The Twelve Taps in Canterbury

We’re from around Whitstable and we usually love this bar, but the last time we all came here we were very rudely treated by the staff. We were made to feel a nuisance and tutted by a particular staff member (short hair and glasses) for ordering a large order (10+ drinks) and then told we were not allowed to rest glasses or bags on the bar. Lastly, one of our friends was told he would no longer be served just because he had tripped over by the bar. It has completely put us off going to a bar we would normally love.

I’m a local and always come here for a drink, however this time, the staff ruined it. The bartender had short hair and glasses, they were extremely rude for the time that we were there. We had a group of about 10-15 people with us, who multiple where visiting out of town, and they were complaining about us taking slightly longer to order a round of drinks for that amount of people. Additionally, they then claimed that one of our group was too drunk and stumbling around the bar, only after one or two drinks, and would not serve him, which we found extremely rude as he was just dancing. For these reasons, I would not recommend to anyone to come here and I will not come here again either.

As a local, we usually have a great experience in this bar. The staff are great and the drinks options are even better! We brought a large group of visiting family friends in here but were unfortunately let down. The bar person with the short hair was incredibly rude, the other bartender, there was no issue with. We were hurried when ordering a round for more than 10 people, feeling like we were a nuisance. With great attitude, we were told to move drinks and bags off of the bar, quite ironic really. Anyway we wouldn’t have minded all of this, had they remembered their manners. To top it all off, a member of our party were refused service after tripping at the bar, not very festive if you ask me! What is normally one of our favourite pubs has been ruined by this unwelcoming member of staff.

As locals, this is usually one of our favourite pubs in whitstable, but today we were made to feel like a nuisance and hurried when ordering a round for 10+ people (a £70+ round). This was due to one particular staff member who was very unfriendly and unwelcoming. Then members of our party were told in a very unfriendly way to move bags from the bar. Furthermore, someone with us was refused service just for tripping over by the bar. We will no longer drink here due to this one staff member who made us feel like an inconvenience after spending a lot of money there.

To be honest, the "Taps" is our go-to bar in Whitstable. Craft Beer and Gin... They don't sell vodka or larger, saying that they recently had a very good "Smoked Lager".. The cocktail menu is mainly Gin based, has you would expect, and they have an amazing range of Negroni's (Chestnut) being the Christmas/Winter special. It's a smallish bar, ideal for couples, small groups of friends or individuals reading a book, and enjoying a "crafty" pint. The things that work about the taps is the welcoming staff, a good ever changing selection of craft beers, stouts, porters & sours and an impressive Gin selection (including a few distilled by the Taps, unavailable elsewhere, but if you like them, you can actually buy a bottle to take home). If you are unsure what "beer" to have off of the 12 Taps menu, then I'd recommend a flight that gives you 3 glasses a third of a pint of 3 different beers. So you can go all out and have an IPA, a Stout, and a Sour to try.. Or has I do, go 3 dark beers 🍻 But they don't sell the well-known Irish Stout or cask beers. If unsure, speak with the staff, they are knowledgeable about beer and their stock. Just so you know, the board can be found on the wall opposite the bar, you only have to remember the number, not the full name 😉😋 If you're in Whitstable and are not really one for the big high st "pubs" but prefer a good pint in a friendly bar, then the Taps is for you. They don't sell food, just bar snacks 👍🏽

Fantastic craft beer bar in Whitstable, great service, great beers, gin, and many others on offer.

Superb taproom, always visit whenever we're in Whitstable. Great beers, warm atmosphere and nice people, you can't go wrong.

Was okay, but wouldn't head back there in a rush. Lot of beers on offer. But atmosphere was lacking.

I love beer and there's plenty of brilliant ale to choose from....but who knew Whitstable Pizza Gin would be soooo delicious

Went in here Saturday 12th October, chose a beer from a board listing a good selection with information including price, my choice was priced at £4.40 which is normal for a craft beer, my wife had a white wine, I used my card and asked how much did it cost, the woman said £14.10, I asked the other woman behind the bar (who looked like she was the boss) was this right and she abruptly told me in a loud voice that you were asked if you wanted a pint and you said yes, when I said it is listed at £4.40 she said that's for a schooner you asked for a pint! Also my wife had said to me that the bar was sticky so this same woman came over with a piece of paper towel and wiped the bar saying there you are is that better! Very rude Basil Faulty attitude selling average beer at ridiculously high prices, will never go in there again, all other pubs in Whitstable are run by very friendly bar staff with regular priced drinks.

