The seaside town of Margate on the north coast of Kent in England has been attracting holidaymakers and daytrippers from London since the 18th century. Wealthy Georgians visitors, and later well-to-do Victorians, would descend on the coastal resort, looking to reap the health benefits of bathing in seawater. Purpose-built modesty bathing machines and donkey rides were popular sights on the sandy beach front, the town even boasting the world’s first sea-bathing hospital.
Now, out-of-towners hop off the hour and a half train from London, not so much for the sea air, but for the vibrant, gritty mix of cocktail bars, small plate restaurants and vintage shops. So much so, it’s been nicknamed Shoreditch-on-Sea. The faded grandeur of a once prosperous destination can be glimpsed in boutique townhouse hotels and the small, charming streets of the Old Town. But today, Margate’s buzzing with up-and-coming artists, independent shop owners and a liberal, creative crowd.
It makes for a perfect day trip, or weekend away, if you want to get away from the Big Smoke but don’t want to let go of those urban creature comforts – a decent cup of coffee, a spicy Marg perhaps, and an art gallery visit.
Margate travel guide
WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK
You’re spoilt for choices with places to eat and drink in Margate. Whether it’s fish and chips on the waterfront, bouji small plates or a heartwarming bowl of pasta, you definitely won’t go hungry, so travel with a good appetite!
Coffee and brunch
– Staple – staplestores.co.uk – A little artisanal bakery and cafe serving great coffee, buttery pastries and indulgent cruffins from a small outpost overlooking the sea on the Harbour Arm.
– Curve Coffee Roasters – curveroasters.co.uk – A specialty coffee roaster in a bright, airy space in the centre of town.
– The Bus Cafe – thebuscafe.co.uk – An award winning breakfast cafe housed in a vintage double decker bus right on the beach front.
– Forts Cafe – @fortscoffee – A buzzing coffee shop and cafe serving dishes such as nduja fried eggs and Korean fried chicken focaccia. It’s popular and they don’t take bookings so expect a short queue.
Ice cream
– Ramsay & Williams – @ramsayandwilliams – An ice cream bar with a vintage feel right in the centre of the old town.
Lunch and dinner
– DIVE – divemargate.com – A tiny taco bar a couple of doors down from Staple on the sea wall, serving excellent fish tacos, quesadillas, margaritas and more. There’s outdoor seating only, so if the weather is against you head to their new sister restaurant HIGH DIVE at 121 Margate High Street for bigger plates and apparently bolder flavours!
– Sub Rosa – subrosamargate.com – A NYC-style shop offering bagels that are hand rolled and baked fresh each day.
– Bottega Caruso – bottegacaruso.com – A family-run Italian restaurant and store, sharing food from the owner’s home Foglianise, a small village an hour away from Naples in Campania. You can also get light snacks and a glass of wine in the deli next door.
– Dory’s and Angela’s – angelasofmargate.com – We tried to get into these two restaurants round the corner from one another, but in the end had to leave them for our next visit. Angela’s is a small restaurant with rooms, while Dory’s offers a complementary seafood bar overlooking Margate’s main beach. Conscious of their impact on the planet, the owners have their own co-operative farm producing vegetables and fruit for both their restaurants as well as others in the area.
– SARGASSO – sargasso.bar – An intimate wine bar and eatery offering a sharing menu inspired by the European coastline. Dishes include squid sandwich with aioli, smoked eel with jersey royals, and clams with sherry and ham.
– Sète – setemargate.com – Opened in October 2022, a wine bar and restaurant named after the coastal town in France, with a seasonal menu focused on modern European cooking with a heavy French influence.
Drinks
– Little Swift – @littleswiftct9 – A relaxed bar on the sea front serving excellent cocktails – perfect for watching the sun set over the beach.
– Mariachi Tequila & Mezcal Bar – mariachimargate.com – A bar designed by Leask Architecture with a richly textured, tiled interior, serving Mexican-inspired cocktails.
– Daisy – daisymargate.com – A neighbourhood cocktail bar in Cliftonville. The owner previously won Cocktail Menu of the Year by The Times for Every Cloud in Hackney so you can expect good things.
