The Royal Hotel Boathouse Bar in Dover

I live in Deal and have been eating and drinking here for many years and whilst the food was pretty good the service has been getting progressively worse. This evening there was no service whatsoever. The staff were just huddled round the bar chatting, like the last time I was there, and only do anything if they have to. All the ordering has to be done at the bar now so absolutely no table service. Even when clearing the main plates we weren't asked if we wanted anything else. Paul welcomes you to The Royal, but Paul needs to up his customer service experience and remember that without customers there is nothing!

I am a vegetarian. As such, it would appear that I am supposed to accept that my experience of eating out will be disappointing. I could accept that were it not for the fact that I will be charged as much for my cauliflower 'steak' as my partner is for her actual steak. In this case, I was offered a mushroom stroganoff. Not that unusual, but when done well, it can be very pleasant. This was the worst I have ever tasted and I have been veggie for thirty years. I would have thought that anyone calling themself a chef would be able to tell if something is tasty or not, even if they are not vegetarian. This one should have been able to tell from just looking at it! The meat eaters food was described as average. We did not bother with desert and went elsewhere for drinks. We live locally, but will not be coming back.

Came for afternoon tea with a friend. We were taken straight to our table which was by the window and asked what tea we wanted. The table was nicely laid with cups and sauces and little plates and white table cloth. A three tiered plates came which had warm scones, clotted cream and jam, sandwiches and little cakes. It was really nice and enough for two.

I am reluctant to write negative food reviews, but my recent experience of The Royal Hotel was very disappointing and I make this review in the hope the management will see what was not great and perhaps change it. I have been a regular customer of the hotel for many years, as guest, drinker and diner….and for various reasons have not visited for about a year. The last occasion being a breakfast, which was great…. Not cheap, but good quality, well cooked and very tasty. Fancying a treat my wife and I dropped by for breakfast at 1045….. breakfast being served until 11…. The fact it was near to 11 seemed to be a problem when we were told that unless we got the order in very quickly, we would miss out. I had the full breakfast at £11.00 and to be honest was probably the worst cooked breakfast I have had for ages . The main problem was the bacon…..more fat than meat and undercooked, with large sections of the fat only having had a passing acquaintance with the heat. The sausage which appeared to have cooked through had very little colour and did not look at all appetising. The remainder of the meal was okay. My wife wanting a small breakfast was left with very little choice but to have a breakfast bap as there was no facility to order a smaller ‘Full English’ breakfast on the menu. The bap had the same issue with the bacon and the sausage and was presented as a hamburger…..not ideal from our perspective. Why can’t a smaller version of the full breakfast be offered? I have been a regular user of The Royal as it is a great location with friendly staff…but the fare that was offered to my wife and I today was not even close to what we would expect from it.

We went there on a Monday evening for an early dinner. Our waitress was a lovely young lady, very attentive and friendly. The food was very good as was my husbands. I enquired whether there was a new chef as we’d eaten there before and food wasn’t as good. She informed us that yes the chef was fairly new. Will definitely be going back at some point

Around 1.15pm on 21.8.23 my daughter was made to feel very awkward by the unwelcoming lady serving drinks.She said she felt like she was interrupting the staff, no smile, no hello. Being in hospitality herself she would never treat customers with such disrespect. We did enjoy our time however as The Boathouse is in a lovely spot and have been before without any problems. But we didn't stay for food considering the experience. On another note the toilets were very shabby and felt more like public toilets than hotel toilets. Admittedly, it's a very busy hotel and bar and there was soap and handcream but the toilet cubicles looked like they needed a really really deep clean. Ingrained dirty floors and doors.

Great food and lovely staff Myself and my sister had fish and chips and it was huge!! And delicious!! We were served by a lovely young man named Callum. He was an absolutely lovely young man, very friendly and attentive. So polite! A credit to the hotel, he made us feel welcome and came to say goodbye as we left and wished us a good evening. Will definitely be back.

