The East Kent Restaurant in Canterbury

Excellent value weekday lunch for two. Good quality food and local draft beers

Excellent meals, service a bit slow for a Wednesday evening but overall good

Best roast dinner in Whitstable by a country mile, so glad to have them back after the summer break. The meat is always great as you would expect but what sets this roast apart from all the rest is the roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese and wonderfully generous and silky gravy. All about the quality of ingredients and the quality in the execution.

Super, Great Pub with good food

What a great place for a meal. Food was fantastic. Atmosphere great and the staff really friendly.

My partner, doggy and I had a lovely afternoon in the EK. Staff were really lovely. Food was delicious but I did feel it was overpriced. We will return on our next visit.

Nice pub on the run in to Whitstable.

✨Gorgeous . Ordered 3 pizzas and for the price totally worth it. Generous serving and delicious dip, delivered in good time 👍🏻

Best Pizza I have eaten for a very long time. Burgers v good too. Very varied menu wish I lived closer.

Had a lunchtime light meal masala mackerel on flat bread absolutely delicious.

I stayed in Whitstable and had found this pub online and then a friend had also recommended it as being worth visiting. So glad we knew about it and gave it a try. Lived up to expectations. We came on Sat evening (had to book) a group of 6 adults. Food was brilliant and staff really nice. Then 4 of the group returned on Wed evening (as 2 had gone home) and took advantage of the pizza deal. It again lived up to previous visit. Highly recommend to anyone in or near Whitstable. Will return when in area.

Nice little pub, beer garden could do with extending, maybe use the driveway section that appears pointlessly unused.

It's a Shepherd Neame pub. Enough said

The food is really good, we had the Aussie burger and chips. Staff are really friendly and check on you regularly to see if you’re ok and want anymore drinks ( which I like) . The outside area is really nice, and the pub inside is really clean. Highly recommended.

Lovely pub with cute garden space with a shelter. Popped in for a drink with our dog and received a warm welcome. Recommend visiting when in the area.

A group of us dined here. Good food, well appointed, staff helpful. Would go there again.

NOT FAMILY FRIENDLY AS ADVERTISED! The staff do not want any kids at the restaurant even though they advertise family friendly. Once arrived with 6 kids and 12 adults after booking a table for 18 people earlier in the day they made it very clear we wasn’t wanted and made up excuses they doubled booked tables and said we had to leave. Very upset kids and can’t believe the attitude of the staff towards children never seen it anywhere before. DISGUSTING.

What can I say. Went in spoke to a guy discussed what would work best for us he suggested we booked 2 tables 1 for 11 adults. Separate table 7 children paid £50 deposit. When we got there they said there had been a miscommunication between the staff. No table for the children. They actually suggested the children sit inside out of the view of their parents! They couldn’t offer a solution. When I said I would post on social media the owners response was THIS IS NOT THE PUB FOR YOU and refused to serve us. Very unprofessional she needs to train her staff to communicate on their bookings. Thought she may have ruined our night but no half went to the Weatherspoons and 7 went to the Duke of Cumberland and I have to say the food and the service was wonderful. If I could give one bit of advice it would be avoid the East Kent as we heard other customers complaining too

Rude young arrogant staff, which clearly stems from the manager of this place. Food massively overpriced for what it is and not as described on the menu. If you love eating kangaroo order the Aussie burger, just be warned it doesn’t mention this on the menu

What can I say. Went in spoke to a guy discussed what would work best for us he suggested we booked 2 tables 1 for 11 adults. Separate table 7 children paid £50 deposit. When we got there they said there had been a miscommunication between the staff. No table for the children. They actually suggested the children sit inside out of the view of their parents! They couldn’t offer a solution. When I said I would post on social media the owners response was THIS IS NOT THE PUB FOR YOU and refused to serve us. Very unprofessional she needs to train her staff to communicate on their bookings. Thought she may have ruined our night but no half went to the Weatherspoons and 7 went to the Duke of Cumberland and I have to say the food and the service was wonderful. If I could give one bit of advice it would be avoid the East Kent as we heard other customers complaining too

Really tasty pizzas but small in size.

