Oyster Bed in Canterbury

great food and service. the new team here have really stepped up and we will be back

came for a drink after work and served by Luna . very smiley and helpful.

Lovely restaurant and excellent service

Lovely staff luna was very accommodating checking if we was happy or wanted anything else and Lauren was also very nice Will be back thank you x

we were served by Luna and she was lovely and very attentive! :)

Lovely staff , was served by luna and the food was lovely !

I came here with my family today for a local roast, the only meat options were beef which was fine for us, the food came out and the portions were tiny, the food looked and tasted as if it were sat out all day under heat lamps or was microwaved. When we asked the waiter about the meat being cold and soggy he responded with “ we have a new head chef and he’s put the meat to be left in warm water all day to keep it from going off” this news was repulsive and made us all feel sick. 100% never coming here again would not recommend !!!

First the waitress was as attentive as she could be for the number of customers. We were surprised that there were four non-service dogs allowed in the restaurant which kept barking and affected my husband's allergy to dog hair which made him feel poorly. The menu was extremely different to the weekday menu and was focussed mainly on meat and as our family don't like meat it was a problem as a significant number of items on the menu were not available. We were not advised of the soup or pie of the day and waited over half an hour from being seated to our order being taken. Once we had finished our starters is was over and hour and ten minutes before our main courses arrived although they were very nice. Our table was booked for a two hour slot but we were in the restaurant for over four hours due to the waiting. There was once couple of 'ladies' near us who clearly do not know how to behave in public/ a restaurant and made more noise than all of the other customers combined. We have used this restaurant on several occasions and will return (on a weekday) but we will not be booking again on a Sunday. Unfortunately we also witnessed a waitress tying up her hair right next to a table where patrons were eating which is not very hygienic. This was a meal to celebrate a 50th birthday and overall because of dogs making husband ill, loud women, delays of over an hour for food and a significant number of items not being available we were very disappointed with this visit which overall and with everything considered we would not give more than two stars. In all this was a very disappointing visit. Based on our visit today we cannot recommend the Oyster Bed or any dishes as a number of those we wanted were not available. Disabled parking is also inadequate for the size of the car park and restaurant.

Really good food and service from luna was fun and quick and brought a really happy atmosphere to the table would recommend

Came here for a quick was served by luna who was lovely brought a great atmosphere and good service

Visited with my girlfriend after our previous visit was poor but today was a definite transition. Service was quick and friendly , steak sandwich was amazing along with our favourite cauliflower wings. Our waitress Lauren. Was very welcoming , great service . We will return

Staff friendly and helpful, this is my third time trying the oyster bed after past issues . Today was awfull food the pie was over cooked and hard topped and the carrot looked old and too soft like it had been warmed up. My sons burger and chips looked lost on the plate like. Child's portion had been placed there instead of an adult , the calslaw was in an egg cup ... .charges 15.00 for a meal which isn't a full meal is it! .....sorry very poor food. Used to be such a nice place to go to and eat good food . It never seems to change. Won't go again...... I'd add pics but can't seem.to do so here .

All good thanks to our waitress and the good company of friends 🧡 Quality food and drinks 🍸 thanks 👌

Friendly staff and good pub food.

Good service and food, with a good drink, at a reasonable price.

Great food and quick delivery of the meal

Lovely food, shame about screaming kids, couldn't realax.

Very prompt, friendly service. Food was lovely. Peaceful atmosphere. Enjoyable meal, thank you

Our visit was for our daughter's birthday celebration. We were extremley impressed with the service and quality of the food. We had three courses each (5 of us) and were very impressed - so much that we will be going back again too. A special mention to Lauren and Molly who were both friendly, helpful and polite and made our daughters birthday meal celebration memorable:)

Food was lovely. I ordered a side of onion rings but when I asked if 3 onion rings was the standard amount for a side dish at £3.50 but the waitress said oh I don't know, sometimes we do 3 sometimes 6 or 8. We don't know how many to give". She was very friendly just not very knowledgeable. The light was hanging from the ceiling which could potentially be dangerous. Don't get me wrong the place was clean and the food tasted lovely but would be more mindful on what I order if we were to return.

good service very polite and not waiting to long for food to be served

We really enjoyed our meals at this lovely pub. We sat in the garden it was a beautiful sunny day the garden looked so pretty and the staff were very accommodating. We came to this pub again at the end of September and our waiter Vova was very polite and friendly and attentive

Sam was really accommodating - we made multiple requests, including changing a table and some orders and she accommodated all of them with a smile. She was friendly and made our birthday meal enjoyable and easy. Thank you x

PERFECT MIX GRILL AND BUTTERMILK CHICKEN BURGER WAS AWESOME. OUR SERVER JUDE WAS AMAZING. THANK YOU

Extremely helpful staff and service, great food - especially the chicken and mushroom pie and burnt basque cheesecake - absolutely perfect. Pie was out of the world. Kind of stumbled upon this place - but have decided to be a permanent visitor evey weekend we visit Whitstable. Oh - and very dog friendly - has a doggy treats and water bar as well!!!