The Royal used to be our local go to for breakfast, lunch and special occasions, for 20 odd years. It has sadly gone down hill and I mentioned this in my last review over a year ago. Today's visit suggests not much has changed. Two of us, £34 for breakfast, including a barely warm full English at £11 each, a flat white and clearly stewed filter pot coffee and two lovely bottles of orange juice. It was so obvious the by the speed the breakfast was served at, it had come off the "hot plate", which is not a problem but would've preferred it to hotter and fresher. The coffee and juice lagged behind. As a seaside venue, the exterior will always need attention but paint is evidently peeling and doors looking very weather worn. The brass foot rail around the bar looks like it hasn't seen polish for ages and the tiled floor below it stained amd and sticky. Perhaps the dowdy nature of the decor and the food now accounts for less than a dozen patrons when other cafés and bars were obviously busy between 10am and 11.30. Staff seemed to be bobbing about with little to do apart from talking to known customers and the young chap behind the bar seemed the busiest of all. Sorry to say, today's visit only merits a two. Please can we have the lovely, lively, tasty and welcoming Royal back?

Arrived to be told no tables free but could see at least 5 tables empty. They found us a table after an hour wait. Then the food was brought out at all different times. Had the fish finger sandwich which came with chips. Well the sandwich had I fish finger in which was dry and tasteless and 8 chips with it. There was more bread and rocket than fish finger. The children’s meals were bigger but also the baked beans were dry on their meals. No customer service as the waitress were all talking at the bar and not paying attention. Will not be returning

We've lived in the local area all our life and always enjoyed The Royal for a quick stop. Just such a shame it's so expensive, £8.40 for two cokes. Won't be returning, will spend our money in other pubs on the front.

We had a lovely meal in the restaurant. The lamb was cooked perfectly and the crème brûlée was nice, although it was cold as though it had just come out of the fridge - I’d have preferred it room temperature or warm. I like a rose wine but the 3 wines sold by the glass were all dry and tart which let the experience down a bit.

We drove down on my 70th birthday from rainham kent My wife orderd the meals we sat at the top part of restaurant it was cold no heating when the food came the chick pea curry and steak pie looked pre packed was not tasty then we had creame brulee tiny and my apple crumble and custard was a joke what has gone wrong we have used this pub now and again for years

We came for a quick breakfast on our last day in Deal, admittedly mainly choosing it for their lovely views right by the sea. We each had a full English (one veggie, one not) and the waiter was very accomodating w/ our requests for leaving the baked beans out, and swapping an item for another, and so on. Drinks were good, the food was surpisingly light for being a fry up. Staff on the whole were friendly and attentive, and the whole thing came to 15£ with a full English, orange juice and coffee each. A lovely way to round off our first ever visit to Deal and the Kentish coast.

The biggest plus point for this hotel, bar and restaurant is that it is situated a stone's throw from the beach, which lovely views of the sea and pier. As a family, we have dined here many times over the years; admittedly the food is only ever average at best, but due to its location, still go back for more and hope we just hit it on a good night. Tonight however, was the worst we've ever experienced, to the point that I had to leave a review, purely to warn others, be that locals or those visiting Deal for a getaway. My family and I (that's my wife and 13 yr old daughter), ordered drinks and food... Standard practice, but when the food and drinks were brought to our outside table at 8:58pm, was informed that we would have to finish it within 2 minutes as children (unless residing at the hotel), are not allowed on the premises after 9pm!!??!! Once we left the premises, I went back to question this with management who stated it was down the licensing laws. Over the 2 x rounds of drinks, never, at any time did any staff member point this policy out and give us notice; in fact at no point over the countless visits over the last 15 YEARS has anybody ever mentioned it and we've been there past 9pm lots! There is no signage that I could see, to inform paying customers, and a review of their website (I have since checked), also has no mention!? The Royal was happy to take c.£40 from us as a family, yet only give us 2 minutes to eat and drink up!!! In my opinion, that's not right! They offered to throw the drinks into plastic glasses and a cardboard box, but this isn't what we came and paid for. If I wanted a takeaway I'd have gone to the fish and chip shop that is literally opposite The Royal and provides a far better meal. After giving feedback, I did get an apology and was offered either a refund (which I declined as by this time we had eaten the food on the beach and finished the drinks), or another round of drinks for free (that we weren't allowed to drink on site). I questioned again why over the years we had never been informed that as a family we only have until 9pm and why we are welcome in other local establishments. I was told that although the rule should always be adhered to, on each occasion we have visited The Royal we really should have been told for which they apologise.... Wow, then that's a lot of times that staff haven't done this over the years... Perhaps some improved management of the team is therefore needed if you have consistently broken the law?! As for other restaurants that have let us in... "They may just be ignoring the rule"... Really?! After this visit, we shall not be visiting The Royal again. If you're after an enjoyable drink of a summer evening sit a little further up, outside the King's Head and The Port Arms. If you want to upgrade that to also eating decent food and being waited on, in the same area (The Square). Go to Dunkerleys Hotel, Bar and Restaurant. Give The Royal a miss.

