The Best Restaurants in Whitstable, Kent, United Kingdom (2025)

A lovely restaurant with nice food and decorations. The lighting and table give me a warm welcoming vibe. Food is great, love the mixed starter in the lunch menu.

First time in Whitstable and we decided to go Thai. We went for the set menu Chang Mai. Everything was very tasty especially the Beef Kra Pow.The only minor issue was we had to wait a while for our mains. The restaurant was quite busy though. Friendly staff.

An enjoyable meal. Very delicious food and beautiful environment make me happy. There are many dishes to choose from, which are suitable for enjoying with family and friends.

Authentic Thai Food with lunch menu for good value! Cannot ask for a better deal elsewhere. Starters as well as the rice noodles on the Lunch Menu were great. Well designed restaurant.

Had the King's Taster with 2 sides, was easily enough to feed 3 of us. Great tasting slow cooked selection of smoked meats, falling apart on the plate. Would have gone down even better with some craft beer, only lager on the menu on our visit. Highly recommended.

Recommend this place 100%. 10/10!! We had prepaid a deposit for the Sunday BBQ- All you can eat. We were unfortunately late for our booking time but they accommodated us- giving us a later time. Which we appreciate so much. Jordan who served us was very efficient and friendly- despite us being late. We were seated and seen straight away. Drinks and menu given. The BBQ option was £28 each, that includes everything in the photo- and you can order even more afterwards. And we also ordered chips for an extra £5. Drinks are also an extra price. There are other side orders such as brisket and mac and cheese that we could have ordered too. Food was DELICIOUS!! I especially loved the pulled pork and the chicken. Food was hot and very flavourful. Maybe we could have asked but we had hoped they’d have a mix of different BBQ sauce style option's to go with our meal. ( For example: Sweet, Chipotle, Smoky or spicy) Restaurant is comfortable and has a nice atmosphere. Again, 100% recommend!!

Came here today as this is on my food bucket list. WOW this did not disappoint , every part had its own fabulous flavours , unlike some places where it’s just the smoked meats this was a while different level INCREDIBLE!!! You can taste every bit , every flavour …Everything was super juicy , not one bit of dry meat ! I will definitely be coming back with our biker friends ! ADD the BRISKET always add the brisket ! Delishhhhh

Recommended this place by locals, after stumbling around the harbour looking at options for eats on a friday evening. Had no idea what to expect, this was incredibly tasty and delicious with no pretence. Welcomed by a friendly team who fitted our group of 5 in early, without a reservation. Incredible lobster, oysters from the specials board and chicken buns.. Bonfire potatoes, hispi cabbage and caeser salad all high mentions. It's the sauces and dabs that give this a next level dimension. Very impressive, and worth return visits!

I've been waiting to try this place for ages. The food options are limited but that ensures the best quality. I went for the nip for one and devils eggs to start. Nip for one half a lobster plus side. I went for the potatoes and they were fabulous especially with the house sauce. It looked so good I couldn't wait to take a before pic... The devils eggs as a starter were really nice and full of flavour. The lobster was so succulent. Yes it was expensive but you get what you pay for. It clearly was a fresh lobster and not frozen. I will definitely be going back. I want to try the chicken... Highly recommended.

The first time I went, the menu was a bit confusing but the waitress happily explained it. I was a bit dubious at first looking at the prices and all that but oh boy I'd say it's worth every penny. The food was lovely and the service was brilliant especially one waitress, she was 👌(feel like a creep saying that, but yeah she was 👌👌👌👌)

Busy relaxed restaurant with a cracking menu…. Chicken and lobster halves to share - cooked really well and very tasty. The sides on offer were fabulous too!

Had a wonderful experience at this restaurant! The relaxing atmosphere, with the option to sit both inside and outside, offers two distinct vibes. Facing the sea adds a dramatic touch to the meal. I particularly enjoyed the must-try oysters and appreciated the selection of local beers. A perfect spot to unwind!

Beautiful pub on the beach. We tried to go a few years ago and it was HEAVING so never got in. So glad we tried again today. They were so kind as to squeeze in our group of 10 with no hesitation, the food was perfect and servers lovely. No table service but it is a pub I suppose so we didn’t mind! Had the seafood platter special. Crab was sublime. And even better a view of the sea out the window. Love it here.

A lovely old pub, nice 'pub' atmosphere, not all chrome and pine. Friendly staff who were busy but still happy to chat, slick too, cleaning tables and keeping everything moving. Despite being busy, there was a fast and friendly service. We all chose the sandwiches; crab, tuna and prawn, great with the sea as a backdrop

never been over this side of England before. fish and chips first night here were delicious and bar on the beach great idea. tried a few places over the weekend including the one you walk for ages to get to then queue and not so good so ended up back here last day as so good. staff young but do a great job. oysters, squid, and fish and chips excellent and a great view. will be back

Had an absolutely love evening with friends. Going in winter added an extra cosy touch, and the menu was still quite extensive considering we went out of season. Service was friendly and efficient. Especially loved the oysters to start and the whole crab was just devine!

