The Pilot Inn in Shepway

Definitely not the finest fish and chips in all England, far from it. Chips were average at best. We had skate which is a little tricky to eat, as we found out, but it was dwarfed by the amount of batter. Best bits were the mushy peas and tartare sauce, wish we'd gone to the Snack Shack!

disappointed with my steak and kidney pudding chips and peas the best part of the meal was the peas and the beer maybe it was because they were busy

Lovely atmosphere on a bleak evening. Service was superb and the fish pie awesome. Popped in yesterday on recommendation from friends in Sevenoaks and went back tonight for dinner as a result.

I visited with my elderly sister on Sunday lunchtime. It was absolutely packed and hence extremely noisy but the waitress managed to find us a table very quickly despite telling us we’d have to wait. There was only one Senior Portion available on the menu and that was the Fried Cod. Despite claiming to have Gluten Free options available there was absolutely no mention of any allergens on the menu (thought that was a legal requirement these days?) and so I chose the Fresh Crab Salad and my sister the Smoked Salmon and Prawn Salad. Food was served very promptly as there was no cooked food on our order .. otherwise there was a 30 minute wait. The portion sizes were absolutely huge. Our salads could have easily served 3 if not 4 people each. The fresh crab .. which was fresh that day .. wasn’t very tasty and quite watery and the prawns were very much more like small shrimps. Queuing at the bar for our drinks was very efficient as was the queue to order our food. Overall a very disappointing visit. More Senior Citizen portions would be helpful as well as more Gluten Free options clearly marked on the menu. Both of us left feeling that we’d wasted so much food as the portions were so huge. Surely it would be better to serve smaller portions and have less waste? Possibly won’t be returning when I’m next in the area. NB. I have visited The Pilot several times over previous years and can’t ever remember being disappointed which was why I returned again.

Went on a very rainy overcast Sunday so thought it might not be so busy - it was packed! But we only had to wait a few minutes to be seated. Had the Fisherman's pie which was lovely. Has it at other places where it has been packed out with peas. Not a pea in site & plenty of fish. Really lovely. We are not local but not our first visit & won't be our last. Always good quality, fresh & home made. Would recommend.

Went for a late lunch/early tea. Have visited a few times over the years and decided to pay another visit. Not quite warm enough for outside, we had a nice table by a big window with views of the channel over the car park. Both my large cod and chips and my OH’s ‘senior’ cod and chips were piping hot, tasty and plentiful! His beer was apparently very nice and my Sauvignon Blanc was a step up from the run of the mill offerings in many places. Pricey but worth it! The senior cod was a great size with plenty of chips and a bargain at less the. £11.00! I don’t often give 5 stars but with the absolute freshness of the cod, I had to. The staff were very friendly and efficient. If I had to change anything maybe the staff who came round clearing plates and wiping tables could offer to bring more drinks. Profits would rise as although we had finished our drinks halfway through our meal, neither of us wanted to leave our food to order more drinks!

Warm and friendly people the service was great ,really enjoyed my fresh Fish and Chips look forward to returning in the near not distant future great job.

Probably the best fish and chips i have ever had, but what spoilt it for me was the worst and cheapest tartar sauce i have ever had, it truly ruined the fish, why would you do that, satchets are a 100% better than the rubbish you are giving out. We where also told medium haddock was not available, but they had large, i think the solution to that is obvious. You call yourselves a gastro restaurant, so may i suggest you make fresh Tartar sauce, it is really easy and keeps for several days. Recipes on youtube. All you need is a food processor or mixer.

Great food and good service. I like that it’s order via the bar, no waiting for someone to take your order, bring the bill etc. Works in my opinion for such a busy place. We ordered the medium cod and chips and the fish pie. The fish pie was one of, if not the best I’d ever had. And the fish and chips was lovely too. Absolutely huge portions. Will definitely return when next in the area.

Amazing staff and food 5*, quick service. Couldn’t ask for better service from Sam she went above and beyond and made our visit the best ever.

