NAAFI Restaurant in Dover

It's was clean and tidy. Staff very polite. Prices on the other hand, not good. £4.80 for a can of orange and a bottle of water. Very expensive.

Visited Sat 31st Aug. My family enjoy going to English Heritage and have been members for many years. Even during COVID when a lot of our friends and family cancelled their memberships due to not being able to visit the sites we made the conscious decision to continue to pay for the membership strongly believing in supporting the charity and what it's able to preserve. However this visit is unfortunately a sour one, we expected to be able to feed the kids using the kids eat free offer which is a god send at this time of year, but they didn't have any stock. I understand that the offer is subject to availability however on a Saturday afternoon in the summer holidays it's almost unacceptable to not have the stock. We travelled from the midlands, a 5 hour drive, to visit the castle and banked on being able to use the offer, the next best thing, a sausage roll to pacify the kids, out of stock, and iced coffee to help us mourn the cost of finding something else to feed the kids, a 15 minute wait due to their being no ice? It wasn't even busy!! The icing on the cake, the lady serving me, Mandy 👎. This lady is a piece of work and grumbled at me the whole time, don't believe me, ask her colleagues, they were as insulted as me. The one positive, Mandy was generous with the syrup and the ice coffee, once we got them, was rather nice.

My experience here was just awful Very limited selection of food, poor value.drinks rather warm This location must be horifically mismanaged and unorganised, upon entering I approached a counter to place an order and the nearest person informed me that they "couldnt help me because they didnt know how to use the till". I had to wait for the customers at another counter to finish ordering to be able to order, this took a significant amount of time. The staff do a horrific job of cleaning the place and there are used trays everywhere occupying places for people to sit. Later in the day my friend went to purchase Something and they had to wait in an incredibly slow line. Furthermore his membership discount wasnt honoured. Im simply of the opinion that even as a captive audience tourist trap a cafe can be expensive or awful but not both, this location is both. Im genuinly questioning visiting other english heritage sites which are harder to access due to the concern of the only reasonably available food being of such awful value and simply eating a meal in a cafe being as horrificly inconveniecing as this experience. I intend to email my thoughts to english heritage directly in hopes they address these issues seriously when looking at catering contractors

Decided to have some lunch at the NAAFI restaurant at Dover Castle. I was disappointed with mine, quiche was luke warm, vegetables cold and baby new potatoes hard! Wasn’t really very much to choose from and it was only about 14.00 at the latest. My husband had the ploughman’s which he enjoyed but said the salad could have been a bit more varied, asked for salad cream but was told they didn’t have any salad cream or mayonnaise! Even with our 10% discount it was expensive but of course they have a captive audience there……..

Popped into the NAAFI restaurant for lunch. There was a huge queue with only one extremely slow person serving. No light bites available as told that these are normally asked for earlier in the day. 3 very bland sandwiches left at a cost of £5.25 each. Wanted a quiche with salad but the very slow server was only cutting up one portion of salad as it was ordered instead of having prepared a large amount of salad that could have been available when required. No wonder the queue was so long! Watched a second assistant pour a small teapot full of hot water over the carrots on the counter. Assume they had been there for sometime. She then chatted to the one person who was serving. Unbelievable. After a 25 minute wait in the queue, opted for quiche and vegetables as couldn’t bear the thought of waiting for a salad being individually cut for me. Collected the wooden cutlery and finally sat down to eat. The carrots were cold, the vegetables were mushy and the wooden cutlery couldn’t cut through the quiche pastry or the new potatoes which were hard. Took my meal back and complained as it cost almost £14!!!. I was given a refund and the member of staff I spoke to was very helpful. Don’t feel that some staff cared about the amount of time customers waited. They also weren’t bothered that several items on the menu were not available. Think a manager needs to look at the issues to improve food availability and to speed up service. Feel that what had been a nice visit was then spoilt by this experience. If I go back to Dover Castle, I will take my own food with me.