Great atmosphere, drinks and service if you like a bloody Mary ask for a Snapper you will not be disappointed, honestly one of the best spots in Whitstable.

Enjoyed trying several beers with the tasting boards and the staff gave great tips so we all got to have something enjoyable. Will be back to buy a bottle of pizza gin!

Was lovely experience staff very helpful

Good range of interesting beers, nice vibe.

Great selection of craft beer and lovely atmosphere

Loved the vibe, welcoming staff. Being abroad I can't wait for mail order fir the gin. The 3x3rd pint tray is an inspired idea

Staff were rude. Ruined my drink in there.

Rude staff, selection wasn’t great. Wouldn’t recommend.

Lovely pub with an excellent selection of really good craft beers - 12 of them on tap, hence the name. Really nice offering of a tasting selection of any three one third pints if you’re struggling to choose! Their own Whitstable gin is also well worth trying - very smooth with refreshing rosemary and kelp. Nice snacks to accompany and a selection of card and board games. Nice little garden at the back as well. Good music too.

Little cute bar in Whitstable, with a back garden too. Great for when it's sunny. They also do beer tasting at a really good price!

Lovely place for craft beer! Lots of great choices, really friendly and helpful lady behind the bar and really peaceful outdoor space! Loved it and would really recommend!

Love this place the choice of beers is excellent, will definitely go back again.

Nice spot, but shame it doesn't stock much in the way of proper ales, especially in Kent with all its hoppy history. Mostly sweet or citrusy beers, which seem to be taking over (showing my age, maybe) Saying that, the stout was good.

great service, great selection of beer, gin and cocktails, great snacks, always great music. Love coming here! 😊

Really great place. Excellent drink selection, including their own gin (delicious!) and excellent, welcoming service. Well worth a visit!

Good beers. Friendly staff and patrons.

Good selection of beers available as well as cocktails

Whitstable gin and tonic and flight of beers 👌

Fantastic selection of beers. Great vibe. Knowledgeable and nice staff.

Dog to human ratio about 1:3 on this occasion - brilliant

Great atmosphere. Nice vibe. Totally sold on their own gin because it was absolutely unique in its flavours and properly tasty.

Standard micro pub only has 12 taps and only one of those is cider so the selection is limited but nice if you are a beer or ale drinker

Lovely small querky bar. Variety of gins and less known beers. Nice place to go before a meal out or for few beers with friends. Will return.

We had a very nice meal on Friday night. Strawberry and lime cider would have been a bonus.

A solid Whitstable stalwart and favoured retreat. Good beer, many gins, and great cocktails…

This is my favourite place in Whitstable. The name "Twelve Taps" refers to the 12 taps of craft beer they have available at all times. Those 12 taps include at least one fruit beer, one sour beer and on stout/porter. The owners are forever striving to bring their customers new and interesting beers. As well as craft beers they also sell craft gins. This is something I cannot comment on as I know nothing about gin, only to say that my gin friends have been happy.

Great little craft beer bar with a good selection of beers and a really nice of people that made it have a good atmosphere

Great ale bar with a good range of 12 ales with 2 dark beers amongst pales and sours. Popped in for a quick half whilst travelling through but had to return to try more of their beers. Also dog friendly so 5*s

Cool pub. Nice chilled atmosphere

Great selection of raft bers and cocktails.

Absolutely delightful pub. Wonderful selection, could happily spend many hours here and will absolutely be back ❤️👍

A lovely, little bar, full of character and life. Recommended.

Great selection and as the name of the establishment suggests 12 varieties of ale or larger. Definitely a must for those wishing to try quality craft ales, largers or cider.

Fantastic place for cocktails etc. Nice atmosphere, barman was good fun. Would recommend

Lovely small bar with an interesting range of beers.

