The Dolphin in Canterbury

Nice pub that does food. It is an old building, so expect to squeeze past people when busy. The service is good when the bar staff are paying attention and not chatting amongst themselves! I did see some wait 5 plus mins to get a drink. Food is good, but some let downs, don't bother with the baked alaska, it was terrible, like burnt shaving foam topping a bath sponge. Genuinely gross. The rest of the food was good. There are locals at this pub, bless 'em. You will get the typical bar flies talking guff, it's all part of the 'charm'. Honestly worth a visit, manage your expectations.

Loved it! Made reservations at the Parrot but we were late and they gave our table away. I am so glad because this place was so fun and delicious. The staff made it even more amazing. They were packed but quickly pulled a table and chairs to accommodate us. If you're in town you have to go to the Dolphin.

Went for lunch and the Christmas menu which was tasty the Pork roast with crackling was nice and the Turkey dinner with pigs in blanket.

Great pub ,good atmosphere with characters inside. Do try it for food too.

This gastro pub is a must if you're in Canterbury. We come every year for the Christmas roast, ordered the trio of turkey, beef, gammon with literally all the trimmings (and added cauliflower cheese and extra pigs in blankets). Relaxed service, beautiful food, see you next Christmas!

Late morning visit, no one serving at the bar for 2 mins, limited selection of beer and the one I selected, TT Landlord, was just about drinkable.

Very nice pub food nice staff we arrived quiet late around 9pm midweek with no booking but we're treated very nice and the service and food were great

I went with a group of over 20 people and the waiter was quick and helpful

Very nice pub with good food, although the menu could be a bit more adventurous. The service was good and all the staff were polite and efficient. I've marked it down one star because the Ladies loos, although clean, were in need of an update ie new mirror and better seats that fit the bowl.

Popped in for a roast really really good.

That's the place you want to stay for long. Great people, good food, top atmosphere! The pie was just perfect!

What a good team a must to do when in Canterbury

My auntie who is non-verbal autistic was refused entry to this pub as she can be vocal. Her carer was told she was being too noisey. The anger I feel I cannot even express. I honestly thought the world had become more inclusive. This pub is still living in the 17th Century. Disgusted is an understatement. I will never spend a penny of my money in this bigoted disgrace of a place.

Great traditional pub beer good didn't try food (although menu looks good)but had a pickled egg and crisps very nice bar staff very pleasant

Our first visit here was enjoyable—good food, albeit with somewhat slow service. On our second visit, the food remained good, but the service was even slower. Our third visit was a disaster. We arrived to an empty dining area, waited 15 minutes without any service, and I finally went to the bar. The young bartender told me he couldn’t serve and the waitress would come soon. She eventually appeared but seemed more interested in her phone than her tables. After 25 minutes of waiting, we left and went elsewhere, but since it was full, we reluctantly returned. This time, they noticed us and took our order right away. We then waited. And waited. After 40 minutes with still no food, the manager noticed me looking and casually said, “your food will be there in a minute, it’s because of the big booking.” Another 20 minutes passed before our food finally arrived. The beef burger was bland, underseasoned, with maybe seven chips on the plate—for £16. Yes, there was a large family booking, but to make the only other guests wait an hour and twenty minutes for burgers, blaming it on “a big group of 12 in the other room,” is ridiculous. How would they handle anything busier? We’re done with this place.

We met up with some friends here for Sunday lunch and it was excellent!!

Very friendly (and kid friendly) staff and great atmosphere.

Value for money. Friendly staff. But really do not agree with obligatory service charge. I prefer it to be optional. You are presented with a bill that incorporates automatically a significant service charge. Will avoid this establishment until it changes the practice. Returned. Excellent meal. Small plates are not small. Very generous proportions. Friendly cheerful staff. A little wait but not excessive. No longer mandatory service charge. So were rightly awarded with discretionary tip. Will gladly return.

