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The Pearson's Arms

Fish, Gastropub·
££££
·

SquareMeal Review of The Pearson's Arms

After years as a battered old seaside boozer, the Pearson’s Arms is now leading a new life as one of Whitstable’s more stylish destinations – courtesy of TV chef Richard Phillips. From the outside you probably wouldn’t give this place a second glance, but the bland exterior hides a cheerful mix of open fires, wood floors, sturdy tables, old-school chairs & leather sofas, with a spacious, light-filled dining room providing sea views & classic gastropub food. The menu is a judicious mix of European ideas, with seasonality taking centre stage. Chalked up on the board might be lobster & prawn cocktail or shellfish bisque, with mains of wild boar & apple sausages, cod & chips or slow-roast belly pork. There are plenty of affordable wines on offer, with a reasonable selection by the glass.

Good to know

Average Price
££££ - £30 - £49
Cuisines
Fish, Gastropub
Ambience
Traditional
Food Occasions
Dinner, Lunch
Alfresco And Views
Great views
Special Features
Vegan options, Vegetarian options
Food Hygiene Rating

About

Charming seaside pub The Pearson Arms, which sits just a stone’s throw from Whitstable’s waterfront, may not look like an awful lot from the outside but head inside and you will be treated to a menu of beautiful modern European dishes. With a focus on seasonal, locally-sourced food, the cosy nature of the pub makes it a perfect place to escape to on colder days and it also benefits from great sea-views.

From the outside, the pub looks old-school through and through with its painted white front, and tucked-away entrance. However, inside the stripped-wood walls, blackboards and spaced out tables lend a more modern air to the pub.

A variety of different food menus are on offer at The Pearson’s Arms, beginning with a set lunch menu available Monday to Friday. Dishes on the lunch menu vary from starters such as grilled herring fillets with salsa verde and black olives, to classic main courses such as gammon, egg and chips, and at just £15 for two courses you can’t go wrong with it.

The main a la carte menu is far broader and served every day. A selection of snacks including a black pudding scotch egg and a home-made sausage roll can be enjoyed whilst you wait. Appealing starters range from a smoked mackerel mousse served with horseradish crème fraiche and pickled cucumber, all the way through to a classic moules marinière. Whereas, for main course you might go for the confit duck leg served with chorizo & butterbean cassoulet and Purple Sprouting Broccoli, or the classic burger.

To finish, desserts include a warm chocolate fondant with honeycomb, and a rhubarb and orange crumble. There is also a separate vegan and vegetarian menu available too.

When it comes to drinks, there are a range of different beers available as well as an impressive list of wines.

The Pearson's Arms is featured in

Location

The Horsebridge, Sea Wall, Whitstable, Kent, CT5 1BT

01227 773133 01227 773133

Website

Opening Times

Mon-Sun 12N-2.30pm 6.30-10.30pm

Reviews

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4 Reviews 
Food/Drink
Service
Atmosphere
Value

Anon

02 October 2021  
Food & Drink 1
Service 1
Atmosphere 1
Value 1
Disgusting

The food was awful and stone cold the plates were stone cold the salad was not fit to be eaten and the presentation was non existing and I would not recommend this place to anyone. 

Anon

19 May 2021  
Food & Drink 4
Service 3
Atmosphere 2.5
Value 4
Early evening meal

meal out after Lockdown, view from top floor amazing, food delicious, wine good. Service was good. 

just bad luck we had noisy toddler running about whilst we were eating. 

AnnaStanning

28 June 2019  
Food & Drink 4.5
Service 5
Atmosphere 4.5
Value 4.5
Loved it

I was with my colleagues conducting a photo shoot in Whitstable and there was time to grab some lunch at The Pearson's Arms. As a large team we ordered a selection of light bites and larger meals and everyone shared and dug into whatever they felt like. I feel like I tried a real cross section of dishes from lobster pasta to a chicken wrap, Oysters and insanely perfect triple cooked chips. It was exceptionally good. Every dish has been given care and thought, the flavours were well balanced with interesting textures and such beautiful presentation on the plate. I'm already planning my next trip back with my family. Lovely venue relaxed, unassuming but with fantastically good food. What a secret find!

David L

15 August 2010  
Food & Drink 1.5
Service 1.5
Atmosphere 1.5
Value 1.5
I went to this restaurant with a friend on 13th August 2010 at the end of a nice day in Whitstable. The dining room is nicely presented and the head waiter/owner was lovely and friendly and gave us a nice sea-view table. We ordered beer-battered fish and chips with peas at £14 each, but unfortunately the food did not live up to the setting or the price at all. The oil used to fry the food was stale. I didn't complain about this because I wasn't sure the oil was off until halfway through eating the food, and by then it seemed too late to complain. When the owner / head waiter had to leave the building for a few moments, the young staff put on aggressive music and turned it up way too loud for a restaurant. I had to get up and ask them to turn it down – in fact, I had to find them first as they were all downstairs chatting in the entrance area rather than keeping an eye on their diners. The owner was later very apologetic and deducted the service charge from the bill, but overall this was a thoroughly disappointing experience. We would have been much better off getting takeaway fish and chips and eating it on the beach. I hope this review helps the restaurant to improve their offering. davidluxembourg at hotmail dot com
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01227 773133 01227 773133

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