Thirty six of Kent's top restaurants and eateries have been included in the AA's The Restaurant Guide for 2020.

They include two of the county's Michelin Starred restaurants, the Fordwich Arms near Canterbury, and The Sportsman at Seasalter.

The West House restaurant in Biddenden, which lost the Michelin Star it had held since 2008 last week, has also been included, while The Compasses Inn in Crundale, which holds a Bib Gourmand, is also included.

The food lover’s guide to the best cuisine in Britain features more than 2,000 restaurants, inspected by the AA for culinary excellence.

It is an in-depth guide to the UK’s restaurant scene by county, with a detailed description of each destination, information on the latest chef changes and sample menu prices.

In the Canterbury area, the restaurants included are: The Goods Shed in Station Road West; ABode in the High Street; the Corner House in Dover Street, the Fordwich Arms and the Compasses Inn.

In the Margate area, The Ambrette in Fort Hill; Sands Hotel in Marine Drive; Buoy and Oyster in the High Street are included.

The eateries included in the Tunbridge Wells area are Thackeray's in London Road; the Spa Hotel in Langton Road; Hotel du Vin in Crescent Road, The Twenty Six in Southborough, and the Kentish Hare in Bidborough.

The Fish on the Green in Bearsted, Maidstone and the Chilston Park Hotel in Lenham, Maidstone, have been included, along with the Who'd A Thought It at Grafty Green; The Queen's Inn in Hawkhurst and the Small Holding at Kilndown, where head chef Will Devlin was recently named Chef to Watch in The Good Food Guide.

The Bull in Bull Lane, Wrotham is in the guide, as is The Swan in Swan Street, West Malling and The Swan Wine Kitchen in Tenterden.

Brandshatch Place Hotel & Spa at Fawkham Green and Rowhill Grange Hotel & Utopia Spa in Dartford are also included, while in Sandwich, The Lodge at Prince's and The Salutation are also in the guide.

Also included are: Dunkerleys Hotel & Restaurant in Deal; Frasers in Egerton; Read's Restaurant in Canterbury Road, Faversham; Folkestone's Rocksalt Rooms and the Wife of Bath at Wye, owned by chef Mark Sargeant. The Hythe Imperial; The Ferry House Inn at Leysdown-on-Sea; The Plough Inn at Stalisfield Green and The Dog at Wingham are also in the guide.

Simon Numphud, from AA Media, said: “The establishments in this year’s Guide demonstrate the high quality of culinary experiences across the country, offering delicious food and impeccable service.”

For more news on big brands and good places to enjoy a tasty bite, head to our Eat, Drink, Shop section.

To find out what’s going on in the county and for all the latest entertainment news click here.