Voor een borrel en hapje kan je hier goed terecht. Een echte aanrader is de 8 hr Slow Roasted Pork Belly, nog nooit zo lekker gehad. Ga lekker zitten en pak een spelletje en je hebt een heerlijke tijd.

The Sunday Roast lunch was delicious and very hearty. The staff was friendly and very helpful! It is a beautiful pub that welcomes dogs. We enjoyed our time there.

The food was disappointing (Greek salad was not a good choice), but everything else was okay.

Nice place, informal, well looked after. Excellent food, excellent English and non-English beers. I would have given 5 stars, but they don't do takeaway, we had an emergency with my son and we had to look elsewhere.

Booked for dinner, with friends and family, at 6.30pm. Pleasant staff but we really did not want to wait approximately one and a half hours for the food. Apparently only 2 on in the kitchen & the place was very busy. It was a long time to wait while sitting on wooden benches! The food, when it arrived, was ok - for me 5/6 out of ten. Price was ok. Not worth the wait.

We enjoyed some very well cooked English dishes. As French, we are delighted 😍 the servers are very pleasant 👍

Excellent pub! Friendly staff. The very generous fish and chips are just perfect and excellent! Place not to be missed!

Popped in for lunch made really welcomed. Lovely staff

Always a good beer here and the garden is unbeatable inside Canterbury city centre.

Wine off! Took one sip and asked if they could change it! Bar woman then man rude! Told me. I was wrong! Left me standing around for ages then said they wouldn’t help me. Disgraceful, will never go back.

Food was good. The experience was ruined by a member of staff (possibly a manager), loudly complaining about our drinks order. Went on for about 10 minutes. We ordered a glass of sparkling wine from the wine menu. Bottle was priced at £60 but as clearly labelled on the wine menu they were selling by the glass. Would understand if it wasn’t on the menu but it clearly was.

Even though it was quite busy, the service was perfect. Excellent food and drink.

Having booked a table, we were told they wouldn't serve us unless we went to the bar. The wait at the bar was a chaotic mess and 20 minutes long. Food for the group stumbled out slowly across the hour.

Horrible manager. I expect some kind of rude reply as they clearly dont care about complaints here. Food dripping in oil also.

Love the place!!💖 Good food, good beers, good pimps 🍹 Love the ambiance and the terrace 💖🍻🍹

Lovely meal and great service in a lovely location

Quick lunchtime visit. Friendly staff food was really good. Enjoyed the sunshine in the beer garden.

Was Tuesday dinnertime so quiet in pub. Staff were friendly, bringing a bowl of water out for the dog, without asking. Dogs obviously more then welcome anywhere in pub. Food was brought out quickly and hot. Good size portion. Phone was ringing throughout taking booking so obviously a popular venue. Would use again if in area

We LOVED the toffee pudding! The cider was also very delicious and paired well with the dessert. We got there just as the sun was coming out so we got a chance to enjoy the sunshine in the garden. Definitely come here for the dessert!

Foul mouthed rude bar man. Had just popped into have a quiet drink to reflect on something and had to listen to absolutely disgusting rant by Bar man/Manager to other staff few customers also had pleasure of hearing! C words and F words gallore. Left and when i complained how awful it was to hear he laughed and shouted byeeee at me. Urgh! Wont be back.

Nice pub that is just outside the main "high street", can be pricey depending on what you have but the food is really good and accommodates dietary requirements, staff are friendly and are quick to fix issues when they arise.

Brilliant burgers , large garden and a lovely atmosphere

Always good food good service and good times.

Amazing pub with spacious beer garden, friendly staff, and delicious food. Free board games guarantee a good time with friends and family!

Lovely meal perfect setting. Went today with family. The staff were friendly very helpful. We as a family will visit again

All good upto payment time, when it appeared the young man behind the bar chose to serve and dedicate himself to what appeared to be friends who came in after us and also after others waiting. In our opinion rude and unprofessional, the young lady behind the bar stepped in to compensate for him. Even a member of what appeared to be his friends mentioned potential queue jumping, which was ignored, but perhaps a show off moment!