Ordered mushroom arancini for starters - tasted old and several items listed on the menu missing from the dish. My mother's chickpea curry then came ice cold, followed by my linguine which was incredibly bland with tinned crab and about 3 prawns. Felt bad for the waiting staff who kept having to apologise to us and to the tables around us for issues with the food. Kitchen needs sorting out.

We use to love this wonderful pub/Restaurant, but last night (sat 14 May) the food was terrible. My squid starter was delicious and plentiful, but the traditional fish and chips were completey tasteless. The batter was crispy, presented beautifully with chips and peas, yet everything on my plate was tasteless - chips were like they had been reheated and peas were unsalted. The fish and batter just had no taste! The waitress was very efficient and helpful, allowing me to swap the meal for a burger instead. But the burger was dry and texture was chewy! However my darling husband, having agreed with my view, still promptly finished it all off! We mentioned it to the waitress, she very kindly offered not to charge us for the burger but seeing as husband had ate it, it was the least we could do to pay for it. Hopefully maybe just a one-off as the food is usually delicious here.

I don’t normally write reviews but has heard such good reviews of the boathouse but unfortunately our experience wasn’t great. Food was over priced for what both quantity and quality. The lamb shank was slimy and tasted like it out of a packet. The pie lacked flavour and looked shop brought. £8 for two slices of toast and Pate was incredibly over priced. Shame as nice decor and scenery but poor quality.

Booked for a Saturday and arrived to a warm welcome Both had sea bass and asked for crispy skin which we had . Delicious sauce with the fish so a very nice fish Character building on the seafront and in the summer you can sit outside

An excellent meal and the wonderful and friendly staff are an absolute credit to the restaurant. We had a meal here on the last night of our holiday. I’m alittle annoyed as wish we’d been earlier as we would have returned for a 2nd time. I personally recommend the Calamari and Schnizel. Totally delicious. Thank you again to your amazing staff.

Booked a table for midday and attended with Westie and 2 grandchildren.waitress was friendly, helpful and the service was quick. Well worth visiting

Family visit, eating here for the first time since reopening from lockdown. Lovely table with a view of the sea. Charming waitress, and attentive staff but the food itself doesn't deliver.Two starters, Crab Pate and Salt and Pepper Squid were underwhelming. Tiny portion of squid, beige, bland and tasted of nothing. Crab pate looked promising but yet again, bland. Two pieces of toasted bread, cold and placed on bed of rocket that looked flat and didn't improve on eating.Our main courses of cod and chips were good if unremarkable. No more or less than you might expect but overall, forgettable.The Royal is well located and could be so much better. Staff are excellent. There is just a sense of inevitability and mediocrity that disappoints. Shepherd Neame, you can do better!

We attended this restaurant with hopes of a beautiful family dinner; understandably due to covid restrictions our family (one household of 8) was split, however,the hostess who greeted us was extremely unfriendly, she was exempt from wearing a mask and she seemed to be very intimidating and rude towards us. The food was really nice so it was such a shame that the service impacted our visit in such a negative way. In addition to this, there was another exempt waitress who was equally unfriendly and every time we tried even to look at our family members on the opposing table, she told us to quieten down. Regardless of these waitresses being exempt the other staff who served us were really attentive and helpful, and we just felt particularly unwelcome by these certain members of staff. We definitely will not be returning, we felt very unwelcome and quite frankly an inconvenience and will never return!!

Family trip , the menu was limited compared with the previous one , but we all found something. The service was good and attentive , and the food was fine and not unreasonably priced

Our sun filled visit turned from a service led experience with table service to a "use the app I'm busy" in the change of a shift! Maybe the ponytail was to tight ? though the tone of response to our enquiry for a second round of drinks was definitely curt and descrimintury if you were not made aware of the change in the style of service (When a smartphone was needed) and if you were not in possession of one then you cannot order food or drink! Which is a great injustice to a certain generation who could be excluded from enjoying the lovely views.

