A blue sky day on the English coast is automatic perfection.
And for us, an automatic excuse to jump in the car, put the roof down, crank up the tunes, and cruise over to Kent for a day on Whitstable’s pebbled shores.
Salt in the air, sand in my hair.
We laid in the sun listening to the cries of marauding seagulls above us until our heads got warm and felt a bit fuzzy, which meant it was time for food!
Good thing we knew an amazing place just up the road for a leisurely spot of lunch.
We plunked ourselves down and got comfortable – with a glass of champagne, naturally.
The amuse bouche was a curious little concoction of fish, egg yolk and cream which was like a decadent spoonful of chowder.
Next was the bit I was most looking forward to – the oyster course.
Poached oyster with cream rhubarb granita and crystalized seaweed
Whitstable is known for its oysters and – woweee – these did not disappoint!
Salt baked beetroot, rhubarb and fresh cheese
The salads and bread knocked my shoes off! Actually, it was me who kicked them off under the table, because there’s nothing better than eating lunch barefoot by the beach.
Roast Hake fillet with cherry tomato sauce and green olive tapenade
Roast breast confit leg of local Aylesbury duck with spiced roasting juices
A spiffing English lunch!
The meal wasn’t yet over, but we needed a timeout. So we took our glasses outside for some fresh air and a post-meal stroll.
We weren’t in a hurry. We had all afternoon to spare.
So we just enjoyed the sunshine for a while before heading back to our table.
Rhubarb ice lolly with madeira cake milk
Chocolate and salted caramel tart with vanilla ice cream
We didn’t even actually touch this tart, but instead had it wrapped up to take home!
It will make a good midnight snack at some point 🙂
