation for those wanting to travel to Lullingstone Country Park on a busy day would be to enjoy Lullingstone Castle first (which is truly amazing) and park in that car park, and then do the trails around the local area. It’s quieter and you get more from your experience.
I’m almost reluctant to share my secret walk with you, but I also want you to experience the best of Sevenoaks. If you go into Millfield Road in West Kingsdown and drive straight until you reach the end of the road, you’ll see a little alleyway that leads into the woods. From there, walk left and keep high (don’t go down into the valley). You’ll come to an overgrown opening that leads into a field. When you pop out into the field, walk left until you reach the bushes and then walk through the gate to your left and there it is. You can see the London skyline and it’s honestly breathtaking. If you go during sunset, it’s a magical experience. I’ve never taken a photo that even remotely does it justice. And, because nobody knows about it, it’s always completely empty.

The ford in Eynsford and the village of Shoreham is also not to be missed. Again, it does get very busy – particularly the ford – so I would recommend going during the weekday if you can, or being content with a very busy experience.
The shops
I think the high street is more negatively impacted in places like Sevenoaks because of Bluewater Shopping Centre. When I lived in West Kingsdown I rarely did my shopping anywhere else. Even now I live in Chelmsford, I will regularly go to Bluewater because the selection of shops is so great.
That said, Sevenoaks has managed to retain something of a high street. Although I would say it’s more restaurant-focused, you can definitely get the essentials. From Marks & Spencer to Jigsaw, White Stuff to Mint Velvet, I’ll admit that it has a slightly rich older lady vibe about it. But, with Oliver Bonas, Space NK and Sweaty Betty plus the likes of the independent stationary shop, Between The Lines, there’s plenty of fun to be had for shoppers of all ages.
The local culture
From Knole Park to Lullingstone Castle, this part of Kent isn’t short of culture. Within walking distance you could visit Eynsford Castle, Lullingstone Castle and Lullingstone Roman Villa.
If it’s wine you’re in to, you’ll be in great company at Mount Vineyard in Shoreham. This is an absolute must-visit whether you’re a wine lover or not. It has a restaurant and a coffee box, so you can simply enjoy some locally-sourced cuisine if you’d prefer. The restaurant’s sharing board and stone baked pizzas are delicious. If you do like wine, my Dad and I recently went for a wine tasting and thought the 2019 Cellar Key was so good. I ended up taking a bottle home.

For the children
When I lived in Kent, I didn’t have children, so it’s hard to pinpoint all the best classes etc. Aside from Little Street in Riverhead (which is great), I haven’t been to many soft play type places.
There are, however, a lot of cool things for children a little further afield:
- Visit the river with fishing nets in Eynsford
- The discovery trail at Lullingstone Park
- Say hello to the deer at Knole Park
- Enjoy the Natural Play Area at Ightham Mote
- The adventure playground at Penshurst Place
- Go Ape at Leeds Castle
- Gravity at Bluewater
- Dinotropolis at Bluewater
- Kent Life
- Diggerland
- Christmas Tree Farm, Downe
- Bewlwater (I loved going here as a kid)
- Brands Hatch during a race day
- Eagle Heights
- Kent & East Sussex Railway
- Pirate Cove Adventure Golf, Bluewater
- Riverhill Himalayan Gardens
- Shoreham Aircraft Museum
What do you think?
You must be logged in to post a comment.