Margate Weekend Break


After working for 4 months with only one day off, I was very much looking forward to a nice long bank holiday weekend! With the weather set to be hot and sunny, it was a perfect time to go to Margate :)


First stop, Peter's Fish Factory for lunch! We just missed the queue by arriving at midday and ordering two medium fish and chips and one pea fritter.

It was delicious. No bones, just succulent fish and light, crispy batter and chips with a crunch. The pea fritter was yummy! Crunchy exterior from the deep fried batter and a vibrant, mushy pea centre. 

With a bit of time to spare before we checked in to our B&B, we wandered on Margate Main Sands beach. 


With our B&B, Westbrook Lodge Guest House, being so close to the beach we left the car there and walked to Dreamland.

It's free to enter and you just pay for the rides you want to go on but if you're a fan of rides, you might want to buy a wristband in advance for £12 (£15 on the day) so you have unlimited access for the day. If you're not one for rollercoasters, ferris wheels or hooking a duck, there's also 2p coin games inside :)


For dinner we headed to Broadstairs. We were recommend Posillipo (an Italian restaurant) but being a Friday night, it was fully booked. So we went to Restaurant 54, just a few doors down. 

Deciding what to eat was the trickiest part! There was so many things that sounded delicious, we even debated getting three starters! Here's what we for:


Starters
Semi-Grilled King Scallops  £9.95
With grilled chorizo lardons, tomato concasse & salsa verde 
Apple Smoked Barbary Duck £9.25
Honey roasted nectarines, puree, micro borage
Mains
Roasted Fillet of Pork £17.75
Creamed potato, stir fried cabbage & bacon, caramelised bramley puree,
chorizo crisps, honey crackle, roasting juices
Pan-Fried Hake
Deep fried samphire, tomatoes (I can't remember as this was on the Specials board)

The scallops were cooked perfectly. Tender, juicy and so tasty. The chorizo had a mild spice to it but worked well on its own.

The duck tasted a bit too iron-ny for me but was tender also. The honey roasted nectarines complimented the duck far better than eating on its own. 

The pork was very well cooked and well seasoned. The presentation was great and they let me swap the creamed potato for chips instead for no extra cost. The apple puree was like a slight palate cleanser with its mild sharpness. I loved the piece of crackling on top. Light and crispy, it was perfect. 

The chorizo crisps were not what I had expected. They were just deep fried, battered lardons. I think the dish would have still been great even without the chorizo crisps. 
Feeling very full from the dishes, we had to give dessert a miss. Our final bill came to just over £54 including two ginger ales. Overall, Restaurant 54 is great for couples seeking a finer dining experience.

Before checking out, we had our inclusive full English breakfast made of 2 fried eggs, sausages, beans, bacon, a hash brown, tea/coffee and toast. I would have liked more hash browns and more beans but it was nice to not have to worry about finding somewhere to eat. I would say Westbrook Lodge is suitable for short stays as I found the bed slightly too hard and you have to share the bathrooms but the location is fantastic. Being only a 10 minute walk from the beach, you can explore with ease and save so much on parking. 
There were two things I wanted to do before we left and one of them was Roller Skating! I'd never been before so we headed back to Dreamland.

It's £4 per person and we weren't given a time limit. It took a while to find the confidence to let go of the handrails and walls but it was so much fun and I was just pleased to not have fallen on my face! :)

The last thing on my list was going to Botany Bay. It wasn't quite as scenic as I had hoped but still glad we visited. 

Short of nearby restaurants, we also stopped to have a hot dog and chips (cash only) on the beach and picked some blackberries growing nearby :)
I would definitely recommend visiting Margate if you're looking to get away from the city and breathe fresh air, whilst feeling the sand between your toes :)

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