We had a glorious long weekend in Deal over Easter. The sun shone almost the entire time and I completely fell in love with this cute little town on the Kent coast. Realistically you could easily stay here or in Margate and visit both places as part of the same trip and I think in the near future we may well just do that!
Why did I love Deal? Well….
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Lots of cute independent shops
We didn’t have time to visit them all but we did get to check out a few gems. Hoxton Store was packed with bright cushions, fun vases and cool utility ranges; Will & Yates had a French/Moroccan inspired vibe with wabi sabi cups, antique stools and some lovely art; Dunlin & Diver was a beautifully curated gift shop; No Name Shop was a delicious deli packed with french treats.
2. The gorgeous streets
Every time I turned around there was another picturesque street lined with perfectly formed Victorian and Georgian houses that had all been restored to their former glory. I could walk around these streets for hours without getting bored of looking at them. Yes I did spend too long on Rightmove before, during and after the trip!
3. The Rose pub
I have been obsessively following the renovations on Instagram of The Rose and it was certainly part of the reason for visiting Deal. We were staying in an air bnb (see below) with the babes and family so I didn’t get the chance to have a look around the rooms but we did go to the pub for Sunday lunch and it didn’t disappoint. The food was spot on – not overly fussy – just good, simple, well made grub that left you pleasantly full. The wine, service and ambiance were all moorish and we spent a good few hours in there without even noticing (no small feat with a 2 year old).
4. The chic Saturday market
I had read about the market and I wrongly assumed it would be a naff little local market that sold tacky trinkets but I was completely wrong. The market was actually packed with beautiful fresh produce and flowers as well as lovely vintage gems and a delightful array of french antiques. I whiled away a good hour looking around.
5. The peaceful beach
Don’t get me wrong I absolutely love living in Brighton but on a warm, sunny day, the beach front (at least right in the town centre) is really best avoided. Deal on the other hand, even on a very warm Easter weekend, managed to still be a peaceful place on the seafront. With a long, well kept promenade it made it a pleasant walk at all times of the day and the charming beach was enjoyed by the whole community – from tired parents walking their tiny babies in a pram, to groups of teenagers enjoying a BBQ. It had a lovely, relaxed, somewhat Mediterranean vibe to it.
A couple of side notes
As you can probably tell we absolutely loved it there and I would thoroughly recommend it as a weekend jaunt. We strangely didn’t make it to many cafes but it looked like there were plenty and it will give us another excuse to come back very soon.
We stayed in this air bnb which was very clean with lovely big bedrooms in a quiet part of the town – I would recommend it for families/groups.
We also went to the East Kent Railway which was quite possible the most adorable family activity and I would thoroughly recommend it for big ones and little ones alike. And we visited Deal castle run by English Heritage – which again was a perfect family attraction with plenty of space for little ones to explore, friendly staff and lots of interesting facts about the history to discover.
Let me know if you end up going
x
Thrifted Abode 