We entered from the garden and approached the bar to order and was aggressively told we couldn’t enter where you order food as we had a dog with us, so we stepped back 1 metre and said where do we order from, she replied here? But then we couldn’t step forward to order….what a palaver! My husband started to order without seeing a menu as we knew they are known for fish and chips, she asked for table number, so he went outside to get it….but the tables done have numbers….went back in and then said oh no they don’t have numbers outside, she said, I know!!!……what a palaver! We ordered haddock and chips and plaice and chips my husband even telling the lady my wife only eats plaice! Food was delivered to the hatch and initially looked impressive, that was until we started to eat it, I fairly quickly realised it want plaice, it was Skate. Went back to the hatch to say we had been given Skate not plaice. Another lady straight faced said we don’t serve plaice, I reiterated that’s what we had ordered, she reiterated they don’t sell it…..what a palaver! I asked if they didn’t sell it, when we ordered why didn’t lady number 1 tell us??? No answer, just a blank stare. No would I like something else. No Would you like a refund. Honestly the worst customer service, no one gave a hoot. I ate the mushy peas that was it as the chips were terrible too, I can’t decide if the chips had just been kept warm or refried. So if you have a restaurant specialising in fish and chips you would have thought they could get it right. Wouldn’t recommend Won’t return

What a wonderful foody pub.emphasis on fresh fish dishes.great location fab outside seating great views ..staff were very good.such and interesting place to visit topped of by the pilot

I've eaten here many times over the years. Great location right by the entrance to the shingle expanses of Dungeness. Good parking too. However it's really all about the fish and chips and it's not that great at the moment. Certainly not "The finest fish and chips in all England" as per the quote painted on the side wall outside. You find a table, note the number, order at the bar and someone brings the food out. They don't take table reservations as they know they'll be rammed regardless. My Medium Cod and Chips and tiny portion of Mushy Peas was £16.95. There weren't as many chips as one might have expected, perhaps just as well as they were soggy, presumably from waiting around. The fish was encased in a thick batter that wasn't properly cooked through. No-one asked if the meal was OK - service ceases once the food is delivered. Hopefully things will improve, but on this experience, the food isn't currently good enough for the location, history and prices.

Fantastic meal and great service. Lovely place to come and dog friendly. Very reasonable price , cod and chips is massive.

Initially had to sit near a smelly wet dog as quite busy but eventually moved , didn’t fancy smelly dog with my lunch , Food not very good , fish not flakey chips terribly undercooked , scampi overcooked and chips very undercooked again , was asked if all was ok and we said no the chips were terrible, the lady said they had a different supplier and had a few complaints but to be fare the supplier didn’t cook the chips ????? Wasn’t offered a free pudding or refund, Had some friends go a week or so before us and they said the same,won’t be rushing back.

Good food but only room to sit in the dog area. Not a massive problem because we were just in for a quick bite to eat. Great fish pie.

This is place is lovely! Big car park and right near the beach. Nice garden area and you can watch the train go by. Portions are a good size and the food was delicious would highly recommend cod and chips. Staff were friendly and are food came out in good time despite it being busy. Well done to the staff!

Wow had the fish and chips and you need a massive appetite and we had the regular and couldn’t finish it But the fish was amazing and food lovely and hot great service

Popped in on a Saturday afternoon. The place was starting to get busy but we got a table. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Now for the food. It was amazing, I had the Haddock and my wife had pie both with chips and mushy peas. My fish was huge really well cooked nice and crispy, the pie was good as well shame it only had a lid but that’s what was said on the menu so no complaints. It’s wasn’t cheap but eating out isn’t anymore. Highly recommended.

Order and pay for food and drinks at the bar. Everything came very quickly but oh dear, the chips were soggy and the fish was stale (smelt of ammonia). The peas were OK, though. Nobody asked us if our food was OK so we got up and left our uneaten meals for everyone to draw their own conclusions.

Small seniors fish chips was idea size but fish was over done not flaky and chips were not fresh left in fryer to keep warm. Delivered fish cakes instead of fish pie then blamed customer us for ordering wrong thing, said it would take 15 more minutes to cook pie so excepted cakes but was like eating mash potatoes along with worse chips ever. On the other hand toilets were sparkling clean, will not be returning. Not enough staff in kitchen for so many covers at lunch time on Friday.

Finally made it to the Pilot Inn at Dungeness, Lydd. We have been to the Lighthouse and on Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway and kept saying we must visit the Inn. Finally got there this Friday evening and was not disappointed. If is dog friendly and the staff were all very chatty and helpful. Interior has a lot of character and History to take in. Food was amazing!! Good choice but not too much. If I had to criticise it would be too much food 😂 We will be back again soon and would highly recommend s visit. Note: worth booking a table as we get towards summer if you want a sit down meal.

Great space especially for dog lovers! The food was soo nice; the portions are very very big (which is great) and the food is locally sourced and fresh. Definitely worth a visit! Separate space for dogs & owners and non dog diners. I think the place, for character, could have blankets for dogs to lie on as the floors can be hard for them. Great spot!

