The Ultimate Margate Travel Guide: What To Do, See & Eat (Updated 2025)

Margate Travel Guide perfect for a nostalgic visit to the Kent seaside with tips on things to see, where to eat and drink, accommodation and more.

Margate is synonymous with nostalgic weekends by the seaside, amusement arcades and the Jolly Boys’ Outing in Only Fools and Horses.

The reopening of Dreamland and an influx of independent eateries with a focus on sustainability and local produce has marked the regeneration of the beachside town, making Margate a top hotspot for a weekend staycation within a couple of hours from London.

Rooftop drinks overlooking the beach, fresh seafood of the highest quality and the best sunsets in Kent – get yourself to Margate to discover it all for yourself. 

Margate Travel Guide Contents

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WHERE TO EAT IN MARGATE

RESTAURANTS

Bottega Caruso
2-4 Broad St, CT9 1EW

I’m quite fussy on my Italian food, but Bottega Caruso’s fare is as authentic as it gets. Set up and run by Italians, make sure to book in advance to try their beautiful pasta dishes. Absolutely delicious.

Dive
Unit 6 Harbour Arm, Stone Pier, CT9 1AP

Margate is not short of places to grab a banging margarita, and Dive goes one step further serving theirs alongside some of the best tacos I’ve had outside of Mexico. 

Angela’s
21 The Parade, CT9 1EX

Angela’s is one of Margate’s most popular seafood restaurants, with a daily changing menu dependent on what is caught fresh that morning. There’s a focus on sustainability both in terms of ingredients and in practice, and a preference for locally sourced produce. Be sure to book ahead.

Sète Margate
238 Northdown Rd, CT9 2QD

Gorgeous restaurant and wine bar serving food with a heavy French influence. Swing by for a glass of wine, buy a bottle to take away, or book in advance to enjoy their weekly changing menu.

Sargasso
Stone Pier, CT9 1AP

Wine bar serving small plates on the Harbour Arm. Sargasso is one you need to book to avoid missing out in high season.

Buoy & Oyster
44 High St, CT9 1DS

A great shout for classic seafood; the oysters, calamari and prawns cannot be faulted. The seared tuna was perfectly cooked and the seafood linguine with samphire just as good as you’d hope to get at a restaurant by the sea. 

The chocolate brownie with sea salt caramel ice cream and affogato were the perfect accompaniment to watching the sunset over the sea from Buoy & Oyster’s balcony terrace.

GB Pizza Co
14a Marine Dr, CT9 1DH

Not many places in Margate are open on a Monday – how very European – but GB Pizza is one of them. Thin, crispy bases with quality ingredients sourced from local independent producers, with gluten free bases also available.

Duke’s
1 Duke St, CT9 1EP

Bistro in the heart of the Old Town with a sun trap garden terrace through the back of the restaurant.

Palm’s Pizzeria
Unit 16 The Centre, CT9 1JG

In the unassuming centre of Margate sits Palm’s, serving epic 20 inch pizzas or the same by the slice, New York style.

FISH AND CHIPS

No trip to the seaside is complete without a chippie tea!

Peter’s Fish Factory
12 The Parade, CT9 1EZ

No visit to the seaside is complete without quality fish and chips, and the queue snaking out of Peter’s Fish Factory speaks for itself.

TOP TIP: Take your fish supper to the harbour arm and sit on the roof eating as you watch one of Margate’s famous sunsets.

Beach Buoys
7 Marine Dr, CT9 1DH

Buoy and Oyster’s chippie downstairs right in front of Margate Sands. Dressed crab, panko prawns, salt & pepper squid and crab loaded fries all alongside your classics. Beach Buoys offer a big vegan menu and gluten free options too.

Manning’s Seafood

CAFES, DELIS AND BAKERIES

Picnic Deli
3, Northdown Parade, Prices Ave, CT9 2NR

Home to one of the best sandwiches I have ever had: the chicken Caesar on focaccia with roast chicken, anchovy, parmesan, pangrattato and little gem. Honestly ethereal.

They do a whole range of banging sandwiches on a regularly updated menu, but the Chicken Caesar is their signature, and for good reason. Go, thank me later.

Fort’s
8 Cliff Terrace, CT9 1RU

Around the corner from the Margate seafront as you walk towards the old Cliftonville Lido, Fort’s sits, serving a banging brunch menu and great coffee.

