Local guides

Where to eat in Whitstable
Published 22 January 2023

Cool, trendy Whitstable, with its pretty beach huts, fishermen’s cottages and working harbour, remains a magical spot. The Sportsman in nearby Seasalter established a beachhead 20 plus years ago, and Stephen Harris’s pioneering produce-first approach is still worth the pilgrimage, but a table here requires planning ahead. For a more spur of the moment trip there are plenty of places to enjoy.

A thriving café culture means you’re never far from a good pit stop for a refuel. The vote for the best coffee in town goes to the delightful, Scandi-style Blueprint Coffee & Books on Oxford Street. But if you are after something more with your coffee, there’s Grain & Hearth, ...

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Through the archives: The Sportsman, Kent's institution of a gastropub

Stephen and Phil Harris opened The Sportsman in November 1999 and the old white-painted pub made its first appearance in the Guide in 2002. It has long been one of the top dining destinations in the country, a remarkable achievement considering its refusal to conform to the dictates of fine dining – quite a shock to some in the mid-noughties. As the following excerpts show, Stephen Harris’s vision - delightfully simple, obsessively influenced by the raw materials available on the doorstep – has truly stood the test of time.

Local guides

Where to eat in Whitstable
Published 22 January 2023

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