Muddy reviews: Buoy & Oyster, Margate

Want to discover what it takes to scoop Best Restaurant in Kent as voted by you at this year’s Muddy Awards? It’s not only fabulous fresh food but it’s also about the personality of the place and Buoy and Oyster has this in buckets.

We fell head over heels for this seafood lovers’ paradise, overlooking the beach in Margate, and we think you will too…

THE LOCATION 

Like many of Kent’s coastal towns, Margate has gained a strong reputation for its foodie scene and Buoy and Oyster has been helping to lead that movement since 2015. Housed in a former cocktail bar in a Grade 2 listed building, this all-day dining seafood bar and theatre kitchen is perched above the beach so you can enjoy stunning sea views and sunsets from your table. 

Margate has plenty to occupy you for a daytrip come sun, rain or shine thanks to the bright lights of Dreamland, the cultural delights of Turner Contemporary or just mooching around the fabulous selection of independent shops scattered around town so make a day out of your foodie feast if you can. 

THE LOWDOWN 

Buoy and Oyster is the brainchild of husband-and-wife team Simon and Nadine and has a kind of cool continental vibe going on with the focus obviously on seafood. As you enjoy your crab, lobster or oysters, you could almost imagine you were holidaying in some sunnier climate. So perhaps it’s not that surprising to learn that Simon and Nadine’s shared dreams of opening a restaurant began when working together in kitchens throughout Europe where they worked as a team in some of the highest quality chalets and privately owned villas.

When returning home to visit Nadine’s family in her hometown of Margate and seeing what was starting to happen with the Turner Contemporary and Dreamland regeneration projects, it soon became clear that home is where the heart is, and they began looking for a property to turn their dreams into a reality and thus Buoy and Oyster was born!

Craig Edgell joined the team as head chef in 2019, having worked his way through many of Kent’s finest such as Wyatt and Jones and he also reached the semi-finals of this year’s National Chef of the Year competition, so you are in very safe hands. 

THE VIBE 

Margate is well-known for some very good eateries where the decor can pay homage to those East London vibes of stripped-down décor, muted lighting alongside stunning locally sourced food. Buoy and Oyster does buck that trend as the mood is playful, with a nod to the seaside theme, from the stylish gills painted on the outside of the open kitchen, to the marine blue walls, the overhead lights encased in fishing cages hanging from ropes as well as pencil drawings of lobsters and crabs adorning the walls. 

It’s all nicely done, no kitsch memorabilia, and it makes you consider that when it comes to people voting for their best restaurants, the food is only one of the many ingredients that makes your root for your favourite place. 

Buoy and Oyster is testament to that as it has so much character and charm as well as seriously good food, so each visit is memorable for lots of different reasons – not forgetting that seaside view. 

PILLOW TALK

The team have also sorted your accommodation so you can linger to your heart’s content. Margate Suites is Buoy and Oyster’s quirky selection of four holiday apartments – all uniquely curated by local designers and artists – and located above the restaurant overlooking the main sandy beach. 

Some of the apartments have more family vibes, with sofa-beds for the younger generation, but if you want to explore your inner hedonistic side, get yourself into Courtyard or Emerald for the night. Let the photos do the talking…

SCOFF AND QUAFF 

You can’t get fresher than overlooking the sea where a large chunk of their fish and shellfish, sourced by Kent-based fishermen, has usually landed and is then served on your plate the very same day. Simon, Craig and the team work closely with local suppliers to create their menus to ensure they echo the seasons and have been responsibly sourced. 

Most of their menu comes straight from one of their 18-day boats which fish the waters off Margate, Whitstable, Ramsgate, Folkestone and Broadstairs. And their Canterbury-based butchers ensure all the game and meat are reared in local farms if fish isn’t your thing. 

