Birdies in Canterbury

Lovely little French restaurant, good service, and excellent set lunch menu. The atmosphere is light and unstuffy, overall a thoroughly pleasant lunch venue that I would use again if in Whitstable. The oysters Rockefeller are very good for anyone wanting a gentle intro to oysters. You can always ask for a single fresh oyster and they will prep one for you to try. Really good little place.

Came to Whitstable for a day trip from London and found this dog friendly restaurant by chance and absolutely loved it!! The staff were welcoming(even though we jumped in just before closing for lunch time) , friendly and efficient. Had Fresh oysters, Prawn bisque for starter, Hake with tarragon sauce, Fish pie in puff pastry for main, Chocolate mousse and Normandy apple pancake for dessert and all of them were so delicious! Also the pricing is very reasonable. Would love to come back to Whitstable just for this restaurant again soon.

If you visit Whitstable you must sample the delights of this restaurant. Could not fault the food the the staff very friendly and helpful and the atmosphere 👌.

The staff are all lovely, the food is fresh and delicious. A great, little restaurant.

Great place for lunch.Staff are very helpful and reasonable prices.Had sea bass highly recommend

Delicious food, great service and lovely ambience. The Lamp and Sea Bass dishes are highly recommended. This restaurant is superb based on our dinning tonight. We live in Whitstable and would recommend this place to dine.

I had my first visit here today and the food was faultless (especially the Normandy apple pancake!).

Left really disappointed. The place was empty when we came but we still couldn’t sit where we wanted. The menu is written on walls which is silly cos guests cannot read it properly. Too much bright light doesn’t make it cozy at all. Half of the menu was not available including the dishes we came for. In the end we got beef and soup but was nothing special, yet extremely expensive. Staff were nice but they cannot compensate other unpleasant factors. The most irritating thing of all was the wobbly table we got. Choose other places if you can.

Very good "French" type restaurant run by a family in the center of Whitstable. The menu is quite different from other restaurants around. I highly recommend the fabulous Beef Wellington cooked by the father who only works on Sundays. Inside the atmosphere is quite warm and they have just expanded it with the neighboring area.

Lovely restaurant. Great food and staff.

Good menu good service fair price. Need a closer on the door. Many people born in a field!

Stopped here for lunch and the food and service was brilliant. Always put off coming in for one reason or another (with so much choice locally) but genuinely loved it. Food and staff were excellent 😊

A vegetarian restaurant that kept this meat and 2 veg boy more than satisfied. Service was immaculate! A team of exceptionally helpful people. The food was just beautifully tasty and satisfying.

Great place, lovely food and friendly staff.

Service, food and ambiance all excellent, with one exception. The food was served on lukewarm plates and disappointing that a restaurant of such a good reputation can’t produce hot food. I will return. Regards Peter Pughe.

My husband and I spent a delightful weekend in Tankerton recently and we stumbled across Birdies restaurant when strolling through Whitstable. We booked a table for Monday evening. The warm reception we received set the scene for a fantastic meal. We cannot fault our meal which was perfectly seasoned. We ordered the rack of lamb and veal chop which were both served with a delicious potato gratin/dauphinoise that was flavoursome and was the perfect accompaniment to our main dishes. We can wholeheartedly recommend this lovely gem of a restaurant and on out next trip to Whitstable will definitely be popping by again. We even left a bag in the restaurant containing a gift mug. The next day the restaurant contacted us and offered to send it to us in the post! We eat out often in London and have been to several high-profile and Michelin star restaurants and Birdies is up there with the best of them. The restaurant was filling up as we left which was a wonderful sign of its popularity. I strongly advise booking in advance if you want to ensure you get a table. Thank you for a fantastic meal! As Arnie said, "I'll be back!"🤤😋😃

Excellent in all respects. The staff are great, the layout leaves plenty of space between tables and the food is outstanding. Recommended!

