Wheelers is a bit of a hidden gem in Whitstable.  It’s been here for over 150 years but in spite of the pink exterior and its prime position on the High Street it’s easy to walk past and not realise the gourmet delights that go on inside.  At first glance you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s just a seafood bar with a couple of stalls to sit on while sampling Whitstable’s native oysters or a dressed crab.  But behind the compact shop front is an  equally tiny restaurant where chef Mark Stubbs rustles up some wonderful fish dishes.

We were recently treated to Sunday lunch here and were served some deliciously warm foccacia bread topped with sweet roasted onions & cherry tomatoes while we sampled our BYO wine (the restaurant is not licensed) and waited for our order. The place was full to the brim but as there are only a dozen or so covers, it’s not hard to do.  The dining room is very quirky and you almost feel like you’re in a Victorian parlour with dark wood furniture and trinkets dotted around the room.  It’s a bit of a squash and the chairs aren’t the most comfortable but I think that’s all part of the charm.

My starter was a bowl of sweet, tender king scallops served with asparagus and broad beans covered in a buttery fish sauce.  John chose a peppery mussel chowder with tiny puy lentils, topped with a crisp, deep-fried skate cheek.  My main course was hake with light & fluffy chorizo dumplings, potted brown shrimps and a mussel sauce served on a bed of leeks.  John had monkfish served with tiger prawns and spicy laksa noodles.  As I mentioned, this level of cooking is not what you expect from the olde worlde exterior.

Our shared pudding of rich, dark chocolate tart served with salted caramel and malted milk ice cream left as much of an impression as the rest of the meal.  Tables are often hard to come by at this pint-sized restaurant but with food of this quality, you can see why.

We came across this little eatery one day after a meeting in the City.  Feeling a bit peckish we were on the hunt for a run-of –the-mill sandwich bar but were intrigued by the queue of people spilling out of City Càphê’s door.  Peering inside we discovered a cafe serving Vietnamese food. 

Having queued past the drinks fridges displaying cans of exotic delights like Grass Jelly, Pink Guava, Passionfruit and Pomegranate juices, we placed our order at the counter and took our seats at one of the basic tables.  Looking around we noticed quite a few South-East Asian customers and if it hadn’t been for the freezing temperatures outside you could almost imagine that you were in a cafe in the backstreets of Hanoi or Bangkok.  Pictures of Vietnam adorned the walls and pretty plate-shaped mobiles hung from the ceiling.

We opted for a classic pork bánh mì (Vietnamese baguette) and beef pho (classic noodle soup).  The combination of crusty bread with the fresh flavours of chilli, coriander and grated carrot in the pork baguette was a real winner and we felt inspired to go home and experiment on other similar sandwich fillings.  The Pho, while not as spicy as we’d hoped, was tasty and warming on such a cold day.  It came with a little bag filled with extra chilli, lime, beansprouts and basil to stir in to the soup according to your taste.

Also on offer were fresh spring rolls and other variations of noodle and rice soups.  If I worked nearby I’d be a regular visitor for a little taste of Asia.

One Saturday early in February we found ourselves in the unusual position of being both childless for the day and without any weekend events to cook for.  Wanting to make the most of this free time we went for a long walk along the seafront and headed back into Whitstable for a spot of lunch.

Salt Marsh has been open for a year or two but until now we’ve not had chance to try it out.  Under the same ownership as Windy Stores round the corner it’s a lovely relaxed place for an informal meal, coffee or snack.  From outside there is no indication of what is being served inside, in fact there was no sign of a menu anywhere.   The aim seems to be to drop in and the staff will tell you what’s on offer.  I can see the appeal of this informal, homely style and while we were there lots of locals popped in for coffee and cake.  I do wonder, though, if they lose trade by not giving passers-by some hint of what they provide.

The decoration inside is fab: plain walls, trendy pictures and wooden tables adorned with big bowls of fresh fruit and earthenware jugs of tap water.  They play music on an old turntable and there are piles of LPs everywhere, balanced on shelves, and stacked up on the floor and on the counter next to a selection of delicious-looking cakes.

The waitress explained what was on offer and I plumped for the chicken with butter beans.  It was a huge portion of boneless, juicy chicken thighs, garlic, thyme and butter beans.  John had an equally large portion beef bourgignon-style stew.  Both were hearty and wholesome and came served with sautéed potatoes, green beans and roasted peppers. 

The highlight of the visit, though, was the carrot cake we shared afterwards.  It was dense and moist and at times tasted a bit like a rich fruit cake.  All the cakes looked wonderful and it was a job to decide which one to try.  We’ll have to make sure we go back to sample the others.