Places to eat in Folkestone

Dinner with a view doesn’t do Rocksalt justice. This stunning example of architecture hangs above the harbour, cantilevered over the water with panoramic views of the English Channel and the Harbour Arm. It looks more like an art gallery than a restaurant, and boasts a menu of culinary masterpieces. The haddock pasty looks and sounds like a little novelty but it tastes absolutely delicious. In fact, all of the fish dishes tend to be sublime. However, our favourite night of the week to visit is Tuesday Steak Night. It’s great value, the cuts change every week, and they’re always cooked to perfection.

Another excellent eatery with a great sea view is The Cliffe Restaurant. It’s a stone’s throw away from the Leas Cliff Bandstand, and just down the road from Leas Cliff Hall, two of your top options when it comes to Folkestone entertainment during your stay. Anyway, back to the restaurant. It’s an elegant Edwardian building that’s been painstakingly restored with delightful decor throughout. You can expect your food to be plated to perfection and to taste even better. If you’re here on a Sunday, the roast is one of the best in Folkestone; who knew you could get Yorkshire puddings this good so far down south? Service is always exemplary, and even if you’re not hungry you’re welcome to call in for something from their extensive and exceptional cocktail menu.

You’ll find the rest of our recommendations on, or just off, Sandgate Road. First up is Aspendos. It’s a supremely popular Turkish restaurant where you can expect sublime service, tasty eating, and portions so big they’ll have you discretely undoing your belt. If you’re feeling hungry, the Aspendos Special of lamb shish, chops and ribs, chicken shish and wings, kofte kebabs, hummus, cacik, tarama and olives on a bed of rice, pita and a side salad to guard against guilty feelings. Just thinking about it’s giving us the meat sweats! Everything’s cooked to perfection, prices are reasonable, and the wine’s good; all-in-all you can’t go wrong with a trip to Aspendos for Turkish cuisine.

If you’re in the mood for Italian food, Follies is a fantastic choice. Their crunchy, thin-crust pizzas are a revelation. Everything is made in store every morning using original Italian recipes and only the best ingredients. If you’re visiting as a party, Follies does a whopping 3½ ft long pizza that, as well as being a novelty, is equally as delicious as its smaller, sister pizzas. The decor is an absolute delight. The restaurant is spread over three floors, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble getting a table. Plus, if you’ve been tempted by some of the seaside activities in Folkestone, you’ll be happy to hear this popular pizzeria has another location on the Folkestone Harbour Arm.

Next up is arguably our favourite place to eat in Folkestone. Annapurna is a Nepalese restaurant five-minute’s drive from our Folkestone (Channel Tunnel) hotel. Now, it’s not very often people will decide they want to chow down on some Nepalese cuisine. Not to mention, if you saw Annapurna, its facade hardly inspires one to imagine incredible eating. You know what people say about judging books by covers, though. Annapurna is a revelation. You can enjoy authentic Nepalese food in all its myriad flavours and guises. Service is top class; they’ll happily talk you through the menu. There’s even a pretty garden to the rear should the sun ever come out for some al fresco dining. Prices are very good. So too are portion sizes. In fact, the only fault you could pick with the place is that the drinks menu is a little limited. However, it is definitely the food that takes centre stage here.

Last of all, you’ll likely want to know where to go for fish and chips. Papa’s Fish Restaurant on Sandgate Road is up there with the best and most popular in Kent. The fish is huge and battered to perfection. The chips are good, the restaurant’s clean if you want to eat in, or you can take away to enjoy on the Leas.

Plain and simple, Anna’s is the best tea room you’ll visit this year. The cakes, scones and sandwiches are absolutely sublime. Enjoy choosing what to wash them down with from their excellent selection of loose-leaf teas. Everything comes with bone china crockery. The afternoon tea is the best in the business. Visit earlier in the day and you can enjoy some outrageously good eggs benedict, or avocado on toast that could’ve come from Melbourne.

If you’re more of a coffee aficionado than a loose-leaf tea lover, head down to The Old High Street where you’ll find the Steep Street Coffee House. It is your quintessential independent cafe. You won’t find a better brew. Bookshelves line the walls and give it bags full of character. Behind the counter, the team are fun, laid back, and serve you with a smile. The food is freshly made and delicious. It’s absolutely ideal, whether you’re calling in for a flying visit, or you want to sit back in one of the comfy leather sofas and watch the world go by through the large café windows.

b r e w is near the train station and does, comfortably, the best full English and veggie breakfasts in Folkestone. They use only the finest ingredients and you can taste the difference. On top of that the cakes are class, the coffee – as you’d expect from the name – is sublime, and sweet-toothed visitors can enjoy one of their enormous ‘freak shakes’.