The Duke of Cumberland Hotel in Canterbury

Drab, sanitised, soulless. If ‘corporate’ made a pub / service station this is what it looks and feels like. It’s just been refurbished and it’s gone backwards. Once the heartbeat of the towns social life especially Sundays. No one without a bribe would go here when any other pub is open. That’s how I ended up there, a couple of free pint tokens and a 241 meal deal, That made two fish n chips and two pints of bitter £17 and it still wasn’t worth it. There’s just nothing to enjoy in there. It’s not comfortable. There’s no connection with the staff there’s nothing on the menu that makes you look forward to it. It’s just dull and it’s a travesty of design that’s killed what was the most attractive pub in the area.

Stopped for lunch and a coffee. Ate to quick before taking a photo of a nice cheese and apple mango sandwich

Have eaten here a few times now, and I have been nicely surprised every time. Have tried their Sunday roast too, which I really enjoyed!

The place is rather average. The advantage is a good location, but that's where the advantages end. After a long wait for a table, we managed to sit on the left side of the corridor leading from the main entrance. I'm writing about this because the crowded left side looked more like a pub and the right side, basically an empty restaurant. After taking our seats, we had to clean up after our predecessors. The only employee serving the room was a bartender, shaking and sweating from fatigue, working like crazy to serve a large number of customers. Seeing how he's trying to sort out the whole mess, I don't blame him for the fact that we had to do everything ourselves. The decor of the place is not impressive. It's just bland. Likewise food. Even though the fish and chips were presented beautifully, they were terribly oily and had an average taste. A small advantage is a large selection of draft beers. However, I don't understand why there is no drinks menu.

A really nice dog friendly pub. Good beer, wine and the food looked good.

Warm welcome on our arrival. The Hotel was beautifully decorated. The food was to a High quality & great value.

Great little hotel at the centre of Whitstable with a lively pub at the ground floor and fair prices in the restaurant. Confident this is your best option in Whitstable.

Nice little pubhotel in the center of Whistable. Not too far from Canterbury. Prefer to stay next time in Canterbury city because more choice of restaurants and lovely atmosphere.

Myself and my daughter -in-law had a lovely meal , will go again 😋 Valerie

Good atmosphere, friendly staff, great food (the soup was v special). Recommended.

Beautiful, stylish pub in the center of Whitstable. We had a room on the top floor and after we arrived panting up the steep, narrow stairs - which are common everywhere in England - a really nice, cozy and spacious room awaited us with a great view of the little town and a large, pleasantly cozy room -warm renovated bathroom. Definitely recommended, the cleanliness and a tray with coffee or tea also contribute to your feeling of well-being. The location is absolutely central - just a few steps to the beach, on the doorstep the shopping street with cute shops and restaurants. The breakfast with a choice of menu in the elegant restaurant was extremely tasty, and almost all of the employees were very friendly and accommodating. There is no parking nearby and there is no possibility to load or unload luggage even in front of the hotel.

What a brilliant pub , great atmosphere & superb food / you have to try the Brazilian fish soup wow 🤩 & potted crab was superb. Thanks what a brilliant start to Christmas 🎄 Eve

The rooms are exemplary, as are the staff...Danielle,Hannah,dark haired lady (a bit like Nigapella Lawson)!waiting staff in restaurant. The breakfast is outstanding,included in very reasonable price£155) The bathroom in room 5 was to die for. Loads of money has been spent on the bedrooms,clear from fixtures(lighting,),coffee machine. Location superb..next to my favourite shop..CarolecRidley. Visit for that quintessentially English feel,a few seconds from beach,

This was an amazing experience, really excellent food (mussels) , rhe staff is friendly and responsive to all your needs

An excellent lunch at the Duke of Cumberland. There's plenty of choice on the menu to suit all appetites. My wife is Gluten Free but the friendly staff were able to make sure that her diet was not compromised. We both chose from the small plates (which were ample for our appetites). My wife had the slow cooked honey glazed pork belly and I had the crispy smoked haddock fishcakes. Both meals were well cooked, well presented and tasted delicious. We can certainly recommend The Duke of Cumberland (it's also dog friendly).

We eat here twice whilst on a break in Whitstable and both times it was excellent. The beef pie and cottage pie were both really good with fresh vegetables. On our second visit we had the mussels which come with a big choice of sauces. The best mussels we have had in a very long time. The pub and restaurant has lovely decor and the toilets are exceptionally clean. Great choice of beers and wines. Would highly recommend.