What an amazing pub and food.. lamb burger amazing and extensive food menu. Also lovely pint of San Miguel. Lovely polite stuff.

Spent a lovely relaxed evening tonight with 4 children which isn't always easy! The staff are really welcoming and even when they're busy we feel well looked after. We all eat different things and the menu allows everyone to be happy which is a win. Can't recommend enough!

An attractive and well presented traditional pub. Immaculate interior and exterior spaces to meet, drink and dine with friends. Recommended.

Absolutely lovely. Great food, great service, great atmosphere. We went for my sons 18th birthday and had a brilliant meal. Excellent!

Sneaky pizza night with a cocktail and on a Wednesday. Thanks Chris for a lovely pizza. Great pub and lovely staff.

Great food and I mean REALLY great food, served by very friendly, attentive staff who showed real passion for everything! I popped my head into the kitchen before we left to thank the lady chef to say a big thank you! We ate there twice the 5 nights of our holiday in Whitstable and both times it was just great! Our dog was treated like a princess, the mains and desserts were simply outstanding and the food was just exceptional!! Go try it!! 😀

My family had a fantastic experience at the East Kent. The food and service have improved so much since I last ate here a year ago. Well done!

Compliments to the chef. The roast dinner of lamb was excellent. Mussels where also excellent.

Lovely food, definitely recommend except they were out of a few dishes.

Very nice but service was slow, at one point literally no one was present, Another customers dog whining that the staff ignored despite other customers complaing.

One of our favourite days is walking to Whitstable from Herne Bay with our dogs and stopping for a drink and something to eat in the East Kent. This is by far the best pub in Whitstable and they do the best fish pie I have ever had! But recently went in to the pub and they had stopped doing the fish pie :-( Its only a temporary change apparently and it will return! As always the staff there are amazing and I cannot thank Natalie enough for writing down the recipe and having the time to come out and go through it with us. Such, a nice touch and really appreciated. Thank you Natalie and the team. We will be back soon!

Food Good Quantity Good Clean & tidy Food came out nice and quick (albeit a quite Sunday evening) Whitstable it self very nice Sorry about the picture, I was starving and had already finished the fries

DONT ORDER TAKEAWAY! I ordered and paid and nothing arrived and the manager of the pub didn’t care at all. Said can’t contact the driver and didn’t care. It was my local. Usually love going there. But not sure I’ll want to go again with this rubbish service and lack of care

Great pizza, quickly delivered.

Fairly prompt , and polite service....food was amazing and a generous portion. Clean and pleasant atmosphere. Will definitely be going there again 😀 .

Finally made it back to this large pub in Whitstable for food. Been meaning to for ages. Pub is at the top of the Main Street, towards the railway line end. Double fronted, it is probably the most conveniently located for the station if you fancy a pre-train beer. (5 minutes walk) Inside pub offers large dining area and bar, with small cocktail bar. Real treat is the large, partially covered, garden to the rear which has a separate pizza kitchen. Service was quick and efficient - sat in the garden on this occasion. Many patios heaters but they weren’t on. The beer was Singha. Thai beer for the people of Kent. A decent pint. Expansive food menu, with a good range of classics, Asian inspired dishes and pizzas. Much to choose from. The bao buns with pork were superb; they have much to commend them. The lamb burger, to follow, was even better. Beautiful pulled lamb with halloumi and slaw. Absolutely fantastic. Definitely order the lamb burger. There was a two person sharer on the menu with pulled lamb as well. Will have that one day. Overall, two paws up. Just don’t exit via the side gate.

Came here to celebrate a birthday.. Fabulous food and friendly staff. Some stuff not on but that just shows how fresh everything is. Loving the Aussie/Asian/British fusion.

Exceptional pub food. Lovely service in a cosy pub in winter and a gorgeous summer. Our go to local.

Great Pub ,Always good service,Food is fresh, tasty, and value for money. Nice atmosphere in the evenings.

Lovely pub , lovely food , lovely staff. Visited 3 times during a 4 night stay in Whitstable!

