The Whitstable Oyster Company in Canterbury

Had dinner here last summer. Awesome. Seafood is not the cheapest, but it’s worth it! Tip: the sunset after dinner

Excellent meal at the Whitstable Oyster Company - it can't get fresher than this! Beautiful location right on the beach and loved reading the history of the building which used to be a storage warehouse for oysters before becoming a restaurant. You can still see the stairs down to the beach level for fresh seafood and fish to be delivered directly. Delicious food and perfect ambiance for a romantic meal for two.

1st time visiting this restaurant, lovely atmosphere and staff 👌 it's not cheap but we felt the food was definitely worth it, we had a fantastic evening would highly recommend

Had an absolutely love evening with friends. Going in winter added an extra cosy touch, and the menu was still quite extensive considering we went out of season. Service was friendly and efficient. Especially loved the oysters to start and the whole crab was just devine!

I was there this summer and completely forgor to write my review, The Whitstable Oyster Company restaurant is a true culinary treasure that captures the essence of this charming coastal town. Situated right by the water, the ambiance is serene and picturesque, making it the perfect spot for a memorable dining experience. As you’d expect from a place with "oyster" in its name, the oysters here are absolutely sublime. Freshly harvested and served with precision, they are a must-try for seafood enthusiasts. Whether you prefer them natural, with a hint of lemon, or paired with one of their delicious accompaniments, each oyster is a celebration of Whitstable’s rich maritime heritage. Beyond the oysters, the menu offers a variety of seafood dishes that showcase the freshest local ingredients. From succulent fish to perfectly cooked crab and other seasonal specialties, every dish is crafted with care and attention to detail. Their wine selection pairs beautifully with the menu, enhancing the overall dining experience. The service is outstanding—professional, attentive, and warm. The staff take the time to make you feel welcome, offering recommendations and ensuring everything is perfect throughout your visit. Their passion for what they do is evident, and it adds a personal touch that elevates the entire experience. For anyone visiting Whitstable, the Whitstable Oyster Company restaurant is an absolute must. With its outstanding seafood, impeccable service, and idyllic location, it promises an unforgettable taste of this iconic seaside town.

Excellent sea food that's super fresh and cooked perfectly. Nice views out to the sea.

Ridiculous overpriced! Arrogant woman at the entry

I had battered fish and chips with mushy peas and tartare sauce. The components were distinctly average and no better or worse than your average chippy. The portion of fish was probably the smallest I have ever been served and, despite the up market location, a rip off at £25. On the plus side, the staff were very pleasant.

Review: Whitstable Oyster Fishery I recently visited the Whitstable Oyster Fishery with friends, and it was a fantastic experience. The decor has a charming New England vibe, setting a relaxed and inviting atmosphere. The staff were attentive yet easygoing, making us feel right at home. The menu offered plenty of gluten-free options, and our waitress was knowledgeable about food intolerances, which was a huge plus. We started with oysters, which were fresh and delicious—devoured by all of us! For mains, we each tried something different, and my sea bream was outstanding. Living in the Mediterranean, I eat a lot of fish, but their sea bream was on another level—thick, perfectly cooked, and full of flavor. I added a side of spinach for a fresh, green balance. Dessert was a delightful surprise, as they had a gluten- and lactose-free meringue with ice cream and fruit compote. It was the perfect finishing touch to a wonderful evening. Highly recommend for a memorable meal!

Excellent! From tasty and thoroughly prepared food, to a nice and cosy atmosphere with a view on the sea, and excellent service. Starting from the fresh an delicious seafood, very well cooked. What a fantastic experience, must try are of course the oysters, but we also had the sole meunière which is also highly recommended

A worthwhile visit. Really enjoyed the food

Delicious food, all the wait staff were so knowledgeable and helpful in giving recommendations for food and wine. I’d highly recommend the huss fish with capers and the diavolo cooked oysters

Had a really lovely dinner. Well worth a visit.

The service itself was excellent but I just think that the food wasn’t worth it for its price, except for the crab we got. We were quite disappointed by how small the oysters were when the restaurant is known for it!