We have been here many times over the years and past months, the food has always been good, even if it was a little expensive. Right before I get back lashed from dog owners, I like dogs, but when Dogs get priority over seating than humans then there is definitely something wrong. We was told that the left hand side of the restaurant is priority for dog owners and there was only ten people in there so it was basically empty, so we was squeezed in like sardines in the middle part of the pub where the bar area is, squashed next to another family who also felt uncomfortable about this. When we decided to leave as this wasn’t the experience we had come hear for. I mentioned this to the staff member at front desk and was given back attitude, from the start she had a take it or leave it attitude. Would you want to dine hear and know that dogs get priority seating hence my picture.

WE had heard great things about The Pilot being the place to go to for great fish and chips. It is located right by the entrance to Dungeness with its pebble beach by the parking area. We arrived there about 2pm on a weekday in Easter holiday, hungry and thirsty and hoping to sample fish and chips of the highest order! The restaurant was full with diners of all ages and we had to wait 10 minutes while a table was cleared and cleaned. They do not accept table reservations so you just turn up and hope. I had to place our order for food and drink at the counter - bit like Wetherspoons. The drinks arrived after a short wait and the cod and chips and huss and chips followed about 10 minutes later. My large cod did not seem any larger than the medium cod ordered by my mate. The medium huss was distinctly on the smallish side. All fish resided in a thick batter; more batter than fish. The cod tasted ok but was very thin and seemed like the tail end of the fish and not a thick middle part. At £18.90 for large cod, chips and mushy peas I expected a bigger piece of fish. Disappointed was I. The medium cod was a couple of quid cheaper. Still over-priced in my opinion. On the plus side, the chips were good and the mushy peas plentiful although a bit like Usain Bolt - thin and runny. Service just average as it only consisted of young people bringing the food and drinks to the table. To sum up, food only average which was not what I was expecting from some of the hype I had heard about the Pilot. Yes, eating out is now more expensive in most places thanks to inflation but I feel prices here are too high for the quality of the food.

We have been regular visitors here for some time —more recently with friends and family in tow…We live in the county - an hour or so away. The food is consistently excellent - as is the service even when they are very busy. The area has a unique, bleak charm all of its own (to coin a phrase: a bit of a ‘marmite’ choice — ie you either love the pebble desert or you don’t)….. Dungeness (which was an island of sorts only 600 years’ ago) and the surrounding area has a fascinating history. If descriptions of Hovellers, pirates and smugglers, Lady Launchers, Holey Stones, unique forms of transport, war time secrets and lost villages interest you, you will find the co-owner Nico Miaoulis’s book ‘Life On Marsh’ compelling reading…. P.S. bizarrely, I don’t eat fish or seafood - but the alternatives are good. I recommend the steak & kidney pudding. My wife never eats anything but fish here and thoroughly recommends it.

This was our second visit despite me being not overly fond of fish food but had heard the fish pie was special so I was curious to try...with trepidation I took my first mouthful...absolutely delicious, the mix of fish used with a cheese topping was exceptional and would definitely have again. I like my dessert but the fish pie was of a generous size and just couldn't manage to have a pud as well. We started with squid and that was exceptional too. I'm a bit of a food buff and have been known to be critical but I could not fault the food served here at all

Popped in whilst nearby. Glad we did. Easy to get a seat, beautiful food. We both had cod and chips, good value and really well cooked. Their own tartare sauce is lovely!

We have been here many times and always enjoy going here, the food was excellent and the staff friendly, we loved the Banoffiee Pie.All of the food here is excellent!

Wonderful food and drink and service was fantastic And lovely view of beach Free car park right outside I always go here when I'm in the area

Cod excellent as usual but the chips were poor - seemed to be oven chips which were badly cooked. Why can’t they serve proper chips to match the cod? Won’t be rushing back.

I ordered a "medium" skate (£16.95), to say it was huge was an understatement and not only that it was the best I have tasted for a few years. My husbands meal of haddock was very large too and tasty. The service was very quick in spite of the restaurant being very busy and the staff charming. No way did we have room for desert!! We had our dog with us as it is dog friendly on one side of the restaurant, "well behaved dogs welcome". Highly recommend.

This was the best meal I have ever had well worth the money . Lovely staff . Wish I had room for desserts that looked awesome

Had the special of monkfish with lemon and garlic mash.. best meal I’ve eaten for a long time, great sevice and will be back soon.

