The Charles Dickens Reviews Summary

Food Quality

Pros:

• "The food was amazing and the band was the perfect end to a perfect evening!"
• "Very busy pub with excellent food which makes it very popular."
• "The food is excellent, we were really happy with the fish and chips and the cheeseburger, much better than average pub food."
• "Had the veggie full English breakfast- which was fab, plenty of food and cooked perfectly."
• "Our meals were amazing so fresh and cooked to perfection."
• "The roast here was cooked to perfection. Good portions with flavour throughout."
• "The food was just wow - best roast I've had in a while, and the lemon creme brulee was beautiful."

Cons:

• "The foccacia had to be the most uninspiring thing I've ever tried."
• "Paid £10 for a full English that I refused to eat as tasted like perfume."
• "The leek and potatoe soup was very watery."
• "Wife's Plaice was a little too salty for her taste."
• "The Mushroom Risotto was inedible... very dry and undercooked."
• "The crab sauce looks like someone poured 2 teaspoons on it."
• "The couscous was oily, the sea bream slightly over cooked."

Service

Pros:

• "Staff were clearly rushed off their feet, yet all happy, smiling, friendly, and never made us feel rushed."
• "Very helpful staff who were happy to charge my mobile."
• "The service was first class and the two ladies who served us were so friendly and polite."
• "Our host Madeline couldn’t have been more kind and helpful."
• "The service was wonderfully polite and quick despite several people needing serving."
• "Had a fantastic time last night, the staff were incredible especially Lottie nothing was too much trouble."
• "Staff incredibly friendly."

Cons:

• "Inexperienced FOH staff who need training on customer service."
• "Staff polite albeit slow, do not see you waiting through the tall beer pumps and engines."
• "The service was poor and the two star rating is due to this and not the food which was plentiful and tasty."
• "After half an hour we still hadn't received our tea and coffee."
• "Some of the staff were quite rude, did not make us feel very welcome."
• "Very poor customer service."
• "Staff seemed unhappy and too young - no care took when taking orders for food."

Ambiance & Location

Pros:

• "The atmosphere was exactly what you would expect from this old Dickensian seaside town."
• "Upstairs room with views out across Viking Bay."
• "Great views over the channel and nice ambiance."
• "And our table had the Broadstairs coastline as our view..spectacular"
• "Sat upstairs with lovely views and a general good environment."
• "All the ingredients for a lovely pub. Views out to sea, plenty of muted TVs to keep up with Wimbledon, cask Adnams Ghost Ship and good food."
• "Excellent food and great location overlooking Broadstairs beach."

Cons:

• "The kitchens are a bit close to the eating area and the extractor fan noise was a constant irritation."
• "The restaurant itself is a bit tired and probably is in need of a refit."
• "Found the smell of cooking oil overwhelming."
• "Marred only by the 'playground' atmosphere on a Bank Holiday caused by young children racing around the bar."
• "It's definitely not a gastro pub to my mind! really dated decor, food not gastro standard either!"
• "The only thing that spoilt it was a party of about 24 people which half were children. It was extremely noisy with children running around screaming and shouting around our table so sadly it spoilt our day."
• "Like if McDonald’s did pubs. Dickens would have hated it."

Value

Pros:

• "Good quality gadtro pub at reasonable prices very nice scallop starter in particular."
• "Prices are reasonable."
• "Very well priced and generous seafood platter and a top notch Sunday roast."
• "Prices excellent."
• "Price about normal not cheap but not OTT."
• "Food is always good and well presented."
• "Reasonably priced, nice staff and decor."

Cons:

• "Good food but not much on the plate for the price."
• "A tad expensive."
• "Breakfast was expensive and we could not eat it, all the sausages were raw and pink in the middle."
• "Very expensive food - £9 for a kids meal and £18 for a main is steep in a place with Wetherspoons vibes."
• "Had mixed roast dinner... which was way overpriced, a small chunk of pork belly, and a single slice of beef! and a few roasties, veg, and yorkshire pudding for £22.00, i think, that is pretty poor value."
• "Fish and chips 16.50 and a kids meal was 5.50 for one course."
• "Food expensive."