An incredible fish and chips and worthy of the price. Very pleasant atmosphere and the crumble and custurd is pure lust after eating in this beautiful place in the world!

Cannot rate the food as only popped in for a drink. However, I must say that the meals did look delicious and very well presented on plates. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, very busy for a Sunday evening. Cannot wait to visit again.

We went in here for a roast and ended up getting the Chicken roast sharer. Absolutely delicious roast, and plenty of it with all the trimmings. Would highly recommend. Nice friendly pub too with a good atmosphere.

Came here for a Sunday roast. We had the chicken sharing platter for 2. There was easily enough food for 3 or even 4 people - a whole chicken, 8 roast potatoes, pigs in blankets, swede, red cabbage, brocolli, kale, yorkshire pudding, cauliflower cheese, parsnips and gravy (sadly they had no stuffing). The food was amazing, all cooked to perfection. The only downside is that it's pretty expensive for a Sunday roast at £48 for the sharing platter but I would definitely go back if it was a special occasion.

Lovely pub. Nice atmosphere and comfortable but prices a bit steep (£9.50 for a glass of prosecco). Didn't eat so can't comment on that but menu looked really nice

Great place for a one night stay. Room and especially the bed were very comfortable. Meal in the restaurant was tasty. Had the cooked breakfast in the morning and it was all cooked fresh - again tasty.

Really nicely refurbed old fashioned pub with a modern twist. Friendly staff and a lovely relaxed atmosphere. Food was delicious.. I had an Ashmore cheeseburger and my partner had the chicken, leek and Blonde ale pie.. really tasty and good value for money. The loo's are fab too which I think is always a good measure of standards!

Haven't been here for several months and unfortunately the place has fallen off a cliff with their hospitality. Who I can only imagine as the new manager, is uninviting, rude and a disgrace to what used to be a nice place to visit. Won't be returning with so many other nice places to visit in Whitstable.

Wonderful atmosphere, attentive and efficient staff, perfect food. We had crab spaghetti and goats cheese burger & fries. Well seasoned, ideal portions, and above all, delicious. Next time we’ll be hitting the Mussels bar!

A really nice pub which is dog friendly and serves good, reasonably priced, food. It was rather quiet when we were in but they have plenty of space for busier times.

Had the best stay here on the weekend. Room/bathroom were gorgeous, staff were sooo friendly and the food was delicious! Stayed Friday and Saturday and will 100% be back to stay again! Would recommend to anyone visiting Whitstable

Great food. Great location. Spicy parsnip soup is really good for an autumn treat..

Lovely food great service would definitely recommend this pub. We lunched here and the food was excellent and very reasonable you won’t be disappointed.

Absolutely the best tasting mussels we have ever had (We've had a lot!) Great selection on the mussel menu, main menu also looks great. Big portion sizes with crispy fries. Good choice of locally produced beers all served by very friendly staff with great music being played out in the bar. No idea why we looked at so many places to eat on aĺ Thursday evening, should have just settled on Duke of Cumberland from the off. We'll know next time we're in the area...all meals at the Duke😊

Very nice pub for a few drinks. Beautiful ambience and decorations. Real ales available.

Three of us ate here on Wednesday ! Really enjoyed the seafood mezze . Visit whitstable a couple of times a year and will be back !!

Visited on a Friday afternoon mid September. Quite busy but staff were patient, friendly and efficient. Food was excellent across all 3 courses.

Love it here! Favourite place to stay when visiting. Breakfast is delicious and rooms are super comfy.

What a fantastic place to stay in the heart of Whitstable. From the first cheery welcome to our checking out, the staff were brilliant. Our room (Ada) was huge, clean and provided absolutely everything for a great stay. We had a tasty three course meal in the restaurant and they met every need in terms of my wife's coeliac dietary requirements. The location is perfect for both town and beach and I would not hesitate in recommending a stay here. Top marks all round 👍🥳

Very good food and friendly service. We enjoyed it very much.

Just had a meal here . After 10 days back in UK . It's the first pub meal I enjoyed ! We've travelled a long way here and visited a few pubs . This tops them all !

