Pubs and bars in Whitstable

The Old Neptune

Weatherboarded pub right on the shingle beach off Island Wall, on this spot since the 1850s, with outside seating looking across the estuary to the Isle of Sheppey. Ask for plastic glasses to take drinks onto the beach, and expect live music at weekends. It may close early on quieter winter weekdays.

Marine Terrace, CT5 1EJ

5 min walk from the High Street

Mon-Wed 11:30am-9:30pm · Thu-Sat 11:30am-11pm · Sun noon-9pm

Pearson's Arms

Wood-panelled pub almost on the beach at Horsebridge, with a bar and snug downstairs and a restaurant upstairs looking over the bay. Known for a long cocktail list, with live music on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and a £5 pint offer Monday to Wednesday from noon to 8pm.

Sea Wall, Horsebridge, CT5 1BT

2 min walk from the High Street

Mon-Tue noon-10pm · Wed-Thu noon-11pm · Fri-Sat noon-midnight · Sun noon-10pm

Quayside

Brakspear pub close to the harbour on Harbour Street, formerly the Punch, with a food focus on seafood favourites, Brakspear Gravity on cask, sport on TV and outdoor seating.

67 Harbour Street, CT5 1AG

Mon-Tue noon-4pm · Wed-Thu noon-9pm · Fri-Sat noon-11:30pm · Sun noon-7pm

The Lobster Shack

Beach bar and seafood restaurant at the far end of the East Quay, formerly the Whitstable Brewery Bar, with big picture windows over the estuary and beers from Whitstable Brewery. Run by the Whitstable Oyster Company. Card payments only and no reservations; autumn hours are noon to 7:30pm.

East Quay, Whitstable Harbour, CT5 1AB

3 min walk from Harbour Street

Daily noon-7:30pm (autumn hours)

The Sea Farmer's Dive Taproom

Seafront taproom at Horsebridge with a cosy fireside room and diving and seafaring decor, serving local and craft lagers, ales and ciders alongside oysters, with outside seating looking out to sea. There are no toilets on site.

The Barrel Store, Horsebridge Road, CT5 1BU

1 min walk from Harbour Street

Mon-Thu noon-9:30pm · Fri-Sat noon-9:45pm · Sun noon-9pm

Duke of Cumberland

Grade II listed Shepherd Neame inn near the beach on the High Street, reopened as an eight-bedroom hotel after a £1.8m refurbishment in 2023 while keeping its large bar. An inn has stood on the site for over 300 years.

2 High Street, CT5 1BQ

Mon-Sat 11am-11pm · Sun 11am-10pm

Royal Naval Reserve

The oldest pub on the High Street, built in 1760 and renamed from the Rose in 1876, now a Shepherd Neame house with a mezzanine restaurant and a sunny rear beer garden. Listed until 11:30pm every night, though it may close earlier when quiet.

28-30 High Street, CT5 1BQ

Mon-Sun 11am-11:30pm

Ship Centurion

Family-run free house on the High Street, known for German beers such as Bitburger alongside Kentish cask ales, and for live sport on Sky and TNT. Live music on Thursday evenings from March to December, and Sunday roasts from noon to 5pm.

111 High Street, CT5 1AY

Mon-Thu 10:30am-11pm · Fri-Sat 10:30am-11:30pm · Sun 10:30am-7pm

Lazy Lobster

Small corner pub on Sea Street, about 50 yards from the beach and the High Street, renamed from the Prince Albert in July 2024 and now also a seafood restaurant. Local artists' work hangs inside and in the patio courtyard.

Sea Street, CT5 1AN

1 min walk from Harbour Street

Mon-Sun noon-11pm

Smack Inn

Back-street local on Middle Wall made from two former fishermen's cottages and named after the oyster boats, with a beer garden lined with colourful beach huts and screens for sport. Log fire in winter.

34-36 Middle Wall, CT5 1BJ

1 min walk from the High Street

Mon-Thu noon-10pm · Fri-Sat noon-11pm · Sun noon-8pm

New Inn

Backstreet Shepherd Neame local dating from 1860, between the harbour and the shops, with a long narrow bar and a back room for pool and darts. Known for its gins and malt whiskies, with quiz and bingo nights and pizza on Friday evenings.

30 Woodlawn Street, CT5 1HG

1 min walk from Harbour Street

Mon-Thu noon-11pm · Fri-Sat noon-11:30pm · Sun noon-10pm

The Fountain

Victorian backstreet corner pub near the main shopping streets, with two changing cask ales from local breweries such as Canterbury Ales and Wantsum, a free pool table and pavement seating on Bexley Street. Open mic night on the first Monday of the month.

29 Sydenham Street, CT5 1HW

1 min walk from Harbour Street

Mon-Sat noon-11pm · Sun noon-10pm

Coach and Horses

Traditional Shepherd Neame pub on Oxford Street in buildings licensed since the 17th century, its walls hung with pictures of old Whitstable. Live sport, live music and a suntrap courtyard garden. The kitchen is being reopened, so check before going for food.

