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An integral part of Margate’s rejuvenation from a down-at-heel forgotten resort has been its food and drink offering.
It is all very well enticing those deep-pocketed London folk to visit a free art gallery, but the trick is to keep them there, spending their money, for as long as possible.
And that is where the likes of the Buoy and Oyster have played a significant role.
It does, after all, specialise in seafood, the perfect accompaniment to a day in the now iconic seaside town.
It has attracted some big names over the years too - Freddie Mercury and Princess Diana to name but two.
Well, OK, to be more accurate, the actors who have portrayed them then - Rami Malek and Emma Corrin.
Perfectly positioned, its rather understated entrance - on the still, in my opinion, rather grotty Margate High Street leading down to the front - disguises the fact that once you walk through the restaurant, it opens up onto a broad terrace area which provides some of the best al fresco eating in the town; your view being of the sweeping golden sands of which the town is rightly proud.
Now 10 years old, the restaurant has established itself as a ‘must-visit’ place for locals and day-trippers alike.
It even has rooms in which you can stay overnight. It does, therefore, play a key role in that all-important process of extracting as much benefit to the local economy as possible.
The question is, does it deserve the plethora of plaudits - awards, 4.5 stars on Tripadvisor - that it has tucked neatly in its belt? Or is it just a DFL hotspot?
That question is especially pertinent on a chilly January evening when the weather outside comprises of heavy rain and strong winds and day-trippers have long since beat a retreat.
Eating on its terrace, when we visit, it’s fair to say, is not an option anyone other than Wim ‘The Iceman’ Hof would entertain.
All of which makes the interior something of a treat.
It may be dark and miserable outside, but the restaurant itself is beautifully decorated.
There are (fake) living walls on either side, fish swim over windows concealing a staircase (which links directly to its Beach Buoys fish and chip shop downstairs) and the lighting - warm lamp shades, uprisers - is spot on.
It’s cosy, inviting and, crucially, warm.
The tables are big, sturdy, with marble-effect tops and while doing a reasonably brisk trade (for a Sunday night) you don’t feel on top of anyone near by.
The background music is piped in at an ideal level - loud enough to enjoy, quiet enough not to, at any stage, be drowned out by it.
Tonight is all classic Eighties hits (my sweet spot, it must be said) and you have to take your hat off to a place which can play The Smith’s There Is A Light That Never Goes Out - the band’s uber-gloomy hit about how nice it would be to be killed with your lover by a ‘ten-tonne truck’ - without fear of dampening down the mood.
We’ve booked ahead, and despite arriving a little early, we’re quickly shown to our table and before we know it, orders are placed.
In a move of profound tight-pocketness, we’re sticking to the (complimentary) filtered water. This is, in truth, the sort of place you want to spend a leisurely evening drinking so much wine you’re pickled before you leave, but this is Dry January and we’re being profoundly boring.
Which brings us nicely on to the ‘nibbles’ we order as a starter - beer-battered pickles (£6) and gordal olives (£6).
The pickles are a delight - little gherkins sat within a light and tasty batter. The olives are out-of-this-world delicious. Big, as their Spanish name suggests, and packed with flavour.
There is much to admire on the menu - including some sprawling seafood platters to share which sound divine (all oysters, clams, crab, oysters and samphire) - but for the main course my partner and I have both opted for its Buoy Bowl which brings us a more modest helping of salt and pepper squid, king prawns, a small beer-battered cod fillet and chips (or ‘skinny fries’ to be exact). There’s a pot of confit garlic aioli to dip everything in too. It’s £24.50 each.
It’s hard not to be impressed with the dish when it arrives.
Satisfyingly packed, it looks great. There’s no feeling you’re not getting your money’s worth here - and I consider £25 a lot for a main course; the bottom of the dish barely visible among the seafood treats.
First up, the shell-on prawns.
Now, I love the theatre of these things, but dislike the greasy hands ripping their heads and tails off inevitably leads to.
But, firstly there’s a handy wet wipe handed to you before you embark on the savagery and, secondly, the size and taste of these things once you’ve got to the meat are sensational. Which is not something you can always say about the aesthetically pleasing things.
Beautifully flavoured and a good couple of bites in each one, they are the stand out of the dish. I could comfortably eat 10 more, with or without a wet wipe to hand.
The decent-sized cod is beautiful too - light and fluffy batter yielding to light and moist meat.
The squid is off-set by the dip and even the fries have a spring in their step.
All in all, it’s a very pleasing, filling dish, which, frankly, would be only enhanced with a bottle of chilled white wine to wash it all down. But life is rarely fair. The whole, booze-free bill, comes in a little more than £60.
The Buoy and Oyster deserves its reputation. The service was excellent, the food mouthwatering and the ambience inside - especially given the gloom outside - transports you to sunnier, happier times. Go, you won’t regret it.
Scores out of five
Food: Lovely choice of bits on the Buoy Bowl - all well cooked and those prawns - wow *****
Drink: We could have had wine, fizz, cocktails, you name it. We settled for the (free) water. Fair play to them for not pushing a drinks order too. Oh, and the water was much like the water you know and love. I give it three stars as a consequence…next time, with something more exciting to quench the thirst, it would certainly be more ***
Décor: There has clearly been some real thought in the way this place is presented - and the main dining area is a real cosy treat. Heaven knows how nice it must be when the terrace is open too *****
Staff: Fast, attentive service - and none of that annoying waiting for ages to settle the bill *****
Price: There are cheaper places to eat, let’s not pretend otherwise. But it delivered real value for money with a great ambience that makes you want to return en masse. ****