Albariño in Thanet

Terrible customer service, which takes away from really tasty food. Front of house not particularly friendly, have a strange rule about only being able to use toilet if you are a dine in guest, despite spending £40 on take out food was chased down the restaurant and stopped from using toilet, in front of restaurant full of people, how to embarrass your customers spending money in your restaurant, terrible terrible customer service, only go here if you want to spend your money being belittled!! In response to the owners response to this review… I am not sure where you did your customer service training but there was nothing polite about it, it was embarrassing, and given you were not witness to this I am not sure how you can make comment. There are clearly issues with your attitude, if you read other reviews we are not the only ones to have made comment! The sign was not ignored, merely assumed it was meant for people calling in for the sole purpose of using your facilities (which I agree would be fair enough) and not spending their money in your establishment, can I ask why a take out customer is more likely to break your facilities than someone dining in? And if you feel that strongly about the people who come in for take out food and deli items why you continue to offer that as a service, as it is clearly a source of much anxiety for you. However I am aware that none of this will have an impact on you as you clearly have a very high opinion of yourself and a low opinion and lack of respect for the people spending their money with you and keeping you going.

Great food, service and wine. Really lovely intimate restaurant that feels very authentic.

Delicious food, cosy warm atmosphere and friendly staff

Phenomenal cooking - the basque cheesecake with Kent cherries was one of the best desserts I've had anywhere!

Amazing, tasty and creative dishes. I will definitely come back if I ever visit Broadstairs again.

Had a wonderful meal sat at the counter with Sherry looking after us brilliantly. What a superstar you have there!! Food was all incredible, particularly the attention to detail on the meat and cheese board. Meatballs, croquettes and the chicken were great ...the confit duck was to die for! I had to take my basque cheesecake home because l didnt have the space. That was also epic. Really really lovely place.

Highly recommend this tapas bar - super cute and cozy! Our favourites were medjool dates with goat cheese, chickpea and fennel chips, the skate and the risotto. Churros & cheesecake were lovely too. Certainly would come back again when I next visit Broadstairs.

Top class restaurant. Wonderful tapas freshly prepared with exquisite flavour. Far better than most places in Spain! Attentive service and a lovely homely atmosphere. First class desserts sherry and coffee! What a gem of a place!!

Amazing food! Could not fault one dish at all, cooked to perfection and unbelievably tasty! I hold highly recommend

Sombrero la Paja was a delicious red, and I haven’t stopped thinking about the cod fritters since I had them. Fantastic little gem of a restaurant.

Smiley staff. Proper nice scran. Enjoyed it thoroughly. Sounds silly but the salt cod fritters were proper salty. Would avoid unless you’re a proper salt head. 🧂

Wow. Unexpectedly amazing food and wine in centre of Broadstairs. Fantastic find. Will come again 👏🏻

Small but extremely charming, exceptional food, fantastic wine, and very friendly and attentive staff

Some of the best Tapas I've ever had, creative & taste loaded dishes, absolutely delicious & worth every penny. Excellent service, very attentive & efficient. We will be back! Thank you 😊

Visited with my girlfriend and her mother. Sherry board to start got the conversation flowing. Staff attentive but overbearing. Food excellent, I recommend the razor clams. Great evening.

A nice cosy restaurant with pleasant staff. Unfortunately for me the food was overpriced for what you get.

Nice cosy cafe environment, splendid food on offer & excellent service. Decent vino too🤗

Tasty tapas, good wine, intimate place in the heart of Broadstairs.

Food is simply fantastic. Very tasty and enjoyable.

Absolutely incredible tasting menu. Wrapped dates, spicy chicken with lentils, and chorizo with butter beans highly recommended. Also had delicious sherry, and non-alcoholic wines too.

Have eaten here many time because I like the way the chef combines unusual flavours with a Spanish twist. However, I doubt I will be returning. The reason is, when I returned the Gambas Rojas because the stench of 'gone off' prawns was so strong (and baring in mind prawns are my favourite dish and I've eaten them in every way, in many places so I'd like to think I wasn't a fussy prawn customer), the staff couldn't care less. I spoke to 2 waitresses about the fact I was unable to eat the very expensive dish and both gave a very unresponsive reply that said they couldn't care less and neither would the chef, just give us your money and go. Not once did they offer the chef to make an alternative dish or anything. It felt like I was part of the fast show! Just pay the bill and clear the table for the next person.

Amazing food and surprisingly good portions! We will definitely be back as we were pleasantly surprised. Great atmosphere & waitresses were so accommodating . Definitely visit this place if you are in Broadstairs !!!

Absolutely lovely. Great service, brilliant food, charming atmosphere. Thanks!

