Dory's of Margate in Thanet

We had the best meal in a very long time at Dory’s, a tiny restaurant/bar, recommended by our hotel. There are a couple of tables, but most seats are bar stools - ours overlooked the kitchen and the chef was very chatty. Every mouthful was a pleasure. We particularly enjoyed hispi cabbage (charred with paprika, crème fraiche and almonds) and mackerel with thinly sliced courgette (apparently the last of the season). Even the bread and butter was exceptional! Sadly we don’t live in Margate, but this is somewhere worth travelling for.

We absolutely loved our meal at Dory’s. Every dish we ordered was delicious and couldn’t fault anything. The portion sizes were what you would expect from a sharing plate menu with the idea being to order a range of plates to try- the point of this style of menu is not to fill up on one plate!! Pricing was what you would expect from this kind of restaurant and in line with others of its kind so no issue there. We ordered 6 plates in total and a portion of sourdough and 2 desserts- we definitely over ordered (we’re both big eaters and feel 4 plates along with bread and desserts would’ve been the perfect amount to feel satisfied). Considering we ordered more than needed we still only paid £69.50 per head for all the food, x1 glass of sparkling and x1 glass of dessert wine- I haven’t included the bottle we had as, by choice, we ordered quite an expensive wine and I don’t think that’s fair to include when judging the restaurant prices. All in all, if we had ordered with our stomachs and not our eyes and a bottle of wine to our usual budget, the price per head wouldv’e hit the £55 mark- exactly what you should expect to pay at this kind of restaurant! The service was perfect- our waiter, Ryan, was friendly, approachable and knowledgeable about the menu. The service felt personal which in turn made us feel very welcomed and comfortable! The only comment I have which I didn’t agree with completely was adding the charity donation onto the bill at the end. Although we were more than happy to pay it, if customers would rather not, there’s something that feels very cold hearted and inhumane about asking to take the charity donation off the bill and not the kind of feeling you would want to put on your customers- especially as they are about to leave your restaurant! Even though it’s only £1 per person, it puts a pressure on customers to pay the donation and I don’t think that’s fair. Perhaps when customers ask for the bill, waiting staff could explain the charity and cause with the option to add the donation on before the bill is presented?

A popular place in Margate, we managed to reserve a couple of bar stools at a counter facing the wall. Wine was adventurously priced at £10 a glass or £40 a bottle. It's fish tapas and the food is good, but using the phrase tapas allows topsy turvey delivery. We ordered a mix of hot and cold - ok we've eaten in Spain and know it comes out in the order it's made, but when we order pickles and they're cold out of a jar then we'd have preferred them first not last! Food is good, perhaps we should have ordered in 2 or 3 stages to get some sense of order, yes our fault we know. The order of the food and ambiance, sat next to a noisy well oiled person on a long wall facing shelf didn't make an enjoyable dinner.

I had wanted to visit Dory’s for some time and as a last minute spur of the moment today I booked a reservation for lunchtime. I don’t think I was expecting most dishes to be cold, and there is something distinctly unappealing to chewing on cold mussels, no matter how flavourful the sauce is. We were advised that the majority of plates were for sharing and to order a minimum of 2 plates per person. I would say that small plates should be renamed to tiny plates. Most plates are around the £11 mark and the marinated sardines consisted of 4 tiny fillets. Sourdough bread was delicious, but why to restaurants think it is acceptable to not give you a side plate, trying to spread button onto bread resting on your hand is just off putting. The only dish that was hot was the Baked Bass, this was delicious fish in a good sauce with kale and “cheeks” (slightly overcooked), but again at £22 for that one small piece of fish, it seemed expensive. Service was haphazard and only when I took a photo of empty plates piling up did they notice and take them away (the restaurant wasn’t busy should service should be better). We had Sourdough Bread Crab Tart Smoked Prawns (completely over smoked and the smallest prawns I have ever seen) Marinated Sardines Soused Mussels Baked Bass 1 Glass of House Sparking Wine 1 Glass Kombucha This came to £99.55 including service (10%) and a £1 per person charity donation. This was completely unmentioned and should not just be sneaked onto the bill. So £100 for a lunch of mainly cold food that leaves you hungry due to the small portions. Sadly, my experience of Dory’s wasn’t what I had wanted it to be.

Wow. There’s loads of reasons to admire the improvements to Margate as a destination these last few years, and most of all the burgeoning food scene. This place really exemplifies the quality, the passion and the buzz being created in this small seaside town. So much to love, but most of all the attention to seasonality, local ingredients and the attentive customer care.