Very enjoyable evening spent here with my friend

Couples dinner date night. I had lasagna with the most delicious garlic bread, and we shared desert chocolate brownie and lemon tart both very nice . Service was good and staff pleasant.

An enjoyable meal in a nice setting. Would happily return

Service was great. Kids area was great, however most of it is run down/ broken and needs an update.

In for my littles girls birthday & the Server was great!

Overall a four star. Would visit again as good choice of menu and we'll presented.

First class service and couldn’t fault the food

Great service, great food, quick service too, would definitely recommend

Food was very nice, aunt Bessie does however make better Yorkshire puddings. We weren't told what wasn't in the menu so people were let down! One of the meals was brought out wrong however it was rectified very quickly. Also, you can't split the bill. What restaurant can't you split the bill in 2024? We were asked by the staff to review our waiter, a young chap. But he took our order and that's it so we can't give the best review sadly. Nice place but I wouldn't rush back.

Clean and calm restaurant. We had the mixed grill, which with a 30% special discount, was very good value. Food arrived quickly and was piping hot. Our server, Daisy, was polite and made sure we had everything we needed.

Nice family meal. Food is what you would expect.

Good food, nice ambience and very attentive and friendly staff. Overall a very pleasant evening out.

Waited for nearly an hour for our food to arrive (only 5 of us, so only 5 mains to cook!) and they were only about 30% maximum capacity on a Sunday early evening, so not busy. When it finally arrived, Hunters Chicken was rock hard (without any sauce), had 'browning' iceberg lettuce on the side ie left out too long/old lettuce (without any dressing) and was sent back to the kitchen for another fresh Hunter's; one chicken/chorizo kebab was cold (lukewarm at best) & vegetarian kebab had what tasted like "cheap supermarket strawberry jam" on the wrap instead of Chilli Jam (not even a hint of spice/chilli) . I can't complain about my Ribeye steak, was very nice but when it says "... comes with mushrooms and tomatoes.." on the menu and then comes with 1 small flat mushroom and half a small tomato, you can imagine my disappointment. We didn't bother to have dessert and went to McDonald's (next door) for a McFlurry and 2 Apple Pies...... 2 Stars for 2 steaks that we had no complaints about; 3 stars for service (wasn't the young servers fault for poor quality food and the time to cook our food ) & 2 stars for atmosphere as it was a Birthday meal and was OK until our mains arrived........ Won't be returning, won't be recommending and I can only suggest the manager shoots a rocket up the backsides of the kitchen staff because that was TRULY WORST RESTAURANT EXPERIENCE EVER... I used to be a chef and I would have been embarrassed to have sent that "food" out to paying customers. If a chef/cook can't take pride in their work, maybe they should apply to McDonald's or KFC next door, which are both known for being the worst in area, if not the UK. The only 5 marks Oyster Bed gets is: 👎👎👎👎👎 Oh, and the Gents toilets, had MOULDY SANITISER CUBES in the urinals! Maybe the cleaner, or whoever checks the toilets, is totally blind or vision impaired? Or maybe the Manager hasn't got a grip and/or doesn't have a clue about running a restaurant 🤷🏼‍♂️

Amazing food , great atmosphere and Lauren our waitress was very accommodating. Checking to see if our meal was okay and if we needed anything. Excellent service. Thank you .

Great waitress-Lauren. Very helpful.

Had a good experience here. Wonderful team

Excellent service and great value for money would recommend

Food good, service very slow even though empty, found out after we started eating that the restaurant is dog friendly, not good when you allergic to dogs, pointed out a poster in the lobby that states this, but when walking in to the lobby your eyes are not adjusted from outside, to be able to read. Will not go again as food and pets should never mix.

