The Charles Dickens in Thanet

When we entered the bar a friendly bar man pointed us in the direction of the restaurant upstairs. We were then greeted with a smile, and led to our table which had our names, our chosen menu items and beautiful rose petals for Valentine’s Day. The three staff that served us were friendly and helpful, and being new to the area we enjoyed hearing stories of the building and new chef. We were presented with a special cocktails menu for the evening, and freshly made bread and olives. The bread was so soft, it was almost like eating cake! I loved it. Our starter was perfect, and just the right amount. Our main of steak and chips was cooked to perfection, and followed by desserts. The whole evening was lovely, we were made to feel welcome and valued, and we cannot wait to visit again.

A very tasty lamb shank roast. Staff were attentive. Food was good. Views if you were in the windows, brilliant. Carpets and furnishings feels dated but very clean and acceptable.

The staff were fantastic. Really patient and accommodating to our large booking. Food was fab as well. Thank you

Unfortunately this was the worst meal I’ve had and sadly I wasn’t alone. We went to the restaurant to celebrate a special family birthday. Everyone on our table of 11 had a problem with either their starter or main course or both. The garlic prawns at £14 was a joke, 3 prawns an inch long next to a pile of shells on top of a dry piece of sourdough. The pork was not just pink but raw and had to be cooked again and very salty, one of our guests was pregnant and asked for her burger to be well done so when it arrived and was very red she had to send it back ,but when she got it back she was unable to eat it along with 3other people who had ordered the burger because it was too salty, we all tried some and it was not palatable. The prawns in the prawn cocktail were tasteless and the sauce bland. Two of us had scampi and had to return it because the peas were cold. The chicken Kiev was dry and lacked any garlic butter and the curly kale was so undercooked you couldn’t cut it let alone chew it. It was getting very embarrassing having to keep calling over the manger who I have to say was very nice and polite and I felt she was also embarrassed and even though she took a small amount of money off the bill and apologised saying maybe the chef was having a bad night !!! On reflection and seeing as 5 of our guests went home hungry the money taken off was nowhere near enough. Such a shame this restaurant has gone so downhill.

The staff were very attentive,the food was lovely we will definitely be going back .

Really welcoming and attentive staff, had a really lovely afternoon. The roast was great, only small criticism was our mains were lukewarm but we chose not to mention this

Great Sunday roast. Very delicious and service was excellent

Firstly the service was amazing.. sadly the food was very salty the garlic prawns was very poor was more like grilled/burnt prawns on toast with no garlic butter or any form or sauce.. our pork loin wasn’t cooked and the chicken Kiev has zero garlic butter inside .. could have been just a bad day for the chefs but when it’s for a birthday meal for 11 it’s a let down .. manager was amazing and took a fair amount off our bill but it still kinda ruined the evening..

Good Xmas dinner! - Ramsgate Chess Club!

Really lovely menu. Food was delicious and service was very friendly.

Warm welcome and lovely, friendly service. Food was excellent - good choices, tasty, plentiful & very nicely served and presented. It was our first visit to the upstairs restaurant at the Charles Dickens but definitely won't be our last.

Had a very enjoyable birthday meal at the Charles Dickens. It has been renovated since I was last there, and it has been done very well. The food has improved immensely, too. We all had very good meals. Especially the two of us who had the pork loin . Absolutely delicious. The service was excellent, and the young waitresses were helpful, polite, and professional. Although dark, we still had a view of the bay and the pier , which is always lovely upstairs in this restaurant.

You really get a pub feeling here. Food was alright, albeit a bit pricy for what it was in my opinion. But the view and service compensated for that.

Fabulous roast, great choice and the BIGGEST Yorkshire puddings ever. Will definitely return.

amazing great bar staff, Everything was lovely as always

I have to say it was a badly cooked cauliflower cheese,not a white sauce.Had they used wholemeal flour !! My Dickens burger was tough .Not melt in the mouth ,and roast beef was in thick slices .Please sort this out as I usually like the food at Charles Dickens Pub . The staff are lovely and very attentive.