Modern Provider
4-5 The Centre, CT9 1JG

Modern Provider isn’t in the most obvious of places – it’s tucked away in the centre of Margate, but it’s well worth hunting down for their incredible pastries. If I’m staying overnight I like to grab some before closing for the following morning’s breakfast in bed.

Sub Rosa
24 King St, CT9 1DA

New York style bagels filled with all your classics, from smoked salmon and lashings of cream cheese, dill and red onion; to the beautiful breakfast bagel with sausage, cheese and egg. Specials flesh out Sub Rosa menu – I wish you luck that you land on a salt beef day.

The Dalby Cafe
4-6 Dalby Rd, Cliftonville, CT9 2EX

Traditional fry up legendary amongst locals, Dalby’s should be your first port of call to mop up any lingering hangovers, or to set you up for a big coastal walk. 

The Bus Cafe
Royal Crescent Promenade, CT9 5AJ

The name kinda gives it away, but to confirm: yes, this cafe is based out of a red double decker bus by the beach, slinging excellent breakfasts left, right and centre. All the good bits on toast, sarnies and big breakfast that are served on potato rostis on the weekends.

The Greedy Cow Cafe
3 Market Pl, CT9 1ER

The Greedy Cow Cafe can be found in Margate’s old town, its mustard yellow frontage inviting you in for epic breakfasts and lovely lunches including burgers, pulled pork sandwiches, cheese toasties, nachos and salads. You can also get a remarkably cheap bottle of wine here for the price of 1.5 large glasses of plonk in that there London.

ICE CREAM

Ramsay and Williams
6 Market St, CT9 1EU

Set inside a vintage shop, Ramsay and Williams also sell truly excellent ice cream. The perfect seaside pit stop on a summer’s day.

BEST BARS AND PUBS IN MARGATE

BARS

Little Swift
7-8 Marine Dr, CT9 1DH

Little Swift do incredible margaritas and brilliant charcuterie and cheese boards to graze on. There’s also a deli and wine shop in the bar itself, so you can grab some delicious picnic foods from local independents to eat on the beach, too. Little Swift also do frozen margs to go, perfect for your beach walk or sunset hour.

TOP TIP: Buy a jar of Jamface chipotle & habanero chilli jam to take home with you – you will not regret it.

Mariachi
1 The Centre, CT9 1JG

As if I couldn’t love Margate more, Mariachi opens: a tequila and mezcal bar. Amazing cocktails, an impressive array of tequilas and mezcal, and you can arrange tastings here too. Don’t miss it. The mezcalita is one of the best I’ve had.

The Rooftop Bar at No42 Margate
42 High St, CT9 1DS

This beautifully designed rooftop bar with sweeping views of Margate sands sits at the top of the equally stunning No42 Guest House hotel. No reservations for the rooftop, so get there in good time for a prime spot for one of Margate’s epic sunsets.

The Sea Shed
52 Marine Terrace, CT9 1XP

Every beach should have a beach shack serving drinks, and The Sea Shed is Margate’s offering, standing proudly in bright colours on Margate Sands.

Sundowners
1 Albert Terrace, CT9 1UJ

LGBT bar with a terrace that overlooks the huge expanse of the beach at Margate. Regular drag entertainment and a bottle of pinot grigio on ice for a mere £15 – a fantastic pit stop in the sunshine and great entertainment by night.

The Sun Deck
Royal Cres Promenade, Westbrook, CT9 5AJ

Al fresco bar by the beach with an array of different street food shacks to feed you as you go. I love Po’Boy, the Creole Fish Hut, and the loaded pulled pork fries from Pork & Co are fantastic. 

PUBS

The George & Heart House
44 King St, CT9 1QE

Great pub: cosy inside and a big sunny outside space for the better days, excellent cocktails and modern pub fare. 

Rose In June
49-50 Trinity Square, CT9 1HT

Top pub tucked away from the seafront with regular foodie pop ups well worth exploring.

WHERE TO STAY IN MARGATE

The Well

My wonderful friends renovated The Well quite a few years ago now, working their butts off for months on end to create a beautifully calm home away from home by the sea.

I adore staying at The Well; total interior goals with beautiful design, floor to ceiling sash windows that open onto a balcony overlooking the sea (and the sunset!), fantastic personal touches, an honesty bar and the ridiculously comfortable bedding.