Popped in on the chance getting lunch on a very warm Sunday. Very warming greeted and shown to a table. Waitress was named Emma. Excellent service and great food. Will highly recommend as I’m a hotel GM locally

I came here with my husband today as it looked nice. It wasn't really. The pasta was very mustardy and overcooked and to be honest inedible, and the duck was a bit meh. However the cheery waitress made everything better. I got the feeling the staff are being bullied and that didn't help. I wouldn't bother coming back here

What on earth has happened at this superbly located hotel/restaurant/bar ? As a regular customer I know that service has often varied in the past according to which manager is on duty but the standard is now very low. Last week a rather brusque member of staff on duty at the door insisted that we complete two different pandemic registrations before being admitted. Today I had to wait in the rain for a member of staff to appear. He then told me to wait until a another member of staff could attend to me. After another wait in the rain another member of staff appeared wielding an iPad and asking me questions only to eventually tell me that the place was full ! Wake up Shepherd Neame.

After eating most of my dinner I then discovered mould on my olives... We were extremely disappointed when the managers got very defensive and stated that this was oregano. I mean come on.. my partner who was with me is a chef!White furry mould on an olive is not 'Oregano'... they should have admitted fault. Yes they apologised of course but they blamed their supplier and anyone and everything else but themselves..... Mistakes like these can close kitchens very very quickly. My food was taken off the bill at least but this doesn't excuse mould.

Ce had been set up quite well for distancing. However staff did not always adhere to acceptable practices and were far too close......inches away ☹️. As a vulnerable person I did feel uncomfortable with that.The food and service was good with family all enjoying the food. However they did get some drinks mixed up and we returned them, one had been drunk from (a sip) and they just tipped it into a new glass , totally unacceptable. We had to insist on it being changed, one of the bar staff was clearly miffed with us and showed her frustration. We did get new drinks but if that is their current practices they have some way to go before they know how to deal with the current situation. I would therefore not recommend returning here as it’s just an indicator that there may be other poor practices.

I made a lunch booking for two people, and asked for a table outside, the maitre-d said they didn't take bookings for specific tables, but he said he would note our preference to eat outside for our booking. He also said that based on our (early) eating time, he didn't think there would be a problem getting an outside table. On the day of the lunch we arrived a few minutes early, and were pleased to see there was one table unoccupied. When we were met by the maitre-d, I gave her my details and said that we would like to eat outside, she said: "There is no space available". I said, you have an empty table we just seen it, to which she replied: "That table has been reserved". I said how come I was told that specific tables cannot be booked, but you're saying that a table has been reserved? The reply was: "Someone walked past a few minutes ago and booked it"! Resigned to the fact that we are not going to win this argument, I don't want to make a scene as it's my wife's birthday, and the fact that busy eateries have the upper hand in this Covid distancing period, so we took a table in the yard area. Here we had a 'cable drum' table, seats with no back rest and no parasol to shade the sun, so the experience was quite different from the regular dining tables. We noticed that other couples were being seated at the proper dining tables outside, so it's baffling. Thanks for making us feel like SECOND CLASS CUSTOMERS; we will not be rushing back!

Staycation for 2 nights. Stunning location directly in the beach, enjoying stunning views of the English Channel and Deal Pier. Recommend sea view suite or superior room. Delicious al fresco breakfast and excellent dinner each evening. General Manager, Alexander and ALL his team are charming, polite and professional. Nothing was too much trouble. Deal is a charming English seaside Resort. Handling if Covid 19 was outstanding with much thought. Thank you all at the Royal Hotel. Maggi Nixon

Just out for lunch with family. Excellent, quick and safe service. Staff were brilliant and very professional and polite. First time we have been out in months and will certainly be returning to the Royal very soon. The food was what we needed. Did not hotel facilities. Thank you all.

The tills certainly ring out here, it's right on the seafront and serves everything from a cup of tea to a three course meal. Don't come here for a quiet romantic evening! You can, however, have the same menu as the restaurant, if you can find a table.

We called into the Royal for lunch in the BarHad friendly service, but sadly the table had not been cleaned after the last dinersMy wife's soup was good but for £8.50 I was served a teeny bowl containing 3 medium size prawns in sauce together with a very stale slice of bread !!Shame.........will be voting with our feet since there are lots of other good eateries in Deal!!

Had a few drinks here as we were staying in the hotel. Initial barman serving us was a little cool which I didn't like, no harm in smiling and being polite. Drinks I found a little pricey £5.15 for a pint of San Miguel! Overall it is a nice place with great views of the sea, think it would be great in the summer.