Best linguine I have ever had. Brilliant staff. Felt very looked after. Dog very welcome with lovely treats. Will definitely recommend

Amazing evening at the East Kent, came here for dinner for my nans birthday the other day, lovely service with quick efficiency, food was amazing, (the fish and chips were the best in whitstable) service was brilliant and just can’t get over the food!! Coming back soon for sure! Makes sure you pop in here if you’re in whitstable, with a massive beer garden it’s a proper hidden gem! Don’t miss out

Best meal in whitstable for a long time, took my Nan here for her birthday and the service an food was amazing these people know their stuff, fast service with a great deal of efficiency, also dog friendly which is a massive plus as well as their massive beer garden which I can imagine gets packed in the summer, can’t wait to come back!

Always great food at good prices

What a find this pub was! We walked in to a warm welcome from the staff. We only intended to have a drink however we were offered the menu to look at and the smells coming from the kitchen we couldn't resist. We had a fantastic pizza which was made from a Wood Fire oven the best my partner has had. The Fish Tacos and Garlic Prawns were amazing, fresh and full of flavour. The pub in itself was very clean and to top it off they had a beautiful garden which we can't wait to get back to in the summer with the dog. Highly recommended!

Horrible customer service and the food made me sick. I ordered the cod and chips as I love cod (usually) I was looking forward to this meal. After taking two bites from it, it was soggy, slimey, and like no cod I’ve ever had before. I did not eat it anymore. I have never complained about a meal before so I was debating if I should even say anything as I felt awkward. When asking for the bill, my partner spoke up for me addressing to the waitress that I wasn’t happy with my food and would like it to be taken off the bill. She asked me in a hostile way “why didn’t you say anything earlier?!” Already feeling awkward, I explained I didn’t know if I wanted to complain or not, and that everything else was perfect but the cod was not up to my expectations. She refused to take the cod off the bill and made me feel very upset and emotional over her response. Hours after eating at this place I was vomiting. There was clearly something wrong with my food and the waitress was HORRIBLE. Do not go here unless you want to get sick and be spoken to with no respect!!

Horrible experience. As someone who is an avid fish lover. I expected the Cod to at least taste good. I told the waitress that I did not enjoy the Cod and asked nicely for it to be taken off the bill. She then asked me in a hostile way “why didn’t you say anything when I first came over??” Feeling already awkward in the moment, as I don’t usually ask for things to be taken off the bill, I told her I just felt a bit shy in the moment. She was extremely rude and disrespectful. I will never go to this place again and I recommend no one else to aswell.

Food was nice but the price was too high for what was something I could cook myself from my freezer. Staff were pleasant and place itself is nice

Nice shepherd neam pub polite staff good beer

Often visit this Pub for food and drink. Also one of the only Pubs in Whitstable that serves food until late on a Sunday evening, which is brilliant! Great selection of food, and fantastic results 👌 Excellent staff who really work hard and provide outstanding service!

Delivered quickly and tasty pizzas, could have been cut into more slices though but that's more my preference to have smaller slices :)

Friendly staff, lovely food, dog friendly

Absolutely dreadful service, awful food, and a terrible atmosphere. Ingredients not listed on menu, and food not fully cooked. Overall a horrible experience, avoid like the plague! It’s a shame there’s not an option to give 0 stars.

Best Sunday Roast in Kent! We had such a fabulous time at the East Kent. The food was absolutely delicious and the staff were so lovely, polite and attentive. Highly recommend!

Food is excellent and great size portions. The staff are very nice, helpful and welcoming. Decor a little austere. Recommend

Very friendly Stuff, we are going in with 2 dogs without any problem and sitting in the garden.Water for the dogs been provided....exellent 10 oz Steak, exellent fresh made Pizza. Cold good Guinness and Cider.Go again there next days..(sorry for gramma...i am german).

I am a local, and East Kent used to feel like a local. No longer. Like many Shepherd Neame pubs, it's been poshed up. More like a restaurant now than a pub; the food is decent, however, and service is good. Miss the old dive it once was, though. But that's Whitstable: everything has been gentrified, with an eye on visitors.

