Dory’s — Restaurant in Thanet

The food was great but our experience with the senior waitress/host was somewhat baffling and perhaps a little hostile.

Since the restaurant only has a walk-in operation, we queued up around 7pm on a Monday behind 2 other pairs for a table. We were told by the afore-mentioned waitress that the restaurant was full and they do not have a waiting list so cannot take our details to call but, and also no waiting area so we cannot just stand there, we just have to go away and come back in case there is a table (!). She couldn't give us an indication of how long it would be until a table may become available, bear in mind that it is supposed to close at 8pm.

I could see that a table outside had finished eating and pointed them out and her response was 'I don't know how long they'll be as I haven't had a chance to speak to them yet'... Honestly, it was like pulling teeth out, she wasn't rude, said it was a smile on her face but she couldn't give less of a toss if she tried. I insisted on queuing as I had heard good things about the food and was on a daytrip from London so we allowed us to stand to the side in front of the restaurant. We weren't offered a drink or anything. In the meantime we saw her having the same conversation (no waiting list, no waiting area, don't know when a table will become available) with a few others trying to get a table, but not all. About 10 minutes later the table I had previously pointed out asked for the bill, she said we could have that. But there took a while to leave and in the meantime a lovely inside on the window facing the sunset became available, when I asked if we could have it, her response was that she had already given it away to the pair behind us (they had turned up earlier and had returned to check on availability) and so she would have to check what their preference would be... right, even though we were there before them... needless to say, they chose the inside table and we froze our arses off outside (they had jackets and jeans on, we had spent the day walking from Whitstable to Margate so were in light summer clothes), I couldn't feel my fingers.

Anyway, aside from the very bizarre experience dealing with that waitress (our actual waiter was lovely) and the waiting fiasco, the food was absolutely delicious and I really want to return but please will you sort our your waiting system and your communication with your guests. It is simply not professional. I rarely feel the need to leave reviews but I found my dealing with the waitress really offputting and makes me question if I would return...

Visited for lunch as a treat for my house guests.  Food was nothing special and doesn't justify the very small  portion sizes or high prices.  However most importantly the service was appalling.  Having worked in hospitality I was astounded that this place still trades, it makes Fawlty Towers look professional.  The girl preparing food behind the counter was constantly picking and munching on bits of food while preparing it in plain sight of customers with no hand washing, and wiping hands on apron then handling raw fish and seafood.  Despite there being about only 6 other people in the place food preparation and service was painfully slow with staff inattentive and shuffling around doing seemingly everything except preparing food and serving customers.   Our  food arrived in dribs and drabs, I had to twice ask for missing items and was told twice that food comes "as and when".  The items in question were cold pre-prepared salads so preparation would have involved simply spooning them into a bowl.   I made it clear that I was unhappy and when the bill arrived I was advised that they had removed the compulsory £1 per person charity donation along with the 12% service charge which is  fortunate as I had no intention whatsoever of paying this. Extremely disappointing experience.  I parted with £60 and  apologised to my guests since nobody else did.    I would not recommend this place and would...

One of the worst dinning experiences ever of my life. Highly UNRECOMMENDED!

5 of us visited there from London yday for dinner. We waited outside in the chilling wind for 30 mins but were ok with the policy of queueing. When one frd mistook it that we could wait inside while there was a KAREN who is a staff chilling out by the table said “it was ok”.

Later on we were asked out by a waiter but we were still ok. Then the KAREN came out and told us off saying you shouldn’t stand there to scare her customers. She then got back to her table and chill out again. I had to invite her out and ask for the explanation. Then she felt being targeted by us.

We then got the table inside and the food was ok and being served by a young lovely waitress. Until we were furious by the other waitress who collected the payment cos we were trying to make an official complaint abt what happened earlier. She said “our staff don’t necessarily need to smile at you” and “she felt stressed facing 5 of you”. One of the most ridiculous statement I hav ever came across in my travelling across 40+ countries.

This is arguably the WORST hospitality you could get cos probably they are not bothered to serve visitors while they hav enough local customers who are their frds to families as we then saw some ppl the waitress know of were queueing inside. Such a classic twist.

If you don’t want to ruin your holiday, stay away from...