This was a very nice place to visit. Good prices behind the bar and the food we ordered were delicious. They were busy at the time of our visit with a pre-booked wedding party. Hence, it was a slightly slower service for our party.

They have the pub classics, plenty of food in their dishes and really tasty.

I had the Big Motherclucker and it was absolutely fantastic. The best chicken burger I've ever had. The fries were delicious too and my friends really enjoyed their regular burgers. The staff were so friendly and attentive, it has a great vibe going on and I'll definitely keep coming and trying new menu items.

Always a great time at the dolphin, just drinks this time around in the beer garden, plenty of space and a lively atmosphere

One of the best pub restaurants around! Amazing Food

Average bar food with friendly service! Portion of fries is quite generous.

The pub was lovely with a great atmosphere. It's also a dog-friendly place.

Nice salad. Nice beer. Good service. Noisy for a big, talkative group, might be ok otherwise.

If you want a real pub that serves good food, look no further.

Really liked the garden, open with a lot of space

Nice pub, good drinks selection and good food. Always recommend to meet friends and family here

Just popped in for a quick coffee friendly staff good coffee

very friendly good prompt service food roasts excellent we were a large party all our food was beautifully plated and very generous portions with plenty of varied vegetables

Nice pub but only one draught ale on (used to be 3) but it was a midweek visit and the place was quiet. Pre covid the place was pretty lively even midweek. Unless we use the pubs we will lose them

Fantastic Sunday roast, the beef was cooked perfectly! Nice atmosphere and large beer garden out the back, which I imagine is fantastic in the summertime! Would recommend a visit to the dolphin for drinks, food or both!

Good pub, average food but the service much too slow. I chose thé pork belly which was very tasty whereas my husband took the dolphin burger and it was disappointing and served with juste a few chips.

Loved having board games to play whilst enjoying a drink with friends.

I love a roast dinner and i’m not to bad at making them, so when I go out for a roast it’s gotta be good … Absolutely nailed it here !!! Great food , impeccable service. We will be back

I like the Dolphin pub, rustic and with character. Conveniently located.

Nice and cosy on a winter night, good service, friendly staff. Just popped in for drinks, so we didn't have food.

It was a busy night, and really a food pub, rather than a drinking pub.

While the Dolphin is a pleasant pub and has a good location and decor, the food doesnt showcase a significant amount of flavour. However for having a beer in a nice pub in Cantebury it is a good option.

We had our Christmas meal and we had a lovely time! Thank you for everything - all team from Cathedral Gate Hotel! We will return!

Great selection of food on offer and the Nachos were delicious. Service was great and the pub nice and clean and not noisy.

Rude manager - told us to leave. We used to visit regularly but the manager made sexual comments to one of our party. Tried again today but will not be returning.

Was told to wait in the garden for our table,it was very cold.

What has happened to this pub, used to be our go to in Canterbury! Service is shocking, no system in place, customers confused about what they should do, poor girl behind the bar completely overrun whilst other staff stand around chatting. Food decent when it finally arrived but won't be returning.

We sat in the backyard area and ordered a bunch if starter dishes, everything came out nice, hot, and tasted good. My only complaint was that there was no service in the backyard area. Overall I would recommend you stop by!

Mention spéciale pour le fish & chips!

The manager Stuart was friendly and helpful. Hubby ordered steak n kidney pie ( which was excellent) when hubby said that he has it with baked beans, stuart immediately informed the kitchen to provide the same even though not in the menu. Very much appreciated Nice and cosy pub Highly recommended

Lovely friendly pub with great food

Visited for a drink only, hence no food rating. Beer was nicely chilled and very pleasant. There were a couple of beer taps that were not available, possibly because of supply issues beyond the control of the pub.