We are regulars at this lovely place. Super super Sunday lunch. Lamb Shank delicious. Large portions and excellent quality. Staff are friendly and attentive.

This is my favourite place.to come too always will be

Only had drinks, but it's in a great location and not expensive.

Back to our old haunt for New Year’s Day. Great food again, beef and pork belly roast and a lamb shank. Lots of food and no space for dessert! The beef was the best I have had anywhere for a long time, great quality food and quickly delivered. Staff as always were great and very well trained which is good to see. It’s sad that there are a few negative reviews which in our opinion were misguiding. For us all in all a great start to a new year. Keep up the good work and looking forward to seeing you again soon.

Excellent meal with good service all round a very enjoyable experience thanks

Staff and location make the place. Food was good and tasty

Amazing roast dinner overlooking the sea.. Decor is a little dated, but great value and friendly staff. Definitely recommend.

The pie and mash was amazing. Great service, lovely atmosphere. Everyone in our party enjoyed it.

Excellent food, service and atmosphere. Our food was served quickly. Plates were warmed and the food was great quality. I’d definitely recommend.

Service outstanding - young team were polite, attentive, informative, if scripted. Food tasty: ribs and sauce looked a mess on plate, fish cooked beautifully - crispy on skin side but firm and tender. Desserts: apple berry crumble plentiful but exceptionally hot so take care, sticky toffee very good, if rather sweet. Drinks: cocktails hit and miss as one strong and the other weak, bottle of wine fair but expensive, bottle of water unnecessary expense and glasses of water would do. Band began downstairs when we were eating dessert, so loud we could hardly hear each other over the table for two - not a good way to finish our meal as restaurant music also playing at same time! Over £100 for this experience was excessive when there are plenty of other more enjoyable nearby restaurants with better tasting and value offerings.

Booked for 3 Boxing Day lunch (2.30pm). Extremely busy on entering the restaurant area (upstairs) but the Staff were attentive & didn't stop "running around " for the 2.5 hrs we were there. Good food, generous portions, warm cosy environment. Good value for money & definitely glad we booked. Will definitely visit again when back home in Broadstairs.

We have eaten here three times now and each time has been really good. The staff are very friendly and efficient - couldn't ask for better

Generous plate of delicious food served by friendly helpful staff. One of the best!

A fabulous evening with super waitress service- they went over and above giving us Some crackers too -thank you -

A party of six people for dinner last night. Although they tried their best, the food wasn’t just awful and one person in our group sent his food back three times. The last one was fish which was cold and raw. The waitresses were very apologetic and embarrassed by the situation however, they really need to step up their game as there is so much local competition and this is very poor indeed. Won’t be going back.

Popped in because on my phone it said it was a posh weatherspoons so thought give it a go we only had eggs on toast and you could tell it was completely different to the other pub rich and creamy nice but we both agreed normal egg on toast was better staff nice and friendly

Loved the food. Lovely and hot. And very tasty. Staff were very attentive. Definitely coming back

Delicious Christmas lunch with colleagues.

Family Sunday lunch and we all said it was a 10 out 10. Well done to you all !!

The meal was amazing, so much food. Was a bit noisy but it’s probably down to a lot of Christmas parties. Will definitely return and recommend to friends

Stopped in for lunch on a day out to explore Broadstairs. We had the pork crackling with apple puree for a starter (absolutely delicious) and the Sausage and Mash with a delightful onion gravy. The food was only surpassed by the friendly and attentive staff who went out of their way to make sure we had everything and more we needed to make our lunch one of the best spontaneous stops we have experience in a while. Well done, we will definitely be back!

My wife and I booked a table for 7.45pm on a Saturday night. We were surprised to see that only 2 other tables were occupied! My wife had a crab starter followed by gammon steak and salad and I had a stake and ale pie. The crab dish was a spoonful of crab in a plate with a thin slice of pickle. The gammon “steak” looked more like a big rasher of bacon with a few lettuce leaves and an overdone egg. My pie looked promising but when I cut into it I found 4-5 lumps of gristle in a grey taste less liquid that you charged me £24.00 for! The staff were nice and so to avoid any unpleasantries we just paid and bought a takeaway from the nearby chip shop!! No wonder the place was empty!

