The Harbour Inn in Shepway

We didn't book as we were concerned about some of the negative reviews on Trip Advisor so just went in on Saturday lunchtime and found a table. It was busy as it was the Bank Holiday weekend but I am so glad we went in. The bar was lovely and despite being busy didn't feel crowded. We ordered at the bar and the food came quickly. It was all really good, we had the fish and chips, a pie and a scotch egg. My parents had the fish and chips and said it was the best they had in a long time (you do not realise what high praise this is :) ) The pie was amazing all food was hot and fresh. We also had the Bread Pudding for dessert and whilst it took at bit of time to come we were happy to wait. When it did arrive it was delicious and a great choice. I am writing this review because all the food we saw came out quickly and looked amazing so it is a shame if this is not everyone's experience but we will be back.

Had such a lovely amazing meal and such lovely staff especially Kian so helpful and friendly. Will definitely be back thanks so much.

Went there for lunch the service was great and very friendly. The menu had a great variety .. The food we ordered was very good and cooked fresh. Will be using be going back again

Popped in for lunch. What a treat, great tasting food. Thanks

Seriously good food, nice draft beers and super friendly personnel.

Popped in for a drink then decided we would order some food as the plates coming out looked lovely, orded the pork roast and a lamb rump. After a short time the lamb arrived and we asked where other meal was and was told they would check, My wife went to the bar to ask about other meal they said its on the way, after 15 minutes pork roast arrived, I said to the server that my lamb was now cold as I had waited she said they could take it back and warm it up I then said but them my wife's meal will be cold while it's being done and we did order 2 meals to eat together not watch each other eat separate meals. Server said meals came through on different tickets we decided not to eat and asked to take meals away, I went to the bar to the person that served me and asked for a refund where he just said I will get Tom, Tom arrived asked where we were sitting typed in a mount on card reader said sorry about that with little effort and no explanation. Not a good experience.

Came here expecting a relaxed meal and left completely frustrated. We ordered oysters, yes, oysters, the kind that don’t require any cooking, just shucking and plating. Somehow, that still took over an hour to arrive. After waiting far too long, we had to go up and chase the staff for an update. No apology, no explanation. When the oysters finally turned up, they were average at best and definitely not worth the wait.

This place is the nicest pub, I just loved the decor, the atmosphere, the ambience and the food! Location is perfect too, in between the beach and the shops! Had Sunday roast, it was very good!

What luck to visit The Harbour Inn when we needed to find somewhere for supper. Quite the best plaice, my partner had bream, I have eaten for a long time. The bream was also delicious. Good vegetables too. Would definitely go back if we didn’t live so far away. Friendly staff.

Lovely position by the harbour arm. Regularly eat here and would recommend it. Does get busy and service then suffers with food not always piping hot. However ambiance and convenience makes it worthwhile

Very disappointed this time, have previously had great meals here. Wasn't informed that the 'starters' would arrive with the mains, as otherwise I wouldn't have bothered. As it was, the whitebait was all but inedible. I had the whole sea bass. The fish itself was excellent. But what was supposed to be kale and samphire cooked with butter was mostly broccoli, with a touch of kale and a couple of strands of samphire. All the chips were soggy and my companions were not happy with their meals either. I had a pint of bitter, which was nice, but served in a bowl glass and was a short measure. Not likely to visit again.

As a regular visitor on a weekly basic, we have always enjoyed fantastic food. On our Yesterday both our meals were very poor standard. The muscles were not to usual standard, No flavour, lots main ingredients missing ie celery, chilli, sausage and re heated chips. Also, chilli nacho were soggy and tasteless not worth £15. When mentioned to the waitress we were told “well I don’t know, would you like me to take it away” however after waiting over half hour for the food wasn’t happy to wait. Very very disappointing and will not be returning for a while.

