The Kent coastline is beautiful all year round. I find myself drawn to the sea, the beach, the place where the breeze can blow everything away even on the stillest of days. It’s good for the soul. This day in Deal the sun is out but the breeze is cool and we’re off to the end of Deal Pier.
Deal Pier Kitchen
At the end of the 311 metres of the concrete-clad steel pier, is Deal Pier Kitchen which opened earlier this year. This sits on the top ‘deck’ of the pier in an architecturally-striking building – think huge glass windows, wooden struts and panelled walls. It offers panoramic views from wherever you sit of the English Channel through one of the three sides of windowed walls whilst dining out at sea. So much so that I got a text from EE telling me to enjoy my time in France!
Running down the length of the restaurant are banquettes with wooden tables topped with cute little cactuses and metal pots of cutlery, and additional tables and chairs make it up to three rows of covers. The servery is dark wood with aquamarine tiles looking through to the kitchen. It’s informal, clean and the staff are really friendly. They make a great flat white and they automatically bring water to the table, served chilled in a refillable bottle – lots of boxes ticked there.
The brunch menu offers the usual suspects — traditional cooked breakfast, eggs benedict, cakes and pastries — along with Shakshuka, vegan cooked breakfast, homemade baked beans, pancakes, avocado & eggs, and a whole ‘eggs’ section to the menu including Eggs Florentine and Eggs Royale.
My default choice when I’m eating out is always based primarily on what I don’t cook at home. So, when I was presented with ‘Sweetcorn Fritters with slow-roasted tomatoes, smashed avocado, chilli & herb oil’ or ‘Sweet potato toast 3 ways’ on the menu, I was torn. But what is ‘sweet potato toast’ when it’s at home, you might ask? As did I.
It is three slices of sweet potato that are taking the role of toast by sitting underneath a selection of toppings: roasted pepper and goats cheese; avocado and tomato; and garlic mushrooms. It was delicious. The roasted pepper and goats cheese was my favourite. And I felt like I’d perhaps made a lighter choice by steering away from the sausage, bacon and eggs. I also had a little taste of poached eggs on sourdough toast with a side of beetroot cured salmon. So pretty.
The pier
Beautiful in an unconventional way, Deal Pier is brutalist architecture combined with purpose and pleasure.
Strollers, anglers, joggers, dog walkers, couples hand-in-hand all enjoying this strut of concrete out over the sea. At the end, the pier has two levels or ‘decks’ making it a hot spot for anglers. You might also recognise it from ITV’s Liar, where the pier makes an appearance.
Make a day of it at Deal
You won’t find fun fairs and amusements along the front, but the seafront promenade is the main attraction and the beach street provides a choice of ice cream shops, pubs and restaurants, and then there’s a castle ruin, a time ball tower and daily fishing. Stepping back from the front, take a stroll around the narrow streets of old town Deal. The beautifully-painted, petite-doored properties offer a glimpse of Deal’s smuggling history with its alleyways leading away from the sea into the retreat and obscurity of passageway and hiding places, some of which are still being discovered.