The location is not far from the ticket centre and parking space inside Dover castle. Its okay to get coffee, fair price, food is okay.. So so

The NAAFI is a decent option if you've not brought your own lunch -- they have both hot and warm options. There is plenty of seating and the facility is simple but nice. If you're a vegan, I'd recommend bringing your own lunch. There were two options the day we visited (summer), but they were quite expensive for the amount of protein. We got the vegan dogs and hoped they would have toppings, but they come plain. The service was friendly.

We were staying at the castle and had planned a meal at the NAAFI based on the menu online. When we arrived the menu was completely different and the only gluten free option was soup which had run out. My husband was looking forward to fish and chips ( not on latest menu) and I was going to have the GF shepherds pie. ( also not on the menu) Another day during our stay I just wanted a cold drink. There is a separate fridge and till for light bites and drinks. They wouldn’t open this till so had to queue for ages behind others in the main area with many who only wanted a drink but held up by people complaining about the vegan chilli not with rice etc. The only choice for most people was quiche. Very disappointing. It was a busy week with school children every day and cruise ships too. Also it was hot. One of the worst cafes/restaurants I have visited.

Bad service, smelly, too expensive

very rude and they did’nt let us finish our sentences!

Blending in the demeanour or Dover castle, the restaurant has good views and quick short bites. I tried Chef’s soup of the day and pig in the blanket. While the soup was delicious, I expected the pig in the blanket(6 small pieces) would taste better . They have some lunch options too and I heard people saying the Turkey breast was succulent.

The ambience of an empty barn. Almost no food on offer. Hideously expensive. Staff were surly and unhelpful. My English Heritage 10% discount was not honored despite the fact that it has been honored at all other sites on our road trip. Try a bit harder people

Margarita pizza muffin was tasteless. Grilled chicken was spoiled. Vegetables and coffee were fine.

There is a big cannon in the restaurant

A bit of a mixed experience. The sandwich was nice. But the mini pie lacked content (too much egg) the carrots were overcooked. Acceptable for the price

Edible. But nothing more than that.

A very authentic Italian, great food and very attentive service

Clean restaurant, reasonable food. Not that hot food is served between 12&2 and should be best going early otherwise risk food going short.

We had friendly, efficient service when we stopped by for an early lunch on a weekend- you order your hot food at a counter with a server but pick up your own pastries/sandwiches. They had vegetarian and or vegan options for drinks/treats/hot food/sandwiches. The jacket potatoes were good but needed to be cooked a touch longer, a few parts were hard. I thought the ladies were nice, they were patient while my son was changing his order. The eating area was kept very clean. We had an early lunch and there were choices of different types of sandwiches and treats and many places to sit. In the late afternoon there was a long line to get food and use the restroom. There were only a few sandwiches with no vegetarian options, if you have dietary restrictions consider an early lunch.

Monopolistic location. Serviceable food. Poor service.

Very good food, lots of choice especially for vegetarians.

Great little cafe with a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Reasonably priced menu. Well worth a visit

Food was expensive but far better than I thought it would be. Very friendly. You know before you go to these attractions that shops and cafes will be more expensive that the high Street...so you are already prepared for it....doesn't make the shock any easier though!!

Good selection of food, snacks and meals. Nice staff, gets very busy.

Only popped in for drink so can't comment on food..what some other people had looked good though..

Food a little disappointing, lovely pie but watery gravy and veg, service friendly and efficient, atmosphere lacking. A bit like a canteen, but it is the NAAFI cafe!

Very poor food hygiene. Pointed out mould in a chicken and mushroom pie and no apology but offered another slice! Staff have a lack of awareness about food safety legislation. Wouldn’t eat here again.

Muito bonito e ambiente agradável.

Good food and coffee but very badly laid out for getting both and paying.

Not a real NAAFI in a true sense but really good

I visited today for a take away lunch at the end of my visit to Dover Castle. At first I thought it was a tiny cafe, but on inspection there were lots of tasty looking foods. I took a cesar wrap, truffle crisps and ordered a flat white at the counter. Hot food was available, as well as a cake counter, a kids section & a sandwich chiller. It was mostly basic sandwiches left when I visited, but this was fine. £10 something for my 3 items- about average? My only niggle was that my flat white filled a 12oz cup- too large really, but a nice latte.

