With Margate an easy 90-minute train ride from London, this seaside spot has become the perfect short break spot for Londoners who love their food and drink. Here's our pick of the best of it.
The best of Margate
Angela’s
Where: 21 The Parade, Margate CT9 1EX
At Angela’s, it’s all about sustainably sourced seafood with delights like ray knobs and aioli on the regularly changing menu. It's a small restaurant and popular, so you'll need to book ahead.
Follow them on Instagram: @angelas_of_margate
Bottega Caruso
Where: 2-4 Broad St, Margate CT9 1EW
“Heroically wondrous” declared critic Grace Dent of this indie Italian restaurant. With plenty of space inside and out you'll find superlative pasta and Italian peasant fare that’s deeply rooted in the co-owner’s Neapolitan background.
Follow them on Instagram: @bottegacaruso.
Buoy & Oyster
Where: 44 High St, Margate CT9 1DS
This multi-award-winning restaurant serves up a mainly seafood menu focusing on day boat-caught fish from local ports. Local crab might come with a yuzu mayonnaise while asparagus is served with whipped cod's roe and lemon rapeseed oil. Look out for bargain oyster happy hours too.
Follow them on Instagram: @buoyandoyster
Daisy
Where: 19 Cliff Terrace, Cliftonville, Margate CT9 1RU
Anything that mixologist Felix Cohen does comes with our strong recommendation, so you should hotfoot it to his cocktail bar up in Cliftonville. It's the perfect spot to watch the sunset and the cocktails are both inventive and delicious. The current menu features a Three Mile Island Iced Tea and a Pisco Negroni while bar snacks include a must-have deep-fried Baby Bel. There's also a new basement bar space open at the weekends which can only be good news.
Follow them on Instagram: @daisy_margate.
Dory's
Where: 24 High St, Margate CT9 1DS
The sibling restaurant to Angela's, Dory's is walk-ins only making it a good place to try if you're popping down to Margate on a last-minute whim. The menu is similarly seafood-based, but it's more of a small plates place. Grab a seat on the terrace or counter inside to enjoy prawn cocktail with smoked prawn oil or mackerel with kohlrabi and raw creme fraiche.
Follow them on Instagram: @dorys_of_margate
Follow The Swirl
Where: 12a King St, Margate CT9 1DA
Newly opened soft serve spot, this serves a mix of vegan and dairy ice creams that have had queues building up since day 1. Think Reece's inspired sundaes, fruit-packed soft serves and flat white slushies made with Climpson's coffee.
Follow them on Instagram: @follow_the_swirl
Fort Road Hotel
Where: Fort Road Hotel, 18 Fort Rd, Margate CT9 1HF
Overlooking the Turner Contemporary, this seafront hotel features a restaurant run by chef Daisy Cecil. Her menu takes inspiration from British female food writers like Elizabeth David and Jane Grigson and then gives them a Mediterranean spin. The hotel also has a lovely candlelit bar that's worth checking out.
Follow them on Instagram: @fortroadhotel
Forts Cafe
Where: 8 Cliff Terrace, Margate CT9 1RU
Perched on top of the cliff (with views to boot) this Margate cafe goes above and beyond in searching for the best coffee, bringing visitors a rotating menu from UK roasters and beyond. That's served up next to an ever-changing seasonal brunch and sandwich menu.
Follow them on Instagram: @fortscoffee
The Good Egg
Where: 49 Northdown Road, Margate CT9 2RN
Down from London, this southeast coast branch of The Good Egg has just opened its doors. To begin with, they're serving up a general brunch menu during the day with their popular shakshuka, challah French toast and pitas.
Follow them on Instagram: @thegoodegg_margate
Little Swift
Where: 7-8 Marine Dr, Margate CT9 1DH
This bar and deli by the seafront is an absolute must for London visitors to hit up - first for a great bottle of wine plus provisions for your AirBnB and then later in the night for cocktails and snacks. There's also a hatch for you to grab some of their amazing frozen cocktails for a walk on the seafront. If you're feeling really racy, order the Miami Vice, a mix of Strawberry Daiquiri and Pina Colada.
Follow them on Instagram: @littleswiftct9
Margate Harbour Arm
Where: Harbour Arm, Margate CT9 1AP
As with Folkestone, the harbour in Margate has been taken over with all manner of interesting food and drink ventures. Head out here for a drink at the Lighthouse Bar and try out the taco shop Dive (chef Ben used to be at Big Naturals) where fish tacos and margaritas are the order of the day.