We were in Whitstable for 7 days in October 2023 and visited East Kent on five of the days with several for dinner and one for drinks only. The staff including Andrew (owner) Mollie and others were a pleasure to meet and greatly enjoyed crab profiteroles, pork bao buns, pizza with Italian sausage (best I have had in the uk since coming from Chicago over 20 years ago) and the cheesy bacon fries. There were four of us with 3 small dogs. The hospitality and personalities were super and immensely appreciated. From Mary OF from west London - our little Amigo was Daisy O’Donnell

Nice pub the only thing I would say is the decoration makes it feel cold not literally but in look. I did not eat so cannot comment on the food.

Had a great vegan pizza here, olives, artichokes, capers; the best. Dog friendly and Neck Oil on tap

The worst customer service I think we have received at this pub and when we highlighted it to management they were just as rude as if to say how dare you complain. Avoid, there are better places to go

On arrival a very friendly welcome, as they were not busy then, we ordered drinks while we waiting for friends to arrive. We were served by a friendly waiter, it went wrong after the food arrived. Then a waitress brought some bread over to the table, but knocked over a glass of wine which landed in my bowl of chips, she did apologise, that was it , no offer to replace the chips or the wine, not good. I then went inside to complain about the wine not being replaced, I was told it would be, s few minutes later the waitress slammed a tumbler of on table and walked away with no comment, this experience spoiled the visit for all us, very disappointing.

This is the main foodie castro pub in Whitstable... with the added benefit that it's run by a lovely couple who have employed the sweetest bar manager (with a fabulous moustache!) From pizzas to cocktails, they get everything right. They also have a massive outdoor seating area out the back with outdoor heaters when needed.

Brilliant food, added bonus of being dog friendly too. Friendly and efficient service, we had a lamb burger and a steak, very tasty, and the pizzas looked very tempting, so these will be definitely be tried on our next visit .

We were here for a group lunch and we all thoroughly enjoyed our main meal. We had all pre booked our meals and paid a deposit, but when it came to desserts we were told that we could only have ice cream or sorbet and could not have any choice from the main menu. To put it mildly we were amazed and upset that if we had come in as couples we could have chosen from the main menu it beggars belief.

Ages for food Ages for drink Toilet all night

Very nice pub. Excellent undercover outdoor area. Very friendly staff. Good choice of beer and wine. Very nice woodfired pizza

Good sized portions, friendly staff, and great drinks! Outside area is beautiful!

Here on holiday and the owners of the property we are staying in recommend we try this place. After our starter my husband and I said we would definitely come back as the food and atmosphere were lovely. Unfortunately our mains did not arrive and our starters were not cleared away. We waited ages and eventually I politely asked how long the mains would be as we had young children getting impatient. The waitress was really rude about it and we received no apology for our mains being forgotten and taking over an hour to arrive. We were nothing but polite about it so I was really surprised at the response. In any other restaurant with even average customer service an apology and discount would have been offered. I had to rush my main as the kids had lost all patience by this point. Such a shame as the food and ambience was lovely as were the other staff members. Won’t be returning sadly but perhaps with a different server our experience would have been much better.

Came here for a birthday meal food was so delicious menu had a good choice of food beautiful restaurant lovely atmosphere & great service look forward to coming back

Friendly staff. Excellent menu. Dog friendly. Great terrace at the back. Would definitely return when next in Whitstable.

Well after reading about nugget-gate” below you start to wonder who was right, who was wrong? 4 of us just been. Really friendly, efficient staff. Food (didn’t order nuggets lol) was excellent. Fish bake, Aussie burger and meze for 2 all presented well and tasted as good as they looked. So overall I think the drama queen involved in the nugget gate was the one in the wrong! Highly recommend this place.

oooh the pizzas! and a wonderful choice of cocktails. no wonder this lovely pub is popular with locals and visitors alike

We visited on a Friday evening in a group of 12 for dinner. The food was delicious and the service was excellent. A nice, varied menu too. There is a nice outdoor area for drinks. We would definitely go back.

Absolutely delicious food and great hosts, although a bit of a wait, but that's because it is so popular. Wish this restaurant was closer to home ! The biscoffe cheesecake is scrumptious !!!!

A really brilliant pub with outstanding staff. The pork boa and lamb burger are exceptional.

