The River Medway winds its way through the towns of Rochester, Chatham, Strood, Gillingham and Rainham, a striking location rich in history as a strategic gateway for Britain over the centuries. Rochester’s beginnings stretch back to an Iron Age site on which the Romans founded the town they called Durobrivae, translating as ‘stronghold by the bridge’.
Dominated by Rochester Cathedral – the second oldest in the UK – and the castle set on the sweep of the river beside the bridge, the landscape here will be familiar to Medway’s most famous resident, Charles Dickens, and the setting for many of his novels.
Right in the heart of Rochester, Smoqe serves up the kind of dishes that make you fall in love with burgers again. An excellent super-model shiny bun made by Mrs Sourdough bakery in Chatham has structural integrity, ensuring the 4oz patty, house burger sauce, streaky bacon and Applewood smoked cheese is encased to the very last bite – an underrated trick to pull off. Great little wine list, alongside keenly priced cocktails and boozy milkshakes, with owners Clare and John Tierney skilfully directing the open kitchen and buzzy cosy room.
There’s soulful Caribbean cooking to be relished at Mumma Soraya’s Soul Food, where Soraya serves up booming' deeply flavoursome family recipes of jerk pork and chicken, brown stew chicken, patties and callaloo fritters from her truck outside Rochester's George Pub. Outrageously good cooking served up with a genuine love for the local community, and a side order of singing in the kitchen from Soraya.
There’s a reason Shozna is still packing in loyal regulars at their site in Maidstone Road, Rochester – since 2005 it’s been the local curry house every town craves. Try jhinga masala cooked with minced lamb, egg, and great quality king prawns, accompanied by a supremely pillowy keema naan. Stylish presentational flourish to the dishes, with unflappable service, put this spot firmly into the top tier.
In the mix for a deserved shout-out in the Indian category is Sundar Rachana nestled in an atmospheric restored barn in Rainham. The menu sparkles with creativity, such as the awadi duck archari, made with confit Gressingham duck breast and Tamil black pepper – aromas from the car park before walking in are a sign you’re in for a good meal.
The massaman curry at Limehouse Thai in Rochester is one to seek out, served with beef or elevated further by having the lamb chop version, a decadent bone-gnawing twist on a classic. Khanom jeeb dumplings, fish cakes and tamarind duck are all punching at the top level. Head to Isaan Thai in Strood for lesser seen Northern Thai specialities, (curry Isaan, bamboo spicy salad), and take a stroll to Desi pub Bas Bar for live sport on plenty of screens and tandoor chops, or visit their sister spot Punjabi Dhaba right by the bridge for paneer tikka and samosa chaat.
Hopping across the bridge over The River Medway from Rochester to Strood we find the charming and unexpected village of Upnor, hugging the river with its quaint cobbled street beside Upnor Castle, built in 1559 to defend the warships of Queen Elizabeth I in Chatham Dockyard. The slightly surreal location feels like something akin to a Cornish fishing village. Os’ Camacheiros is the gem to be uncovered here, a family-run Madeiran restaurant housed in a former warehouse by the river, specialising in traditional espetadas (skewers of grilled meat and fish) and picados. A head-turning Portuguese choriço arrives flaming to the table, a coarsely cut sausage that is an essential order, as are the impressive huge skewers arriving upright with dangling chunks of beef, pork or seafood. Another hit sees a picados of excellent quality prawns and mussels served in a creamy white sauce, nestled alongside homemade chips: a bottle of Super Bock alongside and you’ll feel like a proper Madeirense.
Turkish spot Turkuaz sits hidden away in the midst of Medway Valley Leisure Park on the Strood side the river, and the quality of the meat coming off the huge mangal grill merits a visit. Freshly made lahmacun minced lamb flatbreads come rustling out of the oven, as good as any version you’ll find, and the adana kebab, chicken shish and lamb ribs are all spankingly good. Take a look at the meat selection next to the grill, skewered and ready to roll, to help make your choice – generous portions, great value, doggy bag likely. On the kebab trail, also of note is Master Kebabs in Gillingham, where they crank out impressive quality at high volume.
Medway’s newest opening is steak frites spot Boeuf, in the strip linking Rochester and Chatham known as ‘Chatham Intra’. They serve one menu: sirloin pavé and frites, with the whammy of a second serving bundled in, from the team behind excellent burger slingers The Dead Pigeon and The Greedy Banker pubs. Shimmy along from here back up towards Rochester castle for more steak, lobster and ribs at Brettingtons, or Fish at 55 for a platter of fruits de mer and sashimi platters.