Had a fab lunch. Whale and chips. The batter was sooo crispy. Hubby had the mussels small but really succulent. We would come back again and recommend. Service very slick, well run .

Called after a Trip on "THE TRAIN"It was extremely busy and were impressed with the menu.Can not comment on the main meals but judging by what we observed the portions were generous in the extreme,the fish and chips looked huge.We had a selection of starters etc and some excellent draught beer.Judging by some reviews as usual "you can not please everybody"The staff and the ambience were first class.

This place has got to busy and its a shame ,because now the standard has dropped, my fish was swimming in water, batter all soggy, may be the fish was still frozen , and then the water melted out into to the batter,Did say but was just brushed off, SO WE LEFT.

Amazing as usual, fish and chips are simply the best in the south east!! It may be a little of the beaten track but we'll worth it

Great, friendly, efficient service and super idea to have half the pub dog free as husband has allergies. Food was plentiful, hot and tasty. Fish and chips were delicious, fish pie was tasty and full of different fish. My son had the chicken burger and commented that it was juicy and tasty. I had the veggie option of mushroom, cranberry and brie wellington which was delicious. Lovely and plentiful selection of fresh vegetables. They were busy but food arrived in a timely manner.

Amazing food, friendly staff medium size group all the food turned up together hot and delicious! Rate rate rate the battered Brie starter with cranberry incredible!

My family went there for Sunday lunch, the fish and chips was was really good, and nice and hot. The fish was nice and white and the batter was really crispy and light.

We visited this establishment after a nice long walk along the beach (working up a appetite) We have been recommended many times by people who have been here many times over. We had fish and chips with mushy peas and I really don’t understand why people would rate it so highly. the portions are extremely generous the fish was tasty but the texture of the chips was really not as good as we were expecting (overly hard and crunchy). Would we return maybe one day in the future to see what all the fuss is about.

Dessert was zeer lekker en meer dan voldoende. De lunch de dag erna vonden we iets minder. De frieten waren niet zo lekker, de hoeveelheid eten daarentegen was overweldigend. Een heel mooi en gezellig restaurant met zicht op zee en veel lichtinval.

My friend and I ordered at the same time and I got to enjoy him eat his meal whilst I waited for a chicken burger. My friend had finished and we needed to be somewhere else. I enquired if my meal would be ready and was told it’s only. Minute away so I said I need it to take out, as my friend has prior appointments. Arrived home to have a fillet of chicken that was dryer than the sand on the beach. Can’t return it as I only live in Greatstone but to return the item, I would have to catch a bus. I have enjoyed the pilot many, many times over the past thirty odd years just a shame this wasn’t one of those times. 🙁

Food took quite a while to come . My chicken burger was not nice ! Dry chicken with a funny taste ! The bun was stale and crumbling apart. Husband had the fish pie which smelt weird and just wasn’t nice ! Only nice thing was the chips !

The food is OK. Our fish and burgers were nice, chips were pretty average - not crisp and mine weren't very hot, but we'd waited a long time so didn't send them back. The staff are very friendly really welcoming. We all found the portion sizes overwhelming to be honest, and we're always up for a good feed. Result is no deserts or coffee purchased, so I guess they saved us some money.

Food was excellent and nice went on a Sunday it was very busy lovely food nice staff only thing I did not like was the dogs should not have dogs in a pub where people are eating

My 100 year old dad was so excited to be going to The Pilot with us but we were all so disappointed with the food. Dad’s skate was covered in such thick, greasy batter and the fish itself was very dry and overcooked. My husband’s cod was ok but mine was very dry. The chips were all very thin, again overcooked. The lady on the next table to us had a long hair in her fish pie. Never again! The best fish and chip shop in Kent is still the Blue Harbour in Swanley.

We were very hungry and the Pilot was very busy. We easily found a table outdoors though. Lots of children playing on a big outdoor "dinosaur" right beside our table was a bit irritating, but hey ho! We ordered cod and chips and huss and chips. The cod was nice, white, flakey and jus the right amount of batter. My huss was paper thin and scraggy with hardly and visible fish coated in massive amounts of greasy batter, which I could not eat. Huss is supposed to be a chunky fish, full of flavour - I doubt this poor thing had ever seen the sea!! So very disappointing

Both my partner and I had read the reviews and thought the 2.5 star rating was harsh, it was 5pm on a Friday and it was quite busy, so couldn’t be that bad. We both ordered cod and chips. We suspect my partner’s cod was off as it was very fishy. Mine was okay, bit bland. Within an hour of eating the meal we started to get stomach pains and needless to say the meal exited our bodies far quicker than it went in (without being too graphic). I’m afraid the rating is fair. Will not return.