We were recommended this gastro pub by our AirBnB owner and we were not disappointed. The menu was extensive and the food superb. The staff were extremely friendly and the fact that we called in 45 mins before the kitchen closed was no problem. Would definitely go back.

Huge garden in the back that’s heated in the winter and has plenty of shade for the summer sun. The fish tacos, vegitariana pizza, babaganoush, lamb burger, and tempura fish burger are some of our faves. Great place to bring your dog along!

Fantastic staff great food, great atmosphere. Outdoors area is lovely and even useable in slightly colder weather due to the shelter and heaters. Just overall great place for food or just drinks

My good friend and I were sent here as guinea pigs by his partner. She had heard good things. It was busy, but the service was good and the staff were friendly. I opted for Fish and Chips.. and to my horror they were French fries (to be fair it was stated on the menu). But honestly, Battered Fish should be served with chips. That was the only minus point for me. For dessert, my friend ordered the cheesecake, which looked fantastic. I went for the Apple Flan, whilst not as impressive looking was very tasty. I will be visiting again, but I have my eye on their slow cooked lamb for two!

AWFUL! SHOCKING CUSTOMER SERVICE! In all our lives, my wife and I have never experienced what we endured from the young staff in the East Kent in Whitstable tonight at 6/7pm. We left shaken and enraged. We were out with our daughter, her friend and three grandchildren and spent close to £200 in a couple of hours on food and drinks, but due to a mistake by the waitress over a £6 plate of chicken nuggets that we didn't order, were very quickly bullied by several members of staff (including the chef!) and then threatened with the police being called if we didn't agree to pay for them. Incredible, disgusting and of course, it completely ruined what should have been a lovely family meal that instead had descended into an insane confrontation and battle. I have never known a company so aggressive in its pursuit of its customer's money and of course am determined to never return to what was once a familiar and admired local pub/restaurant. Even when we requested a manager we were told none was available and we were forced to continue to negotiate with little more than front of house kids who seemed to be trained like attack dogs to get the chicken nuggets added to the bill. We will never forget it, for all the wrong reasons, and I am obliged to share the experience with anyone who cares to read. DON'T GO HERE, spend your money in any of the other deserving, professional eateries in town like A La Turka or Birdies, or the Thai restaurant or... anywhere... The worst of all is I know the manager, and the Aussie couple that now run it from afar, and tried to explain that we were not just passing through 'nightmare clients' but locals who had no intention of duping staff etc and happy to spend well, but not for things we did not order. The kids running the place didn't, care what we said, the attack just continued with yet another of them emerging from another door to aggressively press their case. The grandkids became upset and the atmosphere died. It was only when I said we would definitely not pay but would pay what was fair and right only thus making it a civil matter - not a police one - so in fact the police would not attend in this instance, was Dillon, the manager finally brought in to call off the hounds and resolve things. SHAME ON THIS PUB FOR RUINING OUR RARE FAMILY MEAL TOGETHER - all for a plate of nuggets worth £6 and probably costing a fraction of that to them.They lose a customer, a family of customers, and if this review counts for anything perhaps more too. The meal part (excluding the two rounds of dinks we had before then - each approx £25) totalled £131. The nuggets would have been less than 5% of the final bill, likely to have been a third of the tip we, of course, never gave them!