Came here yesterday with my partner. We hadn't booked, but the lady managed to fit us in during a busy lunchtime. I had never had oysters or fresh lobster ever. This was a fantastic first experience. We had the garlic and parmersan oysters to start. Admittedly, there were not what I thought. Really enjoyed them. And I have no words for the lobster that would do it justice. Overall amazing lunch date for us 😋😊

Excellent! From tasty and thoroughly prepared food, to a nice and cosy atmosphere with a view on the sea, and excellent service. Starting from the fresh an delicious seafood, very well cooked. What a fantastic experience, must try are of course the oysters, but we also had the sole meunière which is also highly recommended

Delicious! Every time, it is delicious! I didn’t even like oysters before visiting the Forge, nor did I know the history of the Whitstable oyster company. Now, I make it a point to visit once a month (or anytime I have an international visitor). These oysters are so incredibly fresh and tasty. The fish and chips are unbelievably good—the batter is light and crispy, the fish is tender and moist, and the chips add the perfect salt and carb complement. Amazing in any season, I love that waterside shack is tucked alongside the fisherman’s cottages and has a prime view of the bay. Staff are friendly to customers. Overall, this is a fabulous place to visit for high quality food in a low-key atmosphere.

We all had fish and chips which were excellent apart from my daughter who had scampi which is best avoided . It looks like it's not made on site and she was disappointed with the portion size. Can't fault the fish and chips. Also good to be able to bring our dog to sit outside with us. We also tried a couple of oysters which were much better than the oysters we had had the day before at the harbour

Cute little outdoor fish restaurant right on the beach. It’s all outdoors with picnic tables, with food and drink served out of a hatch. The offer is fairly simple with Whitstable oysters and fish and chips to take away with a good range of beers. Best thing is the location, fish and chips were ok. Freshly cooked but batter was not the best and they loose a star for using frozen chips, not freshly cut.

Just popped in for breakfast and had avocado on sourdough with poached egg and smoked salmon. Unprompted by me, the chef insisted on giving me a free runny egg (not pictured) when she came to check everything was ok. Sorry about the pic, I got stuck in before I thought about taking it. 😊 It was DELICIOUS!!! and the homemade harissa, pine nut, sun dried tomato paste was a great addition. Good oat milk flat white and friendly service. This is a great offering at a fair price. I’ll be back and treat myself again.

What an amazing hidden gem in Whitstable! I was warmly welcomed by the owners of this delightful family, independent business😌Lauren & Tamsin went out of their way to make sure I was comfortable from where I sat, to the music and the temperature. I felt very looked after, like I was visiting friends🤗I opted for a selection of small plates. Each and every one was delightful! Being gluten & dairy free, Lauren went out of her way to adapt the dishes to my exact liking. They were all delicious with an authentic, south East Asian twist. From the Vietnamese prawn rolls, to the best chicken goujons I’ve ever had! The squid was👌🏽 I highly recommend this restaurant for locals and tourists alike! Thank you Lauren & Tamsin for your friendly conversation, care and excellent customer experience. I really enjoyed my dinner with you. I hope your business goes from strength to strength✨

Some of the best food we’ve ever eaten! We are devastated to have been just visiting the area, and would highly consider coming back just for this place! There were several gluten free/vegan options, and Lauren went above and beyond to accommodate my gluten allergy. Prices were fair, cocktails were amazing, and we had wonderful and prompt service from Roy. This level of hospitality cannot be beat, I would recommend to anyone.

Such a unique place! An art gallery and restaurant, where you can have a full vegan breakfast at 4pm 😆💚 absolutely loved it! So many tasty vegan options, really recommend if you're looking for good vegan food in Whitstable. And the exhibition was amazing too. Staff was really lovely.

Spent a nice day in Whitstable. Came back to Lobster Shack for lunch as ate here the last time l visited Whitstable. Lobster was lovely but a tad small. We enjoyed the oysters, a must have while in season. The squid portion was rather small and not salt and pepper, nothing special. The restaurant itself is nice and brightly lit with a busy open plan kitchen. We sat outside since it was sunny. We used the QR code to order. Service was standard.

Lovely location, great view of the sea. The food was great. Parking not so great, there is paid for parking, and the meter is well hidden! Once you find it you’ll have to have cash as there’s no option for card or app payment.we did ask in the lobster shack if they could change some notes but they couldn’t! Might be a good idea to always keep some cash for such times customers need cash for parking!!

The Lobster shack sits right at the beach front and offers the freshest whitstable oysters. You find also lobster and fresh fish and chips with other classic British dishes on the menu. The big seafood platter is also a popular option if you like to try a bit of everything they offer. Service was friendly and really quick too. The oysters are definitely a must try. In summer they have outdoor seating and BBQ plus live music. The best time to visit whitstable and the Lobster shack is definitely during the oyster festival each year in September and when the sun is shining.

Walk in only. We were lucky to get a table next to the window so it’s so enjoyable to look at the seaside and sunset and eating and drinking. Ordered full seafood platter and a lobster. Lobster isn’t too big but it tastes great! Oysters are fresh. Love the shrimp on the shell, they are sweet and fresh! However be careful with the bread as flys love it.

A great place to visit in Whitstable! Was very lucky to get a nice table overlooking the harbour at a very busy hour! Lots of seafood options, great wine, very attentive staff, enjoyed the perfect sunset over a fresh and crisp glass of wine, romantic atmosphere and great memories made! Highly recommended to try! ☆☆☆☆☆

Visited today and WOW! From start to finish the service, food and atmosphere were amazing. We have already told so many people about this restaurant. We will definitely be back. Our new favourite place to dine by the sea.

Great location and good friendly service with excellent food. Not cheap but expected given location. Downside was dogs barking and on peoples laps and screaming kids and coffee was just awful.

We visited on the Oyster festival weekend so we were pleasantly surprised to get a table. We were with friends and decided to share a selection of dishes including scallops and oysters. All the food was fresh and delicious served by efficient and friendly staff. The restaurant has a lovely location by the sea and has a Continental feel to it. They serve a good variety of drinks including my favourite Whitstable Bay beers. Absolutely recommended.