Whitstable – the English seaside & delicious oysters!
Whitstable is a town on the English seaside in Kent, in south-eastern England. It is well known for its oysters!
Delicious oysters & seafood, good local wine, beautiful sea views, a castle with blooming gardens, pretty colourful beach huts and long green slopes with scenic views…
A quick escapade from the city without the need to drive!
Whitstable is easily reachable by train from London (~ 1 hour 30 minutes) and once you arrive, if you like to walk, you can do everything on foot.
Some people go for a day trip, however, if you really want to enjoy the town, the views, the food and the beautiful walks, I suggest you stay for at least one night.
What’s in store in Whitstable?
During the couple of days that I spent in Whitstable, I walked on the beach, went to local pubs and shacks, ate delicious oysters and seafood in nice restaurants, tried local wine which was delicious, visited a castle & gardens, walked on the street at low tide and loved the views, strolled along the Tankerton slopes with different sea views and colourful beach huts.
The two sides of Whitstable
Whitstable beach, located west of the Whitstable Castle is where the shacks, restaurants, market and all the hustle and bustle are. The open-air market with local art for sale and casual places to eat is nice to visit however, the views are not that great. If you want nicer views, walk further west towards the Old Neptune Pub. This part of Whitstable has a busy narrow promenade between the beach and the small houses, restaurants and shacks. Here, I got to experience a part of the English culture that I don’t easily find in London, where I currently live.
Tankerton beach located east of the Whitstable Castle is a quieter, greener, cleaner and more chilled beach area. It has green slopes that go along the beach with wonderful sea views from the top. This was my favourite part of town because you have more options to explore. You may stroll along the beach on a wide promenade between the beach and the beach huts lined along the bottom of the Tankerton slopes. You may also go up to the slopes and walk on the wide green grass and enjoy the views from another angle.
Below I describe what I liked most about each side of Whitstable.
Highlights of Whitstable beach
The pub on the beach
The Old Neptune Pub is right on the beach and has beautiful interiors and a nice outdoor terrace to enjoy food and drinks filled with the sea breeze.
Beach bar, local seafood, local beer and wine
The Lobster Shack is a casual place to grab a bite and drinks with sea views. It can get quite busy and therefore, on busy days you might have to queue for a table.
Seafood restaurant, local fresh seafood and wine
The Whitstable Oyster Company is a great place for a nice meal with great service. The interior of the restaurant is bright and cosy. The terrace, open when the weather permits is a great place to have drinks, great food and people-watch, all with sea views. They have a good wine list. Here is where I tasted English wine for the first time and went for more the following day.
English wine from Kent
Simpsons – English Wine Estate
I tried Derringstone Pinot Meunier 2019, a local dry white wine that paired perfectly with the local oysters. I was surprised by the high quality of English wine.
Highlights of Tankerton beach
The Whitstable Castle & Gardens
The Whitstable Castle & Gardens is a must-visit. Enjoy a relaxing stroll around the gardens, the rose garden and the fountain. You may have breakfast or tea on the terrace where you can enjoy the colourful garden views.
The entrance of the Castle 
Tea time or breakfast in the castle 
The fountain in the back of the castle 
The rose garden 
The castle from the gardens
Beach huts and beach promenade
Take a stroll along the beach promenade and if you see an open beach hut take a peek inside ;). They are small, functional and allow people to spend a beach day with more comfort and protection from the sun and wind. They are very pretty and colourful in this part of town.
The Tankerton beach promenade 
Colourful beach huts in Tankerton beach
The Street
The Street is a natural strip of shingle beach that runs out to sea from Tankerton beach for a distance of about 800m or 1/2 mile.
When the tide is low, it’s really cool to go for a walk all the way to the end into the sea. The experience and the views are wonderful.
View of The Street at low tide from the Tankerton slope 
Walking on The Street at low tide 
The view from the end of The Street
Tankerton Slopes
The Tankerton slopes are green, wide and have beautiful sea views, benches to take a break with breath-taking views of the beach huts and the sea.
A path that goes up to the Tankerton slopes from the beach 
The long green Tankerton slopes 
A shaded path that links the beach with the Tankerton slopes
A Pub with a view
The Royal pub is a nice place to stop for a drink and food with slopes and sea views.
A nice terrace with slopes and sea views
The Marine Hotel is a nice place to have food or drinks and enjoy the views from the terrace overlooking the Tankerton slopes and the sea.
My takeaway…
A short escapade to Whitstable is a nice way to change scenery with a quick train ride. Life in this part of England seems to be slower and more relaxed…perhaps it’s the beach effect!
More travel tips from around the world here!