Perfect place for a small snack at dover castle. Fair prices, good coffee and good hot chocolate. ambience outside 5/5 ambience inside 3/5

Une petite pause salutaire dans la longue visite de ce superbe site. Le restaurant vous propose de la cuisine à emporter ou des plats chauds à consommer sur place. Beaucoup de place à l'intérieur et quelques places aussi dehors, très agréable si le temps le permet.

Mainly cooked meals on offer, there were pre=-packed sandwiches but as I can't have butter / spread they were a no-go for me. We had soup that was tasty enough but the bread roll served with it was stale.

Managed to pick a quiet time so service was quick and able to sit outside to enjoy our cream tea's. Staff friendly. Facilities available. All good.

Terrible food at sky high price, it was like someone emptied a chopped tomato can on my plate with boiled peas and potatoes. Only saving grace is the coffee and service.

We had five hours walking around and needed to sit down and refresh, NAAFI fitted the bill. There was a much larger selection than we expected and there was everything from snacks through to full hot meals

Sadly when we arrive the food selection was very poor, only 1 sandwich left and very limited choice. For portion sizes you get it’s very expensive. Me and my partner got two cakes and 2 cakes, that was nearly 15 pound! Feel the prices needs to be reviewed and the stock at a good level. Staff didn’t seem bothered that their was no food, didn’t feel friendly towards us. Sounds like this place needs new management.

We were staying on the Dover Castle site & decided to use the Naffi for a main meal at lunch time twice. Both times we had really good traditional meals. Steak pie, roast chicken Macaroni cheese. All were excellent. Dining area was clean, large, bright & spacious with historic pictures on all the walls. They also severed a large range of pre packed sandwiches, hot/ cold drinks, cakes etc. The staff were absolutely lovely, so polite & helpful. I’d recommend this place to anyone visiting Dover castle .

On Dover castle site, quick service. OK for mass catering

Seems to be good. I can only recommend the truffle crisps 😊

If you're visiting Dover Castle, eat before you arrive, after you leave or bring a packed lunch. The food is expensive and poor. And I'm being generous by saying poor. We came in about 1pm as my elderly father was in need of rest and we didn't think we could easily leave. We'd been directed to the NAAFI restaurant by the EH staff who said it had a better choice of dishes. It didn't. As I didn't want the remaining choices of lamb sausages or beef pie I asked if I could have the children's chipolatas. I was told no, the sausages were only for children, even though my 12 year old wanted the adult chicken dish. I asked if I could pay for a larger portion then and was told no, they didn't want to disappoint children by not having enough sausages... So my daughter and I swapped dishes and she ordered them and I had her chicken. Or did I... It was ridiculous. Why should a restaurant care what we order. My father, ex-Naval man, asked the staff what NAAFI stood for and the staff didn't have a clue. It was a naf experience and I urge anyone at Dover Castle to avoid this restaurant. We did go to the other cafe in the castle for hot drinks too and it was equally disappointing. Unless you have a penchant for dry scones and Feast ice creams, and overpriced coffee.

Average food, overpriced. The advertised 'hot food' amounted to hot sandwiches, soup or baked potatoes. Three drinks and three sandwiches for a little over £23 isn't good value...

the food, mediocre at best, has a flimsy schedule and sits out all day depending on when you enter the restaurant. but it was the staff that made this experience so disgusting and unappetizing. aimee’s attitude was atrocious and i could not believe we were being treated in the manner we were. she brashly told us we were not welcome in the dining room and continued to push us towards the door completely unprovoked, after the entire group purchased food and drink from the restaurant. completely not tourist friendly and i would never recommend entering this establishment. not worth it. there is, however, a lovely pub about five minutes down called “the white horse” that i would direct you to, instead. cheers.

the food, mediocre at best, has a flimsy schedule and sits out all day depending on when you enter the restaurant. but it was the staff that made this experience so disgusting and unappetizing. aimee’s attitude was atrocious and i could not believe we were being treated in the manner we were. she brashly told us we were not welcome in the dining room and continued to push us towards the door completely unprovoked, after the entire group purchased food and drink from the restaurant. completely not tourist friendly and i would never recommend entering this establishment. not worth it. there is, however, a lovely pub about five minutes down called “the white horse” that i would direct you to, instead. cheers.