37 Oxford Street, CT5 1DB

Mon-Sat 10am-10pm · Sun 11am-10pm

The East Kent

Shepherd Neame pub on Oxford Street dating from 1802, reopened in autumn 2025 under new hosts with small plates, Sunday roasts, two for one cocktails on weekdays from 5pm to 7pm and live music. Dogs on a lead are welcome.

72 Oxford Street, CT5 1DA

Mon closed · Tue-Thu noon-10pm · Fri noon-11pm · Sat noon-11:30pm · Sun noon-8pm

The Peter Cushing

Wetherspoon in Whitstable's former art deco cinema on Oxford Street, named after the actor Peter Cushing, who lived in the town. Open from 8am with alcohol from 9:30am, with regular beer and cider festivals, local cask ales, a lift and an accessible toilet.

16-18 Oxford Street, CT5 1DD

Mon-Thu 8am-11pm · Fri-Sat 8am-11:30pm · Sun 8am-11pm

Handsome Sam

Cat-themed micropub in a former shop on Canterbury Road, opened in 2014 and named after the founder's cat. Mostly Kent cask ales and Biddenden cider served straight from a cooled cellar room, with water and treats for dogs.

3 Canterbury Road, CT5 4HJ

2 min walk from Oxford Street

Mon-Thu 1pm-9:30pm · Fri-Sat noon-11pm · Sun noon-9:30pm

Two Brewers

Wood-panelled pub on Canterbury Road in a building licensed since the 1600s, keeping its original Flint's Brewery windows. The large rear garden has a bat and trap pitch and an aviary, and there is parking at the front.

72 Canterbury Road, CT5 4HD

4 min walk from Oxford Street

Mon-Thu noon-11pm · Fri-Sat noon-midnight · Sun noon-3pm

Porto Wine Bar

Portuguese wine bar on Harbour Street with over 90 wines and 50 ports by the glass, Super Bock on tap and petiscos (Portuguese small plates) to share.

61 Harbour Street, CT5 1AG

Hours not published. Call before you go.

Vinko

Sommelier-run wine shop and bar on Harbour Street, pouring wines from smaller producers around the world, including English and Kentish bottles, with a short menu of charcuterie, fish and cheese.

15 Harbour Street, CT5 1AQ

Hours not published. Walk-ins only.

The Twelve Taps

Craft beer and gin bar on the High Street with twelve keg lines, including a dedicated gluten-free line, flights of thirds and its own Whitstable Gin. Sunny courtyard at the back, and dogs on leads are welcome.

102 High Street, CT5 1AZ

Mon closed · Tue-Thu 5pm-10:30pm · Fri 5pm-11:30pm · Sat 1pm-11:30pm · Sun 1pm-9pm

Rock Lodge

Ski lodge-themed bar and restaurant on Oxford Street with faux fur throws and alpine sports on the screens, which turns into a live music venue when bands play. Named second in Kent Online's best cocktail bars in Kent for 2026, and dogs are welcome.

15-17 Oxford Street, CT5 1DB

Mon-Wed closed · Thu 11am-11pm · Fri noon-midnight · Sat 11am-midnight · Sun noon-6pm

Amedea

Half-Croatian cafe and bar at the top of Oxford Street with a sunroom and outdoor patio, serving coffee, beers, cocktails and Croatian and Balkan wines alongside meat and cheese boards and burek.

3 Oxford Street, CT5 1DB

Mon 10am-9pm · Tue 10am-10pm · Wed closed · Thu 10am-10pm · Fri-Sat 10am-11pm · Sun noon-10pm

Whitstable Harbour Gin Store and Bar

Small bar and shop for Whitstable Harbour Gin, where you can sample its London dry made with sea buckthorn and samphire and its Kentish Pink, drink at the bar, or buy bottles, hampers and a takeaway G&T for the beach.

4-5 Harbour Street, CT5 1AG

Hours not published, so check before you go.

Tidehouse

Seafront bar and restaurant on Beach Walk, opened in September 2025, with a largely Italian-inspired menu, a fish counter and a terrace with sea views. Look out for cockles, oysters, cured salmon, Ramsgate crab and charcuterie boards.

5 Beach Walk, CT5 2BP

8 min walk from Harbour Street

Mon-Tue noon-8pm · Wed-Thu 10am-9pm · Fri 10am-11pm · Sat 9am-11pm · Sun 9am-8pm · Monday and Tuesday times are printed unclearly on its site, so check

Rose in Bloom

Joy Lane pub built in 1898 and named after an oyster boat, with a restaurant and garden looking out over the Thames and Swale estuaries, a good spot at sunset. Live music, barbecues and sport on Sky and TNT.

69A Joy Lane, CT5 4DD

16 min walk from Oxford Street

Mon noon-9pm · Tue-Sat 11:30am-11pm · Sun 11:30am-7:30pm · CAMRA notes the pub site shows different seasonal times, so check

The Monument

Village-style pub in 17th-century buildings opposite All Saints Church on the edge of town, with a games bar showing Sky and TNT sport, a quieter bar and a separate dining room. Garden, parking and petanque, plus quiz, poker and live music nights.