Follow them on Instagram: @dive.margate and @lighthousebarmargate
Mannings
Where: The Parade, Margate CT9 1DD
At the east end of the seafront where the Turner Contemporary is, you'll find this unassuming-looking seafood stall. Look a little closer though and you'll spot a menu that features seafood and Champagne platters alongside cockles and whelks.
Follow them on Instagram: @manningsseafoodmargate
Mariachi
Where: 11 The Centre, Margate, CT9 1JG
Husband and wife team Chris and Mairead Hayden's obsession with the surf town of Sayulita worked its way back to this spot on the South East coast where they opened this Tequila and Mezcal bar. With a current cocktail menu that includes a smoked pina mezcalita and a tequila espressial they've carved out a reputation for strong drinks and cool vibes.
Follow them on Instagram: @mariachi_margate
Mori Mori
Where: 80 Northdown Road, Cliftonville, Margate, Kent CT9 2RE
From the folk at Big Naturals wine bar and deli comes this new spot serves what they describe as 'izakaya-style eats and drinks'. That translates to banging bento boxes, bao and ramen with a short but sweet list of sakes, beers and natural wines.
Follow them on Instagram: @morimori_margate
Peter's Fish Factory
Where: 12 The Parade, Margate CT9 1EZ
There's a reason for the perma-queue snaking its way down the parade from this popular chippy - the fish & chips are great. A mainstay of the seafront here at Margate since the eighties, a young team manage to stay relentlessly cheerful in the face of non-stop custom. All you need to know is that it's well worth the wait.
Follow them on Instagram: @petersfishfactory
Picnic
Where: 3 Northdown Parade, Margate CT9 2NR
Formerly Stingray this is now a new deli-by-day, drinks and food-by-night spot in Cliftonville. They've already got quite the reputation for their sarnies like ham and cornichon on baguette and a spicy deli roll loaded with nduja mayo, ventricina and fennel salamis. In the evenings at weekends, they serve up cocktails, drinks and small plates including cheese and meat plates, croquetas, and pate with baguette.
Follow them on Instagram: @picnic_margate
Sargasso
Where: Stone Pier, Margate CT9 1AP
Margate locals were thrilled to know that popular spot Sargasso was reopening, particularly when news broke that the new owners were Ed Wilson and Josie Stead of London's Brawn. Packed since it had great reviews from Jay Rayner and Marina O'Loughlin, you ought to book well ahead. The menu is inspired by European coastal cooking, roaming both locally and further afield for the best produce.
Follow them on Instagram: @sargasso.bar
Sete
Where: 238 Northdown Road, Margate CT9 2QD
From the team behind Barletta, this originally opened as a wine bar, expanding more recently to include a restaurant and garden. The menu "combines modern European cuisine with a strong French influence" and there's a frequently changing wine list. Wines are available on tap and to take away and there's a leaning towards female winemakers.
Follow them on Instagram: @sete.margate
Staple Stores
Where: Turner Contemporary, Rendezvous, Margate CT9 1HG
Stephen Gadd who runs Staple Stores is an ex-Odettes and Hibiscus chef, so that should give you an idea of the level we're talking about when it comes to this bakery/cafe group's patisserie and breads. Having previously been on the Harbour Arms he's now taken over the old Barletta space at the Turner Contemporary for his seaside bakery and cafe.
Follow them on Instagram: @staple_stores.
Streets Margate
Where: Unit2, 220, 228 Northdown Rd, Cliftonville, Margate CT9 2RP
This newly opened wine bar serves up a winning combo of Indian-inspired street food alongside a natural wine list. Think Indian small plates with lcoally sourced ingredients.
Follow them on Instagram: @streetsmargate
The Sun Deck
Where: Royal Crescent Promenade, Margate, CT9 5AJ
Right on the beach and boasting a range of street food, great coffee, proper fried brekkies and a top line-up of DJs. It couldn't be a better place to either start your day or end it, sinking a mojito and watching the sunset.
Follow them on Instagram: @thesundeckmargat
Best of Margate map
How to get there:
With a direct Southeastern train service from St Pancras to Margate taking just 90 minutes, you'd be crazy to use any other method of transport than the train to get here. A return Advance Fare ticket starts at £25 return if you book far enough in advance.
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