The location is excellent. The service was a bit slow and the food was poor. I had a mushroom risotto which was dry and tasteless, lacked any seasoning and the usual creaminess of a well cooked risotto. I'd guess it had been reheated in a microwave then a few mushrooms added. If the waiting staff had bothered to ask if the food was OK I would have told them. I ate the food because I was hungry. Won't go back.

Its got the best situation in Deal - its a lovely old building where Nelson & Lady Hamilton visited. But service is slow and the food very average. Its a shame its not much better.

A really good well cooked breakfast, Poached Eggs perfect,Bacon nice and crispy, loved the hash browns best I have tasted.Toast perfect and love how the butter is spreadable and but frozen.Everything perfect.Friendly professional welcoming staff. Even came across with a biscuit and water for my dog.Sat in the sun with the doors open listening to the birds in the garden, what a nice way to eat breakfast.Lovely views across to the beach and the sea.Lots of people eating breakfast.

My husband ordered scampi and chips, the scampi casing was crispy but inside was something that resembled a pink slimy square that was the furthest thing from scampi they could have found.Salad garnish was a handful of mixed leaves, no attempt to make it presentable, chips were chips !!I had the potted crab which had little taste and accompanied by two tiny corners of toasted bread, not enough to finish the crab with, also had a bowl of sweet potato fries which were passable.Been here before for lunch but won’t return.We feel they are using poor quality frozen food but charging higher prices.Maybe look at suppliers or reduce prices to reflect quality.

We are local, had a day off together thought we'd try somewhere new. Unfortunately although staff were helpful and chipper the food was less impressive. Cold, soggy prawns for my open sandwich meant I left half of it and old dry coleslaw was another side which was left on the plate. I did let staff know but they didn't look surprised and gave me an apology. I paid up, left and found my family outside who had been followed out by the waiter who said no one had paid. Not great all round. Have emailed fire t to provide feedback. Awaiting a response. Real shame.

We often go here however this time our meal was a little disapointing. My black & blue burger was so dry i only ate half of it, the chips could of done with a few extra minutes of cooking time as they were barely cooked & i didnt like thd side salad it was very vinergary.. The waitress never asked if our meal was ok & could clearly see i hadn't eaten mine.We did notice that being a Thursday they were cooking a paella but this was not being served untill 7.30, this was a bit too late for us as we were already hungry as were many other diners who also ate before 7.30, shame as i love paella, 6.30pm is a much morw suitable time for most diners so i hope they cook it earlier in future.

This used to be a very nice place to have coffee and a lunch but has deteriorated badly over the last few months. It seems to be overrun with dogs, the service is pretty poor having to wait to order and even longer to get the food. It's a bit off putting hearing diners demanding their money back because of the long wait and having whom I think was the manager arguing with the customers. Not a good experience.

The very best located hotel and brasserie on the beach ........ Very good food ....... fantastic rooms . Great memories .

The Redhead and I were in need of a quick lunch. We kept it simple, sharing Starters rather than having a main. Keeping it simple with potted shrimps, prawn cocktail and scallops which ai had with a decent beer. Nice view, but not cheap.

Totally appalling! Dire service, dire food. A complete and utter total waste of money. Worse meal all 4 of us had in many years! Management seriously needs to be held accountable.

Had lunch with friends after a long break of visiting the Boathouse Bar restaurant.

For several years in succession we & a group have enjoyed the boxing day buffet.

This place is definitely on the up. Food has always been good but service has been variable. Management is now considerably improved and this morning we had a great breakfast experience. Very classy dishes were prepared rapidly and service was exemplary. I

Visited this hotel for dinner on a Friday evening in late October,once seated we looked at the menu and made our choices unfortunately it took the waitress around 10 minutes to actually come over and take our drinks order then a further 10 minutes to take our food order,when the food arrived it was well presented and tasted good would recommend the burgers and ham,egg and chips,we had desserts creme Bruder which were also very good,the views out to sea are amazing all in all a very pleasant evening.

we enjoyed our meal. The food was good. However the service was a bit slow, and they were not too helpful to a wheelchair user. I ended up putting the ramp up for their access while the staff continued chatting behind the bar.

After checking out of our hotel (4th November) at the end of a weekend stay, we wanted to have a coffee with friends before driving home again.