Was a walk in booking at 4.30 on a sunny October Saturday Perfect food excellent quality and great service Haddock & bream perfectly cooked Bonus was sunset view over sea from our table Will definitely be returning

I recently went here with my wife for an unplanned birthday meal. Although we hadn't booked they were able to accommodate us without any waiting. It's a lovely location, nicely decorated, the staff were professional but not standoffish. Unfortunately they didn't have any raw oysters but the grilled ones with garlic, parmesan were lovely. The scallops were really good as were the fish and chips but I would have preferred a dressed crab to a potted crab. I tried their own brewed beer but it wasn't to my taste, no complaints though. It's good to try different things or you'll never know. A very nice mealwhich left us too full for a dessert. The choices looked very good though and we did try the wait and see approach but we were too well fed.

Lovely restaurant setting. Staff very helpful and engaging. Had the cod and chips, which were delicious and a healthy portion of both too. Thoroughly recommend and we will definitely be back next time we are in town.

Best oysters in town! Sea bass mouth-wateringly good. Went 3 times during 4 night stay at Hotel Continental (also good).

Expensive but really nice - couldn't fault it!

Fantastic service beautiful food lovely vib to the restaurant,well worth a visit

Special place with great food and a lovely team. The best place for oysters x looking forward to coming back. 😋

Delicious and fresh seafood in a very nice and cosy atmosphere. Best oysters I had in the Uk for sure !

Thoroughly enjoyed our meal here. The fattest and tastiest scallops I have ever seen :). The oysters are great too. All that combined with attentive and caring service - highly recommended.

Excellent scallops and ray here with old school mates, today.

Beautiful environment and food, although the oysters are more expensive than other shops, but it is worth a try to dine in an exquisite and unique seaside restaurant.

Top quality sea food and service in a great building. We had a table with sea view that made it even better. Would definitely return.

I booked at least 6 weeks in advance for our special 25th wedding anniversary - making it very clear that it was a special event & requesting a special table, preferably by the window. I was assured we had been allocated a beautiful table - even 24hr before when they called to confirm table - well it wasn’t - we looked at a staircase! When I spoke to manager to explain how disappointed I was - she literally lied to my face & tried to pretend looking at a staircase was a great table. Just admit you made a mistake - or your staff did - don’t BS me! We paid for the food - which I can’t fault! Just.very disappointed - didn’t quite match the evening I had planned.

Greeted by the restaurant's GM who offered me a cool sit at the little bar opposite to the kitchen. Great place for food, drinks and ambience!

Amazing food, wine selection, ambience. Foodie heaven all taking place in the lovely old building. Full of history and a great place to watch the sun go down.

The restaurant is charming inside and we were lucky enough to see the sunset over the oyster beds from our table. The staff were lovely. The scallops and the crab gratin were delicious starters. The Dover sole was perfectly cooked and the new potatoes and tender stem broccoli were perfect sides. We tried a nice local Kent white wine. We had a lovely evening with delicious food but it was expensive.

Had delicious food here before the Whitstable Oyster farm tour. Highly recommend both!

Came here yesterday with my partner. We hadn't booked, but the lady managed to fit us in during a busy lunchtime. I had never had oysters or fresh lobster ever. This was a fantastic first experience. We had the garlic and parmersan oysters to start. Admittedly, there were not what I thought. Really enjoyed them. And I have no words for the lobster that would do it justice. Overall amazing lunch date for us 😋😊

Very good oysters as well as boiled crab. Great ambience. Overpriced in my opinion (6 oysters, 1 crab, 1 fksh&chips, 1 beer, 1 glass of wine, 1 bottle of water, 1 espresso = 130 pounds)

Tried oysters for the first time here. I paid £2.50 to have severe food poisoning. Was a horrific experience.

Took my parents here for an anniversary meal and we had the most incredible time. Food was delicious, staff were attentive and helpful, and we really enjoyed the atmosphere. Highly recommended it for a special occasion.

Grilled oysters in garlic are superb

I’ve never visited Whitstable before, and a lover of seafood and a virgin for oysters my husband decided to surprise me with a trip here. I LOVED it. The staff were so friendly, the interior decor rustic, nautical and comfy. We couldn’t believe how busy it was for a lunchtime on a Tuesday… completely full! Our food was delicious - I had the crab and my husband had the lemon sole - and I’m glad to say that my first experience with oysters was a positive one (YUM). It was made even better that the view in front of me was where the very oysters I was eating came from. Absolutely blown away and I cannot WAIT to come back.