Limited menu but they all tastes great. They also do kids lunch box(same like happy meal) but with more items. There is plenty of indoor seating and outdoor seatings. From indoor you will get a great view of dover

Cab only comment on the coffee as we did not eat. The restaurant is in an imposing building and is clean and with friendly staff. As dogs are not allowed inside, we had to sit outside (there's plenty of that). It was a good job it was a sunny day.

Called in for a coffee while visiting Dover Castle. Imposing setting and some seating inside with more outside. Friendly staff and coffee was OK. Cannot comment on food as did not have any and did not see anyone else eating. Dogs are not allowed inside but are welcome at the outside seating area. This is OK when the weather is good, but probably not so good when its wet and windy.

Plenty of outside seating, which is fine at this time of year, but will restrict customers in winter.

Lovely cafe, delicious meals, tasty cakes and friendly staff. Very clean, nice atmosphere, definitely recommend.

We had a jacket potato as a snack lunch on our Castle tour. It was good value and served promptly. It is a good location and quite pleasant inside.

All food looked good on display here. Sunday lunches were available. Lots of seating inside and outside, welcome when you have been exploring the castle and tunnels.

I had jacket potato with beans and cheese for £6.95. Both the potato and beans were cold and the cheese showed no signs of melting. It was truly awful.I sent it back and it was replaced with a hot version.Today I have an upset stomach for the first time in at least two or more years. I am absolutely convinced that the food is not being served at the correct temperatures and this has caused me to be ill on my husband’s birthday.My husbands veggie chilli served with naan bread (odd mix of cultures) was very bland and also cold, but at least he is not ill.Dover Castle is probably one of the first places people driving from the continent come to visit. Europeans already think that English food is bad and English Heritage reaffirms that misconception.Whilst nobody expects gourmet dining at a tourist attraction; there is a certain responsibility to provide reasonable food that isn’t an embarrassment to our country.

Ok, so of course you’re not expecting fine dining, but this smallish canteen style place churned out pretty average fare. Sausages bland (£9), lasagna flavourless and that really grainy mince beef texture (£9). Also on offer kids lunch boxes looked ok but sandwiches tiny (£5). Not the best. Advise bring packed lunch.

The staff were very helpful and we had an excellent hot chocolate and pot of tea and some very good scones and a delicious slice of chocolate cake. Seems to be plenty of room and a pleasant ambience.

We lunched here when visiting the castle. Loads of seating and good selection of hot and cold food. Interesting photos of its NAAFI days.

Flies sitting on the limited selection of hot food.... when raised with the staff they said ‘we know we keep asking for something to cover it but they say no’. Didn’t see a food hygiene rating but think they need an inspection urgently! Not that we wanted to eat the hot food.... it look dry or congealed. Granted it’s a hot summers day but not sure food temperatures are right. Save you money (and health) and grab something tasty at the Keep Cafe further up the site.

We stopped here for coffee and cake during our visited and were very surprised by the quality of the food, many times these cafes disappoint but they certainly have it right at this one.

Had sausage, New potatoes , Bubble & Squeak , Mix veg and gravy plus a cup of tea and it came to £12 ! (April 2019 prices)Expensive ? But boy it was lovely ..And did not have to queue as there was hardly anyone in . The cafe does all kinds of quick snacks or dinners as i had ..Staff were lovely ..

Very nice Tea and Cake plenty of choice and home made. Light lunches were also being served but we didn't sample them but they looked good

Good selection of hot and cold meals. I opted for the roast pork today. Very tasty. The staff was very pleasant too.