We came to birdies a few years ago. It’s still perfect. A lovely little French bistro. Great food snd brilliant staff. Just lovely. Thd k

One of the best meals I've had in recent memory. The moules marinerre had me scraping the bowl for the last of the broth/sauce, both it and the bisque were so warming and comforting with the bread making a perfectly buttery accompaniment for dipping/mopping. Ideal for a cold winters evening. The skate in lobster butter for main was unbelievable, the skate was as moist and delicate as the sauce was decadent (not to mention it being a very generous portion). Even the desserts were delicious, in particular the sorbet which was lovely and refreshing after such a hearty starter and main. These are the meals you dream of when going to a seaside town. Everything was cooked to perfection, lovely staff and ambience. I can't praise this place enough.

Great food as always😁😘 , loving the extension 👍

Fine French restaurants. Good service and great selection of French influenced dishes to choose from.

Fantastic seafood stew from an uncluttered seasonal menu. Attentive and friendly waiting staff and nice décor and atmosphere. On the the pricier side, however it is in Whitstable and the food and service was worth it, in my opinion.

A friendly restaurant in the heart of whitstable serving great food. We will definately be back again

Loved it! Had a real cosy feel and food was delicious Lovely friendly staff

Another lovely meal at Birdies. Looking forward to the next visit. 😀

We had Beef Wellington and Dieppe-style fish stew for lunch today. Service and food were, once again, excellent. As you would expect from a top-notch restaurant, bookings are a good idea.

Excellent food and attentive, very friendly service and all at fair prices. We felt very comfortable and can highly recommend the restaurant.

Great food, excellent service and dog friendly!

My husband and I found Birdies underwhelming. I don't understand the glowing reviews. We made reservations well in advance and were seated at a two top next to the bar. Throughout dinner a steady stream of people looking for a table came in and stood next to us speaking to the bartender. It was annoying. There wasn't much of a gin selection for before dinner drinks, mostly low end brands. We started with bread and Seafood Bisque. The bisque was thin and tasteless; the bread with the bisque was almost burnt. We both ordered the 1/2 lobster, which were small on the small side but OK. The rice that came with it was terrible with curry powder or tumeric in it. We were so disappointed, we left without ordering dessert. I just can't recommend this restaurant.

The Beef Wellington and Veal Chop were absolutely to die for, neither myself nor my wife had ever had meat cooked more perfectly. What a lovely place with such lovely staff too.

tasty! The price is reasonable ~ the waiter is very nice!

Had the seafood salad and place with pesto. Lunch time sitting. Excellent restaurant for fresh seafood and value for money. Love it!

Visited Birdies as part of a weekend in Whitstable celebrating our 28th wedding anniversary. 4 guests all enjoyed a 3 course meal with wine, very impressed with the level of hospitality & friendliness, even on the hottest day of 2023, every dish was very high standard even compared to The Sportsman which we visited the previous night. We are looking forward to visiting again.

Celebrated my partner’s birthday in Birdies last Sunday. The food was lovely, both the beef Wellington and fish stew was amazing. Felt like having food in a bistro in France.

We stopped by Birdies at 6pm on the dot based on the excellent reviews. We hadn't had a chance to book and couldn't get a table inside but fortunately managed to nab one outside. This proved to be a blessing as our dog was able to get lots of attention from passersby! Also when the other two outdoor tables were taken it so happened that the other diners liked dogs - which was fortunate because there isn't much space. In fact we spent quite a lot of time chatting to our accidental dining companions so it probably helps if you're the social type here. The food itself was very fresh and tasty. Perhaps a slightly larger quantity wouldn't have gone amiss but what we had was thoroughly enjoyable. All in all a good experience although I would recommend that you book for complete satisfaction.

Great French restaurant, I go back every time we are in Whitstable, just make sure you pre-book because they will be full every night! For starters I get bread and olives to share and the muscles in a cream sauce which is delicious. When I go I usually get the Beef Wellington with potato and greens as a main. Staff are always friendly and accommodating and the restaurant has a comfortable French aesthetic. The two other people I was with most recently had the Crispy Seabass with Sweet Soy and ginger sauce and the local Steak with Brown Butter and Cappers both with locally sourced good quality fish. The menu does change every so often. For Desert we had two chocolate truffle tortes which tasted great!