After a very disappointing meal at Angela’s I thought we try the sister restaurant and see how it compared. Staff were accommodating and friendly. The restaurant itself was better maintained than Angela’s but still needed a deep clean and some maintenance. The food was nice but not reflective of the price. Portions sizes were extremely small, even for tapas sized dishes not some were not suitable for sharing. One of the dishes ordered didn’t arrive and it wasn’t until we were two plates in we were told there wasn’t any left as a delivery hadn’t arrived. This would have been clear before we ordered the food so felt frustrated we weren’t told until 30 minutes after ordering. Left hungry and the same as Angela’s felt the quality, quantity and overall experience didn’t meet up to the price.

We went to sample the local seafood which promised to be unique. We were not disappointed. The tapas style plates they recommended were perfect for sharing, prepared as we watched, and tasted excellent. The service was friendly and the staff took their time to explain the menu. Highly recommend!

Visited for lunch as a treat for my house guests.  Food was nothing special and doesn't justify the very small  portion sizes or high prices.  However most importantly the service was appalling.  Having worked in hospitality I was astounded that this place still trades, it makes Fawlty Towers look professional.  The girl preparing food behind the counter was constantly picking and munching on bits of food while preparing it in plain sight of customers with no hand washing, and wiping hands on apron then handling raw fish and seafood.  Despite there being about only 6 other people in the place food preparation and service was painfully slow with staff inattentive and shuffling around doing seemingly everything except preparing food and serving customers.   Our  food arrived in dribs and drabs, I had to twice ask for missing items and was told twice that food comes "as and when".  The items in question were cold pre-prepared salads so preparation would have involved simply spooning them into a bowl.   I made it clear that I was unhappy and when the bill arrived I was advised that they had removed the compulsory £1 per person charity donation along with the 12% service charge which is  fortunate as I had no intention whatsoever of paying this. Extremely disappointing experience.  I parted with £60 and  apologised to my guests since nobody else did.    I would not recommend this place and would definitely not return.

When we arrived at the restaurant recommended by Time Out, we were disappointed to find that they were unable to accommodate us despite there were visible available spaces. We understand that restaurants can get busy, especially during the dinner rush, but this was at 5pm. It was frustrating when a white couple who walk-in just a couple minutes before us, were immediately seated and were given the option to choose their seating “seat where ever you like, if you want to seat outside you can”. When it was our turn the host then explained to us that they are fully booked due to 40 expected dinner guests later. Even though there were spaces inside/ outside and were literally served 2 mins apart from the white couple. As a result, we decided to dine at another restaurant. Later, we passed by the restaurant again and noticed that it wasn't as busy as they had initially claimed. We couldn't help but feel that there may have been some bias/ subtle racism, which made us uncomfortable. While it's unfortunate that we couldn't try the Time Out recommendation, we're looking forward to exploring other seafood restaurants in the area. We believe that there are plenty of great options to try, and we hope to have better experiences in the future.

Great brasserie with delicious selection of sharing plates. Friendly knowledgable service, not pushy but very attentive. We had the smoked paprika mussels, crab tart, sourdough bread and the two cheese selection. All very tasty and full of flavour. Mussels were a decent sized portion with caramelised onion in a Smokey paprika sauce, crab tart was light and bustling with flavour on a crispy pastry, the two cheeses were very tasty with crispy, slightly oiled, thinly sliced baked bread

What a fab little restaurant. Great food, great, friendly and efficient service. Small plates of fresh seafood. We had prawns, crab tart and raw scallops and a delicious bottle of English rose. So glad we researched and booked. They were turning people away so make sure you book A perfect spot on a blustery July day to escape the wind but watch the wild sea. We will be back

Das Dory's bietet kleine Tellergerichte an (viel tagesfrisch gefangener Fisch), die man gleichzeitig oder nacheinander bestellt, ähnlich wie in einem Tapas-Restaurant. Unsere Gerichte waren UNFASSBAR lecker. Leider waren sie nicht gerade günstig und wirklich sehr, sehr klein. Auch der Gastraum passte nicht gut zu dieser außergewöhnlich guten Küche: Die meisten Barhocker stehen entlang des Küchenblocks (was unterhaltsam ist) oder entlang einer Ablage an der Wand. Das ist ehrlich gesagt, kein bisschen unterhaltsam oder anregend, weil man die Wand anschaut. Gläser und Geschirr waren auch eher "robust" und die Gläser hatten noch Wasserflecken von der Spülmaschine. Mich persönlich hat diese Diskrepanz irritiert. Wenn man das weiß und trotzdem einfach nur sehr gut essen möchte, ist das der Place to be.

