Whitstable Seaside Guide

I don’t give UK holidays enough credit. There’s something about being an ex-pat that means I avoid all of the terribly British summer holiday traditions that mean piling on to a train, to stay in a cottage by the seaside just to stare out and watch the rain fall.

Do you know what though, I’m giving weekends from London more credit than that now that I’ve actually enjoyed some incredible UK based mini-breaks this year. 

On the hottest weekend of the year we jumped on a train from Kings Cross and in less than an hour and an half from our door we had our toes in the sea. 

I knew Whitstable was famous for its oysters so our first stop was the seaside snacks lining the harbour. For virtually a pound a pop we scooped up half a dozen oysters and some delicious fried whitebait. William washed his down with a lobster roll for good measure.

While dinky oyster shacks are a-plenty, you can grab a table, a pint and a doughnut ice-cream sandwich from The Forge on the seafront. The oysters are varied and there are some huge ones available. 

Whitstable high street is also lined with adorable coffee shops, pubs, bakeries and restaurants. A few faves on the trail included ice cream from Sundae Sundae which incidentally is right next door to an amazing cheese shop, The Cheese Box, and coffee from Blueprint Cafe who use Ozone Coffee Roasters beans. For a pint of Pimms be sure to walk down the beach to The Neptune pub where you can grab a table outside on the beach and sun your shoulders while you sip. 

Now that I’m a Great British Seaside convert, are there any other adorable towns you love to visit that you’d recommend?