The quintessential British seaside town that’s just as good as Margate

Twelve years ago, so in love was I with Deal, which lies just eight miles from the white cliffs of Dover on the Kent coast, that I wrote letters to the owners of 20 or so houses along the seafront to ask if they’d consider selling. The result of my forwardness was the purchase of a fixer-upper circa 1770, a decision we’ve never regretted. When I first rented a cottage, a few years before that in 2008 (after a hasty google search of “sea-view cottage two hours’ drive from London”), “Where on earth is Deal?” was the question I got from everyone.

Julius Caesar is thought to have stomped across its pebbles in 55BC; and in 1784 prime minister William Pitt sent soldiers in to burn the smugglers’ boats because the town was so unlawful. The joke is that tunnels and secret hiding places feature more commonly than utility rooms on estate agents’ details.

Over the years, I’ve watched the town morph from backwater to one of Britain’s most desirable coastal weekend escapes, particularly for DFLs (those down from London), and I’ve no doubt that being featured in Qantas Airlines magazine as one of “23 places to visit in 2023” raised a few eyebrows among the Dealites (as the locals like to be known). Deal may not be as written-about as Margate, but in my opinion it’s all the better for it.

My three young sons grew up pushing pennies into slots in the bijou amusement arcade, scootering along the promenade, and playing hide-and-seek in Deal’s pleasingly spooky Tudor castle (built in perfect symmetry in the shape of a Tudor Rose by Henry VIII in 1539) just as young families continue to do today.

The architecture that I fell for – 1930s seafront shelters that look like flying saucers, the concrete hulk of a brutalist pier (the last to be built in the UK in 1957), and the seaside pick ’n’ mix of pastel-hued period architecture – has only got more attractive as they’ve been sympathetically renovated (thank goodness that any major changes rarely get past Dover District Council). Deal’s conservation area, namely Middle Street and Beach Street and the small roads that run between them, give clues to Deal’s past. Nice to wander are the imagination-stirring streets of Silver, Golden, and Brewer.

My perfect Saturday is unwavering, starting with a stroll around Deal Town Market, where you’ll find a global mix of foodie treats: French cheese, Swedish buns, and Kent’s finest cherries in summer months (try a ginger and greengage ice cream from local maker Penny Licks).

Then, I head out for a cycle or dog walk along the beach-hugging path, past wild coastal gardens filled with red valerian, to Kingsdown and the Zetland Arms, a pretty pub on the pebbles with views to France (zetlandarms.co.uk). On Sundays, if the weather’s fair, I pick up a gourmet picnic from Arno & Co deli and head straight to the beach, hoping to see the whiskery noses of seals toing and froing from their colony at nearby Pegwell Bay.

Credit for putting Deal on the map must go to the trailblazers who took a punt on the once sleepy, backwater. Still thriving are Hoxton Store (hoxtonstore.com), owned by Alison Whalley, who swapped a boutique in east London for a homewares shop in Deal, Frog & Scot (frogandscot.co.uk), which was the first restaurant to put the cat among the seagulls in terms of interesting dining, and Taylor Jones & Son (www.taylorjonesandson.co.uk), which began with a small shop/gallery and now has two floors of world-class contemporary art.

“There’s nowhere I’d rather be than Deal,” says Richard Taylor-Jones, who grew up here. “There’s a great mix of history, arts, food and nature, all offered in a gentle manner, because Deal’s not glitzy and hasn’t fallen into the trap of being ‘the place to be’, which keeps it authentic.”

A game-changer accommodation-wise was the opening of the Rose: a rough, old boozer transformed into a luxury boutique hotel (how I love a Kentish bramble cocktail on its sunny garden terrace), and in 2022, Updown (updownfarmhouse.com), a 17th-century farmhouse, opened on the outskirts of town. Its restaurant is overseen by chef and owner Oli Brown, who has Italian food and hyper-seasonality as the focus, but doesn’t mess with a crowd-pleasing Sunday roast.

All the above have paved the way for recent openings that would have been laughed out of town 12 years ago, such as the Blue Pelican (also of the Rose stable), which has had all the top food critics queuing up to “ooh” and “ahh” over its Japanese tapas-like sharing plates (and rightly so, as the crab croquettes are worth a visit alone). Ting-Ying (ting-ying.com) is Deal’s newest gallery, bringing unusual ceramics and delights such as Pocket Fruits, a series of small but perfect oil on canvas paintings from Dani Humbersome.

Stalwart on the high street Jenkins & Son Fishmongers (jenkinsandsonfishandgame.co.uk) is moving to larger premises to add a street food offering – think smoked fish scotch eggs and (rumour has it) a champagne bar (“Oh blimey! I hope Deal’s not getting ideas above its station,” comments my elderly neighbour when I break the news).

But it’s those that have been here the longest that get the last word, namely the Ship Inn (01304 372222), a 600-year-old pub where it’s wise not to enquire if they do food. “Nuts!” will be the answer. Also The Ice Cream Parlour (01304 374120) for the pure nostalgia of fishing out the cherry from the bottom of a knickerbocker glory. And other much-loved small businesses, such as Smuggler’s Records (shop.smugglersrecords.com), where you can listen to vinyl while nursing a local craft beer from Tide & Time Brewery.

Finally, you really can’t beat a rainy afternoon in Le Pinardier wine bar – sister restaurant to Frog & Scot – which evokes Deal’s wayward smuggling past with its dark wood interior and bottle-lined shelves.

The perfect weekend in Deal

By Emilee Tombs

Where to stay

Deal’s darling boutique hotel, the Rose (therosedeal.com), opened to fanfare in 2018 and has been attracting the well-heeled ever since. Essentially a pub with great rooms (some with roll-top baths), this family friendly, jewel-toned bolthole is located at the heart of the town and is always busy.

Rooms from £198

Where to eat

The dining room at The Rose serves a great multi-course brunch, and dinner reservations are a must if you want to sample the exceptional locally sourced modern British fare, often served with a twist; tomato martini with a side of Kent oysters anyone? The Neopolitan-style pizzas served in the beer garden of the Deal Hoy pub (www.dealhoykent.co.uk) are a great low-key alternative.

What to do

Take a stroll along the beachfront promenade before having a nose around Don’t Walk gallery, which represents Vic Reeves (dontwalkwalkgallery.com). Deal has a clutch of great antiques shops, too.

Emilee Tombs was a guest of The Rose