Oyster and Chop House in Canterbury

I think this place is a gem. It is quite small, but bigger than it looks from the outside. I go there to eat, but there is a small bar area if you want to go just for a drink, especially when the cocktails are on offer. I have always found the food and service great, and enjoyed a buzzy atmosphere. I also think it is very reasonably priced.

Not one to leave a review unless it's pony £60 well spent decent food

We visited here having seen mixed reviews but wanted to give it a try ourselves. We ordered a non alcoholic margarita cocktail and a regular whiskey sour. I was so impressed to see actual alcohol free cocktails as this is rare, and they were presented beautifully. Top marks- if I was local I’d come back here repeatedly as they were very reasonably priced. We ordered chicken wings to start-lovely and crisp but with just a drizzle of sauce across the top. A little pot to dip would have been even better as it was delicious (chicken fil-a sauce.) For mains we ordered a whole lobster Thermidor. I’ve eaten this many times elsewhere over the years. The sauce was NOT a Thermidor sauce. It was an odd tasting,watery type sauce which took away from the taste of the lobster. Also,the lobster was tiny and there was very little meat at all. Chips lovely and crisp and hot. We also had the baby back ribs. They lacked flavour. If they were seasoned,I couldn’t taste it,and I’d expect some sort of bbq flavour or an accompanying sauce. There was none. Quite bland but very tender meat. Lastly we had the pulled pork mac and cheese. Plenty of cheese and pork on top but the watery sauce used on the lobster appears to be used on the pasta as well. It was not a creamy,gooey,cheesy sauce,as it should, be so disappointing and we didn’t finish it. Nothing was properly seasoned and I can only describe it as insipid. Luckily, we visited at 5pm when it is 20% off so we didn’t feel ripped off. Staff were friendly and helpful. I wouldn’t visit again (apart from for the bar.) There’s a far superior bbq restaurant a few minutes down the road in Whitstable.

thoroughly disappointed. The baby back ribs were tender, well cooked, but absent of any flavour and sauce whatsoever. The chicken burger was very bland and had no seasoning at all. All the chips were a bit mushy and did not have any seasoning either. The coleslaw that comes with the ribs are definitely homemade which was appreciated, but the portion was about a tablespoon. Onion rings are basically just batter. I cannot justify the price we all paid. Will not order again.

Clean small restaurant you can book a table to have a meal or sit at the bar if your just passing and have a few cocktails Staff are friendly and polite wide variety of meat and fish meals to chose from on the menu they do a lovely lobster Thermidor and the mussels are very nice too - good portions at a reasonable value just a small walk from the beach front and well worth a visit 😊

Fantastic food, really enjoyed our food and great service

First time order from Oyster & Chop House and I was not disappointed. Food arrived hot, quickly and plenty of it. Very happy with it and will be ordering again, thank you!

Food was quite disappointing for the price. It's okay - I don't mind it - but it just doesn't taste as good as some other people commenting. Unlikely will visit again. Service was good though.

Really good food, delivered quickly. Thank you!

Food was good as well the service will use again soon

Absolutely love this place, food is always excellent. Seafood platters, burgers are all amazing. Good cocktails. Friendly staff. Highly recommend midweek or weekend 😊

Amazing quality food and service.Definitely highly recommended

Friendly staff but limited menu

Delicious food ( oysters, prawns, pulled pork, ribs ), quality cocktails and very attentive service from Reece and his team. Great prices too!

Delicious food and great service, thank you so much! :)

Excellent food prepared by a chef who understands the process of well cooked slow bbq process, and delicious fresh Kent oysters! Lovely staff and service. Only a short walk from the beach front. Was a fantastic find!

A hidden gem! Will be returning!

Average food especially for the price. Drinks were good and service was ok. Decor was dated and dark so overall we were really quite disappointed with this restaurant experience. Certainly better places to spend your money in the local area. Laminated card menus, salt in paper sachets, overly bbq seasoned food. Unlikely to go back… BUT many people we know love it here so you can’t satisfy everyone. Give it a go and see what you think…

The food was good but the service was awful, we waited ages for drinks, we waited ages for our meal then waited over half an hour for 2 coffee's. Won't be eating there again.

Such a great place ! We felt welcome as soon as we walked in ! Very dog friendly. Food and drinks were fab.