What a lovely afternoon food was grest and the service was amazing lovely young lady wish I had taken her name! Very clean and good atmosphere!

Fabulous meal and the service was excellent, thanks so much

Lovely spot for Sunday lunch. It was busy, service was quick, staff were attentive. Quite a lot of noise due to chatter from other diners, this made the atmosphere lively. Lunch was huge, and very tasty. Plus you have a great view of Viking Bay.

Yesterday we had a celebration for 30 people on the 1st floor the views are stunning of Viking bay many of our party had never been to Broadstairs before and they will definitely be back, The food was amazing and plentiful, from mini burgers, warm scotch eggs ,fish and chips to tempura veggies for our vegan guest The staff were very friendly, excellent very helpful nothing was a problem for them 10 out of 10

Popped in for lunch whilst visiting for the fireworks. Very relaxed, had the light bite fish n chips which was just right for lunch, and a nice pint, all good! 😊

Food was great. Staff were lovely and attentive.

A nice comfy pub with good food. I marked down a bit for service just because we had to wait till after 12 for the menus to be available which seems a bit bizarre. Otherwise a great location and food.

Great spot for a delicious meal in a historic spot. The food was served quickly as we enjoyed the great views from the second floor. Our server Lauren was a joy and provided some great history of the area.

Live music, youthful and captivating atmosphere. Great place.

We always have lovely food here. The staff are so welcoming and friendly. Happy days. 😊

Arrived for a wake , great atmosphere and a fantastic place to meet up The food was exceptional and I highly recommend this place for all occasions Parking could be difficult at high season

Went for Sunday lunch, requested a window seat, but on arrival, this was not available, but we were quickly moved when one became free. Food was lovely, as was the service & good value for money

We had a great Sunday roast in the restaurant area. The vegetables were steamed/roasted/pureed to perfection. Staff were attentive and friendly, the atmosphere was perfect for a family get together.

Lovely pub by the sea, friendly service but it was quite quiet when we were there although we were sat by a door that kept being opened for people to vape or smoke, so we got a bit cold. Food was lovely and we had Happy Hour cocktails

A very enjoyable lunch with prompt and friendly service from all the staff / servers we interacted with. Food was also very good, views overlooking the sea from our table were also very good. Highly recommended.

Soul less place, nothing to recommend. Basically, it's a place to have a drink, nothing more.

We stopped at this pub for lunch while checking lovely Broadstairs. We both chose the Fish and chips. Bar Service was friendly enough but thought it was very expensive, so had high expectations. Sat with a nice view by the window overlooking the bay. Unfortunately there were only a few chips on the plate and my fish was awful(not fresh, mushy texture). My wife said hers was ok. I did mention it to a member of staff but she didn’t seem that bothered. We left disappointed and never to return…

Enjoyable meal - especially the Vegetarian Roast and Bannoffee cheesecake!

Lovely welcoming pub. Disabled friendly ramp, which these days are very rare!! Gorgeous views of the sea on a clear day.

Had an excellent lunch! A quick brunch had the Dickens muffin, which is really nice.

Cracking sandwich with a wonderful view and lovely service too. Thank you.

Beautiful three storey building, exceptionally clean. Visited for Sunday dinner, you must book, it's very popular. Staff were incredibly attentive, food arrived quickly, presented beautifully and we both had pork belly roast. Really good food, only negative broccoli was rather hard, but you be honest the rest of the meal was perfect so I didn't mind too much. Ordered a side of cauliflower cheese, best I've ever had! Will definitely revisit, but next time I'll ask for window seat as the views over the beach are beautiful.

We were told this was the best Sunday Roast in Thanet, so booked optimistically. I haven't tried most of the Sunday roasts in Thanet, so I can't be certain, but they would have to go a long way to beat it. Absolutely delicious, and very quickly served, with great views from the right tables. Would definitely recommend.

Great spot, Great chips and peas but the fish was pretty much all batter.

