The Dalby Cafe in Thanet

This is what in my world a diner looks like. Simple, straight, vintage with affordable, tasty food to get satisfied. The dishes are basically different arrangements of English breakfast classics. A highlight was the Wall of Fame, a chalk board with a list of persons who bore the unbearable Mega Breakfast. The order implies a bet—eat up in less than 20 minutes and you get it for free. Take your time and pay £34. (The rest of the menu is much fairer priced.) By the way, a regular told us that Pete Doherty on the WoF is THE Pete Doherty.

Brilliant cafe serving excellent breakfasts. Staff are really friendly, service is quick and it has a great atmosphere.

GREAT cafe for a good breakfast or lunch. Allergy friendly for my friend. Service speedy and friendly and the food was superb. Nice atmosphere and didn't feel rushed out the door. Definitely recommend.

Amazing cafe with excellent service! Very highly recommend!

Really lovely cafe, the food was good quality and cooked well, the staff were really friendly and obviously care about the place and the customers. Many options available to tweak your food as you like and affordable prices. If I was local I'd be here all the time!

Trés trés bon ❤️❤️ On a pris trois petit déjeuner Anglais avec un café pour ma sœur un café pour papa un chocolat chaud pour moi Sacha Leclerc Guillemot 10 ans

Great food, good service. A cafe in business since 1946. Definitely worth checking out.

Was not given choice of smoke or unsmoke bacon

Really good breakkie for a decent price. Great service aswell, highly recommend. Also nice decor, it's become a regular for me and my partner!

Was told good things about this cafe- turns out very wrong - food was vile and orders were wrong - missing fried bread and toast and looked like a pile of cold rubbish when opened will never order again

Always a pleasure to visit the Dalby for a breakfast, top quality food, best service you could ask for, great value for money, you must visit if you havent as you will not be dissapointed. Cant wait to go back!!

Best full English breakfast I’ve ever had! Super friendly. The people who work there are very friendly. We are from the USA and enjoyed the meal so much we bought a Dalby Cafe coffee mug to take home.

Unbeatable! Always a delicious breakfast, and high quality ingredients. Great service and a warm welcome. Best in the county.

Food was very good and also smelt soo good! Not a bean left and my first cafe breakfast and I’ll tell all my friends Thanks for having us

Consistency is key and The Dalby cafe have it, fabulous breakfast every time, staff are really friendly and most definitely one of our favourite places to eat 10/10

The owner was extremely nice and welcoming. The quality of food is amazing and all locally sourced.

We are from the United States and I want to tell you the food here blows away most places I have eaten back home. I wish the owner would drop a spot in the USA I would eat here every day!! This is what breakfast 🥞🥞 should be like every day...

One of the best breakfasts we’ve had. Came back 2 days in a row! Super clean and friendly staff. Would defo recommend and we’ll be back!

Best spot in town and lovely staff. The food was perfect and the cafe is authentic and clean. You won't be disappointed. A*

Banging breakfasts always, staff always so bouncy and friendly! Really accommodating for veggies and vegans and gluten free folk! Easily come once a month if not more! See you again soon!

Most excellent breakfast Never fails to deliver Probably best in the area With a loyalty scheme too Staff always friendly

Thank you so much to the Dalby Cafe for a delicious cooked breakfast. We came today at 1.30pm and greeted by Tasha and Bailey who attended to us. My mum and I both thoroughly enjoyed our meals. I had a medium with beans fried slice and tea. Mum had a small with tomatoes, toast and coffee. With the addition of chips and black pudding as seperate sides. Cost came to £17.90 so good value for quality over quantity. The food was cooked to perfection. We loved that oat milk was available and I had that in my tea. Bailey made sure it was the right strength of tea for me aswell. Bailey and Tasha provided excellent service, it was nice to see the improvement with them at the helm 👍👌 as this was my first return since many years ago when I had a bad experience with a member of staff at this establishment. Atmosphere was lovely, and made friendly with bailey and Tasha aswell 😊 Highly recommend! We will definitely be back soon Thankyou once again Dave and Daves Mum

Wasn’t happy as ordered fried egg and an extra fried egg with my breakfast and got scrambled which I don’t like. Just eat did nothing about it. You should get as described on the order

Got to say the breakfast wasn’t great and for the price you pay is a joke, wouldn’t go back

Great size as always but poorly assembled in the cafe. It was very messy.