Lovely place with stunning tapas. Well worth a visit if you are in the area, although you may be advised to book in advance.

Our absolute favourite restaurant in Thanet! The chef pushes out the most delicious small plates of food with a regularly changing menu. The staple Polenta and Fennel chips are a total game changer. Great selection of sherries from Fino to Amontillado, Oloroso to PX, alongside dessert wines, and well focussed list of Albariño wines and carefully curated Riojas and a back bar which tells a wonderful Spanish story with a great selection of Spanish brandies and other Spanish spirits and liqueurs. Sit at the counter for personalised service, I cannot recommend Albariño highly enough for romantic evenings and special occasions. Very well priced too.

Loved the food!!!!! Would highly recommend the aubergine and goats cheese 😁

We ended up here unexpectedly after another restaurant let us down. I honestly wasn't very hungry so initially thought the price per person was a little steep. However... Once the food came out it was so so good that I ate a lot more than I thought I could and even finished with a cheese board! I loved the fact that food just came when it was ready so there was never too much in front of us. The girls that served us were also excellent.

We booked a table for 5 for a birthday after looking at the reviews, and we are locals 30 years plus . Website stated £ 21.50 for 3 dishes but not offered to us. Food was really average and not worth the price . 10% added to bill as well . If you are after a very expensive light bite this is your place... don't bother for a meal .. really wished it was better than it was .. us locals won't be back ..

Went in the day. Was looking for a nice glass of wine and some tapas. Wine was nice but no was food available at this time other than cold foods. Lack of choice, some Sainsbury’s chorizo, olives or cheese and some unappealing looking anchovies with capers. Asked for cheese but the owner was not prepared to mix and match despite being the same price ( his first reason for not doing it was because the prices were different) so didn’t bother in the end. Found the guy quite offhandish and bordering on rude. Cant comment on quality of the food but certainly not a warm welcome and unlikely to return on this basis alone. Shame as I visit the town often and had planned to eat there one night

Excellent restaurant food amazing ambience great staff lovely amazing experience well done everyone involved and owner chef don't change a thing brilliant! Neil Winstone Alfriston East Sussex

Went with a party of five. Booked easily online and was shown to our table by the friendly server. She wasted no time in making us feel comfortable and talked us through the menus. Food was excellent with generous portions and beautiful presented. Highly recommended!

A very pleasant relaxed atmosphere, lovely food and friendly staff.

Lovely range of tapas, wines, and sherries - some different dishes and some core tapas. All very good !

We really enjoyed this restaurant really made us feel welcome. A talented chef who took real care over the food. Very affordable high quality cuisine. We will be coming back.

Went for dinner last night as it was one of few places open on a Tuesday in Broadstairs, but what nice surprise was this! The food was lovely, good flavors and presentation. We had the share menu, and 6 dishes between us was exactly right! The wild mushrooms and steamed mussels were my 2 favorites, they also do Tapas to go, what is great on a sunny day! A place we would recommend!

I love this restaurant so much. A great selection of varied and delicious tapas - the best i have had outside of spain. Wine/puddings/sherry are also good. Friendly staff. There are only a few tables (although u can eat on stools by the bar) so best to book in advance

I've been here a few times for both sit-in and take away. The food is great, the staff are lovely. Octopus to die for. Its very small so be sure to book.

Absolutely wonderful. Exceeded expectations. Food was utterly delicious (3 dishes per head is the perfect amount, almost too much!). The focaccia was some of the best I've had, the croquettes sublime, the chicken parfait a work of art and churros with hot chocolate sauce to die for. Service was perfect - just the right amount, knew their stuff and complete professionals. Book online though and pay the small deposit per head; they're a small business trying to stay in business and the system works well for them. Only 20 covers so book well in advance! Thanks all, we had a fantastic evening!

Great food for a picnic on the beach!

We had a lovely mix of Tapas, when mixed with a lovely dry sherry was gorgeous. It feels how tapas should be before everyone got into small plates. It reminded me of the food a Galician friend introduced me too, just with slightly less octopus.

Good quality of food but not Galician and not fully Spanish. Too expensive for the size of the tapas.

the food is nice, but apparently if you get it to go you don't count as a "diner" and aren't allowed to use their toilet. shocking hospitality towards paying customers.

Incredible food. Try the chickpea and fennel chips! Lovely service.

Amazing food. Very few seats and only one chef, my type of place. Me and my girlfriend loved this and will defiantly come back when we next visit.

