Whitstable, Fish & Seafood - Restaurant Guide

A “great atmosphere” reigns at the first – and sole surviving – branch of a once-beloved, now-defunct chain: an oyster parlour and seafood bar, est. 1856 by Richard Leggy Wheeler, which also happens to be this town’s oldest restaurant. From scallops, mussels and crab cakes, to a tasting menu on weekend nights, it turns out some “exceptional cooking with refreshing zingy flavours”, all served by “very good, friendly staff”. BYO booze for a small corkage fee or make a pitstop at the literally titled ‘Offy’ just opposite.

2023 Review: The dining room “upstairs in a rickety old pub, with wonderful views over Whitstable Bay”, offers a “good mix of innovative food” – including “beautifully cooked fish” – “and homemade pub classics, served by staff from the kitchen on the floor below”. “Eaten there many times: the ambience is excellent and always found the food good”.

A Whitstable fixture since 1984 – this “lovely local French-style bistro” run by Philip & Sue Colthup (helped these days by son Rhys) offers a “well-cooked and presented menu” that’s “heavily dependent on seafood, given its proximity to the harbour”. It recently added “a lovely courtyard garden” to help cope with demand at busy times of the year. Top Tip – “very good value set lunch”.

“You just can’t beat a plate of ‘natives’ while sitting at a bench on the seafront in the sun” – and this is the place to do it, just a few feet from the sea where the oysters were bred. “The fish is also fresh, and cooked to perfection” – “just don’t come expecting anything experimental, they just let the quality produce speak for itself”. It’s equally “fantastic” in the winter, eating inside while “overlooking windswept Whitstable beach – it’s warm, it’s yummy; you leave happy and ready to brave the cold again”.

2022 Review: “Superb, ultra-fresh seafood, including excellent Whitstable oysters” can be enjoyed bang in front of the working harbour at this straightforward café and terrace, with views over the sea as a backdrop.

2024 Review: Operated by the Whitstable Oyster Company, this shack tucked away at the end of the harbour serves oysters from the beds visible at low tide from its terrace, as well as lobsters and fish from the nearby waters. “We’re lucky to have such a place for fresh quality fish on our doorstep”.

“As always the food at the Sportsman is stellar” but as always it is the fact that it’s “served in a relaxed environment” which “makes a visit unforgettable” to Stephen Harris’s “splendid” hostelry which “has been modernised but still has the ambience of a pub”: a “diner’s delight” situated “by the Thames Estuary on an ancient saltmarsh and true to its location”. But while “the atmosphere is informal, the cuisine is totally serious”, “to the highest of standards” and at very “fair prices”. “The wine list, carefully chosen by the host, is classic, eclectic and great value too”, so, not unsurprisingly, it “gets very booked up” and is nowadays one of the top-10 most commented-on venues outside London in our annual diners’ poll. The normal menu is a five-courser, nowadays for £85 per person, although there is a three-course mid-week lunch for £55 per person served Tuesday-Thursday. Not sure you have sufficient appetite? – “the ideal thing to do is take a good walk along the beach beforehand to get the appetite brimming with anticipation!” Top Menu Tip – “Local fish is obviously a must” – “served flavoured with seaweed butter or caviar” – as are the “Whitstable oysters or marsh-fed lamb presented with flair”. “Fruit and vegetables often come from the pub’s own garden”.

2024 Review: This Grade II listed Georgian pub near Oare Marshes Nature Reserve is “a lovely spot on a warm day to sit and enjoy lovely grub on the outdoor terraces” – “while it does not outshine its near neighbour The Sportsman, it’s cosy, well run, with excellent food and great service – all without having to book weeks in advance and much easier on the wallet”. It has seen “a resurgence in the standard of cooking under new management” – experienced ex-Londoners Tom Gravett & Renny Peret.