The Twelve Taps

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 👍🏽

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.