We visited this week and found everything to be decent enough. Our waitress Emily was lovely, very professional and friendly and left us feeling relaxed and looked after. Food was decent value overall, whole crab quality was impressive.. overall quality of fish was great.. I don’t think the food was a showstopper but as an overall it’s a thumbs up from us and we would definitely return. :)
Tom Wray
This was quite a disappointment. I'd heard good things about the Buoy and Oyster and am particularly fond of independent seaside restaurants specialising in seafood, but we were met with very mediocre food; good, if a little ungenerous, service; and a bill that in no way reflected our enjoyment of the dinner.Me and my friend shared the seafood platter for 2 (£50, pictured). This was presented as an archipelago of shellfish poking out of an insipid suggestion of a seafood broth. The mussels were juicy and flavourful; the scallops overcooked and masked in an unimaginative nduja sauce; the prawns a bit firm and lacking in any real flavour, and the razorclams were overcooked to the point of resembling rubber bullets. It was a let down to not have the seafood, the star of the show, live up to what it could have been being right next to the sea.We also had two of the Bloody Mary's, the Bloody Buoy Mary and the Vegan Bloody Mary (£14.50 and £12 respectively, both pictured). Whilst being a little oversized, they had a good spice mix and strong flavour. The Bloody Buoy Mary came with bacon, an oyster (which was very good), and various other embellishments.The house smoked haddock chowder (£12 regular, £14 large) was excellent. A warming, creamy, and fishy bowl of goodness. Would highly recommend getting this and a side of skinny chips (£5).Our waiter was friendly and welcoming without being intrusive or over familiar. However, when we raised our distaste and disappointment for the seafood platter with him, there was no sense of trying to make things right. He chose instead to focus on our complimenting of the chowder. I think, and I'm aware it's a slightly touchy subject, that it would've been a good gesture to comp something, even just the chips, off the bill considering that we didn't eat any of the razorclams past the first few mouthfuls and didn't particularly enjoy the rest. Even assuring us that our comments had been passed on to the chef would've been something but we left feeling unsatisfied from the food and uninterested in the idea of eating here again given that our dissatisfaction felt unheard.The atmosphere was OK. a nice view of the harbour, but very loud and noisy interior (when there were only two other tables present) and harsh lighting made us both feel a bit tense and unable to settle in for a nice meal.It's a shame that this meal didn't live up to the hype or our expectations. I think given the price, a final bill just over £100 for 2, some of these disappointments sting a little more. There is cheaper, fresher, better cooked fish in restaurants a short walk away. Perhaps some of the other mains are executed better, but again given the price, I don't feel it is worth the risk of having another bad experience here again.
Paula M
A fabulous, tasty lunch, served by a fantastic, warm bunch of people. It was my birthday and I had a card & complimentary glass of bubbly delivered to me upon arrival. The meal was exquisite & will definitely be returning.
David L
Great place to eat excellent food and service. We were served by Lauren who was friendly and polite. I would definitely recommend there Sunday lunch.
Climber63888513613
Had a great evening with friends, food delicious and very well presented. Service was very good, especially our waiter Stan, very funny and professional . Would definitely recommend and definitely visit again
mandalayk2020
Fabulous new ‘Lunch Menu’, attentive service from Darren, Booked for a early celebration Birthday , we all loved it ? Thank you all for an amazing lunch x
alemap352
Travelled from Surrey for a birthday celebration. Busy but welcoming (Pete), fresh food cooked well - highly enjoyable
SarahSteve4
Delicious marguerita and negroni cocktails with a glorious view on the terrace before an amazing catch of the day (the fish, and my husband!!)
Tiffany C
Delicious food and great cocktails - a really lovely evening. Great service from Megan. Lovely atmosphere and beautiful views over the beach and harbour.