I had been wanting to try this local restaurant for a while. We went on a Thursday and took advantage of the 2-4-1 burgers. Probably the worst burger I've had from an independent restaurant. I would expect a home made beef patty with a nice bit of salad, decent sauce and a toasted brioche. What I got was worst that weatherspoons. The burger was clearly shop bought straight out of the freezer. A solid tasteless chunk.of processed meat. Freezer chips and freezer onion rings . The wings were very average. The table across from us had a beef rib which did look nice, so perhaps their other dishes are better. Burgers were priced at £16 so if it hadn't been for the 2-4-1 deal I would have been fuming. Service was attentive. Would not go back and would not recommend.

Great little gem in the heart of Herne Bay, I'm a regular visitor despite being vegetarian! They have plenty of veggie options on the menu (the mac & cheese is delish), but for me the standout here is the cocktails. The bar could do with a little more seating, but Sam the bartender is an excellent mixologist, and a lovely guy to chat with, so it's worth the squeeze! Would absolutely recommend the Oyster & Chophouse if you're looking for somewhere different for a drink & a bite to eat. Pro tip - try the Clover Club cocktail! It's incredible 😁

The food here is amazing. Everything from the range of meats, the macaroni cheese, the spicy fries and even the corn on the cob. The food arrived in good time and we were well looked after. Good value for money and definitely worth a visit.

Amazing food, friendly and welcoming staff, relaxed atmosphere

Bar man could’ve been friendlier and more welcoming, wasn’t keen on he’s front facing skills. Waitress was lovely. Food was very tasty we had short rib and lobster roll (wasn’t brioche, little stale). Lobster was very nice. We was early so only people there. Very pricy for what we had it wasn’t overly hot. I would go back, but wouldn’t rush. The mocktails were nice.

A nice place with nice food but the sides were small and expensive. The soft crab burger was delicious as was the smoked chilli sausage.

The menu was different so we booked a table for Saturday night, staff were great on arrival and we did move tables to one in the main restaurant which had a great atmosphere. we chose the pitmaster and the soft shell crab burger with sides of pickles, slaw and fries. The meat was tasty but could have done with a bit more flavour on the pulled pork, the chili sausage was the star of the pitmaster. We tried the southern fried oysters which also lacked a bit of taste/spice, the star of the meal for us both was the soft crab shell burger which was amazing and a must try. For the price the sides were a let down , a small dish of pickles for £1.50 i think we got about 6, a small silver pot of slaw for £2.50 and the fries for £3.00 were not very tasty just dusted with a bit of paprika. Overhaul it wasnt bad but it could of been a lot better, its a shame we cant rate in half's as I would defiantly say this was a 3.5/5 and the extra mark is for the crab burger.

Popped in for drinks on the terrace after a trip to the volcano. Offered a table inside and out of the way. Made to feel completely inadequate. Plenty of availability and absolutely no reason for such shocking service.

Absolutely fantastic! Lovely place , very friendly and great service. Food is amazing and superb menu with great and unusual mouthwatering choices ! I highly recommend! Many thanks 😊

Utterly gorgeous!! Had the nicest burger I've ever tasted. Portions were enormous and the quality was outstanding. The staff were lovely and really helpful. Cannot recommend this place more. We'll definitely be returning!

Disappointing that the food came out luke warm & everything had to be added to the meal as a side dish.

I wouldn't recommend to anyone. The starters came out within five minutes of ordering cold and very over cooked as the muscles had shrunk to fingernail size, There was about fifteen shells in one of the starters but only about 5 mussels, The giant prawns were certainly not giant in anyway. The mains were just as bad, Me and my daughter had lobster which looked and tasted like it had been cooked the day before and just reheated leaving it dry and chewy , The 8 hour smoke rib was full of fat . The best thig was the hot chips . Everything came out of the kitchen well over cooked and cold which was very disappointing as their was only another 2 tables ordering food totalling 7 people . I moved one of the cast iron dishes straight after it was placed on the table and that was cold. We was all extremely disappointed with the food . It was a Total waste of £275. Defiantly somewhere to avoid

Perfectly cooked food with a great selection of drinks, excellently served, in a cosy friendly atmosphere,

Never been here before, but my husband recommended this restaurant so we decided to visit for my birthday 🎈🎂. We walked in and kindly got greeted by staff behind the bar. Ordered our food by a very friendly and kind waitress (don't know her name) but I think she is there most days. The service was honestly fantastic, I absolutely couldn't fault anything with this place, we advised our daughter had a sesame allergy and they catered for her which was fantastic. The waitress checked us on us a few times which was really nice. She does a fantastic job as do all the staff in this restaurant. The atmosphere was luvly and calming and the FOOD, Oh WOW! For myself it was the best birthday dinner I have had. I would recommend this place to all, and to have gone there for the first time, it's spot on.