Been several times and it is still the best we have had especially when it's so tough for hospitality. Lovely staff even when busy nothing is too much trouble.

Another fantastic meal at the Pilot. The fish is delicious and the portions are very generous. The staff are very friendly and attentive and all work so hard.

Have been here a couple of times before and food was fine. Today my cod was good but some chips were hard. My husbands huss was a thin piece of fish in very hard batter, and a lot of his chips were hard or dry. Waitress didn't really seem interested, just said she would mention it. Probably won't go back....

Second time we’ve been and it’s amazing how busy it is on an average midweek lunchtime in September. The first time we both enjoyed it but this time I’d only say 3 stars. The chips really weren’t great and a real bugbear of mine is the cutlery. There must have been 40+ couples in there, most of whom I’d doubt were the type to steal the knives and forks, so why give customers the cheapest, blunt cutlery?

If you want a place to visit again and again this is definitely the place to go to. Great food, generous portions, friendly staff, and prices are very fair. The manager Megan is brilliant and very hands on which makes a refreshing change as most mangers like to hide away in their office. Totally recommend.

Where can you find somewhere warm, welcoming and spotlessly clean to eat at 4.30 on a December afternoon?!The Pilot - DungenessAs a local Airbnb Host and Ambassador I cannot praise and recommend more highly.The reviews below should be read with caution.Excellent cleanliness and hygiene. Owners with dogs clearly directed to a designated area (ignore comment below)Prices fair for the generous portions of superbly cooked fish & chips.It is a shame it was not mentioned below that the quality of all food surpasses expectations.All my guests have never been disappointed.I’ve included a (covert) photo of the thorough attention to detail of how seriously The Pilot adhere to hygiene and cleanliness.

Service was very efficient and quick. Starters were large and slightly greasy but perfectly acceptable. The main courses were good - cod and chips and fish pie. Seemed a bit expensive but not overly so. All in all a good experience

Lovely Food good service One complaint DOGS in where food being served Not very hygienic . Might go again ?

Very disappointing lunch. Food was well cooked and generous portions but the haddock(was it even haddock) had absolutely zero taste. Never had a fish and chips with less taste.

A visit to Dungeness would be the same without sampling some of the local fish & chips. Having eaten here before, I knew not to order the large portion. No coach parties this time but the pub was still full. Considering how busy it was, our food, which had been freshly cooked, came reasonably quickly and the medium Rock/Huss was plentiful and meaty. A couple of beers were available, brewed especially for the pub, from the local Romney Marsh Brewery.

We went on spec and despite the fact the pub was very busy we’re seated quickly. We had the medium fish and chips which came quickly and were huge. Very fresh batter and fish. Chips were also nice. We were too full for pudding. The beer was nice too. Staff were friendly, so enjoyed our lunch very much.

Was recommended by a friend, and I was glad she had. We hadn’t booked and it was very busy, being lunchtime. However the staff were friendly and the restaurant and tables were clean, but the best thing was the food. Despite them being busy, we did not have to wait long for our meal. We both had senior cod and chips and it was just delicious. My husbands fish did have some bones, but that is a chance one takes with fish obviously! And he still ate it with gusto! Mine had no bones and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Although we had the senior (slightly smaller) meal, there was more than enough

Seated quickly but not told there was a wait on food. We waited an hour for fish and chips, when our food came my husband's order was wrong. As it was busy we were seated in the bar area it was very loud and was unpleasant to be sat at a table next to the bar with loud drunk people shouting and swearing. They were busy but the table behind us arrived 15 mins later than us and their food arrived before ours did. My husband had to complain twice before our food came, it was obvious they can't cope when it's busy. If we were told when we came in there was a wait we could have made the decision to go elsewhere. An hours wait for fish and chips with no apology or warning is not acceptable and ruined our evening, not impressed at all.

After a long walk we all had the most wonderful fish and chips here. The best we have eaten all year. Great fish and delicious batter. Both the haddock and cod were excellent. Highly recommend a visit! Service very good too!

Went today with my 14 yr old son for lunch having not been for a few years… the cod and chips were great and the medium size fish was actually quite large my son had no room for ice cream … lovely ambience and great service

The best fish and chips! This was our second visit with o the area this year and on both visits to this restaurant the food and service did not disappoint. I would definitely recommend if your in the area as there is a good variety of food on the menu and the portion sizes are very generous but my favourite is the cod and chips, with mushy peas of course!

