Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Seasalter, a coastal stroll from Whitstable). There's a daily menu on the chalkboard,
with dishes such as seared thornback ray, brown butter, cockles, and sherry vinegar
dressing, and the famed Monkshill Farm pork belly and apple sauce, slow cooked
with the world's best crackling. There's also a tasting menu, available Tuesday to
Saturday, pre-ordered and for a maximum of six people.
Faversham Rd., Seasalter, Whitstable.
&
01227/273370.
www.sportsmanseasalter.co.uk. Reservations
recommended. Main courses £15-£22; tasting menu (Tues-Sat) £55. AE, DC, MC, V. Tues-Sat noon-2pm
and 7-9pm; Sun noon-2:30pm; bar open daily.
Tartar Frigate
SEAFOOD One of Kent's leading fish restaurants, the Frig-
ate is in an 18th-century flint building looking over Viking Bay. The restaurant is
upstairs, with glorious views; the pub below. The ultimate dish is the Grand Seafood
platter (£55 for two), heaped with two crabs, half a lobster, cockles, mussels, shrimp,
oysters, and more. The lively bar has live music and is a focal point of Broadstairs Folk
Week each August; you can also take your beer onto the beach.
37 Harbour St., Broadstairs.
&
01843/862013.
www.tartarfrigate.co.uk. Reservations recommended.
Main courses £15-£18; set menu (Mon-Fri), £14 for 2 courses, £17 for 3 courses. AE, MC, V. Pub open
11am-11pm (closes 10:30pm Sun).
Whitstable Oyster Company
SEAFOOD This still leads the pack in the
converted seafront Royal Native Oyster Stores warehouse, with piles of oyster shells
outside and oyster beds off the beach. A half-dozen oysters start at £9, and dishes
include whole local lobster served simply with potato salad. The place opened in
1978 when the oyster company was near closing; the family-run business now
includes the Whitstable Brewery, with ales such as Harbour Light, Hotel Continen-
tal, Whitstable Brewery Bar, and the East Quay bar and Lobster Shack restaurant.
The Horsebridge, Whitstable.
&
01227/276856.
www.whitstableoystercompany.com. Reservations
recommended. Main courses £13-£23. AE, MC, V. Mon noon-2:30pm; Tues-Thurs noon-2:30pm and
6:30-9pm; Fri noon-2:30pm and 6:30-9:30pm; Sat noon-9:45pm; Sun noon-8:30pm.
Entertainment & Nightlife
Whitstable is an unlikely place for nightlife, but the
Whitstable Brewery Bar
(
&
01227/772157;
www.facebook.com/whitstablebrewerybar) is bringing the club-
bing scene to this little town. It's on East Quay, on the far side of the quay from most
of the seafront attractions, and looks like a shed from the outside but is smart and
modern with a big DJ booth, lighting rig, and sound system inside. It's open every
Friday and Saturday night until 3am for soul, funk, drum 'n' bass, and house, often
featuring well-known DJs. The bar is also open Saturday and Sunday during the day
for a more laid-back experience, and has tables out on the pebble beach. The nearby
sister East Quay Venue is open for special events, including live music of the caliber
of the Blockheads and comedian Adrian Edmondson's band the Bad Shepherds.
Margate has
Rokka
(
&
01843/230183;
www.rokka.com), at the bottom of the
High Street, facing the sea. By day it's a swish coffee bar, by night the chic red-and-
white decor is enveloped in a rosy glow and it becomes a hip bar with guest DJs, even
bongo players. It's open Friday and Saturday evenings until 2am (no cover). There is
also a branch in Ramsgate. In Margate on a summer's night the Harbour Arm is a
good place to hang out, having a drink outside The Lighthouse Bar, maybe a bite to
eat in BeBeached (see above); it all turns into a bit of a party atmosphere.
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