It’s hard to deny that the UK is having a pretty incredible summer, the weather over the last couple of months has been amazing and we are only in the start of July. With such great weather its been hard to not take advantage of the amazing outdoor activities and nature at our finger tips.

Being in old London town means that due to the train connections a host of day trips are on offer, well assuming the trains are working! But we are lucky, that in about an hour and a half we can be sat on the beach or taking a walk in the lovely British countryside. There is something for everyone.

The other weekend we decided that we needed to get out of the hot city and explore somewhere new, so out of a hat we picked Margate. Neither of us had been before but had heard good things. Margate keeps popping up on lists of places to visit for the day or weekend thanks to recent investment in the town, from the Turner Contemporary and Dreamland. I know there is some contention over the hipsters and gentrification pushing up rents and making it harder for those who have always lived there. However, I saw an interesting balance of the old school seaside resort with its fish and chip shops, arcades and rock shops, with art galleries, antique shops and amazing seafood restaurants. I believe that the rebirth of Margate has allowed it to appeal to a wider group of people, there is really something for everyone in Margate, and of course there is that fabulous golden sand beach where all are welcome and everyone really is the same when sat on the beach or dipping your toes in that ever so cold water.

The moment you step out of the Margate train station you are hit by the site of the glorious British Seaside. You are just a few meters from the sand. The sun is shining, and like a child I want to run to the sand, but alas I must be a grown up, museum first.

We walked along the sea front passing the shops and restaurants, pondering where to return to for lunch. I pulled the other half past the arcades, to which we would return later and headed to Harbour Arm for a mid morning caffeine hit. The Harbour Arm is great, its lined with excellent independent cafes and bars. Taking to a deck chair I enjoyed my tea and people watched.

The Harbour Arm stretches out from the new Turner Contemporary Gallery, whose modern architecture using glass to offer excellent views out onto the sea. It’s a lovely gallery, it’s incredibly welcoming. The spaces are light and airy and even on a busy Saturday you never felt cramped looking at the exhibitions.

From here we set about to explore the old town and its winding streets. They are full of all sorts of treasures from vintage and antique shops to cake shops and restaurants. Of course its sunny, hot and lunch time so everywhere is very busy. Having done my research I had a couple of seafood restaurants noted down, the first of which was full (Hantvertk & Found). So we headed back towards the sea in search of Angela’s, again it was full except for a little table outside on the pavement in the shade, we took it, and patted ourselves on the back after lunch for making such a great decision.

Angela’s was an utter delight, a short and simple fresh seafood menu from a tiny little kitchen. They themselves call their food uncomplicated, which is exactly what you want when it comes to fresh seafood. I sometimes think in today’s restaurant world there is too much over complication of food, we forget the simplicity of a perfectly grilled piece of fish with a simple sauce!

We started with scallops to share, which melted in the mouth like butter. The main was the star, a Dover Sole for two to share in a crab and butter sauce with sapphire. We had a side of potatoes to dip in the sauce and greens. It was delicious! the fish was flaky and the filets came off the bone a treat. The sauce was addictively good, making sure we got every scrap of it.

This is great British food at its finest. Local, sustainable food, that is seasonal and wonderfully cooked.

Another highlight of the restaurant was its wine list, championing local wine from Kent. As a lover of English wine I am always on the look out for one I haven’t tried, and the staff were very nice in letting me try a  couple, one of which was Westwell Wines.

Margate is a town of hidden gems be it edible or not. There is much more to see and do but we ran out of time due to a long lunch and pre booked return train tickets –  next time we will stay over night! But there was time to hit the old school arcades and try our luck at the 2p machines. One place we must try to visit next time is Dreamland, the amusement park that has in some form or another stood on the site since the 1870’s. It was reopened in 2015 and looks like great fun.

This was a taster trip to lovely Margate and I will definitely need to return to keep exploring. I also feel this seaside gem has more edible delights to uncover and of course I want to go back and try Angela’s dinner menu!