Great seaside setting with tantalisingly fresh oysters, raw and grilled, and delicious accompaniments. Friendly and efficient service. Will definitely return soon.

Was amazing our daughter and her partner took myself and husband there as joint birthday's

Book a meal for a Saturday night, what a lovely place, we sat outside but it was a beautiful evening, we'd had sun all day, the food was delicious, yes expensive but worth it and it was a special occasion, very helpful with allergies, would definitely recommend.

Xmas present vouchers for the Oyster Farm Tour on a Saturday morning at 8:30am, what an amazing present and what a fascinating insight into the farming of close to 4 million oysters per annum!! Loved every minute of it even the glass of vino at 10:30am to wash down our fresh rocks!!! Strongly recommend…..(if you like oysters)

Great staff and lovely atmosphere, enjoyed mackerel beautifully cooked and amazing fish and chips,would definitely recommend

one of the best restaurants on the coast, reservation essential

Incredible! The sea view is also amazing. The food is great and the service is brilliant

Did the oyster farming tour with this company it was incredible. Guide funny friendly and very knowledgeable. Tasting was amazing in the grading shed oysters delicious along with a chapel down sparkling highly recommended

It was very delicious. The service is top-notch. The oysters were incredibly delicious.

Wonderful place. Right next to the sea, so great place for people watching and seeing boats bobbing along. Delicious food. Great service

Beautiful place, food and service. Year after year they manage to keep their standards up. Exceptional fish/ seafood quality. Worth every penny.

Amazing food and nice set up, friendly atmosphere

Always a joy to eat here, although make sure you book a table as they are always very busy - a good sign in any restaurant! The food is super fresh, tastes amazing and would always be my first choice for somewhere to eat when we visit Whitstable. The staff are friendly, helpful and have just the right amount of presence without you feeling rushed to finish eating. I love it!

What a find this place is. Unbelievable food,service and atmosphere. Can't rate it enough. Definitely be back next time we are in town!

An absolutely wonderful night of exemplary, perfectly-cooked seafood, in a beautiful setting, buzzing with great ambience and watched over by highly-competent staff. Shared oysters (so beautifully fresh it really showed), hot house smoked salmon (amazing), dover sole meuniere (magnificent), roasted hake (also perfect), gelato and cheeses (sublime). Drinks are also to die for. It was a truly faultless and wonderful night - sure, it costs a lot to dine here - but you leave with a memory. It might have been one of my favourite nights out in a decade or more!

Was searching for grilled oysters in whitstable and finally found them here (they have fresh too). The black truffle and champagne butter grilled oysters were out of this world! Mussels unbelievable too. All good food. We were at a side bar as we didn’t book and still had the most attentive service, they really looked after us.

Excellent food and service. Lovely atmosphere too. Seafood was as fresh as they come!

Personally, I am very satisfied and the scenery is picturesque. The people in the town are very nice

Beautiful food. The major fault for me is the incredibly over inflated price for drinks and the 12.5% service charge. I know its discretionary but you're more likely to keep it if you make it 10%

Beautiful restaurant, great service, and lovely food. Fish and chips was massive and lots of options on oysters. Great cocktails too

Food delicious. Lovely setting right on the beach

Met by a very rude host who, before allowing us to even look at the menu, quizzed us on what we were going to eat, stating rudely that “you can’t just come here for drinks”! When we replied that we would get a few starters as it was already late afternoon, we were told that they couldn’t afford to give us a table for so little! The restaurant was more than half empty and we felt very belittled by the host, why should it matter what we wanted to eat? Very disappointing!

What an awful place, hosts are rude and uninterested in accommodating. Avoid this place.

The value for money at this restaurant is very disappointing. The meals are too plain and lack creativity. For example, their bream dish is simply a piece of bream served with three small potatoes—nothing else—for £33. There’s no sauce, nothing. The food is significantly inferior to other restaurants in the same price range, where the menus are thoughtfully crafted, and the dishes are rich and complex.

Wonderful meal and the staff we lovely. Highly recommend. Wish we’d ordered more oysters.

