The Margate Map
Margate is not just “on the up”. It’s well and truly up and running. Margate today is somewhere that London’s bright young things want to come and live. An unprecedented number of creatives left their beloved Hackney and Peckham for Margate’s beautiful sunsets. The crew at A+C adore Margate, and we want to give you the lowdown, so you get the most out of your visit. Download the map or scroll down to our 101 things to do in Margate
101 Things To Do In Margate
Last updated 1-24 April 2024
Our number one is essential.
1. Visit A+C. Studio Come and drool at our spacious and well-equipped studio, meet the makers and feel the magic of stop-motion – better still, make a weekend of it and give the 100 other highlights a whirl.
1. Fort Road Hotel With its fabulous sea views, Margate’s Fort Road Hotel is ideally located a stone’s throw from the beach, the old town and the Turner Contemporary.
2. The Albion Rooms A glorious explosion of ideas from The Libertines in a former waterfront B&B
3. The Well Sea views from a dreamy roll-top bathtub.
4. Margate Suites Margate Suites offers seven boutique bedrooms, which range from Standard to Deluxe with Sea Views, plus a Family Suite, which can sleep four.
5. Dog House A minimalist and luxury dog-friendly B&B located in a quiet residential street just 500 meters from the sea.
6. Cliftonville Townhouse Relaxing interiors, comfortable beds, immaculate bathrooms, and fluffy towels in a convenient location.
7. Walpole Bay Hotel WBH is a place to stay and somewhere to visit. If artworks made entirely on linen napkins are your thing their Living Museum is full of vintage artefacts, a 1920s ballroom and a ‘Napery’.
8. The Crab Museum Europe’s only museum dedicated to the world of the decapod.
9. Walpole Bay Tidal Pool A beautiful large saltwater pool that is open year-round and merges with the sea at high tide. – Wonderful spot
10. The Oval Bandstand A beautifully restored bandstand for outdoor community events venue.
11. Haeckels House Sustainable beauty brand Haeckels went into business with hand-harvested, organic products made from Margate seaweed, opened Haeckels House this spring, it now has a spa worthy of its cult following.
12. Shell Grotto A Margate oddity where 4.5 million shells make up its mosaic walls. Who created it and why – no one knows.
13. Margate Caves This former chalk mine has been an air raid shelter, smugglers’ cave and a wine cellar.
14. Tom Thumb Theatre One of the world’s smallest theatres. Head here for intimate gigs, comedy, burlesque and indie films. Plus, there is a cool bar.
15. Dreamland An amusement park dating back to 1880. With music concerts, funfair rides an food stalls and home of the Scenic Railway wooden rollercoaster ,the oldest roller coaster in the UK.
16. Faith In Strangers Cocktails with a view
17. Little Swift Serves the most delicious cocktails and enjoys sea views.
18. Bar Nothing Late night DJ’s and cocktails.
19. Mariarchi A lovely tequila & mezcal bar in the town centre where you can book a private agave room for tastings.
20. Picnic Neighbourhood deli and bar selling cheese and charcuterie, deli sandwiches, natural wine and craft beer.
21. The Taproom Cliftonville. Tables outside for Northdown Road watching and a decent booze selection.
22. WILDES in Margate’s Old Town is a beautiful bistro which is great for brunch during the day and cocktails at night.
23. The Little Prince is the UK’s smallest pub.
24. Rose in June is a beautiful pub and serves some banging food.
25. The Fez on the High Street is a quirky hangout – Good on Tuesday Ukelele Nights
26. Margate Off Licence is The Rose In Junes, little sister – beautiful views and superb drinks.
27. Daisy – In my opinion, the best cocktails in Margate – if not Kent.
28. The George and Heart Nice boozer which offers accommodation.
29. The Two Halves Seafront micropub serving cask ales
30. xylobrewing Microbrewery and taproom with uninterrupted views of the seascape.
31. CAMP Queer bar and community space with a karaoke booth in the back
32. The Harbour Arms A cozy little inn on the Harbour Arm. Grab a pint and take it up to the roof to sit atop and drink in the magical Margate sunset.
33. The Shakespeare Lovely little boozer on the sea front.
34. High Dive Top-notch Mexican food on the Harbour Arms
35. Casa Pizzeria Napoli-style pizza, antipasti and desserts
36. Po’boy Creole fish hut at The Sun Deck
37. Pork & Co. Take away or grab a table over looking the sea down at the Sundeck. Get your bacon bap and have a boogie!
38. The Bus Cafe Margate’s best street food cafe. Set in a vintage double-decker bus
39. Cinque Ports with IWA Vibrant, fresh, Mexican Fusion Street Food.
40. Streets Unit2, 220, 228 Northdown Rd, Cliftonville, Margate CT9 2RP
41. Picnic Neighbourhood deli and bar selling cheese and charcuterie, deli sandwiches, natural wine and craft beer.
42. Bow’s Kitchen Excellent Thai curries, stir-fries and noodle dishes.
43. Lilie’s Decent tapas with a lovely sea view
44. Dalby Cafe Legendary café with the best hangover breakfast known to man.
45. Cliffs Award-winning cafe, record shop and hair salon
46. Mori Mori Contemporary Japanese Restaurant serving hot and cold dishes, sushi, teppanyaki, donburi, noodles and curry.
