St Martin's, Fish & Seafood Restaurant Guide

“Tiny but perfectly formed!” – The very first Wheelers (est. 1856, and the original and last branch of an increasingly forgotten chain that ceased trading in 2014) is a “quaint but charming” venue whose “magical qualities make it a memorable and special place”. “There is a counter at which you can order items to take away (to the nearby beach) or sit in the very bijoux parlour” – a “really lovely, family-run space where the attention to detail and freshness of the seafood is second to none”. “Exceptional oysters” are the headline attraction on a “wow of a tasting menu” that “is of course centred on fish”. “It’s made even more affordable by their BYO policy” – “just pop to the offy over the road for a great bottle of wine” (“there’s a small charge for corkage”). Top Tip – “book well in advance”.

2023 Review: The dining room “upstairs in a rickety old pub, with wonderful views over Whitstable Bay”, offers a “good mix of innovative food” – including “beautifully cooked fish” – “and homemade pub classics, served by staff from the kitchen on the floor below”. “Eaten there many times: the ambience is excellent and always found the food good”.

“An unrivalled seashore location” right “on the beach at Whitstable” and “with plain wooden tables” sets the scene at this “very popular” destination. “It’s not fancy cooking, but the quality of the fish is very good” and “simply and ably prepared, although prices are not cheap”. “Best to go when there is an ’r’ in the month, when natives are available as they are fantastic”.

2022 Review: “Superb, ultra-fresh seafood, including excellent Whitstable oysters” can be enjoyed bang in front of the working harbour at this straightforward café and terrace, with views over the sea as a backdrop.

Operated by the Whitstable Oyster Company, this shack tucked away at the end of the harbour serves oysters from the beds visible at low tide from its terrace, as well as lobsters and fish from the nearby waters. “We’re lucky to have such a place for fresh quality fish on our doorstep”.

“Pretty much my idea of gastronomic heaven”: Stephen Harris’s “tricky-to-get-to old-looking pub” represents “a friendly and pleasurable approximation of perfection” for its enormous fan club and – as one of the top-5 most commented-on destinations in our annual diners’ poll – is viewed by many as “simply the best pub-orientated restaurant in the UK”. Set out on the salt marshes by the Thames just outside Whitstable, “don’t be fooled by the external décor” (which makes it look like any old seaside pub). Inside, it “still retains its original charm” and its unforced style makes it “a place to return to on a regular basis”. “The local produce mirrors its estuary-side position”, with each “simple but magnificent” component of the five-course menu “representing the best of the locality at that time of year”. “The cooking itself is a revelation” with “prodigious attention to flavour” and the most often-cited offerings including excellent fish, oysters and lamb (including, of course, the signature slip soles). “The wine list reflects the tastes of the Patron who only lists wines that he would choose to drink himself”. “Many pilgrims make the journey but you have to book months in advance”. “A joy to visit before or, preferably, after a bracing walk on the beach” (and with it being “just a short step to their delightful self-catering cabins, what could be more romantic?)”

This Grade II listed Georgian pub near Oare Marshes Nature Reserve is “a lovely spot on a warm day to sit and enjoy lovely grub on the outdoor terraces” – “while it does not outshine its near neighbour The Sportsman, it’s cosy, well run, with excellent food and great service – all without having to book weeks in advance and much easier on the wallet”. It has seen “a resurgence in the standard of cooking under new management” – experienced ex-Londoners Tom Gravett & Renny Peret.

2023 Review: This “fantastic little bistro hidden away in Deal” is “well worth trying” for the “very high standard of its classic French cooking” – although there is some pushback against its “London prices”. Owner-operators Benoit & Sarah (respectively the Frog and the Scot) also run Le Pinardier wine shop and bar a few doors away.

This stunning curved modern restaurant was opened in 2011 by Saga billionaire Sir Roger De Haan and his son Josh, and won widespread acclaim for its seafood under founding chef Mark Sargeant. But since Mark’s departure in late 2021, ratings have softened a little – “the food is a bit up and down and on the pricey side to cater for the London crowd, but it has an ideal position overlooking the water and the harbour arm”.

This “lovely seafood restaurant” is a “good find in Margate”, with an “extensive and varied menu” that features fresh oysters and “delicious seafood platters” but also “includes local meat and vegetarian options”. “Staff couldn’t be friendlier” and “the whole experience is very enjoyable”.

The “little sister to Angela’s”, a seafood restaurant-with-rooms round the corner, “never fails to satisfy” with its menu of “creative, unique fishy small plates” that are raw, pickled, cured or smoked. The owners run a co-op producing their own fruit and veg, and this site also has a wine shop stocking bottles from England and beyond.

“Stunning seafood within walking distance of the Turner Contemporary gallery and Margate seafront” has won fame for Lee Coad’s “tiny” sibling venue to Dory, that he opened in 2017 with his wife Charlotte Forsdike and chef Rob Cooper. “Gorgeous fresh fish is served in a very relaxed dining space”: “a café-like setting that’s enjoyable if not special”. “Service is fabulous too”, helping to account for why this is nowadays the most commented-on venue in town in our annual diners’ poll and “booking is essential” (“having finally landed a table, the memory of the roasted turbot skin will remain with me for a very long time!”)

2022 Review: In a “great” harbourside setting, chef Craig Mather’s collaboration with hotelier James Thomas namechecks the heroic homespun flotilla of the Dunkirk evacuation, also echoed in the decor. The food, mostly sourced within 30 miles of the restaurant, is reliably “solid”, not least the “lovely fresh catch of the day with interesting saucing”.

Close the harbour, a Victorian hotel dining room with a modern seafood-based menu and specials board which impressed critic Grace Dent of the Guardian.

2023 Review: This “very buzzy spot in a pink container on the harbour arm” serves “very fresh fish and seafood”, and is the “sister restaurant to Rocksalt”. “Spilling out onto a terrace, it makes a delightful spot for lunch in the sun, with engaging service and all that one wants from a decent fish restaurant”.