668rosss
What a find, well worth the drive from Hertfordshire for lunch Most friendly welcoming staff, if you like fish, you’ll love this place, great menu, spoilt for choice Super fresh sashimi, great oysters, you have got to give the beer battered ones a try Great value Will be back
Where do I start?So from the get go I was greeted by very warm and welcoming staff. Earlier in the day I had made a reservation online, as it was a special occasion, my birthday, I wanted to make sure that the seating area that I chose was good so popped over to check. The Area that they chose was perfect. Returned in the evening for my b'day dinner. Once again greeted by very friendly staff and shown to the table, we were seated on the terrace - Intimate corner table, perfect lighting and the music just set the scene.I was handed a birthday card and a glass of bubbly, food was delicious I can't fault it clean, fresh and tasty!Thoroughly enjoyed my birthday meal and was impressed by the food, drinks and service. I would highly recommend and will definitely be returning when I visit the area again.Thank you team!
Brian Cohen
Superb seafood restaurant. Located in centre of Margate, with views over the beach, with a choice of being inside of on the balcony overlooking the bay. Oysters of various types , lobster , to mention but 2, a good varied menu, great staff, all fresh and beautifully prepared, a definite ‘must’ if you like seafood.
naomir354
Food was amazing, drinks arrived slightly late but we were offered a round free on the house without expecting this or making a fuss. Service was excellent, Pete specially was lovely and very attentive. Great selection of wines and cocktails. Dessert was great too! Recommend pre booking as it’s obviously very popular understandably.
JENNIFER D
I don’t even know where to start! Emily who was our table host was brilliant. Knew so much about the menu in detail, she was so friendly and personable it made our first experience brilliant. I said I had a nut allergy and I was confident what I had chosen was nut free, but she insisted on going to double check all ingredients for me. When my friends food arrived she made me aware theirs had nuts in. That attentiveness n reassurance was brilliant. The bespoke detail in the drinks were something I’ve never seen before! The food was delicious, well presented and tasted as good as it looked. It may have been our first time but it won’t be our last!
Sharlene A
Spent a fabulous couple of hours enjoying a delicious meal, served and prepared by such super friendly staff. Highly recommend!
We visited this week and found everything to be decent enough. Our waitress Emily was lovely, very professional and friendly and left us feeling relaxed and looked after. Food was decent value overall, whole crab quality was impressive.. overall quality of fish was great.. I don’t think the food was a showstopper but as an overall it’s a thumbs up from us and we would definitely return. :)
This was quite a disappointment. I'd heard good things about the Buoy and Oyster and am particularly fond of independent seaside restaurants specialising in seafood, but we were met with very mediocre food; good, if a little ungenerous, service; and a bill that in no way reflected our enjoyment of the dinner.Me and my friend shared the seafood platter for 2 (£50, pictured). This was presented as an archipelago of shellfish poking out of an insipid suggestion of a seafood broth. The mussels were juicy and flavourful; the scallops overcooked and masked in an unimaginative nduja sauce; the prawns a bit firm and lacking in any real flavour, and the razorclams were overcooked to the point of resembling rubber bullets. It was a let down to not have the seafood, the star of the show, live up to what it could have been being right next to the sea.We also had two of the Bloody Mary's, the Bloody Buoy Mary and the Vegan Bloody Mary (£14.50 and £12 respectively, both pictured). Whilst being a little oversized, they had a good spice mix and strong flavour. The Bloody Buoy Mary came with bacon, an oyster (which was very good), and various other embellishments.The house smoked haddock chowder (£12 regular, £14 large) was excellent. A warming, creamy, and fishy bowl of goodness. Would highly recommend getting this and a side of skinny chips (£5).Our waiter was friendly and welcoming without being intrusive or over familiar. However, when we raised our distaste and disappointment for the seafood platter with him, there was no sense of trying to make things right. He chose instead to focus on our complimenting of the chowder. I think, and I'm aware it's a slightly touchy subject, that it would've been a good gesture to comp something, even just the chips, off the bill considering that we didn't eat any of the razorclams past the first few mouthfuls and didn't particularly enjoy the rest. Even assuring us that our comments had been passed on to the chef would've been something but we left feeling unsatisfied from the food and uninterested in the idea of eating here again given that our dissatisfaction felt unheard.The atmosphere was OK. a nice view of the harbour, but very loud and noisy interior (when there were only two other tables present) and harsh lighting made us both feel a bit tense and unable to settle in for a nice meal.It's a shame that this meal didn't live up to the hype or our expectations. I think given the price, a final bill just over £100 for 2, some of these disappointments sting a little more. There is cheaper, fresher, better cooked fish in restaurants a short walk away. Perhaps some of the other mains are executed better, but again given the price, I don't feel it is worth the risk of having another bad experience here again.