Premium price for bad food and service. I have eaten here previously and the service and food have both been impressive. Super disappointed this time. Was practically ignored the entire time there. The prices are at least 20% higher. The food was not average, it was really poor. Anything battered such as Calamari, white baite was soggy and not edible. All the chips were soggy. Paying £17-25 for a main and £10 for a starter and the food not actually being edible is not acceptable. Shame as this use to be a great place, but will look elsewhere where in Folkstone for now on.

Awful experience. Food took over 1.5 hours to turn up and when it did the food was incorrect. Manager was rude when challenging the bill and accused us of being in the wrong and hearing “different stories”. I ordered the most expensive fish ‘catch of the day’ and it was as dry as I anything I have ever had. Do not visit - go to Marley’s next door instead.

Excellent food, friendly staff, good value. Ask about the desserts (not on the printed menu) - boozy eton mess and chocolate fondant were very good!

Enormous helpings of Sunday roast chicken. Very tasty apart from the floury potatoes and the Yorkshire pudding being a little too well done. It was also not piping hot after a long wait for delivery.

It’s one thing to allow dogs in here, but to let them sit on the seating areas where humans are supposed to sit is absolutely disgusting.

Fantastic food and very reasonably priced :)

We went to the restaurant on the left side that uses to be London and Paris. Drinks took over half an hour to come with missing items we had to go to the bar to get, food took over an hour to come and when we chased it the waitresses were impatient and asked us to 'bear with her' with some attitude and not apologetic at all. I paid £20 for 2 pieces of fish the size of mussels with 10 black eye peas and very bland sauce. There were only about 4 tables and I heard other tables complaining the wait as well. Plus it wasnt very nice that there was dog poo by the door when we walked into the pub. One of the worse food experience in Folkestone and from other reviews it seems that's the norm now.

This meal was disappointing and not fitting at all for a seaside town. The fries were clearly made from frozen potatoes, which is unacceptable. The fish was far too soft and lacked any crispiness—it should have been fried properly.

Great greasy local fish with a choice of veg, potatoes and sauce. Everything great, waitress chewing gum but service ok. Only down was that potatoes were hard, chips were perfectas was salad

A lovely place to stop for a drink!

Very nice pub. We enjoyed a pint there.

Excellent pie and sticky toffee pudding.

Nice and welcoming staff Food was great. Would recommend anyone.

Gorgeous pub by the sea. Amazing roast lunch and fabulously friendly staff. The fire place was 👌 Thank you for a wonderful afternoon!

This is my preferred venue for a roast on Sundays. It gets busy, and for good reason. The staff are always friendly and accommodating, the food always great, the ambience cosy and rustic. With the recent new chef comes an improvement in quality and presentation of food. Highly recommended

Best mussels I've had in a long time! Live music and a great atmosphere! Can't wait to return! 5*****

Terrible Service and a Ruined Evening While visiting Folkestone, my boyfriend and I wanted to take a break from the noisy London and simply enjoy our evening. Without spending time searching for restaurants with good reviews, we decided to enter the nearest one. As it turned out, this was a huge mistake. For the first five minutes after we walked in, we were completely ignored until the third waitress (or maybe a manager, I’m not sure) finally acknowledged us and allowed us to sit. We asked for a table upstairs since the ground floor was quite noisy. The second floor was completely empty, meaning the restaurant’s total occupancy did not exceed 50%. Payment in this establishment must be made in advance at the bar. We immediately ordered oysters and calamari – simple starters that are prepared quickly. The prices are on par with high-end restaurants, but the food quality and service are absolutely not worth it. After paying, we went upstairs and started waiting. After 30 minutes, my boyfriend went downstairs to check on our order. We were told to wait. We waited another 15 minutes – still nothing. When I saw a waitress passing by, I politely but visibly frustrated asked about our order. Instead of apologizing or clarifying the situation, another waitress approached and, instead of addressing the issue, asked my boyfriend if I had been arguing with the staff. This is absolutely absurd. Had we not paid in advance, we would have left for another restaurant that actually respects its customers. However, after my question, our food miraculously appeared within 5 minutes. It was literally thrown onto the table without cutlery or napkins. I asked the waiter to bring utensils because the oysters were uncleaned and required proper tools – but we were ignored. We never received any forks or napkins. In the end, my boyfriend had to go downstairs and grab teaspoons because that was the only thing available. I had to search for napkins myself because no one even bothered to check on us. As for the food: the calamari were dry and cold, and the oysters were poorly cleaned. We order oysters frequently at different places, and I can confidently say these were the worst I have ever had. This was an absolutely horrible experience, and I have no idea how this place is still in business. The owners should seriously reconsider their service standards and fire the staff who treat customers this way.

