LDNGuide
The 18 Best Restaurants & Bars In Margate
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Margate is over an hour from London, home to at least one or all of The Libertines on any given day, and a favourite destination for restaurant-goers and restaurateurs alike. So it’s no surprise the town is a favourite seaside destination among Londoners. That said, it can be hard to know what you should absolutely do in the hours or days you’re there—2p machines and Dance Dance Revolution aside. If you don’t want to run around like a headless seagull checking out what’s best, go to these spots.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Two things you should know about Forts: It doesn’t take bookings and it’s always buzzing. So whatever day of the week it is, arrive early. The polished diner-like space in Margate is popular with locals and day-trippers, and for good reason. Eggs are given special treatment with the addition of merguez to scrambled or ‘nduja to fried, but pay attention to the sandwiches. Sometimes hulking, sometimes toasted, always delicious. The bacon sandwich is a go-to. We’ve had it on focaccia with sliced apple and chipotle ketchup, and toasted with chilli jam and pickled red onion. Either way it’s a winner.
Contrary to that picture of Pete Doherty and an obscenely large plate, sorry, metal tray, of beans and eggs and stuff, Margate is actually a prime location for some locally caught, daintily plated, small plates. And Dory’s, a seafood bar on the high street is somewhere you need to check out. The menu changes depending on the daily catch, but it’s bound to be pretty exquisite. Crab on green beans, cumin-rubbed raw trout, and melt-in-your-mouth stewed squid with sweet tomatoes gives you a general gist. They also specialise in English-made wine and the changing by-the-glass list is great. Plus it's walk-in only. Which suits the er, less organised day-tripper.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Every trip to the seaside should be marked by a visit to the local seafood shack. You know the ones—white hatches with a spread of just-caught oysters, prawns, cockles, whelks, plus the inevitable crab sandwich. Mannings is the one to head to in Margate. It’s parked up next to the Turner Contemporary, where you’ll see a polite queue of people trying not to be blown away by gale-force winds. A crab sandwich (lemon, tiny squeeze of mayo, no leaves) is essential. As are a few oysters. We can never resist a little tub of prawns and marie rose sauce either. Pop a squat on the sea-facing wall and you’ve got the perfect seaside snack.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
The best time to visit Daisy is at golden hour. The cocktail bar, on Cliff Terrace, doesn’t get as packed as the main seafront spots and is the ideal place to watch the sunset over the water. But it’s not the only reason to come (especially since most of the time the weather is not serving ‘put your sunnies on’). The cocktails are excellent and creative, but not fussy. More so it’s the kind of place that describes their tequila-spiked verdita as “very ‘Gwyneth Paltrow smoking one cigarette a week’”. The warm room and warm hospitality invite lingering, especially if you get a space in the cosy basement.
A meal at Bottega Caruso feels like the manifestation of all your Italian holiday home dreams, in Margate. This tiny Campanian spot is a flickering living room of a restaurant from Thursday to Sunday evenings (it’s lunch-only on Wednesdays). Books and jars of tomato sauce sit on the shelves beside you, and bowls of hearty pesto-clad gnocchi in front. Its changing menu is as irresistible as the homely, amiable atmosphere—and polpette di pane al sugo (bread balls in sauce) or light-as-a-feather slabs of tiramisu will live long in the memory.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Nothing is more inevitable than crunching batter on the seaside as you wave away a flying demon from your bag of chips. As per any coastal favourite, Margate has its most-visited chippy and also one that’s a little off the beaten track. You’ll more than likely opt for Peter’s as it’s right there opposite the sea and the fish and chips is excellent. Great batter, flaky fresh fish, good chips. Plus those behind the counter are some of the friendliest staff around and generous with the salt and vinegar. If you’re looking to skip the queue and don’t mind walking inwards, there’s Alfie’s. Some locals say that’s where you should be getting your cod (or haddock) and chips.
While not quite London-on-Sea, there is a fast-growing group of Margate restaurants that would slip comfortably into London Fields’ or Peckham’s biodynamic, modern European, small plates scene. Sargasso is one of these and, in fact, is the seaside sibling to Brawn in Hackney. The laid-back, vinyl-loving bar and restaurant looks out onto the North Sea from the pier and is the kind of place where a lively lunch can become dinner very quickly. A seat at the counter combined with the dulcet tones of Gil Scott-Heron and an oyster with chorizo will set the tone nicely. A schnitzel skate wing with the sound of the sea and candles dancing come dinnertime, even better.
photo credit: Karolina Wiercigroch
Like all good eggs, this Middle Eastern-inspired spot is cheerful and supremely likeable—plus a great place to get brunch classics. Just like its London siblings in Stoke Newington and Soho. You’ll sit down with a single thought in mind—eggs. But then treats on the counter catch your eye. Babka with a chocolate swirl, speckled, sesame pastries filled with feta, and gooey cookies. Get everything at The Good Egg. The skillet of shakshuka is a staple for a reason. A spoon of this with the punchy preserved lemon yoghurt, smeared on the fluffy pita is the perfect brunch bite. At this point you might be sinking back against the chalky pink walls, fit to burst, but get some counter treats for the road.