A fabulous, tasty lunch, served by a fantastic, warm bunch of people. It was my birthday and I had a card & complimentary glass of bubbly delivered to me upon arrival. The meal was exquisite & will definitely be returning.
Great place to eat excellent food and service. We were served by Lauren who was friendly and polite. I would definitely recommend there Sunday lunch.
Had a great evening with friends, food delicious and very well presented. Service was very good, especially our waiter Stan, very funny and professional . Would definitely recommend and definitely visit again
Fabulous new ‘Lunch Menu’, attentive service from Darren, Booked for a early celebration Birthday , we all loved it ? Thank you all for an amazing lunch x
Travelled from Surrey for a birthday celebration. Busy but welcoming (Pete), fresh food cooked well - highly enjoyable
Delicious marguerita and negroni cocktails with a glorious view on the terrace before an amazing catch of the day (the fish, and my husband!!)
Delicious food and great cocktails - a really lovely evening. Great service from Megan. Lovely atmosphere and beautiful views over the beach and harbour.
What a find, well worth the drive from Hertfordshire for lunch Most friendly welcoming staff, if you like fish, you’ll love this place, great menu, spoilt for choice Super fresh sashimi, great oysters, you have got to give the beer battered ones a try Great value Will be back
Restaurantji Recommends
Where do I start?So from the get go I was greeted by very warm and welcoming staff. Earlier in the day I had made a reservation online, as it was a special occasion, my birthday, I wanted to make sure that the seating area that I chose was good so popped over to check. The Area that they chose was perfect. Returned in the evening for my b'day dinner. Once again greeted by very friendly staff and shown to the table, we were seated on the terrace - Intimate corner table, perfect lighting and the music just set the scene.I was handed a birthday card and a glass of bubbly, food was delicious I can't fault it clean, fresh and tasty!Thoroughly enjoyed my birthday meal and was impressed by the food, drinks and service. I would highly recommend and will definitely be returning when I visit the area again.Thank you team!
Superb seafood restaurant. Located in centre of Margate, with views over the beach, with a choice of being inside of on the balcony overlooking the bay. Oysters of various types , lobster , to mention but 2, a good varied menu, great staff, all fresh and beautifully prepared, a definite ‘must’ if you like seafood.
Food was amazing, drinks arrived slightly late but we were offered a round free on the house without expecting this or making a fuss. Service was excellent, Pete specially was lovely and very attentive. Great selection of wines and cocktails. Dessert was great too! Recommend pre booking as it’s obviously very popular understandably.
I don’t even know where to start! Emily who was our table host was brilliant. Knew so much about the menu in detail, she was so friendly and personable it made our first experience brilliant. I said I had a nut allergy and I was confident what I had chosen was nut free, but she insisted on going to double check all ingredients for me. When my friends food arrived she made me aware theirs had nuts in. That attentiveness n reassurance was brilliant. The bespoke detail in the drinks were something I’ve never seen before! The food was delicious, well presented and tasted as good as it looked. It may have been our first time but it won’t be our last!
Spent a fabulous couple of hours enjoying a delicious meal, served and prepared by such super friendly staff. Highly recommend!