We wanted to go to Angela's but couldn't get in so came here for dinner. I'm sure Angela's is great but so glad we ended up here. Its fantastic! Simple short menu nearly all fish with very little done to it. Dishes assembled at the counter in the centre of the restaurant and seating mainly at counters thought there are a couple of tables. Food was faultless. Clean, fresh and beautifully flavoured. Service was exemplary, informal and friendly but incredibly efficient. Wine and drinks list again is short but perfectly chosen. This is perfect if like me your favourite kind of restaurant is informal unpretentious and down to earth with top notch ingredients treated with respect. I'd travel all the way to Margate just top go again. Simply perfect in every way. Thank you for a memorable night

Really well executed small plates with some excellent seafood. The squid was particularly good. Trout good also. Really loved the rasberry "Eton mess" like dessert. The bar seats in the window overlooking the water and the street bustle are a nice place to sit.

We were really struggling to find anywhere open for food on a Sunday evening and managed to book Dory’s. It did not disappoint, it was lovely food, and as a couple you are seated in higher stools at a counter - we choose to sit infront of the chef. The menu is on a chalk board which tells me it probably changes quite regularly. The torched mackerel was lovely, along with the pear and blue cheese salad. It was so good we also had dessert - the blood orange cake did not disappoint. Highly recommend.

What can I say… best restaurant in Margate, closely followed by her sister, Angela’s. We are regular Margate go-ers and always try to eat at one of the two every trip. They were fully booked so we searched elsewhere and on our loop back round the restaurant manager recognised us and brought us in as there was a no-show. This made our weekend. Food speaks for itself, simple, fresh, quality produce. Delicious. Make sure you book, as we will not make that mistake again ! See you soon Dory, or your sister Angela.

Have wanted to go here for a while and finally decided to wait 30 minutes for a table (not bad, but it was February) Atmosphere was great, lovely staff and delicious food. I’d say the food was ever so slightly over priced for Margate but worth it for a treat.

We went for dinner and sat at the counter as we hadn’t specifically booked a table. Delicious seafood freshly cooked in front of you. Restaurant overlooks the main sands. We ordered two small plates and two mains. All dishes were good, only criticism was that the mains came before we’d finished the starters. Ni ce ambiance and friendly staff. Good selection of wines.

We moved to Margate 6 months ago, and wanted to save our first trip to Dory’s for a special occasion. We were not disappointed, we had an amazing time and will definitely be back. From the Uber cool and casual vibe, to the relaxed and stylish interiors, the food was great, simple, but delicious. However, it was all made even better by the staff, they were all friendly, welcoming and genuine. Margate has a lot of brilliant restaurants, and this is definitely one of the top! Thanks for having us 🥰

We were seated at the counter by the cooking area, and had a pleasant on-again, off-again chat with the chef throughout our evening. Our server was also lovely, very helpful, and full of great advice. The wine list was excellent, and the food absolutely brilliant. Super-fresh seafood was cleverly prepared and served in delicious combinations. The team suggested we aim for about 4 dishes for the two of us, which worked out perfectly. The smoked prawns and raw Bream with blood oranges were both particular highlights. The squid stew was outstanding. We also went for dessert, and I really can't say enough about the quality of the custard tart.

We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch at Dory's. The food served was extremely fresh, local, served with a smile and knowledge and with a creative twist. Thank you for letting us sit at the counter, it was a pleasure to admire the chef do his magic.

We had a memorable early supper on August Bank holiday Sunday - this is a restaurant that works really well. The front of house staff were slick, friendly and very professional. The food is first-rate, imaginative, carefully prepared and beautiful to look at. The no-booking philosophy worked fine and we were enjoying a pre-supper drink outside until the heavens opened and we made our way inside to eat.

We managed to grab one of the bench seats outside overlooking the sea, watching the sun go down, and were brought dish after dish of the most incredible fresh fish, be it cured, smoked, ceviched it was all delicious. If you love fish would highly recommend.