A great menu and drinks. Something a bit different. A very nice atmosphere and a great space that is relaxed but also a bit special too. I had a lovely evening with my husband. Great selection of cocktails too.

Enjoyed a wonderful tasty meal here. The carolina pulled pork was amazing. My husband said his crab burger was very ‘meaty’, and really was delicious. Overall, a good dining experience and felt it was reasonably priced.

An absolute gem.. Best calamari I've eaten for years.. Generous servings.. The lobster bake was delicious.. 5 stars all day long..

Food was spot on, wasn't waiting long for service/drinks or food will definitely be heading back

Awesome little find for a pre movie dinner and a lovely cocktail... The owners are so welcoming that it makes you pine for the old days of service. Great food done well...

It's great here. Atmosphere and service have really been considered and as a result there is a lovely feel here. We both had the lobster box, and every part of it was amazing. Desserts were huge. Will be back!

What an amazing find. The food was delicious and really smoky without being overpowering or too sweet. The portion sizes were very generous and in fact, we couldn’t finish either of our meals. Hot and tasty. Staff were very attentive and friendly, we had a great evening, thank you.

Pros: Lovely atmosphere, friendly service. Cons: Food was rather expensive for what it is, in my opinion, and the seasoning on the fries was way too salty, but otherwise, tasty enough The cocktails need work. They were not very nice, and again, rather expensive. They need more sweetness (where appropriate to the drink), more taste testing to get them right and more pizazz used in the presentation! Sharing my honest thoughts as I hope customer feedback is used to improve things rather than being seen as just a negative list of complaints. Thanks! :)

Beautiful lunch. Fish and meats and sides incredible. Wonderful pisco sour. Really wonderful and welcoming with our dog! Lovely hospitality and food. Thank you

Wow! We had a big choice of eateries but chose here as the menu seemed to meet my needs, seafood and my partners, meat! What a lovely surprise!! A delicious menu, the shrimp and ribs were beautiful! Best meal we’ve had in a while… and the service made it all perfect, what a great eve

Wow! We had a big choice of eateries but chose here as the menu seemed to meet my needs, seafood and my partners, meat! What a lovely surprise!! A delicious menu, the shrimp and ribs were beautiful! Best meal we’ve had in a while… and the service made it all perfect, what a great eve

Really enjoyed my meal here. Food was lovely and service excellent. My only regret is I didn't leave a tip! Apologies but we didn't have any cash at the end of our trip. I'll leave a nice review though. Would definitely go again. Thank you everyone there.

Very nice place to eat. Everything is super tasty. Recommended

A great find in Herne Bay. Quality BBQ plus an extensive and well curated cocktail list. Local beers also available. It was well worth our 40min walk in the rain to get there. Staff were friendly and helpful.

Amazing food best ribs I've tasted in a long time. Really good with allergies were able to adapt the menu. Everyone at the table enjoyed the food.

Oysters are just on point. Highly recommended. Beef ribs are smoked over night, very tasty

Extremly fresh and delicious oysters, a must have here. Anything from the BBQ smoker is cooked to perfection falling off the bone and full of flavor. A hidden gem!

It's a real gem this one - whether you're a seafood lover or a meat lover, you'll be pleased. Top quality food and large portions at very reasonable prices. Talk about value for money! The cocktail menu is impressive as well.

Lovely food, great friendly service! All good

If you want low qaulity food and portions to match this is for you! Be prepared to walk out hungry, disappointed and your wallet a lot lighter.

Unfortunately ran out of oysters for the day 8pm on a Sat! Lots of fried food.

Delicious food and inviting atmosphere and some nice music. Visited for a family dinner and had the lobster bake and pit master, both were very big and tasty portions. Kids also enjoyed their bbq ribs kids meals. Would definitely recommend and visit again, the place is not something you can find around Herne bay, Whitstable, Canterbury.

Not a great lunch, the mussels I ordered had no flavour and when they were brought to the table I realised that many of them were still closed so I had a quiet word with the server. They did swap them but the chef didn't seem very pleased. At the end of the day if you are a paying customer you expect to be able to eat the food that you are served. My partner had a selection of smoked meats that were also lacking in the flavour department and didn't taste very 'smoked' which is surprising considering the type of eatery this is.

