Whitstable on the North Kent coast is known as “Notting Hill On Sea”, along with Margate, Ramsgate & Herne Bay. Over the past decade there’s been an influx of Londoners, attracted by cheaper property prices and an abundance of Georgian and Victorian housing, beautiful beaches (pebbles rather than sand) & beach huts (made fashionable again by Wayne and Geraldine Hemingway, founders of Red or Dead).

Accompanying this has been an array of artists (encouraged by Tracey Emin, her Margate roots & her famous beach hut sold to Saatchi for £75k), gastro-pubs and shops.

So in the interests of style & disability the Relative Lieutenant went to investigate this trendy version of the ‘British Seaside’:

Me and Mrs Relative Lieutenant decided to drive out for the day to Whitstable to eat oysters (Mrs RL is an expert in seafood as her family business had a tuna fishing fleet in Taiwan). Aware that rock oysters are fresh all year round, natives only in “r” months, we sampled oysters at one of the many stalls in the market area at the docks. It’s fairly wheelchair friendly for access and the oysters at 60-70p each, were delicious.

Still hungry we called in at a packed Whitstable Oyster Company. From memory access at front door not so good (it’s on the beach front and there’s a boardwalk to the front door) and there’s no disabled loo facilities. Restaurant area had tables very close together but they assured us they have had disabled visitors.

There’s Flat Access & Cobbles . There’s Limited Parking Outside

Restaurant & Shop Can be Cramped. Wooden Floorboards Suggest it Can be Noisy But Worth it if you Like Seafood

Worth it as The Seafood is Great

There were no tables available for 2 hours (at 3pm) so we decided to hang around in the bar area and supped a superb oyster mild beer. As luck would have it 2 lobster eaters were leaving and we hovered near them to secure our seats. Food was good – oysters (again) and Norfolk potted shrimp to start, followed by ‘so so’ sea bass and Maine(!) lobster, washed down with raspberry wheat beer. Stuffed and £70 Lighter we left to join the throng outside enjoying the sea and sun. All in all a very nice visit, recommend it.

Blue Badge Style

We Re-Define Disability With Style

Whitstable Oyster Company Limited,

Whitstable Oyster Company Limited,

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