A Foodie’s Guide to the Kent Coast — The Forelands Way

Deal

Deal is the foodie heartland of this coastline and the place most guests return to again and again regardless of where they’re staying. The high street and seafront between them offer more good eating per square mile than almost anywhere else on the Kent coast.

1. The Blue Pelican, Beach Street: The most talked-about restaurant on the coast and rightly so. Named in SquareMeal’s Top 100 UK Restaurants 2026 and reviewed in The Guardian, The Telegraph and The Times.  The Blue Pelican is a Japanese-inspired restaurant on Deal’s seafront run by the same team as The Rose. Chef Luke Green spent five years cooking in Tokyo and the menu reflects that — brilliant small plates, sharing dishes, natural wines curated by Uncharted Wines and cocktails built around Japanese flavours and local coastal herbs. The counter overlooking the open kitchen is the best seat in the house. Book well in advance.
2. The Rose, Deal High Street: The Good Food Guide’s long-standing favourite on the Kent coast.  A former coaching inn transformed into a chic restaurant and bar with seasonal menus that take local produce seriously. The dining room is warm and atmospheric, the cocktails are excellent and the whole experience has a relaxed confidence that makes it equally good for a special occasion or a Tuesday evening with nowhere to be.
3. 81 Beach Street, Deal Seafront : A brilliant seafront bistro that sits comfortably between The Rose and The Blue Pelican in terms of formality.  Seasonal menus, good wine, sea views and a relaxed atmosphere that makes it easy to linger. A Foreland Cottages favourite and one of the three Beach Group restaurants where your cottage welcome pack voucher gives you 10% off your bill.
4. The Lane, Deal High Street:   For something completely different, The Lane’s themed afternoon teas are a Deal institution. From vintage to seasonal themes, each tea service brings its own take on the classic format;  sandwiches, scones, pastries and something sweet, all crafted with proper care. The kind of afternoon that slows the day down in exactly the right way. Book ahead as themes and dates vary.
5. Deal Pier Kitchen, Deal Pier:  At the end of Deal’s iconic pier with the sea on every side – the ideal spot for a relaxed breakfast or brunch. Informal, welcoming and one of the most pleasurably simple eating experiences on the coast. Go early on a weekend morning before the town wakes up.
6. Filbert’s Deli, Deal High Street:   A beautiful deli stocking local produce, artisan goods and thoughtfully assembled hampers. The perfect place to provision the cottage for the week or put together a proper beach picnic. If you’re staying in Deal, this is your first stop on arrival.
7. Deal Beach Parlour, opposite Deal Pier:   Every coastal town needs a great ice cream and Deal’s is opposite the pier. Deal Beach Parlour is the local go-to for an ice cream after a walk along the seafront — a simple pleasure done well and one of those spots that improves any afternoon.
8. Deal Saturday Market:  Deal’s Saturday market is a genuine local institution worth building a morning around. The food stalls are the highlight: Eat & Mess for baked goods and patisserie, Bygabö for Swedish buns that sell out before most people have had breakfast (go early), Kingsdown Breads for proper loaves, and a fruit and veg stall for local seasonal produce. This is where locals shop and where guests quickly discover why Deal’s food culture runs so deep.

Walmer

1. Eva’s, The Strand, Walmer :  A relaxed antipasti takeaway spot on The Strand that has built a devoted following since opening. Eva herself runs the room with warmth and genuine knowledge.  The food is fairly priced, and the menu of Italian small plates (arancini, burrata, sardines, carpaccio) is exactly the kind of food that makes an evening feel effortless.
2. Walmer Fish and Chips, opposite Walmer Green:  Possibly the most important entry in this entire guide. Buy chips, walk across to Walmer Green, sit on the beach and eat them while watching the sea. There is genuinely nothing more quintessentially coastal than this and no version of it that is better than a warm evening on Walmer beach with a proper portion of fish and chips in your lap. Do not overthink it.
3. Hut 55, Walmer Beach:  The beloved beach hut café on the shingle — doorstep sandwiches, homemade cake, great coffee and deckchairs pointed at the sea. Bike hire available for those who want to work off the sausage roll. Beach yoga runs every Saturday and Sunday morning with breakfast included.

Kingsdown

1. The Zetland Arms, Kingsdown Beach: Practically on the beach with views straight out across the Channel — The Zetland Arms is the kind of pub that earns its place in any foodie guide simply by existing where it does and doing what it does well. Fresh fish, hearty mains, a relaxed beachside atmosphere and the natural endpoint of the coastal walk from Deal. Book a table in summer or arrive early to claim your spot outside.

Sandwich & Sandwich Bay

1. The Lazy Elephant, Sandwich:  Our top pick for dinner in Sandwich.   A warm, well-regarded restaurant that locals genuinely love and that visitors discover with real pleasure. Relaxed atmosphere, consistently good cooking and the kind of place that earns a return visit. Worth combining with a walk along the Sandwich quayside before or after.
2. Luigi’s, The Quayside, Sandwich:  For over a decade Luigi’s has been a cornerstone of the Sandwich community.  A family-run Italian restaurant on the quayside serving traditional and modern Italian dishes using locally sourced produce. Relaxed, family-friendly and consistently reliable. The quayside location makes it particularly pleasant on a warm evening.
3. Whitemills Kitchen, near Sandwich:   The on-site kitchen at Whitemills wakeboarding centre does excellent food in a setting unlike anywhere else on this coast — eat inside or outside and watch the wakeboarders pass on the water while you do. Sunday roasts are a particular highlight and the whole experience is brilliantly informal. A great option for groups and families.

St Margaret’s Bay

1. The Coastguard, St Margaret’s Bay:   Right on the beach beneath the White Cliffs, The Coastguard is one of the finest pub settings on the entire Kent coast. Log fires in winter, panoramic sea views in summer, locally sourced food taken seriously and a warmth that makes it feel like an arrival rather than just a stop. One of the three Beach Group restaurants — your cottage voucher gives you 10% off your bill here. The natural end point of the clifftop walk from St Margaret’s Bay to South Foreland Lighthouse and back.

The Foreland Cottages 10% Restaurant Discount

As a Foreland Cottages guest you receive an exclusive 10% discount at all three Beach Group restaurants — 81 Beach Street in Deal, The Coastguard in St Margaret’s Bay and The Coach near Deal. Your voucher will be waiting in your property when you arrive. Don’t forget to take it with you.