Friendly. Excellent beer. Great gin.

Fantastic selection of beers and cannot wait to go back

Found this pub with my partner a while back and it was amazing, the atmosphere and the whole aesthetic of the pub was really cool

Gorgeous little craft beer bar, great selection of beers and notable collection of gins too. Really enjoyed the beer tasting board. Staff are friendly and knowledgeable!

Good place for beer! Some pubs still to basics others innovation. Beers from Bristol and London I had in a paddle. 🍻

Still one of my favourite bars in Whitstable. Great drinks selection, nice people.

Excellent bar. Great selection of beers and Gins, great decor and super friendly staff. Recommend

Great in here as always, great selection of beer and gin.

What an awesome place. Great selection of beers and a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. Definitely worth a visit.

Real nice craft beer bar,great selection of craft beers

Lovely little pub with a great selection of beers, friendly helpful staff, and always a good atmosphere!

Great selection of beers and gins. Good atmosphere and lovely staff.

Interesting place.... But the coca cola that you use is terrible and no good to mix alcohol... Terrible... Change it please

Brilliant selection of beers and gins. Very welcoming staff who are happy to chat about drinks and local area.

Didn't go there, just walked by !!

Great little pub. Plenty of choice on draft and good choice in Gin for the Mrs also. Friendly staff and great atmosphere!

Saturday 10th December I visited this delightful key keg micropub In Whitstable Nice lady behind bar lovely bohemian ambulance to place and easy listening music been played A right grand place all in all

Amazing! Such a great atmosphere, the service is so welcoming and friendly. The selection of drinks is really varied and delicious!

Friendly and lively with an amazing selection of beers. This suits those who, like me, like to explore new flavours but isn't so good for those who want a pint of "ordinary", sometimes there's no normal bitter to be had.

If you're into gin this is a great place. The bar staff were very knowledgeable and made some fantastic suggestions. Some good craft beers, board games to play, and a general positive vibe.

They really got 12 different taps plus a variety of bottled Beers. From local to international, really great selection, and nice chaps, too! Well earned five stars!

Love this place! We were just visiting Whitstable and stoped by for a drink, when we saw the variety of gin's they had couldn't not try one. Service was great, atmosphere really good and a we could sit outside in their little courtyard with our 2 small dogs.

What a find, had the chocolate stout, was amazing, at 8% only had the half or would be dancing on the bar! Looked like a great range of gins too. Very friendly, made to feel very welcome.

Great little tap room with good beer selection

Spent a lovely couple of hours here escaping the heat, drinking lovely ales. Some nice snacks to go with them. Returned recently to escape from a downpour! Still a great selection of ales and gins.

Good choice of beers as you'd hope

Holidaying in whitsable, we really like this establishment. Really friendly, welcoming staff. Lots of great cocktails. Good vibe. Good music playlist. Liked it so much we returned for more.

Original review (may 2022): Awesome beer place. At least 12 beers on tap and 15-20 more in can / bottle. Good atmosphere and attentive staff. They currently also run a special promotion on #supportukraine UPDATE: We also really liked their house made gin. And ended up coming back to whitstable just to buy more. Really wish they would sell it not just here! Really recommended, on top of the great place that this is.

Such a lovely little gem of a place, with a gorgeous enclosed garden out the back. Their Whitstable gin cocktails are to die for. All G&Ts should come with a sprig of rosemary, it was a revelation!

The Whitstable G & T was one of the finest G&T I've had in ages

Sophisticated and queer-friendly space, good bar snacks. Some of the clientele friendly and some a bit full of Londony 'cooler-than-thou' vibes. We didn't care, our dog is cool and we're past caring. Love those tins of olives, eh?

Amazing selection of craft beer and really friendly service 🍻

The best bar in Whitstable. Amazing selection of beers, great if you like gin too. Don't expect a range of other spirits, this is a beer and gin bar and they are proud of that, and nail it. Takeaway beers are a great option too. Staff are all exceptionally lovely.