We visited The Charles Dickens in Broadstairs for my son's 30th birthday Sunday dinner. While the portions were generous and tasty, unfortunately, the food was not very warm. This is the second time we've experienced this on a Sunday, which is a real shame as the setting is fantastic, with lovely sea views. We had high hopes, but the lack of temperature in the meal let the experience down. Hopefully, this can be improved, as the location deserves better. We will return again as we do love this place, but probably not on a Sunday.

Very deaf friendly, our food was delayed and was provided with free bread and olives. Food was amazing and there plenty gluten free alternative/options for person dine with us.

We had a really lovely lunchtime meal for our group of 7 adults. The sea view is stunning and the food was great. Lottie was extremely helpful and they were able to adapt almost any meal to cater for one of our group who is gluten and dairy free. I would certainly return if/when visiting Broadstairs again.

Absolutely disgusting, couldnt wait to get the plates off the table, slapdash, overcharged as working on ' get them in, get them out' as quickly as possible, Let's hope the locals keep you going over winter, we won't be and will spread our experience,

1st class food and service. Lovely sea views from the bar, clean and tidy bar area, clean toilets. The staff are 1st class, we had breakfast at the Charles Dickens and enjoyed it so much we returned in the evening for drinks, I recommend.

Very nice butt very hot seated upstairs

It wasn't too bad, but the issue we had was that friends were coming down from London and we were all looking forward to a nice plate of Fish & chips. We were very disappointed when we were told that Fish & chips weren't available (it wasn't anyone's fault but it was just disappointing). So we re-visited the menu and then another waitress came over to tell us the Green Thai curry was off too. But we chose something that was on the menu and it was nice!

Excellent service and great food at reasonable prices. Huge portions! Great view over Viking Bay.

Great pub right in the heart of Broadstairs. We often have breakfast there on a Sunday morning. Lottie managed our booking and took care of us. We also enjoy the many live bands they have performing sometimes on Friday & Saturday nights.

Great food and lovely service 👌

Excellent pub with lovely Cosye feeling, food is extremely good especially Sunday roast.

8 people celebrating a Birthday on a Sunday night. All OK

Fantastic service and great food, and with a view too.

Really enjoyed our meal, staff excellent and our waitress who was a new starter was lovely.

Visited with friends twice in one day Popped in for breakfast which is very good Decided to return for an evening meal in the bar. Great band playing. Lovely staff

We both had lunch here. Nice selection on the menu, I tried the prawn linguine , excellent. Lovely staff, nice and clean environment .

We recently had the Sunday roast at The Charles Dickens pub during the long weekend, and it was a delightful experience. The location is fantastic, right near the actual Charles Dickens house—though unfortunately, it was closed on Sundays. The roast itself was excellent, with generous portions and perfectly cooked meats, and the service was outstanding. The staff was attentive and friendly, making us feel welcome from the moment we arrived. While the food is on the pricier side, that's to be expected given the touristy area. Overall, we had a great meal and would definitely return. Worth the trip from London! I had the roast belly pork 🥩 😍🐽

Good food good service Thank youXxx

Nice pub, food good pub food BUT….. Glass found in one of the meals. A large splinter of glass found in a main meal. Staff were quick over and apologetic, whipped the glass and meal away and replaced it. No real offer of apology, no complimentary drinks or any sort of refund. We are not people to complain or expect anything, but this was a very dangerous piece of GLASS on a meal. Things could have been very different, very lucky no harm was done. All the other meals were tasty and glass free (that we know of). Feel let down by the one very dangerous meal and lack of customer service regarding this incident that could have been very serious. Added after pubs reply. A very disappointing response. It was 100% glass. The evening was somewhat ruined by finding glass in a meal. While the other 8 meals were glass free and tasty, they were all eaten with much caution. This could have been a very very serious incident. It sounds like you think you went above and beyond by replacing a tainted meal without even asking what the customer wanted. Believing the one star isn’t fair. I’d say the minimum should have been refunding for that meal and offering a free replacement or substitute meal But this wasn’t done, hence the one star.

Excellent friendly staff. Very quickly brought the high chair over for our toddler. Such a friendly helpful waitress and the food a light lunch for 5 of us was amazing. It has a nice view of sea and a nice bar area too. Food service was very quick and just had such an enjoyable lunch there. Very clean.