Visited after walking our dogs, first time here and after hearing lots of nice things decided to try you out!We were initially coming in for a light bite but after seeing how good the fish and chips were we ordered some for ourselves, food was 10/10! Generous portions and everything cooked beautifully.We shall be visiting again.

We went last week for lunch. We had the medium fish and chips.The batter was light and the fish was good. Chips although not s huge amount were fine.I don't eat the batter at the bottom as everywhere I have ever had fried fish in batter it tends to be oily. Next time I will see about the gluten free batterless fish.

Visited after a sporting event nearby. Very busy carpark so we weren't hopeful of a table but we were lucky and got seated right away. We ordered Ham, Egg & chips and Cod & Chips. Both portions were huge, way too much for each person. The food was piping hot and really delicious. Service were friendly and speedy. The price was a little pricey, maybe they could reduce the portion sizes and reduce the price? My only disappointment was the toilets, they were not very clean at all, so bad I wouldn't use them, with the footfall the restaurant gets they must be a nightmare to keep cleaning. Despite this we would highly recommend and will definitely visit again if ever in the area.

This place was recommended to us (visitors to the area) by someone on Romney Sands holiday park as “the best fish and chips they have had”, so needless to say our expectations and excitement at eating there was high.We were I’m afraid very disappointed as whilst the F&C was nice it wasn’t exceptional, there was a lot of batter hiding a smallish bit of fish, the chips were Luke warm and again unremarkable, nothing special.The price we paid was in our opinion extremely high and so poor value for money. On visits to subsequent restaurants we checked out their F&C prices and appearances further cementing our rating of it being over priced here and of average quality.The premises is tidy and clean.

Before we arrived we weren't sure if we could take the dogs inside the building, and due to the very windy weather we didnt want to sit outside. I popped in an asked if dogs were welcome and was advise they were in a selected area. This was lovely and clear and lots of space between tables (always helpful when having the dogs!We ordered the Steak and ale pic, scampi and chips and the vegan stew. All of which were lovely, good quality and fresh.The staff were great with the dogs (we arrived mid afternoon so it was quite).Food was served quickly and the staff were friendly.Loved it that much we went back to the following evening for another meal. Good selection of beers avaialbel including one made for them!Would recommend, and will return.

The Pilot Inn is the perfect place for fish and chips (and other meals). The staff are welcoming, friendly and helpful. The service is efficient. The food is well presented and tasty. The portion sizes are more than ample. I had medium cod and chips and you should have seen the size of that one. Goodness knows what a large cod would look like. For those with a lesser appetite, there is a smallish seniors' option. Diets do not cause any problem either. My wife is Gluten Free and cannot eat batter. No problem, they pan fry the fish. There's plenty of seating, both inside and outside, and an added bonus is that the Pilot Inn is also dog friendly. The Capitain's Cabin part of the restaurant welcomes well behaved dogs.

Huge thanks to everyone at The Pilot for once again giving us such a lovely dinner indoors on our first night of our holiday and then again on our last day with our daughter and her family outside enjoying the lovely blue skies and sunshine. It is such an iconic place to be in every way with so much to observe enjoying delicious fish and chips. So again huge thanks and we will look forward to our next visit

Lovely returning visit!! We started by calling ahead to let them know we were a party of 9, and they were more than happy to accommodate us, we were informed that they do not take booking however they had definitely reserved an area which was highly appreciated! Wonderful friendly greeting to begin, bar ladies very friendly too! Great choice of beer and soft drinks to start… Menu is vast and everything sounded delicious! As a party we had a mix of Cod, Haddock, Plaice, Lasagne and kids meal and everything was delicious and beautiful presented :) a fair warning that portion sizes are huge, (definitely not complaining ). Crispy batter, fluffy chip shop chips and a great range of food! However, we definitely saved the best till last with dessert - the BEST banoffe pie and brownie we’ve ever tasted We visit the caravan park close by yearly, and yearly we make the trip to The Pilot Inn as it is simply the best around - always a friendly and delicious service… if you are ever wondering whether to eat here or not, just do it you will not regret it!!

Great food served here! Huge fish & chips portions, cooked really well and tasty. Order at the bar, which someone else in our party did so can't really comment on the service. The plates all arrived together which was great as there were 8 of us. Dessert was also amazing! Chocolate brownie sundae recommended

Slow service, over battered food,batter seemed oven baked specials board only had soup. Over priced for what you got. Nothing to write home about a d do not take criticism.

