Quince
Westgate-on-Sea, Kent
Relatively new to this small Victorian seaside resort two miles east of Margate, dapper Quince has been warmly embraced by the community. The modern, no-frills dining room is as stripped-back and minimalist as the menu – four choices per course – with dishes revealing a commitment to local and regional suppliers, a practice honed by Rafael Lopez’s years of heading the kitchen at the Goods Shed in Canterbury. With co-owner Ben Hughes, another Goods Shed alumnus, their repertoire of robust, broadly European-accented dishes comes with a feel for proper flavour and seasonal vitality, the latter to the fore in a late-summer meal that opened with a light, refreshing salad of grilled apricots with spring onions, goat’s curd and mint, and lightly cooked south-coast scallops teamed with fennel and orange. Everything has a contribution to make, from the white beans and morel cream sauce with pork tenderloin to the rich cockle butter served with perfectly timed lemon sole. Main courses are generously portioned (come hungry) but do leave room for proper puddings, perhaps a slice of flourless chocolate cake with crème fraîche or crab apple crème brûlée with Douglas fir shortbread. Staff kindle a nice, relaxed buzz and the pleasant suspicion that nothing is too much trouble. To drink, there's a short thoughtfully sourced list of European (and English) wines, plus a few cocktails.
Dining Information:
Wheelchair access, Family friendly
39 Station Road, Westgate-on-Sea, Kent CT8 8QY
01843 833864