Well what a lovely place, staff so friendly and lovely clean restaurant, and food was amazing we went to garden centre and decided to try some where new .

Chef was fantastic. He came and spoke to me about what he could do as I have a milk allergy. Food was amazing. New favourite place to eat.

I can’t not recommend oyster & chop house enough! The food is INCREDIBLE. 11/10 the flavours are amazing you have to try it! Front of house nisa & chefs are so friendly and welcoming absolutely lovely team I can not wait to go back!

Charming little place that fully deserves its rating on TripAdvisor. Good food. Even better service and vibe

You can't get something like the food they have here, in London!!!

Had the giant prawns and beef rib as mains. Prawns were medium sized (but tasty) and split in half so probably only 4-5 prawns on a plate - tasted good though. Beef rib was terrible - definitely not smoked for 8 hours (as the staff and menu describe), lots of white fat still visible and incredibly bland. Probably the worst meat based dish I’ve had at a restaurant in 5-10 years (which is quite a strong thing to say, but true unfortunately). Did raise this with the waiter who said it was great when she ate it before work, so blamed it on the smoker potentially not working properly (which is an odd thing to say as presumably you can tell if a piece of equipment that’s smoking meat for 8 hours is at least semi functional). Paid full price and left a tip (as not really waiting staffs fault), but the bill was c. £100 (for two - with one drink each) so definitely feel ripped off! Would not recommend at all.

Excellent meal as usual and fabulous cocktails. So welcoming and a lovely friendly atmosphere, we'll definitely be returning

Great service, menu looks big but actually pretty restricted. I thought it was pretty expensive, food was nice but individually priced items really tot up and overall I didn’t really feel it was good value for money.

Have been visiting this restaurant for many years now, and absolutely loved the ‘Pit Master Combo’ meal. I visited recently with family and the meal is nothing like it used to be, seems everything has halved in quantity and the standard of that original dish seems to just not be like it used to! A real shame! Customer service is always amazing and very friendly! Just a shame about the change!

Popular place to eat and a very welcoming and friendly place to go. Staff are very attentive and seem very happy working x

Popped in for some food which was very tasty but what made the visit better was the small bar area we sat at afterwards and had some fantastic cocktails (ok quite a few). It's a hidden gem, well priced and we will be back.

Nice food , very expensive for what you get . The chips and onion rings could be homemade at least . I didn't like my cocktail £8.50 for a 2 mouthful cocktail . Long mirrors so you watch yourself eat as well , very off putting

Fantastic music was playing, they are dog friendly, and it feels like they are all really nice people. My husband's ribs were falling off the bone and tasty, although oddly were lacking salt. My lobster however was really disappointing as it was over cooked. We will give it another chance but I would give the lobster a wide berth.

Definitely worth popping here if you enjoy good drinks and good food. Had the beef rib which was delicious.

Visited last night. First impression was very good. Nice and cosy, friendly staff..Sat in a booth, which was great..Ordered bottle of white wine. Nice to drink, just needed to be chilled more. I absolutely loved the menu. If your a seafood fan like me your in heaven. My husband ordered the oysters for a starter. They tasted great, however was disappointing to only receive 3 for £10!..I ordered the soft shell crab burger. I was highly disappointed. It was mainly batter I had. There was a piece of white crab that would fit on a T spoon, the rest was the orange roe to try to fill it out..for £14.50 that was a joke! My husband had the pitmaster..He said it was nice, had chips as a side. They was cold, but we didn't say, so i accept that. We needed to rush, due to theatre tickets.I'm happy to pay good prices, if you get value for money. Such a shame because it has put us off to return. We so wanted to experience more of the menu at others times..

Perfect food wonderful staff, lovly atmosphere couldn't be better.

Love this little gem of a place, lobster, prawns, beef rib and cheesy chips, smokehouse burger are all very delicious and the staff are so friendly and attentive. Can't wait to go back to try more.

Food is nice as always 😋 But to be sat on a tiny table next to a staircase that the kitchen staff used I felt like I would be better placed in a cloakroom.. considering there was two perfectly good table's sat empty.. Not a nice experience this time

I have been to this Restaurant many times & I can 100% recommend it,The food is incredible as are the staff!!

Very cozy relaxed place to have dinner. We thought it was very similar to an American styled food restaurant; ranging from ribs to Philly cheesesteaks! Lovely service, very attentive! If you are looking more for a seafood/local catch of the day sort of restaurant this may not be the place as it only offers crab, oysters and lobster in specific ways. Delish none the less!

