The Coastguard Pub

Great pub in a lovely location, first time we have visited the pub as staying in Walmer. Lovely walk to get to the pub along the cliffs. Turned up at 11:45 and all tables were booked inside for a Sunday. Could only eat outside which was fine as a sunny October day. Staff were polite and engaging. Food was good, would like to try the fish and chips and a Sunday roast another time. Great spot in the sunshine. Thank you. 🙏

A lovely pub with delicious food. It was warm and welcoming. We used the facilities as we have a campervan and they kindly allow over night parking if you have a meal. Sleeping so close to the sea was lovely and out granddaughter enjoyed breakfast on the beach the next morning. Highly recommend this place but you need to book in advance as they can only accommodate 5 vehicles overnight.

What a fabulous find! We ventured out on a lovely walk, 7 of us and 3 dogs, we walked from Kingsdown to St Margaret’s Bay and stumbled across The Coastguard pub, popped in for a drink and loved it so much we booked a table for lunch a few days later. On our return we were not disappointed, fabulous food in a great pub, the staff were awesome too. It’s located in the lovely bay and the terrace area offers great views and is a fantastic sun trap, even on the breezy days. I would definitely recommend visiting this lovely pub.

Good pub with a fantastic location on St Margaret's Bay at the foot of the famous Dover white cliffs. I had the pork belly Sunday roast which was well cooked and very tasty. Decent pint of Master Brew cask ale as well. The kids were happy with the kids menu. There's a car park outside the pub but it was full when we visited so we used the large pay and display car park next door. Service was accommodating and even though we were an hour late to join the rest of our party thanks to an accident on the M20 they kept our table with no problem at all.

Soup fantastic. Beer great. Fish huge, but wasn't the best I've had by a long shot. Chips were spot on. Great quality. Mackerel was also very good

Calling this place a pub would be an understatement. This is such a cool place with exceptionally beautiful dishes that taste great! Good presentation, fish is spot on and ingredients are very high-quality. The pub is also located on the bay so there is very beautiful sea view there. The servers were amazing. They also got me a lovely panna cotta dessert on the house because it was my birthday eve.

Yes! I’m definitely craving for fish and chips and I went to the right place after a good hike! It tastes really fresh. Plus the pub is just by the seaside and I love how the interior of the place is designed-very creative look and feels like you are inside a ship. The area actually does not only give you a pub vibe but a restaurant too❤️

A wonderful, authentic pub in a truly stunning setting. The Coastguard Pub is the perfect place to warm up after a beautiful walk. Cozy atmosphere, friendly welcome, and proper, honest pub food just as it should be. A place where you naturally linger a little longer.

Great view overlooking the water, adjacent to the famous white cliffs of Dover. Great place to grab a bite while looking out over the water, then take a stroll along the water and see the cliffs. Service was fast and friendly. Restaurant was clean. It's divided inside, sort of like an old house. They have outside seating for good weather days. Their coastguard burger was good; nothing special, just a good burger. As for their fish and chips, the fish was really good; light / flakey with minimal grease. Chips were average thick cut fries; nothing special there. Mushy peas, which they called "crushed peas", are about what they sound like - smooshed English peas, which is what they tasted like. Again, nothing special. The purple coleslaw was good; nice flavor. They use purple cabbage, which gives it the unique color, but seems fairly common in England.

Really enjoyed the setting, but be prepared for a long narrow winding drive. Once you get there, being by the water is really nice. The cliffs are pretty and it's just a neat setting. The restaurant itself was what you'd hope for in a lighthouse restaurant. I ordered the fish and chips and enjoyed it. You don't get refills, they rarely check on you and I had to go find someone for the check. But this is pretty typical everywhere we went in four different t counties in England.

Wow delish!! We stopped in for a late lunch on a foggy March day. The burger was huge with a soft bun and filled with goodness. We upgraded the fries to cheesy fries and it did not disappoint! Loaded with so much cheese you need a fork. Yummm Hubby had the parsnip soup and he said it's f**in phenomenal. Lol. Doesn't get better than that! Lovely staff, beautiful decor. Stop in if you are visiting the white cliffs.

Enjoyed our family dinner! Great place. So cozy and the food was amazing. Definitely want to return when I come back to the area! I had the fish and chips. The batter was crisp and paper thin. The fish was cooked to perfection. My son and daughter in law had the feta stuffed chicken wrapped in bacon. (2 for 1 on Tuesday!) Grandsons had child's pasta. Everyone was pleased with their food dish. Kids enjoyed Crunch ice cream as a part of the child's meal deal. Others had the large brownie with choice of ice cream on top. They chose chocolate and ginger topped with walnut butterscotch sauce. A very pleasant experience eating by the sea in a cozy environment topped off with an open fireplace crackling.