The Bloody Ridiculous Mary is a work of art – and actually works as a starter too – as it is packed with Mermaid Salt vodka, tomato juice, crispy bacon, pickle, battered pickle, cherry tomato, celery, pickled onion, olive, battered oliver AND topped with an oyster. If you are after a showstopper of a drink – this is one for you. My friend had the more refined Chambord Royale so if it’s a special occasion or lunch out with the girls, they have an extensive cocktail menu alongside local wines and beers and the Premier Cru side of things, if you really want to push the boat out.  

Like the décor, the menu is playful, and we couldn’t resist sharing the Seacuterie plate including cuts of fish designed to look like meat with Sea Trout Pastrami, Smoked Haddock and Salmon Mortadella (served with crème fraiche and wakame seaweed) as well as Masala Monkfish. Gimmicks aside, it was fascinating to sample fish executed in a such a different way with the Sea Trout Pastrami being the walkaway winner of the trio. 

The Oysters HAD to be sampled too with an Oyster selection including two Maldon Rocks from Essex, two Guest Oysters from Ireland and two Beer Battered Rock Oysters. Oysters have such a decadent vibe to them and you either embrace the salty rush to the head as you swallow them whole, or you don’t get the fuss. The Beer Battered Rock Oyster allowed you to delicately munch on them, rather than gargle them down, so if you are on the fence when it comes to oysters, this could be the perfect intro? 

Buoy and Oyster’s Autumn menu had just been launched, proving that fish is not just for those summer days, so we shared a heart-warming Mixed Seafood Boil, which is a Louisana style bisque packed full of prawns, crabclaw, crayfish, mussels, clams, chorizo, potatoes and corn. We also couldn’t ignore their Buoy Bowl, which is one of Buoy and Oyster’s signature dishes, as is the perfect way to explore a medley of their dishes as it includes salt and pepper squid, beer battered cod, king prawns and skinny fries with confit garlic mayo on the side. 

Nadine and Simon have small children so also know how important it is to cater for the younger crew too so the Little Sailors menu has plenty of choice for £7 (up to 12 years old) to keep them happy. And of course – ice cream all provided by another Muddy favourite, Taywell’s Kentish ice cream. 

We managed to finish our meal with their cereal & oat milk pannacotta with frangipane sponge, morello cherries and almond spelt crumble – it felt like a healthy option – of sorts.

ANYTHING ELSE?

Roasts are a new addition to Buoy and Oyster with veggie looked after too as they have a Wild mushroom filo parcel with Spinach, butterbean & celeriac alongside two meaty dishes. We might be drooling at the thought of the Old Spot Pork Loin Porcetta with Yorkshire pudding, crackling & smoked apple butters served alongsideduck fat roasted potatoes, Mustard seed dressed root vegetables, red cabbage, curly kale, cauliflower cheese & bone-marrow gravy. As you can tell, no compromising here on the full Roast deal even though Buoy and Oyster’s longstanding reputation has been for its fish dishes. 

If it’s a totally laid-back Fish & Chips treat, you’re after then these guys have also totally sussed it out with BEACH BUOYS where you can enjoy traditional British fish and chips alongside the chef’s favourite seafood street food plus gluten-free and vegan options so no one has to miss out. 

We also love the idea of Mussel Wednesdays – unlimited Mussel refills for £18 -where I am quietly confident, I could do three substantial bowls before popping – if I skip the frites part. 

THE MUDDY VERDICT   

GOOD FOR? It’s fun for all the family at Buoy and Oyster but equally you could slide in for cocktails and stylish fish dishes in its funky surroundings. The endless talking points on the décor and menu would also work for a date night with a difference, especially with the themed rooms winking at you from above. 

NOT FOR? If you want that edgy and unvarnished restaurant affair, Buoy and Oyster is not the one for you as it offers a more theatrical experience starting with the open-plan kitchen greeting you on arrival plus the fun foodie touches along the way. 

THE DAMAGE   

Starters cost around £10-£15, around £25 for mains with sides at £4.50, and £10.00 for puddings, with room prices starting at £100 per night. 

44 High Street, Margate Kent, CT9 1DS, buoyandoyster.com, 01843 446631

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