32 Church Street, CT5 1PH

19 min walk from Oxford Street

Mon-Sat 11am-midnight · Sun noon-midnight

Marine Hotel

Shepherd Neame hotel on Marine Parade in Tankerton, with a bright bar and a patio looking over the Tankerton Slopes to the sea. Food runs from breakfast through to 9:30pm, and dogs are welcome in the bar.

32-33 Marine Parade, CT5 2BE

20 min walk from Harbour Street

Mon-Sun 10am-11pm

Ales & Blooms

Tankerton Road ale bar and shop, formerly Ales & Antiques, which changed hands and name in March 2026 and now has a flower shop at the rear. Three changing ales plus wine and gin, with cheese and charcuterie boards in the south-facing garden from Thursday to Sunday.

136 Tankerton Road, CT5 2AN

21 min walk from Harbour Street

Mon closed · Tue-Thu 4:30pm-9:30pm · Fri 3pm-11pm · Sat 1pm-11pm · Sun 1pm-9:30pm

Tankerton Arms

Good Beer Guide micropub in Tankerton's parade of shops, in the former HSBC bank, with four changing cask ales, Kent ciders and a range of gins. Front patio, and a snug at the back for 10 to 12 people that can be booked.

135 Tankerton Road, CT5 2AW

22 min walk from Harbour Street

Mon closed · Tue-Thu noon-9:30pm · Fri-Sat noon-10:30pm · Sun noon-9:30pm

The Royal

Large Shepherd Neame pub on Marine Parade with a big restaurant area and plenty of room for drinkers, plus a patio garden overlooking the Tankerton Slopes and the sea. Pool table, and a quiz on the last Monday of the month.

64 Marine Parade, CT5 2BB

26 min walk from Harbour Street

Mon-Sat 11am-11pm · Sun noon-10:30pm

The Wheatsheaf

Greene King pub and restaurant on Herne Bay Road with a beer garden, live football and other sport on TV, and Sunday roasts. Family and dog friendly, with a car park; food is served until 21:00 (20:30 on Sundays).

74 Herne Bay Road, Swalecliffe, CT5 2LU

40 min walk from Harbour Street

Mon-Sat 11:30am-11pm · Sun 11:30am-10pm

Brickfield Micropub

Swalecliffe's first micropub, opened in December 2023 in a former takeaway as a sister pub to The Handsome Sam, pouring four changing cask ales plus Kentish cider. Front tables and a large garden at the back, skittles and bat and trap on Wednesday evenings, and a monthly quiz.

80 Herne Bay Road, Swalecliffe, CT5 2LX

42 min walk from Harbour Street

Mon-Thu 1pm-9pm · Fri-Sat noon-10pm · Sun noon-9pm

Oyster Pearl

18th-century brick pub on the Seasalter coast road, formerly the Blue Anchor and once used by smugglers, now a pub restaurant mixing British and Asian dishes with a seafood focus. Live music on Saturdays and an open mic night on the third Tuesday of the month.

185 Faversham Road, Seasalter, CT5 4BJ

42 min walk from Oxford Street

Mon-Thu noon-11:30pm · Fri-Sat noon-12:30am · Sun noon-11:30pm

Oyster Bed

Pub on the Thanet Way at Chestfield serving real ale and a restaurant menu with rotisserie chicken as a speciality, with a beer garden, children's play areas and free parking. Takes reservations.

Thanet Way, Chestfield, CT5 3JE

44 min walk from Oxford Street

Mon-Sun 11:30am-11pm

The Plough

1930s roadhouse pub in Swalecliffe with some original features restored, split between a restaurant and a bar, serving cask ales including Greene King IPA and Doom Bar. Food daily, live music most Fridays, Sky Sports, a garden and parking; dogs welcome away from the restaurant.

100 St John's Road, Swalecliffe, CT5 2RN

3.6 km from Harbour Street

Mon-Sat 11am-11pm · Sun noon-11pm

Chestfield Barn

Historic 14th-century Shepherd Neame bar and restaurant in Chestfield with oak beams, an open log fire in winter and a garden with a koi carp pond in summer. Book to dine inside; dogs are welcome in the downstairs bar.

101 Chestfield Road, Chestfield, CT5 3LU

3.7 km from Oxford Street

Mon-Thu 11am-10pm · Fri-Sat 11am-11pm · Sun 11am-8pm

Royal Oak

Family pub on Blean Common, reopened with a new operator, with a newly renovated garden, a conservatory dining area and a games room. Phone to reserve a table; dogs welcome.

140 Blean Common, Blean, CT2 9JJ

6.7 km from Oxford Street

Mon-Thu noon-10:30pm · Fri-Sat noon-11:30pm · Sun noon-10:30pm

Hare at Blean

Former Hare and Hounds on Blean Hill, recently reopened under new management serving Latin American street food, with a large garden, a real fire and parking. Dogs welcome; CAMRA advises checking hours as food times may vary.

4 Blean Hill, Blean, CT2 9EF

7.2 km from Oxford Street

Mon-Tue closed · Wed-Sat noon-11pm · Sun noon-7pm