In all our lives, my wife and I have never experienced what we endured from the young staff in the East Kent in Whitstable tonight at 6/7pm. We left shaken and enraged. We were out with our daughter, her friend and three grandchildren and spent close to £200 in a couple of hours on food and drinks, but due to a mistake by the waitress over a £6 plate of chicken nuggets that we didn't order, were very quickly bullied by several members of staff (including the chef!) and then threatened with the police being called if we didn't agree to pay for them. Incredible, disgusting and of course it completely ruined what should have been a lovely family meal that instead had descended into an insane confrontation and battle. I have never known a company so aggressive in its pursuit of its customer's money and of course am determined to never return to what was once a familiar and admired local pub/restaurant. Even when we requested a manager we were told none was available and we were forced to continue to negotiate with little more than front of house kids who seemed to be trained like attack dogs to get the chicken nuggets added to the bill. We will never forget it, for all the wrong reasons, and I am obliged to share the experience with anyone who cares to read. DON'T GO HERE, spend your money in any of the other deserving, professional eateries in town. The worst of all is I know the manager, and the Aussie couple that now run it from afar and tried to explain that we were not just passing through 'nightmare clients' but locals who had no intention of duping staff etc and happy to spend well, but not for things we did not order. The kids running the place didn't care what we said, the attack just continued with yet another of them emerging from another door to aggressively press their case. It was only when I said we would pay for what we ate and no more and this would be a civil matter not a police one so in fact the police would not attend, was Dillon, the manager finally brought in to call off the hounds and resolve things. SHAME ON THIS PUB FOR RUINING OUR RARE FAMILY MEAL TOGETHER - all for a plate of nuggets worth £6 and probably costing a fraction of that to them. They lose a customer, a family of customers, and if this review counts for anything perhaps more too. The meal part (excluding the two rounds of dinks we had before then - each approx £25) totalled £131. The nuggets would have been less than 5% of the final bill, likely to have been a third of the tip we, of course, never gave them!

I made a trip here on a Saturday evening for a drink with my family who live in the area. The staff were very polite and friendly, the pub has a great atmosphere. Would definitely recommend.

Very friendly staff, food was good with excellent service too. Went a couple of times during a mini break down in Whitstable, will definitely pop in when next in the area.

I like the pub and it has a great beer garden, the staff are friendly and helpful. I don't know if it was because of table service but we paid three and a half more pounds for the same drinks as we had in a pub down the road.

Exceptional experience at the East Kent pub. The food in particular was outstanding.

Delicious food, friendly staff and cozy place. Highly recommend.

What a lovely experience. Staff super friendly. Pizza was great. Really recommend 🥳

Never been here before, and just called in for a birthday drink with my daughter, was very pleasantly surprised and will sure to visit again for drink and food next time.

Great menu. Lots of options. Cauliflower Tempura excellent. Friendly service. We'll be back!

We booked into this pub restaurant for a family birthday. In short...I highly recommend. VISUALLY - Turning up outside, it was unassuming. Inside, I noticed the Australian flag above the bar but this doesn't seem to have become the defining factor of how they've dressed the inside... just has a modern pub restaurant with a cosy feel. STAFF - Very friendly, polite and helpful staff throughout our visit. FOOD - Reading the menu on our way down to Kent, I was already expecting it to be delicious...I was not one bit disappointed. There was a lot of choice on the menu and if you're looking for vegan or vegetarian I recommend the shroomin cheese burger and avacado tostadas. So good....I could go for round 2 this morning! VALUE - Very reasonable. No issues in this respect. If you find yourself in Whitstable, Kent, this is a worthwhile visit. A short walk to the railway station if you're heading that way. Wondering if we should go for breakfast there...🙏

The pub was was very nice. Decor and cleanliness top notch. The garden looked recently done with a conservatory style covered eating area. We loved the fact that it was dog friendly as most of whitstable seems to be. The food was average to be honest but priced quite high. I asked for a side of vegetables with my pie and chips (which I thought was reasonable) but was told no veg at all on the menu or even in the kitchen. In summary, a nice venue with tourist pricing for sure.

Great place and good food. Service was brilliant.

Lovely place, food was amazing and the staff were excellent.

Good food & good selection of drink,nice size garden perfect for for the summer months

We stopped here for a pint on our way out, the sun was out so we sat in the garden area, very friendly staff who do table service for your drinks! Great choice of lagers and my wife had a bloody Mary which she said was fantastic! Dog friendly, great atmosphere and a lovely little pub. Food looked lovely so will deffo be going back to try it,a Worth a stop off if in Whitstable!

Poor service, poor beer selection (this is supposed to be a pub), food ok but quite plain and boring and very expensive for what it was. You know it's not a great place when you suggest half way through dinner that we go somewhere else for a drink afterwards. A good place would make you want to stay Disappointed!

Whilst the beer and food was nice if a little expensive I thought it was sad that they didn't put the garden heating on even though they advertise it. It was a cold day in April and other people were also asking for the heating...

One of the best steaks I have had in years. Really nice place inside, great garden and staff were perfect