Had an amazing little date night here with my wife owner is brilliant I forgot his name though but I we will be travelling back here just for the amazing night and food we had here this place is brilliant no lie drinks food service exceptional 5 star Thankyou

We went with friends and all had great food and cocktails

Very lively atmosphere and the food was amazing! I just have a bias for meals served at the bar.

Very friendly service and delicious food. I also liked the music playing :).

We have been to this restaurant a couple of times now & both times have been great. Food is lovely & flavourful, decent price, cocktails are great & im very fussy. Service is great. If we wasn’t moving away it would be our go to for a quick meal out.

Excellent service gorgeous food definitely returning xxxx

Food was great and staff were very friendly. Will go back.

We had a lovely meal this evening. The food and service was excellent. Would thoroughly recommend both food and cocktails.

Food was ok and service was great although quite pricey. Ribs was £17 then extra for chips and extra for coleslaw… so £23.50 ish never had a meal out where things were individually priced… odd and expensive.

The food was nice but my chips were forgotten off my pulled pork sandwich which was a shame. Unfortunately it was a pick-up and I only noticed when I got home and I wasn’t going back out for them.

Absolutely First Class All Round!

It’d been one of my favourite places in Herne Bay: great food and price,friendly staff. But unfortunately last time the food did not come up to my expectations. There was barely any lobster in the lobster roll, mostly lettuce. We also ordered tea and there was barely half a cup of water and a tea bag. I felt disappointed. My partner has soft crab burger which was great!

As soon as we arrived we were made to feel like family all thefolks were so friendly and kind things only kept getting better when my wife who doesn't drink due to health issues was kindly told they had alcohol free spirits for cocktails whatva...

Amazing cocktails in a fabulous setting 😍 staff are lovely and really made the start to our evening memorable!

Disappointed. We read good reviews for this place so gave it a try. My wife had crab burger and I have chicken burger. The batter on the crab meat was soggy and undercooked and at £14 plus an extra £3 if you wanted fries was extremely over priced for the quality . The chicken burger was cheaper at £11 again extra for fries but was no better than a McChicken sandwich. The fries were very good and they were reasonably priced, staff friendl and helpfull but let down by food quality overall.

Came here for a random meal on our anniversary and was amazing. We sat at the bar and eat had cocktails the owner Geoff was amazing service was brilliant we had such a lovely night. Cute cosy little place to eat and the food is...

We visited last year and had a wonderful experience of reasonably priced, tasty food. I brought the entire family back for my 4 year old's birthday meal over the August Bank holiday weekend. Prices had almost doubled and the food was mediocre at best. The...

Amazing place for food but definitely worth visiting for a cocktail. The owner went out of his way to make different cocktails not on the menu based on my palet. Outstanding service

We visited on a Sunday afternoon. Booking ahead is recommended as this is a small establishment and quite popular. Staff are friendly and welcoming. They try to accommodate most dietary requirements if you let them know. For our mains, we ordered the half dozen oysters, lobster (Pounder) and the Lobster Bake. Most dishes were well flavored. Disappointingly though, most of it was overcooked. Both lobsters in particular were a bit rubbery in texture and could have come out a bit more tender and with some more moisture. Otherwise, this was a pleasant dinner experience overall and recommended if you enjoy BBQ and seafood and you're in the Herne Bay area.

Love this place. Everyone so friendly and the cocktails are great too

The worse experience of our life drove 2 hours to take parents for a meal whom has just had a pacemaker in his heart with the kids raining left us standing waiting for no reason plenty of tables but refused us a seat never in my life would I go again the staff attitude including the manager is disgusting and disappointing avoid this place

Great selection of food and attentive staff. Good atmosphere and the food did not disappoint. Struggled to finish 🍽👍🏻🍺

The food was absolutely fantastic and we all loved it. I had calamari with giant prawn and I loved it. The problem was that the waiters/waitresses treated us terribly. We asked one of the waitresses if they had fried oysters and she said yes so we ordered them. 10 minutes later the same waitress came with our starters. We ate them and enjoyed it. Another 10 minutes had passed and a different waitress gave us our mains but she gave us the wrong food. When we told her this isn't ours she got angry and told us that's what we ordered. Keep in mind we did not order this. The other waitress came to us and said you ordered this when we clearly didn't. They started to get really angry when it was their fault in the first place. We then just left to go to a different place.