Great place Love this little place

I passed Albarino over many years, on my walks around town as it has such a significant front. Last month was rough for us and we needed an evening out. I phoned to book a table, but was told that was not an option. I dutifully booked a table online paying my £5 deposit per person to secure my table for the night. A nice early 6.30pm table for two. We seemed to be their first customer for the evening with another couple following shortly behind us. They offer a small menu of tapas and sherries. they have just had a price drop and you get 3 dishes for £23.50. This still equate to almost £8 a dish. We arrived and I gave my name and we were escorted to our table, The waitress was very lovely, informative and didn't mind us asking too many questions. We had the potato Bravas, hummus, tortilla, goat's cheese, salted cod and the octopus, It was very nicely presented and served. The dishes are distinctly different from other tapas I have tried. The Bravas was more like rustic roast potatoes. They didn't have the fiery hit I was expecting. I could have done with some more breadsticks with my hummus. The other dishes were very tasty but the octopus was overcooked and should have been a larger dish. We tried about 5 different sherries to complement the meal. Now here is where it turns dark, I want to use a 90's word Gobsmacked. We had just finished our plates and the second waitress was clearing up and gave us our bill. I asked here why she had given it to us and she said she thought we had finished. I told her we hadn't and I ordered another drink. It must have taken her about 5 mins to produce this glass of Sherry. When she returned, she had another bill for us. I explained again that we haven't finished. She told us that the table was booked after us and we would have to leave. She needed time to clear the table. The Restaurant was empty apart from the other couple and a group of 6 that came in. They didn't even ask if we would like to sit by the bar. they didn't wait for the other party who need this table to turn up. They literally told us we had 5 mins before we had to leave as she needed to clear down the table. This is disgusting behavior and completely ruined my evening and night. It made us feel so unwelcome, like the dirt on someone's shoe. I have smelt up places before but never have I been so unceremoniously told it was time to go at 8pm. On going back to discuss it, we were told, if we came back we could get a free drink. Shame on you Albarino that your Spanish hospitality seems extinct. And shame on our second waitress, who was young and has some way to go to hone her skills. I hope when you spend that tip you automatically added to the bill, you think of me fondly. If you do decide to eat there, make sure you ask them how long you can stay and enjoy their hospitality. We spent £130 there and was willing to spend more as we were enjoying our evening. Shame on you Albarino

We've been here quite a few times now since stumbling upon it last year. Always lovely food and service 👍

Really nice tapas meal, a good busy restaurant - very cosy

Lovely ambience. Great food all freshly prepared. Good wine menu. Delightful service.

Fantastic staff, great tapas,very friendly. Enjoyed our special evening there. Book a table though,it is small with not many covers.

This place is a very small beautiful restaurant located in Broadstairs. Our waitress was very lovely. I had never tried Spanish tapas before, so I was very excited to try. Unfortunately I wasn't overly impressed with the food. I think out of all the dishes, there was one that I enjoyed (chickpea dish). The prawns seemed like they had been microwaved as they were very tough to eat. We ordered Octopus and we got a small leg each. The dishes were far too small to share, this is of course my opinion. I spent over £30 and I went home still hungry. I'm not an over indulger when it comes to food as I'm a very active person and nutritional value definitely out weights quantity but unfortunately I wasn't happy with either. It was an experience and I enjoyed going to spend time with a friend.

This place is a dream and good tapas is a rare find in Thanet. Good ingredients which are also available to buy for home - this is where I go for my olive oil.

Very enjoyable food with a good atmosphere. Only slight disappointment was the rather limited menu. Having said that the food was well cooked and service was quick and courteous. Definitely recommended!

Love this restaurant. Friendly and efficient service. The food is delicious, really delicious! Absolutely recommend.

Beautiful food full of flavour. Excellent service. Have eaten there before and will do so again. A lovely evening.

Overpriced, tasteless food. Left feeling completely ripped off. Table by the toilet. No atmosphere. Food wasnt very good at all. Very disappointing.

Completely underwhelmed and very rushed. Came away feeling very disappointed. Food was flavourless. The chorizo was sliced fresh from sainsburys(Not cooked in anything), the chickpeas didn't contain Spanish sausage merely chopped tinned tomatoes. We had the tapas so had a good variety of dishes but all were underwhelming and flavour less. The staff were impolite and short. We wouldn't recommend.

Had a fantastic meal on 6th August Tapas for 4, a mixture of meat and veggie dishes, our amazing waitress Lucy gave great advice on wine choices, also had the mascapone cake, churros and sorbets with brilliant dessert wines highly recommended, Heath was also great as our table service

Food was good but was rushed through our meal and out the door to the point felt uncomfortable! Our guests first trip to Broadstairs so embarrassing being treated so poorly. Used to eat here and bring guests regularly. Will not do so again in future .

