THE LOCATION

It’s been a long time since Margate has shaken off its Del Boy connotations thanks to the arrival of Turner Contemporary in 2011. Since then, foodie destinations have flooded in such as Sargasso, perched by the harbour wall, as well as Angela’s, a small seaside restaurant with big gourmet credentials, and Sète which got Grace Dent foaming at the mouth earlier on this year.

But there is always room for more, so Pomus has landed in a new foodie hub in the pedestrianized part of town. It’s close to other new foodie contenders like Palms Pizzeria, the neighbourhood slice shack that is currently making its moves across Kent, and Curve Coffee, a café and store all rolled into one.

The beauty of no traffic means you can enjoy alfresco eating at Pomus with little ones in tow and not worry if they go for a wander in front of you. There’s talk of shared foodie events within the courtyard area so you can get a genuine sense of community between all the local businesses.

And if you need someone to stay in between all that feasting, let us point you in the direction of some very good hotels like Fort Road Hotel, formerly a boarding house overlooking the sea before being refurbished in 2022, or No. 42 Margate part of the Guesthouse group with 21 boutique bedrooms.

THE LOWDOWN

Pomus (which derives its name from the Ancient Greek word ‘pōmus’ meaning fruit tree) is the first solo restaurant project from Ryan Jacovides, formerly part of the Jamie Oliver Group, along with head chef Tony Rodd, who was a finalist on MasterChef back in 2015.

Since the launch, Tony has ventured off to Broadstairs to open a new restaurant so luckily for us, we have more gourmet ventures on the horizon. Aaron Costen has stepped in to head up the kitchen, so they have a very safe pair of hands as he has worked his way around some of the best restaurants in Kent including The Crescent Turner in Whitstable and no 42 in Margate before landing at Pomus.

Ryan started his career in the hospitality industry by collecting glasses in a local pub and used to visit Margate when he was younger, so he has done full circle with the launch of Pomus. It’s a natural partnership of two Kent-loving lads as Aaron hails from Gravesend so Pomus is a true celebration of everything that Kent has to offer.

THE VIBE

It’s pitched as a neighbourhood wine bar and restaurant so there’s no standing on ceremony at Pomus. You can book ahead for a table or pop in and grab a seat at the counter for a drink and some of their very more-ish snacks. Or stop by and grab your favourite bottle of wine as you head home.

Word of warning, once you are there, it will be quite hard to leave. The kitchen is open plan so enticing smells will push your temptation buttons and you will want to sample one dish before you exit plus there is the foodie theatre show in front of you.

Ryan has led the design side of things, and you can tell he knows his stuff having worked in the industry for 25+ years – counter chairs are designed to be extra comfy, dark green hues hug the walls so it’s cosy but cool, jars containing fermented foods are dotted around so there is a sense of homeliness too.

It was a packed service for our Friday lunch which is not always the way in deepest darkest Kent, and they were booked out for the weekend ahead so it’s pushing all the right buttons in Margate – and beyond.

SCOFF AND QUAFF

Pomus has a low-waste and inclusive menu, so you will find plenty of innovative dishes using their ingredients spun in many different directions. We love how the menu is separated into Snacks, Platters, Small Plates and Large Plates so whether you are hanging at the bar, working your way through the wine menu, or sitting in the restaurant ready for the long-haul culinary experience, they have all bases covered.

There are a couple of crowd-pleasers that are usually on the menu which punters have returning on a regular basis – we are looking at you Ginger and lemongrass pork served snack size. We vote for more Pork belly snack size dishes in our lives.

It also comes as no surprise why the Chicken karaage, otherwise known as Japanese fried chicken, with maple syrup and togarashi is such a winner and the perfect way to kick-start the meal as you peruse the rest of the menu. Make sure you also don’t leave the building without trying their homemade focaccia with piquillo butter as well as chicken skin butter.