It was the last night of a 10 day visit to the UK and I wanted to take my hosts to a nice dinner to thank them for their hospitality but it was a disaster. To start with, we were seated at a table that was right next to the restroom doors, to my left was a family with 3 young and screaming children celebrating one of their birthdays evidently. To the right was a stairway that apparently led to a party room upstairs where they seated a party of at least 12 people who kept up a constant parade back and forth past our table to the bar. The staff also felt the need to run past as they were serving the folk upstairs. It was like dining in a bus station. Then there was the service itself, bad doesn't do it justice. Food was brought to the table one person at a time and then the server didnt know what it was that they had brought. The "manager" offered as some explanation the usual plattitudes that she was stepping in for the regular manager which explained the poor management but that didnt explain the terrible service. The food was adequate once they got it to us. In lieu of desert I ordered an Irish coffee in which I could barely tastes any alcohol and the bill was brought. We were asked if everything was alright and said no that it was very dissapointing to which the response was, Oh I am sorry about that, I hope you come back some time. Chances of that are very very low. It appears that this quality of service was meaningful more to me that to my guests who are local to this place so perhaps being a tourist to the area I am used to a better standard but it no way met any standard that I found acceptable. I see that the last reviews were pretty good but were from 2019, they said "great views", my advice, enjoy the same view from the place down the beach a ways.

Really nice seaside pub in St Margaret's Bay, just north of Dover. Drive down the narrow, windy road to the bottom of the village, right by the shore, and there's lots of parking. The pub itself isn't a spectacular building: a plan, rectangular, weather-boarded place with dozens of tables outside and a few inside. Inside isn't much to look at either, to be honest, with a dining area on one side and bar on the other. There are three reasons to come here, though: location, ales and food. The location is a small cove right by the ocean. Waves crash on the rocks nearby. There are bits of white chalk cliffs visible one way. People stroll back and forth on the narrow gravel beach. Ferries departing from Dover just around the corner make their way to France. If the weather is halfway decent there will be large groups of people at the outside tables hoisting pints. It's a really nice spot. They had all the regular lagers and spirits, but I was impressed with their ales. There had a few I'd never heard of. Because I was driving I was only able to try one, the Gravesend Shrimpers Bitter, which I liked a lot. Also, behind the bar they had posted up which guests ales were coming: they showed what was coming next week and what was coming later on. If you lived nearby you could plan your ale-tasting! Food was amazing. Like many seaside pubs they specialise in seafood. My wife had a devilled crab that she said was very tasty. I had some of the lightest, tastiest, most golden fish (Hoegaarden batter) and chips I've ever had. We didn't have it, but apparently their local cheese plates are renowned (http://www.thecoastguard.co.uk/pages/aboutus.htm) . The Sunday lunch that we were there, the dining room was all booked out, which is a good sign. The Coastguard also has the distinction of being the mainland UK pub closest to France. While I was sitting there waiting for my food my phone switched over to a French network. Not the most gorgeous pub to look at, or sit inside. But outside in the sea air, with same fish and some ale: wow.

We had a decent enough service and food was not out of the world. That does not set me over the edge, I can deal with decent food and service. What really set me off was that I decided to go for a swim in the ocean after I had finished my dinner - right next to the restaurant and when I came out of the ocean, I came back and asked one of my mates for a few napkins to dry off my face after swimming. The manager had the nerve to come over and have a long conversation to me about how using 3 napkins was a waste of his money, even after I paid for a £90 meal! I even offered to pay him back, even though it might've costed him a total of ¢0.005 for those 3 napkins, he still pressed me on the issue and insisted that I am wasting his money and should have brought a towel of my own. Look, I realize swimming and using napkins to dry off is not to the best of my manners, but are you really going to complain about it and make a scene in front of your other customers? A sign of ridiculously poor management and customer hospitality, even for as ridiculous was using napkins to dry off was. I strongly believe he was giving me grief because I was American, as I have seen so many times in England.

Heard it was really good classic english pub fare. I could cook 5x better. Steak was gristly. Fish and chips were soggy. My nan had a vegetable stew which was amazing so slight redemption there. Great view out to the English Channel. We sat outside on a beautiful summers day. The inside was out of the 60s/70s and not in a good way. Disappointed.

