Wyatt & Jones
Broadstairs, Kent
It opened in 2013, yet Wyatt & Jones is already alluded to in glowing terms as an ‘institution’. This family-run restaurant, on a narrow thoroughfare leading down to Broadstairs’ sandy Viking Bay, deserves the hype. Following a post-lockdown re-jig, ‘small plates cooked over fire’ is the new USP. The wood-panelled, two-level dining room with its chapel chairs has a slick, modern feel, and friendly ministrations from the staff are enthusiastic and helpful. The Med-leaning seasonal menu, bookended by appetite-whetting aperitifs and dessert wine, includes cold plates – thin, milky-pale and silky slivers of monkfish crudo with shiso salsa was a standout at inspection, as was all their fish cookery – hot plates (perhaps serrano ham croquettes with aïoli), plates over charcoal, and sweets. Six plates between two is plenty: expect them to arrive as and when they’re ready. Almost everything, from the lime alongside fire-blistered John Dory with deeply savoury XO sauce to doorstop-thick chunks of sourdough, for dipping into molten potted-shrimp butter, gets a lick of smoke. To counter the smouldering heft, verdancy and top notes come from judicious, clever use of citrus, chilli heat, puddles of tangy, umami-rich sauces and bitter leaves. They’re clearly having fun with the puds: try the playful nostalgic riff on peach melba. For lunch, angle for a spot with a harbour view (there are plenty, thanks to the expansive glass frontage), though (post-sunset) the bar-counter stools are a happy place for two. If you’ve got a canine friend, they’ll be happy to accommodate if they can. The wine list gives British vineyards top billing, with almost everything available by the glass.
Dining Information:
Counter seating, Dog friendly, Credit card required
25-27 Harbour Street, Broadstairs, Kent CT10 1EU
01843 865126