What a meal! I had the Mussels Spanish-style and they were delicious. A mix of chili with a lovely hint of paprika. Would certainly eat here again, the dining room is lovely and everyone around seemed to be really enjoying their choices of meal. Its not just seafood here, there is something for everyone.

The mussels are amazing and generous servings

Had lunch with my family in this pub. Service was friendly and attentive. It was a while for the food to come out, but when it did, everyone's was really tasty and a decent portion too. The only annoyance was the fish and chips came with fries rather than proper chips!

Good range of good at reasonable prices.

Wow amazing food here, definitely one to try

A must place to visit, highly recommended. Beautifully refurbished, Shepard and Neme went all out at this venue. The staff are polite and friendly. Food and service were excellent. Lovely and relaxing venue. Could easily loose yourself there for the day

We didn't stay at this venue . But the service , food and atmosphere was 10/10 , didn't get many names as the venue was busy , but my server called John was as friendly as you could possibly want . My wife had the Mussels and many other sea food choices from the menu, as that is what we came to whitstabe for . We are both coming again . And we did travel 70 miles . Respect to the Duke of Cumberland . Thanx too all defo 5 stats 👍 👌

What great food! We were in Whistable for the first time and liked the look of the pub so gave it a try, and what a wonderful experience it was. We had the chicken caesar salad, seabass Thai curry and mackerel and each dish was a delight. Great place to for a pub lunch, friendly staff and beautifully decorated/maintained loos.

What a great place for food. First time in Whitstable and stumbled on this by chance and having no preconceptions. We sat in the lovely/sunny courtyard area and were treated to a delight of dishes including chicken cesaer salad, seabass Thai curry and mackeral. Thanks to the friendly staff and for the clean and very tidy loos.

We are staying in Whitstable and checking out the local pubs and restaurants. We ran in to get out of the rain and had a drink in the bar over the bank holiday - the bar was busy but we were served quickly. We returned for a meal another night and shared the fisherman’s platter - really good mackerel and crab pates. We enjoyed the alternative sorbets - cherry and hibiscus, champagne mint and orange, strawberry and basil. Staff friendly and decor in the dining room lovely. Would recommend.

Food was very good, we had mussles, fish & chips and a burger, which were all very fresh and well prepared. The dining room is very welcoming, with great deco. Unfortunately, service was sub standard, it took a long time to anyone to take our orders and the hostess looked puzzled when we asked for some service. Be prepared to wait, a lot.

The mussels were good, and the fish and chips, priced at £18, were decent value, although the portion of fish was quite small. The pub itself has a nice atmosphere and a good selection of drinks, but the service was disappointing. Our food arrived without any cutlery, and after waiting a long time for the waitress to bring some, I eventually had to go and ask for it myself. When I mentioned how long we had been waiting, the waitress didn’t apologize; instead, she handed over the cutlery slowly with a smirk on her face, displaying a bad attitude. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t return here.

Very comfy decor, nice exterior area that’s a sun trap. We ordered a couple of starters (hummus & tempura anchovies) both were tasteless and due to a lack of bar staff and long queues at the bar we collected our own food from the outside kitchen. We didnt bother ordering main courses, due to the above reasons.

Wonderful to find liver and bacon on menu, cooked to perfection. Excellent service and plenty of garden space to enjoy food.

Really lovely relaxed pub friendly staff with indoor restaurant and outdoor kitchen and seating area, had haddock chips and pea puree delicious , gets busy but worth the wait.

We stayed Sunday night while the Euros football was on. We watched the football in the boathouse that has its own bar. We loved our room with great views of Whitstable and a comfortable bed. It was very peaceful at night, but that maybe because it was Sunday. Our dinner and breakfast was good and the manager and staff were very friendly.

Stopped on for swift halves of lager and sat in the elevated section of beer garden. Wasn't sure what lager to have and the bar person was very helpful and let me try the local brew. Very refreshing and quenched the thirst on a hot day. Pub had plenty of seating and a restaurant area and looked very accessible and well looked after. In the heart of Whitstable and a stone throw from the beach. What's not to like.

Nice food, 8 of us all had different meals and each one of them was very tasty and the plates were empty at the end. Nice deserts as well. Worth a visit

Lovely place, nice atmosphere, and the staff were very friendly. We sat in the courtyard with a couple of drinks, it was 7.15pm, we got a menu as it stated they served food until 8pm. When we went to order the bar staff told us they were too busy so had stopped serving food. We were not the only ones to be turned away. The restaurant was not overly busy nor was the bar or courtyard. Unfortunately this seems to happen alot. No consistency and times displayed on websites and menus don't mean anything. Shame as a nice place.

