Discover Thanet!
Discover Thanet is a beautifully designed, independently published guide to Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate. Written by discerning insiders and packed with hidden gems, handy itineraries and inspiring ideas, Discover Thanet is the essential guide to this unsung corner of the Kent coast. Contributors include Metro and Olive restaurant critic Marina O'Loughlin, journalist Iain Aitch, and internationally acclaimed artist Ann Carrington.
A taste of what you'll find inside:
Morelli's
Once our seaside towns bristled with cafes like Morelli’s, but time and ‘progress’ have made them rarities. So we should treasure survivors as glorious as this one – opened in 1932, and refurbished in 1957 in the very height of Formica fabulousness. Retro fans boggle at the frankly bonkers ceiling relief, pink leatherette booths and backlit displays of sundaes and banana splits. There are cakes of varying levels of interest, and a selection of decent sandwiches, but the real draw is the home-made gelato, a family recipe and a thing of beauty: try amarena cherry, or simple ‘plain ice’ (Italian fior di latte). Unmissable. (MO’L)
Tom Thumb Theatre
With just sixty shabby red velour seats tucked away in an old Victorian coach house, the Tom Thumb is one of the smallest theatres in the country. Opened as a theatre in the 1980s, it’s now run by a devoted family who put on anything from stand-up comedy to storytelling evenings in a unique atmosphere of faded charm. Tickets are cheap, the atmosphere’s intimate and there’s often a chance to go drinking with the cast afterwards. No waiting outside to get an autograph here! (A-MN)
The Lifeboat
An oasis for real ale lovers amid the decidedly more edgy hostelries lining the surrounding streets of the Old Town, The Lifeboat stocks a wide, constantly changing range of local brews from the likes of Gadds, Goachers and Hopdaemon, alongside eye-wateringly strong ciders and a couple of decent wines. The solid, locally sourced food on offer includes huge slabs of Kentish cheese with homemade chutneys, fresh lobster, and tasty Ramsgate sausages. Drop in on a Friday and have a punt on the seafood raffle, or look out for occasional live music events as varied as organ-driven jazz groups and local Hurdy Gurdy players. (ST)
Pinball Parlour
A 50-year-old pinball machine might seem technically primitive compared to an X-Box or PSP, but it’s no less engaging. The Pinball Parlour houses around 20 vintage machines spanning most of the 20th Century and represents a unique way to spend a couple of hours, whatever your personal vintage. Most of the machines are playable, and you can follow their evolution from flipperless bagatelles, via the introduction of ramps, multi-play modes and bonus levels, through to the electronic machines of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Proof that you don’t need the Internet to have fun. (GH)
Email stewart.turner@gmail.com for more details
Follow @DiscoverThanet on Twitter
Design by: PatrickGeorgeSite by: FFD