– The Shakespeare – @theshakespearemargate – A stylish pub that was redesigned by Hackney and Margate-based owners Fleet Architects last year (they’re also the designers behind Fort Road Hotel in Margate too). Inside you’ll find cosy wooden booths, exposed concrete walls and Jerwood Prize-winning art. Even better, they serve Top Cuvée natural wine and pizza from Palms Pizzeria – definitely not your average pub!
WHERE TO SHOP
Wander the small streets of the Old Town and discover a whole host of independent shops and local creatives.
– Haeckels – haeckels.house – A natural skincare and wild fragrance company selling products made from lab-grown ingredients and in-house developed biotech. They also offer treatments and massages, and have a free community sauna that you can occasionally find on Margate beach.
– Scissortail Home – scissortail.co.uk – A serene shop that exudes peace and quiet, selling homeware, jewellery and the sweet things for children.
– Breuer & Dawson – breuerdawson.com – A vintage clothing store spread across two green fronted shops; one for menswear and one for womenswear.
– Werkhaus – werkhausmargate.com – A womenswear shop housed in an old launderette, offering modern utilitarian clothing and vintage pieces, alongside their own in-house line of shirt dresses, boilersuits and skirts.
– Albion Stores – albionstores.co.uk – A boutique that aims to add ‘a little extra’ to your everyday, with a mix of contemporary clothing, art and homeware, focused on British designers, and up-and-coming local artists.
– Asobi Store – asobi-store.co.uk – A vibrant design store with a lovely mix of stationery, books, magazines and art, designed to be treasured for a lifetime.
THINGS TO DO
It can be said that art is what has revitalised this town. First with the David Chipperfield-designed Turner Contemporary, and more recently by Tracey Emin returning to her hometown to open a studio for the artist’s of tomorrow.
– Turner Contemporary – turnercontemporary.org – A contemporary art gallery designed by British architect Sir David Chipperfield in 2011. The seafront location stands on the site of an old guesthouse where artist JMW Turner used to stay. Entry is free.
– TKE Studios – @tkestudios – Artist Tracey Emin founded Tracey Emin Studios in March 2023 with the aim of creating a community space where artists can support each other. The studios combine affordable spaces for professional artists with an exhibition space open to the public.
– Shell Grotto – shellgrotto.co.uk – A remarkably preserved subterranean grotto, decorated with 4.6 million shells set in intricate patterns and symbols.
PLACES TO STAY
From boutique hotels to quirky Airbnbs with a home away from home feel, Margate has really improved its offering in the last couple of years.
– The Margate Beach House (pictured) – bloomstays.com – A charming and colourful home with four large bedrooms, three bathrooms and a generous open-plan kitchen/diner thats perfect for design conscious families looking for a stylish bolthole right next to the sea. There’s a cosy little garden out the back with a hot tub and barbecue so you never need leave, except perhaps for a walk on the beach! [disclosure – I received a press stay here]
– The Reading Rooms – thereadingroomsmargate.co.uk – A luxury boutique bed and breakfast housed in a Grade II listed Georgian townhouse, offering just two rooms, decorated in a French Regency style.
– No 42. by GuestHouse – guesthousehotels.co.uk – GuestHouse hotels opened their Margate outpost in 2024, adding to their portfolio of hotels in Bath, York and Brighton. Their Margate hotel sits in a beautiful Victorian townhouse overlooking the seafront, with 21 rooms and suites for guests. I’ve stayed in both their Bath and York hotels, and they always do the little details really well, such as the miniature dollshouses in each room that house the tea and coffee station, or the fact that they provide chic toys and YOTO players for kids.
– Fort Road Hotel – fortroadhotel.com – This former 1820s public house, across the road from the Turner Contemporary, was rescued by a group of owners (Matthew Slotover, co-founder of Frieze magazine, Gabriel Chipperfield, son of David Chipperfield, and artist Tom Gidley) and brought back to life in 2022 as a boutique hotel with fourteen guest rooms. If you don’t want to venture far, the all-day restaurant on the ground floor, Colina, serves seasonal dishes inspired by the culinary traditions of Naples, Greece and Andalusia.
I hope you enjoyed this design conscious Margate travel guide – let me know if you’re planning a visit!