Great lunch menu offering. Food was fresh and delicious, excellent service too

We went for lunch at Birdies with four friends. The menu was very varied and all the food was tasty and well prepared, The photos show the Bacon, Avocado and Herb salad with croutons and the Oyster starters, The main courses are the Beef Wellington (which came with separate vegetables and potatoes) which was fabulous, the fish stew, and the dodgy shaped thing is the cod cheeks, the dessert is Whitstable Mess. It was all superb and we will be returning as soon as we can.

What a lovely place , we were offered the seating outside , friendly and helpful staff saw we had our son sleeping in his stroller so offered us both tables so we have enough space for the stroller. Everything was delicious, we start with fresh warm bread and olives, follow by the lobster bisque, mussels in wine sauce ( a bit too soft from over stewed in wine sauce) the wine onion sauce is delicious - great for dipping bread. And dish of the day was deep fried cod cheeks, the cod cheeks was just so beautifully fried, crispy outside with yummy and fresh cod cheeks, goes very well with creamy curry sauce. Great service, very friendly and helpful staff.

Just fantastic… a last minute decision to eat out took us to Birdies and we were not disappointed! In fact, far from it… a short notice request for 2 plant-based diners could have been tricky, but the whole Birdies team delivered a lovely evening. We were told that with more notice they’ll be able to do more. Highly recommended, and we’ll be going back.

It's always a pleasure to eat here. It's advisable to pop in before your Whitstable stroll in order to book a table, although they have acquired the property next door, which will soon be open!- the set lunch menu is always a good choice & varied for all tastes , although the Lobster bisque followed by Dieppe fish stew was outstanding. My partner, a vegetarian, had stuffed peppers & mushrom risotto which she thoroughly enjoyed.

Favourite restaurant in whitstable

Excellent menu with wonderful food.

We are Italian and in this restaurant we had the two best dinners of our lives. We purposely wanted to go back after the first dinner because everything was delicious, both meat and fish. In addition to the quality of the dishes, the courtesy of the staff was also excellent. A wonderful culinary experience.

Very nice food, friendly staff.

Arrived quite early 12.30 on a Thursday afternoon the place was empty not aways a good sign, but while we sat their eating fresh bread and olive's the resturant started to fill. Ordered our meals starters and mains they were exceptional one of the best restaurants I have been in, service very good and helpful reasonable priced. Decor good would highly recommend really glad we were early.

Had a lovely meal here a couple of weeks ago in July, they managed to squeeze us all in. Amazing food and lovely people, who also very kindly let me know I had left something behind and arranged for it to be sent back to me. Now that is excellent service.

Very nice food and friendly staff

Enjoyed a lovely meal with excellent friendly service. Thank you.

Had lunch here today after reading some glowing reviews but was left disappointed. We had aperitifs for two, a starter for one, two main courses, and a bottle of wine plus two extra glasses. The bill was £122. My beef wellington was very average at best, and frankly tough as the famous boots. Not good value for money although the staff were very good and the place does have atmosphere. Our first visit to Whitstable and we will be back but not to Birdies I have to say.

The food was excellent, the service was wonderful. The staff were so attentive and remembered it was our anniversary....which I'd actually forgotten I had mentioned to them.

Lovely restaurant. Gets very busy. The fish dishes are exceptional. Just wished the portions, but I can understand why because of the energy bills.

Good food and service. Would recommend.

Food was good and services was fast. Highly recommend the oysters and mussels.

Food was good, starters a little expensive, Nice different deserts,

Well, that was a great discovery. Excellent oysters, marvellous fish stew and good wine. Dealing with a friend’s food intolerances was done seamlessly too which is always a sign of a well run place. I cannot recommend Birdies and it’s staff enough.