Great fresh fish menu, nice decor. A point to note, there is nothing small about their small plates, I ordered 6 between two of us, should've ordered 3! Quite reasonable.

Cozy atmosphere perfect for a drink, generous portions but the two dishes we had (chicken and fried shrimp) were mediocre apart from the very good pea and mint puree and the sauce. Too expensive for this quality.

Ww just loved this pub, the use of old chairs and anything to do with the sea. We had the Sunday roast and loved it. Very large Yorkshire puddings.

Really good food at a reasonable price. Fish & chips is to die for.

Lovely pub and vibe staff where really helpful and took our order Food took some time to arrive and when it did you could not fault the amount which we only left due to been so much I know it has had some bad write ups but sadly do not agree Just seem to have to wait long time for food but cannot fault the pub itself

Nice pub good beer food and service 👌

A wonderful place to dine, all staff are very friendly and helpful. Food, the Lamb, was stunning and the burgers were very filling. The atmosphere is very busy with lots to look at and a warming fire is always a welcome when coming in from the cold.

Food was ok. A bit slow but it was very busy.

My friend ordered steak and ale pie. No mention of mushrooms which he is allergic to. When mentioned to a member of staff we got a tutt and a roll of the eyes!! No apology or offer of something else to eat. I had to ask for a refund. Not impressed at all and will not be eating there again. I had the chicken burger at £18 - very small and unimpressive

We’ve eaten here many times and so, returned today for lunch. Whats happened? It was awful. Service, slow. Perhaps because, despite the number of staff, there’s no room behind the bar. Only two taking orders (food and drinks) at a busy time. Not helped by having to be rung up and paid for at each individual transaction. Food, poor. All were served on cold plates. Cutlery for two, at a table for four! We were three. Chips were cold before we even started! We all left most. Mushy peas served in a stone cold stainless steel gravy boat, cold mush is the only description. Burger, dry as dust. Now, simply, it’s the small things. Serve hot food hot! Cook a burger nicely, it’s the most basic “pub dish” how can that be hard? And it’s not cheap! I’m not paying upper prices for low quality. Sad!

We have visited a good few times and have always found the food and service great. Unfortunately the same can't be said for this time. One of our party wanted the skate that was on the chalk board in the bar, and we were advised we could not order this as it is a different menu in the bar. However, when ordering the fish pie, we were advised that as it is on the bar menu there may not be any left. The starters were fine, but then things went downhill. The mains however took a very long time to come, and the steak pie was delicious, though could have been warmer. Two of the fish pies turned up, but the third took another twenty mins or so. There was a distinct lack of fish in the fish pies, however there was an awful lot of bacon in it, and the sauce was quite runny. The service was not great either, and even as we walked out the waitresses were just having a private joke and didn't even say bye or thank you as we left. We would definitely think twice before returning.

Very disappointed. Came for a special occasion. Set menu wasn't on although was in book given to us. There were 3 of us 1st meal came after 1 hour, fish n chips tartar sauce was tasteless, batter was overcooked , some time later other 2 meals turned up. Fish pie had no fish in it, but lumps of bacon and lots of sweetcorn. Loin of cod with clams didn't have the clams. Time was getting on so my friend just had some chips. The wine was nice 😊 the waitress was apologetic. Obviously we didn't pay for the fishless pie, and did get a further 20% off. But our lunch date was ruined. Wouldn't go back in a hurry.