Lovely burger and fish. Very impressed with the cheesy garlic.

very dissatisfied with everything,! we booked for 2.45 and arrived at 2.30 we were seated straight away ,and asked if we'd like a drink , we then waited and waited to be served we ordered a main hoping to have a dessert and a coffee after , after waiting what seemed like forever my main was Luke warm the waitress didn't come back and ask if everything was to our satisfaction, if she had, I'd of asked for my dinner to be replaced or reheated , during our meal we asked for another drink it came after calling another waitress , after we'd finished , the waitress came back and asked if we'd like dessert to which we said yes please she came back with the menus and wasn't seen again for over half an hour, she was working around us and avoided eye contact., we decided to leave. Even after putting our coats on it didn't twig with her that we hadn't had dessert and we wanted to leave, we stood by the till waiting to pay , there was not one member of staff around to take our money . we are very honest people , however the non honest among us would of walked out and not paid , overall very disappointed with the service and the whole experience , won't be rushing to come back just to add it was A rainy Sunday afternoon and not busy, a full education on hospitality is definitely needed here . I fully understand that the workers here are probably all students, but with no training it seems .

First visit, not the best experiences. A group of 7. 3 meals turned up 5 to 10 minutes before the other 4. Would prefer to eat together. 2 plates cleared from table, other 5 left for 20 minutes. The 2 guys had well too much to do. Another 2 members of staff was needed.

VERY slow service...food was not hot!! Steak came with half a tomato and a desert spoon of wilted greenery. Disappointed as a previous visit was good.

I have been to Oyster Bed a few times. However, I am quite disappointed that the tomatoes in the grilled dish have become smaller compared to the cow tomatoes that were served before.

Nice old pub feel, was served quickly, the food was excellent at lunch time and thr staff were lovely to us.

. Went to lunch lovely food definitely recommend

Excellent visit, 100% better than my last visit

Fabulous place clean spacious staff excellent great choice of beers atmosphere great

Lovely Sunday lunch great customer service from Vova

Popped in for a drink and some lunch. Great service will be going back. Well done all

Served by daisy who was brilliant. Great service. Good food. Good price. Will definitely return

Great service. Great experience. Thank you Daisy

Cant wait to go back great service and great food

A Culinary Catastrophe at The Oyster Bed Whitstable! After a delightful day exploring Whitstable, my friends and I were eagerly anticipating a satisfying dinner at The Oyster Bed. Unfortunately, our experience was a complete and utter disappointment. From the moment we arrived, it was clear that we were unwelcome. The staff greeted us with a smug indifference, informing us of a 50-minute wait with a condescending tone that suggested they were hoping we'd scram. We decided to give them a chance, ordering hummus and bread while we waited for our menu choices. This is where the true horror began. Our friends received their hummus promptly, but my partner and I were left hanging. After an excruciating wait, one of us went inside to inquire about our order. The response was a nonchalant "It's coming." A few minutes later, a pompous little man, who I assume was the manager, stormed over to our table, ranting about my boyfriend, but to one of our friends. He claimed that my boyfriend had requested the hummus to come out with his main course, which was absolutely untrue. My boyfriend politely corrected him, but the manager simply stomped off and returned with the hummus, accompanied by a miserable trio of bread slices. To add insult to injury, my partner's steak, ordered medium, arrived well-done, more like congratulations in fact. He left a hilarious message on his plate made from burnt steak, that read "medium?" It was the highlight of our experience to be honest. My friend and I both ordered the same dish but received wildly different sides. It was like a random lottery! The top of my burger bun was also drenched in a sticky sauce that managed to cling to my fingers like a greasy leech. At that point, we couldn't help but wish we'd opted for a quick McDonald's. At least there, we'd have gotten consistent food, decent service, and a clean dining experience. The Oyster Bed is a disgrace to the Marston's brand. The service is abysmal, the staff are rude, and the restaurant itself is filthy. I would strongly advise anyone considering dining here to think twice.

I would recommend the chicken and mushroom pie 😋

We had very poor service, poor food, wrong starters, And small portions! steak was fatty, nann bread hard, hard chips, burnt burger rolls for children

Beautiful pub great food great staff

Great meal, Daisy was very attentive and food was nice 👍🏻

Friendly atmosphere, service wonderful and staff very helpful. Thank you.

Took about an hour to get my food and it wasn’t even that busy but the food was good.

Our waitress was lovely and efficient. The food less impressive unfortunately. I had the spinach tart with smashed potatoes. It was pretty dry. One of our table had the melting middle chocolate pudding but the melting middle had already melted out of it around the base of it before it reached us. We won't be in a rush to come back, sadly.