Great food served by great staff. A quality operation all around.

Dogs are allowed as long as well-behaved. It was good because the floor was clean so I wasn't worried about her finding somehing to eat that would be bad for her. Sadly that's actually not that common that places keep the floors well. Very nice place, welcoming and we came in just before the kitchen closed so were grateful we could still be served. Had a very tasty meal. I had the seafood bisque (soup of the day) and scallop gratin (dish of the day). As a pescatarian, nice that they didn't add bacon/pork etc to the scallops as I really like scallops and that can be annoying.

You get the comforting feeling that this is a family run restaurant which really cares for its clientele. An excellent affordable menu with personal service highlights the benefits of this establishment. A good ambience and the attention to detail further complimented the make up of our visit. Well done everybody !

Unfortunately a staff member with black hair was very rude to me and my family.

Lovely beef Willington with oodles of gravy. Lovely friendly staff, it's a small family owned and family run business. Bit quiet though.

If I wanted to be picky I could say the chicken liver pate needed a bit more kick. Move on from that and it was fabulous. If I've eaten a better sea bass, better tasting asparagus or a better creme brulee, and I've eaten a lot of all those things in my life, I couldn't tell you when it was. Fabulous food, friendly service. Top draw all round.

Horrible owner discrimination stay away

Very rude manager the owner is horrible just called me to say dont come back

Excellent food and service at a reasonable price.

Incredible food prepared and served by a family. The menu rotates & the tastes are unique and delicious. Don't miss a visit if you are in Whitsable and ofcourse do your bookings.

Lovely food and friendly staff great for a special occasion!

Food cooked perfectly staff fabulous very attentive and approachable

Delicious food. Not the cheapest but went 20 years ago and as good today as it was then

Mint scran for a reasonable price? 5 stars from me 👍

A most pleasant place for lunch (I'm sure for dinner too). Food, service and atmosphere is excellent. Very popular (understandably so), so best to book as definitely worth a visit!

Can't believe I've not been here before! Its my new favourite restaurant, the food was amazing, really good quality and delicious. Staff were great, friendly, knowledgeable and great service.

Amazing food. Great service. Some of the best food I have eaten.

The food was delicious, fresh oysters and other seafood dishes and very big portions as well. Children's menu at a very convenient price and good options. Would definitely come again.

Excellent seafood haunt with French influence. The mussels were juicy and the white wine cream sauce rich. Good selection on the menu and prices for lunch. Short walk from the seafront. Cosy atmosphere. Reasonably priced for the portion and quality of cooking.

Such a lovely experience. Will definitely be back!

Fabulous restaurant highly recommend.

Amazing gem in Whitstable. Pricy but the food is delicious. This place is good for slow, engaging meals with friends and family.

Fabulous meal and service clean and comfortable who could ask for more.

Fantastic little bistro, very relaxed atmos feels very French

So good. A little gem in whitstable. Every dish is cooked to perfection, and served by charming staff.

We had a very lovely lunch here but spoilt a bit by a couple of gripes. Bread? Who asks if you want bread ‘because the chowder doesn’t come with bread’. Any restaurant in France (or Spain) would be embarrassed if you ran out of bread! And the fish pie should have been called seafood pie. It was absolutely great but I do know some people who would not have been happy to find mussels and a langoustine in their ‘fish’ pie. Lastly Lyonnaise potatoes are not just sliced potatoes with a few chives sprinkled on top. I felt a bit let down when they arrived (it would have absolutely fine it I’d just been told ‘potatoes’).

It is just such a comfortable place, with a glowing fire on cold nights and a lovely welcome when you arrive. The menu is varied and interesting and always absolutely delicious.

Brilliant restaurant in Whitstable with a lovely two or three course lunch menu. Very dog friendly and accommodating to our stroller. Staff were super friendly, 5/5!