5 of us visited and all had different meals - all were delicious and great value for money. On top of that the service was fantastic - would highly recommend the dolphin!

Un des meilleurs pubs de Canterbury. Vous y retrouverez toute qui fait le charme des pubs anglais.

Had a lovely meal with the family, excellent and friendly service, food was top quality, ambience lovely. A bit off the main high street but only a couple of minutes and well worth seeking out. Also very good value.

Great Sunday lunch, well cooked and plenty of it, highly recommend

Decent pub, but has lost its charm and character over the years. Used to have a really nice beer garden with lawn and plants, and it’s been completely paved over. Now looks like the kind of ‘garden’ you’d find down a dingy London street. Feels a bit soulless these days.

Dogs are welcomed too! The owner is very compassionate, the staffs are super kind and efficient, the food is great and the garden is a treat. I love this pub 😍

Really great food, very slow service

Rubbish service, rude landlord, will not visit again

Nice pub tucked away at the back end of Canterbury high street. Near the Marlow, decent food, good drink selection. Service was brilliant, intermittently checking how we were and if we needed drinks topping up. Nice shady garden to get out of the heat or rain in. Beyond that it was a straight forward pub experience.

Inkább kocsma mint étterem. Nagyon sok fiatal volt, óriási zajjal, az étlap és az ételek sokára érkeztek meg, de legalább minden finom volt és a kutyánkat is szívesen látták.

Really great food and wine. Great choice on menu 4 of us had different meals and all very happy thanks. Very attentive staff checking that the food was good and if you wanted extra drinks etc. Will definitely return soon.

Great environment and lovely seating space. The outdoor area is super amazing and comfortable- spacious too. I had bread and olives for a start which was really tasty. The mix of olives and sweet peppers was lovely. Then had the gammon steak with potatoes, peas and two eggs. The flavors really complimented each other and it was cooked to perfection. Highly recommend.

Clearly a thriving establishment, and many friends rate the Dolphin highly. For someone who is there mainly for a few drinks I have mixed feelings. There was only one weak (3.8%) real ale available at the time; the emphasis was on fizzy keg beers, including my Guinness. Prices for beer were at the high end for Canterbury pubs, already high priced

Tasteless food, no beer for Germans… Overall never been this depressed in a bar

This pub is an absolute joke. The staff are aloof and deal with you unfriendly. Children under the age of 18 are constantly being observed in spite of their good behavior. That shouldn't be! The food has almost no taste. As soon as you come from abroad you will be served even less friendly than the locals. Apart from the service, the beer is poured in a horrible way and tastes accordingly. As soon as you have been to a German pub, you first understand what makes a pub and what a good beer tastes like.

The beer tasts like and I tried many sorts. the food was bad as well. the fish had no taste in it and the mac and cheese were awfull. the service was very unfriendly. all in all a bad experience. would not recommend.

Had a lovely time, Theo was a terrific server, got us sorted with our regular order and we didn't need to get to the bar. Thank you Theo, good place to visit.

Discriminatory towards pub golfers - the curry sauce was off beat 👎

Nice bar with a big outdoor area nice for groups and gatherings

The atmosphere at this pub is paramount, unlike anything else in the canterbury area. Furthermore, the service by Alesha was outstanding, always first to collect the glasses and also came with table service

Service is just outstanding. Highly recommended.

My ratings are a bit inconsistent overall the pub is good and we were in the beer garden which was good and large. As there were a lot of families it was pretty noisy and we were there just for a chat and a beer (only one real ale). However if you've got kids it's ideal. Service was good and attentive and friendly. The food looked good.

Lots to praise, great food and service, most of all! Cheerful ambience.

Wen we arrived everything was better than i expected BUT after we ordered our drinks it took them over 15 minutes until we received our drinks, no ashtray plus a big wasp problem on top of that we found a bug in our bred so …. Won’t recommend to anyone