There was a reasonable menu with specials, although we noted some of their customers were not aware of this.

We stayed at the hotel for three nights, and knowing we would be tired, and having viewed the menu on line, we opted to eat in the hotel bar all three nights - also nothing in Deal on TA stood out.

an ok bar could do with a deep clean staff ok not really interested in what you want but end of season

Called in for lunch today & ordered the avocado & mushrooms on sour dough toast. Nothing wrong with the food but serving it on a 8"x 8" slate makes it difficult to eat without all the mushrooms falling all over the table. Even when the waiter placed it on the table a mushroom fell off! What is wrong with a decent sized plate to serve it on? And probably more hygienic. We were not impressed!

Must say didn't realize it was so big inside the lady that took are order Tina was lovely the food was delicious not what we were expecting even better so so yummy will be back again ...only one downside of the visit was the guy the bought the food out most off putting chewing gum I know that may sound petty but I work in customer service we would never do this

Visited here tonight with my husband and daughter. Very impressed with the quality of food and how quickly it came out of the kitchen. Definitely one of the best shepherd neame restaurants that we have visited. I would say the only thing that let it down was the poor service from our waitress although all other staff were on point and lovely. We will visit again and would not hesitate to recommend to family and friends.

Service - felt the waitress couldn’t be bothered but the waiter at the end was chirpy and pleasant. Our drinks were left on the side for a while. People who walked in after we ordered got their drinks before us. When the drinks did come, the tray just got put down on the table and she walked away.

Had lunch here today with a friend. She had fish & chips while I had ham egg & chips. The staff were very friendly, food was very good and what a superb location. We sat inside by a window but could still see the sea. We didn’t have to wait long for our food & the wine was good as well. The place was clean & comfy. Would happily recommend going here.

The Royal Hotel has an enviable position right on the Deal seafront. There has been an interesting fusion between the the traditional, old hotel building and the modern, stylish looking Boathouse which overlooks the beach. The Boathouse attractively houses the bar and restaurant which offers both casual dining and drinking possibilities.

We came here for lunch and were excited to see some really good offerings on the menu.

We visited the beach front ( lovely sea views ) Bar & restaurant for an early evening, summer supper, and we were not disappointed, the food and service were very good indeed. While, the beach, sea, et al, were lovely to behold.

We had lunch here yesterday, great location right on the beach, food was great and reasonably priced.

My wife and I have often visited Deal and wondered what the Boathouse side of The Royal was like. We shouldn't have bothered. We had to ask for the sticky table to be cleaned and it was wiped over missing most of the sticky surface. We ordered a starter to share of Camembert with rosemary and garlic served with raisin and walnut bread. It would have pleasant to have plates but after waiting to catch a servers eye to bring us plates we were forced to eat it as was, being careful avoid the sticky table. Still, at least the rock hard bread served as plates (sort of), see photo. My wife then bit into a 'raw' clove of garlic, so no passion that night then.

We called in for lunch with son and granddaughter after a walk on the prom.wife and son went to the bar .15 minutes later they returned saying the staff are arguing behind the bar and they have no ale. Whilst waiting in the garden/patio area I looked down at the table where we might be eating. A standard patio table but this had the addition of fag ends ,drinking straws, decomposing chips and God knows what else between the slats of the table top. Looking round at the food on other tables it looked of a very poor standard, didn't eat, won't go back, we live in Deal

Just had Sunday roast at the Royal, very very good. The beef was full of flavour and easy to eat, veg the same, Yorkshire pud to die for and lovely crisp and tasty roast potatoes. Totally recommended for £11.95, could not manage afters

Love this pub as a relaxing place to take the kids after a walk on the seafront.

Visited last night. Staff friendly but unattentive. Food was terrible. Poorly prepared and tasteless. Visit before was bad should have learnt from that lesson. Fine for a drink or a coffee but food is a a let down.

Ate here last night with family and dog. Friendly place that welcomes furry friends. Pleasant atmosphere right in the seafront with good selection of choice including veggie alternatives. Prices were good and wine reasonable

The restaurant was oh so busy, but the staff were friendly, attentive, and smiling. We were lucky to get a seat, and the service was quick, with some superb food, delivered piping hot, as though we were royalty. We visit this restaurant area at least once a week, which speaks volumes, and the staff and service has never failed to impress.