Waitress was rude, totally uncalled for... we were seated by the toilets so we moved tables. When I asked if that was OK she grunted and turned her back on me. I felt uncomfortable and anxious so we left.

On a recent visit to my place of birth with the PA, he commented on how much he’d like to visit a desert; so an excursion to Dungeness was in order. Upon arrival there was a lot of commotion in the car park as people were trying to arrive in ghastly camper vans, and rightfully so they were being turned away. The PA led the way into the pub and we found ourselves in what can only be described as gods waiting room; the average age couldn’t have been less than 75. This made me anxious and I was feeling rather agitated, however the PA reassured me it was fine while ushering me to table. We sat waiting for a server but none appeared, the PA noticed we had to “self order” at the bar (a new concept to me), so I sent him up to do just that. I felt somewhat uncomfortable on my own as people kept looking at me, thankfully the PA returned quickly enough. The food arrived and the portions were very generous, even the PA’s child’s portion was quite large; however not being from Dungeness I knew I was not going to be able to finish it all. The food was exquisite and absolutely hit the spot, which I was thankful for after an evening at Rick Steins in Padstow which dissatisfied me. Upon exiting the pub my fear of dogs was put to the test as we had to pass 3 before getting outside, the PA did a wonderful job of providing me with the protection I pay and I got to the car unscathed. Overall I enjoyed my meal here and the PA had a good time in the desert, definitely somewhere I’d come back to once I reach the average age of the clientele.

We used to go to The Pilot regularly when we lived in the area. We now live in Norfolk. The last time we went to The Pilot was four years ago and the food had definately gone downhill since our previous regular visits. During our visit to the area again last week we thought we would give them another chance. BIG mistake! It was appalling and if anything worse than our previous disappointment. They definately won't be getting a third chance.I had skate which was underwhelming to say the least. My husband had steak and ale pie. The meat was tepid grey and stringy - i wouldn't have fed it to my dog. It was totally inedible. Both meals came with tepid garden peas and soggy eye ridden chips.

A friendly, comfortably priced pub / restaurant that captures the whole atmosphere of Dungeness. Shingle / beach beer garden and sympathetically decorated indoor area. The food was generous and of the highest quality whether it's a hot sausage and caramelised red onion sandwich, warm brie, bacon and cranberry sandwich or the enticing fish and chips. The fish portions come in the portion sizes, the smallest being 'senior' which is still an ample plate full. Excellent service. I would come again if in the area.

Very attractive looking pub, staff really friendly and helpful. Good extensive menu & quality is second to none, lamb pie was amazing, portions very generous. Highly recommend.

We only popped in for a drink while on holiday. My cranberry juice tasted oily and stale, but staff were friendly and served us quickly. Good views from the beer garden.

Visited a nearby campsite for four nights. Eat here 3 times. Excellent food, service and very friendly staff. My large wing of skate was amazing. Really food atmosphere and decor as well.

I had read about the Pilot Inn before visiting the area so we made an effort to get there on our travels. We were not disappointed. My husband had the medium fish and chips, which over hung the plate and I had the senior citizens portion. Excellent fish, probably the best I have ever had. We had no room for desserts but they did look good.The Inn sits on the edge of the shingle beach next to the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway and it was built from the wreck of a ship.

Lovely evening meal at The Pilot Inn. Friendly, attentive staff, generous and delicious food - the battered cod was one of the best I’ve ever had 😊. Great puddings too, all reasonably priced. Would thoroughly recommend a visit.

During my recent holiday staying at Lydd on Sea I used The Pilot most evenings for my meal. It has a fantastic setting, the staff are all friendly and efficient. The food is amazing and there is a great choice of local ale too. I can thoroughly recommend the fish and chips whether it be cod, haddock, plaice or skate (other dishes are available)! Walking to the Pilot each evening was one of the enjoyable times of the day. I look forward to visiting again soon. Thanks.

We attempted to visit the pilot to have an afternoon drink, after a day on the dungeness railway. However as we pulled into the car park we were turned away by a security guard who explained we couldn’t park and come in for a drink as we drive a camper van. We are two mums out camping with our 2 kids, and explained we have a pitch nearby at herons park. We offered to show our booking conformation but the man wasn’t interested, telling us they’ve had lots of trouble from you types in campers.So, no matter how good the food, or beautiful the view it’s been completely tarnished by the narrow minded discrimination we have faced simply for our choice of vehicle. It’s exceptionally sad that in this day and age we have been judged for our daily ride!