Although Cliffs make a mean flat white and the crumpet sliders are incredibly moreish, the food isn’t even the best thing about it. Before we even tried the crunchy hash browns and the creamy mustard aioli that came drizzled on top, we decided this was a cafe we would come back to. Inside a record store on Margate’s Northdown Road, Cliffs is a fun, lively space with an excellent soundtrack of old classics playing. Baristas sing along to Dolly Parton, the huge floor-to-ceiling window upstairs floods the room with natural light, and records are displayed along the walls like a music hall of fame. Families lounge on the sunken leather sofas and groups catch up over coffee on the big sharing table in the centre of the room.
A late lunch on Buoy And Oyster’s beachfront terrace is our idea of an afternoon well spent. Sip on tangy lemonade while surrounded by greenery—foliage hangs from the ceiling and the wicker chairs make it feel like summer even when it’s not. The dining room is spacious, with plenty of natural light and an airy energy that encourages lingering. But the view of the sand and beyond is the real USP. The Maldon rock oysters are a good move, as is one of the seafood platters to share. Snack on calamari while you stare out to the sea—and take it from us, you’ll want to keep the drinks coming until sunset.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
There are lots of seafood restaurants in Margate, but Angela’s is one of the best. It overlooks a bustling square where coffee shops spill out onto the street, but inside there is a sense of calm. Plates of buttery lobster and turbot, and hearty lentils topped with goats’ cheese are ferried between tables. They go back to the kitchen empty, every last drop of sauce swept up by crispy Jersey potatoes and hunks of bread. Glasses of white wine are sipped as chatter and attention turns to sweet strawberries draped with light, creamy sabayon. Angela’s is all about excellent fish dishes, long lunches, and even longer dinners.
Olby’s is as much a venue as it is a homely restaurant. The rootin’ tootin’ fusion spot on King Street has a variety of bands and stand-ups perform every week but is probably best-known for its enormous Sunday roasts. Friends and families book way in advance for jerk rib-eye with all the trimmings, but on weekdays the Caribbean-inspired menu still hits the spot. A rack of ribs is doused in a fruity marinade and the finger food menu pairs well with watching anyone perform on stage. It’s a friendly, low-key space where everyone is made to feel comfortable.
A slice of French glamour in Margate, Sète seduces with the sound of corks popping, a snack menu scrawled on the mirror like lipstick kisses, and flickering candles come evening. The wine bar is an intimate and cosy space which suits bringing someone you want to, well, get intimate and cosy with. Sitting on the pavement seating, which faces a busy street, breaks the fantasy a little. Instead, head to the suntrap garden when it’s open properly in late summer. The golden light will bounce off your glass and glistening anchovies on toast, and make you look like your best self.
Picnic Deli is a charming little spot where you’re just as likely to leave with some premium olive oil and a bottle of wine as you are a chunky ventricana salami and ‘nduja mayo roll. Just off Northdown Road, this is a top place to stock up for a beach picnic. We particularly like the baguette with cream cheese, roast peppers, tapenade, and rocket. It’s refreshing, light, and tastes way better than anything you’ll get from Tesco. The meaty ones can be a little on the salty side but if you’re into layered cold cuts, then take a seat on one of the benches outside and get stuck into one of the hefty classic deli rolls.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
As the day wears on, Little Swift fills up. Locals pop into the bottle shop to take something home and decide to stay for a glass of chilled red. Friends start their evening at the wine bar, clinking glasses to the night ahead. And couples end up staying until close, grazing on charcuterie and working their way through a bottle. In the summer, the seafront-facing pavement terrace is a total scene, spilling out into the road, before those in the know head upstairs to snag a cushioned bay window that looks out to sea.
photo credit: Streets
When you want to have a few glasses of wine sitting on a sofa or in the kitchen, but not your sofa or kitchen, there’s Streets. The front end of this natural wine and small plates spot is set up like a living room. But with a green mid-century sofa that’s cooler than yours. The other side of the bar, towards the back, is a bit moodier, with low-level lighting and a massive communal table that feels kitchen island-esque. It’s as comfortable as popping round to a mate’s house, but with better interiors, a better playlist, and a crunchy, tangy bhel puri that beats the Doritos they usually put out.
There’s a laid-back cafe feel to Mori Mori that belies some of the cooking at this Japanese spot on Northdown Road. The simple all-white room is flooded with light during the day and its chirashi rice boxes truly pop. Salmon sashimi and panko prawn toppings are winners but the star of the show is the okonomiyaki. The pancake is filled with kimchi, hispi cabbage, and a gooey smoked cheese, alongside a squeeze of spicy kewpie and a handful of spring onions. A plump, oozing hug of a dish.
You’ll more than likely be told to check out a few pubs in Margate. One of them, The Little Prince, is one of the smallest pubs in the UK. Which is cute and novelty and all, but it also means that their Guinness comes out of a can. After you enjoy a quick and cramped one there, it’s worth checking out The Lifeboat. It probably leans more Sauvage than Jack Sparrow in reality, but the nautical-themed ale and cider house has that dark and sawdusty aesthetic that makes you long for the days of viral sea shanties. Of their numerous independent ales, check out the milk stout. It’s maybe even better than a pint of the black stuff.
