please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Traditional back street Whitstable establishment.. attractive ‘tiled’ brick on front so common around here... Very lively, with tourists and locals alike... bit of a sing song going on in front bar... Knew it was gem when I walked in... surprisingly large garden packed in summer, especially as Euro’s were showing on outdoor TVs.. Good pub grub... Shepard Neame Masterbrew went down nicely...
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The eight of us needed a place to refresh our throats, after singing "Happy Birthday" in four-part harmony at the top of our lungs for one of our number, and then being invited by the staff at the Whitstable Oyster Company to do the same for some of their other customers. Some people are indeed gluttons for punishment.
The local pale ale was finished, so we made do with master brew, which was a more-than-acceptable substitute.
It was warm, comfortable and friendly and there was no striking canine odour. The timelessly basic refurbishment has been done to a smart, high standard, and we passed an hour or two of unforced jollity here.
Eight-out-of-ten.
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I remember the Smack for being charming and quirky with a great jukebox. So yeah it smelt a bit of dogs but it was a fine pub.
So it's been done up and the jukebox has been put in a skip. The ramshackle charm of the garden has experienced gentrification shall we say. Still a very fine beer garden but I can't help feeling some charm has been lost.
Friendly service and good beer but some of the uniqueness may have also gone in the skip as well.
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A delightful bar with with 60s decor. Well kept Sheps beers, excellent Sunday lunch - best value in town.
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My first visit to this pub was last Saturday when I was in the town for the football at Belmont Road.
Myself and 4 others came in just around noon and it's a lovely little pub. I cannot comment for the last review as it's just nonsense.
Very friendly barmaid, might even be the landlady but I'm unsure. Had a pint of Kent Best and it was perfect.
This place may be off of the beaten track ie the high street but it's worth a visit.
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A shocking excuse for a pub. As soon as we walked in, the atmosphere was wierd and unwelcoming. The landlord was sitting at the bar in his vest top and was extremely rude. If you're reading this because you're looking for a great pub in Whitstable, then please, go to the Neptune!
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I'm glad to report that we popped into The Smack recently on a wet Saturday and found the place to be exceptionally clean and tidy.
This place is a hidden gem full of character and characters! We always go to The Smack when visiting Whitstable and will continue to do so.
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I fear I may have fallen out of love with The Smack.
Where once I saw eccentricity, quirkiness and electicism; I now see untidiness, disrepair and a lack of cleaniness. As if basic values of presentation and hygiene can be dodged with the excuse of whimsy.
The garden is a shambles; and a stinky pet one at that.
Shame that its tipped over from charm to this as I used to really like it.
Ale was OK mind.
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The Smack has a charm about it for sure. Friendly, ramschackle and individual. Friendly people and nice beer and a good jukebox.
However the pub does smell of dogs. In such a way as to make it a bit unpleasant to be in for any period of time which is a shame.
Maybe splash some brut on the dogs. KNow what I mean.
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I counted 14 dogs and 3 cats all running about the place which had a strong odour of animal excrement etc. The noise of barking, shrieking and growling was hideous. My wife became very scared and soon afterwards a cat panicked and slashed at my ankle. We had to leave.
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Once met a man in this pub who claimed to be the lead singer in the Goombay Dance Band.
I made my excuses and left.
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It's The Rovers Return on acid.
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May not be for the fainthearted as it's very much a local's local, and by 'eck, they are characters. All very chatty and friendly, so if you go to a pub to sit quietly on your own, forget it. Open fire and a darts board, only two ales though (Shep Master Brew & Best). Definitely worth the experience.
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Just up the road from Squeeze Gut Alley is the Smack.... a fine beginning to a folk song sung by retired Geography teachers who like folk but are fascinated by mass movement...
I like The Smack. Yes it has a couple of dogs in there but they are friendly and I am not a fan of dogs at all but these two were fine although I think they thought I was their butler.
Quirky but fascinating interior. Great jukebox, friendly service, good beer and a very good beer garden.
Well worth repeated visits. Charming and memorable. A rare 9/10.
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Enjoyed a random visit to this recently very much.
Yes: there were a couple of (well behaved) dogs knocking around; and there is a slight whiff of dogginess on first entering. Admittedly, it's not my preferred aroma - but undetectable after 5 minutes and/ or the first Kent's Best.
Interesting, slightly eccentric interior with friendly staff and eclectic clientele. Only beer sampled was Kent's Best; which was very good.
I'd favour this, just, over the well-regarded Ship Centurion Arminius in the High Street; but would endeavour to vist both - finishing here.
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I went to this pub a few times last year. Its round the back of the High Street, out of the way but the beer is always good. I have had most of the Sheps but not the Mild. Yet ! Yes, there are cats and dogs but as I like both it didn't put me off.
Nice open fire and played darts too. Has live music.
Overall not too bad at all.
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Fine boozer with real people behind the abr and in front of it. Nice beer too
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Well you cant say I wont give a place the benifit of doubt.
Visited late afternoon 15 May 2008. No dogs, in fact no customers save for a nice lady who served up an acceptable pint of Master Brew. I noticed that this Pub has and serves Sheps Mild. Worth the visit.
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4th May 2008. Oh dear, more Dogs than people hear ! Mate and I, In one door and out the other Im afraid!
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Re-visited 18 April and a contract to my last visit. Both Spatfire and Master Brew up to scratch and the company was good. Only one dod around the entire time. A good couple of hours spent here.
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Visited 7pm 27 March. The sign on the door says "NO Dogs". Well the Pub has more Dogs and Cats than Customers in the bar!!!!
One pint of Master Brew followed by a hasty retreat as Im not a dog lover.
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The Smack of the pubs title refers not to the beating of unruly customers but to a type of boat used in the local oyster trade. This is very much a love it loathe it pub and be best described as cluttered and a bit eccentric. The Shepherd Neame beers are fine but the surroundings are not to everyone�s taste. The fairly small bar is a bit cramped at the front and the overall impression is that of a tatty old boozer in need of a good clean. The 2 aquariums (or is it aquaria) seem bereft of any wildlife although I recall them being home to several angel fish on my previous visit. The ceiling is plastered with old posters and the walls are covered in bottles, trophies and all kind of nick nacks. The beer garden is also a very cluttered with a fish pond being the central feature. Its alternative approach would not be out of place in Camden and it is a bit different to the other pubs in the area. Personally I like it although it was not a big hit with some of the people I was with. They probably also have the least energetic cat in Whitstable.
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