Didn't eat. Cheaper beer than the Whitstsble oyster Co that's for sure!! Nice pint of stout.

Nice pub, good atmosphere and lovely decor

We stayed at the Duke of Cumberland whitstable for 1 night from the 6th August to the 7th August and we can highly recommend this place. Room was lovely and clean and comfortable and the staff were very friendly and welcoming. Service was excellent. Would definitely recommend to anyone who wants to stay there and we would definitely stay there again.

Rude staff who seem completely uninterested in their customers. Such a shame as used to be a fantastic place to drink but no it has lost its charm.

The food here is always fantastic. It's not cheap but it's worth every penny. Absolutely lovely pub, beautiful inside and the garden is a sun trap with a lovely spacious restaurant area too. The staff are so friendly and helpful too. Hannah has served us many times and she is an absolute delight, always cheerful and friendly and such a lovely person! Cannot fault this pub, absolutely love it and so glad it's my local!

Visited on a trip to Whitstable which we have visited over the years. Despite changes made which were much needed, found the pub to be terribly poorly organised. Staff seemed unhappy and unsure of their duties, layout was poorly executed with far too many tables and chairs in the space and really cheap table decorations which were ridiculous for an establishment charging high end prices. Several basic items not in stock - didn’t even have ketchup when asked to go with my chips. No atmosphere, no music or events to speak of during our stay and was informed they don’t really do that here anymore. Pub has clearly had a lot of investment recently but is not being run well at all and feels like corners are being cut to save money - probably to pay for the refurb!!

Had the crab thermidor, which unfortunately was lacking in flavour also had the squid which the light battered didn't taste like much either, I'd want to try it again the next time I visit still

Nice pub shame the staff do the bare minimum

Came in for a quiet drink. One member of staff on the bar and 8 tables of couples having drinks. Very quiet. I was Totally ignored when I popped to the bar and staff member was busy trying to pour a bottle of beer into a glass. Very poor service with no happy smiles and a feeling of only here cause it’s a job.

Literally had about 30 mins spare to eat before a wedding, asked the guys behind the bar if they could sort out 3 bowls of chips along with some alcohol to wash it down with and they came through despite being extremely busy. Great staff, very service. Would definitely eat and drink there again, although I'd allow myself more time in future.

Booked a room for a couple of days at the Duke of Cumberland. Booked a classic double bedroom. The bedroom was big and really clean and on the top floor with a good view of the high street. Breakfast was delicious and the staff were so friendly and attentive. Will definitely be back very soon.

Nice pub popped in for a pint. Friendly staff. There is plenty of room . Spacious pub for sure. The atmosphere was friendly. Recommended 4 🌟

Stopped here for lunch, shared a seafood platter, without the prawns, and a bottle of Pinot Grigio. The lack of prawns was explained whilst ordering so no issues there and the platter was made up with extra bits and peices. Food and wine we enjoyed, in a very pleasant and relaxed atmosphere with great service. Looks like the DofC has recently been refurbished all done very tastefully and to a high standard. Would definitely recommend.

Lovely food, great service and friendly staff.

Nice pub £15 for a beer & a prosecco

Very pleasantly surprised. Food is fab!

Came for lunch yesterday and had a lovely afternoon in this pub. The waitress, Hannah, recommended the bream and it was delightful. Will definitely be back soon to try another one of their specials!

This has just been very, well refurbished.

Lovely little pub/hotel, we had a few drinks and something to eat, the food was exceptional, definitely recommend.

Beautiful restaurant with a unique decoration. Everything was very neat (including the sanitary facilities). The food was very tasty, the only minor comment was that the staff was very quick, but therefore seemed rushed.

Decent pint and a decent Sunday roast. Great after a nice scenic seaside walk.