We are locals so this was hopefully a new pub for us to have as a local. It won't be😡 noisy atmosphere. I booked 2 weeks beforehand asking for a quiet table, they had 2 weeks to secure one for us instead stuck in the middle with loads of noisy kids etc all around us. I asked to move but the empty tables were reserved? So if I had reserved how comes we could not move over ? We complained as eventually was moved upstairs, I should have had to do that. Food was ok slow service. We won't be returning they obviously don't care

Absolutely great roasts, and l tried the veg meal 👌

Great venue on the seafront in Broadstairs. Location and the view from the upstairs restaurant is stunning. Staff were very attentive and service was good. Main negative point was the size of the food portions for the price being charged. The scampi & chips that I ordered from the main meal menu was a small portion when compared to other pubs/restaurants that we frequently visit and charge a similar price.

We had crab and brie to start. Both delicious & good portion. Then we had mussels with sauce, yummy chips and bread and butter. Huge bowl of mussels. Apple cider yummy. Service quick and would certainly go here again next time I'm in area.

We went for dinner at The Charles Dickens for the first time since moving to the area. Service was always with a smile although one of the young staff had forgotten to bring some mayonnaise, but it was all resolved very well. Food was very good! My Skate Wing was phenomenally tasty and deceptively filling. We got a table by the window so the view was very good too!

Delicious food bu could have been hotter. Plates were cold. We booked late and so we’re in the top restaurant with two noisy tables. Next time we will book earlier and specify where we want to eat

We arrived a little early for our table and were shown to one right next to the kitchen hatch, it was extremely noisy throughout, especially as one of our party had hearing aids and the noise levels were amplified. There was a vacant table near the window, but we were told this was booked. A few minutes later another table became vacant near the window, we asked if this was booked too. The waitress said she would find out and returned and said it was. I was under the impression that window tables could not be booked in advance, so am not sure why we could not have moved as it was quite some time before the diners for them arrived. They were all tables for 4, in fact ours was 5 but only 4 of us. The service and the food was very good, no complaints there.

Lovely views, good food. Recommended!

Delicious beer battered fish and chips meal, pleasant staff and service. Great location close to viking bay and being on the ground floor table was able to view the sea by a window.

Generously portioned fish and chips very enjoyable.

Sat on table next to window - lovely view over Viking Bay

We went for lunch with seven people on a Saturday and ordered mainly seafood. Good service and a fair price. Will return again.

We wanted seafood, well we were by the sea. Coming across this ‘pub’ and its menu outside, we decided a visit was on the cards. A bugbear of mine, and this establishment covered it, sign on the door ‘shirts to be worn and shoes inside’. Brilliant. Immediately I was pleased that the staff seemed to be very happy and smiling. Service, throughout the few hours we were there, was perfect, quick, professional but very friendly. We ordered the seafood platter and were not disappointed. Wonderful fresh seafood, fab dressed crab and my favourite, oysters. This is where I gain, my partner hates oysters. All went down too well with a pint, or two. So well that I ordered a further three oysters. They were so good and fresh. A wonderful few hours and thank you guys and gals, you are brilliant. OK, one tiny question. Whitstable is up the road so why Maldon oysters? Not complaining but we live 8 miles from Maldon.

Previously eaten here and been very pleased but somehow this visit was not as good. It was busy and all staff were working hard. Food was just not as good as previously, portion size for sausage and mash was a bit small for the price, peas on dishes bit overcooked as was scampi. Disappointed as usually great food at reasonable price, maybe just an off night.

Great location overlooking the sea. Friendly staff and great menu. As usual, we had an enjoyable meal.

Delicious fish and chips and friendly staff.

No roast dinners left and normal menu food very average. Rude manager and overall bad experience on first night on holiday in Broadstairs.

On holiday and reserved dinner at 5pm for Sunday Roast. Was told all Sunday Roast was sold out so ordered off the main menu. Unfortunately the food was below average. We encountered a very rude member of staff. We will not return and with an abundance of great restaurants in Broadstairs this pub is all hype and best to avoid.