Dory’s First off what a kooky vibe and welcoming knowledgeable staff. This tiny gem is culinary party in your mouth, stirs the senses and leaves you very content and happy! The staff are amazing, attentive and they know their stuff, bringing their own ideas and suggestions to make sure you have the best experience. All food and drinks are ethically and locally sourced along with being 100 percent seasonal, fresh and very tasty. We had a mix of dishes see photos and everyone as tasty and delicious as the first. The fusion spin on these dishes are a clever mix of fresh ingredients, perfect amount of seasoning and expert preparation with a massive dose of love. Our waiter marcos was superb and has made his own orange liquor which we sampled- what a delight with sublime flavours. Its smooth yet rich taste leaves you smiling- he informed us he is always trying out new recipes using locally sourced and seasonal ingredients. He is one clever soul and his passion is infectious. Emma the manager is absolutely awesome- wealth of knowledge, proud (and so she should be) about the food , staff, experience and the ethos for DORY’s. Tips; It’s a no booking policy so make sure you arrive and be prepared to wait ( you can get drinks from next door) as Dory’s is always busy. Try orange liquor while you still can or ask for what has been created. If you get the window seat inside by the door it’s extra delight watching sunset while eating and drinking the carefully created delights Dory’s has to offer. I would HIGHLY recommend this place, the menu changes as the seasons and days do, so be sure to expect a surprise with menu every-time. Dory’s is an absolute pleasure and one you should definitely visit- we ate dinner there 3 times. My partner was a food critic and he and I both agree the food, ingredients and style ( unique ) to Dory’s is without doubt excellent, exciting and delicious.

Dory's is one of our favorite restaurants to go to for lunch; and with the arrival of new head chef Liv it goes from strength to strength. The portion sizes are small and you can choose as many as you want to match your appetite. Fish dishes are it's forte, but they also have good vegetarian choices. Service is very prompt and the waiters are clearly interested in food and are very helpful.It has an appealling wine list, with some hard to find English wines.

The service from both servers was horrendous. It's been a while since I have felt so badly treated at a restaurant. We were made to feel unwelcome from the moment we entered and almost cancelled our order. The food wasn't bad but very heavy on the pickling theme so recommend exercising caution in what you select.

In our party we'd all been here before and had very good experiences. Unfortunately this was not the case this evening. Service level was zero, our server, seated us then said he'd back in a minute to get the drinks order, he did not reappear until it was time to pay. Finally someone else took our order and served our food. It was just about ok, for the kind of money you are spending you really would expect better than 'ok' The portion sizes are pitiful. Cheek and tart at £9 for a mean slice of fish quiche is a joke, likewise the green salad at £5 is ten green leaves with dressing, asparagus is five short pieces of asparagus for £9. Serious case of emperors new clothes. It's a real shame. It has been good in the past and the sister restaurant: Angelas is fabulous, it's arguably consistently the best restaurant in town.

Great delicious food coming in small plates. The raw sea bass with red oranges was delicious and very fresh, chickpeas dish, mackerel bun all was very good. Great selection of wines and customer service.

After a short closure for renovations Dory is reopened with food as tasty as ever! Still the same polite waitresses and chefs, still the same tasty tapas and recommended wine pairing. Although most diners had the smoked prawns, my favourite starter is still the raw bream. I chose the Haddock this time for my main, but the mussels were good last time. Time to pay Dory a visit and support Margate restaurants!

Delicious well prepared and attended by fab staff so lucky to have a great restaurant on our door step . Angela’s the sister and more “formal” restaurant is as great

Great atmosphere! Good to see food being prepared in front of you whilst sitting on high stools at the counter. Good choice of small plates of delicious seafood. Huge doorsteps of bread to mop up. Wine reasonable and drinkable. Very efficient and friendly waiting staff....

We arrived quite late (9pm) and they made space for us. It’s menu is limited but what they do is good quality and cooked to order. I had the smoked haddock chowder and it was really tasty and was especially nice on a cold and...

Absolutely amazing food. Very much quality over quantity but it was absolutely delicious! I would highly recommend.

From the outside you won't expect the food experience you get. All the plates are excellent cooked with imagination, it's not just seafood it's a food travel to traditional flavours with a new twist. The staff is very friendly and will make you feel welcome....

I am not sure some if i went to the same place as the other reviewers as the service was absolutely great. Got a counter seat, water straight away, recommendations as to the food which was just so tasty, I cant wait to go back....

Arrived on a Monday lunchtime, they don’t take reservations so we waited behind a blackboard, which is rather off-putting erected as a barrier, hoping to be noticed. Tables were occupied but there were enough spare places to sit at the counter. Alas, we were not...