Excellent cafe, great food and the staff are exceptional at there job...

Food was extra fabulous coffee was really amazing, came with five people no complaints whatsoever, service was amazing

Great cafe with a lot of choices, good ingredients. Great staff. Another fine breakfast!

Best breakfast around locally, clean tidy 10/10. Top food and ingredients, staff very friendly and helpful can’t do enough for you.

Tinned tomatoes made breakfast soggy. Not sure if sausages were fully cooked and expensive for the standard of breakfast

An absolutely amazing cafe, staff are lovely, clean and tidy area and food is delicious. Loved it here !! Will definitely recommend

This was our first visit there based on many friend’s recommendations. The outside looks greasy spoon, but it’s far better than that. We got lovely veggie breakfasts and fantastic friendly service (thanks Tasha) in nice clean surroundings. One nice touch was the condiments were all nice and clean, no sticky ketchup bottles or greasy salt and pepper pots. It’s amazing how such small things make a big difference. If you’re brave there’s a Mega breakfast challenge - we chose not to give that a go. Highly recommend a visit.

First visit to this iconic Margate cafe. Absolutely brilliant. Good food, fabulous people and great atmosphere. What more could you ask for?

Proper café, had full English , superb

Great place for a big breakfast or lunch

Service getting worse but still a great breakfast, last week forgot my breakfast just did the wife’s , this week beans and tomatoes get mixed round . But hey ho still great food

What a cafe lovely breakfast, quality food

Can't give 0 Stars. DO NOT ORDER VIA AN APP. They will accept the order and then not bother with it. After waiting an hour I phoned up and they said they didn't know when they'd get to it. It took contacting Uber Eats to cancel to avoid being charged.

ordered a bacon sandwich and a drink this morning just to pay for well overpriced bacon sandwich more like fat butter and bread same in my partners sandwich someone teach this cafe how to make a bacon sandwich for god sake waitress seemed fed up and gave us unfolded napkins and then when came with food didn’t even say anything just walked away such good service! NOT. disappointed.

Fantastic breakfast, would recommend, particularly if you have an appetite 👍

Me and my partner were staying in area for a few days we found this cafe a short walk away. Had a lovely full English this is a proper old fashioned cafe had one of the best breakfasts I've had in a cafe food was cooked lovely and had a perfect mug of tea. Lady behind counter was friendly and welcoming the cafe seems to run very efficiently. We're coming back to this cafe before we have to drive home today cos we enjoyed it so much. If your looking for a good breakfast come here you want be disappointed.

Great cafe with excellent service, food and value provided!

10 out of 10 bruv, and I wish all their meat was halal but it is what it is I only got vegan brekkie cos that’s halal and I’m not a vegan lol I eat meat but ye i wish this shop was halal and also leftists r so weird right wing forever baby👊🏾

Friendly, fast and great value old school english cafe. Avo and poached eggs on toast £7. Great crispy hash browns. Light filled room that feels like it hasn't changed for a generation. Recommend.

I've ordered a 'small breakfast baguette' before, it still amazes me how big it is! Phenomenal quality, I will absolutely order again.

Not a bad little place. Quite pricey.

We three had a variety of the breakfasts. The food was good but the bubble and squeak was peppery or spicy to my taste. We prefer plain food where you can add pepper to your own taste, often a complaint we have in other dining places. The staff were helpful and friendly. We would go again.

Lovely old style cafe. Great breakfast and very good value. Still very good

Buzzy greasy spoon cafe. Fast and friendly service, tasty food.