The Well sleeps four in two double bedrooms; the master bedroom’s pièce de résistance being the freestanding tub by the window that overlooks the ocean. I can’t rave about this place enough. Dogs are welcome too!

No 42 by Guest House

Margate’s newest hotel offering has beautifully designed rooms, some of them boasting balconies overlooking the expanse of Margate’s beach and the sea beyond.

No 42 is high on my list to stay at on a future trip, not least because of their pantry full of sweet and savoury snacks you can help yourself to, any time, day or night. And dogs are welcome! Book here.

TOP TIP: If you don’t stay there, you can still check out their lounge bar, rooftop bar or their restaurant, Pearly Cow. Make a booking to avoid disappointment.

Margate House

The number of bougie hotels opening up in Margate is quite something, and Margate House is another stunning example.

If you like pink and red you’ll love Margate House, for the hotel is decked out stylishly in this palette. Attention to detail is paramount and there’s a gorgeous lounge for guests to enjoy at this home away from home. Book here.

Fort Road Hotel

Stylish, bright interiors with sea view rooms and a sun trap roof terrace that looks out onto the water and the Turner Contemporary make Fort Road Hotel a great option to stay on your next trip to Margate.

Excellent location aside, guests will appreciate attention to detail in the cosy rooms and benefit from the friendly service of the staff at Fort Road Hotel. Book here.

Margate Suites

A collection of four different apartments, a couple with sweeping sea views and a couple without but instead so bright, cool and eclectically designed you’ll find it hard to leave. I’m kind of desperate to stay in The Courtyard Suite so I can say I’ve slept in a bed designed like a shell. Book here.

THINGS TO DO IN MARGATE

Dreamland

No trip to Margate is complete without a visit to Dreamland, where it’s all too easy to act like a big kid in this brightly coloured amusement park full of rides and fun.

Rollercoasters, a roller room, dodgems – Dreamland has it all and is a must to complete a nostalgic weekend by the British seaside.

TOP TIP: Keep an eye out on Dreamland’s summer line up. They put on a brilliant series of concerts and gigs in a huge range of music genres!

Turner Contemporary

Margate is home to the Turner Contemporary art gallery, opened as a part of the regeneration of the seaside town. Worth a look even if you’re not hugely into art, the building overlooks the sea by the Harbour Arm. Free entry.

Antony Gormley Another Time Statue

One of Gormley’s famous statues can be found at Margate, just below the Turner Contemporary. The tide changes dramatically so you may see just his head poking out, or standing proudly looking out to sea depending on the time of day.

Shell Grotto

The Shell Grotto is a subterranean passageway, the walls and dome of which are covered entirely in beautiful mosaics made from shells. It was discovered in 1835 but no one really knows what its purpose was or why it was built, though there are plenty of theories to keep people entertained.

Coastal Walk

If you’ve got time and weather on your side, a coastal walk from Margate is a fantastic way to spend the day.

The walk to Ramsgate is 8 miles and takes in the beautiful Botany Bay along the way. The walk in the other direction to the ruined Reculver Towers is 9 miles. Option to carry on from Reculver to Herne Bay if you’ve got another 3 miles or so in you.

TOP TIP: The walk to Ramsgate will be preferable for many given the chance to explore another great seaside town at the end, as well as hop on the train back to Margate (assuming it’s running!) Grab a cab back from Reculver unless you fancy an 18 mile walk instead.

Arcades

No trip to the British seaside is complete without spending time trying to win a silly prize and change a 2p coin into more 2p coins in an arcade.

Tidal Pool

I’m a total wimp when it comes to water temperature below around 27 degrees, but if you’re not you should absolutely take a dip in Margate’s tidal pool. There’s another, bigger one if you walk down to Walpole Bay, too. 

Old Kent Market

Once an old cinema, the Old Kent Market is a beautifully fronted building that’s home to an indoor market of various different street food vendors and quirky shops to look around. 

Harbour Arm

To me the simplest things are the best, and in Margate that means grabbing a chippie and a bottle of wine and sitting atop the roof of the Harbour Arm, watching the sun set over the sea. Margate throws out some truly stunning sunsets, and is home to the best one I have ever seen. Magic. 

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Updated September 2025.

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