Grace Dent wasn’t wrong when she called Bottega Caruso “heroically wonderous”, but most Margate locals don’t thank her for it: getting a table at this Old Town stalwart was already tricky, with just a handful of bookable tables inside. Luckily, whenever the weather is kind enough the seating spills onto the pretty street outside and is kept for walk-ins, so if you haven’t booked ahead, go early and be prepared to have an alfresco Oscar 697 vermouth while you wait. It’s worth your patience (or the effort to book ahead): married couple Simona Di Dio and Harry Ryder cook up the Campanian cuisine of Simona’s ancestors with love and authenticity you can taste. The fresh pasta is as delicious as you’d expect, but it’s the likes of verdura e fagioli (vegetables and beans) that change the game: underwhelming sounding on paper but elevated to binge-worthy deliciousness in reality. Likewise, golden ‘bread balls’ – used by Simona’s family in place of meat when it was scarce – come bound together with egg, herbs and parmesan and are served in a rich ragu made with piennolo tomatoes from the family’s farm. You won’t have space, but make it for the homemade tiramisu.
Address: Bottega Caruso, 2-4 Broad St, Margate CT9 1EW
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Mori Mori
Run by Kate de Syllas of Hantverk and Found – Margate’s former seafood-turned-sushi hub, which is currently undergoing its own transformation – Mori Mori opened in the summer of 2022, offering Japanese-inspired izakaya dishes and bento boxes. Located on Northdown Road, the main artery leading from Margate through up-and-coming Cliftonville, the restaurant combines locally sourced, seasonal produce – Kentish sea trout, scallops and greens – with authentic Japanese ingredients. The results are clean yet comforting, umami-fuelled dishes: hand-filled house gyoza features different fillings daily, katsu prawns come in bouncy bao buns topped with spicy kewpie, and moreish bowls of fried new potatoes – their edges dangerously crunchy – are slathered with sweet-and-salty okonomiyaki sauce. Drink options are similarly considered, with sake on tap from London craft brewers Kanpai.
Address: Mori Mori, 80 Northdown Road, Margate CT9 2RE
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