Food was good, staff attentive. 22/2/24 Food took ages to arrive, and the top of the pies were like concrete, nor was there a lot of meat in the pies. 3 or 4 pieces of beef in one, and 2 pieces of chicken in the other. Didn't complain, but should have. We'd waited that long we were about to eat the table. 22/08/24. Better than the last time. Though there's still a shortage of beef in the beef and ale pie. The burgers were good. Proper chips on the plate would be better than french fries in a silly bowl, same with the coleslaw. How much could the company save by not buying the bowls in the first place. Prices could then come down a little. We only ate there because we had a 30% off voucher. But folks, they don't take One4all cards or Dining Out. We tried both, without success.

Amazing food, great seating options/spacious, food and drink arrived in quic time and piping hot, and fantastic service too, thank you to our waitress, Daisy!

Daisy was our waitress and was friendly helpful thank you

Daisy was great, very attentive and friendly

It was so nice the people are really nice

Daisy was an excellent waitress

Lovely lunch with lots of delicious starters for sharing. Daisy was so kind and helpful - nothing too much trouble! Thank you so much!

Daisy was our waitress and she was lovely and very efficient. She provided us with excellent service throughout our meal.

Easy to book online, good choice of menu … the Hunters Chicken and Sea Bass were excellent and we were well served by a nice young lady called Daisy

A very chilled out, relaxing place with pleasant staff and very nice food. Our server was Jude who was very professional and checked on us regularly.

Our server Daisy was lovely and really attentive to our needs

Me and my family came here and really enjoyed our food! Daisy was lovely and very accommodating, and checked in on us frequently to make sure everything was okay :)

Lovely food and great service from Daisy

Friendly staff, quick service (even we were told 45mins wait) came quicker

Not many in this afternoon but Sarah was excellent,well done

Food was ok, service incredibly slow. Felt sorry for the waitress as she was run off her feet & doing her best but obviously not enough staff

Lovely family meal here. Lovely waitress. Very attentive and roast was delicious.

Burgers were lovely as not listed on the options. Daisy was our waitress, very polite and friendly service.

we had brilliant service with daisy today who was so patient with my elderly nan thank you!

Food was good. Daisy was very friendly and attended to all our needs. Lovely young lady.

We came to the oyster bed to enjoy a family dinner while on our vacation. Classic english pub food. Provided a gluten free menu with lots of options and Vegetarian too. Thankyou to our waitress Daisy.

Had a brilliant meal tonight at the oyster bed, our waitress Daisy was excellent and looked after us brilliantly

It was ok, not been for a while and definitely saw a decline, food was ok, have had a lot worse and paid a lot more, service was good.

Daisy was a great sever! Thankyou

Lovely food, excellent service by Daisy.

Staff were really polite and attentive. Daisy, in particular, made sure our visit to the restaurant was a great experience! She was brilliant! Food was delicious and prices were reasonable. Will definitely come again.

Daisy was very pleasant, friendly and helpful

Smart, clean and tidy. Good food and beers, friendly service

Bad service , poor quality food. Worst dining experience we have ever had it was supposed to be lovely evening with family and meeting grandson’s girlfriend, was totally embarrassed by everything.

I had a pint of Hobgoblin, which was a bit vinegar like. Running for a train so couldn't speak to barstaff. Unacceptable really.

Don’t bother going for food here it’s over priced and cold and you will wait 45-1 hour for very bad experience

Lovely food , quiet atmosphere , Jude was very helpful Pre booked table arrived early and were seated immediately

We went for Sunday lunch and took mum who had just come out of hospital. We were overwhelmed by the quality of the meats and lovely crunchy fresh vegetables. Big puffy homemade Yorkshire perfect. This was all made even better by our server Daisy who made the whole visit a delightful lunch experience. She's a credit to the establishment

We go to oyster bed fairly regularly and find them OK ish But the last meal especially my wife's fish goujons was all batter no fish and was dried up as if it had been kept hot for a long time. And the comment from the girl was "well it is the afternoon set menu which is cheaper" What an answer !!

Last night, we had a delightful dining experience at Oyster Bed, and I can't speak highly enough of the wonderful staff who made our visit so enjoyable. From the moment we arrived, everything was perfect. Our table was ready with a high chair, making it incredibly convenient for our family. The staff went above and beyond to accommodate us by providing coloring materials for our two children and even a water bowl for our dog. One of our children has a few allergies, and the staff were exceptionally helpful in finding suitable meal options. They were attentive, understanding, and made sure everyone felt comfortable and cared for. Despite being a party of ten, all of our food arrived in good time, which was impressive. Also they offer a discount with a taste card and accepted with no issues. Thank you to the Oyster Bed team for such a memorable experience. We will definitely be coming back!