The floor was filthy the food cheap and tactless. I wouldn’t go here again & certainly would not recommend. My wife wouldn’t eat her food & I struggled

Absolutely the cheapest ingredients a.5 pound 55 for a sausage baguette and even baked beans are 5 pounds. Were not in south of France.

Best cafe I've ever been to! Everything delicious. Fresh orange juice is such a nice touch, and they do 'proper' coffees too. Busy of course but the staff run this place like a well oiled machine it seems and food is quick to come out. Grateful when we arrived there was a table free but I would happily wait as it's that good! Sausages are delicious and high quality, eggs are perfectly runny.. treated myself to a fried slice and no regrets it was so light and crispy. I like the way the menu works with them happy to sort extras or you build your own. My only regret is not getting a bigger breakfast and trying more !! If I ever come back to margate I'll be here every morning!

Lovely friendly place , with sea view from table outside. Loved my value breakfast

This has to be the best breakfast we have had since moving down to Kent. They had milk alternatives for those that have allergies too. Staff very friendly and helpful.

Stayed in Margate for one night and didn’t have breakfast included at my hotel so found this one via Tripadvisor. Was a little sceptical as I felt like the reviews were too good. It’s about 0.5miles out of the sea front and up a semi-steep hill, you’ve even got to walk by a couple of other cafes but it will be worth it for a simple greasy spoon. It’s the night after a Dreamland concert so I suspect slightly busier than a usual Sunday. Quite a few tables available and you order at the till and they give you a number for the service. Plenty of friendly staff on duty and it seemed like a well-oiled machine. Everyone knew their role and it seemed seamless. I went for a medium breakfast with a side of hash browns - the medium doesn’t have hash browns included. Medium is 2 sausage, 2 eggs, 2 bacon, beans/tomatoes and bread/toast/fried bread. I went with beans and toast as there are a few variations you can have. Tea made fresh in front of me and hot with a good colour. Total cost was £12.55. It was very busy and queued out the door for some time which shows its popularity. There’s also a breakfast challenge, which looks huge and has very few people on the hall of fame - one of which is musician Peter Doherty. Fair play! Only fair to mention a few minor points - Some sort of leak under one of the kitchen units which was gathering dirty water but it looked contained and cleaned thoroughly when emptied. Decor could do with some modernisation. Looked like a kitchen helper stepped out the back for a cigarette/vape and didn’t wash his hands when he came back in. Worth a visit if you’re around the area!

Dogs allowed on seating outside, not inside sadly. Bit soggy for that.

Classic greasy spoon. Great after a night out if you can get to before it shuts. I always seem to go for the American. Love a hash brown and the Dalby ones a crunchy just the way I like them. Washed down with a freshly squeezed OJ. Mm

Well, I've got to say, the term 'small' is very inaccurate! It was massive and lovely. I'll definitely order again!

Quality breakfast in a traditional cafe friendly efficient service this place is hard to beat.

Delicious breakfast! It was excellent value for money, the staff were very lovely, great service, and only a short walk to the beachfront. Would highly recommend

Great traditional cafe, food is lovely and prices are decent

Came here with a mate who lives locally but only recently discovered this gem. The breakfast was big and was quality compared to almost every cafe I have been to

I’ll die for your hash browns 😍😍😍

I came here since it was the only open cafe around the area at 7am on a Sunday. I was pleasantly surprised. Extremely friendly staff, good food, good coffee, and cheap. They have oat milk for coffee and vegan options on the menu.

Great breakfast, absolutely delicious 😋

Wow proper full English breakfast. The guys are really friendly here with great service. They know what they are doing and are running great traditional cafe. Cleared my plate can’t wait to come back.

Absolutely delicious breakfast. Was told it was the best breakfast in Margate. Did not disappoint.

