As summer beckons, with the irresistible urge to flock to Britain's coasts for paddling and relaxation, a new culinary destination emerges: Willy's in Margate. The name itself evokes the cheeky spirit of a seaside postcard, setting the tone for what lies within. Tucked away in the back of Margate House hotel on Dalby Square, just a few minutes' walk from the seafront, Willy's is a delightful blur of frilly red-and-pink seaside adorableness. This eatery is cool, cute, and jovial, offering a menu that includes pork scratchings with apple chutney, black pudding scotch eggs, sticky toffee pudding, and Sunday lunches featuring beef rump and baked cauliflower cheese. The menu is short, intentional, and hearty, eschewing the airy-fairy small plates trend in favor of satisfying, substantial fare.
A Haven for Food and Drink Enthusiasts
For the foodie and cocktail crowd, Willy's boasts all the right signifiers. The cocktail menu features classics like the paper plane and penicillin, paying homage to New York's iconic Milk and Honey bar. The wine list includes three Olivier Pithon natural wines from Roussillon, with a focus on natural and low-intervention bottles from France, Spain, and Italy. The chef, Mark O'Brien, honed his skills at Robin Gill's Dairy in London and Samphire in nearby Whitstable before making Willy's his home. Earlier this year, he reached the final three of MasterChef: The Professionals, underscoring the team's expertise and passion for quality ingredients.
Snug and Cosseting Dining Room
The dining room is snug and cosseting, like a little womb—or at least a womb that serves snacks and starters such as devils on horseback, coronation mussels with almond chilli oil, and roast courgette salad with hazelnut and basil. Mains include braised beef rib with leek and barley risotto and lovage sauce, roast chicken breast with mushroom and tarragon sauce, and Willy's sausage and mash. For plant-based diners, options like spiced cauliflower with braised lentils and celeriac remoulade, broccoli with miso dressing and toasted hazelnuts, and hispi salad with caesar sauce and peanuts are available.
Margate House: A Restored Gem
Margate House opened in 2023 after a full restoration of a derelict building by owner Will Jenkins and interior designer Charlee Allan Quinton. Unlike many soulless, trendy hotels, Margate House exudes genuine hospitality and character. There is a large, rambling boho drawing room for coffee and a bar serving Willy's cosmo or Long Island iced tea. On a spring Saturday before tourist season, Willy's already feels like a local special-occasion spot, with multiple birthdays and gatherings catered to by the wonderful, warm staff.
A Spontaneous Dining Experience
We popped in for a snoop with no plans to eat, but soon succumbed to thick slices of Guinness soda bread with whipped butter—so fresh, so warm, a true gateway drug. The beef rump tartare with caper dressing and dripping toast was nicely chopped, deftly seasoned, with good acidity. Dripping toast, essentially fried bread, evokes nostalgia. We followed with a delightful main of chalk stream trout with cavolo nero in a puddle of seaweed butter sauce. The dessert list is brief but pleasing, featuring sticky toffee pudding with salted toffee sauce and stem ginger ice-cream, rhubarb crumble, and earl grey panna cotta with rosemary shortbread.
Book Ahead for a Taste of Wonderful
Willy's main issue is its limited seating—only 25 seats—and nine rooms of paying hotel guests who all want to dine here. If you're a passing chancer, book in advance to avoid disappointment. If I were a resident, I'd hunker down with a thick Liz Taylor biography, whiling away the days eating Guinness bread and devils on horseback, venturing out only for pies at the Wellington or Friday drag nights at Margate Beach Club. Mainly, though, I'd stay in bed and plead for room-service rhubarb crumble, because Willy's really is a whole lot of wonderful.
Willy's, Margate House, 6 Dalby Square, Margate, Kent. Open Thurs-Fri dinner only, 5-9pm; Sat noon-3pm and 5-9pm; Sun noon-5pm. About £40 a head for three courses, plus drinks and service.
