Sportsman Kent

If you drove by Sportsman without knowing, you could be easily forgiven for not realising that it is often recognised as the best restaurant in Britain or that it has a Michelin star. It’s a pub. A nice pub, but a pub all the same. There’s a bar and they pull pints. There’s only one menu on a chalkboard by said bar. There’s a lot of easy going coastal women in charge. They advise you take a photo of the menu so you can peruse it at your table. Your ample table. This isn’t anything like any London restaurant. The amount of space seems almost depraved compared to a London restaurant. What do you mean we don’t have to share this comfortable four seater table with sixteen other diners?! Sometimes leaving London for an afternoon feels like breathing out.

You really need a car to get there. Although you could get a train to Whitstable and then a cab but with a baby that might be a bit of a faff. Whitstable being known for their shellfish and Sportsman being keen on local produce means that there is a leaning toward Oysters and Cockles. I’m unfortunately rather violently allergic to shellfish and must avoid it lest my throat close so I don’t feel I wasn’t able to experience the best that Sportsman has to offer. That is not to say their non-seafood dishes felt like an afterthought. Everything tasted freshly plucked from the garden, in view out the window by our table.

What’s good? The bread. The lamb. The desserts. Not being in London.

Kid friendly? Yep, these guys aren’t fazed by much.

✓baby change facilities

✓highchairs available

✓cool with breastfeeding

✓loads of other parents

✓space for buggies

✗children’s menu

✗toys/play area

Rating ????

 

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