Nice and cosy place but nearly 40min for 6 oysters.. and no apology? But they where nice

Went to The Harbour Inn on Saturday night, just wanted to give a shout out to the people working on Saturday - service was on point and the atmosphere was so welcoming :) we really enjoyed our evening. Food was excellent I recommend the monkfish. I’ve been at The Harbour inn before and I recommend stopping by if you can, cheeky pint or for dinner :)

Badly cooked disappointing has really gone down hill.

Not sure what the problem was this evening, we have eaten here before, but sadly this evening’s meal had its problems. We ate in the restaurant and the choice was good. However after we had ordered we had to keep asking for things, e.g. the oil and balsamic which was supposed to arrive with the focaccia. Our glasses of wine were good. Two had boeuf bourguignon, which looked lovely but the beef was very tough and I had the monkfish which was good. We ordered two sticky toffee puddings which took along time to arrive and we were told they had been overcooked and they had to start again. When mine arrived it was lukewarm warm. So we won’t return.

Amazing Sunday roast, big portion and lovely atmosphere

Had so much expectation coming here reading the reviews but were disappointed as soon as we sat down. Maybe it was the lack of staff? It took ages for us to be served and then over 1 hour for just 2 dishes to arrive. Seriously? 1 hour? Did the chef fell asleep or something? Ok so finally, after much waiting, time to dig in. Looks delicious but omg, greasy, cold and rubbery food and no apologies for the delay. Felt like more of a hassle to them for us ordering. talking to some of the other tables, it seems this is the norm.

Wonderful pub, lovely food but wish the fire had been going as it's a bit cold tonight, have to have more alcohol 🤣

The seafood linguine was absolutely delicious and set the food bar high - the sticky toffee pudding raised it even higher!! OMG, you will not be disappointed eating (and drinking!) in the Harbour Inn - all of the staff are really good fun and friendly, with a special shout out for our server, Jane, and chef Shane - your sticky toffee pud was honestly the best I’ve ever eaten……..EPIC!!!!

Super disappointed with this pub, have been a few times and the food was good - however this time was shocking, we was told to wait for 45 mins for food, then when we eventually asked for menus after 45 mins we was told they was still not serving. The woman behind the bar was so rude to my husband and literally no customer service, won’t be returning.

The vibe is okay, but the food………truly not recommend

Sadly for the price food not on par. Ordered fish and chips and plaice. Chips on fish and chips cold and had been reheated and plaice smallest I have ever seen. If you are charging £20+ for a “catch of the day”you really should do it on weight (I suppose not your fault if you have been given small fish..). Service was ok. Had to wait 45 mins for food to be cleared when the evening staff came on, Sunday lunch staff had clearly had enough when we arrived at around 1600. Beer was fine would probably go back for a drink but seems like there are many better places for food in the area.

Ordered two childrens meals. First one being sausage and chips. No vegetables and had to ask for peas. These were then forgotten. Second meal being burger and chips. Burger was plain and very dry. No salad or anything else in the burger. Again very over cooked. Adults meal Firstly the fish and chips were okay. Mashed peas were very cold Second meal being pie and chips. Pie was awful and cold.

Visited here on 28 December 2024 with family. Ordered three braised steak and ale pies. Two with mash and one with chips. Honestly, the pies were BY FAR the best steak and ale pies that I've ever had in a pub. Food arrived piping hot and was fabulous!

Lovely cosy pub with friendly staff, huge portions, and very affordable.

Lovely friendly pub to visit in the harbour area.The pies are absolutely excellent & delicious (although the gravy was a little too salty for us) we thoroughly enjoyed our meal here on a day trip from London today & will definitely be visiting again as it’s a gorgeous place!

Excellent roast, convivial atmosphere and friendly staff. 👌

Best roast beef & Fish & Chips we've ever had. The beef was tender & the potatoes crispy & fluffy.

When my friend visits we always come here for a drink or food. It's all fresh ingredients and you can taste the difference between here and a lot of places in town. It's in a perfect location beside the sea with a great vibe inside. Top place and good people.