47. Batchelor’s Patisserie Cute cafe serving the best cup of tea in Margate.
48. Sargasso From the team behind East London’s Brawn Restaurant. A place by the sea to enjoy coastal cooking, real wine, music & guest broadcasting
49. Beach Buoys/ Buoy & Oyster The best fish and chips in Margate
50. GB Pizza Gourmet pizza with an iconic view.
51. Dory’s Delicious seafood.
52. Angela’s The OG foodie hang-out and the first Michelin Star for Margate.
53. Big Shot – Finest fresh coffee, toasties and sea views.
54. Lulu’s Gelato Traditional, Italian small-batch gelato.
55. Peter’s Fish Factory The second-best fish and chips in Margate.
56. Mannings Seafood A little seaside stall that sells a variety of seafood
57. The Greek Kitchen An authentic taste of the Mediterranean.
58. The Bulls Head An independent Public House in the heart of Margate Old Town, serving food and drink 7 days a week.
59. Gina’s Bakery Handmade bread lovingly prepared by the sea.
60. The Greedy Cow A family-run cafe offering simple, well-cooked meals in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
61. Mullins Brasserie Modern European cuisine with a hint of the Caribbean
62. Bottega Caruso Incredible authentic Italian cuisine.
63. Palms Pizzaria Pizza by the slice served NY style, local beers, and a plethora of shots.
64. Forts Great food, great coffee and exceptional cocktails
65. Olimpia Greek Bakery Family-run bakery with authentic Greek goods and coffee.
66. Thao Thao Traditional Vietnamese family recipes in the heart of Margate Old Town.
67. High Tide Social family friendly café with specialty coffee, sandwiches and sweet bakes.
68. Oast Bakery Freshly baked loaves, speciality bakes and sweet buns are made from scratch at their Cliftonville bakery.
69. Pearly Cow Fine Dining and Oyster Bar atop No. 42 Hotel with spectacular sea views.
70. Little Fish Café Family friendly café in the heart of Old Town
71. The Good Egg Delicious little brunch spot serving up Shakshuka, hash, sabih, pitas and babka french toast to name but a few delights.
72. Spice Delight Sensational Sri Lankan curry house.
73. WhereElse Hip, independent record shop and music venue.
74. Margate Arts Club Inclusive and progressive cozy club with eclectic nights
75. 101 Social Club A curated social space designed to be flexible and host a wide range of events and activities. From experimental music to film nights.
76. Sundowners LGBTQ Bar, Club and Restaurant located on Margate Sea Front. Outside terrace & bar with beach views open throughout the summer.
78. Turner Contemporary Turner Contemporary put Margate back on the map. Clinging to the edge of the land, The Turner catches Margate’s seascapes in vast monumental panes of glass. The exhibitions are pretty good too.
79. Carl Freedman Gallery Relocated from London and one of the most exciting developments in Margate’s creative-led regeneration.
80. Quench Gallery Bringing the chaos and light to Cliftonville is Quench. A non-profit gallery geared totally towards financially supporting the artists they exhibit.
81. The Margate School Independent liberal art school offering exhibitions.
82. Northdown Studio Artist studio and project space.
83. Bon Volks A member-run co-working space that utilises the advantages of collaborative organisation for mutual gain.
84. TKE Studios Acclaimed artist, Tracey Karima Emin, returned to her hometown of Margate where she opened TKE to provide artist studios, exhibition, lecture and gallery spaces.
85. Marine Studio Margate’s first co-working space boasts gorgeous sea views and a professional working environment.
86. Joseph Wales Studios Studios and exhibition space.
87. CRATE Three floors of studios, and two project spaces. The project spaces are available for short-term use by practitioners, alongside a programme initiated by CRATE.
88. Printworks A creative hub housing individual studios for a community of creative practitioners, a café, a yoga/pilates studio and an exhibition/event space.
89. Resort Studios Individual studios, shared facilities, workshop areas and exhibition spaces aiming to support creatives in the local area.
90. Werkhaus Margate A collection of trans-seasonal modern utilitarian womenswear and curated vintage.
91. The Margate Bookshop Indie independent bookshop situated in the heart of the Old Town offers a selection of new and second-hand books.
92. Albion Stores A brilliant clothing store with super helpful staff that have an impressive eye for style.
93. Les Animaux Beautiful shop where you can get the boiler suit of dreams.
94. RG Scotts Furniture Mart This is the DFL home reno heaven – you can still get an MCM bargain here. Bonus – Downstairs you’ll find Junk Deluxe a trove of Modernist pieces.
95. The Grain Grocer Organic food store and café.
96. Cliftonville Junktion Vintage furniture, decorative items, costume and fun fashion.
97. Skate Pharm Full range of skateboards and brilliant t-shirts.
98. AARVEN Brand selling homewares, gifts, and jewellery designed in Margate and handmade by artisans across India and the African continent.
99. Margaux Colourful homewares and beautiful clothing, perfect for gifts.
100. Harbour & Tide A modern beach store selling goods for seaside life.
101. Modern Provider Fresh bread and local deli produce + sandwiches as big as a toddler – get there before 1pm otherwise ‘NO BREAD’