Don’t hesitate to visit this lovely little tapas bar. If you book online you pay a non refundable deposit. Totally understand the reason for this as there are few covers and it’s very popular. The food was just lovely. Great choice of small plates. We had pork belly, padron peppers, octopus and more besides. The menu is set and you choose from three selections so plenty of choice. At £23.50 per per person it’s great value. Plenty of Spanish beers to choose from including Mahou and Alhambra. Lots of sherries and nice wines too. A little bit of Madrid in the middle of Broadstairs! Highly recommend but booking is a must to guarantee a table.

Caro, raciones muy pequeñas. Personal NO Español en cocina. Comida bien, pero nada especial por el precio.

Very lovely tapas and wine. And, great service.

An excellent little Spanish restaurant. Delicious tapas and wines - I recommend a flight to taste a few different varieties. Listed in the 2020 Good Food Guide and deservedly so.

Lovely food, friendly staff. Quite expensive but the nicest Tapas in town.

Decent selection of food and wines. Dishes consist of a good balance of exciting flavours. Recommend the Soprasado (Spanish sausage) with chickpeas and spinach. And the Churros if you have space for a pudding.

The best tapas in the South West.

Freshly cooked authentic Spanish tapas. Lovely atmosphere, attentive friendly staff, had a great evening and walked out with a smile on my face. The lovely sherry at the end may have helped. Well done guys keep up the good work.

I was discriminated against by staff in this restaurant. The food is of poor quality and the staff members I encountered were very unfriendly. Please save your money.

We've just had a wonderful selection of tapas. Delicious flavours and some more unusual dishes too. We thoroughly enjoyed it!

Went there for a day trip and it was the worst part of the day. Extremely small portions and clearly frozen food. It took 15mins which was fairly quick but come on, 6 quid for 5 croquettes. I know brexit is tough on businesses but don't starve the people! the prawns tasted like they had been dipped in lemon juice... I've seen more seasoning on toast. Its the most I've felt scammed for food.

Just had really tasty tapas and a coffee from here. Take away and sat on the beach eating it. Authentic, tasty and really good value. Will be visiting again soon - thank you 😊

Beautiful food, absolutely delicious. Menu is extensive and varied. Great wine list. Very friendly waitress. Highly recommend.

Lovely meal and friendly staff.

Excellent tapas food. Not mean with the portions. Lovely friendly staff.

What a surprise! Small but perfectly formed! A chef who certainly knows what great ingredients go together. Lovely staff who were very attentive, well done to you both. A gem of a restaurant

Food no more than average but prices are far too high.

Good service but strange rules about having one tapa from each of three lists means you can't choose what you want.

Good tapas. Relatively expensive for what it was

The most outstanding tapas restaurant out of Spain. Incredible

Nice little restaurant, friendly staff, cosy atmosphere...chose to celebrate our wedding anniversary here. Food very tasty but far too expensive. Chicken with saffron rice should be advertised in reverse...had to search for the bits of chicken!!!! Just a little disappointed.

Really good food: as a Spanish I can say they deliver quality and really close to authentic dishes. Special mention deserves the octopus (100% recommended!). Moreover, the staff was super friendly and attentive.

Now reopened as a deli and takeaways. Excellent as always.

Brilliant tapas, some of the best (and largest) prawns we've ever had. Staff are really friendly and funny too, will definitely return and would highly recommend

Superb food and service at this small tapas bar.

Great food, but felt the toast for a couple of the tapas was a muffin? Not quite what we expected.

Really good food served in a nice environment! Not too many tables so book at busy times.

Great atmosphere and great food

Amazing tapas, lovely wine list and even a whole sherry menu too!

Enjoyed a light meal here. Very tasty and good service.

Our second visit, good authentic tapas with reasonable wines. Well worth a visit or two! Was tempted by the produce available... 😀

Amazing food and friendly staff. Great meal and atmosphere.

Lovely atmosphere and tasty food! Will definitely go back.

Crab on toast would recommend. Not a sea food fan but it goes amazing with the crispy bacon. The deep fried chick peas with the chicken /tomato / avocado dish is a winner too.

Great food, good service. Was cool being able to see the chef make your food seconds before it was on your table.

Service was amazing and food stunning

Stumbled upon this great place. Food was excellent, wine was great, music was good, atmosphere was warm and despite it being very close to the beach, it didn't feel anything like a tourist trap.

fantastic authentic tapas food, lovely little venue

Definately head there and try good tapas Also try the wine selection to accompany your food and the toilets are a nice place to be which is always a sign of a clean kitchen

As usual we had excellent food and service

Last minute decision for dinner with business colleagues and boy did we strike lucky. Fantastic little restaurant with a good selection of Spanish tapas left us all satisfied. We had a selection of snacks, cheese and meat boards and some mains with every single dish a treat. Desserts followed with the recommended sherries proving a hit. I'm already looking forward to a return visit.