Good honest pub food. Good atmosphere in a great location

Just popped in haven’t been in since refurb. Had the full English Breakfast in the Bar which was really good the poached eggs cooked to perfection. Staff really nice . Background music a bit bland . Decor really nice . Needs something to give it character back, although it had really gone down hill before the makeover . But it’s lacking something …

My wife and I, being whom we are, asked the question why a pub called the Duke of Cumberland is in Whitstable. Cumberland and Whitstable are hundreds of miles apart. Over a beer and a wine, with the help of the Internet, we learnt a lot and made the visit to this interesting pub well worth it. We will leave it up to you, dear readers, to do as much exploring on the interweb, as one of Judie Dench's characters calls it, as you wish about one of George II's sons. For Hazel and I, it made that half hour of our lives together on a soggy June Tuesday afternoon in Whitstable memorable. 🤗

Had a great meal two nights running. Staff very friendly and welcoming. Ate in the bar as we had two dogs with us. Good atmosphere and will definitely return.

We had such a lovely breakfast this morning! It was a bank holiday so it was busy, as to be expected, and the main restaurant was fully booked but the staff were more than happy to seat us in the bar area. The coffees were so amazing we drank them quite quickly and were happy sat chatting. Our waitress came over to apologise for the delay on the food (we were expecting a wait anyway as we could see how busy the restaurant was) and offered us a round of complimentary drinks which was a really lovely gesture. When the food came it was also amazing and the constant check-ins from the staff really made our breakfast an enjoyable experience, we'll definitely be back😊

Highly recommend the fish and chips. The haddock was fresh and tasty, the batter was crispy, and it came with a side of home-made mushy peas too.

Really nice place. Very nice well done food with quick service. Was well looked after. Indoor and outdoor space, friendly to dogs. It was only afternoon meal but would definitely go back for some drinks and even consider stay over in future.

Beautiful and spacious place. The kitchen is outstanding, perfectly prepared, delicious and beautifully presented food. We had a child with severe allergies with us - not only did they take great care that no allergens were in the food, they even prepared a special variant that he could eat. Highly recommended!

Nice food but expensive. But great staff.

I can only comment on the beer as that's all we had. For a Shepherd Neame pub I expected both a good selection of Kentish ales and good quality but got neither. Disappointed 😞

Fantastic food, service slow. If more attention was paid by the waitresses we would have spent more on drinks. Our empty glasses stood for ages. The fantastic food made up for this.

A bad start when we were asked to move tables in favour of another customer who had specifically requested the one that we had been given. Air-con blowing cold air at me. Chicken breast with bone sticking out!! was very dry. Brûlée not set. Sea bass not trimmed properly. So what promised to be a lovely meal in a good setting proved to be a great disappointment.

Good service lovely food good choice of drinks children friendly plenty of seating.

Popped in on the off chance for a lunch sat in the dog friendly bar area. Ordered a Sunday roast. Beef was good. Side vegetables in bowl which had been microwaved but fine. cauliflower cheese would have been extra. Yorkshireshad been prepared early and we're a bit tough. Fine for an off the cuff lunch but if I had been looking forward to a roast I think I would have been disappointed. Service was friendly and the refurbishment looked good.

Very nice indeed. Lovely staff and good food. Comfortable and nice atmosphere.

Friday evening, service very friendly, prosecco amazing! Recently refit,nice furnishings.

Great discovery for me... lunch with a friend who is local... excellent... fish and chips were outstanding... staff friendly and welcoming... thank-you

This pud/restaurant is a hidden gem From outside I was expecting a nice pub What a treat! Great service Beautiful decor And the best food we have had in a very long time Can not recommend enough

Menu since a previous visit has been completely changed...appalled that it was virtually all fish (even the salad and pasta no good for vegetarian/vegan!) or else had loads of nuts (so no go for nut allergies). As local unless things change, won't be returning....

Had a really lovely roast on Easter Sunday, food was delicious, friendly staff good service, dog friendly (in bar area), nice relaxed atmosphere, will definitely be going back - thank you

Came here for my birthday as they have spent a lot of money on doing up the pub and it is very well done . We had a very nice meal in the restaurant fish and chips and burger and chips and they were both very nice. The waitress Rosie was very good and she provided good service the puddings where very good along with cocktails and beer a great pub and will be back again also the price was good everything as good a nice pub

Great food and customer service. We had Pork belly. Crackling was amazing and great flavour in meat. Highly recommend sea bream. Cooked to perfection and sauce worked really well with it. Fish and chips was great portion and flavour.

All around pleasure to visit this perfect 10/10 gastro pub. The food was the best I have ever had at a venue like this. The staff and service were impeccable and the food was excellent. The whole atmosphere was fantastic. Well done the whole team. Will be making this a regular spot.