Looked appealing but at the get go, they handed us menus and told us to seat ourselves. We went out on the patio. Ordered drinks and then no one ever came back for our order. We went in and ordered. Still no food for quite awhile. A waitress finally came over and asked us to pay. Odd since we didn't have food. She said you pay first - well no tip for her. I told her the service was very slow and she said she'd check on our meal. Food finally came. We had split a Big Mother Clucker Burger, fries and onion rings. Food was good. We left with no tip as there were at least 5 wait staff and none of them seemed to want to come out to the patio and none seemed very happy to be there. We saw others waiting a long time and it was not a friendly atmosphere. read more

This is one of the nicest pubs I've tried in a long time - and not just in Canterbury - in general! As soon as you walk in to The Dolphin Inn you can feel the great atmosphere. It's busy, but not too busy - there's a good buzz about the place, without it being too noisy to hear one another - and there's a lovely relaxed vibe that instantly relaxes. Not only does this place serve absolutely delicious pub grub (see my pictures for proof), they also have an assortment of board games available to play, making your visit extra fun! I went here twice during my time here in Canterbury and enjoyed several long games of Settlers of Catan (yes, I know - I'm a geek) with great food and booze. The staff are not pushy and, so long as you have a drink on the table, are happy to let you play on until your heart's desire. We never felt pressured to hurry up and leave, which is always a bonus in these sorts of pubs. On top of this, lost in my game of Settlers and too engrossed in my enjoyment of the game, my phone was sadly stolen off our table. Now this may sound like a negative, however upon telling the staff about what had happened they were so kind and helpful and - thank goodness - a few hours later, called us to let us know they had found my phone (which had been mysteriously returned to the table) and they had it waiting for me behind the bar. Throughout the whole ordeal, they could not have been more helpful, which just made me love this place even more. Please also note that, despite the above story, this pub does not have a dodgy feel to it at all and I was very shocked when I noticed my missing phone! It's not the sort of place you'd generally feel concerned about your belongings going missing - hence my phone sitting freely beside me on the table - so don't be put off by this aspect of my review!! read more

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I went there because it was recommended as one of the best places in Canterbury. Besides the location that looks a bit dodgy (arrive to Canterbury from London and walk on a Friday night all the way to there), the place is amazing. I got there by myself, but was given a table. The burger was absolutely amazing. The service was great and they were nice AND helpful. My other half joined me after my meal. He's vegetarian and they were super helpful. Deserts were absolutely amazing. Overall price for 3 drinks, 2 mains and 2 deserts was just over £40. Only thing that they could improve: main tonic water being Schweppes on a place that serves food so good and amazingly presented is a shame. read more

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The Dolphin has a great outside seating area (it's quite big!), which is wonderful when the weather is nice. We didn't try the food this time around, but what we saw others eating looked great! We will be back. read more

We had just rolled in to Canterbury and wanted fish and chips and this place delivered, good beer and ales, really friendly servers, and the fish and chips were great. Kids had burgers that were good also. We were told the food was better here than the place down the street, another pub, that turned out to be right. read more

We ate there on a visit to Canterbury while on a cruise. It's is just a lovely place and staff was extremely friendly. We ordered fish and chips and friends ordered veggie burgers. Everything was delicious. The restaurant was bright and great atmosphere. They have an outdoor seating area that is adorable. Just a great find in a nice little city. It's not right in the middle of the center center but will worth the walk. read more

No better pub in the summer time! From the minute you arrive it has such a lovely atmosphere, the staff are welcoming and warm. The garden is beautiful, lots of little nooks and a wide patch of grass with pouffes to sit on. As well as this there is a hearty supply of board games you can lie outside and play with. The drinks are well priced and the food is delicious, not just your standard burger and chips or pub grub. This would be a lovely place to have a graduation dinner, or garden party of some sort! read more

lovely pub with well kept ale. Allegedly good food (haven't tried it yet). Unfortunately the service today was poor with the bar girl opting to serve the young lady who pushed in before my wife and I (no apology from either!). I'm off to the Parrot instead! read more

Dolphin Inn - Pubs Near Me - Canterbury, KEN

What a transformation! A few years ago this was a pub to avoid, unless you wanted a punch-up. After a complete make-over, this is now classy place and the food is very good. It also has a nice garden and good beer. read more

A quintessentially British pub with the most beautiful beer garden I have ever clapped eyes on. Food is great. It's a must for any visitor to Canterbury. It is quite simply my favourite pub. read more

Had entrees and main course but that was way too much. The rib eye I had was perfect. Good value for money. With 2 people, drinks, entrees and main course = £50. Friendly staff read more

Robust food, good beer and cider selection and it was deservedly 2012 CAMRA Branch Pub of the Year. Highly recommended.

The dolphin is possibly my favourite pub in Canterbury. It is a lovely pub and serves amazing food. Good value and the portion sizes are huge. Every time I go there I can never finish the plate (and that is saying something!!!). What I love about the pub is that it has lots of board games and you can bring your own as well, which makes for a nice evening in the pub. The staff are lovely, and there is a resident cat who always makes my evening! read more

A fantastic establishment with incredibly friendly staff and a fine selection of ales on the go. An extensive garden and a large, comfortable interior. The kitchen has a wide range of tastes, and the nicest burgers imaginable. However, the price is a little steep if you're a regular! If you're there, say hello to Pete the landlord, and Brompton, the soppiest and loveliest chocolate Labrador you'll ever meet. read more

A beautiful decorated pub serving gorgeous food and lovely beers. Also, mead (always a winner). Probably best to book on Sundays as it fills up quickly, but there's lots of space in the huge garden which is beautiful on a summer's evening. There's a great selection of board games too - Articulate is always a winner! read more

Amazingly good food - especially for vegetarians. Nice atmosphere, lovely garden, good staff! It does get busy in the evenings and I'd advise booking a table if you want to eat as they often end up fully booked. (In the summer not as much of a problem as you can sit outside often enough, but this option becomes less viable in the winter!) Nice red wine too. read more

One of the cutest pubs in Canterbury. Perfect place on a wintery night!