Whitstable is famed for its native oysters. Farmed by the Whitstable Oyster Company, they have been a go to dish for visitors to the town for over 1000 years. As a result there are a number of places you can go to grab some.
In the harbour there are stalls where you can buy them singly, accompanied by lemon juice or tabasco sauce. But, for a sit down alternative, there is also The Crab and Winkle Restaurant, which provides a wide range of seafood and overlooks the harbour, The Royal Native Oyster Stores at the Horsebridge, run by the company that farms most of Whitstable’s famous bivalves or Wheelers in Oxford St, which has an iconic and unmissable pink frontage and an intimate restaurant to the rear.
If oysters aren’t for you there are plenty of other restaurants that will satisfy your hunger pangs.
Elliot’s @ No1 Harbour Street, has featured in the Observer list of the top 40 restaurants in Britain. Serving a menu of locally sourced food within a cafe atmosphere, the owners have created a reasonably priced and varied menu to suit all tastes.
For traditional, seaside fish and chips head to VC Jones in Harbour Street. The restaurant and takeaway regularly feature in food and travel supplements and reviewers have described their food as some of the best fish and chips that they have eaten.
Further down the coast, in Tankerton, you will find the East Coast Dining Room with rave reviews in The Sunday Times and The Guardian and a mention in the Michelin Guide, and Jo-Jo’s, a well reviewed mezze restaurant with stunning sea views.
The undoubtable crowning jewel of Whitstable’s restaurant scene is The Sportsman. Located on the Seasalter Marshes just outside Whitstable, The Sportsman has won a number of high class accolades including a Michelin Star and GastroPub of the Year. It is advisable to book a table in advance, but well worth a visit.