The Waterfront Hythe — Restaurant in Folkestone and Hythe District

The Waterfront Restaurant in Hythe, Kent, is a place that looks like it should be top-tier. With stunning sea views and a trendy interior design that oozes sophistication—plus the added glam factor of gold toilets (yes, actual gold)—you’d expect a dining experience as fabulous as the décor. Sadly, the food didn’t quite reach the same golden standard.

I went with five family members, and the atmosphere was fantastic—relaxed, stylish, and buzzing with seaside charm. But, it was all downhill from there, starting with the drinks. We waited over 30 minutes just to get a cocktail in hand. And speaking of cocktails, the Cosmopolitans were actually great, so credit where it’s due. But sipping a delicious drink only gets you so far when you’re waiting over an hour for food. We could have flown to Paris and back in that time!

When the food finally arrived, it wasn’t quite the First Class service I was used to. My Caesar salad arrived with a surprise—a bone! To add to the disappointment, the lettuce was limp and wilting like it had seen better days, and there was hardly any dressing. The chicken was cold (and not in that trendy, chilled sort of way), and the bread I’d ordered to go with it never made an appearance. Honestly, it was the worst Caesar salad I’ve ever had, and I’ve flown around the world and back!

By the time we considered dessert, we were put off by the thought of another long wait. It turned out the restaurant’s printer to the kitchen had broken down earlier, leaving the poor chefs in the lurch for an hour, with over 50 orders piling up. The staff, bless them, had been working for over nine hours and were still managing to smile despite the chaos. Their honesty and genuine explanations were appreciated, and while the food was a disaster, the service had heart.

In the end, we didn’t stick around for dessert, but we did leave a big tip in cash for the staff—those servers were running around like a busy flight crew on a fully booked 777. It was clear they were doing their best in a difficult situation, and sometimes that’s worth more than a perfect meal.

So, while The Waterfront nails the atmosphere and design, let’s just say I won’t be rushing back for the food. If you go, maybe stick to cocktails, enjoy the view, and pray the kitchen...

Many Restaurants serve good food, however it's how you react when things go wrong is when you are tested as a dining establishment. I was significantly disappointed with the dining experience I received at The Waterfront and the way they reacted when a customer didn't like their food. Which is a shame because the restaurant is in a fantastic location overlooking the Sea.

The menu looked fairly balanced, with a decent spread of options and it seemed like the food was creating a decent buzz with the customers.

To begin with, we had a 45 minute wait for starters to arrive. Followed by another 45 minutes after we finished our starters for the food to arrive. Simple things like our first drink took around 20 mins, when in reality they just had to open the top of a bottle and give us the bottle. Annoying, tables around us got the same dishes that we ordered served to them, even though they arrived after us. Despite the waiting time, we understood that in a busy(ish) environment, delays happen. So we waited patiently.

When the food arrived, I absolutely hated my dish. It had a strange smell that I didn't enjoy and I requested an alternative dish. The waiter was great in this instance, he took my food away and swiftly replaced the food. Well, replaced is the incorrect word. Because only when we came to pay the bill, we were told that the dish was okay, so therefore we were being charged the full price of the dish that was taken away and replaced. If only they told me before taking the food away, perhaps this food could have been offered to other people at my the table.

I tried to provide this feedback after paying the full bill to the manager, who, although provided sympathy...he defended the establishment's actions/procedures, and told me the great (and expected) reaction of the waiter who swiftly replaced my food was an error in judgement of the waiter. Customers are the lifeblood of a food establishment, clearly this restaurant doesn't know how to react when things go wrong. It's a shame. The second star that I have given in this review is for the proactive front of house staff who tried their best to be quick in looking after us. Perhaps they are being held back by unconventional service guidance provided by...

I had read a few great reviews so decided to pop along with my partner and son, the waiters were friendly but inexperienced as one was holding my glass by the rim. Now food.. I was extremely disappointed, we ordered starters which were ok but the mushroom dish came with bread however there wasn’t any sauce left for the bread and the bread was cut into a massive chunk which isn’t convenient as we had to re cut and butter it, the whitebait was lovely but it wasn’t seasoned much and the mussels were ok but could have done with more garlic and wine for a stronger taste as it should be, we then ordered x2 ribeye steaks and the lamb, we asked the steaks medium, when the food came out I could see they were well over done, there was no bounce in them and was completely dry which automatically put me off as surely even a chef on a bad day could cook a steak, we sent them back and then waited a very long time while my partner had his lamb dinner, the lamb was very overcooked and the jus was really bad it tasted like a gravy granule gravy with lumps and a bit of rosemary the sauce did not compliment the lamb it should have been a smooth glossy jus that’s aromatic. When the second lots of steaks arrived I could tell due to the wait (my partner had finished his meal) and the sight of them that they were over done again and yes they were grey again however they had more bounce this time and a better flavour, but the sauces we had which were peppercorn and blue cheese had a thick crust on the top where they had been sat there. They took one steak dinner off of the bill which I think after that service is awful, it’s a pricey menu for the poor standard of food and I’m sorry i couldn’t serve up food that bad at home and I’ve had a lot better pub grub too I don’t expect it from a restaurant and at the prices, also for one dinner to be refunded when both steaks were awful I find insulting, I would never return for food but for a drink and ambiance it’s great, the music was lovely and it’s right on the beach, just check your glasses first. I did complain a few times and to be honest I found the place to have a huge lack of compassion for food....