Deal, Fish & Seafood Restaurant Guide

2023 Review: This “fantastic little bistro hidden away in Deal” is “well worth trying” for the “very high standard of its classic French cooking” – although there is some pushback against its “London prices”. Owner-operators Benoit & Sarah (respectively the Frog and the Scot) also run Le Pinardier wine shop and bar a few doors away.

2022 Review: In a “great” harbourside setting, chef Craig Mather’s collaboration with hotelier James Thomas namechecks the heroic homespun flotilla of the Dunkirk evacuation, also echoed in the decor. The food, mostly sourced within 30 miles of the restaurant, is reliably “solid”, not least the “lovely fresh catch of the day with interesting saucing”.

“Varied and well prepared seafood” is the “pleasing” proposition at this ten-year-old venue with “excellent views of Margate sands” – “cocktails are lovely on the terrace while watching the sunset”. Founders Nadine & Simon Morriss also “look after those who are not into fish”, and have launched a nearby spin-off street-food spot, Beach Buoys. Top Menu Tip – “monkfish curry is recommended”.

“Our go-to for a tasty bite in Margate”; the “fun” younger sibling of restaurant-with-rooms Angela’s, round the corner, “punches above its weight” by all accounts, turning out “excellent” small-ish plates based on the day’s catch (often delivered raw, cured or pickled) plus vegetables from their co-op (they also have a shop stocking biodynamic wines).

“A tiny marvel in Margate” with “tables outside to extend it in better weather”. “If you like fish in all its various incarnations, then please please visit! At first glance it looks slightly crammed in… that’s because it is!… it’s a small building and they clearly need to fit as many tables in as they can”. But fans say that “rather than being off-putting, this just adds to its charm”. “Fabulous locally caught super-fresh fish is served alongside the most delicious vegetables and herbs ever: who knew courgette could taste like that?!” “Staff competently and charmingly squeeze their way through to deliver dishes that vary seasonally”. “The freshest of fish dishes are the best… kept simple and treated with respect. How they get that out of the tiny kitchen is amazing!”

For “brilliant fish” in a “stunning setting by the harbour”, look no further than this curved modern restaurant – opened in 2011 by Sir Roger De Haan, Saga billionaire and Folkestone philanthropist – which has by all accounts recovered from a blip in standards when founding chef Mark Sargeant left a couple of year ago. New head chef Akos Mate’s “delicious” food makes it a “seaside restaurant to seal that deal – business conversations are not distracted but enhanced by the professionalism of the service”. There’s a new upstairs wine bar with its own menu, including a strong oyster selection.

2023 Review: This “very buzzy spot in a pink container on the harbour arm” serves “very fresh fish and seafood”, and is the “sister restaurant to Rocksalt”. “Spilling out onto a terrace, it makes a delightful spot for lunch in the sun, with engaging service and all that one wants from a decent fish restaurant”.

Close the harbour, a Victorian hotel dining room with a modern seafood-based menu and specials board which impressed critic Grace Dent of the Guardian.