This guide lists places to eat and drink in Gravesend, Dartford, Northfleet and Swanley, grouped by what you may be looking for. InKent has no food or drink listings yet for Greenhithe or Swanscombe. Each entry says what the place serves, where it is and, where InKent holds them, its opening days. Hours change, so every pub carries a reminder to check, and each place’s own website has the current times. The cards below link to each place’s InKent page.
A pub by the river
- The Three Daws, Gravesend: a pub at Town Pier in a Grade II listed building, with a rear terrace looking over the Thames. It serves food made with locally sourced produce, with changing real ales from local breweries. Check before you go.
Gravesham Borough Council’s Riverside Leisure Area includes the Gordon Promenade along the river front.
More pubs and a brewery taproom
- The Six Bells, Northfleet: a family-friendly pub and restaurant on Old Perry Street, in a building from the 1700s that was once a coaching house. It serves food and drink in two bar areas and a garden, and tables can be booked through its website. It opens at midday every day and closes at 11pm, or midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Check before you go.
- The Earl Grey, Northfleet: a Shepherd Neame pub at 177 Vale Road with ales, lagers, wines and spirits, a large garden and live sport on TV. It opens at midday every day. Northfleet Urban Country Park has an entrance on Vale Road. Check before you go.
- The Horse & Groom, Wilmington: a Shepherd Neame pub at 15 Leyton Cross Road. It serves food prepared on site, and its website advises booking ahead for Sunday roasts. Dogs are welcome in the bar and garden. Check before you go.
- Iron Pier Brewery & Taproom, Northfleet: a brewery on May Avenue with a taproom that pours its own cask and keg beers, plus ciders, wines and soft drinks. Food vans visit regularly, and beer can be taken home in cans or growler refills. Check before you go.
Breakfast, coffee and cake
- Marie’s Tea Room, Gravesend: at 22 High Street, serving breakfast and afternoon tea, with a page on its website for booking afternoon tea.
- Vegan Antics, Gravesend: a vegan bakery and cafe at 11 Windmill Street. Everything is plant based, including cakes, cupcakes, cookies and doughnuts, with low gluten bakes also available, and you can sit in. It opens at 9am from Wednesday to Saturday and 10am on Sunday, closing at 4pm, and is closed on Monday and Tuesday. Celebration cakes are made to order, and an online shop sends bakes by post.
- Duet Coffee, Dartford: a coffee shop inside the Orchards Shopping Centre on the High Street. It serves coffee made with a Lavazza espresso blend, with muffins, pastries and cookies baked in store, to sit in or take away. It opens at 9am and closes at 5.30pm Monday to Saturday, and is open from 10am to 4pm on Sunday.
A sit-down dinner or a takeaway
- The Gandhi, Gravesend: an Indian restaurant at 66 West Street, trading since 1996. It serves dinner from 5.30pm every evening, and a buffet lunch from midday to 2.30pm on Sunday. Tables can be reserved, and food can be ordered online.
- Cadiz Tapas Restaurant & Cocktail Bar, Dartford: at 70 Spital Street, serving tapas and paella made with ingredients imported from Spain and produce from Kent, plus cocktails. Tables can be booked online, the restaurant is dog friendly and it is closed on Mondays.
- Unico’s Mediterranean Restaurant, Dartford: at 67 to 69 High Street, serving Mediterranean and European dishes including steaks, seafood and handmade pasta, with a Sunday lunchtime roast. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dishes are marked on the menu. It opens for dinner from 5pm Tuesday to Saturday and for lunch on Sunday, and is closed on Mondays.
- Peking Garden, Dartford: a family-run Chinese restaurant at Westgate House on Spital Street, serving Peking and Szechuan dishes, to eat in, collect or have delivered within about five miles. It opens from 5pm, from 1pm on Sunday, and is closed on Tuesdays.
- Namaste Swanley: an Indian restaurant and takeaway at 9 High Street, Swanley, with a five-course buffet every Sunday. It opens from 5pm Monday to Saturday and from 1pm on Sunday, takes table bookings and has online ordering.
- Bangkok Mami, Gravesend: a takeaway at 156 Parrock Street cooking Thai and Chinese dishes, including Thai curries, pad Thai, chow mein and fried dim sum. Orders go through its website or by phone, for collection or delivery depending on postcode. It opens every evening, and from early afternoon at weekends.
For families
The Six Bells is a family-friendly pub and restaurant with a garden, and The Three Daws welcomes children until the early evening, away from the main bar.
Frequently asked questions
Which of these places are closed on certain days?
Cadiz Tapas Restaurant and Unico’s in Dartford are closed on Mondays, and Peking Garden in Dartford is closed on Tuesdays. Vegan Antics in Gravesend is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Each place’s website has current opening times.
Where can I eat or drink by the river in Gravesend?
The Three Daws is at Town Pier and has a rear terrace looking over the Thames. The Gordon Promenade runs along the river front. Check each place’s website before you go.
Is Gravesend Borough Market open?
Gravesend Borough Market’s main building has been closed since its operator stood down in November 2025, and in October 2026 Gravesham Borough Council advertised for a new leaseholder. Check the council’s news pages for the latest.