All delicious and spotlessly clean. We enjoyed the homemade steak pie and the macaroni cheese with garlic bread. Delicious.

Truly awful food for lunch at what could have been such a nice place.

Great cafe, lots of seating. Dietary options catered for - soya milk etc. As it's called the NAAFI - think it would be nice to have it as it would've looked in WW2 but I suppose they've gone for sleek and modern. Have photos on the walls of the original NAAFI.

We loved the tin plates and the overall look of the place, the lady that was serving was dressed for the part as well. The sandwich we had was very fresh, the lettuce was actually crunchy! Like all the eating places in the castle it wasn't cheap but couldn't fault the quality.

Good selection, good quality food and drinks with good service. Went for lunch and between 4 of us we had a selection of food with no complaints.

The NAAFI Restaurant is situated within the grounds of Dover Castle. It is fairly large and offers a variety of hot and cold food and drinks at what appear to be reasonable prices. We only had tea so I cannot comment on the food. The tea was excellent and served in large tea pot with proper crockery not paper cups.

Lovely homemade food especially the cake. My family loved the sandwiches. Prices not too bad either.

From your experiences, it may seem high to give an Excellent award to a restaurant of this type in an attraction, but our visit fully justified the marking. A bright and cheerful setting with friendly, welcoming staff. Good choices of food at fair prices. In fairness, not a weekend or holiday period visit, but the restaurant was still very busy and the queue was served quickly and efficiently. Make sure you do not miss the “Pocket Pistol” and read the background boards.

Good place to stop at half way round for an energy boost . Clean and prices not bad. Food selection adequate with some good packages for children.

The trouble with a café of this nature is that the queues can be dreadful at times, which then leads to a shortage of tables etc etc. However, if you are lucky enough to avoid the worst times of day then the food is Ok and at reasonable prices

Can’t fault the food or the service. Pleasant, clean and welcoming. Good selection, reasonably priced, nice bright eating area.

Very pleasant café serving a variety of food and drink at reasonable prices Seating in doors or out side

We visited the Restaurant while we were visiting Dover Castle. There was a good selection of food although it was not very hot, it was only just warm. My son is quite fussy and would not actually eat the food he ordered as it was not hot enough for him. It was quite expensive for an individual meal but the staff tried to assist and accommodate us as much as they could.

Stopped by for coffee but got a kids meal deal instead comprising half s cheese roll, packet of crisps, cookie, box of raisins and a drink. Very busy and noisy so sat outside. good service and not hassled to move on.

Ideaal voor een lichte snack tijdens je bezoek aan Dover Castle. Eenvoudige keuken. Prijs kwaliteit OK.

Good choice of food however mixed feelings on the food itself. My wife had a quiche which she really enjoyed. My friend has the Lasagne which was described as ok. My food was cold sadly (Chicken kebab) Not cheap either.

Very clean and tidy. Staff very good and helpful and food was good. Only issue is there are only two toilets in restaurant so can get busy especially with school children wanting to go all at the same time.

We stopped in at NAAFI Restaurant for a light lunch to find a very hearty meal! I had the soup and it was yummy. My daughter and husband had the heavier food and really enjoyed it! I would have preferred a picnic, but the NAAFI was great on such a windy day!

Stopped here at the end of our adventure for a quick snack and cup of tea before we set off for home.

Very nice tea and coffee sitting outside as it was a lovely sunny day. There was plenty of room inside though. What was a brilliant idea was half sandwiches, just right for a small snack, either for light eaters, children or older people. Basic fillings of ham and cheese and the best ever jam !

After visiting Dover Castle and Operation Dynamo in the tunnels under the cliffs Plus the WWII hospital it was good to sit down with a fruit scone/cheese scone two americano coffees, jam and cornish clotted cream! There is a small exhibtion of a very large cannon built around 1544 and simply called Queen Elizabeth's pocket cannon (actually built for Henry VIII). It could send a 4.5 kg cannon ball 1.8 km! A great place to unwind.

within the walls of the castle this is a relaxing space for a quick drink and snack before exploring yet more that the amazing Dover Castle offers. the staff were particularly welcoming and friendly when we were there.

