Harden's survey result
Summary
“With its unmissable, pink exterior, the original Wheelers” (est. 1856, and for a time the base of a now-defunct mini-chain) – this “tiny”, “snug” and “eccentric” oddity feels “a little like eating in the back room of a small house, decorated in a ‘domestic style’, with ornaments on the mantelpiece and patterned tablecloths, and with tables a little packed-close”. “But, it has a brilliant professional kitchen out back” and serves “exceptional” fish and “truly excellent seafood” (“so local oysters are a must-have”), while the ability to “BYO makes it very good value”. “You need to book well in advance”, although it’s “easier to get a table now the extension has been built” with the capacity recently doubled to about 30.
Summary
“With its unmissable, pink exterior, the original Wheelers” (est. 1856, and for a time the base of a now-defunct mini-chain) – this “tiny”, “snug” and “eccentric” oddity feels “a little like eating in the back room of a small house, decorated in a ‘domestic style’, with ornaments on the mantelpiece and patterned tablecloths, and with tables a little packed-close”. “But, it has a brilliant professional kitchen out back” and serves “exceptional” fish and “truly excellent seafood” (“so local oysters are a must-have”), while the ability to “BYO makes it very good value”. “You need to book well in advance”, although it’s “easier to get a table now the extension has been built” with the capacity recently doubled to about 30.
Summary
“You could be forgiven if you thought you were eating in someone’s living room” at this “quirky”, “casual and basic” institution (est. 1856), where you eat “in a tiny back parlour that maybe seats 14-16 people”; and which “serves superbly fresh seafood” with “oysters a speciality”. “It’s not licensed, but there’s a good selection of wines offered in the off-licence opposite”.
Summary
“Revamped but still maintaining the original eating parlour” – this “quirky, mildly eccentric, and very English” institution (est. 1856) has survived enlargement largely unscathed, and still provides “a bizarre environment – like eating in someone’s front room” – that’s “as cosy as a teapot”. But “the modest frontage belies the superb cuisine inside”, where “sublime” yet “unfussy” seafood dishes are served at “fair prices”, and “BYO makes it a very good value experience” indeed. “I have had so much fun sitting in the ‘shop’ and falling into the most entertaining conversations with all types of people from a celebrated yet humble sax player, to a local plasterer, to a TV actor…”
For 30 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Wheelers Oyster Bar?
Restaurant details
Wheelers Oyster Bar Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Interesting menu of excellent seafood. BYO so it makes it a very good value experience.Tiny back parlour that only seats 14/16"
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £25.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.50 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 12.50% |
8 High Street, Whitstable, CT5 1BQ
Opening hours
| Monday | 10:30 am‑9 pm |
| Tuesday | 10:30 am‑9 pm |
| Wednesday | CLOSED |
| Thursday | 10:30 am‑9 pm |
| Friday | 10:30 am‑9:30 pm |
| Saturday | 10 am‑10 pm |
| Sunday | 11:30 am‑9 pm |
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