The silence, oh, the silence... No car honking and people screaming and phones ringing: just the wind, the waves, the seagulls and a silent murmur of few locals sitting around the salt-soaked wooden benches. One cannot really put a price on that - or can he? The price is, well, substantial. I mean, two massive portions of classic fish & chips and two pints of Hoegarden for around £36 incl. a generous tip. Well, I guess you *do* pay for the ambiance! If it was situated anywhere else --like a slimy London street corner-- I would say do not bother. The food was high quality (though we had just the above mentioned) but nothing to rave about. Yet we have such a fond memories of this place! St Margareth's Bay is a beautiful place (seriously, you have to explore the rocky shores beyond the public beaches - just mind your step!) and this was such a great way to end our Dover trip. Explore, take great pictures, breath fresh air - and work up your appetite! So no, this is not "as good as it gets". But it is damn great.

Solid British breakfast at a decent price. Has standard coffee and teas. Vegetarian breakfast is also available.

Imagine a small cove with waves rolling up the beach as the sun sets with a cold beer in your hand. Well you can get all that and more here. The Pub is right on the beach and does a fantastic menu to cater for all tastes. Seafood features heavily on the menu as you would expect. The prices are not too expensive and makes this location an ideal spot for all the family. The Coastguard can get very busy at weekends in the summer. The car park is right outside the pub and the beach just beyond. As well as serving high street beers they also do a nice range in real ales.

Very nice place at the end of well - England as next stop is France. You need a powerful car to get you up the hill afterwards and go just for the cheeseboard - the waitress talks you through all the cheeses on your plate. ONE MASSIVE WARNING and not the fault of the pub. You must switch off mobile phones as believe it or not, due to the signal area, Mine went to French telecom and I only noticed when I got my bill and saw I had made a call from France when in fact I was in this pub in England.

I had Sunday lunch with three friends at The Coastguard on March 13, 2011. We hadn't reserved a table but will certainly do so next time, as we arrived at 12.30pm to an unbroken sea of 'Reserved' signs on the tables in the dining room. As luck would have it, a couple vacated a table in the corner of the bar as we walked in, heading for the terrace with their drinks, and we hurled ourselves at the table. The service was efficient and friendly and the waitresses managed valiantly as the place quickly filled up. There was a fire in the grate and, although not the prettiest of pub restaurants, it was cosy on a grey March day. You go to The Coastguard for the spectacular beach location and the views (on a clear day) and, of course, for the food, which was fresh, delicious and plentiful. I began with king scallops in garlic, which were cooked to perfection, followed with the fresh cod - which was among the best I've ever tasted - and, despite being full, I couldn't resist the walnut cake with stilton and pear slices. My companions made equally satisfied noises over their choices. When we eventually finished (and we weren't rushed) we walked off some of the calories by taking a stroll up the white cliffs above the restaurant. The Coastguard is in a truly lovely spot and well worth a visit if you are in the Folkestone or Dover area. We will certainly be back for more.

Great location excellent views of the Channel. Advise booking for meals on Friday and Saturday nights as very busy. Friendly service, good food at a reasonable price. Good selection of lagers, wine.

Very nice location , friendly enough staff although booking policy somewhat frustrating ( called several times and been told they were busy, not offered any alternative such as sitting outside etc..) and a good selection of beers when they've not run out!. Food has varied between average and excellent although and I have always gone back! The owner is very friendly and proffers up his excellent beer and seafood knowledge with little prompting, I'd advise you take a minute to listen though as his recommendations are always top notch!

We have been customers of this pub for some 3 years.The menu is very good with selections of sea food.Seating outside with a wonderful sea view.On a clear day you can see France. We went on 3rd May 09 bank holiday weekend so it was very crowded. As with other visits you have to join the same queue for drinks and those waiting to pay their bill.On this occasion it was nearly 15 minutes before we could get our drinks.Sitting outside it was clear that the three waiting staff were overworked taking orders from customers at the bar queue and attending to the tables which are many.Having arrived at 1pm we eventually placed our order at 2pm.I witnessed the harrassment of one of the waiting staff who was approached by a customer waiting to pay his bill and the queue was very long.Threatening to walk off without paying as he was not prepared to join such a long queue to pay,the waiter who was perspiring kept his cool and dealt with this situation very well.The staff behind the bar who were two in all did their best to cope with the amount of people.I counted 18+ waiting to buys drinks or wishing to pay.Be prepared to have a long lesurely meal. With the final bill you do not get an itemised receipt and on two previous occasions I was over charged, when questioned this was corrected.We keep going back as we do the cliff walk from Dover to the Coastguard and then walk back, if the weather is right it makes a lovely day.If you only want a snack there is a kiosk serving quick food and alike in the public car park.As far as I know this has nothing to do with the Coastguard pub.