Kent Getaways

Housed inside a former boat shed on the harbour wall, Sargasso really does have the perfect seaside location. Watch the tide come in as you sit back and enjoy the seasonally changing menu, which – just like sister restaurant Brawn in London – puts quality produce front and centre. In this case, that means a bounty of delicious fresh seafood, offering clean, powerful flavours in each smartly pared-back dish. The menu is designed for sharing, allowing you to try as much as possible, while the wine list leans towards natural and biodynamic options.

Set just off the esplanade is this understated little bistro with a fiercely local, responsible ethos – even the tables are made of compressed recycled plastic. With no meat on the menu, dishes are centred around well-sourced seafood, be it Dover sole with 'green sauce' or hake with tomatoes and capers. Simplicity is the key to the cooking, with the quality central ingredients allowed to shine thanks to just a few, well-judged accompaniments. The friendly service creates a pleasantly relaxed atmosphere.

A former pub plays host to this sweet little osteria offering southern Italian fare, often using ingredients from the chef-owner's home region of Campania. There's a homespun charm to the place, so it's only right the hand-made pastas form the core of the menu. The rest of the simple, rustic cooking consists of small plates and snacks; look out for the 'polpette di pane al sugo', where bread has been used to fashion a 'meatball' of sorts. The same team run a deli a few doors down, which transforms into a wine bar at weekends that's ideal for a drink before or after dinner.