There is plenty to see and do in Margate. There is a tourist office near the Turner Contemporary and you can pick up the excellent free local magazines Margate Mercury and Isle Magazine in local cafes which list upcoming events as well as the latest hotspots and happenings. If you are prepared to venture further afield there are numerous other options available. Some of our local favourites, all tried and tested, are listed below along with our pick of the fantastic local bars, pubs and places of interest. Enjoy!
Margate deservedly has a growing reputation for the quality of its dining and there are a great selection of local restaurants to suit any taste within a very short walk of Smugglers Cottage. Exciting new restaurants are opening all the time so we certainly recommend some research on the internet if you want to find the latest pop up! There is always enough on offer to keep our most demanding foodie guests fully satisfied and planning a follow up visit. The Taste of Margate website and blog keeps visitors and residents up to date with the ever changing local food and drink scene
Seafood / Local Cuisine
Open Thursday - Sunday only, booking is recommended.
18 King Street
Margate
CT9 1DA
Phone: 00 44 (0)1843 280454
Seafood / Local Cuisine
Open Daily, weather permitting.
The Parade
Margate
CT9 1DD
Phone: 00 44 (0)7976811104
Seafood / Local Cuisine
44 High Street / 17 Marine Drive
Margate
CT9 1DS
Phone: 00 44 (0)1843 446631
Thai Restuarant
Closed Monday-Wednesday
10 Market Place
Margate
CT9 1EN
Phone: 00 44 (0)7796 958949
Thai Restuarant
Closed Sunday/Tuesday
121 High Street
Margate
CT9 1JT
Phone: 00 44 (0)1843 312178
Street food and sea-side inspired menu
19 Cliff Terrace
Margate
CT9 1RU
Phone: 00 44 (0)1843 229708
Scandinavian inspired bistro
23 New Street
Margate
CT9 1EG
Phone: 00 44 (0)1843 309436
Italian Pizza & Deli
Closed Monday/Tuesday
20 Market Place
Margate
CT9 1ES
Phone: 00 44 (0)7462 917242
Scandinavian and British baked goods
Unit 3 Harbour Arm
Margate, CT9 1JD
Phone: 00 44 (0)7375534867
European/Caribbean Fusion
Closed Sunday
6 Market Place
Margate
CT9 1EN
Phone: 00 44 (0)1843 295603
Modern European/British (Kentish Produce)
Seasonal hours vary
Rendezvous
Margate
CT9 1HG
Phone: 00 44 (0)1843 220253
Tapas style food
Unit 13, Harbour Arm
Margate
CT9 1AP
Phone: 00 44 (0)1843 229270
Seafood / Local Cuisine
Open Wednesday – Sunday only, booking is recommended.
21 The Parade
Margate
CT9 1EX
Phone: 00 44 (0)1843 319978
Small Seafood Plates (offshoot of Angela's)
24 High Street
Margate
CT9 1DS
Phone: 00 44 (0)1843 520391
Italian Deli / Lunch / Supper Club
2-4 Broad Street
Margate
CT9 1EW
Phone: 00 44 (0)1843 297142
Mediterranean inspired sharing menu
49-51 Marine Trrace
Margate
CT9 1XJ
Phone: 00 44 (0)79285651439
Breakfast (Saturday and Sunday 9am to 3pm)
Red double decker bus opposite the station
Royal Crescent Promenade
Margate
CT9 5AJ
Phone: 00 44 (0)7936 076737
English Breakfast and Lunch
18 Lombard Street
Margate
CT9 1ES
Phone: 00 44 (0)7598 938333
Fish and Chips (as recommended by our guests)
75 High Street
Ramsgate
CT11 9RJ
Phone: 00 44 (0)1843 851248
29 St Mildreds Road
Westgate-On-Sea
CT8 8RE
Phone: 00 44 (0)1843 834290
Film info: 00 44 (0)1843 832019
Website dedicated to the local businesses which are our neighbours here on Lombard Street.
Margate Bazaar is the Sunday flea market run by the local community which takes place at the square across the road from the cottage every Sunday, from April until October at around 11am. It’s well worth popping over to have a look around.
Phone: 00 44 (0)7976 051915
Margate is an ideal base to explore the wider Kent area and nearby towns of Broadstairs, Ramsgate, Sandwich, Deal, Whitstable and Canterbury. There are miles of wild and natural sandy beaches nearby and more things to do than we can list here, so here is a short 5 minute film showing Thanet's wonderful coastline and beaches. To find out more www.visitthanet.co.uk is a great source of information or visit the helpful tourist office on the harbour arm. If you fancy travelling further then www.visitkent.co.uk is another useful website to visit.
Botany Bay This blue flag beach which was listed by The Times as one of the country's best “secret” beaches.
Marine Drive
Broadstairs
CT10 3LG
Phone: 00 44 (0)1843 577577
Kingsgate Bay is right next to Botany Bay so you can walk round if the tide is out. Look for the sea caves. The sandy bay offers calm and seclusion, while sand is exposed at full tide, the beach does get cut off at both ends. This bay is dog friendly all year round unlike the main beaches.
Whiteness Road
Broadstairs
CT10 3QH
Phone: 00 44 (0)1843 577577
Weather permitting the RIB Request/GO2SEA inflatable dinghy operates out of Ramsgate harbour from where you can get a closer look at the wind turbines or visit the wonderfully photogenic seals on Goodwin Sands.
Book in advance!
Phone: 00 44 (0)7970329907
Seasearcher also run tours from Ramsgate harbour for the seals and turbines although not as fast and wet as the RIB version.
Phone: 00 44 (0)7837 562076
Joss Bay is the best surfing beach in Thanet and home of the famous Joss Bay Surf School.
North Foreland Hill
Broadstairs
CT10 3PG
Phone: 00 44 (0)7812 991195
Some of our guests have enjoyed the wonderful scenic cycle path along the local coastline. Don’t worry if you didn’t bring your bikes, you can hire them here in Margate, see the links on the explore kent website.
Want to capture the perfect sunset and make your Instagram page stand out from the crowd? Local photographer Ben Bowles (who has taken some of the summer season photos in our gallery and co-produced our videos) offers one to one or group coaching here in Margate.
Phone: 00 44 (0)7731 769601
A great way to get acquainted with Margate on your first visit is to take this hour long walk. An audio guide can be downloaded from the website which also shows a map of the walk and main points of interest.
Since 1937 the Walpole Bay Tidal Pool has developed a cult following amongst local sea bathers and these “Walpole Bay Swimmers” have their own website, apparently anyone who swims in the Pool becomes a Walpole Bay Swimmer. Surely a good opportunity to join an exclusive swimming club as it was listed in the Telegraph’s top 10 outdoor places to swim in 2017. Celebrating 80 years in 2017 was also marked an article in the Financial Times (Water a summer special).
Fifth Avenue
Cliftonville
Margate
CT9 2JN
Tours of Thanet in a fleet of original Sinclair C5’s
Fort Road Yard
Margate
CT9 1HF
Phone: 00 44 (0)7894 061188
Minnis Bay is another blue flag beach. A long stretch of sand coupled with ample free parking and children's outdoor play area nearby make this perfect for a family afternoon in the sun. If you fancy a walk the long, expansive beach with a raised sea wall goes all the way to Reculver Towers which an English Heritage site and takes you through a nature reserve on the way. Also popular with kite surfing and other water sports. There is also the popular Windshack Cafe for a coffee.
The Parade
Birchington
CT7 9LX
Phone: 00 44 (0)1843 577577