Rude, never made it passed the door. I was told it was walk in by our host. I go to the back door which is wide open. ‘If you want to walk in you have to go around, it’s written on the door.’ Surly and...

Sonntag Abend in Margate. Die Auswahl an Restaurants ist sehr klein. Deshalb wählten wir das Dorys. Wir wählten 2 Plätze...

Simply lovely fresh seafood, perfectly pickled trout and herring, smoked prawns aioli was something I have never had before, and it was excellent, nice choice of beers and the staff were so friendly and helpful.

The best lunch I've had for a long time! Welcoming and friendly staff, who helped us decide what to eat and how much to order for two people. So nice to enjoy such fresh food, and to see it prepared and served with such attention...

Choice of about twelve small plates, mostly fish. When we went in February we didn't have to queue. More like a sushi bar than a posh restaurant - we sat on bar stools in the back. Friendly and efficient service.

I only made an effort to visit because I saw a sign outside Angela's that this is a walk-in restaurant and it was close by. I didn't really know where else to go for seafood. Indeed there were a number of free seats, so naturally,...

Simple and very tasty Stopped off for a late lunch in this unpretentious small cafe. Had 2 plates each and each was excellent The fish doses were great but so was the cauliflower! . Would highly recommend

A perfect place for pescatarians with a great choice of hot and cold fish-based small plate dishes. Tasty, imaginative and fairly priced. Interesting wines available by the glass.

Fantastic little place with a creative and eclectic menu of fresh seafood which changes daily. Expertly prepared and presented. The staff are friendly and knowledgable and there's a wonderfully relaxed, modern vibe about the place. They don't accept reservations so you just have to chance...

I visited Dory’s for lunch today ( New Year’s Day) with my family whilst visiting Margate to celebrate NYE and the food was beautiful, presented well and super tasty. Hidden gem in Margate, quirky and relaxed. Would highly recommend. Whilst the place is probably most...

Was recommended to visit Dory's by a friend and was so impressed. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff and a super, relaxed atmosphere. Excellent service and amazing to watch dishes being prepared whilst dining. Loved it, main courses and desserts divine. Can highly recommend :-)

This was our first visit to Margate, we walked the length and breath to saver this sea side town. A lot of buildings were either closed for the winter or closed due to COVID. We came across Dory’s Restaurant on our way down but as...

No bookings so we were happy to walk in on a Monday evening on the off chance. Although vegetarians are catered for, it is mainly a seafood restaurant using very fresh ingredients in inspiring combinations, like marinated sardine and beetroot. It is small plates, generally...

Gorgeous gentle and sophisticated casual seafood.Fabulous lunch gorgeous service and english wine. View over harbour. Perfect lunch

small plates - great to share between 3 people - we tried 4 dishes and some bread - all were delicious and really interesting combinations of flavours - local produce - fresh veggies - limited daily menu - freshly cooked - desserts were delicious and...

Really great and attentive service, willing to allow us to take our time before ordering and enjoying drinks. The food was really great for the most part, the first round of small plates ordered were excellent (mackerel & burrata) were superbly done but I’m not...

Really great fresh seafood small plates. Cool chilled out vibes, staff were friendlt and helpful. Highlights were the raw sea bream. We had a bottle of wine to share, 5 plates and dessert for just over 80 pounds.

We visited on a Monday evening, restaurant was busy with tables on the street full. We were seated inside at the counter over looking the kitchen which gave us a great view of all the dishes being prepared. The menu was similar to tapas, with...

We were lucky to have dinner at Dory’s. The staff was very welcoming and of great advice. My husband and I shared a burrata with gremolata and baked aubergine, some sourdough bread and salted butter, a salad of lentils, peppers and almond pesto, a salad...

This restaurant doesn’t take reservations, so we were lucky to get a table sitting outside in the sun overlooking Margate main sands. They serve small plates. We got four different dishes to share between 2. We chose the fish dishes and they were all delicious....

We were blown away by the quality of food in Margate - and by a nose (from New St Bistro), Dory’s was the winner. Friendly, professional service, great ingredients sensitively prepared - we all loved it, even the grumpy teens who had wanted fish and...

We (stupidly) didn’t book anywhere to have dinner in Margate and this was the only restaurant we could find which took walk-ins. Anyone travelling to Margate should note: people really aren’t messing around when they say you need to book your food. After an afternoon...

Worth queueing for. No reservations allowed. Interesting menu of tapas style food…great for sharing. Service is great as is the quality of the food. Crab toast is delicious 😋