Food excellent - decor fantastic - waitress was lovely but the floor manager was unbelievably rude! We politely asked the waitress if we could move to an outdoor table as it would have been much better for our 2 year old daughter (who was being disruptive) - waitress asked manager and came back to apologetically say her manager said no - ok fine, end of story we thought… Then the floor manager came to our table apropos of nothing and quite aggressively explained that she had told us we couldn’t have an outdoor table when we arrived (she did, we were only asking as our daughter kept running outside) - I said all is well we just asked because of our daughter - she very dismissively said there are kids everywhere and walked off… There were no other children in the restaurant, no reservation signs on any other tables & the table we asked to move to was empty during our entire stay… Fair enough if that’s your policy, but I have never been spoken to with such rudeness in a restaurant in my life!

Amazing location, building with superb food. Great sunsets.

Nice if you like that sort of thing.

Some of the best fish I’ve ever eaten ! Genuinely delicious food but the worst service For a £200 Michelin rated meal I’m shocked at how bad the service was , no smiles , no asking about our trip and had to constantly chase to order food and drinks . Such a shame

My wife and I had a wonderful meal at The Whitstable Oyster Company. The food was just fantastic and the staff were friendly and helpful. Not cheap, but some things are just worth paying that little bit extra for!

Had a lovely meal with my son recently. This was his first time trying oysters so we ordered a few different starters as tapas instead of a main. Absolutely delicious and had a lovely waiter who made us feel very welcome.

Tried to get a table outside - I admit we hesitated and I know it was busy but the main waitress has attitude that needs addressing. I don’t appreciate her uppity manners nor her should have been here earlier comment . I’m sure the food is gorgeous but the service is not with a smile

Went in for lunch , 4 of us waited 45 minutes for fish and salad , restaurant was not busy! Fish was excellent, the best I’ve had But the salad was disappointing, just a hand full of green leaves, no tomatoes,no onions, no dressing, expected more from a quality restaurant

Just great. Late lunch with fantastic oysters and scallops and great fish for a main. Attentive, helpful and happy staff.

Amazing restaurant serving the most fresh and delicious seafood. We had a wonderful evening, thanks to lovely staff, food and ambience ♥️

Fish and seafood restaurant, but for picky eaters used to Italian cuisine is classic.

Apparently been booked out for the last 1.5 hours… Similar situation with the inside tables. Went elsewhere. Won’t bother wasting time trying here again. Obviously prefer to look empty at lunch time on a Friday instead of accommodating paying customers… 🤷🏽‍♂️🤦🏽 #Empty

Fresh Oysters are great! May try other seafood next time!

Went with my partner and we both got food poisoning

Beautifully cooked and presented scallops for starters, the mains were lovely too as were the desserts. The staff were cheerful and helpful. A bit pricey maybe, but worth it.

We where a little overwhelmed by the many restaurant options in Whitstable and chose this place by appearance and google rating - and havent regretted it at all. Located right at seafront, bright and cozy interior. Went here with our 1-year old and the staff was lovely, welcoming and very helpful. Food was absolutly delicious, we had oysters, fish'n chips (with homemade tartar sauce) and mussels in an incredible cider sauce. Prices are a little high.

Really excellent. All the dishes were cooked and presented perfectly and the service was excellent. I highly recommend this place

Price-performance ratio is not quite right

Food was great. Thought it was a little overrated in terms of atmosphere being a bit lacking but the food was excellent. Quite pricey but get what you pay for with food.

A delicious late lunch here this week. Relaxing atmosphere, excellent service and very good food and wine. My only slight niggle was that the moules weren’t piping hot as I like them but that may be because they waited a few minutes to serve them at the same time as the other dish we’d ordered which was excellent. Overall, a very good meal.

This was my 1st visit to Whitstable oyster Co. We were celebrating a 50th birthday!! The food was amazing We all had a wonderful time. Great service staff very friendly lovely atmosphere. I had pan fried scallops in a herb + garlic juice for starters + beer battered fish with scrummy chips. Would highly recommend. Well done W/stable oyster co.

