A top chef has called one Kent restaurant “every chef’s favourite” and the best in the world, lauding the “special cooking” on offer.
Max Rocha, owner of East London eatery Cafe Cecila, is just the latest in a long line of diners to heap praise on The Sportsman in Seasalter.
The Michelin-starred establishment, nestled a stone’s throw away from the coast between Faversham and Whitstable, regularly features in dining guides and on top-rated lists.
Speaking to the Conde Nest Traveller, the 32-year-old chef said: “This is my favourite restaurant in the world. It really is the best restaurant and ticks all the boxes.
“It’s special cooking in a calming atmosphere. It appealed to me, and I love that it’s fine dining at an accessible price and has perfect cooking because it’s so creative but humble.
“It’s so welcoming when you get there.
“It feels like this is every chef’s favourite restaurant.”
He added the best time of day to go was lunchtime and said everything about the slip sole with seaweed butter “makes me excited”.
Brothers Philip and Stephen Harris took over The Sportsman in November 1999 and have held a coveted Michelin star since 2008.
It offers a three-course or a five-course tasting menu and chefs “let the area around the pub dictate what we cook”.
The establishment regularly features in compilations of highly-esteemed restaurants and gastropubs as well as routinely winning awards during its time.
The Sportsman’s entry in the Michelin Guide says: “The Sportsman’s reputation continues to bring diners from across the country to this windswept spot by the sea wall.
“The Thames Estuary provides wonderfully fresh fish and oysters, and the adjacent marshes, woodlands and soils provide meat, game and vegetables.
“While the place has a comfortingly traditional feel, the dishes mix old favourites (like pot-roast pork loin) with newer ideas. The cooking is assured and satisfying, with seamless flavour combinations and an understated level of complexity.
“Wooden cabins in the garden are available for a peaceful night’s rest.”