We like the Royal generally. This time we ordered a 'small plate' of battered squid. There was very little squid and a lot of battered. Not often we complain but did this time. No offer of recompense given. A shame because it's seldom we feel cheated like this.

Have eaten in the Royal several times and it is consistently good, service is always excellent. Great location in the warmer weather sitting outside for drinks or food.

Had lunch with a friend. We find that this venue is often very good and at other times not so good, a bit hit and miss. On this occasion it was disappointing. The burger that I had came in a large bun which I couldn't manage to eat. The burger was overcooked on one side, almost black and hard. My friend ordered an Eton Mess which looked very nice. However, although the meringue component was described as "crushed", there was absolutely no teace of meringue at all, just a lilac coloured cream "mountain" with a few halved strawberries at the bottom, one of which was inedible. We did speak to 2 members of staff and were given a refund rather than chancing another Eton Mess. The matter was dealt with promptly and without fuss, we couldn't fault the staff at all. We will return and hope next time for a better experience.

I took my mother out shopping and then off for a spot of late lunch. Mums idea to head in here, she loves it. It's warm, friendly and inviting.

been going here for years, they did have a spell of not being so good & food not up to its usual standard but thought we'd give it another go.. having recently gone here 16/11/17 p.m , the meal we both had was very very good, much better than previous visits. I don't know if they have changed the chef but the food was much much better than a month ago, will defiantly go back more often.. the waiting staff are also different to previous visits, much more friendly, smiley & helpful.

Lovely surroundings. Nice large eating area big enough for twins in a buggy next to a table of six (4...

My husband and I were staying at The Royal Hotel so ate in here in the first night. Let me...

Lovely location, food was good but it was like a 'bear garden'. Very noisy made worse by music played over...

We had lunch here today and very friendly welcoming staff. Super large size cod and perfectly cooked, crispy batter and moist fish. Needless to say chips & mushy peas were equally excellent. The freshly prepared salad had just the right amount of dressing. Thoroughly enjoyed the high standards set here and we would not hesitate to recommend a fine dining experience at The Royal Hotel, Deal.

Recientemente nos alojamos en oferta y comimos en el cobertizo dos veces. El personal es muy amable y la comida era buena. Lo recomiendo.

Th Boathouse Bar parece ser un popular lugar de encuentro para los locales, especialmente aquellos con perros. Es difícil conseguir un asiento en los fines de semana desde las 11:00 y por lo que sé que no puedo reservar. Bonito fuera zona de estar justo en la playa.

Fuimos a oferta para un día, y decidimos que queríamos comer en un sitio con asientos al aire libre. El primer lugar que miramos fue el Royal Hotel. El exterior es prácticamente un par de pasos de la playa. La comida fue entregada en un plazo de tiempo razonable y era preciosa y una excelente relación calidad-precio.

Perfect on a sunny morning being able to sit out the front with a great sea view. The breakfast was very good wasn't greasy at all and not too big. Bacon maybe a little under done but I like it crispy so that's just preference. Good service and polite staff. Great for dog walkers as able to take your furry friends in too.

Great hotel . Great location looking over the English Channel.Book a room and stay over ... try to book a sea view if at all poss .Stayed in an amazing room last evening with balcony ....Great .

We had both brunch and dinner at the Boathouse on a recent visit to Deal. Brunch was no frills but decent and quick service. Sitting on the deck In the morning sun was also awesome. Good value brunch but for the hungrier diners you may want extras. Dinner on the other hand was fantastic pub fare with one of the best children's menus we've seen (a selection of a main and any 2 sides for £5.95 with £1.00 extra for dessert). Couldn't recommend more. The burgers and nasi goreng for the adults were big crowd pleasers on our table and the staff were fabulous with our kids.

Popped in here for a few drinks after a morning spent browsing Deal High Street and the Saturday antique market. We arrived in the middle of the lunch time period but despite not wanting food were shown to a large table inside the bar area. Service was quick polite and efficient and we were served at our table which was a very pleasant surprise as we only wanted drinks and I would have been happy to wait at the bar. Our dogs were welcome too . Definitely a place to return to.

Good menu for both food and drinks. Staff is friendly and mostly attentive. Nice atmosphere but can get very busy at the weekends.

Lovely newly refurbished sea front bar / dining place with outdoor space. It combines contemporary and very well. Good selection of drinks. I would take a little detour if i was in the neighbourhood to go there and sit.

