The Hoptimist — Restaurant in Dover

The Hoptimist is an excellent craft/cask ale pub in the heart of Dover, ten minutes from the railway station (Dover Priory). A friendly, busy place with a nice, smallish, covered beer garden to the rear. The owners are both knowledgeable and extremely welcoming, one of them introduced me to the two "green hops" beers on offer. Spent the entire evening of my last full day in England there, got into talking with the locals (some of them being quite the "characters"), and ended up playing a game of chess with one of them, board & pieces provided by the pub. A lovely evening. The beer selection is quite extensive and genuine, and the prices very moderate, especially considering this is on the expensive south coast). Cannot recommend this place highly enough! Greeting from a German...

Great little bar in a sea of, let's be honest, grotty inner city pubs selling mostly yellow fizz.

Beer, a selection of 4 ales, I enjoyed them all. They, I assume, are always changing, and someone appears to know their stuff when purchasing.

Very very well priced for an inner city pub. Ciders are also available, another interesting selection of 8, although I didn't get to try any.

Bar staff, Liam, was friendly and helpful with suggestions of food in the area and was happy for us to bring a takeaway in as they do not serve food.

Gets my recommendation if you are in Dover and like a...

CAMRA pub of the year 2025 recognition that is well deserved. If you love real ale, there is no better place to go and the prices are low too. Unlike a lot of micro pubs, the Hoptomist regularly serves dark beers, porters, and stouts.

10 ciders and two lagers are also available. There is something for everyone, including Guinness Zero.

The rear courtyard and front seating provide comfortable places to smoke.

There are single toilets for ladies and gents, both are kept clean and fresh. Neither...