This is a proper greasy spoon with faded formica tables and vinyl chairs. The food was really good and arrived quickly. I had a big breakfast but want to try their mega breakfast at some point. It's £28 and if you finish it you end up on the wall of fame. If you finish it in under 20 minutes it's free. Staff were friendly and the place was clean. It just had a cool vibe too. Almost like a timewarp to when cafes were actually cafes and not weird hipster places with avocado toast. I'd recommend this place to friends and family.

Really typical place frequented by locals..great english breakfast

The Dalby is the best place for a proper fry up or sausage sarnie to take to the beach. Great, friendly staff and top quality food. Excellent service from Tasha today too (as always).

did not recieve order order was delivered to someone else,

Very good coffee and food. Highly recommended 👍

Always delicious, quick timing but always fresh food!

The best vegetarian version of a full English I've had.

As good as the food is the prices are far too expensive, more of a place to go for a treat once a month than a weekly visit

It's been a year or so since I came in after moving from the area. Just as good as always! Best cafe in thanet

Quality food as always. The delivery driver was friendly and efficient.

Banging veggie breakfast. Couldn't finish it but I wanted too. Best veggie sausages and the bread and butter is thick and soft and buttery and mmmm I could eat it again if I wasn't so full up

Went there this morning to try the challenge and failed 😆. Have to say staff were lovely and friendly and the breakfast it self was super tasty 😋

Popped in for breakfast after reading reviews online, well worth the visit and good food a proper old fashioned café that does a top quality full English breakfast. Would recommend and visit again if in the area.

Nearly £7 for two bits of scabby bacon an egg in a tiny bigger way overpriced

The Dalby cafe does the best breakfast in margate,, Excellent service, no cheap ingredients, The staff are brilliant no fuss what's so ever... Ian

It's not my first visit and won't be my last :) The Dalby is a wonderful mix of great food, (vegan menu available) efficient and friendly staff and a traditional cafe interior (the seats are from an old tram).

Unfortunately the prices are sneaking up

The Dalby Cafe has the be the only place in Thanet where I can get a proper full English breakfast with gluten free sausages and gluten free toast!!! I've been twice now and I've died and gone to heaven both times! Being coeliac, finding a place that does a proper full English without having to remove half the items is rare!! Dalby maybe my new favourite breakfast hang out 😉🫣🤤

Food decent for a cafe but nothing special. Very expensive for what it is though and not all items you woukd expect included on the breakfast and need adding on

Order cancelled for some reason, refund expected.

The food is great .. really nice only fault not the greatest seating for the larger of people

I love this place, the food is top quality, this place has been around for years and you can tell why. I will always recommend the Dalby for great food.

Food tasted perfect 👌 would recommend again

Very good food and service 10 out of 10

The OG of Margate cafe's and still the best. Not an avocado on sourdough in sight just top drawer fry ups.

Thought I'd treat myself to a breakfast. The Dalby hasn't changed. A familiar old place with good quality food aas all ways.

Gluten free options available! Gem of a place with friendly staff.

Fabulous... old school cafe doing breakfasts the right way. Only dropped a star because the chairs and tables still need an update.... Freshly cooked with quality ingredients.... ..quality sausages and eggs perfectly fried ....decent portions and well priced. Really friendly staff and always busy which shows how good it is....

Always a great breakfast in here ,

I was recommended the Dalby by locals and the Hotel folk...and I agree- its Terrific! Loved the decor, the food and darnit if the Music wasn't great too! Top marks

Food arrive hot and i got what I ordered. The selections you have to make on just eat are a little odd this needs to be looked at by the restaurant otherwise OK.

Great Café, great service, friendly staff and really good food, nice portions and all food, fresh and hot which makes a massive difference. Well done. Thank you

Forth attempt after going three times previously only to leave after waiting 5/10mins without being served, or even greeted, thought I’d give it one more go, wasn’t worth it… £9.15 for a bacon & egg roll & a black coffee, crazy price for a builders cafe. Coffee was really bad, weird smell & taste, I’m not fussy with coffee but this wasn’t drinkable. I don’t like to rate small businesses low but this place seems very over priced & service slow. All fair points I think without being too harsh.