Sea and seafood

Above: Hythe Bay Seafood Restaurant

Above: Hythe Bay Seafood Restaurant

Hythe Bay Seafood Restaurant occupies arguably one of the best locations on the coast of Shepway. The restaurant is right on the seafront at Stade Street, opposite the Stade Court Hotel, with tables in the front annexe offering a stunning sea prospect. It would be nice to think that Kent might have our own equivalent of Rick Stein’s famous seafood restaurant. Inside, the pale walls sport marine theme pictures, bar there are decorative scallops over the long bar and a blue carpet vies for attention with the sea blue, while the conservatory area is tiled. The music, cool jazz, is suitably background sound.

The place has been both a pub and nightclub until it was turned into a fish restaurant by Geoff Griggs, Hythe’s renowned fishmonger, with Matthew Anglin and Clinton Lovell. For the last two years it has been owned by Eastwell Manor. Manager, Svenja Summers, has been hotel manager at Folkestone’s Hotel Relish and has worked here for just under a year. Chef Andrew Milne trained at Thanet College, where Gary Rhodes also studied, and has worked for P and O, who sponsored him to study at Thames Valley University on the International Culinary Arts Degree.

Andrew’s inspiration for recipes includes the academic course he undertook, but also Rick Stein, John Campbell and a wide range of chefs.

Local core menu
With Griggs just 200 yards away, a core menu exists and there are specials each day, the menu focusing on fresh caught fish ranging from shrimps and prawns, to haddock, lobster, crab, fishcakes and fish pie.
The meat is not local, but comes from Aubery Allen, winner of Catering Butcher of the Year, and you can choose from steak, bangers and mash or corn-fed chicken. There is a vegetarian option of cannelloni stuffed with spinach and goat;s cheese on the menu, with a chef’s special each day and a slightly simplified menu for outside eating

My companion selected the special, roast skate wings with black butter, new potatoes and green beans, which he said was lovely, while I tried the fishcake (light and fluffy) and the coquilles St. Jacques as a main course, served with a disconcertingly large amount of mushrooms.

Portions here are extremely large – the plates even bigger – and you may well not have space for the desserts, which are not made on the premises. We did try the strawberry cheesecake, which was served with unrecognisable Chantilly cream, and my companion tried the fruit sorbet. Were I to return, I would opt for the British cheese platter.

The wines are from Anthony Byrne, but the selection is moderated by Svenja, trained in wine and who will respond to customer demands. At the moment, she tells me, the Rosé is very popular (Anjou Rosé, François Bonhomme). With my fish I chose the Brio Chardonnary, Casablanca Chile, which was good.

People come to this restaurant for its setting. As Svenja comments “There is no other restaurant where you can eat outside with such a sea view.”

The details

Hythe Bay Seafood Restaurant and Bar, Stade Street, Hythe, tel: 01303 233844 or email: hythebay@btinternet.com.

Booking essential Fri and Sat nights and Sun lunch. Open at 10.30am for coffee and food is served seven days a week from noon, last orders at 9.30pm.