Hythe Bay Fish Restaurant & Bar, The Reviews

We decided to try this restaurant and then read the mixed reviews. So with a cautious and possibly critical head on, my partner and I went for it. On arrival we were welcomed and treated attentively by the bar and waiting staff alike. As we got there early we had a drink at the bar. Even though our table was ready, at no point did we feel rushed to take our places. The food was ordered and served in a very timely fashion even though they were fairly busy. On eating the food, namely sardines, oysters, lemon sole and halibut all were fresh and superbly cooked. Again the young waiting staff were attentive and polite without being overbearing throughout the evening. At £15 to £18 for a main course we certainly did feel that we got value for money and had a fantastic night. Would we go back? Without a doubt! Would we recommend it to others? Definitely! Well done Hythe Bay, a restaurant that has got the balance just right.

I visited the restaurant with my wife on a busy Friday lunchtime. We were greeted immediately and offered a table in an excellent location. We were offered some lovely fresh, crusty rolls to start with, which were provided as soon as we sat down. The service throughout the meal was excellent, attentive but never intrusive. I started with shell on prawns and my wife with potted shrimps. Neither could be faulted. As a main, I chose the halibut and my wife a scampi. Both came in generous portions, well prepared and well presented. To finish we chose the sticky toffee pudding and the crème brûlée. Again, both were excellent and a delicious end to the meal. Overall, the three course meal for two cost £47. I regarded this as representing excellent value for money given the quality of the food, the level of service and the exceptional position and sea views. We will certainly be visiting again.

Having read disappointing reviews on Hythe Bay Fish Restaurant I felt it was time to put my point of view. I had the good fortune to be invited to this restaurant along with three other couples on Saturday. We were greeted by attentive staff and shown to an excellent table. Once seated our drinks order was immediately taken by Charlotte, the supervising waitress. Within minutes our drinks arrived and menus were distributed, having ordered our food we partook of the very pleasant ambience that surrounded the restaurant. The food when it arrived was cooked to perfection and this comment covered a variety of dishes. Our waitress Shannon could not have been more attentive throughout our entire meal and made this an experience we all agreed must be repeated.

We went to Hythe Bay for the Valentine’s night special. What a disappointment, the salmon had a hard herb crust, that was very strong tasting, and the chocolate pudding was too thick and rich. I don’t think I will be going again.

This is a bar, not a restaurant. The food is mediocre and it tastes like they nipped out to the local supermarket and bought a few ingredients from there. I'm sure the bread is of the defrosted variety, as is some of the seafood. All this wouldn't matter if they didn't go on about the quality of the food, as though this was some gourmet place. I think it’s very expensive for what is essentially reasonable pub grub. Also, all the members of staff seem to be in their 20’s and there is a total lack of experience in how to serve food properly. Don't get me wrong, they try their best, but the owners could do well to look at their level of service.

We went there for a meal on Thursday. The location and restaurant itself are lovely but yet again we had a disappointing evening. When you enter the members of staff are almost agitated that you have not made a booking. They make you feel that you are privileged to get a table, even if the place is half empty. The service is disappointing for the type of venue The Hythe Bay tries to portray itself as. The wait staff appear to have little or no training. We greeted the server when she arrived at the table and had no response. Drinks took longer than satisfactory to arrive but the food was satisfactory and arrived in good time. The meal came to £160 and as we passed the manager when we were leaving, he didn't say a word and we were shocked. It’s a shame there is not another seafood restaurant in the area with similar sea views. They probably need some competition to improve their standards and to give us more choice.

We went there last weekend for a birthday celebration. The food was okay, but not great and the service was atrocious. I had shell on prawns and my partner had Dover sole on the bone, we had to request a bowl for the debris twice. Our wine was opened before being brought to the table; we had to go to the bar to ask for the bill and then waited fifteen minutes for the payment to be collected.

We decided to eat at this restaurant as we are keen to add venues to our list. We were accompanied by my mother who is disabled by arthritis. The access was extremely difficult with steep steps and another huge step at the doorway. My mother decided to rest at the first chair. We were met by a hostile waitress who stated we could not sit there as all tables in that area were booked - no one sat at the table, they remained empty throughout our visit. We were shown to a dirty table and the same young woman swept the remains of the previous diner’s meals over my partner's legs. We decided not to make a fuss as it would have upset my elderly mother. We felt the food was overpriced and the back part of the restaurant was very noisy. My crab salad was okay but salty and my partner's food was overcooked. However, I was pleased that my mother’s meal was okay but also salty. It is a shame that a restaurant with such a fabulous outlook is of average quality. The bar staff were helpful but the unpleasant waitress spoilt the visit for us. The owners should probably consider the disabled as this is definitely a difficult restaurant to enter if you are infirm.

When we visited Hythe Bay, the restaurant was pleasantly full and we had a beautiful table in the window overlooking the promenade and the sea. The food was delicious, smoked salmon was not too cold and came with sliced, buttered bread and the fish soup was piping hot and very tasty, whether out of a bottle or not as one reviewer said. For main course I had a Dover sole which was prepared excellently, the potatoes had got slightly cooler than I would wish but the meal was lovely as a whole. My wife had the cod and chips which although she couldn't finish owing to the large portion, she found very nice. For dessert we shared a sticky toffee pudding which was warm and presented in a very pleasing fashion. The service was pleasant and friendly, I must disagree with another of the reviewers who said that the apparent school-ages of the waiters and waitresses were a hindrance. Both my wife and myself found their youth and friendliness a very appealing part of the restaurant. They were chatty but knew when to step away to allow us to enjoy our meal. Overall, the food, location and service were near perfect. I would rate this restaurant 4 stars. Having read the other reviews I know that others clearly haven't been as pleased as I have with the restaurant, but I really would recommend finding out for yourself as my wife and I most certainly enjoyed ourselves.

The setting is nice but overpriced for the average food they serve. The calamari starter seemed like it was frozen squid rings, mussels were okay, but the mixed shellfish platter had lots of shell on prawns with some oysters and crab. It wasn’t any better than what you would expect from a fish and chips shop or seafood stall. Service was a hit and miss. All in all, it was disappointing.