My mum is down for the weekend for my birthday and to see me the last time as a single unit before Missy arrives in 6 weeks. I already had something in mind but seeing as their hotel check-in was late, the original plan of going to Bleak House yesterday, so instead we had a wander around Ramsgate harbour, grabbed a sandwich at The Goose and I had a table booked in Broadstairs at The Charles Dickens pub for drinks and dinner. The Thorley Taverns owned pub is a firm favourite with locals and tourists alike. One of the largest pubs in Broadstairs, with the main bar downstairs serving great pub food, fine wine and ales and the Copperfields restaurant and bar.
Anyone who’s a local or regular to the Victoria Parade, knows this pub for its range of hot and cold drinks plus tasty appetising treats and delicious hot and cold meals. With great pub Classic’s including local sourced Fish & Chips, to Moules (mussels), Cheeseburger and Steak & chips, plus an array of starters and mains that change daily to tackle all taste buds, this restaurant has everything one needs under one roof to delight even the trickiest of palates. With Christmas fast approaching, they’re already fully booked for Christmas Day, and who can blame them, their food and exceptional service with a 4.3/4* rating on Facebook and they rank number 20 out of 108 best places to eat in Broadstairs on TripAdvisor, The Charles Dickens pub caters for everyone, children included.
Book early to avoid disappointment
I booked a table in the Copperfields restaurant with a sea view 3 weeks prior to our visit (sea views aren’t guaranteed, if you’re keen on a sea view, book early to avoid disappointment) for the four of us, my mum, her partner and Sam. Although it’s the winter months and it’s a little quiet during the week leading up to Christmas, definitely call in advance if you’d like to book a table. With the frequent weather changes and it getting darker in the evenings, they can’t predict how busy it can get. Although, you can always eat downstairs which offers the same menu but it’s bar service rather than table service.
As the menu changes daily (the pub classics stay the same), I already had in my mind what I wanted, but mum being a fish fan, I pretty much guessed what her and Leon would go for, with Sam debating for a few moments over a cold Fosters what he was going for.
For starters:
Both Sam and Leon had starters. Sam went for the Venison and Leon went for Scallops, which being a first time tryer enjoyed, thoroughly.
What we drank:
Whilst the men got stuck into their drafts- Peroni (is on tap here but a little expensive at £4.90) and Fosters (£4), my mum went for a the Conch y Toro’s Montain Range Sauvignon Blanc whilst I went for a small white wine lemonade spritzer, the Argentinean Trivento Chardonnay.
For the mains:
Mum being the fish fan that she is, she went for the Halibut, with prawns and mash potato, Sam went for the duck, Leon went for the Fish and Chips and I went for the Dickens Cheeseburger. Our bill came to £131 which covered two starters, 4 main courses, 1 dessert, 4 Peroni’s, 4 Fosters, 1 small Sauvignon Blanc and 2 small house white wine spritzers, which is affordable for the excellent quality of fresh and locally sourced food you get here.
With the drinks flowing, exceptional customer service and a great atmosphere, you can see why this pub has been fully booked already for Christmas day and has Christmas party bookings rolling in from next month.
- Address: 5-6 Victoria Parade, Broadstairs CT10 1QS
- Average price: ££
- General Manager: Ben Garratt
To book a table visit OpenTable, email charlesdickens@thorleytaverns.co.uk or call 01843 600160.
Missy, Me & Him 
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