Great little restaurant serving both fish and meat dishes. Lovely atmosphere and good service. We really enjoyed our evening

Great quality fresh food, good service. Only negative was that I was a bit dissapointed because on the website they have a menu advertised but on arrival, alot of dishes they did not have. Also chef could do with putting a little bit less butter in all the foods. But food was of quality and worth the price. Friendly servers

Always get good food and wine here

Lovely ambience and staff, but for the price point food was not nearly good enough. Skate was under-seasoned and veg seemed to just be boiled. Duck pate was nice enough for starter but served with what looked like toasted Warburtons slices. Considering mains don't go cheaper than £22, hoped for something slightly tastier. Really lovely vibe inside though!

We came to whitestable as tourists and we had a very long day. We went here to recharge ourselves and found the prices steep, until we found out the food was always served with greens and potatoes or chips! We drank a lovely cup of tea and the pork was heavenly. For dessert I had the sticky toffee pudding. And it was the best desert I've ever had! The restaurant is decorated very nicely and the toilets are spacious. For 3 people it cost me a hundred something pounds. If you ever find yourselves in Whitstable this restaurant is a must-visit!

Great place, lovely atmosphere, great ambiance, friendly staff, delicious food, definitely worth a visit!

After a disappointing night out at the Seafood Shack we booked two dinners here during our stay in Whitstable. It's a smaller place, so better book ahead. It's a very nice, charming restaurant. A bit of Brasserie/Bistro style. Feels very warm and welcoming. Owner and staff were wonderful folks. Friendly, helpful and welcoming. Our Bulldog was welcome here as well. First night we've had the baked oysters (Rockefeller Style) and goats cheese salad. Both wonderful dishes. Fresh and tasty oysters, creamy flavourful goat cheese. For the mains we ordered mussels & shrimps and Beef Wellington with sides (veggies and potatoes). A bottle of wine with that. Both shrimp and mussels very fresh again and of high quality. The Beef Wellington was a real treat. Amazingly done! Kudos to the cook! A creme brulée for dessert. A really great dinner for a fair price. Happily we came back to other day and had another wonderful dining experience. Raw oysters and Terrine for starters. Both fantastic, they got great oysters here. Tasted a lot better than the ones at the Seafood Shack. Terrine was my thing...really like it. For the mains a chowder and shrimps...and another Beef Wellington. Beef was a great as the other night. Beautiful. Chowder was nice and creamy and the shrimps another winner. A winner was also the wine: Villa Des Croix. Nice, fresh, crisp. This is really a fantastic restaurant. Great food quality, wonderful staff and owner. A cook who knows what he's doing. Highly recommended.

Solid choice in Whitstable for good food and atmosphere. Oysters, bisque were exceptional.

My first visit to Birdies and a very pleasant experience. I shall return.

Always a pleasure to eat here. Staff are always happy to help. I had the mussels to start, rack of lamb for my main. Stunning.

Lovely food and really good service

I'd heard a lot of good things about this restaurant, but I couldn't help but be slightly disappointed. Maybe I expected too much in response to the hype? I will start by saying that our server was excellent. However, I found the food unmemorable, and it seemed strange to me that they have a fully stocked bar and no idea how to use them in any kind of drinks. This could certainly be improved with some training and a straightforward cocktail menu to offer as an aperitif.

What a wonderful place , lovely people, felt really comfortable, the food is amazing, especially the beef Wellington so amazing, and we took our little dog , thanks to all the staff for an amazing meal and company. Would even travel to whitstable especially to eat at Birdies. I'm sorry for the delay as we went in September, thank you 😊

We had no booking, but big hopes to have a nice meal before going back to South West, staff sorted us out with a table. We think that good timing played a big part in it, however - food was delicious, great atmosphere and overall experience was satisfactory. I appreciate independent places as such. Make sure you book a table in advance if planning to be have a dinner. Top notch

Fabulous... every time ..Great value

Such a lovely restaurant, had the prawns,for starters in garlic buttter an baked seabass, excellent , friendly staff.