Friendly staff and great selection of beers

Such lovely service. Good beers and a chilled vibe

Visited this place a couple of times with my partner who drinks ale, unfortunately, I don't drink ale or gin as a rule, but we returned because I really liked the place but could not remember what I drank previously. When questioning the barmaid if they sold spirits, she was extremely patronising and rude stating the obvious that this is an ale and gin bar, why would they have spirits ??? Her tone was that of a rude teenager, although she seemed middle aged ? Did not get her name, but tall with dark hair. We have drank in a few ale houses and guess what ? Yes been served spirits, although they are obviously Ale houses but with a small selection of spirits. Although I was ready to leave I chose not to because aside from the rude barmaid the place is lovely and the other member of staff was extremely friendly just as on the previous visits, maybe he could teach a thing or two to his collegue ! I discovered I had tried a citrus ale and enjoyed it last time, just simply forgot what I had drank. Worth a visit, although now slightly put off.

Great bar, serving the best cocktails I’ve had! Good beer too and very friendly staff.

Really nice bar with wide range of craft beers and tempting cocktails. One of the few open in Whitstable on a Sunday evening. Lovely garden at the back. Highly recommended.

Best place to drink beer in Whitstable. So much choice of fantastic craft beer. Really friendly staff, great atmosphere and a wonderful suntrap garden.

Always a great vibe in what has now become our go to local pub, with 12 draft taps for beer and a whole loada gin options. All staff have always been warm, welcome, friendly, attentive and they genuinely know their stuff so just ask. They take bookings, but also you'll often find space if you want to rock up. There's a courtyard at the back which is nice and they put on fun events occasionally too. They don't serve food but have allowed us to order pizzas from Nomad down the street and eat inside with a beer. Very dog friendly 🐕✌️

Amazing selection of drinks. And back garden is very cute and sunny.

Amazing pub, really good beers, fantastic atmosphere and lovely stafff

Amazing selection of beers and gins

Nice little bar but if yr on a budget the best beer isn't cheep..you pay for wat you get basically...lovely staff to guide you

Love the Taps! An amazing selection of craft beers to suit all tastes, an excellent selection of gins & a superb, inventive cocktail menu. Super friendly & helpful staff, a relaxed atmosphere & a great playlist. An absolute highlight of Whitstable’s high street 🖤

Great selection of beers. 3 x ⅓ flights available to allow you to sample the range of beers on offer. Wish I could have stayed longer!

Friendly barman who gave nice recommendations

I've never felt so unwelcome in a bar. I gave this place a five star review four years ago. The manager couldn't have done more to make me, my wife and her parents feel more uncomfortable. I've never known anything like it, and my elderly parent-in-laws were bewildered. Four years ago, I gave this place a five star review. Back then, the beer selection and atmosphere was not so disappointing. My father in law and I were were very much looking forward to visiting this place again – we have fond memories of it before the change of management– but we will never visit again.

Great selection of beer and other drinks, enjoyed the stouts on tap, good music, good atmosphere, friendly staff, couldn't ask for more

The Twelve Taps is NOT a micropub as the owners explained to me. It doesn't serve REAL ALE but does serve a dozen brews from key kegs. A key keg comprises of a plastic cask within which lies a bladder. The beer is within the bladder and a gas is outside of the bladder. As the gas does not actually come in contact with the beer, I guess this is real ale but not as we know it. As the process is expensive, so is the beer. Never the less, the Twelve Taps provides a dozen key kegged beers, many of which are sold in halves or thirds, so this is not cheap beer. But good for them. They appear successful and on January 2nd, any pub which can pull in a couple of dozen apparently satisfied punters deserves to do well. My pint of stout, was ice cold, but pleasant enough. The atmosphere in the pub was very enjoyable with lots of bare wood and interesting artifacts hanging from the walls. Well done!

Cool place for a drink and a chat. Extensive selection of craft beers. Highly recommended

A craft beer drinkers perfect watering hole. The place for beer aficionados to drink in Whitstable.

Great little beer 5 gin house. Very cosy & staff are friendly & knowledgeable.

Fantastic pub. Great staff, great drinks and lovely atmosphere. What's not to like!

Great selection of beers and gin with knowledgeable friendly staff.