Went here for lunch with friends recently for the firs time . Wonderful menu,food excellent ,staff very attentive . Will be going back

Gorgeous oyster bar with very local produce. Indoor and outdoor seating is available. It gets quite busy during peak times and seasons so recommend booking ahead. The food was delicious but the cocktails were standout. We tried the Oystertini and the Bloody Mary shooter, both come with oysters and if you are a savoury cocktail fan these really hit the mark. Very ingenious pairings and concepts. We shared the moules (which were slightly cold), crab gratin, scallops and the grilled oysters Royale. The scallops were cooked to perfection, tender and the garlic butter sauce was an excellent addition. The grilled oysters were flavoursome and still juicy. The gratin could have had more crab flavour as the cheeses were the main flavour.

A very good lunch, scallops and halibut cooked to perfection. Not cheap but worth every penny and definitely recommended.

Delightful meal, fish was superbly cooked & oysters in garlic & samphire divine, highly recommended 👌

Popped in on a Thursday at 1500 for some drinks. Walked in and an older lady approached and we asked for a table for 7 with 2 kids and was told they was full. I enquired about the garden as I had already seen there was only 2 tables of people outside and lots of spare tables and was told it was too windy so they were not serving outside. ( this was clearly not true as there was people outside just drinking and it was barely windy). I then again repeated it was just for drinks and the women replied “this is a restaurant we don’t do just drinks” at this point I said ok but could I use the toilet and she said “well it’s a bit late now”. Won’t be returning. Even if it is just a restaurant there is no need to speak to people so rudely when they’ve not been like that with you. Also if there’s table free id think you’d want some people to buy some drinks.

We were extremely lucky to visit on a perfect summer evening. We dined outside in warm evening sunshine, can't remember much else, perfect.

The food and setting are lovely however for the price I would expect better service. It took a good 15-20 mins for someone to take our order and then our food came before our drinks, which we then had to chase up. We then had to ask multiple staff for the bill and then to pay. As it was busy you would have thought they would want the table back asap. Paying a 12.5% standard service charge I would expect the staff to be more attentive.

Really delicious selection of fresh seafood and unique flavours! We had the grilled oysters (the Royale was out of this world), crab tartine and Thornback ray wing with capers - all were absolutely delicious! We had a wonderful table by the windows which was perfect for a sunny day (we couldn’t sit outside as you have to book this in advance). Definitely recommend for a nice meal in Whitstable!

Well I must say if you're going to spend £24 X2 on fish and chips I would certainly expect a bit more than what you can get from a chip shop on the high street. The cod was watery and the batter was well just tasteless and not crispy at all. Was as if it had not been cooked at a high enough heat and was just soft and dripping in grease and tasteless. Chips were ok but worth £24 each!?Absolutely not. No Michelin star ⭐ on this occasion. Not sure that all the reviews are genuine. Was a hot day but no fans going inside so was sweltering.

After having what my husband and I thought was delicious, he had traditional rock oysters, I had the garlic butter and parmesan, we both had fish and chips, and he had flour less chocolate cake and I had the Eton Mess, we had tap water and 2 glasses of wine and beer between us. Not long after coming out of the restaurant I had to go down an alley way by someone's drive and was violently sick, on our way home to Epsom Surrey my husband had to stop off at a service station and had violent Diarrhoea and also when we got home, later that night I myself had Diarrhoea too and it cost £142.00 for the whole meal, it's just put a damper on the restaurant and doesn't want us to come again unfortunately.

food looked amazing, however the service left a bad taste in our mouths. Given the high prices, we would expect a service which is more aligned with similar venues at the same price point. We were made to feel very uncomfortable at points; concluding with the staff pressuring us to pay the bill early while we were still enjoying our experience, which was significantly disrupted by the poor manners of the waiting staff. Another note - there were swarms of flies surrounding the beams and fishing rope on the roof inside the restaurant which was quite off-putting.

Lovely place, incredible oysters, very good and nice service. A place to go.

All very good until the bill asked for - then very slow and pretty awful…

What an amazing restaurant, ate out four times within whitstable and this was by far the best food option within the town, the drinks and food were both great and the vibes of the restaurant are unmatched

Had a lovely meal here with a nice sea view. The oysters were the freshest and therefore, tastiest I've ever had.

If you love oysters and fish, it's ace.

Everything is very expensive! Well prepared Overpriced oysters and fish!