IF there is one thing that the Kent coastline DOES need more of, it is rooftop bars.
But there is a hidden rooftop bar in one of it’s trendiest seaside towns that even some locals have no idea existed.
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Found above No.42 Guesthouse Hotel in Margate, the rooftop bar actually opened back in 2023.
Despite this, it remains one of the town’s best kept secrets, despite its amazing views.
The day I arrived, it was 30C and the lift was broken so it was certainly a sweaty walk up.
But the baby pink walled stairway quickly gave way to a huge glass roof, teasing me about what was to come.
After the never-ending climb, I was met with panoramic views of the Margate beach, where the bright blue waters were reminiscent of somewhere like Ibiza or Sardinia.
With a covered bar, the menu of both cocktails and wine as well as cocktails was extensive, and my crisp glass of rose was a perfect cooler for the temperature.
And the design felt more members club than Margate, with baby pink and white stripped seating, dark wooden tables and Bali-like wicker lights.
The music toed the line of classic chill out music to more upbeat tunes to get you in the party mood.
And with uninterrupted views of the beach, harbour and Dreamland in the distance, I was surprised that some had no idea it existed,
Local Katherine told me: “I’d have never known this kind of place existed in Margate, its just what it needs.”
You don’t have to be a guest at the hotel, although I’d advise splashing out as they are some of the most beautiful rooms in town.
The rooftop bar is open Friday to Sunday as well as bank holidays, from midday.
And if you want something to eat, there is the Pearly Cow downstairs that serves.
Otherwise there is Peter’s Fish Factory just down the road, often named one of the best chippys in the UK.
Thankfully it was delicious enough to be worth the wait, after I inadvertently found myself behind a queue of 50 school children.
(Although there was some luck there, after overhearing that another “90 kids would be coming in a few minutes”).
And along with big name acts at Dreamland this summer – I caught Haim before their secret gig at Glastonbury – there has never been a better time to visit Margate del Sol.
The closed Winter Gardens theatre has revealed grand plans to open, which will include a rooftop bar, set to cost £11million.
The Kent seaside town has seen a huge surge in tourists in recent years.
Margate’s Cliftonville neighbourhood was named the coolest neighbourhood in the UK by Time Out back in 2022.
This is where the town’s huge tidal pool is found, with it being one of Europe’s largest lidos.
Here are some other rooftop bars and gardens across the UK.