Found drink very expensive £7.80 for a pint of Leff. Atmosphere lovely, log burner ragging whilst their. Just stayed for the one drink.

Nice location and interesting decor but a bit soulless and the food options are very expensive.

We stayed at the hotel next door. We went here for dinner at the food was so good. We nachos, which I have say we're very good. We had pies for our mains. These were also very good. Food was prompt. Staff we're very friendly. Can't fault it

Best Dunday roast I can remember, the pork loin was absolutely incredible

Really lovely pub. Friendly staff, great food, a warm and cozy retreat on a rather bleak November evening. We'll be back for sure.

The food was good and plentiful, the service was also nice and the ambience was also great

Have been here on several occasions previously which have always been good, however today was exceptional. Good beer on tap, enjoyable house wine, fantastic service and great food. Probably one of the best experiences we've had here. Lovely oysters to start, followed by whole wild seabass and whole shate wing, both locally caught. If you're not into fish there is plenty of alternative options on their menu too. I'm gluten free and I've always had plenty of choices in food options.

It's an archetypal modern British pub done well, with a good all-round selection of drinks and food, a well designed but relaxed fit-out and staff who know their stuff.

Great fish and chips. Lovely atmosphere. Solo visitor. Made to feel most welcome. Thank you Tom! 😁

Worst meal in 6 weeks in Ireland and England. Had Thai chicken, so dry, you couldn't even cut it.

The seafood here is of terrific quality, cooked with expertise and respect. We had oysters, the mussels with bacon, apple and cider and the catch of the day sea bream.

The harbour inn is generally a good pub, with good food, a decent drink selection, and pretty reasonable prices. However, the lack of table service is worth mentioning, especially for the price. We were surprised that the staff almost expected us to clear our own table and bring over our glasses at the end of our meal. (It’s not a cafe!!) Overall, would recommend this pub for its food and atmosphere, but service is not particularly welcoming.

Nice restaurant pub by the harbour

Short staffed -food didn’t arrive for over 35 mins starters and mains were delivered together! People after us got served before us . They got the order wrong -fried squid instead of felafel . So not impressed food generally good though

Cosy with wood burning stove. Also popular but not too crowded. Great atmosphere.

A very well-kept pub. Friendly service...highly recommended.

Nice place, ridiculously overpriced beer though.

One of the best Sunday roasts in a long time, served with individual pots of cauliflower and leek cheese. Fabulous Yorkshire puddings ,red cabbage and chared white cabbage. Beautiful pub and location with a warming fire , really rustic and great for all ages. Dog friendly too.

Gorgeous interior decor. Beautiful sections to sit at with a wide variety of chairs, couches etc. caters to large crowds and the romantic 1 on 1. Food is so fresh. Portions are American Sized….LARGE.

Waited 1 hour 5 minutes for our food. Steak & ale pie very disappointing, tasteless, watery gravy

Great food. Big portions! Old man Behind the bar had no interest in his customers at all No customer service at all. Big let down to the pub!!! Could not fault the food shame about the bar staff

I found the Harbour Inn to be warm, welcoming, and relaxed when on a day out with the dog in Folkestone. The staff were friendly, attentive, and easy going, and the food tasty, well portioned, and reasonably priced. With friendly staff, a well-constructed bar menu (I had all the small bar snack plates and left VERY full), I think this is a little gem for those who care in the area.

Loved this pub/restaurant I first went for a drink and then booked in for dinner. The bar has a fire which is cosy and service is quick. I had the pork belly bites as a snack. In the restaurant my partner had the skate wing which he loved, I had the mussels and as I can’t have diary or wheat the chef made me a special ratatouille type sauce which was as delicious. They had gluten free bread too which was good . Service in the restaurant is also good , the staff know the menus and are helpful. Will definitely be back.

Really cosy and warm on a wet, cold day. We just had drinks.

It's a decent pub for a pint stop

Lovely pub with friendly staff and great food.

