On a whim we motored down to the coast today for a wander round Folkestone and, if we could get in, a bite to eat at a new place called Rock Salt. Unfortunately things conspired against us in a big way, as not only was the restaurant fully booked but the fishing boats had not been out yesterday so there was very limited availability anyway! However, their fish & chip shop over the road was open and serving a reduced menu.
The building is a modern conversion of a typical south coast dock building, complete with double hight ceiling dining room and a little take away area. The decor is very inviting, lots of stylish pale blues and greys, and some great steel fish sculptures hanging from the roof add interest. We sat on benches at wooden tables and perused the menus printed printed on the place mats. Apparently a fishing boat had come into Hythe and unloaded a cargo of cod (amongst other things) so there was some fresh fish available. We shared a starter of mussels popcorn, which turned out to be surprisingly tasty lightly battered mussels served with a lemon wedge. Not being huge fans of deep fried things, Dee chose baked lemon sole, while I went for baked mackerel. Both came with a good helping of very nice chips, and both came in cardboard boxes, which made eating with proper knives and forks feel a bit odd. Oh, and yes, there were scallops on the menu, but no, I didn't have them! It's a first, I know....and perhaps if they'd actually had any I might have been more tempted...
The lemon sole was very nice, still on the bone and tail on, but well enough cooked that the meat came away from the bones very easily. The mackerel was very tasty indeed, skin and tail on, but no bones, delicious. There was a good selection of drinks available, including a choice of beers, soft drinks etc. but as the weather was very wintry and the on-shore wind bitterly cold, we went for mugs of hot tea. What we actually got were mugs of hot brown. Shame, because the rest of the meal was really very good and reasonably priced. We will definitely go back, but we'll book in advance at Rock Salt next time. If you fancy a box of fish and chips while you stroll along the front, I'd certainly recommend The Smokehouse though.
After our lunch we went for a good walk round Folkestone, starting on the front and ending up at the newly established Creative Quarter. Here we found a strange mixture of art galleries, shops selling militaria, pop-up clothes shops and trendy looking bars. At the top of the hill was a cosy looking café where we stopped for a decent cuppa and a cake. Fresh & Easy turned out to be a real find, with a huge choice of teas, homemade cakes and tarts, and the best cup of café mocha I've ever had! We shared a strawberry jam tart made on cinnamon pastry and a chocolate ganache tart made on pistachio pastry, both of which were spot on. Dee had a little pot of English breakfast tea, which came with a very cute little milk jug in the shape of a cow.
Folkestone is one of the forgotten places of the south east, but there is much to recommend it. The town is working very hard to drag itself back up to the dizzy heights it once enjoyed, although the High Street is a clone of every other in the country. There are some nice looking bars (a special mention for Googies is in order, beer, coffee, regular live acoustic music, homemade speciality burgers....worth a look!) and restaurants of the quality of The Smokehouse and Rock Salt can only help. So next time you're at a bit of a loose end, drive down to the harbour area and go for a stroll, you might be pleasantly surprised with what you find.
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