We recommend letting the Pomus team taking over and suggesting a heap of dishes to try (allergies permitting) so you don’t have to ponder over your decisions. With a fast-changing menu, as done according to what is in season, we can’t promise what we had will be in store for you but be sure in the knowledge that you will be rubbing your hands in glee that we have introduced Pomus to you.

Couple of highlight dishes on our visit and case in point for the low-waste menu was the new new kohlrabi dish where every aspect of the ingredient has been used. The flesh, dry rubbed in cumin, ginger, onion powder, cinnamon, and smoked paprika before being baked in the oven, is then wet marinated in soy, garlic, lemon grass, star anise and mirin, before being coated in corn flour and deep fried. The leaves are then sliced, salted and deep fried as a garnish with a ‘seaweed’ effect. And as if the dish couldn’t get it any tastier, it was served with honey yogurt and their house made fermented hot sauce.

The sea bream was also fresh on the menu which had been cured in a concoction of salt, sugar, lemon and grapefruit zest plus dill with similarly zesty dressing served with grapefruit, local radish, pickled chilli, basil and marigold leaves, as their frozen jalapeño granita. Do we have you reaching for your phone to book the table? You should be.

Other highlights include ember roasted new potatoes (I shall never accept boiled potatoes ever again) with broad beans and goats cheese plus Barbecued Octopus with elderflower, tomato and thyme as well as Barbecued lamp rump with romesco. Come hungry.

On the quaff side, there are plenty of award-winning wines to try and you’ll be pleased to see many local producers such as Chapel Down and Westwell are on their menus as well as Northdown and Kentish Pip cider.

We fell in love with the Chateau Oumsiyat Soupir Rose from Bekaa Valley in Lebanon – so much so we took advantage of the bottle shop element and bought one to take home with us.

Non-drinkers also well looked after, and we enjoyed a glass of the sparkling Wild Idol with our dessert – a showstopper of a meringue with white chocolate mousse and strawberries with shavings of mint on top.

OUT & ABOUT

Don’t rush home if you can as there is plenty to occupy you in Margate – there’s the Turner Contemporary of course with regular exhibitions plus the Anthony Gormley statue staring forlornly at the sea outside.

To burn off those meals, you can take a train to Broadstairs and walk back to Margate along the coastal path or vice versa, walk to Broadstairs and take the train back.

We also love The Crab Museum and The Shell Grotto for offbeat and quirky tourist experiences with some fun facts learnt along the way too plus plenty of independent shops to mooch around in too including The Margate Bookshop, Albion Retail and Aarven. And don’t forget The Sun Deck for sundowners – voted Best Bar in Kent in our Muddy Awards 2024..

ANYTHING ELSE?

We are big fans of the downstairs tasting area in the wine cellar with a dedicated table set aside for events with local wine producers, with tasting plates, designed to go with the wines. Keep an eye out on our What’s Page pages on what events are coming up as they are, as you can imagine, very popular with the locals. Or why not hire the space for a birthday or special occasion as for 6-10 people, you could have a very fun and intimate gathering downstairs.

The lavatories also deserve a stand-alone mention as they are the best-looking loos we have come across in our Muddy travels. We will let the photos do the talking.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

GOOD FOR? People who get food envy as the sharing dishes means you don’t spend your meal wishing you had someone else’s. You can while a way a lot of time here working your way through the tasting plates and alluring wine list so a great date place, but equally good for big groups as the space can easily accommodate you.

NOT FOR? Children who are not adventurous eaters as there is no kids’ menu as such. We’d save this one as an adults-only affair. They are not open 24/7 yet as it is relatively early days so do check if they are open before you drop in to avoid disappointment.

THE DAMAGE

Snack dishes range from £2 to £6 with Small Plates priced between £13 to £16 and large plates are £16-£18 with desserts at £9.

9 The Centre, Margate, Kent CT9 1JG, www.pomus.co.uk, enquiries@pomus.co.uk, 01843 546 150

Review: Pomus, Margate

You may also like