Best brunch spots around Thanet

Hungry? Hungover? Both? One of the best ways to start the weekend is a leisurely and satiating feed, regardless of what you did the night before. 

There’s plenty of hotels, cafes, greasy spoons and restaurants across Ramsgate, Broadstairs and Margate plating up seconds-worthy dishes, from kimchi and cheese toasties and sabih pitas to the classics like eggs benedict or a full English breakfast. With enough choice to paralyze the indecisive, the question is, where do you want to try today? 

Olympia

Who doesn’t want a full English breakfast, with fried bread, and a tea or a coffee for £10.95 or thereabouts? There’s no doubt an Olympia fry-up is a hefty meal, but you can easily roll yourself to Walpole Bay and into the water from the Ethelbert Crescent caff. Closed Sundays. 
Address: Ethelbert Cres, Cliftonville, Margate CT9 2DY

The Good Egg

Plating up zippy Middle-Easternish flavour punches, come to The Good Egg for shakshuka, baba French toast and pitas stuffed with briney aubergine, fudgey eggs, salted beef and crunchy falafel. Generally busy, but you don’t have to book.
Address: 49 Northdown Rd, Cliftonville, Margate CT9 2RN

Curve Roasters

Not everyone thinks toasties are a brunch dish, but the funky, filthy kimchi and cheese toastie (vegan option available) at this cafe is worth a mention for its hangover-curing properties. And also because it might be the best toastie in Thanet, if not the world, regardless. However for brunch purists, you can always also get things like Turkish poached eggs that come in a puddle of spiced yoghurt. Also does good coffee.
Address: 12 The Centre, Margate CT9 1JG

Forts

Forts' Margate outpost gets super busy at the weekend but you can’t book so you either have to suck it up and expect to wait a bit, or go somewhere else. Popular for a reason, however, Forts, both in Margate and Broadstairs, serves up strong coffees, hefty sarnies, and contemporary eggy riffs.
Address: 8 Cliff Terrace, Cliftonville, Margate CT9 1RU
1 Chandos Rd, Broadstairs CT10 1QP

Bus Cafe

Run by the same team as Cliffs - another good shout for brunch - this high season pop-up right on Main Sands makes life easy with a short but tempting big plate menu alongside a smattering of smaller dishes, which are ideal if you’re brunching with kids or don’t want to risk a food coma. Comes with some outdoor seating, so you don’t need to eat on the top deck. Booking is recommended for this one.
Address: Royal Cres Promenade, Westbrook, Margate CT9 5AJ

Hoffs

Not just for hangovers, but the bacon and egg sarnie made with potato waffles and your choice of hair of the dog really does soothe one. With its low slung couches and Home & Away meets Baywatch vibes, brunch could easily turn into drinks at this newish all-day eating haunt.
Address: 18 Marine Drive, Margate CT9 1DH

Cafe del Margs

Brought to you by the Cinque Port team, this new cafe in Margate Old Town takes over from Wildes. While bottomless brunches spark the fear of hen dos and the phrase ‘brunch hard or go home’ kills my appetite, the actual cafe looks bright, light and airy, with plenty of outdoor seating for soaking up the rays while you brunch hard AF - and I’m yet to spot a sash among diners.
Address: 4-5 Market Pl, Margate CT9 1ER

Union

This yoga studio cafe was at the top of the list for Ramsgate, as I’ve yet to have been served a boring or lacklustre dish here. However, just this week the cafe announced it was temporarily closing its kitchen due to rising costs. Hopefully this will change, but in the meantime, it’s granola or dhaal, which admittedly does not scream brunch, but it’s a lovely cafe all the same.
Address: 25-27 Queen Street, Ramsgate, Kent, CT11 9DZ

Seabird

Despite being more lunchy than brunchy, Seabird boasts decadent brunch vibes, with cheery interiors, a thorough cocktail list, and all-day menu and turned up tunes. Who says you can’t start the day with a rump steak and a martini?
Address: 2-3 The Broadway Addington Street, Ramsgate CT11 9JN

The Albion House Hotel

This charming, high-ceilinged boutique hotel perched upon East Cliff overlooking the sea serves up classic cafe-style brunch dishes in its elegant yet laidback dining room. Come for a full English, or a light smashed avo on toast. You can also get stuck into eggs on toast, done in a number of ways.
Address: Albion House, Albion Place, Ramsgate CT11 8HQ

The Falstaff

The Addington Street hotel’s brunch menu goes from day to night, with eggs your way sharing the menu with scampi and chips. While it appears a massive chasm separates the two dishes, BLTs, waffles and bagels bridge the gap, meaning there’s something for everyone including those who go for pineapple on their waffles and vegans.
Address: 16-18 Addington Street, Ramsgate CT11 9JJ

Salt

This Broadstairs coffee, acai and wine bar’s morning meal options are wholesome and light, with things like avo and kimchi on toast, green fresh juices, acai bowls and vegan baked goods putting a hop in your step.
Address: 127 High Street, Broadstairs CT10 1NG

Namaka

Sister venue to Salt, Namaka offers the same virtuous start to the day, but just on Stone Bay. Head down for a beach-side acai bowl that is loaded with fresh fruit, granola, acai seeds and various other plant-based healthy bits, as well as pastries, smoothies and super food hot drinks.
Address: Stone Bay Kiosk, Eastern Esplanade, Broadstairs CT10 1DU

Little Wave

This cheery and brightly coloured recent arrival to Broadstairs’ High Street has gone wild with its brunch options, plating up unexpected but not unwelcomed dishes like brunch noodles and Eton mess French toast. There’s also avocado on toast and shakshuka for those after something more familiar, but it’s the gochujang scrambled eggs on potato waffles that has caught my eye.
Address: 2 High Street, Broadstairs CT10 1LH

The Royal Albion Hotel 

The hotel has a no-stuffing about menu boasting mainly breakfast baps and hollandaise-drizzled muffins, however you can still get a classic English breakfast or American-style pancakes laden with cream and berries if you want a feast. Baps can be made vegan and you can brunch with beach views if you’re lucky. 
Address: 6-12 Albion Street, Broadstairs CT10 1AN

Staple Stores, Westgate

The original, and up until Ramsgate’s new outpost, the roomiest of Staple Stores, which comes with a counter top laden with savoury and sweet pastries and moorish things like focaccia sandwiches, veg and meaty sausage rolls, cruffins, quiche and almond croissants. Haven’t come across a Staples Stores baked good I didn’t want more of.
Address: 19 St. Mildreds Walk, Westgate-on-Sea CT8 8FZ