Cold wet day at Dover Castle, so my wife and I needed something warming. Visited the Naafi cafe and had a delicious home made tomato soup with brown bread. Also had a flapjack, black coffee and a hot chocolate, all for £12.

The food is fine. I love the fact that you get vegetables with everything, even if they always tend to be a bit overcooked. The biggest issue is the childrens offer. It's not very nutritious and overall English Heritage falls behind what the National Trust have on offer.

Whilst the choices were limited and therefore not really a restaurant, the few nibbles were nice and ok priced.

Always think that if a menu is limited then it should be done well. Only excuse we could give was that the castle id only open at weekends in winter. The coffee was very weak, the soup average and the sandwiches thin. As an EH member we did not complain but I hope things are better in the summer!

We expected a typical tourist cafeteria and instead found a great place to eat. Several entrees available, large portions, and nicely displayed. A variety of drinks available including wine and beer, and all prices were reasonable.

It had to be called this didn't it as the main nearby attractions are the tunnels housing the WW2 hospital and the naval headquarters from which Dunkirk was evacuated.

This was a cafe at Dover castle . We came over half term and the queues were very very long with only 1 cashier. The kids meals were too and the chips undercooked. The chicken adult meal was 8.95 and tastes like rubber. Would not come here again

Located on the Grounds of Dover Castle, this is a nice little restaurant. Tea and sandwiches were great. They have a lovely selection of hot and cold food as well as homemade sweets. Nice little stop as you are touring Dover Castle and the grounds.

Good food and reasonably priced.you can have a snack or a full lunch. Eat inside or outside. Bit of a steep climb to get to it.

The main body of the restaurant sees you accompanied by a 16th century canon and large images of Tudor battle sites - very atmospheric. The food was good, fresh and hot and the service was good.

It should only get a 3 but it also had the best scone i have ever eaten. Everything else was average at best. But do go in for a quick good bite (had my wife pay, too afraid to look). But still a better food option than in the castle keep area.

Experience limited as we arrives at 2.30 hoping for a meal only to discover that the hot meals stop at 3 pm. The only thing available was something, not very appetizing looking that I didn't recognise, BUT the tomato soup and roll was delicious and the staff polite.

Pot of tea for two was very substantial and a decent cuppa it was too. The kids had cake which wasn't that great but they ate them anyway.

During a family visit to Dover castle we decided to give the onsite NAAFI restaurant a try. After fighting to get in past the queue for food we found a table fine with a surprising amount of space further back in the restaurant. Unfortunately things became more difficult from here. There are no menus on tables or walls meaning every member of the family had to fight through the queue to view what was available at the partial service counters. The menus behind the counters did not match what was on display and not everything was priced. Selection also very limited. Just one choice for children - assuming they like sausages and beans. Persuaded kids to have the sausages before queueing up to then find out that they didn't have any more sausages. Ended up paying £2.95 each for sausage rolls (which were the cheap type) and £3.00 for a tiny bowl of wedges (which were cold and like cardboard). Kids drinks were fruit shoots at £2 a bottle - incredible! Soup apparently was okay but again pricey with small bowl starting at £4.95. Overall I would highly recommend taking a picnic or buying something beforehand if you want a tasty healthier meal at a reasonable price.

Got icecream while waiting in line for the operation Dynamo tunnel. Restaurant is clean and priced are acceptable.

Insgesamt gerade noch so in Ordnung. Die Preise sind relativ hoch. Wir hatten Lachs-Quiche sowie Käse-Makkaroni (sehr fettig) und 'Chips'. Letzteres war echt schlecht. Mein Sohn wollte dann noch ein BLT-Sandwich. Das kostete auch 4,95 was relativ teuer war.

The meal I had was lovely. So many places nowadays seem to want to smother everything with something. It was so refreshing to see real unspoilt food that tasted of food.