Came here for breakfast one morning. Food was lovely and so was service. Unfortunately i found it to be quite dirty. The tables werent cleaned, i ordered a tea and i could see the cup and milk jug was dirty. It alao felt gritty where it wasn't clean too. Shame as food was lovely and well presented

We walked down a very breezy seafront and were very nearly disappointed as the bar in the Royal was very busy. Our son was visiting and The Royal does a good vegetarian burger which he really enjoyed. Wine so good we had 2 bottles and desert (sharing chocolate sundae) was amazing. Friendly service as usual and altogether a very pleasant evening before a bracing walk home!

Eaten here often, never been dissapointed! Had breakfast on the balcony of our room. Good full English breakfast! Had lunch a few times, always a good choice and the same with dinner at night. Lovely friendly staff, couldn't fault it!

We took a friend for lunch before Christmas, he'd travelled from Scotland to London and came to Deal for the day. The food we ordered was ok but the service, on this day, was lacking. My husband, as he was driving, ordered a pot of tea. He had to ask twice for this. When the meals arrived, the bread ordered didn't come. Again we had to ask and wait for it. The food was fine. The bar wasn't very busy, average I'd say, so not really an excuse for slow/messy service. It was a shame that this happened on a day when we had a visitor with us.

Popped in here on New Years Day for dinner. The setting was lovely and our waitress was excellent. The food was good, and reasonably priced. We would visit again and possibly stay in the hotel next time.

Visited with a friend last week and this time everything we ordered was very good. I have found in the past that mealts vary in quality. We both had a nice, but quite small, savoury tart (cheese, carmelised onion and leek) on top of sald leaves accompanied by a delicious green tomato chutney. We then floowied up with an American style Cheesecake and Churros filled with caramel which came with a small cup of Espresso for dipping and vanilla ice cream. The caramel filled Churros were offered as there were no chocolate ones as advertised. I loved them and believe the choc. ones may have been too rich anyway, Service was good, waitresses now come to the tables to take orders instead of going to the bar to order. There were also tasteful Christmas decorations in place which gave the room (top one with the large fireplace) a lovely ambience. Will keep going and hope that the food is as good as this visit.

Love love love this place. Food good,staff friendly and welcoming. When in Deal this is the place for me.

On a cold day visited The Royal for a quick lunch with 2 others and a 3 year old. Ordered 3 cheese and chutney sandwiches, a portion of chips and from the children's menu ..chicken nuggets, cheese, salad and a wrap with a glass of milk.When the food arrived, the sandwiches were just about ok if you like 'doorstops' with very little filling and the typical bagged side salad. The chips tasted like they had been fried in old oil but it was the child's food that was disappointing. Very little chicken in very heavy dark brown dense crumb, a small ramekin of very mature grated cheddar and a wrap that looked and tasted like cardboard. Will probably go back but only for drinks and a packet of crisps!

The breakfast was excellent,and with the location right on the sea front it was great to eat outside. There is a well varied menu to chose from, and it was good value.

I have had some nice food here(pork belly and mash, fish and chips) and I have had the worst Sunday Roast I ever ate in a restaurant (luke warm, frozen veg and pots, thin, mean slices of meat, tasteless). It seems very hit and miss. Nice atmosphere and great position on the seafront (and if you Google it, you can see Paul Hogan starring in a Foster's ad shot here many years ago!)

Went to Deal with a friend and stopped for lunch at The Royal Hotel. This was the first time I had been to The Royal, and it won't be the last. A really good menu with lots of fish; I am a great lover of fish (my parents were fishmongers). The patio is a good place to eat when the sun is shining; there is a clear screen to keep off the notorious Deal wind. There is also a further seating area at the side of the hotel. We both had plaice, simply fried, with saute potatoes and mangetout. I thought the prices were reasonable for the quality. I don't think there is parking for the restaurant, although I`m not sure, but there is plenty of paid parking on the seafront and if you walk far enough there is free parking by the side of the road.

We stopped at the Royal Hotel for dinner and are very glad we did. We had an excellent table by the window looking out over the beach. The restaurant has been clearly taken upmarket since our last visit some years ago. This is a welcome change and has been well carried out. The food was excellent and the staff freindly. We had no issue with slow service mentioned by others. My only gripe is the kitchen door was propped open and we could hear loud music playing and staff shouting etc. It would be better if this went on behind closed doors.