Really lovely decor and relaxing atmosphere. Food was also really good, had the vegan fish & chips.

The last time I will eat here the plaice was beautiful where was the lemon butter? A spoonful of mash did someone forget the spring onions & portion sizes ? Spring greens with butter again no butter not even a tablespoon of veg.For £24 are you taking the Mickey. Staff great. I shall stick to the Pullman thanks. Yet again disappointing

Wonderful chilled place on the seafront. Food is absolutely delicious and the staff very friendly - couldn't recommend more!

Myself and 4 family members visited here at 12pm on a Sunday and it was relatively quiet. We ordered our food separately as we were paying separately which I can imagine is quite a common thing when dining with friends or family? Our food was ordered within 5 mins of each other all to the same table. We ordered a portion of whitebait, courgette fritters and 3 oysters to start. We then ordered two of the fish special, a chicken burger, a beef burger and the vegan burger. The chicken burger and vegan burger came out first and the food was average. Then 15 minutes later the two fish specials came out and still no starters. We then asked a member of staff and they said because we had ordered separately the food was coming out separate. I understand to a degree but the food was ordered at the same time just paid for separately. Finally 25 minutes from the first two burgers coming out the final burger and starters came out. It would have been lovely to have eaten together as a family but this off system prevented that from happening. The food is bang average, the service is mediocre and the place looks like it needs a good clean. The L&B establishments continue to let me down despite always wanting to give them another chance. Such a shame because they have so many restaurants in Folkestone now but the service and food continues to fail.

It was ok but not worth the price.

We were recommended this place for dinner but unfortunately couldn't get a table. Came back late in the evening for a drink and it was lovely. Really cosy seaside pub and the menu did look good.

First time here. Ordered mussels and chips, chips were stone cold. Mussels were just ok. No one asked if the food ok and the queue was long for the bar so no one to ask for new chips without letting the rest of the meal cold. Will never go here again.

Called in on my dog walk at the tail end of a Friday. Had a refreshing glass of white wine and the small plate of white bait. Absolutely perfect. Wonderful end to the week and a cracking pub to wind down in. Highly recommend

When we arrived it was busy and we were told there would be a 45 minute wait for food which was fine and good to be told. In fact it took less time. The mussels I had were very good with a tasy broth and half a lemon to squeeze onto them. The chips were fine (though chunky, not the frites you get in Belgium). My partner had the sausage and mash. He said it was tasty though the portion was small. It was served on one of those plates with a large rim which is more like a small bowl. I hate it when restaurants choose the crockery to get away with serving less food.

lively place busy most of the times live music players nice size good prices

We ate there on Tuesday evening. It was busy. We ordered Sausage & Mash and Thai Chicken Curry. The Kentish sausages were nice but the “gravy as it should be” was awful -left a slick of oil on plate. Seasonal veg was a bit of cabbage. The curry comprised of a flat piece of fried chicken dipped in some herbs & spices and a dollop of rice. Barely any sauce. No Naan bread or anything else. Even the shanties were awful. Overall very disappointing. When asked by waitress “everything ok” we said no it was awful. She said she would get the manager. After waiting 10 mins no one appeared. We were tired after driving over 500 miles so left. The entire place looked like it could have done with a good scrub with dirty floor and tables - we ate outside.

Lovely pub on the harbour front in Folkestone. Staff were friendly & the food was delicious.

Friendly place with inside and outside seating. Good menu of locally sourced food. Enjoyed the interesting take of fish and chips on flat bread.

We sat in the garden, accidentally next to the bins initially, which meant there were a lot of flies. We moved to the middle to eat which was better, and had Harbour Fish Burgers. Whilst the food was very good, fresh fish and homemade tartare sauce and minted mushy peas, we did wait almost 50 minutes for the food to arrive, with no apology for the delay, and no warning when we ordered that it would be a wait. We weren't overly bothered, but others were clearly becoming agitated at waiting so long.

Dirty dishes, they said I had to wait an hour