12 things to do in Whitstable
Margate, Deal, Whitstable... The Kent coast is dotted with picture-perfect towns. Pretty Whitstable, with its brilliantly fresh seafood and annual oyster festival, has long attracted stressed Londoners in desperate need of a little fresh air, but it’s proximity to the capital is far from the only reason it’s worth a visit. With pastel-painted shopfronts and beach huts, the fishing town feels tailor-made for snap-happy day trips. There’s also a thriving arts scene, genuine community spirit and loads going on.
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A perfect day in Whitstable
First up
Scandi-cool café Blueprint on Oxford Street is part espresso bar and part bookshop, with a focus on provenance: the beans are from small batch roastery Ozone and the milk comes from
pampered Kentish cows. Get your coffee to go, in a 100 percent biodegradable cup, of course.
Soak up the vibes
When the sun’s out it’s hard to beat rolling your trousers up and picking your way down Whitstable’s delightful pebble beach to the breakers. If you’d rather not get your feet wet,
head to The Old Neptune pub (The Neppy to its friends) – it’s right by the water’s edge.
Stop for lunch
You might have to book months ahead, but it’s worth the faff to bag a table at The Sportsman, just down the road. It jokingly calls itself a ‘grotty run-down pub’, but it’s a place of foodie pilgrimage. Think home-churned butter, local wines and fish caught that morning. Left it too late? Beachfront shack The Forge has local beer and the freshest fish and chips – perfect.
Splash the cash
Independent record store Gatefield Sounds specialises in freshly pressed vinyl, while Rock Bottom Records is a crate-digger’s dream full of pre-loved bargains. Clothes-wise, tiny Ruskin on Harbour Street is a kind of Arket-on-Sea.
Get cultured
Explore Whitstable’s arty side with a wander round its galleries. The Fishslab Gallery (it used to be a fishmonger) supports emerging makers. Visit Chappell Contemporary for limited-edition prints that you can buy on interest-free credit through the Own Art scheme.
If you only do one thing
When there’s an R in the month, it’s native oyster season (rock oysters are available all year). As well as doing a nice line in the crustacean it’s named after, The Lobster Shack
serves stunning Whitstable ones. In fact, back in the eighteenth century it was an oyster- grading house. Shucks!
And if you stay the night...
To really fill your London lungs with fresh sea air, you’ll want to snooze right on the seashore. Tides Cottage is a bright coastal cottage that looks out on to the shingle and surf, with beach access from the front door. The tiny terrace is full of rustic antiques. Inside there’s a traditional stove and no telly. This is an ace base to explore Whitstable from – The Old Neptune Pub is just a short walk away along the beach – but it would be equally lovely to stay put and sip tea in bed while watching the waves or, from the little front garden, see the sun slowly set. Ellie Walker-Arnott
From £160 a night.
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