Margate’s remarkable cultural and economic resurgence was kick started in 2011 by the opening of the largest modern art space in south-east England – the David Chipperfield-designed Turner Contemporary. Its success had a huge impact on the wider community, giving a new lease of life to the Old Town – it’s cool, vibey scene now summons visitors from far and wide to explore the offbeat galleries, artsy stores, cool vintage and home-ware shops, vibrant coffee shops, cafés and restaurants.
Arrive by train (90 minutes from London St Pancras International), and the casual Big Shot, right on the seafront, is more than likely going to be your first port of call when it comes to your morning coffee fix, perhaps with a grilled cheese sandwich - we love the Colonel Mustard option. Or seek out 12 The Centre, just off the High Street, the home of the brilliant Curve Coffee Store.
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For a big breakfast, follow the road that curves past Turner Contemporary, heading uphill towards Cliftonville until you come to Forts Café. Their creative, umami-rich take on brunch classics, alongside cake, cookies and excellent coffee, is worth the walk. And it could all come with a view if you’re lucky to bag an outside table.
An egg, bacon and sausage breakfast roll or a croque monsieur at The Perfect Place to Grow will do more than satisfy hunger pangs. West of the Old Town, another brisk appetite-inducing uphill walk, the daytime café is housed in a converted Victorian morgue and represents a coming together of Margate’s art and food scene. The Tracey Emin-backed project, in conjunction with ‘Very Good’ rated restaurants Angela's of Margate and Bottega Caruso, aims to support young people facing unemployment in the area. Overseen by a professional team, it’s one of Margate’s hidden gems.
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A clutch of low-key places in the Old Town draw in a crowd of ardent regulars. They range from French Vietnamese chef Nathalie Nguyen’s cheerfully informal, pint-sized Thao Thao with its brief menu inspired by family recipes, perfect for one-plate grazing, to High Dive, Kirstie Fleck and Benjamin Vorono vibrant, tight-squeeze of a bar-restaurant. On offer is LA-inspired Mexican food that is immediately appealing in a vividly flavoured, fresh, attention capturing way. And if you can’t bag a table here, head to their seasonal, outdoor seating-only set-up, Dive, on the Harbour Arm where they serve tacos and their brilliant margaritas on a first-come, first-served basis.
Another spot with a first-come policy (and outside seating opportunities) is GB Pizza, a long-standing town favourite. Most of the thin, crisp, wood-fired pizzas are topped with carefully sourced ingredients (many from local producers) and gluten-free versions and vegan cheese mean no one’s left out. Or, for a great-value takeaway, nab a place in the queue at Peter’s Fish Factory on the seafront to satisfy your yen for seriously impressive fish and chips.
At the higher end, anchor the day with a memorable meal at the famed Angela's of Margate. The unpretentious, bijou dining room has long been a crowd puller, expanding onto the pavement in fine weather, while Rob Cooper is a steady hand in the kitchen with his superb fish-led cookery. But you do need to book in advance. Which makes their small seafood and wine bar just around the corner a bonus – Dory’s has a policy of keeping some spaces for walk-ins. What appears on the daily changing blackboard menu is dictated by the season and what the day boats bring in, to be served raw, pickled, smoked, confit or cured.
Or snap up a table at Bottega Caruso, Simona Di Dio and Harry Ryder’s endearingly popular, determinedly low-key restaurant. An established fixture on the Margate dining scene, an atmosphere of warm informality is matched by homespun southern Italian cooking inspired by Simona’s family recipes from Foglianise in Campania. And don’t forget to stock up on artisan Italian provisions at La Cantina, the restaurant’s deli a few doors down.
Sargasso has a claim to the best views of any restaurant in Margate, thanks to a terrace that makes the most of its commanding spot on the Harbour Arm, overlooking Margate Sands to the Old Town. Inside, the deal is stools at high tops and counter, and sharing plates with flavours mostly from the Mediterranean.
Or get right off the beaten tourist track and wander along Cliftonville’s Northdown Road, home to a thriving, diverse community and a haven of independent food shops, bars, cafés and restaurant. Here you will find Asian grocers, the impressively stocked Polish delicatessen Nasza Biedronka, the nose-to-tail Northdown Butchers, and Oast, Charlotte Keeys and Will Moss’s neighbourhood bakery and café popular for its for yeasted or sourdough loaves.
And here, too, is Sète, Natalia Ribbe’s dinky wine bar, noted for its short, expertly curated wine list of natural and classic French, European and South African gems, and for its back-room restaurant’s brief blackboard menu of simple, seasonal and delicious European-inspired dishes. For a taste of East Asia, consider Kate de Syllas’ simple izakaya-style Japanese restaurant Mori Mori. It nourishes an appreciative local crowd with a frequently changing menu of colourful, bracingly fresh and zippy food (mostly locally sourced), shot through with inventive Japanese and north-east Asian flavours.
