Seafood in Whitstable? Who'd have thought it!
If you come to the town's beautiful working harbour, chances are you'll expect to find some seafood to sample...and you won’t be disappointed in Whitstable Harbour Market and at West Whelks on the Harbour Wall.
There is a bevy of stalls and outlets providing produce and delicious dishes right by the sea. The old Whitstable Fish Market sadly closed following a fire in May 2022, and there are hopes that it will return once the new building is complete, allowing the local fisherman to sell fish right where it’s landed.
But there are still other options to buy fresh oysters, seafood and of course fish & chips - and everything in between. There is also seating around the harbour and within the market itself; you can, of course, get wrapped up to enjoy on the beach!
Aqua Shellfish
From a Tardis market hut, Aqua sells a huge range of seafood & shellfish as well as fish pates and prepared fish to cook at home.
They are also very friendly and helpful so ask them for advice if unsure what to choose - and if you haven’t braved a pot of cockles before, here’s your chance to try.
This bright and colourful hut is facing the water so easy to find. If you want to come back to pick up your order later just ask them to keep in the fridge for you.
Crabworks
Next door to Aqua is the wonderful team at Crabworks, open every day and serving something a little different. They also appear at food festivals, so you may have come across them before, but this is their base.
The soft-shelled crab brioche is superb, they also offer popcorn mussels, padron peppers, loaded crabmeat fries, crispy calamari & crab sandwiches.
You are in Whitstable so either fresh Whitstable rock oysters are available here and for those allergic to fresh oysters you can try a battered oyster instead.
Once you find this hut you will return to try something else!
Clive’s Plaice
We love the pun, and as you can probably guess this is where you get your fish & chips, but not just any fish & chips...
Beautiful, crispy local fish and chips to match No 1 in Google reviews for fish & chips in the area. Cooked fresh so be prepared to wait, but there is plenty to browse and its definitely worth it.
Clive’s fish depends on the catch and market price so the cost will fluctuate with the market as it should do. The fish is cooked in a beer or spring batter, and gluten-free batter is always available too. The homemade Curry sauce and free tartare sauce are stars in their own right!
Seasonally you will find a Seafood Paella cooking away, you can either buy a portion or you can order a whole pan of paella with local lobster to take to the beach, this will feed 10 to 12 people and includes cutlery, plates and the pan (deposit required) and you need to preorder!
West Whelks
Genuine native oysters & whelks caught by their fishing boats since 1947, six generations of fishing, preparing and selling wholesale means you are in the hands of real experts.
They are open at weekends to sell directly so wander along the harbour front. It’s a great spot if you arrive early to see the catches coming up too.
The Oyster Shed
At the back of the Harbour to the left of the market is The Oyster Shed, serving fresh oysters which you can also buy to take home closed as well as opened to eat straightaway.
They are not just about oysters, also offering battered cod, squid & scampi, mussels & lobster, subject to availability.
They are also licensed so you add a glass of wine or beer to your lunch.