Gorgeous food really nice atmosphere plenty of choice enjoyed it that much we went twice great service nice tables and views of the sea

Aparently the VW Campervan type are not allowed to be patrons of this restaurant. We were asked to leave by a security woman patrolling the car park. They obviously do not need the business from a family of 5 who were hungry.Ironically 2 hours later we drove back past the restaurant and a white VW camper was parked in the car park.I would not recommend this restaurant, there are plenty of better places to eat in and around Dungeness.

Came in to the Pilot today and was welcomed by a very polite female security staff, that went above and beyond her job role as we accidentally clipped the kerb and clipped our car on the exit, without her knowledge and advice our journey would have been cut short. The overall experience of the pilot has been fantastic and the food/ staff and atmosphere was excellent.Would highly recommend a visit here to anybody that wants a great tasty meal and to feel completely at ease as nothing is too much trouble for any of them. They all work above and beyond their duties.

Great wholesome pub food. Good portions, reasonably priced. Was able to sit inside with the dog when outside got chilly and even though very busy, service was excellent and speedy. Visited twice and will visit again.

If you want to be threatened by Phil the security guard and rude stuff then this is the place to come. Three of us were threatened with £100 fine for going in the car park and thinking we might have a 10 minute walk before we had our meal. We didn’t have time to explain before they started the threats and we were told to go elsewhere.I’ve always ignored the overly expensivePrices and the way they cram you into the restaurant and the dubious hygiene standards For a decent fish and chips but I would never visit that again on principle.

I've been going to the Pilot for many years and it never disappoints!It was a lovely day when we visited on a Monday lunchtime and we were able to sit outside.The food was excellent as always, good quality and really fresh.The welcome and service were also good.The Pilot enjoys a great reputation that is totally justified. If you're in the area you really must pay it a visit!

We ate here when we stayed in Dungeness in May and ended up returning every night of our stay!The food was excellent - best fish and chips ever (so much better than The Ivy!) and all other meals , desserts and lunches also great.They were also really welcoming with the dogs and brought them treats.Cannot recommend highly enough.

Not impressed with menu description- after carefully reading it and noting the prawns stated "Panko" coating I opted for salt & pepper squid - wrongly assuming it would be squid in its original state with salt & pepper, however when it arrived at table it was clearly in some sort of coating other than salt & pepper, took a good couple of attempts to discover what the coating was, despite the menu NOT referring to a coating other than salt & pepper, at first was told "batter" had to then wait for chef to be asked again what was the batter ingredients were. Finally got there that it was a gluten batter! So just salad for me, no offer to refund or replace, no apology for having a menu that clearly didn't state allergen ! Won't be visiting again - perhaps look at re-doing your menus to show what allergens are present :-(

Lost count of the times I've eaten here. Cod and chips was large and fresh. Batter getting a bit heavy for me these days. Steak and kidney pudding was very large and delicious though. I did eye up the huge half pound burger and the whole chicken breast burger on the next table. It's a nice place to sit with a drink on a very wet and bleak day like today. The extension and landscaping to the garden was great and it's a real paradise in the sun I imagine. Loved the engine in the garden and memorial. Very moving.

Skate and chips £12.80 (Med) was the smallest portion I have ever had anywhere! The pilot used to be the biggest! Disappointed but it was delicious not enough of it! See photo tiny, order large for decent portion £14.40+Torbay in Hythe better in my opinion!

About my 10th time here always gets better. Got the fish and chips and it was perfect. Lovely views. Dungeness round the corner. All the people leaving one star reviews probably clap when the plane lands so don’t listen to them

3 of us visited the Pilot as we were in the area for the Open Golf. We've been here many times over the years. Nothing fancy but usually very nice food. Got to be honest, this is the 1st time we were not over pleased. I had the 'large' plaice & chips which was basically 2 pieces of fish. A lot of batter on this occasion. Chips have been better. My friend had the smoked salmon & prawn salad which was huge and he said was very nice. I wish i had that. Probably be back next year having said that.

I've eaten a lot of fish and chips in my time and the fish and chips at the pilot inn are without a doubt the best - and they come highly recommended by Derek Jarman who once said they were the best in Engand.That aside though the whole experience was great. Reasonably priced, good for kids, and lovely staff.Can't praise it enough. also try the fish pie. its out of this world.